JP4577663B2 - Purge control device and load boat device including the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a purge control device for controlling a purge device used by being attached to a load port device that does not have a purge function for ejecting gas to a pod, and a funnel port device including the purge control device.

  Conventionally, when a semiconductor wafer is handled in a semiconductor manufacturing process, it is performed in a clean room with high cleaning. FOUP (Front-opening Unified Pod), which is a sealed container that accommodates a wafer, in the processing apparatus placed in a highly purified mini-environment from the viewpoint of cost reduction required for an increase in wafer size and clean room management. A load port device of FIMS (Front-opening Interface Mechanical Standard) is used to open and close the lid and transfer the wafer into the processing apparatus from a clean box called (see Patent Document 1). .)

The load port device is a device to which a clean box that accommodates and transports a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is detachably mounted, and includes a table on which the clean box is placed and an opening / closing mechanism that opens the lid of the clean box. ing. The load port device is sealed to the outside world, opens the clean box to the clean space of the processing apparatus, and transfers the workpiece in the clean box into the processing apparatus.
JP 2007-180517 A (FIGS. 1, 5, etc.)

  Since the load port apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a purge device including nozzles provided around the opening of the load port apparatus, contaminants and oxidizing gas into the clean box are included. And the like can be prevented from entering the clean box.

  As described above, with the downsizing and miniaturization of semiconductor elements, load port devices equipped with a purge device have become widespread in order to meet the demand for maintaining a higher degree of cleaning. A type of load port device is still in use.

  In a facility using a conventional load port device, in order to install a load port device equipped with a purge device, the conventional load port device that does not have a gas purge function is discarded and a new purge device is provided. It is necessary to introduce a load port device or modify a conventional load port device and provide a purge device.

  However, replacing with a load port device equipped with a purge device will abandon the conventional load port device that can still be used except for the purge function, and this will reverse the recent trend of effective use of resources. It is not preferable.

  In addition, when a purge device is incorporated into a conventional load port device, even if the cost and labor associated with the modification of the load port device are within an allowable range, the control program for the load port device and processing device with the purge device added It is expected that the cost and effort will be increased to change. This is because the usage mode of the load port device varies depending on the user, and the control program for the actual load port device is also customized. Thus, in order to realize the modification to add the purge device, it is necessary to improve not only the hardware but also the control software, which not only increases the cost but also takes time and is not practical.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and in giving a purge function to a conventional load port device that does not include a purge device, improvement and control of the device structure of the load port device and the processing device. An object of the present invention is to provide a purge control device capable of improving the program and minimizing the program.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the purge control apparatus of the present invention has a wall that partitions an internal space from the outside, and the work is transferred from the clean box that stores the work in the storage space to the wall. A purge control device for controlling a purge device which is used by being attached to a load port device which is taken in and out of the internal space through an provided opening, and which performs a purge process by ejecting gas toward the opening, Transmission / reception means for receiving the operation command from a host device that is electrically connected to the load port device and generates an operation command for operating the load port device, and the operation command received from the host device is transmitted to the load port device. And a control means for converting into a conversion operation command for causing the purge device to perform an operation including a purge process, and a conversion operation order converted by the control means But is transmitted by said receiving means to said load port apparatus and the purging device.

  In the second aspect of the purge control device of the present invention, the correspondence between the operation command received from the host device and the conversion operation command for causing the load port device and the purge device to perform an operation including a purge process is further provided. Storage means for storing a definition table to be defined is provided, and the control means refers to the definition table and converts the operation command into a conversion operation command.

  According to a third aspect of the purge control apparatus of the present invention, the transmission / reception means can receive a response from the load port apparatus, and the control means receives a response from the load port apparatus received by the transmission / reception means. An identification function for identifying whether or not the content should be transferred to a host device, and when the control unit identifies that the response is a response to an operation command from the host device, The response is transferred to the host device.

  According to a fourth aspect of the purge control apparatus of the present invention, the control means has a management table creation function for creating a management table indicating a response corresponding to the operation command among the responses from the load port device, The control means refers to the management table and determines whether or not the response corresponds to an operation command from the load port device.

  According to a fifth aspect of the purge control apparatus of the present invention, the control means has a switching function for switching the purge apparatus between an operable state and an inoperable state. The operation command from the device is transferred to the load port device without being converted into the conversion operation command.

  According to a sixth aspect of the purge control apparatus of the present invention, the control means includes a detection means for detecting a state of the purge apparatus, and when the operation failure is detected by the detection means, the control means sends an operation failure response to the transmission / reception means. To the higher-level device.

  An aspect of the load port device of the present invention includes the purge control device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, and a purge device that supplies a gas toward the opening.

  In this specification, the host device is a device that is electrically connected to a load port device and generates an operation command for operating the load port device. Supply, filling, molding, It includes not only a processing apparatus that performs a specific processing such as sintering, but also an apparatus used for manufacturing electronic components such as a transport apparatus that transfers a workpiece between the apparatuses. Further, a host device that performs bidirectional communication with the load port device and a host device that performs unidirectional communication from the device to the load port device are included.

  According to the purge control device of the present invention, the purge control device is interposed between the host device and the load port device even when the purge device is attached to the conventional load port device that does not include the purge device. In response to an operation command from the host device, the purge control device converts the operation command into a conversion operation command including a purge operation and transmits it to the load port device and the purge device, thereby linking the purge device and the load port device. It is the structure to make. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the program for controlling the host device and the load port device in order to add the purge device.

  That is, only a structural modification of mounting a purge device on the conventional load port device is performed, and it is not necessary to change the control system of the transfer device, the processing device, etc., so that a purge function is added. The cost and labor required for this can be significantly reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the purge control device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1A is a partial cross-sectional view showing a load port device to which a purge device is attached, in which a door opens an opening of the load port device, and FIG. 1B is an opening of the load port device shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view seen from the arrow 1C of FIG. 1A. For the sake of clarity, the load port device control unit 43, gas supply unit 41, purge control device 31, host device 51, etc. are omitted from FIGS. 1B and 1C.

  The purge control device 31 of the present embodiment has a wall that partitions the internal space from the outside, and has an opening provided in the wall 25 from the pod 2 that is a clean box for storing the wafer 1 that is a workpiece in the storage space. And a purge device 32 that controls the purge device 32 that performs a purge operation by ejecting gas toward the opening 10 of the wall 25.

  Further, the purge control device 31 operates the transmission / reception unit 35 that is a transmission / reception unit that receives an operation command for operating the load port device 3 from the host device 51 and the load port device 3 received from the host device 51. And a control unit 33 that is a control unit that converts the operation command into a conversion operation command that causes the load port device 3 and the purge device 32 to perform an operation including a purge operation.

  In addition, the conversion operation command converted by the control unit 33 is transmitted to the load port device 3 and the purge device 32 by the transmission / reception unit 35 as transmission / reception means.

  Each component will be described in detail below. The purge device 32 includes a cover 23 disposed around the opening 10, a curtain nozzle 12 and a purge nozzle 21 fixed to the cover 23, and a gas supply unit 41 that supplies a predetermined gas to the two types of nozzles. I have.

  The cover 23 is composed of three plate-like bodies 23a, 23b and 23c having the same width. Each plate-like body is attached to the wall 25 provided with the opening 10 of the load port device by a fixing means such as a screw, and from the wall surface on the opposite side to the side on which the mounting table 81 described later is disposed, Projecting so as to be parallel to both sides and the upper side of the opening 10.

  Further, the curtain nozzle 12 and the purge nozzle 21 are configured by a tubular member provided with a plurality of openings at equal intervals, and a predetermined gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 41 to the inside of the tubular member.

  Furthermore, hooks 24a and 24b extending from the respective plate-like bodies so as to face each other are fixed to the tips of the respective plate-like bodies 23a and 23b. Due to the flanges 24a and 24b, diffusion of the gas ejected from the purge nozzle 21 is prevented, and an air flow is generated in the region surrounded by the plate-like bodies 23a and 23b.

  The load port device 3 includes a door 6 that opens and closes the opening 10 provided on the wall surface 25 and can hold the lid 4 of the pod 2, a mounting table 81 on which the pod 2 is mounted, and a load port control unit 43. Yes. The door 6 is configured to be able to move between a standby position that is the lowest point shown in FIG. 1A and a closed position that closes the opening 10. Further, the door 6 is provided with suction means, and can hold the lid 4 of the pod 2 in contact with the door 6, and the lid 4 is attached to and detached from the pod 2.

  The mounting table 81 can advance and retreat with respect to the opening 10 with the pod 2 mounted, and can bring the pod 2 into contact with the door 6 in the closed position. The load port control unit 43 controls the operation of the door 6 and the mounting table 81. That is, in response to a command from the load port control unit 43, the door 6 is moved up and down to open and close the opening 10, the operation of fixing the bottom surface of the pod 2 with a clamp (not shown) provided on the mounting table 81, the door 6 An operation of gripping the lid 4 of the pod 2 by applying a suction force from a suction means (not shown) provided on the pod 2 is performed.

  The purge control device 31 is interposed between the load port control unit 43 and the host device 51. The purge control device 31 includes a control unit 33 and a transmission / reception unit 35. Further, the purge control device 31 is connected to the gas supply unit 41, the host device 51, and the load port control unit 43. When an operation command from the control unit 33 of the purge control device 31 is received by the gas supply unit 41 via the transmission / reception unit 35, a predetermined gas is ejected from the curtain nozzle 12 or the purge nozzle 21. Further, when the operation command from the control unit 33 of the purge control device 31 is received by the load port control unit 43, a predetermined operation is performed in the load port device 3.

  Openings are arranged in the curtain nozzle 12 so that a gas flow can be formed substantially downward in the vertical direction in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, the purge nozzle 21 has an opening of the nozzle so that the gas flow is directed to the inside of the pod 2.

  The pod 2 is a container that can seal the accommodation space from the outside, and is composed of a container body 7 and a lid 4, and can store a wafer with a high degree of cleaning.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a relationship among the purge control device 31, the load port device 3, the host device 51, the purge device 32, and the gas supply unit 41 according to the embodiment of this invention. It is shown that the purge control device 31 is interposed between the load port device 3 and the host device 51 in a system in which the host device and the load port device are directly connected conventionally.

  A purge unit 9 is attached to the load port device 3. Here, the purge unit 9 is the curtain nozzle 12, the purge nozzle 21, and the cover 23 shown in FIG. A gas supply unit 41 is connected to the purge unit 9. In response to an operation command from the purge control device 31, the gas supply unit 41 supplies a predetermined gas to the purge unit 9 at a predetermined timing and flow rate to perform a purge operation.

  Note that the operation command sent from the host device 51 to the load port device 3 is set in advance in the host device 51 and the load port device 3. Similarly, a response sent from the load port device 3 to the host device 51 is also preset in the load port device. Further, the purge control device 31 is configured to use a response or an operation command set in advance in the load port device 3 and the host device 51. Therefore, the load port device 3 and the purge device 32 can be controlled by attaching the purge unit 9 to the load port device 3 and interposing the purge control device 31 between the load port device 3 and the host device 51. .

  Hereinafter, the operation of the purge control device 31 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation steps of the purge control device 31.

  First, a command for the load port device 3 is received by the transmission / reception unit 35 from the host device 51 (step 101). The control unit 33 identifies whether or not it is necessary to convert the operation command received by the transmission / reception unit 35 (step 102). Here, whether or not it is necessary to convert the operation command is identified by whether or not the operation command from the load port device 3 requires a purge operation (step 102).

  The operations including the purge operation include, for example, a load operation for mounting the pod 2 on the load port device 3 in order to load and unload the wafer 1 between the pod 2 and the processing apparatus, and a load port for transferring the pod 2. There is an unloading action to remove the pod from the device 3. These operations involve opening and closing the lid 4 of the pod 2 and performing a purge process to maintain the partial pressure of the oxidizing atmosphere in the pod 2 at a low pressure.

  In the load port device 3 in the state of FIG. 1A, for example, when the control unit 33 receives an operation command for an unload operation from the higher-level device 51, the control unit 33 indicates that this operation command requires a purge operation. (Step 102).

  Since the unload operation requires the purge operation as described above, the control unit 33 converts the operation command into the conversion operation command in order to cause the purge device 32 and the load port device 3 to perform a predetermined operation. (Step 103). The conversion operation command includes a command for operating the purge device 32 at a predetermined timing to perform a purge operation with respect to the operation of the load port device 3 and a load for raising the door of the load port device 3 and closing the opening 10. And a command for performing a predetermined operation unique to the port device 3.

  Note that the unload operation command of the load port device 3 is preliminarily incorporated in the load port device 3 and the host device 51. Therefore, the control unit 33 of the purge control device 31 that receives an existing unload operation command from the host device 51 decomposes the unload operation command that is a combination of a plurality of operations into individual operation commands included in the unload operation command. , The command is converted into a command incorporating a purge operation command between each individual command.

  Therefore, by incorporating the purge control device 31, the relationship between the host device 51 and the load port device 3 is as if between the host device 51 and the load port device 3. The purge operation can be added after exchanging the operation command (in the same manner as in the case of the direct connection).

  Then, the conversion operation command converted by the control unit 33 is sent to the low port device 3 and the purge device 32 via the transmission / reception unit 35 (step 104), and the load port device 3 and the purge device 32 operate in conjunction with the purge operation. Operations including operations are performed at a predetermined timing.

  In the case of an unload operation command, the door 6 is raised upward in FIG. 1, and then the gas supply unit 41 is driven by an operation command from the control unit 33, and a predetermined gas is supplied from the curtain nozzle 12 and the purge nozzle 21. Erupt. The lid 4 is attached to the pod 2 by the door 6 closing the opening 10 in the purge state in which gas is ejected. Then, a series of unloading operations are performed such as releasing the grip of the lid 4 by the door 6 and releasing the fixation of the mounting table 81 to the pod 2.

  On the other hand, when the door raising command for raising the door 6 from the host device 51 is received by the transmission / reception unit 35 in step 101, the control unit 33 identifies that the purge operation is unnecessary (step 102). The operation command is not converted. Accordingly, a door ascending command is transmitted to the load port control unit 43 of the load port device 3 via the transmission / reception unit 35 (step 109). Then, the operation of raising the door 6 is performed by the load port control unit 43.

  Next, when the predetermined operation by the transmission of step 104 or step 109 is completed, a response is transmitted from the load port device 3 or the purge device 32 and received by the transmission / reception unit 35 (step 106, step 110). The response is a signal indicating that the load port device 3 and the purge device 32 have executed an operation command, or a signal for confirming the state of the load port device 3 from the host device 51 or the purge control device 31. Is a signal transmitted from the load port device 3 and the purge device 32 to the purge control device 31 after the load port device 3 and the purge device 32 perform a predetermined operation.

  The control unit 33 of the purge control device 31 identifies whether or not the response received in step 106 needs to be transferred to the host device 51 (step 107). For example, when the purge control device 31 has received an unload command from the host device 51, the individual commands obtained by disassembling the unload commands such as the door up command and the door close command from the purge control device 31 to the load port device 3 Has been issued. Therefore, the response received from the load port device 3 is a door lift completion command response indicating that each operation has been performed, a door close completion response, or the like. Since these responses are responses to the conversion operation command generated by the purge control device 31, it is not necessary to transfer the response to the host device 51, and the next conversion operation command is transmitted according to a predetermined operation sequence.

  Further, the response from the purge device 32 is also a response to the operation command generated and transmitted by the purge control device 31, and is not transferred to the host device 51. However, when the load port device 3 to be used is configured to respond to the host device 51 with a response command indicating completion of unloading, a predetermined timing (for example, when the operation including the purge operation is completed) It is also possible to transfer the response indicating the completion of unloading from the purge control device 31 to the host device 51.

  When receiving the door up command from the host device 51, the purge control device 31 transmits the command to the load port device 3, and when receiving a door up command response to the command from the load port device 3, the purge control device Since the response is a response to the operation command from the host device 51, 31 needs to be transferred to the host device 51. In this case, the control unit 33 identifies that transfer is necessary (step 107), and transfers the door ascending command response to the host device 51 (step 108). Thereafter, when a response signal indicating that the operation of further raising the door is completed is received from the load port device 3 (step 106), the response is transferred to the host device 51 (step 107).

  In step 110, since the response received from the load port device 3 as a result of the operation command that does not require the purge operation is a response to the operation command from the host device 51, the purge control device 31 sends the response to the host device 51. Transfer (step 111).

  In the above embodiment, the response is received from the load port device and the purge device and the necessity of transferring the response to the host device is identified. However, in various modes, the purge device and the load port device, It goes without saying that the exchange of signals with the device can be set. That is, if the purge control device 31 has a configuration in which the operation command received from the host device 51 is converted into a conversion operation command for causing the purge device 32 and the load port device 3 to perform a predetermined operation, various modes can be adopted.

  Next, the purge control apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the purge control device according to the first embodiment interposed between the host device and the load port device, and FIG. 5 is a sequence chart showing control in the unload processing of the purge control device according to the first embodiment. 6 is a table showing the contents of the definition table, FIG. 7 is a table showing the contents of the management table, and FIG. 8 is a main part of a flowchart of the unload processing of the purge control device.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the purge control device 131 includes a control unit 133, a transmission / reception unit 135, and a storage unit 137. The control unit 133 is electrically connected to the gas supply unit 41, the load port device 3, and the host device 51 via the transmission / reception unit 135, and is configured to exchange signals such as operation commands and responses.

  FIG. 4 does not show a nozzle for ejecting a predetermined gas. However, similarly to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the gas supply unit 41 is connected to a curtain nozzle and a purge nozzle (not shown). By controlling the supply unit 41, a predetermined gas is ejected at a predetermined timing and flow rate.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, signals are exchanged among the host device 51, the purge control device 31, and the load port device 3. First, a definition table (see FIG. 6) created based on an operation signal and a response signal originally used by the host device 51 and the load port device 3 connected via the purge control device 31 is stored in the storage unit 137. Keep it.

  In the definition table of this embodiment, a conversion operation command corresponding to an operation command from the host device 51 and a response to be transmitted to the host device 51 are defined. In the definition table, an operation command received by the purge control device 131 from the host device 51 is shown in the left column, and a conversion operation command transmitted by the purge control device 131 to the load port device 3 and the gas supply unit 41 of the purge device is shown in the center column. The right column shows a response to be transmitted to the higher-level device 51.

  For example, the control unit 133 that has received the unload command from the host device 51 generates a door up command, a purge operation command, a door close command, a latch command, a vacuum OFF command, an undock command, and an unclamp command. An operation command excluding the purge operation command is transmitted to the load port device 3, and a purge operation command is transmitted to the gas supply unit 41. That is, the control unit 133 is configured to convert an unload instruction into the individual operation instructions and transmit the converted operation instructions as conversion operation instructions. In addition, a response to be transmitted to the higher-level device 51 is also generated.

  The management table shown in FIG. 7 generates a response signal that the purge control device 131 will receive from the load port device 3 in response to an operation command from the host device 51, and the response received from the load port device 3 It is used for referring to the management table to identify whether or not to transfer to the upper apparatus 51. In the management table of FIG. 7, an operation command received by the purge control device 131 from the host device is shown in the left column, and a response received by the purge control device 131 from the load port device 3 is shown in the right column.

  For example, when the purge control device 131 receives an unload command, referring to the conversion operation command of the definition table, as shown in the right column of the table of FIG. ) Door lift completion response. . . (12) A management table of the contents of the unclamping completion response is generated and stored in the storage unit 137. Then, the control unit 133 refers to the generated management table and identifies that the signal received from the load port device 3 is a response to be transferred to the higher-level device 51 when the signal received from the load port device 3 is not on the management table. If there is a match, it is identified that the response is not to be transferred to the host device 51.

  The control process in the above configuration will be described. The flowchart shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to steps 103 to 108 in the flowchart of FIG. That is, it shows a process of processing an operation command received from the higher-level device 51 and needs to be changed. The case where an unload instruction is received will be described below.

  First, when the transmission / reception unit 135 receives an unload command for performing an unload operation for removing the pod 2 from the load port device 3, the control unit 133 of the purge control device 131 refers to the definition table stored in the storage unit 137. Then, a conversion operation instruction corresponding to the unload instruction is generated (step 103).

  The conversion operation command includes a door ascending command for raising the door 6 (see FIG. 1), a purge operation command for operating the gas supply unit 41 to eject gas and purging, and closing the opening 10 with the door 6 and the pod body. A door closing command for attaching the lid 4 to the door 7, a latch command for latching the lid 4 to the pod body 7, and a vacuum for releasing the gripping of the door 6 to the lid 4 by stopping the suction means of the door 6 for gripping the lid 4. An OFF command, an undock command for moving the mounting table 81 to move the pod 2 away from the door 6, and an unclamping command for releasing the clamp that has fixed the pod 2 to the mounting table 81.

  When the purge control device 31 does not exist, an unload command is directly sent from the host device 51 to the load port device 3 to perform a series of unload processing. However, in the conversion process, the unload instruction that is executed continuously is divided into individual instructions constituting the unload instruction, and a purge operation is incorporated between the door raising operation and the door closing operation, and then the load port Is performed.

  Therefore, even in a conventional load port device that does not include a purge device, the purge operation can be performed without changing the control method from the past by interposing the purge control device between the host device and the load port device. it can.

  Each of the above operations is performed in the order of the above-described instructions as shown in steps 221 to 226 of FIG. When the conversion operation instruction (unload instruction) includes n instructions (n = 7 in the present embodiment), 1 is substituted for the variable N (step 221), and the first door is defined along the definition table. The ascending command is transmitted to the load port device 3 (step 222), and the door ascending operation is started. On the other hand, the purge control device 131 receives a door ascending command acceptance response indicating that an operation command has been received from the load port device 3 side (step 223).

  The control unit 133 identifies whether or not the purge control device 131 should receive the received response signal with reference to the management table of FIG. Specifically, it is identified whether or not the response signal is an acceptance response indicating that an operation command has been received (step 224).

  Here, when the door ascending command acceptance response is received, the process proceeds to the next step 260, and whether or not the control unit 133 needs to transfer a response indicating that the predetermined operation has been accepted to the host device 51. Is judged. When the host device 51 of this embodiment transmits an unload command, the host device 51 is configured to receive an unload acceptance response indicating that the command has been accepted from the load port device 3. Therefore, the purge control device 131 needs to transfer an unload command acceptance response indicating that an unload command has been received to the host device 51 to the host device 51.

  Therefore, the unload instruction acceptance response stored in advance in the definition table is transferred to the host device 51 (step 261), and the process proceeds to the next step 223. The unload reception response is configured to be transferred to the host device 51 when the door lift reception response is received. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration and is set to be transferred when receiving another response. Needless to say, you can.

  As described above, when it is determined in step 260 that a predetermined command acceptance response needs to be transferred to the host device 51, the predetermined command acceptance response is transferred to the host device 51 (step 261), indicating that the operation has been completed. Until the response is received (step 223), the process does not proceed. On the other hand, if the control unit 133 determines that the response is not a predetermined command acceptance response (step 260), it proceeds to the next process until it receives a response indicating that the operation has been completed without performing the transfer to the host device 51 (step 223). Absent.

  Next, when a door lift completion response is received, it is determined that the response is not an acceptance response (step 224), and the process proceeds to the next flag operation (step 226) to indicate that the door lift operation has been completed. A flag is set in the storage unit 137.

  Following the flag operation (step 226) is a transfer operation (step 227). In the transfer operation, the control unit 133 determines whether or not it is necessary to transfer a completion response indicating that the predetermined operation has been completed to the upper apparatus 51. On the other hand, if it is not necessary to transfer, the process proceeds to step 229 without passing through step 228.

  Step 229 identifies whether all of the individual operation instructions that make up the conversion operation instruction are complete. That is, the control unit 133 identifies whether the executed N-th operation instruction is equal to the total number (n) of individual operation instructions. If they are equal, the operation is terminated.

  If N is not equal to n, N is incremented at step 230. For example, when the first door up command of the conversion operation command corresponding to the unload command is performed, N is 1 and the total number n of individual operation commands is 7, so they are not equal, The process proceeds to step 230 and returns to step 222 again.

  In step 222, since N becomes 2, a second individual operation command, that is, a purge operation command is transmitted to the gas supply unit 41. In the same manner as described above, a response is exchanged between the gas supply unit 42 and the purge control device 131, and the purge operation is completed. Thereafter, with respect to the remaining door close command, latch command, vacuum OFF command, undock command, and unclamp command, exchange is performed between the control device 131 and the load port device 3, and the operation is sequentially terminated.

  In addition, after the unclamping operation that is the last individual operation command among the conversion operation commands is completed in step 224 and the flag is set (step 226), the control unit 133 sends an unload completion response. Transfer to the host device 51 (step 228). The host device 51 that has received this unload completion response recognizes that the unload operation has been completed as in the case where the purge control device 131 is not interposed.

  Needless to say, whether to send an individual command to the load port device 3 or to the gas supply unit 41 of the purge device is set in advance. Needless to say, the transfer timing of the unload command acceptance response and the unload completion response to the host device 51 can be set as appropriate.

  Furthermore, the load instructions shown in the definition table of FIG. 6 are obtained by sequentially executing the operation instructions of the conversion operation instructions shown in the center column from the top, and the order in which the conversion operation instructions corresponding to the unload instruction are generally reversed. To do.

  Each operation command will be briefly described. The clamp command is a command to fix the pod 2 to the mounting table 81 with a clamp, and the dock command is to move the pod 2 on the mounting table 81 so that the door 6 and the pod 2 are in contact with each other. The vacuum ON command is a command to drive the suction means of the door 6 to grip the lid 4, and the door 6 is to grip the lid 4. The unlatching command is to release the latch that holds the lid 4 on the pod body 7. The door open command is a command in which the door 6 holding the lid 4 moves backward from the closed position to the inside of the internal space to open the opening 10 and remove the lid 4 from the pod body 7. Is a command for operating the gas supply unit 41 to eject gas into the pod opening 10 and purging, and a door lowering command is a command for lowering the door 6 (see FIG. 1) to the standby position.

  Further, the load command acceptance can be set to be transferred to the host device 51 when the clamp command acceptance response is received, and the load completion response can be set to be transferred to the host device 51 after completing the door lowering operation.

  If the host device 51 is provided with a function for notifying an error when a response is not received within a predetermined time with respect to an operation command such as a load command or an unload command in advance, a purge operation is added. Needless to say, it is possible to easily cope with this by simply changing the setting of the predetermined time on the host device 51 side. The same applies to Examples 2 and 3 described later.

  Hereinafter, Example 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a sequence chart illustrating control in the unload operation of the purge control apparatus according to the second embodiment. The configurations of the purge control device 131, the load port device 3, the host device 51, and the purge device 32 (gas supply unit 41) are the same as those of the second embodiment shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, a status read command is transmitted from the host device 51 to the load port device 3 during the purge operation. The status read command is a command for responding information of the load port device 3 at the time of receiving the command. For example, referring to the flag described in the first embodiment (step 226 in FIG. 8), information on the operation completed in the load port device 3 can be returned to the host device 51.

  In this embodiment, an unload command is issued and a state read command is transmitted from the host device 51 while the purge operation by the purge device 32 (gas supply unit 41) is being executed. In this case, first, the purge control device 131 receives a state read command (corresponding to step 101 in FIG. 3). Then, the control unit 133 refers to the left column of the definition file in FIG. 6, determines that the read command is not defined, and identifies that it is not necessary to convert the operation command (corresponding to step 102 in FIG. 3). ). In this case, the state read command is transmitted to the load port device 3 without being converted (step 109).

  When the load port device 3 receives the status read command, the status read with the latest flagged operation command as a content is made with reference to the flag operation (see step 226 in FIG. 8) described in relation to the first embodiment. A response is transmitted to the host device 51. The response signal is first received by the purge control device 131 (step 110).

  Since the received status read response signal indicating that the door ascending has been completed is a response to the status read command from the higher level device 51, the control unit 133 transfers it to the higher level device 51 as it is (step 111). ).

  In the second embodiment, the status read command is transmitted during the purge operation, but it goes without saying that the command can be issued from the host device 51 at any time.

  A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a sequence chart showing control in the unload operation of the purge control apparatus according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a main part of a flowchart of the unload processing of the purge control apparatus according to the third embodiment. Note that this flowchart is different from step 224 in FIG.

  The third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments only in the contents of control. The configurations of the purge control device 131, the load port device 3, the host device 51, and the purge device 32 (gas supply unit 41) are shown in FIG. It is the same as Example 1 shown. Further, the difference from the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is that the purge control device 131 itself spontaneously transmits a state read command to the load port device 3.

  In this embodiment, when the purge control device 131 receives an unload operation command, information for determining whether or not the load port device 3 is in a state suitable for performing the unload operation is obtained. A status read command is issued. Further, after performing the purge operation, a state read command is issued.

  The necessary information includes, for example, whether or not the door 6 is raised and whether or not the door 6 is closed after the purge operation is completed. By acquiring such information, an unload operation incorporating a purge operation can be performed safely and efficiently. If it can be identified in advance that the door 6 has already been lifted, the door lift command can be removed and an individual operation command defined next can be started, and the time required for the unload operation can be shortened.

  When an unload command is transmitted from the purge control device 131 to the load port device 3, a management table is created (corresponding to step 103 in FIG. 3), and a status read response is defined. The difference from the management table shown in the management table of FIG. 7 is that the first status read response is defined at the beginning of the right column corresponding to the unload command, that is, before the door lift acceptance response. Further, the second state read response is defined next to the purge operation completion response.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when the load port device 3 receives a state read command (corresponding to step 222 in FIG. 8) transmitted from the purge control device 131, the door of the load port device 3 is open or closed. The load port device 3 transmits a state read response indicating the state of the load port device 3 to the purge control device 131. The purge control device 131 collates the received status read response (corresponding to step 223 in FIG. 8) with the contents of the management table. That is, the control unit 133 identifies whether it is an operation command acceptance response or an operation completion response (steps 224 and 231), and determines that it is a status read response because it is neither an acceptance response nor a completion response. .

  Then, the process proceeds to a state display operation (step 241), and an indicator (not shown) provided in the purge control device 131 is turned on. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 229, and it is determined whether or not to proceed to step 222 in which the next individual operation command is transmitted.

  In this way, since the state read command can be generated from the purge control device 131, the purge operation can be performed reliably and efficiently. Of course, it is also possible to control to transfer the status read response to the status read command transmitted by the purge control device 131 to the host device 51.

  Further, the gas supply unit 41 generates a failure signal indicating a purge operation failure and controls it to be sent to the purge control device 131. Further, the failure signal received by the host device 51 is transferred to the indicator of the host device 51. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that operates the above. In this case, the gas supply unit 41 is provided with a flow meter for detecting and controlling the gas flow rate, and the gas flow rate is monitored, and the gas supply unit 41 generates a failure signal when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded. To do. At this time, the defect signal is not defined in the management table created by the purge control device 131 and is transferred to the host device 51 as it is.

  Specifically, an operation step for identifying whether or not it is a status read response is incorporated between the status display operations of step 231 and step 241 for identifying whether or not the response is a completion response in FIG. Then, when it is identified as a status read response in the operation step, the process proceeds to step 241. On the other hand, if it is identified that the response is not a status read response, it is identified as a defective signal, and control is provided to provide a step of transferring the defective signal to the host device 51.

  In the above embodiment, in step 241, the state reading response is configured to light the indicator provided in the purge control device 131. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, when it is identified as a status read response in step 231 (when it is determined that the response is not a completion response), the process directly proceeds to step 228 to transmit a response to the higher-level device 51 and is provided in the higher-level device 51 Needless to say, the indicator can be configured to be displayed on the indicator. In this case, when creating the management table (corresponding to step 103 in FIG. 3), control is performed so as to define a status read response.

  Needless to say, the control can be a combination of the second embodiment and the third embodiment. In this case, even if the purge control device 131 receives a response to the status read command from the host device 51 and a response to the spontaneous status read command from the purge control device 131 at substantially the same timing, Needless to say, confusion can be prevented by adding data identifying the source of the command to each response.

  Further, in the embodiment and Examples 1 to 3, a switching function for switching the purge control device between the operable state and the inoperable state is provided, and in the case of the inoperable state, all the operation commands from the host device 51 are converted. It is also possible to control to transfer directly to the load port device without being converted into an operation command.

  For example, the purge control devices 31 and 131 are provided with a changeover switch for switching between the operable mode and the inoperable mode, and an operation mode identifying step for identifying the operation mode is incorporated after step 101 in the flowchart of FIG.

  When an operation command is received from the higher-level device, if the control units 33 and 133 identify the inoperable mode, all determinations in step 102 are processed as command conversion unnecessary, and control is performed to shift to step 109. Therefore, the operation command from the host device 51 is transferred to the load port device 3 as it is without being converted into a conversion operation command.

  When the operation mode identification step identifies the operable mode and the control units 33 and 133, the process proceeds to the next step 102 to identify whether or not the operation command should be converted into a conversion operation command.

(Semiconductor wafer processing equipment)
A semiconductor wafer processing apparatus to which the embodiment of the purge control apparatus described above is applied will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus corresponding to a so-called mini-environment system.

  The semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50 mainly includes a transfer chamber 52, a load port device 3 mounted in the transfer chamber 52, a process chamber 59, a purge control device 31, a gas supply unit 41, and the entire semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50. And a host device 51 such as a computer for controlling the above.

  The transfer chamber 52 is partitioned by a partition 55a and a cover 58a on the load port side, and a partition 55b and a cover 58b on the processing chamber side. In order to discharge dust in the transfer chamber 52 in the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50 and maintain a high degree of cleaning, an air flow from above to below in FIG. It is the structure which generates.

  The pod 2 has a space for accommodating the wafer 1 which is a processing target, and has a box-shaped main body portion 7 having an opening on either side, and a lid 4 for sealing the opening. I have. The pod 2 is mounted on the mounting table 81.

  The inside of the transfer chamber 52 is kept at a high degree of cleaning. Further, a robot arm 54 is provided inside the transfer chamber 52. The robot arm 54 transfers the wafer 1 between the inside of the pod 2 and the inside of the processing chamber 59. Various mechanisms for performing processing such as thin film formation and processing on the surface of the wafer 1 are arranged in the processing chamber 59, but the specific mechanism is not directly related to the features of the present invention. Omit.

  In the example shown here, the direction in which the wafers 1 are stacked is the vertical direction. On the load port device 3 side of the transfer chamber 52, an opening 10 is provided. The opening 10 is arranged at a position facing the opening of the pod 2 when the pod 2 is arranged on the load port device 3 so as to be close to the opening 10. Further, a door 6 is disposed in the transfer chamber 52 in order to open and close the opening 10 from the inside.

  The door 6 of the load port apparatus 3 in the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50 configured as described above is connected to one end of a door arm 42 (see FIG. 1). The other end of the door arm 42 is connected to a movable end of an air-driven cylinder (not shown), and can extend and contract in the vertical direction. The fixed end of the air-driven cylinder is rotatably connected with a shaft provided in a lower portion of the wall 25 of the load port device 3 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. Therefore, the door 6 can move in the vertical direction and can rotate about an axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

  A curtain nozzle 12 (see FIG. 1) is fastened to the upper portion of the opening 10 in the wall 25 of the load port device 3, and a purge nozzle 21 (see FIG. 1) is fastened to both sides by a fixing member such as a screw.

  In the above configuration, the wafer 1 in the pod 2 is transferred into the processing device 59 via the load port device 3 operated by the control described in the first to third embodiments.

  In the present embodiment, the FOUP and the FIMS are described, but the present invention is not limited to these configurations. The purge control device according to the present invention is applied to a front open type container that accommodates a plurality of contents therein, and the purge control device of the present invention is applied as long as the structure is configured to open and close the lid of the container and remove the contents from the container. It is possible to maintain the partial pressure of the oxidizing atmosphere inside the container at a low pressure.

  According to the present invention, even in a load port device that does not include a conventional purge device, by incorporating the purge control device and the purge device, the space shielding effect by the gas curtain and the intrusion of external gas by the inert gas supply are suppressed. The gas replacement effect can be obtained inexpensively and easily.

  The present invention can be embodied in many forms without departing from its essential characteristics. Therefore, it is needless to say that the above-described embodiment is exclusively for description and does not limit the present invention.

It is sectional drawing of schematic structure of the purge control apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, a high-order apparatus, and a load port apparatus. It is the figure which looked at the opening part of the load port apparatus shown to FIG. 1A from the direction shown by the arrow 1B. It is the figure seen from the direction of arrow 1C of FIG. 1A. It is a block diagram which shows the relationship between the purge control apparatus of embodiment of this invention, a load port apparatus, a high-order apparatus, a purge apparatus, and a gas supply part. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the operation | movement of the purge control apparatus of embodiment. 1 is a block diagram of a purge control device according to a first embodiment that is interposed between a host device and a load port device. FIG. 3 is a sequence chart illustrating control in an unload process of the purge control apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a table | surface which shows the content of a definition table. It is a table | surface which shows the content of the management table. 7 is a main part of a flowchart of unload processing of the purge control apparatus according to the first embodiment. 10 is a sequence chart showing control in unload processing of the purge control apparatus according to the second embodiment. 10 is a sequence chart showing control in an unload process of a purge control apparatus according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a main part of a flowchart of an unload process of a purge control apparatus according to a third embodiment. FIG. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus corresponding to a mini environment system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wafer 2 Pod 3 Load port apparatus 9 Purge unit 31 Purge control apparatus 41 Gas supply part 43 Load port control part 51 Host apparatus

Claims (7)

A wall having an internal space partitioned from the outside, and attached to a load port device that takes the work into and out of the internal space from a clean box that contains the work in the storage space through an opening provided in the wall. A purge control device that controls a purge device that is used and performs a purge process by ejecting gas toward the opening,
Transmission / reception means for receiving the operation command from a host device that is electrically connected to the load port device and generates an operation command for operating the load port device;
Control means for converting an operation command received from the host device into a conversion operation command for causing the load port device and the purge device to perform an operation including a purge process,
The purge control device, wherein the conversion operation command converted by the control means is transmitted to the load port device and the purge device by the transmission / reception means. Furthermore, storage means for storing a definition table that defines a correspondence between an operation command received from the host device and a conversion operation command that causes the load port device and the purge device to perform an operation including a purge process,
The purge control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit converts the operation command into a conversion operation command with reference to the definition table. The transmission / reception means is capable of receiving a response from the load port device;
The control means has an identification function for identifying whether or not the response from the load port device received by the transmission / reception means is content to be transferred to the host device, and the response is sent from the host device. The purge control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the control unit identifies that the response is an operation command response, the transmission / reception unit transfers the response to the host device.   The control means has a management table creation function for creating a management table indicating a response corresponding to the operation command out of responses from the load port device, the control means refers to the management table, and The purge control device according to claim 3, wherein it is determined whether or not the response corresponds to an operation command from the port device.   The control means has a switching function for switching the purge device between an operable state and an inoperable state, and in the case of the inoperable state, the operation command from the host device is converted into the conversion operation command. The purge control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the purge control device is transferred to the load port device without first.   A detection unit that detects a state of the purge device is provided, and when the operation unit detects an operation failure, the control unit transmits an operation failure response to the host device through the transmission / reception unit. The purge control apparatus according to claim 5. The purge control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
And a purge device for supplying a gas toward the opening.

Images