JP6424055B2 - LOADPORT DEVICE, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING DEVICE, AND LOADING METHOD FOR SUBSTRATE CONTAINER - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a load port device applicable to a substrate storage container that accommodates a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a substrate for an optical disk, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”). The present invention also relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a loading method of a substrate storage container.

  Conventionally, there is a substrate storage container that can support a substrate at two positions. This type of substrate storage container is also called MAC (Multi Application Carrier). The substrate storage container includes a housing, a lid, a shelf, and a cushion. The housing accommodates the substrate. The lid is attached to and detached from the housing. The shelf and the cushion are provided inside the housing. The cushion supports the substrate in the first position. The shelf supports the substrate in the second position. The second position is lower than the first position and closer to the opening than the first position. When the lid is attached to the housing, it moves from the second position to the first position. When the substrate is in the first position, the substrate storage container can be suitably transported. When the lid is detached from the housing, the substrate moves from the first position to the second position. When the substrate is in the second position, the substrate can be suitably unloaded from the housing.

JP 2009-49096 A

However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems.
That is, when the lid is detached from the housing, the substrate may not be removed from the cushion and may not move appropriately to the second position. Possible causes are that damage was formed on the surface of the cushion, and wear powder between the cushion and the substrate was accumulated on the cushion. If the substrate does not move to the second position even when the lid is detached from the housing, it is difficult to properly carry the substrate out of the housing.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a load port device, a substrate processing apparatus, and a method for loading a substrate storage container that can appropriately correct the position of the substrate in the substrate storage container. For the purpose.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention has the following configuration.
That is, the present invention is a load port device for opening and closing a substrate storage container, wherein the substrate storage container can store a substrate therein and has an opening on the front surface thereof, and the housing A shelf member that is provided inside the body and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in contact with the lower surface of the substrate, and a support for the case that is provided inside the housing and supports the end of the substrate. And a lid that opens and closes the opening by attaching to and detaching from the housing, and a lid support member that is attached to the back surface of the lid and supports an end of the substrate, and the lid closes the opening. The housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position, and when the opening is open, the shelf member is below the first position. And the substrate at a second position closer to the opening than the first position. The load port device is configured to move the lid relative to the casing, so that the opening is in a half-open state in which the opening is opened while facing the lid, and the casing. By moving the substrate in the body toward the opening, the substrate position correcting unit that corrects the position of the substrate, the lid position adjusting unit, and the substrate position correcting unit are controlled, and the opening is in the half-open state. And a control unit that sometimes moves the substrate in the housing toward the opening.

  [Operation / Effect] According to the present invention, the load port device includes the lid position adjustment unit, the substrate position correction unit, and the control unit, so that the substrate in the substrate storage container is removed when the opening is in a half-open state. It can be moved towards the opening. Thereby, the position of the board | substrate in a housing | casing can be correct | amended suitably.

  Note that “correcting the position of the substrate” includes an aspect of changing the position of the substrate to the second position and an aspect of changing the position of the substrate to a position other than the second position.

  In this invention, when the said board | substrate position correction | amendment part correct | amends the position of a board | substrate, the said lid does not prevent that a board | substrate moves to the said 2nd position, and prevents that a board | substrate falls from the said shelf member. It is preferable. The substrate position correcting unit can correct the position of the substrate effectively and safely.

  In the present invention, the substrate position correction unit may be configured such that the position of the lid when the lid faces the opening and the lid support member contacts the end of the substrate at the second position is a reference position. When correcting the position of the substrate, the lid position adjusting unit preferably positions the lid at the reference position. The lid can align the substrate in the second position. Further, it is possible to simultaneously correct the position of the substrate and align the substrate at the second position.

  In the present invention, the substrate position correction unit may be configured such that the position of the lid when the lid faces the opening and the lid support member contacts the end of the substrate at the second position is a reference position. When correcting the position of the substrate, the lid position adjusting unit faces the lid at the position farther from the opening than the reference position, and after correcting the position of the substrate in the housing, the lid is moved to the position. It is preferable that the substrate in the housing is aligned with the second position by moving to a reference position. When the substrate position correcting unit corrects the position of the substrate, since the lid is located farther from the opening than the reference position, it is possible to more reliably avoid the housing from colliding with the lid.

  In this invention, it is preferable that the said board | substrate position correction | amendment part contains at least any one of the vibration mechanism which vibrates the said housing | casing, the inclination mechanism which inclines the said housing | casing, and the impact mechanism which gives an impact to the said housing | casing. The substrate position correcting unit can suitably move the substrate toward the opening.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that when the substrate position correcting unit corrects the position of the substrate, the control unit synchronizes the movement of the casing and the movement of the lid. The substrate position correction unit can correct the position of the substrate more appropriately.

  In the present invention, a substrate detection unit that detects a position of the substrate in the housing is provided, and the control unit determines that at least one of the substrates in the housing is in the second position based on a detection result of the substrate detection unit. If it is determined that there is not, it is preferable to correct the position of the substrate. Correction of the position of the substrate can be executed in a timely manner.

  Moreover, this invention is a substrate processing apparatus provided with the load port apparatus mentioned above.

  [Operation / Effect] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the substrate storage container can be suitably loaded.

  The present invention also includes a lid and a housing, and supports the substrate at a first position and a second position below the first position and closer to the opening of the housing than the first position. A loading method of a possible substrate storage container, the step of opening the opening in a half-open state facing the lid, and opening the substrate in the housing when the opening is in the half-open state And a method of loading the substrate storage container.

  [Operation and Effect] According to the present invention, the substrate in the substrate storage container can be moved toward the opening when the opening is in a half-open state. Thereby, the position of the board | substrate in a housing | casing can be correct | amended suitably.

  The present specification also discloses an invention relating to the following load port device.

  (1) The load port device according to the above-described invention includes a stage on which the casing can be placed, and the lid position adjusting unit moves the lid with respect to the casing placed on the stage. The substrate position correcting unit corrects the position of the substrate in the casing placed on the stage.

  According to the invention described in (1) above, since the stage is provided, the lid position adjusting unit can suitably adjust the position of the lid. Further, the substrate position correcting unit can suitably correct the position of the substrate in the housing.

  (2) In the load port device according to the above-described invention, the substrate position correcting unit moves the substrate in the housing toward the opening by moving the housing.

  According to the invention as described in said (2), the board | substrate position correction | amendment part can correct | amend the position of a board | substrate suitably.

  (3) In the load port device according to the above-described invention, the load port device further expands and contracts following the movement of the casing, and is a shield that keeps the atmosphere inside the casing open with the opening open. A load port device comprising a member.

  According to the invention described in (3) above, even when the position of the substrate is corrected, the substrate can be suitably prevented from being soiled.

  According to the load port device, the substrate processing apparatus, and the loading method of the substrate storage container according to the present invention, the position of the substrate in the substrate storage container can be appropriately corrected. Therefore, the board | substrate in a board | substrate storage container can be carried out suitably.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the inside of the substrate storage container when the lid is attached to the casing, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the substrate storage container when the lid is detached from the casing. It is a perspective view which shows an inside. FIG. 2A is a side view showing the inside of the housing 2, and FIG. 2B is a side view showing the inside of the housing 2. 3A is a side view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, FIG. 3B is a side view of the lid position adjustment unit, and FIG. 3C is a side view of the substrate detection unit. It is a side view of a substrate storage container. It is a top view which shows arrangement | positioning of a mapping sensor. 6A and 6C are side views of the housing and the substrate detection unit. It is a control block diagram of the load port device concerning an example. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the loading process which concerns on an Example. FIGS. 9A to 9I are diagrams schematically illustrating the movement of the load port device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the loading process which concerns on a modified example. FIGS. 11A to 11C are diagrams schematically illustrating the movement of the load port device. FIGS. 12A and 12B are side views of a load port device according to a modified embodiment. 13 (a) and 13 (b) are side views of a load port device according to a modified embodiment. 14 (a) and 14 (b) are side views of a load port device according to a modified embodiment. It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating the structure of the partition which concerns on a modified example. It is a typical side view for demonstrating the positional relationship of a partition and a housing | casing. It is a typical side view for demonstrating the positional relationship of a partition and a housing | casing. It is a typical side view for demonstrating the positional relationship of a partition and a housing | casing. It is a typical side view for demonstrating the positional relationship of a partition and a housing | casing.

  First, the configuration of the substrate storage container applied to the present embodiment will be described, and then the configurations of the load port apparatus and the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment will be described.

1. Configuration of Substrate Storage Container Referring to FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b). The outer shape of the substrate storage container 1 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The substrate storage container 1 can store a plurality of substrates W. “Substrate W” is, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, etc. It is.

  The substrate storage container 1 includes a housing 2 and a lid 3. The lid 3 is attached to the front surface of the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 1B, an opening A is formed on the front surface of the housing 2. The lid 3 opens and closes the opening A. When the lid 3 is attached to and detached from the housing 2, the lid 3 moves in the front-rear direction substantially perpendicular to the opening A while facing the opening A. The front-rear direction is substantially horizontal. A space S for accommodating the substrate W is formed inside the housing 2. The substrate storage container 1 is configured to store at least one substrate W. Although the substrate storage container 1 normally stores 25 substrates W, for the sake of convenience, the substrate storage container 1 capable of storing up to three substrates W will be described below as an example.

  Reference is made to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). The housing 2 includes an upper plate part 4, a bottom plate part 5, a right side wall part 6, a left side wall part 7, and a rear wall part 8. Each part 4 thru | or 8 demarcates the space S mentioned above. In FIG. 2A, illustration of the right side wall part 6 and the left side wall part 7 is omitted. In FIG. 2B, illustration of the rear wall portion 8 is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), front end surfaces 4a, 5a, 6a, and 7a of the upper plate portion 4, the bottom plate portion 5, the right side wall portion 6, and the left side wall portion 7 have openings A. Is defined. In this written order, the end faces 4a, 5a, 6a, and 7a are collectively referred to as “open end face 2a” as appropriate (see FIGS. 1A and 1B).

  In the present specification, of the front and rear directions, the direction from the rear wall 8 toward the opening A is referred to as “front direction”, and the opposite direction is referred to as “rear direction”. The forward direction is a direction in which the substrate W in the housing 2 approaches the opening A. Further, in this specification, when the housing 2 is viewed from the front, the direction from the left side wall 7 toward the right side wall 6 is referred to as “right direction”, and the opposite direction is referred to as “left direction”.

  Inside the case 2, shelf members 11a, 11b, and 11c are provided. The shelf members 11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged in the vertical direction. Each shelf member 11a, 11b, 11c supports the substrate W from below in a substantially horizontal posture. Each shelf member 11a, 11b, 11c contacts only the lower surface of the substrate W. In the present specification, the lower surface of the substrate W is a concept including the lower peripheral edge of the substrate W. Hereinafter, when the shelf members 11a, 11b, and 11c are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as “shelf members 11”. As will be described later, one substrate W is placed on each shelf member 11. A holding arm 47a to be described later carries the substrate W into and out of each shelf member 11. Therefore, a vertical space (clearance) is provided between the shelf members 11 so that the substrate W can be safely carried in and out by the holding arm 47a.

  In the present embodiment, each shelf member 11 includes a right shelf member 12 and a left shelf member 13. The right shelf member 12 projects from the right wall portion 6, and the left shelf member 13 projects from the left wall portion 7.

  A housing support block 14 is further provided inside the housing 2. The housing support block 14 is fixed to the housing 2 (rear wall portion 8). The housing support block 14 is formed with housing support members 16a, 16b, and 16c. The casing support members 16a, 16b, and 16c are arranged in the vertical direction. Each housing support member 16a, 16b, 16c supports the end of the substrate W. Hereinafter, the housing support members 16a, 16b, and 16c are simply referred to as “housing support members 16” unless otherwise distinguished.

  The material of the housing support member 16 is, for example, resin. Each housing support member 16 is formed with one groove portion 17. As shown in FIG. 2A, the groove portion 17 is recessed backward. The groove portion 17 has a substantially V-shape when viewed from the side.

  The groove portion 17 has a lower inclined portion 17a, an innermost portion 17b, and an upper inclined portion 17c. The lower inclined portion 17a is adjacent to the lower side of the innermost portion 17b, and the upper inclined portion 17c is adjacent to the upper side of the innermost portion 17b.

  Reference is made to FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b). When the lid 3 is attached to the housing 2, the surface of the lid 3 that contacts the inside of the housing 2 is referred to as a “back surface 3 b”. A lid support block 21 is fixed to the back surface 3b. The lid support block 21 is provided with lid support members 23a, 23b, and 23c. The lid support members 23a, 23b, and 23c are arranged in the vertical direction. Each lid support member 23 a, 23 b, 23 c supports the end portion of the substrate W. Hereinafter, when the lid support members 23a, 23b, and 23c are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the “lid support member 23”.

  The material of the lid support member 23 is, for example, resin. More preferably, the material for the lid support member 23 is a resin having elasticity. The lid support member 23 has the same shape as the housing support member 16. That is, a groove 24 is formed in each lid support member 23. Each groove portion 24 has a lower inclined portion 24a, an innermost portion 24b, and an upper inclined portion 24c.

  When the lid 3 faces the opening A, the positions of the lower inclined portion 17a of the housing support member 16a and the lower inclined portion 24a of the cover support member 23a are respectively the ends of the substrate W placed on the shelf member 11a. It is set to a height that allows contact with the part. The same applies to the height relationship between the support members 16b and 23b and the shelf member 11b, and the height relationship between the support members 16c and 23c and the shelf member 11c. When the lid 3 is attached to the housing 2, the front side edge and the rear side edge of the substrate W are sandwiched by the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23 from the front-rear direction, and the substrate W is The slopes 17a and 24a are slid up. Thus, the substrate W is supported by the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23 in a state where the lower surface is separated from the shelf member 11 (see FIG. 1A). On the other hand, when the lid 3 is removed from the housing 2, the substrate W slides down the lower inclined portions 17 a and 24 a and the lower surface thereof is supported by the shelf member 11.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, when the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23 support the substrate W, each of the support members 16 and 23 has the substrate W at the innermost portions 17b and 24b. Hold. Here, the position of the substrate W supported by the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23 is referred to as a “first position”.

  When the opening A is open (that is, when the lid 3 does not close the opening A), the shelf member 11 supports the substrate W (see FIG. 1B). The shelf member 11 can support the substrate W at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as “second position”). When the substrate W is in the second position, the substrate W is in a substantially horizontal posture, and the lower surface of the substrate W is in contact with the shelf member 11. The second position is a position suitable for unloading the substrate W from the housing 2, for example. The second position is, for example, a position in contact with the housing support member 16 (lower inclined portion 17a).

  In FIG. 1B, the substrate W at the second position is indicated by a solid line, and the substrate W at the first position is indicated by a dotted line. As illustrated, the second position is lower than the first position. Furthermore, the second position is closer to the opening A than the first position. In other words, the second position is ahead of the first position.

  Thus, the substrate storage container 1 can support the substrate W at the first position and the second position, and is a form of MAC (Multi Application Carrier).

2. Configuration of Load Port Device and Substrate Processing Device Referring to FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c). The substrate processing apparatus 25 includes a load port device 30 and a processing unit 60. Also in the description regarding the substrate processing apparatus 25, the front-rear direction and the vertical direction for the substrate storage container 1 placed on the stage 32 described later are used for convenience.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the load port device 30 is disposed on the side portion of the substrate processing apparatus 25. The load port device 30 includes a mounting table 31, a stage 32, a lid position adjustment unit 34, a vibration mechanism 35, and a substrate detection unit 36. The processing unit 60 has a partition wall 63. The partition wall 63 is substantially vertical. The partition wall 63 has a passage hole 63a.

  The mounting table 31 is disposed on the side of the partition wall 63. A stage 32 is disposed on the mounting table 31. The stage 32 is provided to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the mounting table 31. On the stage 32, the substrate storage container 1 (housing 2) is placed.

  The lid position adjusting unit 34 includes a shutter member 34a and a shutter member driving mechanism 34b (see FIG. 3B).

  The shutter member 34a is detachably fitted in the passage hole 63a, and opens and closes the passage hole 63a. The shutter member 34 a can further hold the lid 3.

  The shutter member drive mechanism 34b attaches / detaches the shutter member 34a to / from the passage hole 63a. At this time, if the shutter member 34 a holds the lid 3, the shutter member 34 a attaches and detaches the lid 3 with respect to the housing 2 on the stage 32.

  Furthermore, the shutter member drive mechanism 34b can move the lid 3 to positions P1, P2, and P3 by moving the shutter member 34a. The position P1 is the position of the lid 3 that closes the opening A of the housing 2 on the stage 32. The position P2 is a position translated from the position P1 in the forward direction. The position P3 is a position moved downward from the position P2. Here, the “forward direction” and the “downward direction” are the same as the forward direction and the downward direction for the substrate storage container 1 placed on the stage 32.

  When the lid 3 is in the position P2 and the position P3, the opening A is open. In particular, when the lid 3 is on a straight path connecting the position P1 and the position P2 (however, excluding the position P1), the opening A is opened while facing the lid 3. In the present specification, a state where the opening A is opened while facing the lid 3 is referred to as a “half-open state”.

  The shutter member drive mechanism 34b can further adjust the position of the lid 3 in the half-open state. Specifically, the shutter member drive mechanism 34b can stop the shutter member 34a at an arbitrary position on the linear path between the positions P1 and P2.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the shutter member drive mechanism 34b can position the lid 3 at the reference position Ps. The reference position Ps is the position of the lid 3 when the lid 3 faces the opening A and the lid support member 23 contacts the end of the substrate W at the second position.

  A configuration example of the shutter member driving mechanism 34b will be described with reference to FIG. The shutter member drive mechanism 34 b includes a first drive mechanism 41 and a second drive mechanism 45. The first drive mechanism 41 moves the shutter member 34a in the vertical direction. The second drive mechanism 45 moves the shutter member 34a in the front-rear direction.

  The first drive mechanism 41 includes a first feed mechanism 42, a first electric motor 43, and a movable base 44. The first feed mechanism 42 supports the movable base 44 so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the mounting table 31. The first electric motor 43 is fixed to the mounting table 31 and drives the first feeding mechanism 42. The movable base 44 supports the second drive mechanism 45.

  The second drive mechanism 45 includes a second feed mechanism 46, a second electric motor 47, and a connecting arm 48. The second feed mechanism 46 supports the connecting arm 48 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the movable base 44. The second electric motor 47 is fixed to the movable base 44 and drives the second feed mechanism 46. The connecting arm 48 is fixed to the shutter member 34a.

  Reference is made to FIG. The vibration mechanism 35 vibrates the housing 2. Thereby, the vibration mechanism 35 corrects the position of the substrate W in the housing 2. In the present embodiment, the vibration mechanism 35 further has a function of bringing the lid 3 into contact with and separating from the shutter member 34a fitted in the passage hole 63a by moving the housing 2 in the front-rear direction. The vibration mechanism 35 is an example of a substrate position correction unit in the present invention.

  A configuration example of the vibration mechanism 35 will be described. The vibration mechanism 35 includes, for example, a connecting plate 51, a feed mechanism 52, and an electric motor 53. The connecting plate 51 is fixed to the stage 32. The feed mechanism 52 supports the connecting plate 51 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the mounting table 31. The electric motor 53 is fixed to the mounting table 31 and drives the feed mechanism 52. By driving the electric motor 53, the stage 32 and the casing 2 on the stage 32 move in the front-rear direction. Further, by switching the driving direction of the electric motor 53 at short time intervals, the stage 32 and the casing 2 on the stage 32 reciprocate with a minute width.

  The substrate detection unit 36 detects the position of the substrate W in the housing 2.

  Reference is made to FIG. The board detector 36 includes mapping sensors 36a and 36b, a position sensor 36c, a sensor support 36d, a sensor advance / retreat mechanism 36e, and a sensor elevating mechanism 36f. The mapping sensors 36a and 36b detect the presence or absence of the substrate W. The position sensor 36c detects the positions of the mapping sensors 36a and 36b. The sensor support portion 36d fixedly supports the mapping sensors 36a and 36b. The sensor advance / retreat mechanism 36e causes the mapping sensors 36a and 36b to enter the housing 2 and causes the mapping sensors 36a and 36b to exit from the housing 2. The sensor elevating mechanism 36f moves the mapping sensors 36a and 36b in the vertical direction.

  Please refer to FIG. The mapping sensors 36a and 36b are, for example, transmissive sensors. The mapping sensor 36 a includes a light projecting unit 55 that emits light and a light receiving unit 56 that is disposed on the optical axis L <b> 1 of the light projecting unit 55, and the substrate W is between the light projecting unit 55 and the light receiving unit 56. Whether or not is detected. Similarly, the mapping sensor 36 b includes a light projecting unit 57 that emits light and a light receiving unit 58 that is disposed on the optical axis L <b> 2 of the light projecting unit 57, and a substrate is provided between the light projecting unit 57 and the light receiving unit 58. Whether or not there is W is detected.

  The positions of the optical axes L1 and L2 are defined by the arrangement of the mapping sensors 36a and 36b. The optical axes L1 and L2 are shifted in the front-rear direction and do not overlap in plan view. The directions of the optical axes L1 and L2 are preferably substantially horizontal and are preferably substantially orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The optical axes L1 and L2 are preferably the same height.

  Reference is made to FIGS. When the substrate detection unit 36 detects the substrate W in the housing 2, first, the sensor advance / retreat mechanism 36 e causes the mapping sensors 36 a and 36 b to enter the housing 2. Subsequently, while the sensor elevating mechanism 36f moves the mapping sensors 36a and 36b up and down, the mapping sensors 36a and 36b detect the substrate W, and the position sensor 36c detects the positions of the mapping sensors 36a and 36b. As a result, the positions of the detection points qa1, qa2, qa3, qb1, qb2, and qb3 where the substrate W is detected are obtained.

  FIG. 6A shows an example in which each of the substrates W1 to W3 is in the second position. FIG. 6B shows an example of the case where only the substrate W2 is not in the second position among the substrates W1-W3.

  Please refer to FIG. The load port device 30 further includes a control unit 37. The control unit 37 controls each configuration of the load port device 30. The control unit 37 includes a substrate state acquisition unit 38, a determination unit 39, and a drive control unit 40.

  The substrate state acquisition unit 38 receives detection results of the substrate detection unit 36 (the mapping sensors 36a and 36b and the position sensor 36c). The substrate state acquisition unit 38 acquires the inclination of the substrate W in the housing 2 based on the detection result of the substrate detection unit 36. For example, the substrate state acquisition unit 38 calculates the inclination of the straight line connecting the detection points qa1 and qb1 as the inclination of the substrate W1 based on the positions of the detection points qa1 and qb1.

  The determination unit 39 determines whether each substrate W in the housing 2 is in the second position based on the inclination of the substrate W. For example, the determination unit 39 compares the inclination of the substrate W with a predetermined threshold value. As a result, when the inclination of the substrate W is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, the determination unit 39 determines that the substrate W is in the second position. Otherwise, the determination unit 39 determines that the substrate W is not in the second position.

  The drive control unit 40 includes a lid position adjustment unit 34 (first and second electric motors 43 and 47) and a vibration mechanism 35 (electric motor 53) based on the determination result of the determination unit 39 and a preset processing recipe. And the board detection unit 36 (sensor advance / retreat mechanism 36e and sensor elevating mechanism 36f). The processing recipe is information defining a loading process for the substrate storage container 1, for example.

  The control unit 37 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a ROM (Read-only Memory), a RAM (Random-Access Memory), a storage medium such as a fixed disk, a drive circuit, and the like.

  Next, the processing unit 60 that is another element of the substrate processing apparatus 25 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the processing unit 60 includes a transport mechanism 61 and a processing unit 62. The transport mechanism 61 accesses the substrate storage container 1 and the processing unit 62 mounted on the mounting table 31. The transport mechanism 61 includes a holding arm 61a for holding the substrate W and a holding arm driving mechanism 61b for moving the holding arm 61a. The processing unit 62 processes the substrate W. The processes performed by the processing unit 62 are, for example, a coating process, a developing process, a cleaning process, a heating process, and a cooling process.

3. Example of Operation FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a loading process procedure of the load port apparatus 30 and the substrate processing apparatus 25 according to the embodiment. FIGS. 9A to 9I are diagrams schematically illustrating the movement of the load port device 30. FIG. In the following description, the operations of the lid position adjustment unit 34, the vibration mechanism 35, and the substrate detection unit 36 are executed based on the control of the control unit 37 (drive control unit 40).

<Step S1> The substrate storage container is placed. The substrate storage container 1 is placed on the stage 32 (FIG. 9A). The lid 3 closes the opening A. The substrate W in the substrate storage container 1 is supported at the first position by the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23.

  The vibration mechanism 35 moves the substrate storage container 1 on the stage 32 in the forward direction, and brings the lid 3 into contact with the shutter member 34a (FIG. 9B).

<Step S2> Remove the lid The lid position adjusting unit 34 removes the lid 3 from the housing 2 on the stage 32 and moves the lid 3 to the position P3 (FIG. 9C). Opening A is opened. The substrate W in the housing 2 moves from the first position to the second position and is supported by a shelf member 11 (not shown). However, as shown in FIG. 9C, a substrate Wa that does not move to the second position may occur.

<Step S3> Substrate Detection The substrate detection unit 36 detects the position of the substrate W in the housing 2 (FIGS. 9D and 9E). At this time, the mapping sensors 36a and 36b enter the housing 2 as shown in FIG. 9D and move in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 9E.

<Step S4> Are all the substrates in the second position?
The substrate detection unit 36 outputs the detection result to the control unit 37. The control unit 37 determines whether or not each substrate W in the housing 2 is at the second position based on the detection result of the substrate detection unit 36. As a result, if it is determined that at least one of the substrates W is not in the second position, the process proceeds to step S5. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S7.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9C or FIG. 6B, when there are substrates Wa and W2 that do not move to the second position, the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if all of the substrates W1 to W3 have moved to the second position as shown in FIG. 6A, the process proceeds to step S7.

<Step S5> Making the Opening Half Open The lid position adjusting unit 34 moves the lid 3 from the position P3 to the position P2 (FIG. 9 (f)). The opening A is in a half-open state. The lid position adjusting unit 34 further moves the lid 3 from the position P2 to the reference position Ps (FIG. 9 (g)). The lid support member 23 contacts the end of the substrate W at the second position. This step S5 is an example of “a process in which the opening is opened in a half-open state while facing the lid” in the present invention.

<Step S6> The substrate 35 is moved toward the opening. The vibration mechanism 35 vibrates the housing 2 (FIG. 9H). As a result, the substrate Wa moves away from the housing support member 16 and moves toward the opening A. In other words, the substrate Wa moves in the forward direction. At this time, since the lid support member 23 is located at the reference position Ps, the substrate W and the substrate Wa are stopped at the second position and do not move forward beyond the second position. This step S6 is an example of “a process of moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state” in the present invention.

<Step S7> Unloading the substrate The lid position adjustment 34 moves the lid 3 to the position P3 (FIG. 9 (i)). Subsequently, the transport mechanism 61 (holding arm 61 a) enters between the substrates W adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, holds one substrate W, and exits outside the housing 2. The transport mechanism 61 carries the substrate W unloaded from the housing 2 into the processing unit 62.

4). Effects of the Embodiments According to the above-described embodiments, the load port device 30 includes the lid position adjustment unit 34, the vibration mechanism 35, and the control unit 37. Then, the load port device 30 moves the substrate W in the housing 2 toward the opening A when the opening A is in a half-open state (step S6). Thereby, the position of the board | substrate W in the housing | casing 2 can be correct | amended suitably. Therefore, the transport mechanism 61 can suitably carry out the substrate W in the housing 2.

  When the vibration mechanism 35 corrects the position of the substrate W, the lid position adjustment unit 34 positions the lid 3 at the reference position Ps. For this reason, the lid 3 does not prevent the substrate W from moving to the second position. Therefore, the vibration mechanism 35 can effectively correct the position of the substrate W. Further, the lid 3 can prevent the substrate W from moving excessively forward, and can prevent the substrate W from dropping from the shelf member 11. Therefore, the vibration mechanism 35 can correct the position of the substrate W safely without damaging the substrate W.

  Since the vibration mechanism 35 includes the electric motor 53, the housing 2 can be preferably vibrated.

  Furthermore, since the lid 3 is located at the reference position Ps, the lid 3 can align the substrate W with the second position simultaneously with the correction of the position of the substrate W by the vibration mechanism 35.

  Since the lid position adjustment unit 34 includes the second electric motor 47 that moves the shutter member 34a on the linear path between the positions P1 and P2, the position of the lid 3 in the half-open state can be finely adjusted.

  Since the load port device 30 includes the substrate detection unit 36, the control unit 37 can preferably determine whether or not each substrate W in the housing 2 is in the second position. The control unit 37 corrects the position of the substrate W only when it is determined that at least one of the substrates W in the housing 2 is not in the second position. That is, when it is determined that all the substrates W in the housing 2 are in the second position, the control unit 37 does not correct the position of the substrate W. Thereby, the time required for the loading process can be appropriately shortened.

  The substrate processing apparatus 25 can perform processing such as liquid processing and heat treatment on the substrate W accommodated in the substrate storage container 1.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as follows.

  (1) In the above-described embodiment, when the vibration mechanism 35 corrects the position of the substrate W, the lid position adjusting unit 34 has positioned the lid 3 at the reference position Ps, but this is not restrictive. For example, when the vibration mechanism 35 corrects the position of the substrate W, the lid position adjustment unit 34 may cause the lid 3 to face the opening A at a position farther from the opening A than the reference position Ps. In this case, it is preferable that the lid 3 is located within a range in which the substrate W can be prevented from falling off the shelf member 11. In the present modified example, after the substrate position correcting unit 34 corrects the position of the substrate W, the lid position adjusting unit 34 moves the lid 3 to the reference position Ps, thereby moving the substrate W in the housing 2 to the second position. It is preferable to align the positions.

  Please refer to FIG. 10 and FIG. Of the processes of the modified embodiment, the processes different from the embodiment are steps S8, S9, and S10. In addition, about the same structure / process as an Example, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting a same sign.

<Step S8> Opening the Opening Halfway The lid position adjusting unit 34 moves the lid 3 from the position P3 to the position P2 (FIG. 11A). The opening A is in a half-open state. This step S8 is an example of “a process in which the opening is opened in a half-open state while facing the lid” in the present invention.

<Step S9> The substrate 35 is moved toward the opening. The vibration mechanism 35 vibrates the housing 2 (FIG. 11B). As a result, the substrate Wa moves away from the housing support member 16 and moves toward the opening A. At this time, since the lid support member 23 is located at the position P2, the substrates W and Wa can be moved to the second position, and further, can be moved before the second position. The lid 3 prevents the substrates W and Wa from falling off the shelf member 11. This step S9 is an example of “a process of moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state” in the present invention.

<Step S10> The lid position adjusting unit 34 moves the lid to the reference position, and further moves the lid 3 from the position P2 to the reference position Ps (FIG. 11C). The lid support member 23 pushes the substrates W and Wa moved before the second position back to the second position. In this way, the lid position adjusting unit 34 aligns the substrates W and Wa in the housing 2 at the second position.

  Also according to the above-described modified embodiment, all the substrates W in the housing 2 can be corrected to the second position. Further, when the vibration mechanism 35 corrects the position of the substrate W, the lid 3 is located farther from the opening A than the reference position Ps (for example, the position P2), so that the casing 2 collides with the lid 3. Can be avoided more reliably.

  (2) In the above-described embodiment, the vibration mechanism 35 is exemplified as the substrate position correction unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the position of the substrate W can be corrected, various mechanisms can be employed as the substrate position correction unit. For example, the substrate position correction unit may be configured by a tilt mechanism that tilts the housing 2 or an impact mechanism that applies an impact to the housing 2. Further, for example, the substrate position correction unit may include at least one of a vibration mechanism, a tilt mechanism, and an impact mechanism.

  With reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B, the tilting mechanism will be described. In addition, about the same structure as an Example, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

  The load port device 30 includes an inclination mechanism 71. The tilt mechanism 71 includes an air cylinder 73. The air cylinder 73 has a cylinder tube 73a and a piston rod 73b. The cylinder tube 73 a is fixed to the mounting table 31. The piston rod 73b moves up and down with respect to the cylinder tube 73a. The tip of the piston rod 73b can come into contact with the rear part of the bottom plate part 5 of the housing 2 placed on the stage 32.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, when the air cylinder 73 lifts the rear part of the casing 2 upward, the casing 2 is positioned so that the front part of the casing 2 is lower than the rear part of the casing 2. Tilt. Since the tilt mechanism 71 can also move the substrate W toward the opening A, the position of the substrate W can be suitably corrected. Further, since the tilt mechanism 71 moves the housing 2 on the stage 32 without moving the stage 32, the structure of the tilt mechanism 71 can be simplified and miniaturized.

  The load port device 30 further includes a housing advance / retreat mechanism 81. The case advancing / retracting mechanism 81 moves the case 2 in the front-rear direction to bring the lid 3 into contact with and away from the shutter member 34a fitted in the passage hole 63a. The housing advance / retreat mechanism 81 includes a connecting plate 83 and an air cylinder 85. The connecting plate 83 is fixed to the stage 32. The air cylinder 85 moves the connecting plate 83 in the front-rear direction. The air cylinder 85 has a cylinder tube 85a and a piston rod 85b. The cylinder tube 85 a is fixed to the mounting table 31. The piston rod 85b moves in the front-rear direction with respect to the cylinder tube 85a. The tip of the piston rod 85b is connected to the connecting plate 83. When the air cylinder 85 moves the connecting plate 83, the stage 32 and the housing 2 on the stage 32 move in the front-rear direction. Thus, the case advancing / retracting mechanism 81 is separate from the tilting mechanism 71 that functions as the substrate position correcting unit.

  The impact mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b). In addition, about the same structure as an Example, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

  The load port device 30 includes an impact mechanism 75. The impact mechanism 75 includes an electric motor 76 and a striking portion 77. When the electric motor 76 rotates the striking portion 77, the striking portion 77 strikes the housing 2 (rear wall portion 8). Since the impact mechanism 75 can also move the substrate W toward the opening A, the position of the substrate W can be suitably corrected.

  Also in this modified embodiment, the load port device 30 includes the above-described housing advance / retreat mechanism 81 separately from the impact mechanism 75 that functions as a substrate position correction unit.

  (3) In the above-described embodiment, the vibration mechanism 35 vibrates the stage 32, but is not limited thereto. That is, the vibration mechanism 35 may vibrate the housing 2 without vibrating the stage 32.

  (4) In the above-described embodiment, the vibration mechanism 35 vibrates the housing 2 in the front-rear direction, but is not limited thereto. The vibration mechanism 35 may vibrate the housing 2 in an arbitrary direction. Further, the vibration mechanism 35 may vibrate the housing 2 by ultrasonic vibration.

  (5) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration example of the vibration mechanism 35 has been described. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the vibration mechanism 35 may include a vibration source such as a piezoelectric element that vibrates the housing 2.

  (6) In the embodiment described above, when the substrate W is moved toward the opening A (step S6), the control unit 37 controls the movement of the lid 3 by controlling the lid position adjusting unit 34. It may be synchronized with the movement. Specifically, when the substrate W is moved toward the opening A, the control unit 37 may keep the relative positional relationship between the housing 2 and the lid 3 constant. According to this, the position of the substrate W can be accurately corrected. Moreover, it can avoid more reliably that the housing | casing 2 collides with the lid | cover 3. FIG.

  Or when moving the board | substrate W toward the opening A (step S6), the control part 37 may make the lid | cover 3 stand still. According to this, the process of the control part 37 can be simplified.

  (7) In the embodiment described above, the configuration of the lid position adjustment unit 34 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the first drive mechanism 41 may be omitted, and the shutter member drive mechanism 34b may include only the second drive mechanism 45. Also in the shutter member driving mechanism in the present modified example, the shutter member 34a can be stopped at an arbitrary position on the linear path between the positions P1 and P2, and the opening A can be in a half-open state.

  (8) In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 37 has selected whether or not to correct the position of the substrate W based on the detection result of the substrate detection unit 36, but is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 37 may uniformly correct the position of the substrate W regardless of the detection result of the substrate detection unit 36. In the present modified example, the process of step S4 or the processes of steps S4 and S5 may be omitted in the flowchart shown in FIG. In the case of this modified embodiment, the substrate detector 36 may be omitted as appropriate.

  (9) In the above-described embodiment, the inclination of the straight line connecting the detection points qa1 and qb1 is exemplified as the inclination of the substrate W1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the difference (so-called height difference) in the vertical direction between the detection points qa1 and qb1 may be treated as the inclination of the substrate W1. Alternatively, a value obtained by dividing the height difference between the detection points qa1 and qb1 by the difference in the front-rear direction of the detection points qa1 and qb1 (so-called gradient in the front-rear direction) may be treated as the inclination of the substrate W1.

  (10) In the embodiment described above, when the control unit 37 calculates the inclination of the substrate W, the control unit 37 may appropriately use information regarding the arrangement of the mapping sensors 36a and 36b. The information regarding the arrangement of the mapping sensors 36a and 36b is, for example, the positions of the mapping sensors 36a and 36b and the distance between the optical axes L1 and L2 in the front-rear direction (referred to as “sensing pitch”). According to this, the process which the control part 37 calculates the inclination of the board | substrate W can be simplified.

  (11) In the embodiment described above, the control unit 37 determines whether or not the substrate W is in the second position based on the inclination of the substrate W, but is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 37 may determine whether or not the substrate W is in the second position based on the position of the substrate W in the front-rear direction. For example, the control unit 37 may determine whether or not the substrate W is in the second position based on the shift amount of the substrate W with respect to the second position.

  (12) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate detection unit 36 includes the two mapping sensors 36a and 36b, but is not limited thereto. The number of mapping sensors included in the substrate detection unit 36 may be three or more, or one. When the number of mapping sensors included in the board detection unit 36 is one, the sensor advance / retreat mechanism 36e and the sensor elevating mechanism 36f elevate / lower the mapping sensor at different positions in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the board | substrate detection part 36 can acquire two or more detection points about each board | substrate W. FIG.

  (13) In the above-described embodiment, the positions of the mapping sensors 36a and 36b are detected by the position sensor 36c, but the present invention is not limited to this. The positions of the mapping sensors 36a, 36b based on the control amount that the control unit 37 controls the sensor advance / retreat mechanism 36e and the sensor elevating mechanism 36f or the control command that the control unit 37 gives to the sensor advance / retreat mechanism 36e and the sensor elevating mechanism 36f. May be detected.

  (14) In the embodiment described above, the stage 32 may include a clamp mechanism (not shown) for locking the casing 2 on the stage 32. When the clamp mechanism holds the housing 2, the housing 2 does not slide with respect to the stage 32. Therefore, the vibration mechanism 35 can more suitably vibrate the housing 2 via the stage 32.

  (15) In the embodiment described above, the load port device 30 may include a shielding member that expands and contracts following the movement of the housing 2 and keeps the atmosphere in the housing 2 in which the opening A is open clean. Good.

  Reference is made to FIGS. The load port device 30 includes a shielding member 87. The shielding member 87 is, for example, a bellows (bellows tube). One end of the shielding member 87 is fixed to the partition wall 63. One end of the shielding member 87 is attached so as to surround the periphery of the passage hole 63a. The other end of the shielding member 87 is a free end. When the housing 2 is placed on the stage 32, the other end of the shielding member 87 contacts the housing 2. The other end of the shielding member 87 is in contact with the housing 2 so as to surround the opening A. Thus, when the opening A is opened, the space S in the housing 2 communicates only with the inside of the partition wall 63 through the passage hole 63a, and the atmosphere in the housing 2 and the atmosphere around the mounting table 31 are shield members. Blocked by 87. Further, the shielding member 87 expands and contracts following the movement of the housing 2. Thereby, even if the housing | casing 2 moves, the contact state of the shielding member 87 and the housing | casing 2 is maintained. Therefore, the atmosphere in the housing 2 is kept clean both when the vibration mechanism 35 moves the housing 2 in the front-rear direction and when the housing 2 is vibrated.

  (16) In the embodiment described above, when the substrate W is moved toward the opening A, the housing 2 may be kept in airtight contact with the inner wall of the passage hole 63a. Thereby, the passage hole 63a can be kept closed by the housing 2, and the inside of the substrate processing apparatus 25 can be kept clean. Further, the opening A of the housing 2 can be kept closed with respect to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 25, and the atmosphere in the housing 2 can be kept clean.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 15 to FIG. 19, a specific configuration of the present modified example will be described. As shown in FIG. 15, a recess 63 c is formed on the outer surface 63 b that is a surface on the rear side of the partition wall 63. The recess 63c is recessed in the forward direction. The recess 63c has a size that allows the opening end surface 2a of the housing 2 to be fitted. More specifically, the recess 63 c has a shape that matches the outer shape of the opening end surface 2 a of the housing 2. Thereby, when the housing | casing 2 is inserted in the recessed part 63c, the housing | casing 2 and the recessed part 63c are maintained in the mutually contact | adhered state.

  The passage hole 63a is formed at the center of the recess 63c. Usually, the passage hole 63a is closed by the shutter member 34a. The passage hole 63a is slightly smaller than the recess 63c, and the recess 63c has a bottom surface 63d surrounding the passage port 63a. The bottom surface 63d is a flat surface that is vertical (more precisely, orthogonal to the front-rear direction). The bottom surface 63 d can contact the opening end surface 2 a of the housing 2.

  16 and 17 show the positional relationship between the partition wall 63 and the housing 2 in step S1 where the substrate storage container 1 is placed. First, as shown in FIG. 16, the housing 2 is placed on the stage 32. Next, as shown in FIG. 17, the housing 2 is moved forward by the moving mechanism 35. Thereby, the opening end surface 2a of the housing 2 contacts the bottom surface 63d of the recess 63c, and the lid 3 contacts the shutter member 34a. In FIG. 16 to FIG. 19, illustration of the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23 is omitted.

  FIG. 18 shows the positional relationship between the partition wall 63 and the housing 2 in step S5 for setting the opening A in a half-open state.

  FIG. 19 shows the positional relationship between the partition wall 63 and the housing 2 in step S6 in which the substrate W is moved toward the opening A. The vibration mechanism 35 vibrates the housing 2 in the front-rear direction. At this time, the range in which the housing 2 vibrates is limited so that the opening end surface 2a does not move backward from the outer surface 63b. That is, when the housing 2 vibrates, the opening end surface 2a reciprocates in the front-rear direction within a range R between the outer surface 63b and the bottom surface 63d. As a result, when the substrate W is moved toward the opening A, the housing 2 is kept inserted in the recess 63c.

  Since the vibration range of the housing 2 is set in this way, the housing 2 is not dropped from the recess 63c during the vibration of the housing 2. In addition, since the shape of the recess 63c matches the shape of the opening end surface 2a of the housing 2, the outside air of the substrate processing apparatus 25 passes through the passage hole 63a and the inside of the substrate processing apparatus 25 during the vibration of the housing 2. Can be prevented or suppressed.

  Further, the housing 2 is opened only to the inside of the substrate processing apparatus 25 and is kept closed with respect to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 25. Therefore, the atmosphere in the housing 2 can be kept clean.

  (17) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate storage container 1 is exemplified, but the structure of the substrate storage container 1 is not limited to this. The load port device 30 and the substrate processing apparatus 25 can suitably load various substrate storage containers belonging to the MAC type.

  (18) For each of the above-described embodiments and each modified embodiment described in (1) to (17) above, each configuration is further replaced or combined with the configuration of another embodiment or the configuration of another modified embodiment. May be changed as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate storage container 2 ... Housing 3 ... Lid 3b ... Back surface 11a, 11b, 11c, 11 ... Shelf member 16a, 16b, 16c, 16 ... Housing support member 23a, 23b, 23c, 23 ... Lid support member 25... Substrate processing apparatus 30... Load port apparatus 60... Processing section 31.
32 ... Stage 34 ... Lid position adjustment unit 35 ... Vibration mechanism (substrate position correction unit)
36 ... Substrate detection unit 37 ... Control unit 63 ... Bulkhead 71 ... Inclination mechanism (substrate position correction unit)
75 ... Impact mechanism (substrate position correction unit)
87 ... Shielding member A ... Opening Ps ... Reference position W, W1, W2, W3, Wa ... Substrate

Claims (9)

A load port device for opening and closing a substrate storage container,
The substrate container is
A housing capable of accommodating a substrate therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof;
A shelf member that is provided inside the housing and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in a state of being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
With
When the lid closes the opening, the housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position;
When the opening is open, the shelf member can support the substrate at a second position below the first position and closer to the opening than the first position;
The load port device is:
A lid position adjusting unit that moves the lid relative to the housing to bring the opening into a half-opened state while facing the lid;
A substrate position correcting unit that corrects the position of the substrate by moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening;
A control unit that controls the lid position adjustment unit and the substrate position correction unit to move the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state;
Equipped with a,
When the substrate position correcting unit corrects the position of the substrate, the lid does not prevent the substrate from moving to the second position, and prevents the substrate from dropping from the shelf member . A load port device for opening and closing a substrate storage container,
The substrate container is
A housing capable of accommodating a substrate therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof;
A shelf member that is provided inside the housing and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in a state of being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
With
When the lid closes the opening, the housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position;
When the opening is open, the shelf member can support the substrate at a second position below the first position and closer to the opening than the first position;
The load port device is:
A lid position adjusting unit that moves the lid relative to the housing to bring the opening into a half-opened state while facing the lid;
A substrate position correcting unit that corrects the position of the substrate by moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening;
A control unit that controls the lid position adjustment unit and the substrate position correction unit to move the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state;
Equipped with a,
The position of the lid when the lid faces the opening and the lid support member abuts against the end of the substrate in the second position is a reference position.
When the substrate position correcting unit corrects the position of the substrate, the lid position adjusting unit positions the lid at the reference position . A load port device for opening and closing a substrate storage container,
The substrate container is
A housing capable of accommodating a substrate therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof;
A shelf member that is provided inside the housing and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in a state of being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
With
When the lid closes the opening, the housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position;
When the opening is open, the shelf member can support the substrate at a second position below the first position and closer to the opening than the first position;
The load port device is:
A lid position adjusting unit that moves the lid relative to the housing to bring the opening into a half-opened state while facing the lid;
A substrate position correcting unit that corrects the position of the substrate by moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening;
A control unit that controls the lid position adjustment unit and the substrate position correction unit to move the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state;
Equipped with a,
The position of the lid when the lid faces the opening and the lid support member abuts against the end of the substrate in the second position is a reference position.
When the substrate position correction unit corrects the position of the substrate, the lid position adjustment unit faces the lid to the opening at a position farther from the opening than the reference position,
A load port device that aligns the substrate in the housing at the second position by moving the lid to the reference position after correcting the position of the substrate in the housing . A load port device for opening and closing a substrate storage container,
The substrate container is
A housing capable of accommodating a substrate therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof;
A shelf member that is provided inside the housing and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in a state of being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
With
When the lid closes the opening, the housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position;
When the opening is open, the shelf member can support the substrate at a second position below the first position and closer to the opening than the first position;
The load port device is:
A lid position adjusting unit that moves the lid relative to the housing to bring the opening into a half-opened state while facing the lid;
A substrate position correcting unit that corrects the position of the substrate by moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening;
A control unit that controls the lid position adjustment unit and the substrate position correction unit to move the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state;
Equipped with a,
The substrate position correcting unit includes a load port device including at least one of a vibration mechanism that vibrates the casing, a tilt mechanism that tilts the casing, and an impact mechanism that applies an impact to the casing . A load port device for opening and closing a substrate storage container,
The substrate container is
A housing capable of accommodating a substrate therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof;
A shelf member that is provided inside the housing and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in a state of being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
With
When the lid closes the opening, the housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position;
When the opening is open, the shelf member can support the substrate at a second position below the first position and closer to the opening than the first position;
The load port device is:
A lid position adjusting unit that moves the lid relative to the housing to bring the opening into a half-opened state while facing the lid;
A substrate position correcting unit that corrects the position of the substrate by moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening;
A control unit that controls the lid position adjustment unit and the substrate position correction unit to move the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state;
Equipped with a,
When the substrate position correcting unit corrects the position of the substrate, the control unit synchronizes the movement of the casing and the movement of the lid . A load port device for opening and closing a substrate storage container,
The substrate container is
A housing capable of accommodating a substrate therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof;
A shelf member that is provided inside the housing and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in a state of being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
With
When the lid closes the opening, the housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position;
When the opening is open, the shelf member can support the substrate at a second position below the first position and closer to the opening than the first position;
The load port device is:
A lid position adjusting unit that moves the lid relative to the housing to bring the opening into a half-opened state while facing the lid;
A substrate position correcting unit that corrects the position of the substrate by moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening;
A control unit that controls the lid position adjustment unit and the substrate position correction unit to move the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state;
A substrate detector for detecting the position of the substrate in the housing;
Equipped with a,
The control unit is a load port device that corrects a position of a substrate when it is determined that at least one of the substrates in the housing is not in the second position based on a detection result of the substrate detection unit . A load port device for opening and closing a substrate storage container,
The substrate container is
A housing capable of accommodating a substrate therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof;
A shelf member that is provided inside the housing and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in a state of being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
With
When the lid closes the opening, the housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position;
When the opening is open, the shelf member can support the substrate at a second position below the first position and closer to the opening than the first position;
The load port device is:
A lid position adjusting unit that moves the lid relative to the housing to bring the opening into a half-opened state while facing the lid;
A substrate position correction unit that is provided outside the substrate storage container and corrects the position of the substrate by moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening;
A control unit that controls the lid position adjustment unit and the substrate position correction unit to move the substrate in the housing toward the opening when the opening is in the half-open state;
Equipped with load port device.   A substrate processing apparatus comprising the load port device according to claim 1. A method for loading a substrate storage container ,
The substrate container is
A housing capable of accommodating a substrate therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof;
A shelf member that is provided inside the housing and supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture in a state of being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
With
When the lid closes the opening, the housing support member and the lid support member support the substrate at the first position;
When the opening is open, the shelf member can support the substrate at a second position below the first position and closer to the opening than the first position;
The substrate storage container loading method is:
A process of making the opening in a half-open state opened facing the lid;
When the opening is in the half-open state, a correction process for moving the substrate in the housing toward the opening by the substrate position correction unit ;
Equipped with a,
In the correction process, the lid does not prevent the substrate from moving to the second position, and prevents the substrate from dropping from the shelf member .

Images