JP7070606B2 - Gas purge unit and load port device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gas purge unit and a load port device having a gas purge unit used in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing process.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, some wafers housed in the wafer transfer container have, for example, metal wiring or the like formed therein. Since the surface of such metal wiring is oxidized, the desired characteristics may not be obtained when the device is completed, and for this reason, it is necessary to keep the cleanliness inside the container high.

However, when the wafer in the transport container is brought into various processing devices and subjected to predetermined processing, the inside of the container and the inside of the processing device or the intermediate chamber connecting the processing device and the container are always maintained in a communicating state. The Rukoto. A fan and a filter are arranged in the upper part of the intermediate chamber in which the transfer robot is arranged, and the cleanliness of the inside of the intermediate chamber is controlled to a certain level or higher, but the cleanliness of the inside of the container may be low. Therefore, when such air enters the inside of the container, the surface of the wafer may be oxidized by oxygen or moisture in the air.

Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, a cleaning gas such as nitrogen gas is introduced toward the inside of the container, and an opening is opened in order to block the introduction of a gas having a low degree of cleanliness from the inside of the treatment chamber to the inside of the container. It has been proposed to blow gas along the opening surface of the section.

WO2005 / 124855A

However, the conventional method of blowing gas along the opening surface of the opening cannot sufficiently prevent the problem that a gas with low cleanliness is caught in the inside of the container, and the inside of the container is efficiently cleaned. It has the problem that it is difficult to do.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a gas purge unit capable of efficiently cleaning the inside of a container to be purged and a load port device having such a gas purge unit. Is.

In order to achieve the above object, the gas purge unit according to the present invention is
A gas purging unit for introducing a cleaning gas into a container to be purged having an opening through the opening.
A first blowing member having a first nozzle port for blowing out cleaning gas toward the inside of the purging target container and arranged along the side side of the opening, and a first blowing member.
A second blowing member arranged at a position far from the opening from the first nozzle opening, having a second nozzle opening for blowing out cleaning gas toward the inside of the purge target container, and arranged along the side surface. And have.

In the gas purging unit of the present invention, the first nozzle port and the second nozzle port that blow out the cleaning gas toward the inside of the container to be purged are arranged in parallel along the side side of the opening, thereby arranging the inside of the container in parallel. Can be efficiently cleaned. That is, by arranging the first nozzle port and the second nozzle port having different distances from the opening in parallel, the layer of the cleaning gas toward the inside of the container becomes thicker than in the case of the first nozzle port alone. It is possible to prevent the problem of entraining a gas with low cleanliness in the room inside the container. Further, since the cleaning gas is also discharged toward the inside of the purging target container for the second nozzle port, a larger amount of cleaning gas can be introduced into the purging target container as compared with the case of the first nozzle port alone. can.

Further, for example, the gas purge unit according to the present invention has a third nozzle port for blowing out cleaning gas in a direction along the opening surface of the opening, and a third blowing member arranged along the upper side of the opening. May have.

By also having a third blowing member that blows out the cleaning gas in the direction along the opening surface, it is possible to prevent the problem that the low-clean airflow in the room is caught in the flow of the cleaning gas toward the inside of the container. , Efficient cleaning can be realized. Further, since the third blowing member discharges the cleaning gas downward from the upper side toward the opening surface, the airflow of the cleaning gas by the first and second blowing members is like a downflow by FFU. The problem of being disturbed by the downward airflow in the room can be effectively prevented.

Further, for example, the first blowing member may have a first flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the first nozzle port.
The third blowing member may have a third flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the third nozzle port.
The first blowing member and the third blowing member may be connected so that the first flow path and the third flow path communicate with each other.

By connecting the first blowing member and the third blowing member so as to communicate the first flow path and the third flow path, such a gas purge unit shortens the total length of the cleaning gas flow path. Or the structure of the flow path can be simplified.

Further, for example, the second blowing member may have a second flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the second nozzle port.
The third blowing member may have a third flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the third nozzle port.
The second blowing member and the third blowing member may be connected so that the second flow path and the third flow path communicate with each other.

By connecting the second blowout member and the third blowout member so as to communicate the second flow path and the third flow path, such a gas purge unit shortens the total length of the flow path of the purified gas. Or the structure of the flow path can be simplified. Further, by connecting the second flow path and the third flow path, it is possible to collectively manage the supply of the cleaning gas that prevents the entrainment of the low-clean air flow in the room.

Further, for example, the gas purge unit according to the present invention is arranged with a predetermined interval from the first blowing member and the second blowing member, and the first blowing unit in the first blowing member and the second blowing member. It may have a cover member that surrounds at least the nozzle opening and the side opposite to the blowing direction of the second nozzle opening.
It may have an eaves member that is arranged along the upper side of the opening and projects in the normal direction of the opening surface.
Further, in the gas purge unit according to the present invention, the eaves member and the cover member may have an integral structure connected to each other.

Since the cover member and the eaves member can prevent the problem that the airflow of the cleaning gas by the first and second nozzle openings is disturbed by the airflow formed in the room by the downflow by the FFU, such a gas purge unit is efficient. Cleaning is possible.
Further, since the eaves member and the cover member have an integrated structure, the problem that the air flow of the cleaning gas is disturbed by the first and second nozzle openings is effectively prevented, and the air flow of the cleaning gas is protected. It is possible to simplify the structure to be used.

Further, for example, the load port device according to the present invention includes any of the above gas purge units.

By having the gas purge unit as described above, the load port device according to the present invention efficiently cleans the inside of the container mounted on the load port device, and effectively prevents problems such as oxidation of the wafer. be able to.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of a load port device to which the gas purge unit according to the first embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the load port device shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a schematic view showing a process in which the lid of the sealed transport container is opened by the load port device. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram showing a continuation of the process of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram showing a continuation of the process of FIG. 3B. FIG. 3D is a schematic diagram showing the steps following FIG. 3C. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the first blowing member of the gas purge unit. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the first and second blowing members and the supply unit of the cleaning gas. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the horizontal cross section of the gas purge unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional schematic view of a load port device to which the gas purge unit according to the second embodiment is applied. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the horizontal cross section of the gas purge unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the horizontal cross section of the gas purge unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a gas purge unit according to a modified example.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

First Embodiment As shown in FIG. 1, the load port device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is connected to an intermediate chamber 60 or the like of a mini-environment device. In addition to the gas purge unit 20 described later, the load port device 10 can move in the Y-axis direction with respect to the wall 11 extending in the vertical direction, the installation table 12 provided on one side of the wall 11, and the installation table 12. It has a movable table 14. In the drawings, the Y-axis indicates the moving direction of the movable table 14, the Z-axis indicates the vertical vertical direction, and the X-axis indicates the directions perpendicular to these Y-axis and Z-axis.

On the upper part of the movable table 14 in the Z-axis direction, a sealed transport container 2 as a container to be purged, which is composed of a pot, a hoop, or the like for sealing, storing, and transporting a plurality of wafers 1, can be detachably placed. It has become. The sealed transport container 2 has a casing 2a. Inside the casing 2a, a space for accommodating the wafer 1 to be processed is formed. The casing 2a has a substantially box-like shape having an opening 2b on either side surface.

The sealed transport container 2 shown in the present embodiment is a wafer transport container compliant with the SEMI standard called a hoop (FOUP), but the container to be purged is not limited to this. Further, the contained material contained in the sealed transport container 2 is not limited to the wafer 1, and may be another contained material that needs to be stored in a clean environment.

The sealed transport container 2 is provided with a lid 4 for sealing the opening 2b of the casing 2a. The opening 2b has a substantially rectangular shape, and the lid 4 has a rectangular flat plate shape substantially equal to the opening 2b. A shelf (not shown) having a plurality of stages for stacking horizontally held wafers 1 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is arranged inside the casing 2a, and each of the wafers 1 placed therein is arranged. It is housed inside the sealed transport container 2 at a constant interval.

The load port device 10 is an interface device for transferring the wafer 1 housed in the sealed transport container 2 in a sealed state to the inside of the intermediate chamber 60 while maintaining a clean state. A single or a plurality of processing chambers 70 are airtightly connected to the intermediate chamber 60. The processing chamber 70 is not particularly limited, but is an apparatus used in a semiconductor manufacturing process such as a vapor deposition apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, and an etching apparatus.

A robot arm 50 is housed inside the intermediate chamber 60. An FFU (Fan Filter Unit) 40 is mounted on the upper part of the intermediate chamber 60, and clean air or other gas is allowed to flow down from the FFU 40 into the intermediate chamber 60 to create a local clean environment. There is. The cleanliness inside the intermediate chamber 60 is often lower than the cleanliness inside the sealed transport container 2 filled with the cleaning gas, but is kept higher than the cleanliness of the external environment that is normally assumed to be indoors. Dripping.

The load port device 10 has a wall-side opening 13 of the wall 11 and a door 18 for opening and closing the lid 4 of the sealed transport container 2. The wall 11 functions as a part of a casing that seals the inside of the intermediate chamber 60 in a clean state. As shown in FIG. 2, the wall-side opening 13 is a substantially rectangular shape having a size substantially equal to the opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the load port device 10 has a gas purge unit 20 inside the sealed transport container 10 for introducing a cleaning gas through the opening 2b of the sealed transport container 10. The gas purge unit 20 is arranged along a pair of first blowout members 22 and a pair of second blowout members 24 arranged along a pair of side sides 2bb (see FIG. 6) of the opening 2b, and along the upper side 2ba of the opening 2b. It has a third blowing member 26 to be formed. The gas purge unit 20 will be described in detail later.

Hereinafter, the operation of opening and closing the wall-side opening 13 and the lid 4 by the door 18, and the operation of the load port device 10 and the gas purge unit 20 provided therein corresponding to the open / closed state of the door 18 and the like are described in FIGS. 3A to 3D. Will be described using.

As shown in FIG. 3A, when the sealed transport container 2 is installed on the movable table 14, the positioning pin 16 fits into the recess of the positioning portion 3 provided on the lower surface of the casing 2a of the sealed transport container 2. Therefore, the positional relationship between the sealed transport container 2 and the movable table 14 is uniquely determined. During the storage and transportation of the wafer 1, the inside of the sealed transport container 2 is sealed, and the environment around the wafer 1 is generally maintained regardless of the external environment of the sealed transport container 2.

When the sealed transport container 2 is positioned and installed on the upper surface of the movable table 14, the air supply port 5 and the exhaust port 6 formed on the lower surface of the sealed transport container 2 are arranged inside the movable table 14, respectively. It is airtightly connected to the bottom purging device. Then, bottom gas purging is performed through the air supply port 5 and the exhaust port 6 provided in the lower part of the sealed transport container 2. With the bottom gas purge performed, as shown in FIG. 3B, the movable table 14 moves in the Y-axis direction, and the opening edge 2c to which the lid 4 that airtightly closes the opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 is attached is attached. However, it enters the inside of the wall-side opening 13 of the wall 11.

At the same time, the door 18 located inside the wall 11 (opposite to the movable table 14 on which the sealed transport container 2 is installed) engages with the lid 4 of the sealed transport container 2. At that time, the space between the opening edge 2c and the opening edge 2c of the wall-side opening 13 is sealed by a gasket or the like, and the space between them is well sealed. After that, as shown in FIG. 3C, the door 18 is moved in parallel or rotationally in the X-axis direction together with the lid 4, the lid 4 is removed from the opening edge 2c, the opening 2b is opened, and the opening 2b and the wall are opened. The inside of the sealed transport container 2 and the inside of the wall 11 are communicated with each other through the side opening 13.

Even after the opening 2b is opened, the load port device 10 may be operated by continuing the bottom gas purge. Further, after opening the opening 2b, the load port device 10 first sends a cleaning gas such as nitrogen gas or other inert gas or purified air from the inside of the wall 11 toward the sealed transport container 2. -Blow out from the third blowing member 22, 24, 26 (front purge). The load port device 10 may perform front purging in parallel with bottom purging, or may stop bottom purging and perform front purging.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3D, by moving the door 18 downward on the Z axis inside the wall 11, the opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 is completely opened with respect to the inside of the wall 11. Will be. After the opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 is completely opened, the space between the inside of the sealed transport container 2 and the inside of the wall 11 is passed through the opening 2b and the wall-side opening 13 by a robot arm 50 or the like arranged inside the wall 11. Then, the wafer 1 is delivered.

Also at that time, the inside of the sealed transport container 2 and the inside of the wall 11 (intermediate chamber 60 (see FIG. 1)) are shielded from the outside air. Further, the gas purge unit 20 of the load port device 10 continues the front purge, so that the inside of the sealed transport container 2 is maintained in a cleaner environment than the inside of the wall 11. In order to return the wafer 1 to the inside of the sealed transport container 2 and remove the sealed transport container 2 from the movable table 14, the above reverse operation may be performed.

In addition, in the drawing, in order to facilitate understanding, the air supply port 5, the exhaust port 6, the gas purge unit 20, etc. are enlarged and shown as compared with the sealed transport container 2, but the actual dimensional ratio is shown. Is different.

Next, the gas purge unit 20 for performing the front purge according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gas purge unit 20 is arranged around the wall-side opening 13. The first blowing member 22, the second blowing member 24, and the third blowing member 26 of the gas purge unit 20 are attached to the inner surface of the wall 11 which is the surface opposite to the installation base 12 so as to avoid the door 18.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first blowing member 22 has a first nozzle port 22a for blowing out cleaning gas toward the inside of the sealed transport container 2, and is along the side 2bb of the opening 2b extending in the Z-axis direction. Is arranged. As shown in FIG. 4, which is a perspective view of the first blowing member 22, the first blowing member 22 is composed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped tubular member elongated in the Z-axis direction, and is one of the corner portions extending in the Z-axis direction. The first nozzle port 22a, which is composed of a slit-shaped through hole, is formed therein. The opening angle of the first nozzle port 22a in the XY direction can be, for example, about 30 degrees, but is not particularly limited.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second blowing member 24 has a second nozzle port 24a for blowing out cleaning gas toward the inside of the sealed transport container 2, and is along the side 2bb of the opening 2b extending in the Z-axis direction. Is arranged. The second blowing member 24 is arranged in parallel with the first blowing member 22, but the second nozzle opening 24a of the second blowing member 24 is from the opening 2b from the first nozzle opening 22a of the first blowing member 22. It is located in a distant position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second blowing member 24 has the same shape as the first blowing member 22 shown in FIG. That is, the second blowing member 24 is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped tubular member elongated in the Z-axis direction in which a slit-shaped second nozzle port 24a is formed at one of the corner portions extending in the Z-axis direction. The opening angle of the second nozzle opening 24a in the XY direction can be about 30 degrees as in the case of the first nozzle opening 22a, but is not particularly limited.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the gas purge unit 20, a set of blowing members including one first blowing member 22 and one second blowing member 24 corresponds to each side 2bb of the opening 2b. A total of 2 sets are arranged. The first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the opening 2b in the X-axis direction. However, the arrangement of the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 is not limited to this, and for example, another gas purge unit may have one set or three or more sets of blowing members, and is asymmetrical. It may have the arranged first and second blowout members 22, 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first and second blowing members 22 and 24 are attached to the inner surface of the wall 11 via the plate-shaped mounting member 28, but the first and second blowing members 22 and 24 The mounting method is not limited to this. For example, the first and second blowout members 22 and 24 may be directly fixed to the wall 11 or may be suspended from above. Further, in the gas purge unit 20, the first and second blowing members 22 and 24 are provided so as to be in contact with each other in order to reduce the size.

As shown in FIG. 6, both the first nozzle port 22a of the first blowing member 22 and the second nozzle opening 24a of the second blowing member 24 blow out the cleaning gas toward the inside of the sealed transport container 2. .. That is, the center position of the first nozzle port 22a and the second nozzle port 24a in the blowing direction with respect to the XY direction is the direction toward the inside of the sealed transport container 2 (Y axis) with respect to the X-axis direction which is the direction along the opening surface. Negative direction) It is tilted by a predetermined angle toward x. The inclination θ1 in the blowing direction of the first nozzle port 22a may be the same as the inclination θ2 in the blowing direction of the second nozzle port 24a, but the inclination θ1 in the blowing direction of the first nozzle port 22a is the inclination θ1 in the blowing direction. It may be larger than the inclination θ2 in the blowing direction of 24a.

FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structures of the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24. The first blowing member 22 has a first flow path 22b that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the first nozzle port 22a. Purifying gas is supplied to the first flow path 22b from the first gas supply unit 32 having the first gas supply chamber 32a and the first gas supply pipe 32b. The first gas supply chamber 32a has a tank filled with a cleaning gas having a predetermined pressure, a control valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of the gas, and the like. The first gas supply pipe 32b is composed of a pipe or the like connecting the first gas supply chamber 32a and the first flow path 22b of the first blowing member 22. When the first gas supply pipe 32b has two first blowout members 22 as shown in FIG. 6, the first gas supply pipe 32b has one first gas supply chamber 32a and the first flow path 22b of the two first blowout members 22. And connect.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the second blowing member 24 has a second flow path 24b that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the second nozzle opening 24a, similarly to the first blowing member 22. ing. Purifying gas is supplied to the second flow path 24b from the second gas supply unit 34 having the second gas supply chamber 34a and the second gas supply pipe 34b. Like the first gas supply chamber 32a, the second gas supply chamber 34a has a tank filled with a cleaning gas having a predetermined pressure, a control valve capable of adjusting the gas flow rate, and the like. Further, the second gas supply pipe 34b is composed of a pipe or the like connecting the second gas supply chamber 34a and the second flow path 24b of the second blowing member 24. The point that the second gas supply pipe 34b connects one second gas supply chamber 34a and two second flow paths 24b is also the same as the first gas supply pipe 32b.

As shown in FIG. 5A, in the present embodiment, the first gas supply unit 32 that supplies the cleaning gas to the first blowing member 22 and the second gas that supplies the cleaning gas to the second blowing member 24 Since the gas purge unit 20 is independent of the supply unit 34, the gas purge unit 20 individually controls the discharge of the cleaning gas from the first nozzle port 22a and the discharge of the cleaning gas from the second nozzle port 24a. Can be done.

The gas purge unit 20 may make the release timing of the cleaning gas by the first blowing member 22 different from the release timing of the cleaning gas by the second blowing member 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 3D, the lid 4 is completely open, and the door 18 holding the lid 4 and the lid 4 is separated from the opening surface of the opening 2b in the Z-axis direction (the door 18 is lowered). In this state), the cleaning gas is discharged from both the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3C, the lid 4 is not completely opened, and the lid 4 and the door 18 holding the lid 4 partially overlap with the opening surface of the opening 2b in the Z-axis direction. Then, the cleaning gas is discharged only from the first blowing member 22, and the cleaning gas is stopped from the second blowing member 24 located near the door 18.

In this way, by individually controlling the release timing of the cleaning gas of the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 according to the positions of the lid 4 and the door 18, the amount of gas consumption can be adjusted as necessary. can.

Further, the gas purge unit 20 shown in FIG. 5A is discharged from the flow rate of the cleaning gas discharged from the first nozzle port 22a of the first blowing member 22 and from the first nozzle opening 22a of the second blowing member 24. The flow rate of the cleaning gas can be changed individually. The flow rate of either one may be larger than that of the other, or the same flow rate may be used. Here, for example, when the gas purge unit 20 discharges the cleaning gas from both the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning gas discharged from the first nozzle port 22a. The flow rate of the cleaning gas can be made larger than the flow rate of the cleaning gas discharged from the second nozzle port 24a. By reducing the flow rate from the second blowing member 24 arranged at a position farther from the opening 2b, it is possible to prevent the problem that the gas having low cleanliness in the intermediate chamber 60 flows into the sealed transport container 2.

Further, the load port device 10 may use the gas purge unit 120 according to the first modification shown in FIG. 5 (b) instead of the gas purge unit 20 shown in FIG. 5 (a). The gas purge unit 120 has a common gas supply unit 38 that supplies cleaning gas to the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24. The common gas supply unit 38 has a common gas supply chamber 38a and a branch gas supply pipe 38b. Like the first and second gas supply chambers 32a and 34a, the common gas supply chamber 38a has a tank filled with a cleaning gas having a predetermined pressure, a control valve capable of adjusting the gas flow rate, and the like.

Further, the branch gas supply pipe 38b is composed of a common gas supply chamber 38a, a pipe connecting the first flow path 22b of the first blowout member 22, and the second flow path 24b of the second blowout member 24, and the like. .. Unlike the gas purge unit 20, it is difficult for the gas purge unit 120 to individually control the release timing of the cleaning gas of the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24, but the number of gas supply chambers can be reduced or the gas purge unit 120 can be used. By shortening the total length of piping, the entire unit can be simplified.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3D, the third blowout member 26 of the gas purge unit 20 is arranged along the upper side 2ba of the opening 2b, and the first to third blowout members 22, 24, 26 are the openings 2b. And the wall side opening 13 is arranged so as to surround it in a U shape. The third blowing member 26 has a third nozzle port 26a that blows out the cleaning gas toward the opening surface of the sealed transport container 2. In FIG. 2, the third blowing member 26 is seen through in order to make it easier to see the other members.

The third blowing member 26 is formed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped tubular member elongated in the X-axis direction, and a third nozzle port 26a formed of a through hole is formed on a surface facing downward. As shown in FIG. 3D and the like, the third blowing member 26 has a third flow path 26b, which is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the third nozzle port 26a, inside. Purifying gas is supplied to the third flow path 26b from the first or second gas supply unit 32, 34 shown in FIG. 5A, or another gas supply unit (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 3D, the cleaning gas discharged from the third nozzle opening 26a forms a downward air flow along the opening surface parallel to the XZ plane. The distance of the third nozzle port 26a from the opening 2b is not particularly limited.

The cleaning gas blown out by the first to third nozzle ports 22a, 24a, 26a is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include an inert gas such as nitrogen gas and argon gas, and purified air, for example, nitrogen gas. Is preferable. The cleaning gas supplied to the first to third nozzle ports 22a, 24a, 26a may have the same composition and purity, but may be different from each other. Further, the intermediate chamber 60 according to the embodiment is filled with purified air, but the intermediate chamber 60 is filled with another gas such as an inert gas or a gas in which air and another gas are mixed. May be.

In the gas purge unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the first nozzle port 22a and the second nozzle port 24a that blow out the cleaning gas toward the inside of the sealed transport container 2 are arranged in parallel along the side side 2bb of the opening 2b. By doing so, it is possible to form a layer of the cleaning gas toward the inside of the container and prevent the problem of entraining the low-cleanliness gas in the intermediate chamber 60 into the sealed transport container 2. Further, by arranging the first nozzle port 22a and the second nozzle port 24a having different distances from the openings in parallel, a thick layer of cleaning gas is formed, and the sealed transport container 2 can be efficiently cleaned. to enable.

Further, since the airflow from the second nozzle port 24a is also directed to the inside of the sealed transport container 2, the cleaning gas from the second nozzle port 24a can be easily introduced into the sealed transport container 2, and the first Since the action of pushing the cleaning gas blown out from the nozzle port 22a into the container also occurs, the cleaning gas can be introduced into the sealed transport container 2 more efficiently than in the case of the first nozzle port 22a alone.

Further, in the gas purge unit 20, a set of blowing members including one first blowing member 22 and one second blowing member 24 is arranged so as to correspond to each side side 2bb of the opening 2b. It is possible to uniformly introduce the cleaning gas into the sealed transport container 2 as compared with the case where the cleaning gas is discharged from one side.

Further, the gas purge unit 20 has a third blowing member 26 arranged along the upper side 2ba of the opening 2b, and the third blowing member 26 blows out cleaning gas in a direction along the opening surface. It has 3 nozzle openings 26a. Unlike the cleaning gas discharged from the first and second nozzle ports 22a and 24a, the cleaning gas blown out from the third nozzle port 26a has a large proportion of not being introduced into the sealed transport container 2. However, by sending the cleaning gas around the airflow toward the inside of the sealed transport container 2 from the first and second nozzle ports 22a and 24a, the gas having low cleanliness in the intermediate chamber 60 enters the sealed transport container 2. You can prevent problems.

The lengths of the first nozzle port 22a and the second nozzle port 24a in the Z-axis direction are not particularly limited, but the first and second nozzle ports 22a and 24a are preferably the same length as each other, as shown in FIG. 3D. As shown, it is preferable that the height of the opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2 is substantially equal to the height in the Z-axis direction. With this configuration, the cleaning gas blown out from the first and second nozzle openings 22a and 24a is passed through the front and back surfaces of all the wafers 1 housed inside the sealed transport container 2, and the sealed transport is performed. It becomes possible to uniformly clean the container 2.

The second embodiment is a schematic perspective view showing the load port device 210 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2 of the load port device 10 according to the first embodiment. The gas purge unit 220 included in the load port device 210 according to the second embodiment is different from the gas purge unit 20 included in the load port device 10 according to the first embodiment in that it has the eaves member 272 and the cover member 274, but other The points are the same as those of the gas purge unit 20. Therefore, the gas purge unit 220 included in the load port device 210 will be described only as being different from the gas purge unit 20.

The eaves member 272 is arranged along the upper side 2ba (see FIG. 3D) of the opening 2b of the sealed transport container 2, and protrudes from the inner surface of the wall 11 in the positive direction of the Y axis (direction away from the opening surface). The eaves member 272 is provided above the upper ends of the first and second blowout members 22 and 24 (on the Z-axis positive direction side), and when the gas purge unit 220 has the third blowout member 26, the eaves member 272 is provided. It is provided above the eaves member 272 (on the Z-axis positive direction side).

The eaves member 272 has a triangular columnar outer shape extending along the X-axis direction, and the eaves portion upper surface 272a, which is the upper surface of the eaves member 272, is inclined in a downward direction as it is separated from the wall 11. However, the shape of the eaves member 272 is not limited to this, and may be another shape such as a flat plate shape, another prismatic shape, or a curved surface shape. The length of the eaves member 272 in the X-axis direction is not particularly limited, but is the distance between the two first blowout members 22, the distance between the two second blowout members 24, and the X-axis of the third blowout member 26. It is preferably longer than the directional length.

By arranging the eaves member 272 on the upper part of the first to third blowout members 22, 24, 26, the relatively low cleanliness air formed in the intermediate chamber 60 such as the downflow by FFU is formed. It is possible to prevent the problem that the flow disturbs the flow of the cleaning gas by the first to third blowing members 22, 24, 26. Since the eaves member 272 has an eaves folded portion 272b that bends downward from the tip of the eaves portion upper surface 272a and extends in parallel to the wall 11, there is a problem that the downflow due to the FFU flows into the vicinity of the opening 2b. Can be prevented more effectively.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cover member 274 is composed of a pair of L-shaped plate members. The cover member 274 is arranged with a predetermined interval from the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24, and the first nozzle opening 22a and the second nozzle opening in the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24. It surrounds at least the direction opposite to the blowing direction of 24a. The first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 are attached between the side side 2bb of the opening 2b and the cover member 274.

As shown in FIG. 8, the cover member 274 includes a side cover portion 274a extending in a direction perpendicular to the wall 11 and the opening surface, and a folded cover portion 274b folded back from the tip of the side cover portion 274a toward the opening 2b. Have. The folded-back cover portion 274b extends parallel to the wall 11, but is arranged at a position that does not interfere with the moving paths of the door 18 and the lid 4 and the moving paths of the robot arm 50 and the wafer 1.

The cover member 274 surrounds the periphery of the first nozzle port 22a and the second nozzle port 24a, so that the relatively low-clean air flow formed in the intermediate chamber 60 is generated by the first to third blowout members 22. , 24, 26 can prevent the problem of disturbing the flow of the cleaning gas.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in the gas purge unit 220, the eaves member 272 and the cover member 274 form an integral structure connected to each other. Such a gas purge unit 220 has an effect that the flow of air having a relatively low cleanliness formed in the intermediate chamber 60 disturbs the flow of the purified gas by the first to third blowout members 22, 24, 26. It is possible to prevent the problem and to simplify the structure that protects the air flow of the cleaning gas.

Third Embodiment FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas purge unit 320 provided in the load port device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 8 of the gas purge unit 220 according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment of the gas purge unit 320 included in the load port device according to the third embodiment is that the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 are not in contact with each other and are arranged at a predetermined interval. It is different from the gas purge unit 220 according to the embodiment, but is the same as the gas purge unit 220 in other points. Therefore, only the differences between the gas purge unit 320 and the gas purge unit 220 will be described.

In the gas purge unit 320, since the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 are arranged at intervals, the distance between the first nozzle port 22a and the second nozzle port 24a is the gas purge unit shown in FIG. Wider than 220. Therefore, the gas purge unit 320 reduces the problem that the air flow of the cleaning gas blown out from the first nozzle port 22a and the air flow of the cleaning gas blown out from the second nozzle port 24a interfere with each other, and the sealed transport container 2 is efficient. Cleaning can be realized. Further, in the space surrounded by the cover member 274 or the like, a gas having a low degree of cleanliness can be formed because it flows in the direction toward the inside of the sealed transport container 2 and a thick layer of the cleaning gas can be formed. Efficient cleaning is possible while preventing entrainment.

Although the present invention has been described above while showing the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, the second blowing member 24 and the third blowing member 26 of the gas purge unit according to each embodiment can be replaced with the second blowing member 424 and the third blowing member 426 of the gas purge unit 420 shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, the description of the first blowing member of the gas purge unit 420 is omitted for the sake of simplification of the description.

In the gas purge unit 420, the cleaning gas supplied from the second gas supply unit 34 shown in FIG. 5A to the second flow path 424b of the second blowout member 424 is the third flow path 426b of the third blowout member 426. It is also supplied to and blown out from the third nozzle port (see FIG. 3D). Further, the cleaning gas is supplied to the second flow path 424b of either one of the second blowout members 424 via the third flow path 426b of the third blowout member 426, and is blown out from the second nozzle port 424a. May be good.

In such a gas purge unit 420, the second flow path 424b of the second blowout member 424 and the third flow path 426b of the third blowout member 426 serve as a gas supply pipe for supplying the cleaning gas to each blowout member. Since it also serves, the structure is simple and it is advantageous for miniaturization. Further, the third blowing member 426 is used in place of the second blowing member 424 or in addition to the second blowing member 424 with respect to the first blowing member 22 (see FIGS. 4 and 5A). The flow path 426b and the first flow path 22b may be connected to each other so as to communicate with each other. Also in this case, since the flow path of the blowout member also serves as the gas supply pipe, such a gas purge unit has a simple structure and is advantageous for miniaturization.

Further, in the gas purge unit shown in the first to third embodiments, the blowing member arranged along the side side 2bb has a first blowing member 22 having a first nozzle opening 22a and a second nozzle opening 24a. The gas purge unit of the present invention is not limited to this, although it is composed of two types of blowout members, that is, the blowout member 24. The gas purge unit of the present invention may have another blowing member having a nozzle opening that is different in distance from the opening 2b from the first nozzle opening 22a and the second nozzle opening 24a. Further, the other blowout members may be arranged along the side side 2bb, may be arranged along the upper side 2ba, or may be arranged diagonally.

Further, the arrangement of the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 is not limited to those aligned along the Y axis as shown in FIG. 6, and the first blowing member 22 and the second blowing member 24 are arranged so as to be displaced in the X direction. May be good. Further, the first and second nozzle openings 22a and 24a are composed of slit-shaped through holes, but the shape of the nozzle openings is not limited to this, and even if a plurality of through holes are intermittently formed. Also, a filter or the like may be attached to the nozzle opening.

1 ... Wafer 2 ... Sealed transport container 2a ... Casing 2b ... Opening 2ba ... Upper side 2bb ... Side side 2c ... Opening edge 3 ... Positioning unit 4 ... Lid 5 ... Air supply port 6 ... Exhaust port 10 ... Load port device 11 ... Wall 12 ... Installation stand 13 ... Wall side opening 14 ... Movable table 16 ... Positioning pin 18 ... Door 20, 120, 220, 320, 420 ... Gas purge unit 22 ... First blowout member 22a ... First nozzle port 22b ... First flow path 24 424 ... 2nd blowing member 24a, 424a ... 2nd nozzle port 24b, 424b ... 2nd flow path 26, 426 ... 3rd blowing member 26a, 426a ... 3rd nozzle port 26b, 426b ... 3rd flow path 28 ... Mounting Member 32 ... 1st gas supply unit 32b ... 1st gas supply pipe 32a ... 1st gas supply chamber 34 ... 2nd gas supply unit 34b ... 2nd gas supply pipe 34a ... 2nd gas supply chamber 38 ... Common gas supply unit 38b … Branch gas supply pipe 38a… Common gas supply chamber 40… FFU
50 ... Robot arm 60 ... Intermediate chamber 70 ... Processing chamber 272 ... Eaves member 272a ... Eaves upper surface 272b ... Eaves folded part 274 ... Cover part 274a ... Side cover part 274b ... Folded cover part

Claims (9)

A gas purging unit for introducing a cleaning gas into a container to be purged having an opening through the opening.
A first blowing member having a first nozzle port for blowing out cleaning gas toward the inside of the purging target container and arranged along the side side of the opening, and a first blowing member.
A second blowing member arranged at a position far from the opening from the first nozzle opening, having a second nozzle opening for blowing out cleaning gas toward the inside of the purge target container, and arranged along the side surface. When,
A third nozzle opening having a third nozzle port for blowing out cleaning gas toward the opening surface of the opening, and a third blowing member arranged along the upper side of the opening.
Have,
Two or more sets of blowing members including the first blowing member and the second blowing member are arranged so as to correspond to the respective side sides of the opening.
The first blowing member has a first flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the first nozzle port.
The third blowing member has a third flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the third nozzle port.
A gas purge unit characterized in that the first blowing member and the third blowing member are connected so that the first flow path and the third flow path communicate with each other . The second blowing member has a second flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the second nozzle port.
The gas purge unit according to claim 1, wherein the second blowing member and the third blowing member are connected so that the second flow path and the third flow path communicate with each other. The first nozzle opening and the second nozzle opening in the first blowing member and the second blowing member are arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the first blowing member and the second blowing member. The gas purge unit according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the gas purging unit has a cover member that surrounds at least the opposite side. The gas purge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the gas purge unit is arranged along the upper side of the opening and has an eaves member protruding in the normal direction of the opening surface. A gas purging unit for introducing a cleaning gas into a container to be purged having an opening through the opening.
A first blowing member having a first nozzle port for blowing out cleaning gas toward the inside of the purging target container and arranged along the side side of the opening, and a first blowing member.
A second blowing member arranged at a position far from the opening from the first nozzle opening, having a second nozzle opening for blowing out cleaning gas toward the inside of the purge target container, and arranged along the side surface. When,
Have,
Two or more sets of blowing members including the first blowing member and the second blowing member are arranged so as to correspond to the respective side sides of the opening.
The first nozzle opening and the second nozzle opening in the first blowing member and the second blowing member are arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the first blowing member and the second blowing member. Further comprises a cover member that at least surrounds the opposite side and an eaves member that is disposed along the upper side of the opening and projects in the normal direction of the opening surface of the opening.
A gas purge unit characterized in that the eaves member and the cover member form an integral structure connected to each other. The gas purge according to claim 5, further comprising a third nozzle opening for blowing out cleaning gas in a direction along the opening surface, and having a third blowing member arranged along the upper side of the opening. unit. The first blowing member has a first flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the first nozzle port.
The third blowing member has a third flow path that is a flow path for the cleaning gas and leads to the third nozzle port.
The gas purge unit according to claim 6, wherein the first blowing member and the third blowing member are connected so that the first flow path and the third flow path communicate with each other. The inclination in the blowing direction of the central portion of the cleaning gas blown out from the second nozzle opening with respect to the opening surface is the blowing out of the central portion of the cleaning gas blown out from the first nozzle opening with respect to the opening surface of the opening. The gas purge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is smaller than the inclination in the direction. A load port device comprising the gas purge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .

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