JP6922148B2 - Board storage container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate storage container provided with a valve body that controls the flow of gas to the container body.

The substrate storage container for accommodating the substrate includes a container body, a lid for closing the opening of the container body, and a valve body for controlling the flow of gas to the container body. This valve body has a check valve function, and has a valve body and a metal elastic member that opens and closes the valve body (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

Check of valve body Since the valve function controls the flow of gas in one direction, the valve body itself is replaced or the valve body and elastic members are rearranged according to the gas flow direction. ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-066330 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-179449

By the way, in the substrate storage container, gas is supplied from the valve body in order to store the substrate in an airtight state, and gas is discharged through the valve body, but the gas adheres to the substrate when the substrate to be stored is processed. Residual material may also be discharged with the supplied gas. Therefore, the metal elastic member of the valve body may be corroded by the residual substance.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate storage container provided with a valve body capable of controlling gas flow without using a metal member.

(1) One aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage including a container body for storing a substrate, a lid for closing the opening of the container body, and a valve body for controlling the flow of gas to the container body. A container, the valve body has an elastic body that separates a first passage that communicates with the outside of the container body and a second passage that communicates with the inside of the container body, and the elastic body is the elastic body. When a positive pressure is applied to the first passage or a negative pressure is applied to the second passage, the gas is deformed to enable the flow of the gas to the container body and the positive pressure to the second passage. Is applied, or when a negative pressure is applied to the first passage, the flow of the gas to the container body is blocked, or a negative pressure is applied to the first passage, or the second passage is used. When a positive pressure is applied to the container, the gas is deformed to enable the flow of the gas to the container body, and a positive pressure is applied to the first passage or a negative pressure is applied to the second passage. In addition, it blocks the flow of the gas to the container body.
(2) In the embodiment of (1) above, the elastic body includes a tip portion having an internal passage and having at least one slit formed at the tip portion, and the tip portion is convex toward the slit. There may be.
(3) In the aspect of (2) above, the tip portion may be in the shape of a beak having one slit, or in the shape of a cone having a vertex where a plurality of the slits are combined.
(4) In the aspect of (2) or (3) above, the slit may be formed with a width of 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less.
(5) In any one of the above (1) to (5), the valve body has at least one of a cylinder portion communicating with the first passage and a cylinder portion communicating with the second passage. The elastic body may be attached to the cylinder portion.
(6) In any one of the above (1) to (5), the first passage is formed in a fixed cylinder fitted into a through hole formed in the container body, and the second passage is formed by a fixed cylinder. A through hole for fitting the fixed cylinder formed in the holding cylinder combined with the fixed cylinder may be formed.
(7) In any one of the above (1) to (5), the first passage is formed in a fixed cylinder fitted into a through hole formed in the container body, and the second passage is formed by a fixed cylinder. It may be formed in an inner lid cylinder connected to a holding cylinder combined with the fixed cylinder.
(8) The valve body may have a filter for filtering the gas in any one of the above (1) to (7).
(9) In any one of the above (1) to (5), the valve body may be attached in the middle of the gas flow path provided in the container body.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container provided with a valve body capable of controlling the flow of gas without using a metal member.

It is a schematic exploded perspective view which shows the substrate storage container of the embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is (a) cross-sectional perspective view and (b) cross-sectional view which shows the valve body. It is schematic cross-sectional view which shows (a) the state which blocked the gas flow, and (b) the state which enabled the gas flow of the valve body attached to the substrate storage container, respectively. It is schematic cross-sectional view which shows (a) the valve body of the modification 1 and (b) the valve body of the modification 2. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows (a) the state which applied the elastic body of the modification 3 to the valve body of an air supply part, and (b) the state which applied the elastic body of the modification 3 to a valve body of an exhaust part. It is schematic cross-sectional view which shows (a) the valve body 40 of the air supply part 16 of the modified example 4, and (b) the valve body 50 of the exhaust part 17 of the modified example 4. It is the schematic sectional drawing which shows the valve body in the container body of 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments of the present specification, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals throughout.

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
It includes a container body 10 for accommodating the substrate W, a lid 20 for closing the opening 11 of the container body 10, and an annular packing 30 provided between the container body 10 and the lid 20.

The container body 10 is a box-shaped body, and is a front-open type having an opening 11 formed in the front surface. The opening 11 is bent and formed with a step so as to spread outward, and the surface of the step portion is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the front surface of the opening 11 as a sealing surface 12 with which the packing 30 contacts. The container body 10 is preferably a front open type because it is easy to insert a substrate W having a diameter of 300 mm or 450 mm, but it may be a bottom open type in which the opening 11 is formed on the lower surface.

Supports 13 are arranged on the left and right sides of the inside of the container body 10. The support 13 has a function of placing and positioning the substrate W. A plurality of grooves are formed in the support 13 in the height direction to form a so-called groove teeth. The substrate W is placed on two groove teeth on the left and right at the same height. The material of the support 13 may be the same as that of the container body 10, but different materials may be used in order to improve the cleanability and slidability.

Further, a rear retainer (not shown) is arranged behind (inside) the inside of the container body 10. When the lid 20 is closed, the rear retainer holds the substrate W in pairs with the front retainer described later. However, the support 13 does not have a rear retainer as in the present embodiment, but has a front retainer and a substrate holding portion by having, for example, a "<" shape or a linear substrate holding portion on the back side of the groove teeth. It may be such that the substrate W is held by the portion. These supports 13 and rear retainers are provided on the container body 10 by insert molding, fitting, or the like.

The substrate W is supported by the support 13 and housed in the container body 10. An example of the substrate W is a silicon wafer, but is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a quartz wafer, a gallium arsenide wafer, or the like.

A robotic flange 14 is detachably provided at the center of the ceiling of the container body 10. The substrate storage container 1 in which the substrate W is airtightly stored in a clean state is grasped by the transfer robot in the factory with the robotic flange 14 and conveyed to the processing apparatus for each process of processing the substrate W.

Further, manual handles 15 held by the operator are detachably attached to the central portions of the outer surfaces of both side portions of the container body 10.

An air supply unit 16 and an exhaust unit 17 are provided on the inner bottom surface of the container body 10, and valve bodies 40 and 50, which will be described later, are attached to the outer bottom surface of the container body 10. These are obtained by supplying an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or dry air from the air supply unit 16 to the inside of the substrate storage container 1 closed by the lid 20, and discharging the dry air from the exhaust unit 17 as needed. By replacing the gas inside the storage container 1, maintaining an airtight state with low humidity, and blowing off impurities on the substrate W, the cleanliness inside the substrate storage container 1 is maintained. .. In addition to supplying gas from the air supply unit 16, the exhaust unit 17 may be connected to a negative pressure (vacuum) generator to forcibly discharge the gas from the exhaust unit 17.

Further, by detecting the gas exhausted from the exhaust unit 17, it is possible to confirm whether the inside of the substrate storage container 1 has been replaced with the introduced gas. The air supply unit 16 and the exhaust unit 17 are preferably located outside the position where the substrate W is projected onto the bottom surface, but the quantity and position of the air supply unit 16 and the exhaust unit 17 are limited to those shown in the drawings. Instead, it may be located at the four corners of the bottom surface of the container body 10. Further, the air supply unit 16 and the exhaust unit 17 may be attached to the side of the lid body 20.

On the other hand, the lid body 20 has a substantially rectangular shape and is attached to the front surface of the opening 11 of the container body 10. The lid 20 has a locking mechanism (not shown), and is locked by fitting a locking claw into a locking hole (not shown) formed in the container body 10. Further, the lid 20 is detachably attached or integrally formed with an elastic front retainer (not shown) that horizontally holds the front peripheral edge of the substrate W in the central portion.

Since the front retainer is a portion where the wafer comes into direct contact with the groove teeth of the support 13 and the substrate holding portion, a material having good cleanability and slidability is used. The front retainer can also be provided on the lid 20 by insert molding, fitting, or the like.

The lid body 20 is formed with a mounting groove 21 for attaching the packing 30. More specifically, on the surface of the lid 20 on the container body 10 side, a convex portion 22 smaller than the step portion of the opening 11 is formed in an annular shape, so that a mounting groove 21 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is formed in an annular shape. ing. When the lid 20 is attached to the container body 10, the convex portion 22 penetrates deeper than the stepped portion of the opening 11.

Examples of the material of the container body 10 and the lid 20 include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polyetheretherketone, and liquid crystal polymer. To this thermoplastic resin, a conductive agent made of conductive carbon, conductive fiber, metal fiber, conductive polymer, etc., various antistatic agents, an ultraviolet absorber, and the like may be further appropriately added.

Next, the packing 30 has an annular shape corresponding to the front shape of the lid 20 (and the shape of the opening 11 of the container body 10), and in the present embodiment, it has a rectangular frame shape. However, the annular packing 30 may have a ring shape before being attached to the lid 20.

The packing 30 is arranged between the sealing surface 12 of the container body 10 and the lid body 20, and when the lid body 20 is attached to the container body 10, the packing 30 is in close contact with the sealing surface 12 and the lid body 20 to be a substrate storage container. The airtightness of No. 1 is ensured, the invasion of dust, moisture, etc. from the outside into the substrate storage container 1 is reduced, and the leakage of gas from the inside to the outside is reduced.

As the material of the packing 30, a thermoplastic elastomer composed of a polyester-based elastomer, a polyolefin-based elastomer, a fluorine-based elastomer, a urethane-based elastomer, etc., and an elastic material such as fluorine rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, and silicone-based rubber are used. Can be used. From the viewpoint of modifying adhesion, these materials include fillers made of carbon, glass fiber, mica, talc, silica, calcium carbonate, etc., and resins such as polyethylene, polyamide, polyacetal, fluororesin, and silicone resin. A predetermined amount may be selectively added.

Here, the valve body 40 will be described. FIG. 2 is a (a) cross-sectional perspective view and (b) cross-sectional view showing the valve body 40.

The valve body 40 controls the flow of gas to the container body 10, and when attached to the container body 10, communicates with the air supply unit 16 via a gas flow passage (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, the valve body 40 has a fixing cylinder 41 fitted from below into a through hole 18 (see FIG. 3) formed by a rib 180 of the container body 10, and a seal member 45 in the through hole 18. It has a holding cylinder 42 that is fitted from above and is detachably combined with the fixed cylinder 41 by screwing from above.

The fixed cylinder 41 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with the inner side of the container body 10 open, and a screw groove 412 for mounting for mounting the holding cylinder 42 is screwed on the inner peripheral surface of the fixed cylinder 41. It is formed. Further, a ring-shaped flange 413 extending in the outer radius direction is provided around the outer peripheral surface of the fixed cylinder 41 so as to come into contact with the opening peripheral edge portion of the rib 180.

Further, in the fixed cylinder 41, a first cylinder portion 410 having one end communicating with the outside of the container body 10 is formed at the center of the bottom portion together with a gas flow vent 411. The first cylinder portion 410 rises from the peripheral edge of the vent 411 and extends toward the holding cylinder 42 while communicating with the vent 411. Further, the first passage 4100 is formed by the first cylinder portion 410 and the vent 411.

On the other hand, the holding cylinder 42 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with the outer side of the container body 10 open, and a ring-shaped flange 423 extending in the outer radial direction is provided around the outer peripheral surface of the holding cylinder 42. It is in contact with the peripheral edge of the opening of the through hole 18. Further, a screw groove 422 for attaching to the fixed cylinder 41 is spirally formed on the outer peripheral surface of the holding cylinder 42, and the screw groove 422 is screwed with the screw groove 412 of the fixed cylinder 41. However, the fixing cylinder 41 and the holding cylinder 42 may be attached to each other by other methods such as press fitting or locking instead of screwing.

Further, in the holding cylinder 42, partition ribs 424 for partitioning a plurality of vents 421 for gas flow are arranged in a grid pattern or radially on the inner side of the container body 10 (bottom surface), and the partition ribs 424 A storage space for accommodating the filter 46, which will be described later, is formed on the back surface.

A seal member 45 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the holding cylinder 42, and the outside air and the cleaning liquid that enter the inside of the container body 10 are blocked from between the holding cylinder 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 18. In addition, the gas leaking from the inside of the container body 10 can be blocked.

By the way, the valve body 40 is attached to the inner peripheral wall of the holding cylinder 42 via a seal member 47, and also has an inner lid cylinder 43 that holds the filter 46 between the valve body 40 and the holding cylinder 42.

The inner lid cylinder 43 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with the outer side of the container body 10 open, and the filter 46 is placed on the inner side of the container body 10. Further, a protrusion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner lid cylinder 43, and by locking with the locking groove formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the holding cylinder 42, the inner lid cylinder 43 becomes the holding cylinder 42. It is connected and attached.

One end of the inner lid cylinder 43 communicates with the inside of the container body 10, and a second cylinder portion 430 provided apart from the other end of the first cylinder portion 410 is formed. The second tubular portion 430 rises from the peripheral edge of the central opening and extends toward the first tubular portion 410 formed in the fixed cylinder 41 while communicating with the vent 421. Further, a second passage 4300 is formed by the second cylinder portion 430 and the vent 421.

In the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the first cylinder portion 410 and the outer diameter of the second cylinder portion 430 are all formed to have the same diameter.

The fixed cylinder 41, the holding cylinder 42, and the inner lid cylinder 43 described above are molded from, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, or liquid crystal polymer. Further, for the sealing members 45 and 47, for example, an O-ring formed of a material such as fluororubber, NBR rubber, urethane rubber, EPDM rubber, or silicone rubber is used.

Further, in the present embodiment, the valve body 40 has an elastic body 44 mounted on the other end of the first cylinder portion 410, and is used corresponding to the air supply portion 16. The valve body 40 controls the flow of gas to the container body 10 by deforming the elastic body 44, and allows gas to be supplied to the inside of the container body 10, but is external from the container body 10. It has a one-way check valve function that disables the exhaust of gas to. Therefore, the elastic body 44 is in a state of partitioning the first passage 4100 communicating with the outside of the container body 10 and the second passage 4300 communicating with the inside of the container body 10.

Here, the valve body 50 will be described. The valve body 50 controls the flow of gas to the container body 10, and when attached to the container body 10, the valve body 50 and the exhaust unit 17 pass through a gas flow passage (not shown). Communicating. In the valve body 50, contrary to the valve body 40, the elastic body 44 is attached to the other end of the second cylinder portion 430, which enables gas to be exhausted from the container body 10 to the outside, but the container. It is used as a valve body 50 for the exhaust unit 17 that makes it impossible to supply gas to the inside of the main body 10.

When the elastic body 44 is attached to one of the first cylinder portion 410 or the second cylinder portion 430, the valve body 40 may not have the other. In this case, the fixed cylinder 41, The inner lid cylinder 43 or the holding cylinder 42 corresponds to the other.

The elastic body 44 is composed of a tubular portion 440 having an internal passage 4400 and a tip portion 442 having one slit 441 formed at the tip, and the tip portion 442 is convex toward the slit 441, for example, a beak. It has a shape. However, in the shape of the tip portion 442, the slit 441 is widened by the gas flow from the internal passage 4400 of the elastic body 44 toward the tip portion 442, and the slit 441 is narrowed or pushed by the gas flow from the inside toward the tip portion 442. The shape may be crushed and closed, and is not limited to a straight line, but may be a bow-shaped, S-shaped, or spiral-shaped curve.

When the slit 441 is formed in the tip portion 442 of the elastic body 44, it may be cut with a cutter or the like or formed at the same time as molding with a mold. The slit 441 is preferably formed with a width of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm, although it depends on the thickness of the elastic body 44.

For example, if the slit 441 is formed with a width smaller than 0.1 mm, the close contact fixing between the tip portions 442 sandwiching the slit 441 may not be eliminated, and if the slit 441 is formed with a width larger than 1.0 mm, the tip portions 442 are in close contact with each other. Instead, the gas may leak, and even if the positive pressure applied is small (even if the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the container body 10 is small), the gas flow may not be blocked. However, if a low-adhesive material is used for the elastic body 44 or the surface roughness of the elastic body 44 is roughened, even if the slit 441 is formed with a width smaller than 0.1 mm, the tip portions 442 are closely fixed to each other. Can be prevented from happening.

By forming the slit 441 having a width of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm in the tip portion 442 in this way, it is possible to prevent interference such as the tip portions 442 sandwiching the slit 441 overlapping each other, and the tip portion Since the 442s can prevent the elastic bodies 44 from sticking to each other and sticking to each other due to elasticity, sticking to each other, and fixing the elastic bodies 44 to each other, the elastic bodies 44 do not become inoperable, and the gas can be appropriately circulated or blocked. It is also possible to prevent the invasion of foreign matter.

As the material of the elastic body 44, various rubbers, thermoplastic elastomer resins, and the like can be used. For example, a thermoplastic elastomer composed of a polyester-based elastomer, a polyolefin-based elastomer, a fluorine-based elastomer, a urethane-based elastomer, or the like, a fluororubber, an ethylene propylene rubber, a rubber such as silicone, or the like can be used.

The filter 46 filters the gas supplied or discharged, and is a porous film made of ethylene tetrafluoride, polyester fiber, fluororesin, etc., a molecular filtration filter made of glass fiber, etc., and a filter medium such as activated carbon fiber. It is selected from a chemical filter or the like on which a chemical adsorbent is carried.

One or a plurality of filters 46 are held between the holding cylinder 42 and the inner lid cylinder 43. When a plurality of filters 46 are used, they may be of the same type, but it is better to combine filters having different properties because it is possible to prevent contamination of organic substances in addition to particles. preferable. For example, the filter 46 also has a function of suppressing the passage of the liquid so that the liquid such as water or the cleaning liquid does not stay when the container body 10 is washed. Therefore, one of the filters 46 is made of a hydrophobic or hydrophilic material. May be used to further suppress the permeation of the liquid.

Finally, a state in which the valve body 40 controls the flow of gas will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing (a) a state in which gas flow is blocked and (b) a state in which gas flow is enabled, respectively, of the valve body 40 attached to the substrate storage container 1.

In FIG. 2B, when no positive pressure is applied to the first passage 4100 of the first cylinder portion 410 and the second passage 4300 of the second cylinder portion 430, the elastic body 44 closes the slit 441 and the internal passage 4400. Is blocked, and the flow of gas is blocked on either side.

For example, as shown by an arrow in FIG. 3B, when a positive pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the first passage 4100 of the first tubular portion 410, the elastic body 44 slits according to the magnitude of the positive pressure. By deforming the 441 so as to push it open, a gap C is formed at the tip of the tip portion 442. Then, the gas from the first cylinder portion 410 side passes through this gap C, flows to the second cylinder portion 430 side, and is supplied to the inside of the container body 10.

Further, when a negative pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the second passage 4300 of the second cylinder portion 430, the same as when a positive pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the first passage 4100 of the first cylinder portion 410. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 3B, the elastic body 44 is deformed so as to expand the slit 441 to form a gap C between the tip portions 442.

On the contrary, when a positive pressure is applied to the second passage 4300 of the second tubular portion 430, the tip portion 442 of the elastic body 44 has a tapered shape toward the apex (top line) as shown in FIG. 3A. Therefore, it bends downward in the opposite direction and deforms so as to close the slit 441 (gap C). When the gap C is closed, the gas from the second cylinder portion 430 side is blocked from flowing and cannot flow to the first cylinder portion 410 side.

Further, when a negative pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the first passage 4100 of the first cylinder portion 410, it operates in the same manner as when a positive pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the second passage 4300 of the second cylinder portion 430. do.

The predetermined value of the pressure at which the gas can flow can be adjusted by changing the material, hardness, shape / dimension, thickness, width of the slit 441, and the number of slits 441 of the elastic body 44. However, if a large number of slits 441 are formed, the tip portion 442 may be deformed so as to sink in the opposite direction due to positive pressure. Therefore, the number of slits 441 is preferably up to about four.

Then, the valve body 50 for the exhaust unit 17 shuts off or enables the flow of gas in the direction opposite to the valve body 40. That is, when a positive pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the second passage 4300 of the second tubular portion 430, the elastic body 44 is deformed so as to expand the slit 441 according to the magnitude of the positive pressure, thereby causing the tip portion. A gap C is formed at the tip of the 442. After that, the gas from the second cylinder portion 430 side passes through this gap C, flows to the first cylinder portion 410 side, and is discharged to the outside of the container body 10.

As described above, the substrate storage container 1 of the embodiment according to the present invention has a container body 10 for storing the substrate W, a lid 20 for closing the opening 11 of the container body 10, and gas flow to the container body 10. A substrate storage container 1 including valve bodies 40 and 50 to be controlled, wherein the valve bodies 40 and 50 communicate with a first passage 4100 communicating with the outside of the container body 10 and a second passage communicating with the inside of the container body 10. It has an elastic body 44 that separates the passage 4300, and in the valve body 40, the elastic body 44 deforms when a positive pressure is applied to the first passage 4100 or a negative pressure is applied to the second passage 4300. In addition to enabling the flow of gas to the container body 10, when a positive pressure is applied to the second passage 4300 or a negative pressure is applied to the first passage 4100, the flow of gas to the container body 10 is blocked. Further, in the valve body 50, when a negative pressure is applied to the first passage 4100 or a positive pressure is applied to the second passage 4300, the valve body 50 is deformed to enable the flow of gas to the container body 10. , When a positive pressure is applied to the first passage 4100 or a negative pressure is applied to the second passage 4300, the flow of gas to the container body 10 is blocked.

As a result, gas is introduced from one side of the valve bodies 40 and 50 (becomes a positive pressure), and when a predetermined pressure value is reached, the elastic body 44 swells and a gap C is formed, so that the introduced gas is a valve. It will be supplied to the other side of the body 40.

Further, since the substrate storage container 1 includes valves 40 and 50 that do not use metal members, even if the substrate W to be stored contains metal corrosive residual substances, the problem of metal corrosion does not occur. , It is unlikely that the valve bodies 40 and 50 will not operate.

Further, since the gas can be circulated in the air supply direction or the exhaust direction only by replacing the elastic body 44 with the first cylinder portion 410 or the second cylinder portion 430, the positions and the number of the air supply portions 16 and the exhaust portions 17 Regardless, it can handle any gas supply and exhaust route.

In addition, a humidity retention test was conducted using the substrate storage container 1 of the embodiment, but the decrease in humidity with the passage of time did not show a particularly large difference from the conventional one.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and modifications are made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. It can be changed.

(Modification example)
In the above embodiment, the outer diameter of the first cylinder portion 410 and the outer diameter of the second cylinder portion 430 are all formed to have the same diameter, but may be formed to have different diameters.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing (a) the valve body 40 of the modified example 1 and (b) the valve body 50 of the modified example 2.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the valve body 40 of the first modification has a length such that the second tubular portion 430 covers the tubular portion 440 of the elastic body 44 and the first tubular portion 410. The tubular portion 440 is sandwiched between the first tubular portion 410 and the second tubular portion 430 so as to be in close contact with each other.

As shown in FIG. 4B, in the valve body 50 of the second modification, the first tubular portion 410 is formed to have a length that covers the tubular portion 440 of the elastic body 44, and the tubular portion 440 is formed. It is sandwiched between the 1-cylinder portion 410 and the 2nd cylinder portion 430 so as to be in close contact with each other.

In the case of the valve body 40 of the modified example 1 and the valve body 50 of the modified example 2, the fluid such as gas or liquid supplied from the first cylinder portion 410 side is fixed to the first cylinder portion 410 or the second cylinder portion 430. Since it is not possible to enter the space surrounded by the cylinder 41, the holding cylinder 42, and the inner lid cylinder 43, the liquid does not remain inside the valve body 40 even when the container body 10 is washed with the liquid. In FIG. 4A, the second cylinder portion 430 also covers the first cylinder portion 410, but if the adhesion between the second cylinder portion 430 and the tubular portion 440 is good, the first cylinder portion 430 is used. It is not necessary to cover the part 410. Conversely, in FIG. 4B, the first tubular portion 410 may also cover the second tubular portion 430.

In the valve bodies 40 and 50 of the above modifications 1 and 2, the gas supplied or discharged does not move to another space by the first cylinder portion 410 or the second cylinder portion 430, and the first passage 4100 and the first passage 4100 and the first. Although it was configured to pass through the two passages 4300, the elastic body 44 itself may be configured to act like the first tubular portion 410 or the second tubular portion 430.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which (a) the elastic body 44 of the modified example 3 is applied to the valve body 40 of the air supply unit 16, and (b) a state in which the elastic body 44 of the modified example 3 is applied to the valve body 50 of the exhaust unit 17. , Is a schematic cross-sectional view showing.

As shown in FIG. 5, the elastic body 44 of the modified example 3 includes a tubular main body portion 443, a tubular portion 440 is provided inside the main body portion 443, and a tip portion 442 is also provided inside the main body portion 443. Has been done. Further, the elastic body 44 is fitted and mounted on the other ends of the first cylinder portion 410 and the second cylinder portion 430, and in addition, comes into contact with the lower surface of the inner lid cylinder 43 and the upper surface of the fixed cylinder 41. May be. That is, the elastic body 44 is in a state of being slightly crushed in the longitudinal direction.

In the valve bodies 40 and 50 to which the elastic body 44 of the modification 3 is applied, the elastic body 44 and the inner lid cylinder 43 and the fixed cylinder 41 are in contact with each other on the lower surface of the inner lid cylinder 43 and the upper surface of the fixed cylinder 41. Since the gas is in close contact with each other, the gas does not leak to other spaces, and in addition, the outer peripheral surface of the first cylinder portion 410 and the outer peripheral surface of the second cylinder portion 430 are also in contact with each other and are in close contact with each other, so that the gas is present. It does not leak into the space of. Further, in the valve bodies 40 and 50 of the modified example 3, the gas can be circulated in the air supply direction or the exhaust direction only by exchanging the upper and lower sides of the elastic body 44. Regardless of the number, it can correspond to the air supply and exhaust routes of any gas.

Further, the valve bodies 40 and 50 may not have the first cylinder portion 410 and the second cylinder portion 430. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing (a) the valve body 40 of the air supply unit 16 of the modified example 4 and (b) the valve body 50 of the exhaust unit 17 of the modified example 4.

As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic body 44 applied to the valve bodies 40 and 50 of the modified example 4 is the same as that of the modified example 3, and the elastic body 44 is the lower surface of the inner lid cylinder 43 and the fixed cylinder 41. It is sandwiched and fixed on the upper surface. At this time, the first passage 4100 or the second passage 4300 is directly formed in any of the fixed cylinder 41, the holding cylinder 42, and the inner lid cylinder 43.

In the valve bodies 40 and 50 of the modified example 4, the elastic body 44 and the inner lid cylinder 43 and the fixed cylinder 41 are in contact with each other on the lower surface of the inner lid cylinder 43 and the upper surface of the fixed cylinder 41, as in the modified example 3. , Because it is in close contact, gas does not leak to other spaces. Further, in the valve bodies 40 and 50 of the modified example 4, the gas can be circulated in the air supply direction or the exhaust direction simply by exchanging the upper and lower sides of the elastic body 44, as in the modified example 3. Therefore, the air supply unit 16 Regardless of the position and number of exhaust units 17, any gas supply and exhaust route can be supported.

Next, in the above embodiment, the tip portion 442 of the elastic body 44 may have a cone shape having a vertex where a plurality of slits 441 are combined. For example, it may be a cone or a pyramid in which two slits 441 intersect at the apex and divide the vicinity of the apex into four. Further, a plurality of tip portions 442 may be formed on the elastic body 44.

In the above embodiment, the outer diameters of the first cylinder portion 410 and the second cylinder portion 430 and the elastic body 44 are formed in a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the slit 441 of the elastic body 44 is closed. Any shape may be used as long as the flow of gas to the container body 10 can be controlled by the close contact.

In the above embodiment, the valve bodies 40 and 50 have a first cylinder portion 410 and a second cylinder portion 430, and are configured so that the elastic body 44 can be attached to either one of them. If the valve bodies 40 and 50 are dedicated to the exhaust unit 17, they may have at least one of the first cylinder portion 410 and the second cylinder portion 430.

In the above embodiment, in the valve bodies 40 and 50, the holding cylinder 42 is combined inside the fixed cylinder 41 fitted in the through hole 18, but conversely, the fixed cylinder 41 is fitted in the through hole 18. It may be combined inside the holding cylinder 42. Further, although the valve bodies 40 and 50 have the inner lid cylinder 43, the inner lid cylinder 43 may not be provided, and the second cylinder portion 430 may be formed directly on the holding cylinder 42. In this case, the filter 46 may be directly adhered or welded to the holding cylinder 42.

Further, in the above embodiment, the filter 46 may be arranged in the gas flow path from the gas supply source to the gas discharge port inside the container body 10 separately from the valve bodies 40 and 50.

By the way, in the above-described embodiment and the like, the valve bodies 40 and 50 are configured to be attached to the through holes 18 formed in at least one of the container body 10 and the lid 20, but are provided in the container body 10 and the like. It may be configured to be attached in the middle of a gas flow path (piping), for example, a gas flow path communicating with at least one of an air supply unit 16 or an exhaust unit 17.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the valve body 40 in the container body 10 of the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, one end of a pipe that is located on the opening 11 side of the container body 10 and communicates with the gas introduction portion 60 that is connected to the gas supply pipe from the external gas supply source is the first cylinder portion 410. The second cylinder portion 430 is located at one end of the pipe that is located on the back side of the container body 10 and communicates with the air supply portion 16, and the elastic body 44 is provided in the first cylinder portion 410 and is large so as to cover them. A diameter tube portion may be provided to form a substantially pipe shape. In the case of the valve body 50, the elastic body 44 is attached to the second cylinder portion 430 that communicates with the exhaust portion 17.

At this time, the first cylinder portion 410 and the second cylinder portion 430 may be a highly rigid resin pipe or a flexible tube.

Even in the substrate storage container 1 of the second embodiment, since the valve body 40 that does not use a metal member is provided, even if the substrate W to be stored has a metal corrosive residual substance, the metal corrosion does not occur. It is unlikely that the problem will not occur and the valve body 40 will not operate.

Further, the distance from the gas introduction portion 60 to the valve body 40 via the first cylinder portion 410 is long, and the internal passage 6000 of the gas introduction portion 60 and the first passage 4100 of the first cylinder portion 410 are substantially perpendicular to each other. Since it is bent in the direction, even when the container body 10 is washed with a liquid, it becomes difficult for the liquid to reach the valve body 40, and it is possible to prevent water remaining after the container body 10 is dried. Then, the liquid does not reach the air supply portion 16 and the exhaust portion 17 on the back side of the valve body 40 (elastic body 44).

1 Board storage container 10 Container body, 11 openings, 12 Sealed surfaces, 13 Supports, 14 Robotic flanges, 15 Manual handles, 16 Air supply parts, 17 Exhaust parts, 18 Through holes, 180 ribs 20 lids, 21 Mounting grooves , 22 Convex 30 Packing 40,50 Valve body 41 Fixed cylinder, 410 1st cylinder (cylinder), 411 Vent, 412 Screw groove, 413 Flange, 4100 1st passage 42 Retaining cylinder, 421 Vent, 422 Screw Groove, 423 flange, 424 partition rib 43 inner lid cylinder, 430 second cylinder part (cylinder part)
44 elastic body, 440 tubular part, 441 slit, 442 tip part, 443 main body part, 4400 internal passage 45 seal member, 46 filter, 47 seal member 60 gas introduction part, 6000 internal passage W board C gap

Claims (6)

The container body that stores the board and
A lid that closes the opening of the container body,
A substrate storage container including a valve body that controls the flow of gas to the container body.
The valve body
It has an elastic body that separates a first passage that communicates with the outside of the container body and a second passage that communicates with the inside of the container body.
The first passage is formed in a fixed cylinder fitted into a through hole formed in the container body.
The second passage is formed in a holding cylinder combined with the fixed cylinder.
The elastic body is deformed when a positive pressure is applied to the first passage or a negative pressure is applied to the second passage, thereby enabling the flow of the gas to the container body and the above. Whether positive pressure is applied to the second passage or negative pressure is applied to the first passage to block the flow of the gas to the container body.
Alternatively, when a negative pressure is applied to the first passage or a positive pressure is applied to the second passage, the gas is deformed to enable the flow of the gas to the container body and the first passage. When a positive pressure is applied to the container body or a negative pressure is applied to the second passage, the flow of the gas to the container body is blocked .
The elastic body includes a tubular main body portion, a tubular portion provided inside the main body portion and having an internal passage, and a tip portion having at least one slit formed at the tip end of the tubular portion. Including
The tip portion has a convex shape toward the slit and has a convex shape.
A substrate storage container characterized in that the gas flows only through the first passage, the internal passage, and the second passage. The container body that stores the board and
A lid that closes the opening of the container body,
A substrate storage container including a valve body that controls the flow of gas to the container body.
The valve body
It has an elastic body that separates a first passage that communicates with the outside of the container body and a second passage that communicates with the inside of the container body.
The first passage is formed in a fixed cylinder fitted into a through hole formed in the container body.
The second passage is formed in an inner lid cylinder connected to a holding cylinder combined with the fixed cylinder.
The elastic body is deformed when a positive pressure is applied to the first passage or a negative pressure is applied to the second passage, thereby enabling the flow of the gas to the container body and the above. Whether positive pressure is applied to the second passage or negative pressure is applied to the first passage to block the flow of the gas to the container body.
Alternatively, when a negative pressure is applied to the first passage or a positive pressure is applied to the second passage, the gas is deformed to enable the flow of the gas to the container body and the first passage. When a positive pressure is applied to the container body or a negative pressure is applied to the second passage, the flow of the gas to the container body is blocked .
The elastic body includes a tubular main body portion, a tubular portion provided inside the main body portion and having an internal passage, and a tip portion having at least one slit formed at the tip end of the tubular portion. Including
The tip portion has a convex shape toward the slit and has a convex shape.
A substrate storage container characterized in that the gas flows only through the first passage, the internal passage, and the second passage. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tip portion has a beak shape having one slit, or a cone shape having a vertex where a plurality of the slits meet. The substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the slit is formed with a width of 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. The valve body has at least one of a cylinder portion communicating with the first passage and a cylinder portion communicating with the second passage.
The substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic body is attached to the tubular portion. The substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the valve body has a filter for filtering the gas.

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