KR20180128922A - Load port - Google Patents

Abstract

When the FOUP is moved toward the door, the FOUP is prevented from coming into contact with the door, and the load port and the load port capable of preventing the sealing of the FOUP or the door from being released are provided. The first seal member 43 for sealing the gap between the base 21 and the container 7 and the first seal member 43 for sealing the gap between the base 21 and the door 7 51), and after the container (7) is loaded on the table (24) for loading the container (7), the door (51) is closed by the second seal member And the end face of the door 51 on the side of the container 7 is moved from the initial position on the side of the container 7 to the abutment surface of the door 51 and the second sealing member 44, 7) in the opposite direction.

Description

Load port

The present invention relates to a load port capable of circulating gas in a wafer transfer chamber so as not to expose a wafer being transferred to outside air.

2. Description of the Related Art [0002] Conventionally, various kinds of processing steps have been carried out on a wafer as a substrate, thereby manufacturing semiconductors. In recent years, high integration of devices and miniaturization of circuitry are progressing, and it is required to maintain a high cleanliness around the wafer so that oxygen, moisture and particles do not adhere to the wafer surface. In addition, in order to prevent the surface property of the wafer from being changed, such as oxidation of the wafer surface, the periphery of the wafer is changed to a nitrogen atmosphere, which is an inert gas, or a vacuum state is performed.

In order to properly maintain the atmosphere around the wafer, the wafer is managed in a sealed storage pod called a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) and filled with nitrogen. Further, a processing device for performing processing on the wafer and a load port for transferring the wafer between the FOUPs are used. The load port constitutes a part of the wall isolating the wafer processing apparatus from the external space, and functions as an interface between the processing apparatus and the FOUP. In some cases, the processing apparatus and the load port are directly connected, while an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) is disposed between the processing apparatus and the load port. The EFEM has a substantially closed wafer transfer chamber inside the housing and has a load port functioning as an interface between the FOUP and one of the opposite wall surfaces, A load lock chamber for preventing direct communication is connected. A wafer transfer device for transferring wafers is provided in the wafer transfer chamber, and the wafers are transferred between the FOUP connected to the load port and the load lock chamber using the wafer transfer device. The wafer transfer chamber normally flows a clean flow of air from the fan filter unit disposed above the transfer chamber at all times.

In recent years, there is a fear that the state of the wafer may be changed even by oxygen, moisture, etc. contained in a clean atmosphere used as a down flow in the latest process of the wafer. For this reason, as in Patent Document 1, there is a demand for commercialization of a technique of circulating an inert gas in the EFEM.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-112631

However, in the load port disclosed in Patent Document 1, the end face of the door of the load port protrudes toward the FOUP (container) side. For this reason, when the FOUP is moved toward the door, there is a problem that the FOUP and the door collide with each other due to collision, thereby releasing the seal of the load port, the FOUP, or the door. Even if the end face of the door of the load port protrudes toward the FOUP side, inert gas is injected into the FOUP to increase the pressure inside the FOUP. As a result, The same problem may occur even when the protruding portion is projected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a door locking device for preventing a door from coming into contact with a FOUP when the FOUP is moved toward the door, And to provide a load port that can be used.

In the load port according to the first invention,

A base constituting a part of the wall isolating the transfer space from the external space,

An opening provided in the base,

A door capable of opening and closing the opening portion, releasing the fixing and securing of the lid body to the container containing the accommodating liquid,

A first seal member for sealing between the base and the container,

And a second seal member for sealing between the base and the door,

Wherein the door is in contact with the second seal member after the container is loaded on the loading table for loading the container, and the end surface of the door on the container side is larger than the contact surface of the door and the second sealing member The door is retracted from an initial position on the container side in a direction opposite to the container.

In this invention, after the container is loaded on the loading table, the door is brought into contact with the second seal member, and the end face of the door on the container side is moved from an initial position on the container side with respect to the contact surface of the door and the second seal member , The door is retracted in the opposite direction to the container. Thereby, when the container is moved toward the door until it abuts the first seal member, contact between the container and the door can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the seal between the base and the container or the door from being released.

In the load port according to the second invention,

And the door is in contact with the second seal member at a door retreat position where the door is retracted.

In this invention, the door is in contact with the second seal member at the door retreat position where the door is retracted. Thereby, when the container is moved toward the door, and the container abuts against the first seal member, the closed space can be formed by at least the base, the first seal member, the second seal member, the cover body and the door.

In the load port according to the third invention,

Wherein the door is in a door retracted position,

A sealing space is formed by at least the first sealing member, the second sealing member, the cover body, and the door when the container is in contact with the opening through the first sealing member,

And the door is advanced from the retracted position toward the container after the sealed space is filled with the gas.

In this invention, after the closed space is filled with the gas, the door is advanced from the retreat position toward the container. Thereby, the container is brought close to the door, the door is released from the fixation of the cover to the container, and the cover becomes detachable from the container.

In the load port according to the fourth invention,

And the door is in contact with the lid body at a door advance position where the door is advanced.

In this invention, the door is in contact with the lid body at the door advance position where the door is advanced. Thereby, the door can reliably release the lid body from being fixed to the container, and the lid body can be removed from the container. Further, even when the door is brought into contact with the lid body, even if the door is tilted and the seal between the door and the second seal member is released, the atmosphere is filled with gas so that the atmosphere does not invade into the transportation space.

In the load port according to the fifth invention,

The dimension of the second sealing member in the direction in which the door moves forward and backward is larger than the dimension of the first sealing member in the direction in which the door moves forward and backward.

In the present invention, the dimension of the second seal member in the direction in which the door moves forward and backward is larger than the dimension of the first seal member in the direction in which the door moves back and forth. Thus, it is possible to secure a large advancement / retraction (movement) distance of the door in a state in which the door and the second seal member abut against each other and are sealed.

In the load port according to the sixth invention,

A base constituting a part of the wall isolating the transfer space from the external space,

An opening provided in the base,

A door capable of opening and closing the opening portion, releasing the fixing and securing of the lid body to the container containing the accommodating liquid,

A first seal member for sealing between the base and the container,

And a second seal member for sealing between the base and the door,

Wherein the container is mounted on the loading table on which the container is loaded, the container is moved from the loading position such that the container abuts against the first sealing member and abuts against the second sealing member, And the container is advanced toward the door to a container retreat position with a predetermined gap therebetween.

According to the present invention, after the container is loaded on the loading table on which the container is loaded, the container is brought into contact with the first sealing member from the loading position and the end surface of the door on the container side abutting against the second sealing member, The container is advanced to the door to the container retracted position at intervals. Thereby, when the container is moved toward the door until it abuts the first seal member, contact between the container and the door can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the seal between the base and the container or the door from being released.

In the load port according to the seventh invention,

When the container is in the container retreat position, a sealed space is formed by at least the first sealing member, the second sealing member, the cover body, and the door,

And the container is advanced from the container retreat position toward the door after the sealed space is filled with the gas.

In this invention, after the closed space is filled with gas, the container is advanced from the container retreat position toward the door. Thereby, the container is brought close to the door, the door is released from the fixation of the cover to the container, and the cover becomes detachable from the container.

In the load port of the eighth invention,

And the lid body is in contact with the door at a container advancing position in which the container is advanced.

In the present invention, the lid body is in contact with the door at the container advancing position in which the container is advanced. Thereby, the door can reliably release the lid body from being fixed to the container, and the lid body can be removed from the container. Further, even when the door is brought into contact with the lid body, even if the door is tilted and the seal between the door and the second seal member is released, the atmosphere is filled with gas so that the atmosphere does not invade into the transportation space.

In the load port according to the ninth invention,

The dimension of the first sealing member in the direction in which the container advances and in the retracting direction opposite to the advancing direction is larger than the dimension of the second sealing member in the direction in which the container moves forward and backward.

In the present invention, the dimension of the first seal member in the direction in which the container advances and is retracted opposite to the advancing direction is larger than the dimension of the second seal member in the direction in which the container advances and retreats. Thus, it is possible to secure a large forward / backward movement distance of the container in a state in which the container and the first seal member abut against each other and are sealed.

In the first aspect of the present invention, after the container is loaded on the pallet, the door is in contact with the second seal member, and the end face of the door on the container side is located at an initial position The door is retracted in the direction opposite to the container. Thereby, when the container is moved toward the door until it abuts the first seal member, contact between the container and the door can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the seal between the base and the container or the door from being released.

In the second invention, the door is brought into contact with the second seal member at the door retreat position where the door is retracted. Thereby, when the container is moved toward the door, and the container abuts against the first seal member, the closed space can be formed by at least the base, the first seal member, the second seal member, the cover body and the door.

In the third invention, after the closed space is filled with the gas, the door is advanced from the retreat position toward the container. Thereby, the container is brought close to the door, the door is released from the fixation of the cover to the container, and the cover becomes detachable from the container.

In the fourth invention, the door is in contact with the lid body at the door advance position where the door is advanced. Thereby, the door can reliably release the lid body from being fixed to the container, and the lid body can be removed from the container. Further, even when the door is brought into contact with the lid body, even if the door is tilted and the seal between the door and the second seal member is released, the atmosphere is filled with gas so that the atmosphere does not invade into the transportation space.

In the fifth invention, the dimension of the second seal member in the direction in which the door moves forward and backward is larger than the dimension of the first seal member in the direction in which the door moves forward and backward. Thus, it is possible to secure a large advancement / retraction (movement) distance of the door in a state in which the door and the second seal member abut against each other and are sealed.

In the sixth aspect of the present invention, after the container is loaded on the loading table on which the container is loaded, the container is brought into contact with the first sealing member from the loading position and the end face on the container side of the door, To the container retracted position with the interval of the container. Thereby, when the container is moved toward the door until it abuts the first seal member, contact between the container and the door can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the seal between the base and the container or the door from being released.

In the seventh invention, after the closed space is filled with the gas, the container is advanced from the container retreat position toward the door. Thereby, the container is brought close to the door, the door is released from the fixation of the cover to the container, and the cover becomes detachable from the container.

In the eighth aspect of the present invention, the lid body is in contact with the door at the container advancing position in which the container is advanced. Thereby, the door can reliably release the lid body from being fixed to the container, and the lid body can be removed from the container. Further, even when the door is brought into contact with the lid body, even if the door is tilted and the seal between the door and the second seal member is released, the atmosphere is filled with gas so that the atmosphere does not invade into the transportation space.

In the ninth invention, the dimension of the first seal member in the direction in which the container advances and is retracted opposite to the advancing direction is larger than the dimension of the second seal member in the direction in which the container advances and retreats. Thus, it is possible to secure a large forward / backward movement distance of the container in a state in which the container and the first seal member abut against each other and are sealed.

1 is a side view showing a state in which a side wall of the EFEM is removed.
2 is a perspective view of the load port shown in Fig.
3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a FOUP and a load port;
4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged view of a window unit and a door unit constituting the EFEM;
5 is a sectional view of the first O-ring of the first embodiment;
6 is a sectional view of the second O-ring of the first embodiment;
7 is a cross-sectional view of each member forming a closed space.
8 is a block diagram showing the connection state of the control unit, each sensor, and each driving unit.
Fig. 9 is a flow chart of the first embodiment when a wafer in the FOUP is taken out and put in. Fig.
10 is a sectional view showing a state in which the FOUP is loaded on the loading table.
11 is a sectional view showing a state in which the FOUP is advanced from the state of FIG. 10 toward the load port and the door portion is retracted.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing a state in which the door portion is advanced from the state of Fig. 11 toward the FOUP; Fig.
Fig. 13 is a sectional view showing a state in which the opening of the load port is opened from the state of Fig. 12; Fig.
14 is a sectional view of the first O-ring of the second embodiment;
15 is a sectional view of a second O-ring of the second embodiment;
16 is a flow chart of the second embodiment when the wafer in the FOUP is taken out and put in.
17 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the FOUP is advanced to a retreat position;
Fig. 18 is a sectional view showing a state in which the FOUP is further advanced from the state of Fig. 17 toward the door portion; Fig.
19 is a sectional view of the first O-ring of the third embodiment;
20 is a sectional view of a second O-ring of the third embodiment;
Fig. 21 is a flowchart of a third embodiment when a wafer in the FOUP is taken out and put in. Fig.
22 is a sectional view showing a state in which the FOUP is advanced to the retreat position and the door portion is retracted to the retreat position;
23 is a sectional view showing a state in which the FOUP and the door portion are brought close to each other from the state of Fig. 22;
24 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the first O-ring and the second O-ring.
25 is a sectional view showing a modification in which the first O-ring and the second O-ring are integrally formed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings.

≪ First Embodiment >

1 is a side view showing the interior of the EFEM 1 by removing the wall thereof. 1, the EFEM 1 includes a wafer transfer apparatus 2 for transferring wafers W between predetermined transfer positions, a box-shaped housing (not shown) provided so as to surround the wafer transfer apparatus 2 3, a load port 4 connected to the outside of the wall on the front side of the housing 3, and a control means 5. Here, in the present invention, the direction of the side on which the load port 4 is viewed from the housing 3 is defined as forward, and the direction opposite to the side on which the load port 4 is viewed from the housing 3 is defined as the rear direction.

The control means 5 controls the operation of the wafer transfer apparatus 2 so that the wafers (receptacles) W accommodated in the FOUPs (containers) 7 loaded on the load port 4 are transferred to the inside of the housing 3 It is possible to carry the wafer W to the transfer space 9 and transfer the wafer W after the respective processes are carried back into the FOUP 7.

The load port 4 has a door portion 51 (see Fig. 2). The door portion 51 is connected to the cover body 32 provided on the FOUP 7 and moves together, Is opened to the transporting space (9). In the FOUP 7, a plurality of stacking units are provided in the vertical direction, whereby a plurality of wafers W can be accommodated. The atmosphere in the FOUP 7 can also be replaced with nitrogen through the load port 4 under the control of the control means 5 while the nitrogen in the FOUP 7 is normally charged.

The control means (5) is constituted as a controller unit provided in the upper space of the housing (3). The control means 5 controls the drive of the wafer transfer device 2, the nitrogen substitution control of the FOUP 7 by the load port 4, the opening and closing control of the door portion 51, Circulation control and the like are performed. The control means 5 is constituted by a general microprocessor or the like having a CPU, a memory and an interface, and a program necessary for processing is stored in advance in the memory. The CPU sequentially takes out necessary programs and executes them, So as to realize a desired function. The nitrogen circulation control will be described later.

The inner space of the housing 3 is partitioned by the transfer chamber 9 and the gas return passage 10 which are the spaces in which the wafer transfer apparatus 2 is driven by the partition member 8. The transporting space 9 and the gas returning passage 10 are formed by arranging a gas outlet 11 extending in the width direction on the upper part of the transporting space 9 and a gas And communicates only in the suction port (12). The gas discharge port 11 and the gas suction port 12 generate a downward flow in the transfer space 9 and an upward flow is generated in the gas return passage 10 so that the inert gas is circulated. In this embodiment, nitrogen is used as the inert gas, but the gas to be circulated is not limited to this, and another gas may be used.

A gas supply means 16 for introducing nitrogen into the housing 3 is connected to the upper side of the back side of the return path 10. The gas supply means 16 is capable of controlling the supply of nitrogen and the stop of supply on the basis of a command from the control means 5. [ Therefore, when a part of the nitrogen flows out of the housing 3, the gas supply means 16 supplies the nitrogen of the outflow, so that the nitrogen atmosphere in the housing 3 can be kept constant. A gas discharging means 17 for discharging nitrogen gas in the housing 3 is connected to the lower side of the rear side. The gas discharging means 17 operates on the basis of a command from the control means 5 to open a shutter (not shown) so that the nitrogen gas discharger installed inside and outside the housing 3 can communicate with each other have. It is possible to replace the inside of the housing 3 with a nitrogen atmosphere or to control the pressure in the housing 3 by using the above-described gas supply means 16 in combination with the supply of nitrogen. In this embodiment, in order to make the circulating gas into nitrogen, the gas supplying means 16 supplies nitrogen, but when the other gas is circulated, the gas supplying means 16 supplies the circulating gas do.

A fan filter unit 13 (FFU 13) composed of a fan 13a and a filter 13b as first blowing means is provided in the gas outlet 11. The fan filter unit 13 removes the particles contained in the nitrogen gas circulating in the housing 3 and blows downward into the transporting space 9 to generate a downward flow in the transporting space 9. The FFU 13 is supported by a support member 18 connected to the partition member 8 and extending in the horizontal direction.

The nitrogen gas in the housing 3 descends in the transporting space 9 and rises in the gas returning passage 10 by the fan 13a and the fan 15 of the FFU 13 described above, . Since the gas outlet 11 is opened downward, the nitrogen gas is fed downward by the FFU 13. Since the gas suction port 12 is opened upward, the nitrogen gas can be sucked downward without disturbing the downward flow generated by the FFU 13, whereby the smooth flow of the nitrogen gas Can be created. In addition, since a downward flow is generated in the transfer space 9, the particles adhering to the upper portion of the wafer W and the released gas temporarily released from the processed wafer are removed, and the wafer transfer device 2 ) Are moved to prevent floating of the emitted gas or particles thereof.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the load port 4. Fig. Hereinafter, the configuration of the load port 4 will be described.

The load port 4 stands vertically from the rear of the leg portion 25 where the casters and the installation legs are installed and extends from the height position of about 60% (23) are provided. A loading table 24 for loading the FOUP 7 is provided on the horizontal base 23.

3, the FOUP 7 includes a main body 31 having an internal space Sf for accommodating a wafer W (see Fig. 1), a main body 31 for receiving the wafer W 31 for opening and closing an opening 31a formed on one surface of the cover body 32. As shown in Fig. When the FOUP 7 is correctly loaded on the mount table 24, the cover member 32 is opposed to the base 21. [

2, a positioning pin 24a for positioning the FOUP 7 is provided on the mounting table 24 and the FOUP 7 is fixed to the mounting table 24 A lock claw 24b is provided. The lock claw 24b can fix the FOUP 7 by performing the locking operation after the FOUP 7 is appropriately positioned on the table 24 and by performing the unlocking operation, And can be separated from the stacking table 24. Further, the loading table 24 can be moved in the forward and backward directions by the loading table driving section (not shown) while the FOUP 7 is loaded.

Whether or not the FOUP 7 has been positioned at an appropriate position is detected by the positioning sensor 60 disposed in the vicinity of the positioning pin 24a. It is preferable that the positioning sensors 60 are disposed in the vicinity of the respective positioning pins 24a. Here, "properly positioned" means that the height of the bottom surface of the FOUP 7 with respect to the stage 24 is within a predetermined range from the upper surface of the stage 24.

A gas injecting section 70 for supplying nitrogen gas into the FOUP 7 and a gas exhausting section 71 for exhausting nitrogen gas from the inside of the FOUP 7 are installed at two places on the stage 24, . The gas injecting section 70 and the gas exhausting section 71 are normally located below the bottom surface of the FOUP 7 in a properly positioned state, And is connected to the valve 33 (see FIG. 3) and the gas discharge valve 34, respectively.

The upper end of the gas inlet portion 70 is brought into contact with the gas supply valve 33 of the FOUP 7 and the upper end of the gas outlet portion 71 is connected to the gas exhaust valve 34 of the FOUP 7, . A gas such as dry nitrogen gas is supplied to the internal space Sf of the FOUP 7 from the gas injecting section 70 through the gas supply valve 33 and is supplied to the gas exhaust section 71 through the gas exhaust valve 34, So that nitrogen gas in the internal space Sf can be discharged. Further, by setting the nitrogen gas supply amount to be higher than the nitrogen gas discharge amount, the positive pressure setting in which the pressure in the internal space Sf is increased with respect to the pressure in the transfer space 9 of the outside or the housing 3 can be set.

The base 21 constituting the load port 4 constitutes a part of the front wall isolating the transfer space 9 from the external space. As shown in Fig. 2, the base 21 includes pillars 21a and 21a which are erected on both sides, a base body 21b supported by the pillars 21a and 21a, And a window unit 40 provided in the window unit 21c. Here, the term "substantially rectangular" as used herein refers to a shape in which four corners are smoothly connected by arcs while a rectangle having four sides is a basic shape.

The window unit 40 is provided at a position facing the cover body 32 (see Fig. 3) of the FOUP 7 described above. Since the window unit 40 is provided with the substantially rectangular opening 42 (see Fig. 4) as will be described in detail later, the carrying space 9 of the housing 3 is opened through the opening 42 .

The window unit 40 includes a window frame 41, a first O-ring (first seal member) 43, a second O-ring (second seal member) 44 as an elastic material provided on the window frame 41, And a clamping unit 45 as a pulling means for bringing the FOUP 7 into close contact with the window frame portion 41 through the O-ring 43. [

The window frame portion 41 has a frame shape in which an opening portion 42 having a substantially rectangular shape is formed inside. Since the window frame portion 41 constitutes a part of the base 21 (see Fig. 2) described above as a component of the window unit 40, the opening portion 42 is to open the front wall of the housing 3 can do.

On the front surface of the window frame portion 41, a first O-ring 43 is arranged so as to surround the periphery of the opening 42. On the rear surface of the window frame portion 41, a second O-ring 44 is arranged so as to surround the periphery of the opening 42.

5 is a sectional view of the first O-ring 43 along the longitudinal direction, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the second O-ring 44 along the longitudinal direction. The sectional shapes of the first O-ring 43 and the second O-ring 44 are convex. In the drawing, arrows indicate forward and backward directions of the window unit 40, that is, forward and backward directions of the FOUP 9 and the door unit 51, which will be described later. The dimension L1 indicates the height dimension of the first O-ring 43 in the retracting direction of the door portion 51. [ The dimension L2 represents the height dimension of the second O-ring 44 in the retracting direction of the door portion 51. [ In other words, in this embodiment, the dimension L2 of the second O-ring 44 is larger than the dimension L1 of the first O-ring 43. [

The opening portion 42 is slightly larger than the outer periphery of the cover body 32 of the FOUP 7 and the cover body 32 is movable through the opening portion 42. [ 7, the front face of the main body 31 constituting the periphery of the lid body 32 is in contact with the abutment face 31b as shown in Fig. 7 And is brought into contact with the front surface of the window frame portion 41 (base 21) through the first O-ring 43. Thereby, when the FOUP 7 is installed in the window unit 40, the first O-ring 43 seals (abolishes) between the periphery of the opening 42 (base 21) and the FOUP 7 .

The door portion 51 is brought into contact with the rear surface of the window frame portion 41 through the second O-ring 44. [ Thus, the second O-ring 44 seals between the periphery of the opening 42 and the door portion 51.

The clamp unit 45 is provided at four positions in total in the vertical direction on both side portions of the window frame portion 41. [ Each of the clamp units 45 is constituted by a locking engagement piece 46 and a cylinder 47 for operating the FOUP 7. The FOUP 7 is attached to the base 21 in a state where the FOUP 7 is installed on the window unit 40. [ Lt; / RTI >

When the engaging piece 46 protrudes forward, the leading end of the engaging piece 46 is directed upward, and the leading end of the engaging piece 46 is directed toward the inner FOUP 7 when the engaging piece 46 is pulled backward. By the clamping operation, the engagement engaging piece 46 is capable of engaging with the flange portion projecting sideways from the FOUP 7 with its tip directed inward.

The load port 4 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 50 for opening and closing the window unit 40 in which the FOUP 7 can be installed.

3, the opening / closing mechanism 50 includes a door portion 51 for opening and closing the opening 42, a support frame 52 for supporting the door portion 51, And a slide rail 55 for supporting the movable block 54 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the base body 21b .

The door portion 51 includes a suction portion 56 (see FIG. 4) for suctioning the lid 32 of the FOUP 7, a latching operation for opening and closing the lid 32 of the FOUP 7, And a connecting means (57) for holding and supporting the body (32). The door portion 51 is capable of releasing and securing the lid body 32 and releasing and installing the lid body 32 from the FOUP 7. [ The connecting means 57 is configured to unlatch the lid body 32 to make the lid body 32 openable and to connect the lid body 32 to the door portion 51 . The connection means 57 releases the connection between the lid body 32 and the door portion 51 by latching the lid body 32 and releases the lid body 32 from the main body 31 so as to be in a closed state.

3, when the FOUP 7 is installed in the window unit 40, a gas injection nozzle (not shown) for injecting nitrogen gas between the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 And a gas discharge nozzle 74 for discharging nitrogen gas between the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 are provided. The upper end of the gas injection nozzle 73 extends to the outer surface of the door portion 51 and the lower end thereof is connected to a gas supply device (not shown). Similarly, the upper end of the gas discharge nozzle 74 extends to the outer surface of the door portion 51, and the lower end thereof is connected to a gas discharge device (not shown). The gas injection nozzle 73 communicates with the closed space Sd (see FIG. 7) in a state in which the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 are integrated by the clamp unit 45, (74) communicates with the closed space (Sd) to discharge nitrogen, whereby the closed space (Sd) can be replaced with nitrogen and charged.

Further, actuators (not shown) for moving the door portion 51 in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction are provided for each direction, and by giving a drive command from the control portion Cp to them, So that the portion 51 can be moved in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction. As described above, the load port 4 is operated by the control unit Cp by giving a drive command to each unit.

8, the input side of the control unit Cp is connected to the positioning sensor 60, the door position detection sensor 81, the load detection sensor 82, and the atmosphere sensor 83. The positioning sensor 60 detects whether or not the FOUP 7 is positioned at a proper position of the stage 24. The door position detection sensor 81 detects the forward / backward position of the door portion 51. [ The load detection sensor 82 detects the position of the loading table 24 in the retracting direction. The atmosphere sensor 83 detects the humidity or the oxygen concentration in the closed space Sd and detects whether or not the closed space Sd is replaced with nitrogen.

The output side of the control section Cp is connected to the load carriage drive section 85, the door drive section 86, the clamp unit drive section 87, the gas supply device 88 and the gas discharge device 89. The gas supply device 88 is connected to the gas injection nozzle 73 to supply nitrogen to the closed space Sd. The gas discharge device 89 is connected to the gas discharge nozzle 74 to discharge nitrogen from the closed space Sd.

The operation of the FOUP 7 and the door unit 51 when the load port 4 of the first embodiment is used will be described below.

First, in step S1 shown in Fig. 9, a ceiling traveling type unmanned conveying machine (not shown) loads the FOUP 7 at the container transfer position of the stacking table 24. [ The container delivery position refers to a position at which the FOUP 7 can be loaded on the pallet 24 during the movement range of the pallet 24.

At this time, as shown in Fig. 10, the door portion 51 is disposed at the door closing position. The door closing position is a position at which the door portion 51 abuts against the second seal member 44 and the end face 51a of the door portion 51 on the FOUP 7 side is in contact with the door portion 51, Indicates the initial position on the FOUP 7 side than the abutment surface of the member 44. Specifically, the end face 51a of the door portion 51 is located closer to the FOUP 7 than the base 21 of the load port 4 and is located within the range of the front-rear direction dimension of the first O- have.

In step S2, the positioning sensor 60 detects whether or not the FOUP 7 is positioned at a proper position of the stage 24. If the FOUP 7 has not been properly positioned, it sends an error to the parent controller and repeats.

When the FOUP 7 has been appropriately positioned, the process proceeds to step S3 so that the door driving portion 86 retracts the door portion 51 in the direction opposite to the FOUP 7 from the door closing position to the door retreat position Reference). The door retreat position is a position at which the door portion 51 is retreated from the door closing position (initial position) in the direction opposite to the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 is in contact with the second seal member 44 Lt; / RTI > The door portion 51 advances forward from the rear of the load port 4 and retracts from the front of the load port 4 toward the rear. These advancing and retreating directions are horizontal directions. By retracting the door portion 51, the second O-ring 44 is elongated as compared with Fig. Whether or not the door portion 51 has been retracted to the door retreat position is detected by the door position detection sensor 81.

In step S4, the loading carriage 85 advances the loading table 24 and the FOUP 7 from the container transfer position to the door open / close position (see FIG. 11). The door opening / closing position is a position where the cover member 32 is fixed or fixed to the FOUP 7 by the connecting means 57 during the moving range of the door unit 51, Indicates the location to do. The amount of movement of the FOUP 7 from the container delivery position to the door open / close position is 71 mm. Whether or not the loading table 24 has moved to the door open / close position is detected by the load detection sensor 82. When the load detection sensor 82 detects that the loading table 24 is at the door open / close position, the clamp unit 45 is operated by a signal from the clamp unit driving unit 87. [ Thus, the FOUP 7 is pulled close to the side of the load port 4 to increase the sealability between the FOUP 7, the base 21, and the first O-ring 43. Further, the FOUP 7 advances from the front to the rear of the load port 4 and retracts (retracts) from the rear of the load port 4 toward the front. These advancing and retreating directions are horizontal directions.

When the door portion 51 is in the door retracted position and the FOUP 7 is in the door opening and closing position and comes into contact with the window frame portion 41 of the load port 4 through the first O- Sd is formed. The sealed space Sd is formed by the base 21, the first seal member 43, the second seal member 44, the cover body 32, the FOUP 7, and the door portion 51. Further, in step S5, the closed space Sd is replaced with nitrogen gas from the atmosphere by the gas injection nozzle 73 and the gas discharge nozzle 74. Whether or not the closed space Sd is replaced with the nitrogen gas is detected by the atmosphere sensor 83.

Thereafter, in step S6, the door driving unit 86 advances the door unit 51 from the door retreat position to the door open / close position (door advance position) toward the FOUP 7 (see Fig. 12). When the door portion 51 is at the door open / close position, the door portion 51 and the lid body 32 come into contact with each other, and the connecting means 57 releases the lid body 32 from the FOUP 7 , And the cover body 32 is held. The distance between the door retracted position and the door open / close position is set to 3 mm.

The door driving portion 86 moves the cover portion 32 held by the door portion 51 and the door portion 51 from the door open / close position to the door open position, 42) (see Fig. 13). The door open position refers to a position where the opening 42 is opened so that the wafer transfer apparatus 2 can access the FOUP 7. In this state, the wafer transfer apparatus 2 takes out the wafer W from the FOUP 7 and inserts it.

When the removal and insertion of the wafer W is completed, the door driving portion 86 moves the door portion 51 from the door opening position to the door opening / closing position in Step S8. At this time, the lid member 32 is attached to the FOUP 7 and fixed. The clamping unit 45 releases the fixation of the FOUP 7 and the load port 4. In step S9 the load carriage drive unit 85 moves the loading table 24 and the FOUP 7 to the container receiving position .

[Features of the load port of the present embodiment]

The load port 4 of the present embodiment has the following features.

The load port 4 of the present embodiment is configured such that the FOUP 7 is loaded on the loading table 24 and then the door portion 51 is brought into contact with the second seal member 44, The end face 51a on the side of the FOUP 7 is moved from the initial position on the side of the FOUP 7 to the side of the contact between the door 51 and the second seal member 43 in the direction opposite to the FOUP 7, And the portion 51 is retracted. This makes it possible to prevent the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 from coming into contact with each other when the FOUP 7 is moved toward the door portion 51 until it abuts against the first seal member 43. [ Therefore, even if the FOUP 7 or the door portion 51 is extruded or tilted by the contact, the seal between the base 21 and the FOUP 7 or the door portion 51 is prevented from being released .

In the load port 4 of the present embodiment, the door portion 51 is in contact with the second seal member 44 at the door retreat position where the door portion 51 is retracted. Thereby, when the FOUP 7 is moved toward the door portion 51 and the FOUP 7 comes into contact with the first seal member 43, at least the base, the first seal member 43, The sealed space Sd can be formed by the member 44, the cover body 32 and the door portion 51. [

In the load port 4 of the present embodiment, after the closed space Sd is filled with the nitrogen gas, the door portion 51 is advanced from the retreat position toward the FOUP 7. [ The connection means 57 of the door portion 51 performs the disengagement of the lid body 32 with respect to the FOUP 7 by bringing the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 into close contact with each other, So that the lid body 32 can be removed.

In the load port 4 of the present embodiment, the door portion 51 is in contact with the lid body 32 at the door advance position where the door portion 51 is advanced. This makes it possible for the connecting means 57 of the door portion 51 to reliably release the lid body 32 from the FOUP 7 and to release the lid body 32 from the FOUP 7 . Even if the door portion 51 is tilted and the seal between the door portion 51 and the second seal member 44 is released by the contact of the door portion 51 with the lid body 32, The atmosphere does not enter the transporting space 9 because it is filled with nitrogen gas.

The dimension of the second seal member 44 in the direction in which the door portion 51 moves back and forth is larger than the dimension of the first seal member 44 in the direction in which the door portion 51 moves forward and backward, (43). This makes it possible to secure a large distance of movement of the door portion 51 in a state in which the door portion 51 and the second seal member 44 are in contact with each other and sealed.

≪ Second Embodiment >

Since the configuration of the load port 4 and the like in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, the description is omitted. However, in the first embodiment, the dimension L2 of the second O-ring 44 is larger than the dimension L1 of the first O-ring 43. [ However, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the dimension L1 of the first O-ring 43 is larger than the dimension L2 of the second O-ring 44. [

Hereinafter, the operation of the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 when the load port 4 of the second embodiment is used will be described. The definition of each position of the FOUP 7, such as the container delivery position and the door closing position, for example, the door closing position, is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

First, in step S11 shown in Fig. 16, a ceiling traveling type unmanned conveying device (not shown) loads the FOUP 7 at the container conveyance position of the stacking table 24.

At this time, as shown in Fig. 17, the door portion 51 is disposed at the door closing position, and the door clamp by the door extrusion mechanism 90 is operated. The door extrusion mechanism 90 is disposed on the wall surface of the base 21 on the side of the transfer space 9 along the periphery of the opening of the opening 42. The door extrusion mechanism 90 includes a cylinder 91, a rod 92 which can be projected and dented from the cylinder 91, and a roller 93 that is rotatably provided at the tip of the rod 92 as main components have. The cylinder 91 is provided on a pedestal 94 which can be inclined from the base 21 so that the roller 93 is pressed against the door portion 51 appropriately. The sealability of the base 21, the door portion 51 and the second O-ring 44 can be enhanced by properly pressing the roller 93 against the door portion 51. [

In step S12, the positioning sensor 60 detects whether or not the FOUP 7 is positioned at a proper position of the stage 24. If the FOUP 7 is not properly positioned, it is repeated.

If the FOUP 7 has been appropriately positioned, the flow proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the pallet 24 and the FOUP 7 advance from the container delivery position to the container retreat position toward the door portion 51 (see FIG. 17). The container retreat position is a position at which the FOUP 7 abuts on the first O-ring 43 and the end face of the door portion 51 on the FOUP 7 side facing the second O- Quot; indicates a position at a predetermined interval. The container retreat position is located between the container open / close position and the container carry position, which will be described later.

At this time, since the closed space Sd is formed, the closed space Sd is filled with nitrogen gas from the atmosphere by the gas injection nozzle 73 and the gas discharge nozzle 74 in step S14.

The stacking carriage 85 advances the stacking table 24 and the FOUP 7 from the container retreat position to the container open / close position (container advance position) toward the door portion 51 (see FIG. 18). The container open / close position refers to a position where the wafer transfer device 2 can take out the wafer W in the FOUP 7 through the opening 42 in the moving range of the table 24. When the FOUP 7 is in the container open / close position, the door portion 51 and the lid body 32 come into contact with each other, and the connecting means 57 releases the lid body 32 from the FOUP 7, And the cover body 32 is held. The movement amount of the FOUP 7 from the container retreat position to the container open / close position is set to 8 mm.

Thereafter, the door clamp is released, and in step S16, the door portion 51 and the cover body 32 are moved from the door open / close position to the door open position. In this state, the wafer transfer apparatus 2 takes out the wafer W from the FOUP 7 and inserts it.

When the removal and insertion of the wafer W is completed, the process proceeds to step S17. The door driving unit 86 moves the door unit 51 from the door opening position to the door opening / closing position in step S17. At this time, the connecting means 57 installs the lid 32 on the FOUP 7 and operates the door clamp.

The clamping unit 45 releases the fixation of the FOUP 7 and the load port 4. In step S18 the load carriage drive unit 85 moves the loading table 24 and the FOUP 7 to the container carrying position .

[Features of the load port of the present embodiment]

The load port 4 of the present embodiment has the following features.

In the load port 4 of the present embodiment, after the FOUP 7 is loaded on the loading table 24 on which the FOUP 7 is loaded, the FOUP 7 is moved from the loading position to the first O- Toward the door portion 51 from the end face of the door portion 51 on the FOUP 7 side facing the second O-ring 44 to the container retreat position with the FOUP 7 at a predetermined distance The FOUP 7 is advanced. This makes it possible to prevent the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 from coming into contact with each other when the FOUP 7 is moved toward the door portion 51 until it abuts against the first O-ring 43. [ Therefore, even if the FOUP 7 or the door portion 51 is tilted by the contact, it is possible to prevent the seal between the base 21 and the FOUP 7 or the door portion 51 from being released.

In the load port 4 of the present embodiment, after the closed space Sd is filled with the nitrogen gas, the FOUP 7 is advanced from the container retreat position toward the door portion 51. Thus, the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 are brought close to each other, and the lid body 32 is unlocked from the FOUP 7 by the suction portion 56 of the door portion 51, So that the lid body 32 can be removed.

In the load port 4 of the present embodiment, the lid body 32 is in contact with the door portion 51 at the container advancing position in which the FOUP 7 is advanced. This makes it possible to reliably release the lid body 32 from the FOUP 7 by the suction portion 56 of the door portion 51 and to release the lid body 32 from the FOUP 7 Do. Even if the door portion 51 is tilted so that the seal between the door portion 51 and the second O-ring 44 is released by the contact of the door portion 51 with the lid body 32, The atmosphere does not enter the transporting space 9 because it is filled with nitrogen gas.

≪ Third Embodiment >

Since the configuration of the load port 4 and the like in the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description is omitted. However, in the first embodiment, the dimension L2 of the second O-ring 44 is larger than the dimension L1 of the first O-ring 43. [ However, the third embodiment shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is different from the first embodiment in that the dimension L1 of the first O-ring 43 is substantially equal to the dimension L2 of the second O-ring 44. Fig.

Hereinafter, the operation of the FOUP 7 and the door portion 51 when the load port 4 of the third embodiment is used will be described. The definition of each position of the FOUP 7, such as the container delivery position and the door closing position, for example, the door closing position, is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

First, in step S21 shown in Fig. 21, a ceiling traveling type unmanned conveying machine (not shown) loads the FOUP 7 at the container conveyance position of the stacking table 24. [

In step S22, the positioning sensor 60 detects whether or not the FOUP 7 is positioned at a proper position of the stage 24. If the FOUP 7 is not properly positioned, it is repeated.

If the FOUP 7 has been appropriately positioned, the process advances to step S23 to retract the door portion 51 from the door closing position to the door retreat position (see FIG. 22). At the same time or after this, or in a delayed manner, the stacking table 24 and the FOUP 7 are advanced from the container delivery position to the container withdrawal position in step S24. The door portion 51 and the lid body 32 can reliably come into contact with the second O-ring 44 while the FOUP 7 is in contact with the first O- Can be prevented. The distance between the door closing position and the door retreat position is preferably 4 mm or less.

At this time, since the closed space Sd is formed, the closed space Sd is filled with nitrogen gas from the atmosphere by the gas injection nozzle 73 and the gas discharge nozzle 74 in step S25.

Next, in Step S26, the loading table 24 and the FOUP 7 are brought close to the door portion 51 from the container loading position. In other words, the loading table 24 and the FOUP 7 are advanced toward the door portion 51. Simultaneously with this, in step S27, the door portion 51 is brought close to the FOUP 7 from the door retreat position. In other words, the door portion 51 is advanced toward the FOUP 7.

By the steps S26 and S27, the lid body 32 and the door portion 51 come into contact with each other as shown in Fig. At this time, even if the lid body 32 and the door portion 51 come into contact with each other, even if the lid body 32 and the door portion 51 come into contact with each other by setting the driving force of the loading carriage 85 and the closing force of the door portion 51 of the door driving portion 86 to be equal, It is possible to prevent either of the body 32 and the door portion 51 from being inclined.

The connecting means 57 disengages the lid body 32 from the FOUP 7 and holds the lid body 32 with the lid body 32 and the door portion 51 in contact with each other.

Then, in step S28, the door driving section 86 moves the door section 51 and the cover body 32 to the door open position. After the completion of the operation in step S28 or in conjunction with the operation, the loading table 24 is advanced toward the door part 51 to move the wafer W to a predetermined position where the wafer W can be taken out. In this state, the wafer transfer apparatus 2 takes out the wafer W from the FOUP 7 and inserts it.

When the removal and insertion of the wafer W is completed, the process proceeds to step S29. The door driving portion 86 moves the door portion 51 from the door opening position to the door opening / closing position in Step S29. At this time, the connecting means 57 installs the lid 32 on the FOUP 7 and operates the door clamp.

The clamp unit 45 releases the fixation of the FOUP 7 and the load port 4. In step S30 the load carriage drive unit 85 moves the loading table 24 and the FOUP 7 to the container carry position .

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, it is to be understood that the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined not only by the description of the above embodiments, but also by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

The load port 4 of the above embodiment is provided in the EFEM 1. [ However, the present invention is not limited to these examples. The present invention is not limited thereto, and may be applied directly to the processing apparatus without passing through the EFEM 1, or a sorter apparatus for exchanging and rearranging the wafers W in the FOUP 7, It can be applied to a stocker apparatus to be stored.

In the above embodiment, the FOUP 7 is exemplarily used as the container, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a MAC (Multi Application Carrier) or a FOSB (Front Opening Shipping Box) used for wafer transfer may be used as a container. Further, in addition to the wafer transportation, the present invention may be applied to a container for transporting an article to be kept in a predetermined environment rather than an outside atmosphere.

In the above embodiment, the wafer W is exemplified as the object to be stored in the container. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a substrate used for an electronic component or a flat panel display, a cell culture container for storing cells, and the like may be housed.

In the above embodiment, nitrogen is used as the gas, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a desired environmental gas such as a dry gas or an argon gas can be used.

In the above embodiment, whether or not the door portion 51 is retracted to the door retreat position is detected by the door position detection sensor 81. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be detected from the driving state of the door driving unit 86, or it may be detected whether or not a predetermined time has passed by the timer.

In the above-described embodiment, whether or not the stacking table 24 has moved to the dock position is detected by the stacking-unit-detection sensor 82. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be detected by a signal of the loading table drive section 85, or may be detected by whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed by the timer.

In the above embodiment, whether or not the closed space Sd is replaced with the nitrogen gas is detected by the atmosphere sensor 83. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be detected whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed by the timer.

The nitrogen gas is ejected from the gas injecting section 70 immediately after the FOUP 7 is loaded on the loading table 24 while the loading table 24 is advanced from the loading opening 24 to the container opening / Respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at the same time, the atmosphere around the door portion 51 may be exhausted from the gas exhaust portion 71.

The material of the first O-ring 43 and the second O-ring 44 is not particularly limited. The sealing member may be an elastic member such as an O ring made of fluorine rubber or silicone rubber, or a sponge made of ethylene propylene rubber such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer). In the case of an O ring made of a fluorine rubber or a silicone rubber, a hollow structure may be used to provide an elastic force. In the case of a hollow structure, the sealing property and the contact position of other members can be adjusted by supplying or discharging gas into the hollow portion.

In the above embodiment, the first O-ring 43 and the second O-ring 44 having a convex cross section are employed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in Fig. 24, a sealing member having a thin plate-like cross section that is gently curved may be used. Thereby, the atmosphere in the closed space Sd is hardly invaded into the transfer space 9, and the outside atmosphere from the FOUP 7 can be prevented from entering the closed space Sd.

In the above embodiment, the first O-ring 43 and the second O-ring 44, which are a star chain, are employed. However, as shown in Fig. 25, it is mounted on the opening edge portion of the base 21, and has one end thereof abutted against the FOUP 7 and the other end abutted against the door portion 51 to seal the sealed space Sd. The O-ring 43 may be employed. At this time, the closed space Sd is formed by the O-ring 43, the lid body 32 and the door portion 51, in which the first O-ring and the second O-ring are integrally formed.

Although the lid body 32 protrudes from the abutment surface 31b of the FOUP 7 toward the rod port 4 in this embodiment, the projecting amount is set to, for example, ± 5 mm with respect to the designed dimension have. The amount by which the lid body 32 protrudes when nitrogen gas is injected into the FOUP 7 is set to about 3 mm.

The mounting and dismounting of the lid body 32 with respect to the FOUP 7 can be carried out by using the door portion 51 with respect to the FOUP 7 in a state in which the door portion 51 holds the lid body 32 51) is moved. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. By moving the loading table 24 and the FOUP 7 to the position shown in Fig. 17 in a state in which the door portion 51 fixes the cover 32 (see Fig. 18) The cover body 32 may be attached to and detached from the FOUP 7. [ It is also possible to move both the mounting table 24 and the door portion 51 to mount and remove the lid 32 with respect to the FOUP 7. That is, by changing the relative distance between the FOUP 7 and the lid 32, the lid 32 can be installed and removed.

The present invention is also applicable to a load port in which the first O-ring 43 and the second O-ring 44 are not provided. In this load port, the configuration other than the configuration in which the first O-ring 43 and the second O-ring 44 are not provided is the same as that in the above embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted. That is, when the door protrudes to the outer space side more than the base surface of the load port as in Patent Document 1 exemplified as the prior art of the present application, or when the pressure in the FOUP rises and part or all of the lid protrudes toward the rod port There is a problem that the door or the FOUP is inclined when the door and the FOUP collide with each other even when the door and the FOUP collide with each other and the door can not be properly operated. However, by applying the present invention, by moving at least one of the door and the FOUP to the retracted position, the distance between the door and the FOUP can be relatively adjusted before the latch operation. Of course, this effect also occurs in the above-described embodiment in which the first O-ring 43 and the second O-ring 44 are provided.

The present invention is also applicable to a load port in which only the first O-ring 43 and the second O-ring 44 are provided.

4: Load port
7: FOUP (container)
9: Return space
21: Base
32:
42: opening
43: first O-ring (first seal member)
44: second O-ring (second seal member)
51: Door part (door)
Sd: sealed space
W: Wafer (receptacle)

Claims (9)

A base constituting a part of the wall isolating the transfer space from the external space,
An opening provided in the base,
A door capable of opening and closing the opening portion, releasing the fixing and securing of the lid body to the container containing the accommodating liquid,
A first seal member for sealing between the base and the container,
And a second seal member for sealing between the base and the door,
Wherein the door is in contact with the second seal member after the container is loaded on the loading table for loading the container, and the end surface of the door on the container side is larger than the contact surface of the door and the second sealing member Wherein the door is retracted from an initial position on the container side in a direction opposite to the container. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the door is in contact with the second seal member at a door retreat position where the door is retracted. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the door is in a door retracted position,
A sealing space is formed by at least the first sealing member, the second sealing member, the cover body, and the door when the container is in contact with the opening through the first sealing member,
And the door is advanced from the retracted position toward the container after the sealed space is filled with the gas. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the door is in contact with the lid body at a door advance position in which the door is advanced. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Wherein the dimension of the second sealing member in the direction in which the door moves forward and backward is larger than the dimension of the first sealing member in the direction in which the door moves forward and backward. A base constituting a part of the wall isolating the transfer space from the external space,
An opening provided in the base,
A door capable of opening and closing the opening portion, releasing the fixing and securing of the lid body to the container containing the accommodating liquid,
A first seal member for sealing between the base and the container,
And a second seal member for sealing between the base and the door,
Wherein the container is mounted on the loading table on which the container is loaded, the container is moved from the loading position such that the container abuts against the first sealing member and abuts against the second sealing member, Wherein the container is moved forward toward the door to a container retracting position with a predetermined gap therebetween. The method according to claim 6,
When the container is in the container retreat position, a sealed space is formed by at least the first sealing member, the second sealing member, the cover body, and the door,
And the container is advanced from the container retreat position toward the door after the sealed space is filled with the gas. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the lid body is in contact with the door at a container advance position in which the container is advanced. 9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8,
Characterized in that the dimension of the first sealing member in the direction in which the container advances and is retracted opposite to the advancing direction is larger than the dimension of the second sealing member in the direction in which the container moves forward and backward, .

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