JP5494579B2 - Load port device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides a method for transferring a wafer held in a sealed transfer container called a pod to a semiconductor processing apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing process or the like, or transferring a wafer from the semiconductor processing apparatus to the pod. The present invention relates to a so-called FIMS (Front-Opening Interface Mechanical Standard) system, that is, a load port device.

  In recent years, the semiconductor manufacturing process has been carried out in various processing apparatuses, a pod that accommodates wafers and enables wafer transfer between the processing apparatuses, and a minute space that transfers substrates from the pod to the processing apparatuses. A method of managing cleanliness through a process by keeping only three spaces in a highly clean state is common. Such a pod is composed of a main body portion that contains a wafer inside and has an opening for inserting and removing a wafer on one side surface, and a lid that closes the opening to make the inside of the pod a sealed space. Further, the minute space has an opening that can face the opening of the pod described above, and a second opening that faces the opening and is disposed on the semiconductor processing apparatus side.

  The load port device includes a wall member called a side base, ie, a side base, a door for closing the opening, a door driving mechanism for controlling the operation of the door, and a pod. And a mounting table. The mounting table can support the pod so that the opening of the pod faces the opening, and moves the lid close to or away from the door together with the pod. The door can hold the lid of the pod, and opens and closes the opening while holding the lid by the door drive mechanism, and retracts or lowers the space below the space between the opening and the second opening. You can get into the space. A robot is disposed in the minute space, and the robot can enter and retreat inside the pod through the opening-pod opening, and the inside of the pod, the semiconductor processing apparatus, and the like through the second opening. The wafer is transferred between.

  In the semiconductor manufacturing process, when the yield of semiconductor elements is taken into consideration, the inflow of air into the minute space described above must be suppressed as much as possible. However, when the opening is opened at once from the state in which the opening is sealed by the door, there is a problem that surrounding gas is involved in the inside of the minute space at the time of opening. For this reason, for example, it is described in Patent Document 1 In the configuration, a gap is provided in advance between the door and the peripheral wall of the opening to suppress turbulence of the airflow around the door that may occur when the opening is opened and closed by the door. Moreover, it is necessary to suppress the generation of dust and the like due to contact between the door and the outer peripheral wall of the opening, and as described in Patent Document 2, an air seal is formed between the door outer peripheral surface and the opening inner peripheral wall, This suppresses contact.

JP 2007-324302 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-076093

  In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the diameter of a wafer to be used has been increased for the purpose of improving productivity. For this reason, each of the above-described pod, minute space, and space inside the processing apparatus is also enlarged, and accordingly, the opening of the load port apparatus is enlarged and the door is accordingly enlarged. As the door size increases, the weight of the door increases, and the door drive mechanism also requires a starting force that can handle the door weight. As such a door drive mechanism, for example, a structure including a known servo motor and a ball screw is known.

  Moreover, not only the structure related to the door but also so-called side plates that form the openings need to suppress bending, distortion, etc. caused by the increase in size, and the plate thickness must be increased in order to increase the rigidity in the thickness direction. No longer get. In this case, when the weight increases, it becomes difficult to assemble the load port device to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. For this reason, the applicant of the present invention combines the plate-like members to obtain the strength and rigidity of the entire load port device, and then forms a large size of the device by closing the surface to be closed by the thin plate. It is recommended to deal with shaping. However, in the case of this configuration, for example, in the case of the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 or 2, since the path from the inside of the micro space to the external space becomes too short, the so-called downflow generated in the micro space causes the external space. Therefore, there is a possibility that it becomes difficult to appropriately maintain the differential pressure between the inside of the minute space and the outside space.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and even when it has an opening configured by using a thin plate-like member as compared with the conventional case, the space between the micro space and the external space is An object of the present invention is to provide a load port device capable of obtaining an appropriate air flow from the outer peripheral region of the opening to the external space while maintaining the differential pressure appropriately.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a load port device according to the present invention includes a side plate that forms a minute space spaced from the outer space, and a rectangular opening that is provided on the side plate and communicates the minute space and the outer space. And a door having a rectangular shape having a predetermined thickness that can be fitted in a rectangular shape of the opening, and the door is in contact with the surface of the door on the outer space side. When the upper end surface has a tapered surface that intersects with an obtuse angle, and the door and the opening are viewed from a direction that passes through the center of the opening and is perpendicular to the side plate in a state where the door is closed. A collar portion that protrudes outward so as to protrude from the rectangle of the opening portion and is disposed in the minute space is provided on at least one of the lower end surface and both lateral end surfaces of the door, and the opening portion is formed. The thickness of the side plates and t ₁ was, in the case where the distance between the inner circumferential surface of the opening which faces the tapered surface and the tapered surface and the d _1, satisfy t ₁ ≦ d ₁ the relationship, and wherein the To do.

In the load port device described above, when the distance between the plane including the minute space side surface of the side plate and the plane including the minute space side surface of the door is W ₁ , the relationship d ₁ ≦ W ₁ is satisfied. preferable. Further, the distance between at least one of the lower end surface and the lateral end surface of the inner peripheral surface and the door which constitutes the opening in the side plate when the d _2, it is preferable to satisfy t ₁ ≦ d ₂ the relationship . Further, the distance between at least one of the lower end surface and the side end face and d ₂ at the inner peripheral edge and the door which constitutes the opening in the side plate, fine space side of the side plate and the outer space side of the collar portion It is more preferable that the relationship d ₂ ≦ W ₂ is satisfied, where W ₂ is the distance between the _two . Furthermore, the distance between at least one of the lower end surface and the side end face and d ₂ at the inner peripheral edge and the door which constitutes the opening in the side plates, the lower end surface of the outer peripheral end face and the door of the collar portion and the side More preferably, the relationship d ₂ ≦ d ₃ is satisfied, where d ₃ is the distance from at least one of the end surfaces. Further, each of the four corners of the door and the rectangular opening is connected to each other by a curved surface, and a curved surface is formed by continuously bending the lateral end surface at the connection portion between the upper end surface and the lateral end surface. More preferably, the tapered surface of the upper end surface is connected.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an appropriate amount of air ejection from the periphery of the door, even with an opening formed of a thin plate, and a desired differential pressure between the minute space and the external space. Can be obtained.

The load port apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention WHEREIN: The schematic structure at the time of seeing the state which mounted the pod 1 on the mounting table from the side is shown. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which looked at the door through the 1st opening part from the mounting position side of a pod regarding the load port apparatus shown in FIG. It is the elements on larger scale which looked at the clearance gap formed between the door shown by FIG. 2 and a side plate from the same direction as FIG. It is a figure which shows a structure at the time of seeing from the arrow direction in the figure in the cross section at the time of cut | disconnecting the structure shown by FIG. 3A along line 3B-3B in the figure. It is the elements on larger scale which looked at the clearance gap formed between the door shown by FIG. 2 and a side plate from the same direction as FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure at the time of seeing from the arrow direction in the figure in the cross section at the time of cut | disconnecting the structure shown by FIG. 4A along line 4B-4B in the figure. It is a figure which shows a structure at the time of seeing the structure shown by FIG. 4A from the arrow direction in the figure in the cross section at the time of cut | disconnecting along the line 4C-4C in the figure.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 relates to a load port device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a schematic configuration when a pod 1 is placed on a placement table as viewed from the side. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the door is viewed from the loading position side of the pod through the first opening with respect to the load port device illustrated in FIG. 1. 3A is a partially enlarged view of the gap formed between the door and the side plate shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the same direction as FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B shows the configuration shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure at the time of seeing from the arrow direction in the figure in the cross section at the time of cut | disconnecting along 3B-3B. 4A is a partially enlarged view of the gap formed between the door and the side plate shown in FIG. 2 as seen from the same direction as FIG. 2, and FIG. 4B shows the configuration shown in FIG. 4A. It is a figure which shows the structure at the time of seeing from the arrow direction in the figure in the cross section at the time of cut | disconnecting along line 4B-4B. 4C is a diagram showing a configuration when the configuration shown in FIG. 4A is viewed from the direction of the arrow in the cross section when cut along the line 4C-4C in the same diagram.

  The configuration of the load port device according to the present embodiment will be described below. The load port device 101 constitutes a minute space 103 separated from the external space 104 by the side plate 105, and has a pod placement portion 121 arranged adjacent to the side plate 105. The side plate 105 has a first opening 111 and a door system 114. A fan (not shown) is arranged above the micro space 103 constructed by the side plate 105 and the like, and the gas existing in the external space of the casing that partitions the micro space 103 by attaching the load port device 101 is transferred to the micro space. So as to generate a so-called down flow that is a gas flow from the upper side to the lower side in the micro space 103. The fan is accompanied by a filter that removes contaminants such as dust from the gas introduced from the space according to the cleanliness of the external space. A structure that allows the downflow to flow out is arranged in the lower part of the minute space 103, and dust generated in the minute space 103 is conveyed to the outer space from the lower part of the minute space 103. Discharged.

  The door system 114 includes a door 116 and a door driving mechanism (not shown) that supports and drives the door 116 to open and close the first opening 111. Although the first opening 111 is closed at first glance by the door 116 in the door system, a gap described later is formed between the outer periphery of the door 116 and the inner peripheral surface of the first opening 111. The door 116 is described as being capable of substantially closing the first opening 111. The door 116 has a suction pad 107 for holding the lid of the pod 1 and a latch mechanism 109 for attaching / detaching the lid to / from the pod 1. The door 116 includes a door main body 115 having a rectangular flat plate shape, and a flat plate-shaped collar portion 117 joined to an inner side surface 115e existing on the minute space 103 side of the door main body 115. The suction pad 107 and the like described above are disposed on the side of the door main body 115 that faces the joint surface with the collar portion 117 (see the outer surface 115a, FIGS. 3B and 4B). Note that the door main body 115 and the collar portion 117 constituting the door 116 may be integrally formed from the beginning by injection molding or the like.

  The pod placement unit 121 can fix the placed pod 1 and moves the pod 1 closer to and away from the first opening 111 (more precisely, the door 116 that closes the pod 1). It is possible. The pod placement unit 121 performs the approaching operation of the pod 1 until the pod 1 comes into contact with the door 116 (the outer surface 115a of the door main body 115) until a predetermined interval or until the pod 1 is stopped and the door 116 is moved. Hold the lid. In this state, the door 116 separates the lid from the pod body 2 and further moves downward with respect to the first opening 111 by the door drive mechanism, thereby opening the opening of the pod 1 with respect to the minute space 103. Let In this embodiment, the driving direction of the pod body 2 is the X-axis direction, and the direction (perpendicular to the paper surface) that defines the wafer extending surface along with the X-axis perpendicular to the X-axis is the Y-axis direction. The direction perpendicular to the XY plane composed of these axes is defined as the Z axis for convenience. In the present embodiment, the vertical direction corresponds to the Z-axis direction, and the upper and lower portions in this specification correspond to the upper and lower portions in the vertical direction. However, the extending direction of the Z-axis in the present invention is not limited to this vertical direction, and may be set by shifting from the vertical direction as necessary.

The load port device 100 to which the present invention is directed has a different side plate from the conventional load port device. More specifically, in the conventional apparatus, the structure of the casing is a structure called a side base made of a single plate having a thickness of a certain level or more, whereas the side plate 105 includes a plurality of plate members 105a for obtaining rigidity, and a thin plate 105b that is attached to the plate members and forms part of a wall surrounding the minute space 103 to define the minute space. The first opening 111 is formed with respect to the thin plate 105b. Sheet 105b has a thickness _{t 1,} as shown in Figure 3B or the like. In the present invention, the thickness t _{1 of the} member defined as a thin plate is defined as a range of 0 mm <t ₁ ≦ 10 mm, for example.

  The shape and the size of the first opening 111 are such that when the door 116 is in a position that substantially closes the first opening 111, the surface located on the external space 104 side of the door 116 (door body 115) ( Hereinafter referred to as the outer surface 115a). Furthermore, the door 116 has a collar portion 117 that protrudes outward from the door body 115 along the inner surface 115a from a lower end surface 115b and both lateral end surfaces 115c of the door body, which will be described later. That is, when the door 116 closes the first opening 111 and the door 115 and the first opening 111 are viewed from the direction perpendicular to the side plate 105 through the center of the opening 111, the collar The portion 117 protrudes outward so as to protrude from the rectangle of the first opening 111. In the present invention, the inner peripheral surface constituting the opening in the side plate 105 is a surface shown as the end surface 105c of the thin plate 105b in FIG. 3B or FIGS. 4B and 4C described later, and is actually a flat surface or a curved surface. Consists of. In addition, the distance defined as the distance between the inner peripheral surface and the object corresponds to the distance when the inner peripheral surface and the object are connected at close positions.

  In the present embodiment, the lower end surface 115b on the lower side of the door body 115 connected to the outer surface 115a of the door body 115 and the lateral end surface 115c, which are both side surfaces, include the connecting portions and the outer surface of the door 115 body. It is set as the aspect connected perpendicular | vertical with respect to 115a. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, the upper end surface 115d on the upper side of the door 115 main body is a door 116 as it extends from a surface (hereinafter referred to as an inner surface 115e) located on the minute space 103 side to the outer surface 115a. It is made into the taper surface which makes small the cut surface of the door main body 115 parallel to the inner surface 117a. More specifically, the tapered surface intersects with the inner surface 115e and the outer surface 115a so that the inner surface 115e and the tapered surface form an acute angle, and the outer surface 115a and the tapered surface form an obtuse angle. In the present embodiment, the collar portion 117 is shown as having a configuration that is not continuous with the tapered surface of the door body 115 but has an end surface perpendicular to the door body inner surface 115e. However, in consideration of the effect of the tapered surface, it is preferable that the upper end surface 117c of the collar portion 117 has a structure that is continuous with the tapered surface. In this case, similarly to the inner side surface 115e, in the cross section of the door 116 in a plane including the operation locus of the door 116 and the operation locus of the pod 1, a surface (door door) existing on the side of the minute space 103 of the collar portion 117 of the door 116. It is preferable that the inner side surface 117a) of the main body intersect with the tapered surface so as to form an acute angle. In the present invention, the obtuse angle indicates an angle larger than 90 degrees as is well known, and the acute angle indicates an angle smaller than 90.

  The upper end surface 115d is a flat surface whose area change is monotonous in this embodiment, but it may be a curved surface or a surface formed by combining a plurality of flat surfaces. That is, the inner intersecting line between the tapered surface and the inner surface 117a and the outer intersecting line between the tapered surface and the outer surface 115a are parallel to each other and the inner intersecting line is positioned upward with respect to the Z axis. It ’s fine. As shown in FIG. 4C, in this embodiment, the connecting portion between the lateral end surface 115c and the upper end surface 115d is connected to the outer surface 115a perpendicularly to the so-called corner portion. It is set as the aspect connected to the taper surface of 115 d of upper side end surfaces.

In the present embodiment, the collar portion 117 has a length d ₃ at the lower end surface 115b, the lateral end surface 115c of the door 115, a connecting portion thereof, and a corner portion that is a connecting portion of the lateral end surface 115c and the upper end surface 115d. Only stick out. The length d ₃ is set larger than the distance d ₂ to the door body 115 from the inner peripheral edge of the thin plate 105b which defines a first opening 111 satisfy the relation of d ₂ ≦ d _3. Therefore, on the side surface and the lower surface of the door 116, the presence of the collar portion 117 eliminates a path that linearly connects the minute space 103 to the external space 104. With the above configuration, even if the length of the path from the micro space 103 different from the conventional one to the external space 104 is greatly reduced to the thickness t _{1 of the} thin plate, the gas flow between these spaces is excessive. It is possible to prevent the generation and to maintain an appropriate slight differential pressure between these spaces.

The same effect can be obtained by simply narrowing the path from the minute space 103 to the external space 104, that is, by reducing the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the door 116 and the inner peripheral end of the first opening 111. However, when the distance becomes smaller, the influence of the stopping system on the operation of the door 116 becomes larger, making it difficult to accurately reproduce the specified distance, or in some cases, contact or the like may occur. There are concerns. However, by adopting such a configuration, it is possible to generate an appropriate minute differential pressure without holding a minute gap with high accuracy. Although the relationship described above preferably be filled with both the lower end surface and lateral side surface, for example large thickness t ₁ of the thin plate 105b, the gas is defined by the facing surfaces of the inner peripheral end surface 105c and the door-side If the flow path length is somewhat large, either one may satisfy the condition. By satisfying this relationship, the amount of gas passing through this region can be appropriately suppressed.

  By adding the collar portion 117 described above, it is possible to suppress an excessive gas flow, but in the case of this configuration, the gas flow path from the micro space 103 to the external space 104 becomes complicated. Therefore, there is a possibility that the turbulence of the air flow at the time of opening and closing the door, which is considered in the conventional configuration, occurs. In the present invention, by providing the above-described tapered surface to the upper end surface 115d (115d and 117c) of the door main body 115 (or the door 116), the gas flow mainly generates the tapered surface when the door 116 is opened and closed. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the possibility of the occurrence of this turbulent flow. With the above configuration, it is possible to ensure an appropriate gas flow from the minute space 103 to the outer space 104, and the gas when the door 116 is opened and closed without fine adjustment of the amount of downflow by the fan described above. It is also possible to suppress the entrainment.

Here, when the distance between the upper end surface 115d that is the tapered surface and the end surface 105c that is the inner peripheral end of the thin plate 105b that is the inner peripheral portion of the first opening 111 is smaller than a certain extent, this appropriate gas Securing the flow may be difficult. Was studied, the inner circumferential surface thickness of the first opening 111, i.e., the thickness _{t 1} of the thin plate 105b, an end surface 105c which is the inner peripheral edge of the thin plate 105b of the upper end face 115d of the door body 115 It has been confirmed that an appropriate gas flow can be secured by setting t ₁ ≦ d ₄ for the distance d ₄ . This distance d4 corresponds to the shortest distance between an appropriate position on the tapered surface and an appropriate position on the thin plate 105b. However, if it is difficult to specify the distance due to the stopping accuracy of the door 116, for example, the surface of the thin plate 105b on the minute space 103 side is extended in the direction of the door 116, and the extended surface is the upper end surface of the door body 115. The condition may be defined as t ₁ ≦ d ₁ by replacing it with a distance d1 between the point intersecting 115d and the end point of the thin plate 105b on the extended surface.

In the conventional configuration, the effect of purifying the lid surface of the pod 1 using the jet of gas from the minute space 103 to the external space 104 has been obtained. In this embodiment, by providing the aforementioned tapered surface to the upper end surface 115d of the door main body 115, it becomes possible to spray clean gas having a flow from the upper side of the lid downward to the lid surface. Therefore, immediately before the lid is held by the door 116, the effect of cleaning the lid surface and reducing the possibility of bringing dust attached to the lid together with the lid into the micro space 103 is obtained. In the present embodiment, the distance W ₁ between the extending surface of the inner side surface 117a of the door 116 and the side surface of the minute space 103 of the thin plate 105b when the door 116 is present at a position where the first opening 111 is substantially closed. In this case, it is preferable that d ₁ ≦ W ₁ or d ₄ ≦ W ₁ holds in the relationship with d ₁ or d ₄ described above. By satisfying the condition, an airflow having an appropriate flow rate can be sprayed onto the lid or the like. Further, by making the upper end surface 115d of the door body 115 and the tapered surface, even if the value of the W ₁ becomes large to some extent, it is possible to suppress the turbulence of air flow caused by the opening and closing of the door 116.

The lower end surface 115b of the first door body 115 from the end face 105c is the inner peripheral end of the thin plate 105b defining the opening 111, and the distance _{d 2} to the both lateral side end face 115c, the end thickness of the thin plate 105b it is preferred _{t 1} ≦ _{d 2} become satisfying the relationship between _{t 1} is. If the condition is not satisfied, the amount of airflow ejected from the lower side and both sides of the door body 115 to the external space becomes too small, and stable airflow generation cannot be realized, resulting in a gap around the door 115. There is no meaning to generate. Further, from the same reason, the distance _{d 2} described above and the distance _{W 2} between the small space 103 side of the lower end surface 115b and the outer space 104 side surface 117b and the thin plate 105b of the collar portion 117 protruding from both lateral-side end face 115c Preferably satisfies the condition of d ₂ ≦ W ₂ . By satisfying the above conditions, it is possible to stably maintain a state in which airflow is ejected from the lower side and both sides of the door 116 to the external space 104. The relationship described above is preferably satisfied for both the lower end surface 115b and the lateral end surfaces 115c. However, as described above, for example, depending on the thickness of the thin plate 105, the relationship may be present on at least one of the end surfaces. Even if it is satisfied, it is possible to obtain the effect of the pressure level in the present invention.

  The door main body 115 (or the door 116) and the first opening 111 have shapes when viewed from the position where the pod is placed, and each side is not a simple rectangle but via curved portions arranged at four corners. The shape is connected. In the present embodiment, the side end surfaces 115c of the door body 115 do not cross each other in a planar state from the side end surface 115c to the upper end surface 115d, but the side end surface 115c forms a curved surface along the aforementioned curved portion, The end of the curved surface is connected to the tapered portion of the upper end surface 115d. Thereby, in this connection part, the shape in which a taper part reaches a flat surface gradually is formed. By arranging this form, a discontinuous region is generated between the airflow leading to the external space 104 along this tapered portion (115d) and the airflow leading to the external space 104 along both lateral end surfaces 115c. Therefore, the generation of turbulent flow in front of the door 116 on the external space side 104 side is suppressed, and the possibility that dust or the like stays in front of the lid of the pod 1 can be reduced.

  In the present invention, in the load port apparatus having the structure in which the first opening 111 is formed of a thin plate by arranging the above configuration, the exterior to the inside of the minute space 103 or the inside of the pod 1 when the door 116 is opened and closed. It becomes possible to suppress entrainment of gas. In addition, in this embodiment, the structure which satisfy | fills all the conditions mentioned above is disclosed as an aspect with which the most suitable effect in this invention is acquired. However, the present invention is not limited to this form, and even if it is a case where the above conditions are appropriately satisfied as necessary, the effect according to the form can be obtained.

  As described above, the present invention relates to a load port apparatus suitably used for a semiconductor processing apparatus. However, the applicability of the present invention is not limited only to the processing apparatus, and for example, a so-called load port apparatus used in various processing apparatuses that perform various processes according to semiconductors, such as a processing apparatus that handles a panel of a liquid crystal display. It is applicable to.

1: Pod, 2: Pod body, 100: Load port device, 103: Micro space, 104: External space, 105: Side plate, 107: Suction pad, 111: First opening, 114: Door system, 115: Door body 116: Door 117: Collar part 121: Pod placement part

Claims (6)

A side plate that forms a minute space spaced from the external space;
A rectangular door provided on the side plate and capable of closing a rectangular opening that allows the minute space and the external space to communicate with each other and having a predetermined thickness that can be fitted into the rectangle of the opening; A load port device comprising:
The door has a tapered surface at the upper end surface that forms an obtuse angle with respect to the surface of the door on the outer space side, and
When the door and the opening are viewed from a direction that passes through the center of the opening and is perpendicular to the side plate in a state where the opening is closed, the door and the opening are projected outward from the rectangle of the opening. A collar portion that protrudes and is disposed in the minute space has a lower end surface and both lateral end surfaces of the door,
When the thickness of the side plate in which the opening is formed is t ₁ and the distance between the tapered surface and the inner peripheral surface of the opening facing the tapered surface is d ₁ , t ₁ ≦ d ₁ Satisfy the relationship
A load port device characterized by that. The relationship of d ₁ ≦ W ₁ is satisfied, where W ₁ is a distance between a plane including the minute space side surface of the side plate and a plane including the minute space side surface of the door. The load port device described. The distance between at least one of said lower end surface and the lateral end surface of the door and an inner peripheral surface forming the opening in the side plate when the d _2, satisfy t ₁ ≦ d ₂ the relationship The load port device according to claim 1, wherein the load port device is provided. The distance between at least one of said the inner peripheral edge portion constituting the opening portion in the side plate and the lower end surface of the door the transverse end surface and d _2, the side plates and the outer space side of the collar portion 4. The load port device according to claim 1, wherein a relationship of d ₂ ≦ W ₂ is satisfied, where W ₂ is a distance from the side surface of the minute space. The distance between at least one of said the inner peripheral edge portion constituting the opening portion in the side plate and the lower end surface of the door the transverse end surface and d _2, wherein in the door and the outer peripheral end surface of the collar portion 5. The relationship of d ₂ ≦ d ₃ is satisfied, where d ₃ is a distance between a lower end surface and at least one of the lateral end surfaces. Load port device according to.   The four corners of the rectangle of the door and the opening are connected to each other by a curved surface, and the curved surface is formed by continuously bending the lateral end surface at the connection portion between the upper end surface and the lateral end surface. The load port device according to claim 1, wherein the curved surface and the tapered surface of the upper end surface are connected.

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