JP7073697B2 - Load port - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a load port.

It is known that the manufacturing process of a semiconductor element typified by an LSI or the like or a semiconductor device including the semiconductor element is generally performed in a clean room where a predetermined air cleanliness is ensured. In recent years, for example, the so-called mini-environment method (local cleaning method), which maintains the required small space in a highly clean state instead of maintaining the entire area in the manufacturing plant in a highly clean state, has become mainstream. ing.
Specifically, in a system in which a semiconductor substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is stored in a storage container and the storage container is transported between a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing devices, the inside of the storage container and the inside of the semiconductor manufacturing device are highly cleaned. It is known to maintain the condition.

In the above-mentioned mini-environment system, the interface portion between the storage container and the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is usually referred to as a load port and is widely known.
As a load port of this type, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a mounting portion on which a storage container is mounted and a processing portion in the mounting portion and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus are separated from each other and passed through a semiconductor substrate. A partition wall on which a passage port is formed, a shutter member that opens and closes the passage port, a shutter drive mechanism that moves the shutter member up and down to open or close the passage port, and a semiconductor substrate housed in a storage container. A substrate loading / unloading device including a substrate detector for detection and a position detection sensor for detecting the relative position of the substrate detector with respect to a plurality of semiconductor substrates is known.

The substrate detector is provided with a holder that enters the storage container after the passage port is opened and moves downward in the storage container as the shutter member moves downward, and a holder that projects from the holder toward the semiconductor substrate side. A pair of convex portions arranged so as to face each other in a substantially horizontal direction with the outer peripheral edge portion of the semiconductor substrate in between, and a light irradiation unit provided on one convex portion side and irradiating detection light toward the other convex portion. It is provided on the other convex side and has a light receiving portion for receiving the irradiated detection light. The light irradiation unit and the light receiving unit constitute a so-called transmissive optical sensor.

In the conventional board loading / unloading device configured as described above, after the storage container is mounted on the mounting section, the shutter drive mechanism operates to move the shutter member blocking the passage port downward. By letting it open the passage port. Then, as the passage port opens, the holder enters the storage container and moves downward in the storage container as the shutter member moves downward. The light receiving unit outputs a detection signal according to the presence or absence of light reception of the detection light emitted from the light irradiation unit while the holder is moving downward.
This makes it possible to perform so-called mapping, for example, to grasp the presence or absence of each semiconductor substrate stored in the storage container based on the detection signal from the light receiving unit and the detection signal from the position detection sensor. Has been done.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-7182

Since the conventional substrate loading / unloading device uses a transmissive optical sensor provided with a light irradiation unit and a light receiving unit, a holder having a pair of convex portions formed therein is sufficiently inserted into the storage container. It is necessary to arrange the light irradiation unit and the light receiving unit at positions where the outer peripheral edge portion of the semiconductor substrate is reliably sandwiched from the substantially horizontal direction. At this time, in the case of a circular semiconductor wafer, which is generally used as a semiconductor substrate, a large space is secured on the passage port side between the outer peripheral surface of the semiconductor wafer and the inner surface of the storage container because of the circular shape. This makes it possible to arrange the light irradiation unit and the light receiving unit at the above-mentioned positions.

However, in the case of a semiconductor wafer having a shape other than a circle, or a substrate such as a so-called square glass substrate having a square shape or a rectangular shape, the area occupied by the substrate in the storage container is larger than that in the case of a circle. Therefore, it is difficult to secure a large space between the outer peripheral surface of the substrate and the inner surface of the storage container on the passage port side.
Therefore, in the conventional substrate loading / unloading device, when a square substrate is assumed, it is difficult to sufficiently insert the holder into the storage container, and the light irradiation unit and the light receiving unit can be arranged at the above-mentioned positions. It will be difficult. Therefore, it is difficult to deal with a square substrate, and there is room for improvement.

For example, when the size of the storage container is increased with respect to the size of the substrate, it is considered that the holder can be sufficiently inserted into the storage container even if the substrate is square. However, in this case, not only the storage container becomes large, but also the size of the holder itself becomes large, which leads to an increase in the size of the entire device, and there is still room for improvement.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to detect the state of a substrate accurately and at high speed without being affected by the shape of the substrate while reducing the size. Is to provide a load port that can be used.

(1) The load port according to the present invention closes a plurality of storage shelves arranged in multiple stages so as to open an opening communicating with each other in a container for accommodating a plurality of substrates, and also closes the opening. Corresponds to a door portion that moves up and down between a closed position and an open position that opens the opening, a mapping sensor that is integrally provided in the door portion and detects the state of the substrate, and a plurality of the storage shelves. A sensor dog having a plurality of convex portions formed by the number and pitch of the light and the sensor dog are movably arranged along the sensor dog as the door portion moves up and down, and the relative position of the mapping sensor with respect to the substrate is shown. A position detection sensor that outputs a position detection signal is provided, and the mapping sensor captures and captures an image of a light emitting unit that irradiates the substrate with light for imaging and an illuminated area illuminated by the light emitting unit. The position detection sensor has an image pickup unit for acquiring an image, and the position detection sensor is arranged so as to face the light irradiation unit with the sensor dog sandwiched between the light irradiation unit that irradiates the detection light and receives the detection light. It has a light receiving unit and outputs the position detection signal as a signal corresponding to the light receiving result by the light receiving unit, and the light emitting unit irradiates the light so that only one substrate is included in the illumination region. To do .

According to the load port according to the present invention, the opening can be opened by the door portion moving downward from the closed position to the open position, so that the inside of the container can be accessed through the opening. Thereby, for example, the substrate contained in the container can be taken out through the opening, or the substrate can be accommodated in the container.
Since the mapping sensor is integrally provided on the door portion, the mapping sensor can be moved as the door portion moves up and down. Therefore, for example, when the door portion moves downward from the closed position to the open position, the mapping sensor moves downward while facing the plurality of substrates housed in the container through the opening. Specifically, the mapping sensor moves downward from the substrate side located at the uppermost stage to the substrate side located at the lowest stage among the plurality of substrates.

At this time, the mapping sensor moves downward while acquiring the captured image of the substrate. That is, the light emitting unit irradiates the substrate with light for imaging, and the imaging unit performs imaging in the illuminated area illuminated by the light emitting unit to acquire an captured image. As a result, it is possible to acquire a captured image from the viewpoint of viewing the substrate from the mapping sensor side, and for example, it is possible to acquire an captured image in which the outer peripheral edges of one or a plurality of substrates are reflected. Therefore, for example, the accommodation state of the substrate can be grasped based on the captured image.

In particular, since the captured image can be acquired in conjunction with the downward movement of the door portion by using the mapping sensor integrally provided on the door portion, the operation of the door portion and the detection operation of the mapping sensor can be separated. You don't have to do it. Therefore, since the state of the plurality of boards can be detected at the same time as the downward movement of the door portion, the processing efficiency can be improved and the state of the boards can be detected at high speed.
In addition, since the state of the substrate can be detected based on the captured image, the state of the substrate can be detected more accurately than, for example, when a general reflection type optical sensor that performs detection by using the reflection of the detected light is used. be able to. That is, in the case of a reflective light sensor, the detection accuracy tends to decrease due to the influence of, for example, the positional deviation of the detected light with respect to the object (work), the degree of reflection of the detected light, the amount of reflected light of the detected light, and the like. However, since the state of the substrate is detected based on the captured image, there is no above-mentioned concern when using the reflection type optical sensor, and high-precision detection can be performed.

Further, since the state of the substrate can be detected based on the captured image, unlike the conventional transmissive optical sensor, it is not necessary to insert the mapping sensor into the container. Therefore, a configuration for allowing the mapping sensor to enter the container becomes unnecessary, and the configuration can be easily simplified accordingly. Therefore, the load port can be miniaturized. Further, since it is possible to handle even a square substrate, the state of the substrate can be stably detected without being affected by the shape of the substrate. Therefore, it is possible to flexibly support a wide variety of substrates, and it is possible to make a load port that is easy to use and has excellent convenience.

Further, since the captured image can be acquired so that only one substrate is reflected, the state of the substrate can be detected for each substrate, and more accurate detection can be performed.

( 2 ) A mapping determination unit for determining the accommodation state of the substrate with respect to the container may be provided based on the captured image.

In this case, since the mapping determination unit is provided, the accommodation state of the substrate, for example, the presence / absence of overlapping arrangement and diagonal arrangement, the presence / absence of the substrate, etc. is determined more quickly based on the captured image acquired by the mapping sensor. be able to. In particular, since it is possible to have the mapping determination unit determine the accommodation state of the substrate based on various preset conditions and the like, for example, the mapping work for determining the presence or absence of the substrate can be efficiently performed.

( 3 ) A plurality of the mapping sensors may be provided on the door portion, and the mapping determination unit may determine the accommodation state of the substrate based on the captured images captured by the plurality of mapping sensors. ..

In this case, since the mapping determination unit determines the accommodation state of the substrate based on a plurality of captured images, the accommodation state of the substrate can be determined more accurately.

( 4 ) The mapping determination unit includes a recording unit in which a reference image captured in advance of the substrate in which the container is normally housed is recorded, and the mapping determination unit includes the image captured by the mapping sensor and the image captured by the mapping sensor. The quality of the accommodation state of the substrate may be determined by comparing with the reference captured image recorded in the recording unit.

In this case, the mapping determination unit compares the image captured by the mapping sensor with the reference image captured in advance to determine the quality of the accommodation state of the substrate with high accuracy and promptly. be able to.

According to the load port according to the present invention, the state of the substrate can be detected accurately and at high speed without being affected by the shape of the substrate while reducing the size.

It is a vertical sectional view which shows 1st Embodiment of the load port which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view of the storage container shown in FIG. It is a vertical cross-sectional view of a load port which shows the state which the lid part of a storage container came into contact with a door part from the front by moving a movable table from the state shown in FIG. It is a rear view of the load port shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side (processing chamber side). It is a front view which looked at the load port shown in FIG. 1 from the front side (control box side). FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a load port showing a state in which the door portion holding the lid portion is horizontally moved toward the rear side from the state shown in FIG. It is a front view which saw the drive mechanism shown in FIG. 1 from the front side. FIG. 7 is a side view of the drive mechanism shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from the direction of arrow A. It is a vertical sectional view of the load port which shows the state which the door part was moved down from the state shown in FIG. It is a vertical cross-sectional view of a load port which shows the state which moved the door part further downward from the state shown in FIG. 9 and was positioned at an open position. It is an enlarged perspective view around the mapping sensor shown in FIG. 1. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the state which acquired the captured image of the semiconductor wafer by using the mapping sensor shown in FIG. 11. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the irradiation area to be irradiated by the irradiation part of the mapping sensor shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the captured image acquired by the mapping sensor shown in FIG. It is a vertical sectional view which shows the 2nd Embodiment of the load port which concerns on this invention.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the load port according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the scale of each component may be changed as appropriate in order to make the drawing easier to see and to help understanding the invention. Further, in the present embodiment, a semiconductor wafer will be described as an example as a substrate.

As shown in FIG. 1, the load port 1 of the present embodiment is shown to perform a treatment (for example, heat treatment, doping treatment for adding a specific impurity, photolithography treatment, exposure treatment, etching processing, etc.) on the semiconductor wafer W. It is a unit that is used by being assembled to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that does not, and serves as an interface portion between a storage container (container) 2 that accommodates a plurality of semiconductor wafers W and the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

The load port 1 is installed on an installation surface, and has a control box 10 in which various components including a drive mechanism 21 described later are incorporated therein, a fixed table 11 arranged above the control box 10, and a fixed table. It includes a movable table 12 arranged on the eleven, and a partition wall portion 13 for partitioning the inside of the processing chamber R1 in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the external space R2 located outside the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

In the present embodiment, in FIG. 1, the direction from the control box 10 toward the movable table 12 side along the vertical direction is referred to as an upper direction, and the opposite direction is referred to as a lower direction. Further, of the horizontal directions, the direction connecting the processing chamber R1 and the external space R2 is referred to as the front-rear direction L1, and the direction intersecting the front-rear direction L1 is referred to as the left-right direction L2. Further, in the front-rear direction L1, the direction from the processing chamber R1 side toward the external space R2 side is referred to as the front, and the opposite direction is referred to as the rear.

The processing chamber R1 is a clean room whose inside is maintained in a highly clean state. In the processing chamber R1, an arbitrarily selected semiconductor wafer W from a plurality of semiconductor wafers W housed in the storage container 2 is taken out and delivered to a processing unit side (not shown) of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. A handling robot (not shown) for receiving the semiconductor wafer W from the processing unit side and storing it in the storage container 2 is arranged.

The storage container 2 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example, and the inside thereof is sealed while maintaining a highly clean state, as in the inside of the processing chamber R1. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer W is handled in an environment where a highly clean state is always maintained. Examples of this type of storage container 2 include a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod: front-opening cassette-integrated transport storage container) and the like.

The storage container 2 will be briefly described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the storage container 2 is housed in a plurality of stages so that a plurality of semiconductor wafers W can be taken out inside, and inside the container body 3 in which the storage port 4 is formed and the inside of the storage port 4 of the container body 3. It is provided with a removable lid 5 and a lid portion 5.

The storage container 2 can be transported between a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing devices by an automatic transfer device (not shown), and is placed on the movable table 12 of the load port 1 by the automatic transfer device.
However, the transfer by the automatic transfer device is not indispensable, and for example, the storage container 2 may be placed on another transfer device or the movable table 12 manually. In the illustrated example, an attachment 3a for the automatic transfer device to hold the storage container 2 is formed on the upper surface of the container body 3.

The lid portion 5 is attached so as to tightly close the inside of the storage port 4 of the container body 3, and seals the inside of the container body 3. As a result, the inside of the storage container 2 is maintained in a highly clean state.
The lid portion 5 has an engaging protrusion portion (not shown) that is detachably engaged in a plurality of engaging recesses 6 formed in the container body 3. When the engaging protrusion is engaged in the engaging recess 6, the lid 5 is mounted in a locked state with respect to the container body 3. Further, the lid portion 5 is formed with a key hole 7 into which the latch key 30 formed in the door portion 20 described later of the load port 1 can be detachably engaged.

The above-mentioned engaging protrusion portion switches between engaging with the engaging recess 6 and disengaging from the engaging recess 6 as the latch key 30 engaged with the key hole 7 rotates. Therefore, by rotating the latch key 30 so as to disengage the engaging protrusion from the inside of the engaging recess 6, the locked state of the lid 5 with respect to the container body 3 is released.

Inside the container body 3, the storage shelves 8 extending in the front-rear direction L1 are formed so as to face the left-right direction L2, and are formed in a plurality of stages at regular intervals in the vertical direction. The semiconductor wafer W is housed using these plurality of storage shelves 8. As a result, the semiconductor wafers W are housed in the storage container 2 in a state of being arranged in multiple stages vertically. In each drawing other than FIG. 2, the storage shelf 8 is not shown.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a square semiconductor wafer W will be described as an example. However, the shape of the semiconductor wafer W is not limited to a square shape, and may be formed in a circular shape, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the movable table 12 is attached to the upper surface of the fixed table 11 so as to be relatively movable in the front-rear direction L1 with respect to the fixed table 11. An engaging portion (for example, an engaging pin) (for example, an engaging pin) that engages with the bottom surface of the container body 3 when the storage container 2 is placed is attached to the movable table 12. As a result, the movable table 12 and the storage container 2 can be docked (connected), and the movable table 12 and the storage container 2 can be integrally connected.

After the storage container 2 is placed, the movable table 12 moves from the state shown in FIG. 1 to the rear side with respect to the fixed table 11, and as shown in FIG. 3, the front surface of the door portion 20 described later. The lid 5 of the storage container 2 can be brought into contact with the lid 5 from the front.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, for example, the partition wall portion 13 is formed in a vertically long rectangular shape that is vertically longer than the left-right direction L2 when viewed from the rear, and is integrally combined with the control box 10 and the fixed table 11. At the same time, it extends upward from the storage container 2.
The partition wall portion 13 is formed with an opening 15 that penetrates the partition wall portion 13 in the front-rear direction L1 at a portion facing the storage container 2 in the front-rear direction L1. The opening 15 is formed to have a size slightly larger than the outer size of the storage container 2. Therefore, the lid portion 5 of the storage container 2 can be passed to the processing chamber R1 side together with the door portion 20 through the opening portion 15. Further, the inside of the opening 15 can communicate with the inside of the storage container 2 through the storage port 4 when the lid 5 is removed from the container body 3.

A vertical hole 16 that penetrates the partition wall portion 13 in the front-rear direction L1 and extends vertically is formed in a portion of the partition wall portion 13 that faces the control box 10 in the front-rear direction L1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, an upper cover 17 is attached to the front surface of the partition wall portion 13 located above the fixed table 11. The upper cover 17 is formed with a cover opening 18 corresponding to the opening 15 of the partition wall 13, and is provided with various indicators 19 indicating, for example, the operating status of the load port 1. Note that FIG. 5 omits the illustration of the storage container 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the load port 1 further closes the opening 15 of the partition wall portion 13 so as to be openable, and closes the opening position P1 and opens the opening position P2 (FIG. 10). The door portion 20 that moves up and down (moves along the vertical direction) to and from (see), the door portion 20, the drive mechanism 21 that operates the door portion 20, and the semiconductor wafer W are integrally provided on the door portion 20. It is provided with a mapping sensor 22 for detecting the state of the door and a control unit 23 for comprehensively controlling the operation of the load port 1. In each drawing other than FIG. 1, the control unit 23 is not shown.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the door portion 20 tightly closes the opening 15 from the processing chamber R1 side to ensure a high sealing property between the door portion 20 and the opening 15. ing. A latch key 30 and a holding pad 31 are formed on the front surface of the door portion 20.

The latch key 30 is arranged so as to face the key hole 7 of the lid portion 5 in the storage container 2 in the front-rear direction L1, and is formed so as to project forward. The latch key 30 is made rotatable by a drive motor or the like (not shown) built inside the door portion 20.
The holding pad 31 is capable of holding the lid portion 5 of the storage container 2 by suction (for example, vacuum suction). As a result, the door portion 20 can move up and down between the closed position P1 and the open position P2 while holding the lid portion 5 of the storage container 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the drive mechanism 21 moves the door portion 20 located at the closed position P1 horizontally once toward the rear, and then moves downward toward the open position P2. It is a unit that drives the door portion 20.
The drive mechanism 21 includes a support frame 35 integrally fixed to the door portion 20, and a first drive portion 36 that moves the door portion 20 relative to the partition wall portion 13 in the front-rear direction L1 via the support frame 35. It includes a second drive unit 37 that moves the door portion 20 up and down relative to the partition wall portion 13 via the support frame 35.

The support frame 35 is vertically elongated and is arranged on the rear side (processing chamber R1 side) of the partition wall portion 13. In the illustrated example, the support frame 35 is formed in a C-shaped cross section. However, the shape of the support frame 35 is not limited to the cross-sectional C shape, and may be, for example, a plate shape or a rod shape, and may be appropriately changed.
The upper end portion of the support frame 35 is integrally connected to a portion of the lower end edge portion of the door portion 20 located at the center of L2 in the left-right direction by a known fastening means (not shown) or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first drive unit 36 is arranged in the control box 10, and the cylinder unit 40 from which compressed air is supplied and exhausted and the cylinder unit 40 are controlled by controlling the air pressure of the compressed air in the cylinder unit 40. It is an air cylinder provided with a piston rod 41 that reciprocates in the portion 40.

The cylinder portion 40 is fixed to the elevating plate 42 that moves up and down by the second drive portion 37. The piston rod 41 is movable back and forth in the front-rear direction L1, and its tip portion protrudes toward the processing chamber R1 through a vertical hole 16 formed in the partition wall portion 13 and is known at the lower end portion of the support frame 35, which is not shown. They are integrally connected by fastening means or the like.
As a result, the piston rod 41 is extended and the tip end portion of the piston rod 41 is moved to the rear side, so that the door portion 20 is horizontally moved to the rear side via the support frame 35 as shown in FIG. The door portion 20 can be separated from the opening portion 15 of the partition wall portion 13.

Contrary to the above-mentioned case, the piston rod 41 is shortened from the state shown in FIG. 6 and the tip end portion of the piston rod 41 is moved to the front side, so that the support frame 35 is shown in FIG. It is possible to horizontally move the door portion 20 to the front side via the door portion 20 so that the door portion 20 can be mounted inside the opening portion 15 of the partition wall portion 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 8, the second drive unit 37 is arranged in the control box 10, and the cylinder tube 45 from which the compressed air is supplied and exhausted and the compressed air in the cylinder tube 45 are supplied. It is an air-driven rodless cylinder equipped with a movable body 46 that moves up and down along the cylinder tube 45 by controlling air pressure.

The cylinder tube 45 is integrally fixed to the front surface side of the partition wall portion 13 in a state of being arranged substantially parallel to the vertical hole 16 at a position slightly separated from the vertical hole 16 in the left-right direction L2. .. In the illustrated example, the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the cylinder tube 45 are fixed to the front surface side of the partition wall portion 13 by a known fastening means or the like (not shown) via an L-shaped flange 47. As a result, the movable body 46 can be moved up and down along the vertical hole 16.

An elevating plate 42 is integrally connected to the movable body 46. The elevating plate 42 is formed in a rectangular shape that is longer in the left-right direction L2 than the vertical hole 16 when viewed from the front-rear direction L1, and is arranged in the control box 10 so as to face the vertical hole 16. As a result, the elevating plate 42 moves up and down along the vertical hole 16 as the movable body 46 moves up and down.

On the front surface side of the partition wall portion 13, a pair of vertically long guide rails 48 extending along the vertical hole 16 are attached so as to line up in the left-right direction L2 with the vertical hole 16 interposed therebetween. The elevating plate 42 moves up and down along with the movable body 46 while being guided by the pair of guide rails 48.

Since the second drive unit 37 is configured as described above, when the elevating plate 42 moves up and down with the movable body 46, the first drive unit 36 itself fixed to the elevating plate 42 moves up and down. Can be done. Therefore, the door portion 20 can be moved up and down via the support frame 35.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, after the door portion 20 is moved to the rear side so as to be separated from the partition wall portion 13 by the extension of the piston rod 41 of the first drive portion 36, the second drive portion 37 The movable body 46 is moved downward. As a result, the elevating plate 42 and the first drive unit 36 can be moved downward along with the movable body 46, so that the door unit 20 can be moved downward as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 10, the movable body 46 moves downward when the semiconductor wafer W located at the bottom of the semiconductor wafers W housed in at least the storage container 2 is exposed to the processing chamber R1 side. Stops. The position of the door portion 20 at which the downward movement of the movable body 46 has stopped is set as the open position P2.

As described above, the door portion 20 can be moved up and down between the closed position P1 shown in FIG. 3 and the open position P2 shown in FIG. 10 while being horizontally moved by the drive mechanism 21.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cover member 49 that covers the vertical hole 16 from the front side in a state where the first drive portion 36 and the second drive portion 37 are housed between the partition wall portion 13 and the front surface of the partition wall portion 13. Is attached. The cover member 49 is attached to the partition wall portion 13 in a state where a high sealing property is secured between the cover member portion 49 and the partition wall portion 13.
As a result, the space inside the cover member 49 in the space inside the control box 10 is a space that communicates with the vertical hole 16 and is partitioned by the cover member 49. Therefore, even if the vertical hole 16 is formed in the partition wall portion 13, it is possible to prevent the cover member 49 from deteriorating the air cleanliness in the processing chamber R1. As a result, the inside of the processing chamber R1 is maintained in a highly clean state.

The operation of the piston rod 41 in the first drive unit 36 (that is, the air pressure control in the cylinder unit 40) and the operation of the movable body 46 in the second drive unit 37 (that is, the air pressure control in the cylinder tube 45) are performed. It is controlled by the control unit 23 arranged in the control box 10.
Further, the control box 10 has an air connection port (not shown) for compressed air used for operating the first drive unit 36 and the second drive unit 37, and a cable connection port (not shown) for various cables such as a power cable or a control cable. Etc. are attached.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 11, the mapping sensor 22 is integrally fixed to the upper end edge portion of the door portion 20. Specifically, the mapping sensor 22 is fixed to a portion of the upper end edge portion of the door portion 20 located at the center of L2 in the left-right direction by, for example, a known fastening means (not shown).
Therefore, the mapping sensor 22 is arranged above the semiconductor wafer W located at the uppermost stage among the plurality of semiconductor wafers W housed in the storage container 2. The mapping sensor 22 may be fixed to the upper end edge of the door portion 20 so as to be movable in the left-right direction L2. In this case, the position of the mapping sensor 22 can be adjusted as needed.

As shown in FIG. 11, the mapping sensor 22 takes an image of the light emitting unit 50 that irradiates the light L for imaging toward the front toward the semiconductor wafer W side and the inside of the illumination region S illuminated by the light emitting unit 50. It includes an imaging unit 52 for acquiring an captured image 51 (see FIG. 14). The image pickup unit 52 captures a virtual image pickup surface V intersecting the optical axis O of the light L to acquire an image pickup image 51. Therefore, the mapping sensor 22 is an image acquisition sensor (or surface photoelectric sensor) that acquires a two-dimensional captured image 51.

The light emitting unit 50 is, for example, an LED, and irradiates light L adjusted to a predetermined wavelength band. The light emission timing of the light emitting unit 50 is controlled by, for example, the control unit 23. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the light emitting unit 50 irradiates the light L so that one semiconductor wafer W is included in the illumination region S, for example, by adjusting the light emission angle, the light emission intensity, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 11, the image pickup unit 52 is, for example, a solid-state image pickup element such as CMOS, acquires an image pickup image 51 corresponding to, for example, emission intensity, and outputs the acquired image pickup image 51 to the control unit 23. The imaging timing of the imaging unit 52 is controlled by, for example, the control unit 23.
As shown in FIG. 13, the light emitting unit 50 irradiates the light L so that one semiconductor wafer W is included in the illumination region S. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the image pickup unit 52 has only one semiconductor wafer W. It is possible to acquire the captured image 51 that is reflected.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the mapping sensor 22 takes an image when the door portion 20 moves horizontally toward the rear so as to be separated from the partition wall portion 13 and then moves downward toward the open position P2. It is controlled to acquire the image 51. At this time, since the mapping sensor 22 moves downward along with the door portion 20 at a position separated from the semiconductor wafer W by a predetermined distance, the imaging unit 52 can appropriately acquire the captured image 51 at the predetermined distance. As described above, the focal length, the angle of view, etc. are appropriately adjusted.

The control unit 23 records the captured image 51 acquired by the mapping sensor 22 in the data recording unit (recording unit) 60 shown in FIG. The control unit 23 may output the captured image 51 to a display monitor (not shown). Further, a position detection signal indicating the relative position of the mapping sensor 22 that moves downward with the downward movement of the door unit 20 with respect to the semiconductor wafer W is input to the control unit 23 from the position detection sensor 61 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). Will be done.

The position detection sensor 61 will be briefly described.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a vertically long sensor dog 62 is attached to the front surface of the partition wall portion 13 so as to be along the cylinder tube 45 of the second drive portion 37. The position detection sensor 61 is attached to the movable body 46 in the second drive unit 37 via, for example, a support piece 63, and can move up and down along the sensor dog 62 as the movable body 46 moves up and down.

The position detection sensor 61 is, for example, a transmissive optical sensor having a light irradiation unit and a light receiving unit (not shown) arranged so as to face each other in the left-right direction L2 with the sensor dog 62 interposed therebetween. In the position detection sensor 61, the light receiving unit moves up and down along the sensor dog 62 while receiving the detection light from the light irradiation unit, and outputs a position detection signal corresponding to the light reception result by the light receiving unit to the control unit 23. ..

In the sensor dog 62, a plurality of convex portions 64 that block the detection light are intermittently arranged vertically at regular intervals. Each convex portion 64 can enter between the light irradiation portion and the light receiving portion to block the detected light. These plurality of convex portions 64 are formed in a number and pitch corresponding to the plurality of storage shelves 8 provided in the storage container 2. Therefore, the plurality of convex portions 64 sequentially shield the detection light at the timing when the mapping sensor 22 passes by the side of each semiconductor wafer W as the door portion 20 moves downward.

Since the sensor dog 62 having the plurality of convex portions 64 and the position detection sensor 61 are associated with each other as described above, the control unit 23 with respect to the semiconductor wafer W based on the position detection signal detected by the position detection sensor 61. It is possible to grasp the relative position of the mapping sensor 22.
As a result, the control unit 23 can grasp which stage of the storage container 2 the image captured image 51 acquired by the mapping sensor 22 is the image image 51 stored in the storage shelf 8. Then, the control unit 23 records the captured image 51 acquired by the mapping sensor 22 in the data recording unit 60 in association with the accommodation position of the semiconductor wafer W in the storage container 2.

(Action of load port)
Next, the operation of the load port 1 configured as described above will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, for example, when the storage container 2 conveyed by the automatic transfer device is placed on the movable table 12, an engaging portion (not shown) formed on the movable table 12 is formed on the bottom surface of the container body 3. Engage in. As a result, the movable table 12 and the storage container 2 can be docked and both can be integrally connected, and the storage container 2 can be placed on the movable table 12 in a stable state.

After docking the movable table 12 and the storage container 2, the movable table 12 moves backward with respect to the fixed table 11 in response to an instruction from, for example, the control unit 23, and the lid of the storage container 2 is as shown in FIG. The portion 5 is brought into contact with the front surface of the door portion 20 from the front. At this time, the lid portion 5 and the door portion 20 come into contact with each other in a state where the latch key 30 formed in the door portion 20 is engaged with the key hole 7 formed in the lid portion 5. When the lid portion 5 and the door portion 20 come into contact with each other, for example, the latch key 30 rotates in response to an instruction from the control unit 23 to release the lock of the lid portion 5 with respect to the container body 3, and the holding pad 31 presses the lid portion 5. Adsorbs and holds.

After the lock of the lid portion 5 is released and the holding pad 31 holds the lid portion 5, the control unit 23 operates the drive mechanism 21 to move the door portion 20 from the closed position P1 toward the open movement.
First, the first drive unit 36 operates in response to an instruction from the control unit 23. That is, the piston rod 41 is extended by controlling the air pressure in the cylinder portion 40, and the tip portion of the piston rod 41 is horizontally moved toward the rear side.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the door portion 20 can be horizontally moved to the rear side so as to be separated from the partition wall portion 13 via the support frame 35. Therefore, the door portion 20 can be separated from the inside of the storage port 4 while holding the lid portion 5, and the storage port 4 of the container body 3 and the opening portion 15 of the partition wall portion 13 can be opened respectively.
The piston rod 41 extends until the lid portion 5 is located behind the partition wall portion 13. Therefore, the inside of the opening 15 is in a state of communicating with the storage container 2 through the storage port 4.

When the horizontal movement of the door unit 20 to the rear is completed, the second drive unit 37 operates in response to an instruction from the control unit 23. That is, the movable body 46 is moved downward by controlling the air pressure in the cylinder tube 45. As a result, the elevating plate 42 and the first drive unit 36 can be moved downward together with the movable body 46, and the door unit 20 is moved downward via the support frame 35 as shown in FIG. 9, and is opened as shown in FIG. It can be moved to position P2.
When the door portion 20 reaches the open position P2, the position of the movable body 46 is detected by, for example, a limiter (not shown), and further downward movement is restricted.

When the door portion 20 reaches the open position P2, the inside of the processing chamber R1 and the inside of the storage container 2 are in communication with each other, and the handling robot arranged in the processing chamber R1 is housed in the storage container 2. It becomes possible to access a plurality of semiconductor wafers W.
Therefore, thereafter, the handling robot is used to take out the semiconductor wafer W housed in the storage container 2 and deliver it to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus side, or receive the semiconductor wafer W from the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus side and store it. It can be accommodated in the container 2 and a predetermined process can be performed on the semiconductor wafer W.

By the way, during the downward movement of the door portion 20 described above, the mapping sensor 22 provided in the door portion 20 is housed in the storage container 2 as the door portion 20 moves downward, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. It moves downward while facing from the rear side through the opening 15 with respect to the plurality of semiconductor wafers W. Specifically, the mapping sensor 22 moves downward from the semiconductor wafer W side located at the top of the plurality of semiconductor wafers W toward the semiconductor wafer W located at the bottom.

At this time, the mapping sensor 22 moves downward while acquiring the captured image 51 of the semiconductor wafer W in response to an instruction from the control unit 23. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the light emitting unit 50 irradiates the semiconductor wafer W with the light L for imaging, and the imaging unit 52 performs imaging in the illumination region S illuminated by the light emitting unit 50 to capture an image. Get 51.

At this time, since the image pickup unit 52 images the image pickup surface V intersecting the optical axis O of the light L and acquires the image pickup image 51, the image pickup image 51 from the viewpoint seen from the mapping sensor 22 side can be acquired. As shown in FIG. 14, it is possible to acquire an image captured image 51 in which the outer peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer W is reflected.
In particular, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the light emitting unit 50 irradiates the light L so that only one semiconductor wafer W is included in the illumination region S, so that the image pickup unit 52 is a single semiconductor wafer W. It is possible to acquire the captured image 51 in which only the outer peripheral edge is captured. Then, the mapping sensor 22 outputs the acquired captured image 51 to the control unit 23.

Further, at the same time as the image captured image 51 is acquired by the mapping sensor 22, the position detection sensor 61 moves along the sensor dog 62 as the door portion 20 moves downward, so that the position detection sensor 61 passes through the convex portion 64 of the sensor dog 62. The detection light is blocked each time. Then, the position detection sensor 61 outputs a position detection signal corresponding to the light receiving result by the light receiving unit to the control unit 23.

The control unit 23 can grasp the relative position of the mapping sensor 22 with respect to the semiconductor wafer W based on the position detection signal detected by the position detection sensor 61, and stores the captured image 51 acquired by the mapping sensor 22. It is possible to grasp which stage of the container 2 the storage shelf 8 is the captured image 51.
Then, the control unit 23 records the captured image 51 acquired by the mapping sensor 22 in the data recording unit 60 in association with the accommodation position of the semiconductor wafer W in the storage container 2, and displays and monitors the image 51 as needed. Display on.

Therefore, for example, the operator can grasp the captured image 51 through the data recording unit 60 or the display monitor, and can grasp the accommodation state of each semiconductor wafer W based on the captured image 51. For example, the presence or absence of an overlapping arrangement in which the semiconductor wafers W are overlapped and accommodated in the same storage shelf 8, the presence or absence of an oblique arrangement in which the semiconductor wafer W is diagonally accommodated in the storage shelves 8 of different stages, and the semiconductor wafer in the storage shelf 8. It is possible to grasp whether or not the semiconductor wafer W is accommodated or not.

Moreover, since the captured image 51 acquired by the mapping sensor 22 is associated with the accommodation position of the semiconductor wafer W in the storage container 2, if there is a semiconductor wafer W in a poor accommodation state, the semiconductor wafer W is associated with the accommodation position. It is possible to accurately grasp the storage position of the defective semiconductor wafer W (that is, the number of stages of the storage shelf 8 in which the defective semiconductor wafer W is stored). Thereby, for example, it is possible to control the semiconductor wafer W having a defective accommodation state so that the handling robot does not access it.

In particular, since the captured image 51 can be acquired as the door portion 20 moves downward by using the mapping sensor 22 integrally formed with the door portion 20, the operation of the door portion 20 and the mapping sensor 22 can be acquired. There is no need to perform the detection operation separately. Therefore, since the state of the plurality of semiconductor wafers W can be detected at the same time as the lowering operation of the door portion 20, the processing efficiency can be improved and the state of the semiconductor wafer W can be detected at high speed. Therefore, for example, the mapping work for detecting the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W can be efficiently performed.

Further, since the state of the semiconductor wafer W can be detected based on the captured image 51, the semiconductor wafer W can be detected with higher accuracy than, for example, when a general reflection type optical sensor that performs detection by using the reflection of the detected light is used. The state of can be detected. That is, in the case of a reflective light sensor, the detection accuracy tends to decrease due to the influence of, for example, the positional deviation of the detected light with respect to the object (work), the degree of reflection of the detected light, the amount of reflected light of the detected light, and the like.
However, according to the load port 1 of the present embodiment, since the state of the semiconductor wafer W is detected based on the captured image 51, there is no above-mentioned concern when using the reflection type optical sensor, and high-precision detection can be performed. .. Therefore, for example, the mapping work for detecting the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W can be performed with high accuracy.

Further, since the state of the semiconductor wafer W can be detected based on the captured image 51, unlike the conventional transmission type optical sensor, it is not necessary to insert the mapping sensor 22 into the storage container 2. Therefore, a configuration for allowing the mapping sensor 22 to enter the storage container 2 becomes unnecessary, and the configuration can be easily simplified accordingly. Therefore, the load port 1 can be downsized.
Further, since it is possible to handle even a square semiconductor wafer W, the state of the semiconductor wafer W can be stably detected without being affected by the shape of the semiconductor wafer W. Therefore, it is possible to flexibly deal with a wide variety of semiconductor wafers W, and it is possible to obtain a load port 1 that is easy to use and has excellent convenience.

As described above, according to the load port 1 of the present embodiment, the state of the semiconductor wafer W can be detected accurately and at high speed without being affected by the shape of the semiconductor wafer W while reducing the size. can. Therefore, the storage state of each semiconductor wafer W in the storage shelf 8 of the storage container 2 (presence / absence of overlapping arrangement, presence / absence of diagonal arrangement, presence / absence of semiconductor wafer W, etc.) can be quickly determined. In particular, the mapping work for detecting the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W can be performed with high accuracy and high speed.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the captured image 51 is acquired so that only one semiconductor wafer W is reflected, the state of the semiconductor wafer W can be detected for each wafer, and high-precision detection can be performed. Can be done.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the load port according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the second embodiment, the same parts as the components in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 15, the load port 70 of the present embodiment is arranged in the control box 10, and is a mapping determination unit that determines the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W in the storage container 2 based on the detection result of the mapping sensor 22. It is equipped with 71.

The control unit 23 records the captured image 51 acquired by the mapping sensor 22 in the data recording unit 60 and outputs it to the mapping determination unit 71. At that time, the control unit 23 outputs the captured image 51 to the mapping determination unit 71 in association with the position detection signal detected by the position detection sensor 61. The mapping determination unit 71 determines the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W based on the captured image 51, and records the determination result in the data recording unit 60 in association with the position detection signal.

(Action of load port)
According to the load port 70 of the present embodiment configured in this way, in addition to being able to exert the same effects as those of the first embodiment, the mapping determination unit 71 is further provided, so that each semiconductor wafer is provided. It is possible to more efficiently determine the accommodation state of W (presence / absence of overlapping arrangement, presence / absence of diagonal arrangement, presence / absence of semiconductor wafer W, etc.).
In particular, since the mapping determination unit 71 can determine the accommodation state based on various preset conditions, it is possible to determine the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W with higher accuracy and higher speed. Therefore, the mapping work can be performed more efficiently.

Further, in the load port 70 of the present embodiment, the data recording unit 60 may record a reference image captured in advance by the mapping sensor 22 on the semiconductor wafer W in which the container body 3 is normally accommodated. Then, the mapping determination unit 71 determines whether or not the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W is good or bad by comparing the image captured image 51 actually captured by the mapping sensor 22 with the reference image captured image recorded in the data recording unit 60. It may be configured to do so.
In this configuration, the mapping determination unit 71 compares the captured image 51 actually captured by the mapping sensor 22 with the reference captured image captured in advance, and the quality of the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W is good or bad. Can be determined more accurately and promptly.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Each embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. Further, each embodiment includes, for example, those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, those that have an equal range, and the like.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, the semiconductor wafer W has been described as an example of the substrate, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, it may be a glass wafer for a semiconductor package or the like.
Further, in each of the above embodiments, the storage container 2 having the lid portion 5 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this case, and for example, it is an open type container having no lid portion 5. It doesn't matter. In this case, since it is not necessary to equip the door portion 20 with the latch key 30 or the holding pad 31, the configuration of the door portion 20 can be more easily simplified.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the mapping sensor 22 is attached to the upper end edge portion of the door portion 20, but the position of the mapping sensor 22 is not limited to the upper end edge portion of the door portion 20. The mapping sensor 22 may be integrally fixed to the door portion 20, and its mounting position is not limited to the upper end edge portion of the door portion 20. At this time, the mapping sensor 22 may be located at the same height as or above the semiconductor wafer W located at the uppermost stage among the plurality of semiconductor wafers W housed in the storage container 2. ..

Further, in each of the above embodiments, one mapping sensor 22 is attached to the door portion 20, but the number of mapping sensors 22 is not limited to one, and a plurality of mapping sensors 22 may be attached. In this case, for example, a plurality of mapping sensors 22 may be configured to image the same field of view of the semiconductor wafer W, or may be configured to image different fields of view.

For example, in the second embodiment, when the same field of view is imaged using the two mapping sensors 22, the common imaging area can be imaged by the two imaging units 52, so that the imaging acquired by one of the mapping sensors 22 can be performed. By performing image processing such as comparison processing between the image 51 and the captured image 51 acquired by the other mapping sensor 22, it is possible to acquire a clearer captured image 51 from which noise has been removed. .. As a result, the mapping determination unit 71 can more accurately determine the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W based on the captured image 51.

Further, in the second embodiment, when two mapping sensors 22 are used to image different fields of view, for example, a common semiconductor wafer W is accommodated based on the captured image 51 acquired by one of the mapping sensors 22. It is possible to determine the state and determine the accommodation state based on the captured image 51 acquired by the other mapping sensor 22.
Therefore, for example, when the determination of the accommodation state based on the two captured images 51 is "good", it is determined that the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W is "good", and it is based on one of the captured images 51. When the determination of the accommodation state is "defective", it is possible to determine that the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W is "defective". Therefore, the accommodation state of the semiconductor wafer W can be determined more accurately.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the light emitting unit 50 of the mapping sensor 22 may constantly irradiate the light L for imaging as the door unit 20 descends (so-called static lighting method), or the position of the semiconductor wafer W. In this case, the light L for imaging may be intermittently irradiated (so-called pulse lighting method). In the case of the pulse lighting method, the image pickup unit 52 may acquire the image pickup image 51 in response to the intermittent irradiation.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the sensor dog 62 is used to detect the relative position of the mapping sensor 22 with respect to the semiconductor wafer W, but the present invention is not limited to the case where the sensor dog 62 is used. For example, the ascending / descending movement of the door portion 20 may be detected by the encoder, and the relative position of the mapping sensor 22 with respect to the semiconductor wafer W may be detected based on the output signal from the encoder.

S ... Lighting area W ... Semiconductor wafer (board)
P1 ... Blocked position P2 ... Open position 1,70 ... Load port 2 ... Storage container (container)
15 ... Opening 20 ... Door 22 ... Mapping sensor 50 ... Light emitting unit 51 ... Image captured image 52 ... Imaging unit 60 ... Data recording unit (recording unit)
71 ... Mapping judgment unit

Claims (4)

In a plurality of storage shelves arranged in multiple stages, an opening communicating with each other in a container for accommodating a plurality of substrates is closed openly, and a closing position for closing the opening and an opening position for opening the opening are opened. The door part that moves up and down between and
A mapping sensor that is integrally provided on the door and detects the state of the board,
A sensor dog having a plurality of protrusions formed in a number and a pitch corresponding to the plurality of the storage shelves, and a sensor dog having a plurality of protrusions.
It is provided with a position detection sensor that is movably arranged along the sensor dog as the door portion moves up and down and outputs a position detection signal indicating the relative position of the mapping sensor with respect to the substrate .
The mapping sensor has a light emitting unit that irradiates the substrate with light for imaging, and an imaging unit that captures an image in an illuminated area illuminated by the light emitting unit to acquire an image .
The position detection sensor has a light irradiation unit that irradiates the detection light, and a light receiving unit that is arranged so as to face the light irradiation unit with the sensor dog interposed therebetween and receives the detection light. The position detection signal is output as a signal corresponding to the light reception result by
The light emitting unit is a load port characterized by irradiating the light so that only one substrate is included in the illumination region . At the load port according to claim 1 ,
A load port including a mapping determination unit for determining an accommodation state of the substrate with respect to the container based on the captured image. At the load port according to claim 2 ,
A plurality of the mapping sensors are provided on the door portion.
The mapping determination unit is a load port that determines the accommodation state of the substrate based on the captured images captured by the plurality of mapping sensors. At the load port according to claim 2 or 3 .
It is provided with a recording unit in which a reference image taken by preliminarily imaging the substrate whose container is normally housed is recorded.
The mapping determination unit is a load port that determines whether or not the accommodation state of the substrate is good or bad by comparing the captured image captured by the mapping sensor with the reference image captured image recorded in the recording unit.

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