TW201641387A - Door opening and closing device, transport device, sorter device, and docking method for container - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a door opening and closing device configured so that the sealing properties between a container placed on a placement base and a frame having formed therein an opening through which an object to be transported can be inserted into and extracted from the container, the container and the frame having been brought into close contact with each other, can be effectively increased without depending on a force with which the container is pressed against an elastic material. The door opening and closing device is configured so that: a hollow elastic seal section S is provided in the region of the frame 21, which is near the edge of the opening 21a of the frame 21, so as to surround the opening 21a; and the hollow elastic seal section S in a contracted state (1) is changed to an expanded state (2) while the placement base 23 on which the container 4 is placed is positioned at a predetermined docking position, thereby bringing the hollow elastic seal section S into elastic contact with a seal surface set on the portion of the container body 42, which is located around a lid 43, and thus forming a seal region.

Description

Door opening and closing device, conveying device, sorting device, and connecting method of storage container

The present invention relates to a door opening and closing device disposed adjacent to a transfer chamber, and a method of connecting the transfer chamber, the sorting device, and the storage container including the device.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, in order to improve the yield and quality, the wafer is processed in a clean room. However, today, in order to improve the integration of components, the miniaturization of circuits, and the increase in size of wafers, it is difficult to costly and technically manage small dust in the clean room. Therefore, in recent years, as a result of the improvement of the quietness of the entire clean room, the use of the micro-environment method is carried out to increase the cleanliness of the local space around the wafer. Other means of processing. In a micro-environment type, a container that is a part of the wall surface of the wafer transfer chamber that is slightly closed inside the housing and that accommodates the object to be transported in a high-definition internal space is placed (for example, referred to as FOUP (Front- The storage container of the Opening Unified Pod) is provided with the lid portion opened and closed in a state of being in close contact with the lid portion of the storage container The door opening and closing device of the door is provided adjacent to the transfer chamber.

Such a door opening and closing device is a device for inserting and removing the object to be conveyed between the transfer chamber and functions as an interface between the container and the container. In addition, when the door portion of the door opening and closing device is brought into close contact with the lid portion provided on the front surface of the storage container, and the door portion and the lid portion are simultaneously opened, the transport robot provided in the transfer chamber will be configured. The conveyed object in the storage container is taken out into the transfer chamber, or the conveyed object is stored in the storage container through the door opening and closing device from the transfer chamber.

In recent years, in order to prevent particles, moisture, and the like from adhering to the surface of the object to be conveyed such as a wafer, it is required to maintain a high degree of cleanness in the periphery of the object to be transported. In addition, the surface of the object to be conveyed is changed to a nitrogen atmosphere as an inert gas or a vacuum state in order to prevent the surface property from being changed by oxidizing the surface of the object to be conveyed.

In order to appropriately maintain the environment around the object to be conveyed, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, it is proposed to use the following door opening and closing device, that is, to provide a storage container (for example, the aforementioned FOUP) that can be sealed. A door opening and closing device that can clean the function of an ambient gas such as nitrogen or dry air.

In addition, a gas which has been purified by a chemical filter or the like is introduced into the interior of the wafer transfer chamber to provide a clean environment with high purity, and there is no adhesion of particles or the like on the surface of the object to be transported during transport. The resulting pollution is generated. Moreover, similarly to the storage container, the inside of the transfer chamber was also considered to be a dry nitrogen atmosphere. And, in addition to dry nitrogen, It is also considered to be a gas environment in which appropriate special gases (hereinafter collectively referred to as [ambient gases]) can be used in response to the handling of the objects to be transported.

[Advanced technical literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-49382

In the case of the above-described configuration, it is necessary to ensure the opening and the storage container in a state in which the internal space of the transfer chamber which is a predetermined gas atmosphere and the internal space of the storage container are communicated with each other through the opening of the door opening and closing device. Good sealing. When it is not possible to ensure the good sealing property of the opening and the storage container, the ambient gas in the transfer chamber, the environmental gas in the storage container, and the like may flow out to the outside of the transfer chamber or the door opening and closing device (loading device). In the case of such a situation, a structure in which a large amount of ambient gas is supplied to the transfer chamber, the storage container, or the like can be considered.

However, with such a configuration, even if it is possible to appropriately maintain the environment in the management transfer room, the storage container, or the like, a large amount of environmental gas is required, and the cost required for the gas is inevitably increased. In addition, if it is not possible to ensure good sealing of the opening and the storage container, and the environment gas in the transfer chamber or the environmental gas in the storage container flows out to the outside of the transfer chamber or the storage container, the environment may be based on the environment. The type of gas causes the deterioration of the working environment to occur.

Therefore, the applicant of the present invention has proposed and applied for a structure in which a frame (plate-like portion) constituting one of the wall surfaces of the transfer chamber is formed with a loading port (door opening and closing device) for opening the opening in the transfer chamber, along The periphery of the opening is provided with a structure of an elastic material composed of, for example, an O-ring (Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-017819). According to this configuration, the elastic member can be elastically brought into contact with the storage container by moving the storage container placed on the mounting table together with the mounting table toward the frame. Moreover, the applicant of the present application also mentions that the storage container can be used in a state in which the engaging piece is engaged with a part of the storage container (the crotch portion provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion) in the above-mentioned patent application. The mechanism in which the engaging piece is pulled toward the frame side together improves the adhesion between the storage container and the elastic material.

Moreover, the loading 埠 (door opening and closing device) proposed by the applicant of the present invention is applied, and even when the elastic material composed of, for example, an O-ring is elastically contacted with the storage container, it is conceivable that the flexibility of the elastic material is poor. In the case where the shape of the surface of the elastic material is deformed unevenly. The reason for this is that a slight unevenness gap or the like is generated between the elastic material and the storage container. In addition, when the storage container is strongly pressed against the elastic material to increase the sealing performance by the pulling force of the drawing mechanism, the pressing force of the storage container against the elastic material causes sealing. Performance will be uneven.

The present invention has been developed in view of such problems, and a main object thereof is to provide a storage container that can be efficiently placed on a mounting table and formed without depending on a pressing force of a storage container to an elastic material. Frame that allows the conveyed object to be placed in the storage container The door opening and closing device capable of improving the quality of the conveyed object and the door can be provided in such a manner as to prevent the ambient gas supplied to the storage container, the inside of the transfer chamber, and the like from flowing out to the outside. A transfer device or a sorting device such as an EFEM of an opening and closing device, and a method of connecting the storage containers.

In other words, the door opening and closing device is provided adjacent to the transfer chamber, and is configured to store the object between the storage container and the transfer chamber in which the object to be transported can be accommodated in the internal space of the container body. In and out. Here, examples of the object to be conveyed of the present invention include a wafer, an optical net, a liquid crystal substrate, a glass substrate, a culture plate, a culture container, a plate, and a petri dish. In other words, the present invention is applied to a transfer technique of a transfer object that is stored in a container in various fields such as semiconductor, liquid crystal, and cell culture. In addition, the [transport room] of the present invention refers to a chamber for transporting the object to be transported. For example, if the object to be transported is a wafer, the transfer chamber is a [wafer transfer chamber].

Moreover, the door opening and closing device according to the present invention is characterized in that the frame is provided with a plate-like frame which is a part of a wall surface constituting the transfer chamber and has an opening for opening the transfer chamber, and a door portion which is openable and closable And a mounting table for placing the storage container in a direction in which the lid portion of the inner space of the container body can be opened and closed, and moving the frame forward and backward; and a hollow elastic sealing portion, the hollow elastic The seal is open in the frame The opening edge of the mouth or the vicinity of the opening edge is provided as a surrounding opening, and a state change is possible between the contracted state and the expanded state, and the predetermined portion of the storage container placed on the mounting table approaches the opening. In the state of the connection position, the hollow elastic sealing portion is changed into the expanded state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion is elastically brought into contact with the sealing surface of the container body which is set at the peripheral portion of the lid portion to form a sealing region.

The present invention also includes a structure in which the opening edge of the opening of the hollow elastic sealing portion in the frame is disposed so as to surround the opening, and the hollow elastic sealing portion is disposed around the opening edge of the opening in the frame to surround The structure of the opening. Further, in the state in which the mounting table is positioned at a predetermined connection position where the lid portion approaches the opening, the lid portion may be set to approach and the opening is not reached. Further, in the state where the mounting table is positioned at a predetermined connection position where the lid portion approaches the opening, the lid portion may be set to approach and reach the opening. In other words, the connection position of the mounting table can be appropriately set in accordance with the specifications such as the size and type of the storage container, or the arrangement position of the hollow elastic sealing portion. Further, the hollow elastic sealing portion of the present invention means that the structure having the elastic sealing portion itself is a hollow structure. Further, [the opening for opening the transfer room] means [the opening formed in the frame in order to open the space partitioned by the frame].

According to the door opening and closing device of the present invention, the hollow elastic sealing portion which is originally in the contracted state is changed into the expanded state in a state where the mounting table is positioned at the predetermined connection position, and the storage container is set in the cover portion. The sealing surface of the surrounding part, opening the opening in the frame The vicinity of the rim or opening edge is disposed such that the hollow resilient seal surrounding the opening elastically contacts to form a sealed region. Therefore, the container and the frame can be brought into close contact with each other via the sealing area surrounding the opening formed in the frame. Further, according to the present invention, by sealing the gap between the frame and the container body in a sealed region, that is, a region that can communicate with the outside of the container and the outside of the transfer chamber, the environment outside the container can be removed. Gas) interrupts the inside of the storage container.

Further, in the present invention, the sealing surface is formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic sealing portion which is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state to the sealing surface of the container body which is set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion. Therefore, the sealing property (sealing property) of the sealing region can be made higher than that of the sealing region formed by pressing the sealing member of the storage container body against the elastic material having poor flexibility such as an O-ring.

According to the door opening and closing device of the present invention, even when the ambient gas is supplied to the storage container or the transfer chamber, the ambient gas can be prevented from the gap between the frame and the container body toward the outside of the storage container. The outflow of the outside of the transfer room occurs. Moreover, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of a situation in which air or the like flows into the storage container or the inside of the storage container through the sealed region. As a result, the quality of the object to be conveyed can be improved.

When the hollow elastic sealing portion is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state in the storage container positioned on the mounting table at the connection position, the storage container is pressed against the force separating from the frame. Due to the pressing force, the storage container moves in the direction of separation from the frame, or The possibility of tilting from the direction in which the frame is separated. When such a situation occurs, the particles in the storage container may be fluttered, and the position of the object to be conveyed stored in the storage container may be shifted.

In order to prevent or suppress the occurrence of such a defect, the door opening and closing device of the present invention further includes a movement restricting portion that moves in a direction in which the storage container that is positioned on the mounting table positioned at the connection position is moved away from the frame. The restriction state and the storage container that allows the positioning table positioned at the connection position are switched between the movement permission states in the direction in which the frame is separated from the frame. Further, after the positioning stage is positioned at the connection position, the movement restricting portion is switched from the movement permitting state to the movement restricting state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state is changed while maintaining the movement restricting state. In the expanded state, the following effects can be achieved. In other words, in the storage container positioned on the mounting table at the connection position, the hollow elastic sealing portion is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state, and even if the storage container is pressed in the direction separating from the frame, the force may be applied. The movement restricting portion in the movement restricting state prevents or suppresses movement, tilting, and the like of the storage container. As a result, it is possible to prevent the storage container positioned on the mounting table at the connection position from moving or tilting in the direction in which the frame is separated from the frame, and the particles in the storage container may be scattered, and the position of the object to be conveyed may be displaced.

In addition, when the movement restricting portion is switched from the movement permission state to the movement restriction state, the time is after [the time after the positioning of the mounting table is positioned at the connection position], and [the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state is changed to The expansion state] can be before. For example, it may be the following structure, that is, Immediately after positioning the mounting table at the connection position, the movement restricting portion is switched from the movement permission state to the movement restriction state. Moreover, the movement restricting unit may be switched from the movement permission state to the movement restriction state after a predetermined time has elapsed after the placement table is positioned at the connection position.

In a preferred embodiment of the movement restricting portion of the present invention, the movement restricting portion includes: an engaging piece that can be engaged with a crotch portion of a peripheral portion of the lid portion of the container body; and the engagement The pull-in portion that moves toward the frame side in a state where the sheet is engaged with the crotch portion. In such a movement restricting portion, the operation of pulling the crotch portion of the container body that is engaged with the engaging piece toward the frame side can improve the peripheral portion of the container body that is set in the container body by the hollow elastic sealing portion. The tightness of the sealing surface (increasing the adhesion area). As a result, it is possible to ensure a better sealing property in the sealing area.

In addition, the [flap portion] of the present invention means [the crotch portion provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body]. In addition, the [sealing surface] of the present invention means [the sealing surface provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the storage container body]. Here, in the storage container main body, the crotch portion is provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion, that is, the sealing surface is set on the surface of the crotch portion opposite to the hollow elastic sealing portion. In the structure of the container body, the crotch portion is provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion, that is, the sealing surface is set in a portion of the periphery of the lid portion of the container body and different from the crotch portion. .

In the present invention, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the movement restricting portions are respectively disposed in the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end on both sides of the slightly rectangular opening. With such a structure, when the pair is positioned at the joint position When the hollow elastic sealing portion is inflated and adhered to each other in the storage container on the mounting table, it is possible to prevent the storage container from moving or tilting in the direction of separation from the frame with a higher probability.

The hollow elastic sealing portion of the present invention may be changed in state between a contracted state and an expanded state. For example, it is suitable to form an expanded state by increasing the pressure of the hollow portion by the fluid supplied to the hollow portion, and to form a hollow state in the contracted state by discharging the supplied fluid from the hollow portion to lower the pressure of the hollow portion. In the case of the elastic sealing portion (referred to as an inflate seal), the supply pressure is formed as a sealing surface pressure, and a good sealing energy supply can be exhibited. By applying such a hollow elastic sealing portion, the hollow portion itself is inflated to apply a surface pressure to the sealing surface of the container body, and it is possible to immediately follow the sealing region even if the sealing surface changes due to vibration or the like. In the following description, the door opening and closing device described above is referred to as the "first door opening and closing device of the present invention".

Moreover, the door opening and closing device of the present invention is provided adjacent to the transfer chamber, and is used for inserting and removing the object to be transported between the storage container and the transfer chamber in which the object to be transported in the internal space of the container body is provided, and includes: a frame, the frame is a part of a wall surface constituting the transfer chamber; the door portion is openable and closable, the opening is formed in the frame for opening a space partitioned by the frame; the mounting table is at the mounting table The frame is formed in such a position that the lid portion of the inner space of the container body can be opened and closed in a direction in which the door portion faces, and the storage container can be placed; a hollow elastic sealing portion which is disposed around the opening edge or the opening edge of the opening in the frame to surround the opening, and is changeable between a contracted state and an expanded state, and the storage container is placed When the lid portion of the storage container approaches the predetermined connection position on the mounting table of the opening, the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state is changed into the expanded state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion is elastically brought into contact with the container body to be set in the cover. The sealing surface of the surrounding portion of the portion forms a sealed region.

In the following description, the door opening and closing device of this invention is referred to as [the second door opening and closing device of the present invention] for convenience of explanation.

The second door opening and closing device of the present invention is different from the first door opening and closing device of the present invention in the following points. In other words, the frame is a part of the wall surface constituting the transfer chamber, and an opening for opening a space partitioned by the frame is formed, and is not limited to a plate-shaped one, and the mounting table is in the frame. In the case where the lid portion of the inner space of the container body can be opened and closed so as to face the door portion, the position of the storage container can be placed, and the condition that the frame can be moved forward and backward is not required. And the second door of the present invention is in a state in which the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state in a state where the storage container is placed at a predetermined connection position on the mounting table of the storage container close to the opening. The opening and closing device is different from the first door opening and closing device of the present invention in this point, but the other configurations are the same.

Further, in the second door opening and closing device of the present invention, the following configuration may be employed, that is, [in order to open a space partitioned by the frame The opening of the frame is an opening formed in a part of the frame, that is, the mounting table.

According to the second door opening and closing device of the present invention, the hollow elastic sealing portion which is originally in a contracted state is changed in a state in which the storage container is placed on a predetermined connection position formed on the mounting table of the frame. In an expanded state, a sealing surface set in a peripheral portion of the lid portion of the container body is disposed such that an opening edge or an opening portion of the opening in the frame is elastically contacted by a hollow elastic sealing portion surrounding the opening to form a seal. region. Therefore, the container and the frame can be brought into close contact with each other via the sealing area surrounding the opening formed in the frame. Further, according to the present invention, the gap between the frame and the container body in the sealed region, that is, the region in which the container can communicate with the outside and the region in which the transfer chamber can communicate with the outside can be sealed from the outside of the container. The environment (outside air) blocks the inside of the storage container.

Further, in the second door opening and closing device of the present invention, the sealing surface which is set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the container main body is changed to the elastic state of the hollow elastic sealing portion which is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state. Contact to form a sealed area. Therefore, the sealing property (sealing property) of the sealing region can be made higher than that of the sealing region formed by pressing the sealing member of the storage container body against the elastic material having poor flexibility such as an O-ring.

Further, in the second door opening and closing device of the present invention, the storage container in which the internal space of the container body in which the lid portion is sealed is opened downward is applied, and the sealing surface of the container body is provided. The downward facing surface of the container body is defined, and the hollow elastic sealing portion elastically contacts the sealing surface of the container body from below. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state is in contact with the storage container body at a time point when the storage container is placed on a predetermined connection position formed on the mounting table of a part of the frame. Sealing surface. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state does not contact the sealing surface of the container body when the storage container is placed on the predetermined connection position on the mounting table. In any configuration, the hollow elastic sealing portion is elastically contacted with the sealing surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the container body to form a seal by changing the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state to the expanded state. The area is fine.

In the same manner as the first door opening and closing device of the present invention, it is possible to prevent and suppress the flow of ambient gas from the gap between the frame and the container body to the outside of the storage container and the transfer chamber. A situation such as an external situation, air or the like is generated from the outside through the sealed region, into the storage container, in the transfer chamber, and the like. As a result, the quality of the object to be conveyed can be improved.

When the hollow elastic sealing portion is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state in the storage container at the connection position placed on the mounting table, the storage container is pressed against the force separating from the frame. Due to the pressing force, there is a possibility that the storage container moves in a direction separating from the frame or in a direction separating from the frame. In such a case, the door opening and closing device further includes a movement restricting portion that restricts movement of the storage container positioned to be positioned at the connection position in a direction separating from the frame. The state and the allowable state in which the storage container that is positioned at the joint position is allowed to move in the direction in which it is separated from the frame can be switched. Moreover, after the storage container is placed at the connection position, the movement restricting portion is switched from the movement permitting state to the movement restricting state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state is maintained while maintaining the movement restricting state. It can be changed to an expanded state. The installation location, the number, and the like of the movement restricting portion can be appropriately selected.

Further, the conveying apparatus of the present invention includes: a transfer chamber; a door opening and closing device having the above-described configuration provided on a wall surface of the transfer chamber; and a storage container provided in the transfer chamber and on the mounting table of the door opening and closing device A transfer robot that can carry in and take out the conveyed object from the transfer room.

Further, the sorting apparatus according to the present invention includes: a transfer chamber; a plurality of door opening and closing devices having the above-described configuration provided on a wall surface of the transfer chamber; and a plurality of door opening and closing devices placed in the transfer chamber and placed on at least a plurality of doors The storage container on which the storage container is placed and taken out between the storage containers on the mounting table of the apparatus can be transported.

In the case of such a conveying device, a sorting device, or the like, the above-described operational effects can be obtained by providing the door opening and closing device having the above configuration. Moreover, in an environment in which the adhesion between the frame of the door opening and closing device and the storage container is improved, the conveyance robot can ideally perform the insertion and removal processing of the conveyed object.

Moreover, the method of connecting the storage container according to the present invention is a method of connecting the storage container using the first door opening and closing device of the present invention, and is characterized in that a sealing process is performed, and the sealing process is performed by After the mounting table having the storage container moves to a predetermined connection position where the lid portion approaches the opening, the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state is changed into an expanded state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion is elastically brought into contact with the lid portion of the container body. The sealing surface of the surrounding portion forms a sealed area.

In the case of the connection method of the storage container, the above-described effect can be obtained by a sealing process in which the sealing surface is placed on the mounting container on the mounting table that has moved to the predetermined connection position. The sealing process is formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic sealing portion which is changed into the expanded state to form a sealed region. By using such a connection method of the storage container, the gap between the opening of the frame and the container body, that is, the internal space of the storage container can be sealed from the gap between the outside of the storage container and the outside of the transfer chamber. Moreover, it is possible to ensure good airtightness when the internal space of the storage container placed on the mounting table is communicated with the internal space of the transfer chamber. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ambient gas supplied into the storage container, the inside of the transfer chamber, and the like from flowing out to the outside, and the air or the like from flowing into the outside, and it is possible to reduce the supply amount of the ambient gas to be used, and to improve the quality of the object to be transported.

Moreover, the method of connecting the storage container according to the present invention is a method of connecting the storage container using the second door opening and closing device of the present invention, and is characterized in that a sealing process is performed by placing the storage container thereon. After the lid portion approaches the predetermined connection position on the mounting table of the opening, the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state is changed into an expanded state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion is elastically brought into contact with the seal set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion of the container body. The surface forms a sealed area.

In the case of the connection method of the storage container, the above-described sealing effect can be obtained by performing the following sealing treatment, which is a storage container placed at a predetermined connection position on the mounting table, and the sealing surface is The sealing process is formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic sealing portion which is changed into the expanded state to form a sealed region. By using such a connection method of the storage container, the gap between the opening of the frame and the container body, that is, the internal space of the storage container can be sealed from the gap between the outside of the storage container and the outside of the transfer chamber. Moreover, it is possible to ensure good airtightness when the internal space of the storage container placed on the mounting table is communicated with the internal space of the transfer chamber. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ambient gas supplied into the storage container, the inside of the transfer chamber, and the like from flowing out to the outside, and the air or the like from flowing into the outside, and it is possible to reduce the supply amount of the ambient gas to be used, and to improve the quality of the object to be transported.

The present invention is configured such that a sealing surface set in the vicinity of the periphery of the lid portion in the container body is formed such that an opening edge of the opening in the frame or a region near the opening edge is elastically contacted by the hollow elastic sealing portion surrounding the opening to form a seal. region. In the present invention, the storage container that is positioned on the mounting table at the predetermined connection position can elastically contact the hollow elastic sealing portion that has changed from the contracted state to the expanded state. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively improve the pressing force of the storage container depending on the elastic material, and it is possible to prevent and suppress the use of the ambient gas in the storage container or in the transfer chamber. Ambient gas from the frame and storage container A door opening and closing device that provides a door opening and closing device that improves the quality of the conveyed object when the gap between the bodies flows out to the outside of the storage container or the outside of the transfer chamber, or when external air or the like flows into the storage container or the transfer chamber. A transfer device or a sorting device such as an EFEM of such a door opening and closing device, and a method of connecting the storage containers.

1‧‧‧Transporting device (EFEM)

2‧‧‧door opening and closing device

21‧‧‧Frame

21a‧‧‧ Opening

22‧‧‧ Doors

23‧‧‧ mounting table

3‧‧‧Transport room

31‧‧‧Transporting robot

4‧‧‧ storage container

4S‧‧‧ Interior space of the storage container

45‧‧‧锷

L‧‧‧Mobile Restriction Department

L1‧‧‧ clips

L2‧‧‧ Pull-in Department

S‧‧‧ hollow elastic seal

S1‧‧‧ Hollow

W‧‧‧Transported

Fig. 1 is a side view schematically showing a relative positional relationship between an EFEM having a door opening and closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a peripheral device thereof.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the door opening and closing device of the embodiment omitted.

Figure 3 is an end view of the x direction of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end view of the y direction of Figure 2.

Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the same manner as the door opening and closing device of the embodiment in which the storage container on the mounting table is separated from the frame and the door portion is in the fully closed position.

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 showing a state in which the mounting table is positioned at the joint position and the door portion is at the fully closed position.

Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 showing a state in which the door portion is in the moving direction switching position.

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 showing a state in which the door portion is in the fully open position.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the entire window unit of the same embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a view showing a part of Fig. 6 enlarged and schematically showing a time point at which the hollow elastic sealing portion is in a contracted state.

Fig. 11 is a view showing a time point when the hollow elastic sealing portion is in an expanded state, corresponding to Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a view showing a time point at which the hollow elastic sealing portion in an expanded state elastically contacts the sealing surface, corresponding to Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a schematic view showing the movement restricting portion at the end of the storage container holding process from the side of the storage container and its periphery.

Fig. 14 is a view schematically showing a plan view of a predetermined height position of the door opening and closing device at the end of the storage container sealing process.

Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing the operational sequence of the EFEM of the present embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a flow chart showing the operational sequence of the EFEM of the present embodiment.

Fig. 17 is a view showing a door opening and closing device according to a modification of the embodiment, corresponding to Fig. 6.

Fig. 18 is a view showing a door opening and closing device according to a modification of another embodiment, corresponding to Fig. 5;

Fig. 19 is a view showing a door opening and closing device according to another modification of the embodiment, corresponding to Fig. 7;

Fig. 20 is a view showing a door opening and closing device according to a modification corresponding to Fig. 8;

Fig. 21 is a view showing a door opening and closing device according to another modification of the door opening and closing device of the embodiment, corresponding to Fig. 8;

Fig. 22 is a side view schematically showing a relative positional relationship between a door opening and closing device according to another embodiment of the present invention and a peripheral device thereof.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment is used, for example, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor, and as shown in FIG. 1, a part of the wall surface of the transfer chamber 3 is formed in the clean room, and is used between the transfer chamber 3 and the storage container 4. The device for loading and unloading the transported object W. In the following, the door opening and closing device 2 is a part of the equipment front end module (EFEM) (Equipment Front End Module) 1 constituting the conveying device of the present invention, and the storage container 4 (for example, FOUP) and the transfer chamber 3 are described. A state in which the wafer to be transported W is placed and taken out between the wafer transfer chambers. In addition, the size of the wafer processed by EFEM is standardized as the SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) rule, but from the viewpoint of productivity improvement, as the wafer is drilled, it has been The migration of wafers having a diameter of 300 (radius 150) mm to a diameter of 450 (radius 225) mm to a diameter of 500 (radius of 250 mm) is advanced.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment includes a plate-like frame that is formed as a part of the wall surface 3A of the transfer chamber 3 and that opens the opening 21a of the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3. 21; a door portion 22 for opening and closing the opening 21a of the frame 21; and a mounting table 23 provided on the frame 21 in a substantially horizontal posture. Here, it is used to open the transfer room 3 The opening 21a of the internal space 3S is formed in the opening of the frame 21 in order to open the space defined by the frame 21, that is, the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3. 2 and 3 show a state in which the outer cover 20 (see FIG. 2) provided below the mounting table 23 shown in FIG. 1 is removed to expose a part of the internal structure.

The frame 21 is disposed in a standing posture, and has a substantially rectangular plate shape that can open the opening 21a of a size that communicates with the carry-in/out port 41 of the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23. The door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment can be used in a state in which the frame 21 is in close contact with the transfer chamber 3. Further, at the lower end of the frame 21, a leg portion 24 having a caster and a set leg is provided. In the present embodiment, the following frame 21 is applied to: a pillar 211 standing on both sides; a frame body 212 supported by the pillars 211; and a window unit 214 attached to the window portion 213, the window portion 213 being The frame body 212 is opened in a slightly rectangular shape.

The window unit 214 is provided at a position facing the lid portion 22 of the storage container 4, and the opening 215 provided in the window unit 214 corresponds to the opening 21a formed in the frame 21 of the present invention.

Here, the substantially rectangular shape referred to in the present embodiment has a shape in which a rectangle having four sides has a basic shape and four corners are arc-shaped and smoothly connected. Further, although not shown, a gasket formed of a rectangular frame-shaped elastic material is provided in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the surface (front surface) on the side of the transfer chamber in the frame main body 212, and the gasket is brought into contact with the transfer chamber 3 In the vicinity of the edge portion where the opening of the frame 21 is mounted, the gap between the frame main body 212 and the transfer chamber is eliminated, and the gap between the gas transmission frame body 212 and the transfer chamber 3 is suppressed from being moved. The internal space 3S of the delivery chamber 3 leaks to the outside.

The mounting table 23 of the door opening and closing device 2 is disposed on the upper portion of the horizontal base 25 (supporting table). The horizontal base 25 is disposed at a position slightly above the center of the frame 21 in the higher-order direction in a slightly horizontal posture. The mounting table 23 is such that the lid portion 43 of the internal space 4S of the container main body 42 can be opened and closed in a direction in which the door portion 22 faces each other, and the storage container 4 can be placed. Further, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the mounting table 23 is configured such that the cover portion 43 of the storage container 4 approaches a predetermined connection position (see FIG. 6) of the opening 21a of the frame 21, and the cover is closed. The portion 43 is separated from the frame 21 by a predetermined distance (see FIG. 5), and the frame 21 can be moved forward and backward. As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting table 23 has a plurality of protrusions 231 that protrude upward, and the projections 231 are engaged with holes (not shown) formed in the bottom surface of the storage container 4 to accommodate the mounting table 23. The container 4 is positioned. In addition, in the mounted state of the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23, the bottom surface of the storage container 4 is in contact with the upper surface of the mounting table 23, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. However, in actuality, the plurality of positioning projections 231 projecting from the upper surface of the mounting table 23 are engaged with the bottomed holes formed in the bottom surface of the storage container 4 to support the storage container 4, and the upper surface of the mounting table 23 is The bottom surfaces of the storage containers 4 are not in contact with each other, and are defined such that a predetermined gap is formed between the upper surface of the mounting table 23 and the bottom surface of the storage container 4. Further, a lock claw 232 for fixing the storage container 4 to the mounting table 23 is provided. By locking the locking claw 232 to a locked portion (not shown) provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 4 and fixing it, the positioning protrusion 231 can be coordinated to guide the storage container 4 to The correct position on the stage 23 and fixed. Moreover, the state in which the storage container 4 can be separated from the mounting table 23 can be made by releasing the locked state of the lock portion provided in the bottom surface of the storage container 4 by the lock claw 232.

In the present embodiment, the frame 21 side is defined as the front side, and the storage container 4 side is defined in the front-rear direction D (see FIG. 1 and the like) in which the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23 of the loading cassette is placed in the front-rear direction D (see FIG. 1 and the like). Defined as the rear.

The door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of nozzles 261 at predetermined positions on the mounting table 23. The nozzles 261 are configured to have an environment in which a suitable gas such as nitrogen gas, an inert gas, or a dry gas is injected into the storage container 4 from the bottom surface side of the storage container 4 (also referred to as an ambient gas). The gas for rinsing, mainly using nitrogen gas or dry gas, can replace the gas atmosphere in the storage container 4 with the bottom rinsing portion 26 of the ambient gas. However, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the nozzles 261 provided on the mounting table 23 are used as nozzles constituting one of the pressure adjusting portions 6 to be described later. The plurality of nozzles 261 are originally functional as a bottom flushing injection nozzle for injecting ambient gas into the storage container 4, and a bottom flushing discharge nozzle for discharging the gas atmosphere in the storage container 4, for example, The pairing method is provided at a position separated in the width direction of the mounting table 23. Further, the plurality of nozzles 261 are coupled to each other in a state of being fitted to the injection port and the discharge port (both not shown) provided at the bottom of the storage container 4. Each nozzle 261 (bottom flushing injection nozzle, bottom flushing discharge nozzle) or injection port and discharge port is a valve function that restricts gas backflow. Each nozzle 261 (bottom rinse The fitting portion of the injection nozzle and the bottom rinse discharge nozzle and the injection port and the discharge port of the storage container 4 are formed in a sealed state by a gasket or the like provided in the nozzle 261. In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, when the storage container 4 is not placed on the mounting table 23, each nozzle 261 (bottom flushing injection nozzle, bottom flushing discharge nozzle) is positioned at the load. The position above the upper side of the table 23 is lowered. When it is detected that the pressed portion such as the pressure sensor provided on the mounting table 23 is pressed by the bottom surface portion of the storage container 4, each nozzle 261 is caused by the signal from the control unit 2C (bottom flushing injection) The nozzle and the bottom flushing discharge nozzle are moved in upward and are connected to the injection port and the discharge port of the storage container 4, respectively.

The door portion 22 includes a coupling mechanism 221 (see FIG. 4), and the door portion 22 is coupled to the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4, and the lid connection state in which the lid portion 43 is detachable from the storage container main body 42 is released. When the lid portion 43 is connected to the state in which the lid portion 43 is attached to the storage container main body 42 and the lid connection is released, the lid portion 43 can be switched. The door portion 22 is held in a state in which the lid portion 43 is integrated by the coupling mechanism 221, and is movable along a predetermined movement path. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 , the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment has the door portion 22 configured to close the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 by the lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22 . The closed position (C) and the fully open position (O) that separates the lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22 from the container body 42 and opens the inner space 4S of the container body 42 toward the front in the transfer chamber 3 It can be moved between. In the present embodiment, the posture of the door portion 22 positioned at the fully open position (O) as shown in FIG. 8 is set to be positioned at the fully closed position as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The door portion 22 of the (C) has the same posture in the upright posture, and is set to move in a state in which the standing position is maintained between the fully open position (O) and the fully closed position (C). That is, the moving path of the door portion 22 between the fully open position (O) and the fully closed position (C) is directed to the transfer chamber 3 by the door portion 22 at the fully closed position (C) maintaining the position of its height position. The side moving path (horizontal path) and the path 22 (vertical path) in which the door portion 22 in the fully open position (O) is moved to the upper side while maintaining the position of the front and rear positions is crossed, and the horizontal path intersects the vertical path. At this point, the moving direction of the door portion 22 is switched from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction or from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction. At the point where the horizontal path intersects the vertical path, the door portion 22 is positioned at the moving direction switching position (P) as shown in FIG. As can be seen from the same figure, the door portion 22 positioned at the moving direction switching position (P) is movable in either of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and is positioned at the door portion 22 of the moving direction switching position (P). The lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 is positioned closer to the front side than the frame 21 together with the door portion 22 (the position is completely separated from the storage container main body 42 and disposed at the position of the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3). In particular, as will be described later, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment includes the processing chamber 5. Therefore, the movement between the fully closed position (C) of the door portion 22 and the moving direction switching position (P) is performed in the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5. Further, the door portion 22 configured to move between the fully closed position (C) and the fully open position (O) via the moving direction switching position (P) does not interfere with the processing chamber 5.

Such movement of the door portion 22 is achieved by the door moving mechanism 27 provided in the door opening and closing device 2. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the door moving mechanism 27 includes a support frame 271 that supports the door portion 22; The support portion 272 is a movable block 273 that supports the support frame 271 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction D; a slide rail 274 that supports the movable block 273 so as to be movable in the vertical direction H; and a horizontal path for the door portion 22 to follow A drive source (for example, an actuator (not shown)) that moves in the front-rear direction D and moves in the vertical direction H along the vertical path. By giving a drive command to the actuator from the control unit 2C, the door portion 22 is moved in the front-rear direction D and the vertical direction H. Further, the actuators for moving forward and backward and the actuator for moving up and down may be provided, and the movable actuator may be used as a drive source to move forward and backward and to move up and down.

The support frame 271 is for supporting the lower portion of the rear portion of the door portion 22. The support frame 271 is formed in a slightly crank shape that protrudes toward the outer side (the mounting table 23 side) of the transfer chamber 3 by the slit-like insertion hole 21b formed in the frame 21, and extends downward. The slide support portion 272, the movable block 273, and the slide rail 274 for supporting the support frame 271 are also disposed closer to the mounting table 23 than the frame 21, that is, outside the transfer chamber 3. The sliding support portion 272, the movable block 273, and the slide rail 274 are formed as sliding portions when the door portion 22 is moved. In the present embodiment, by arranging the members on the outer side of the transfer chamber 3, when the door portion 22 is moved, even if the particles are accidentally generated, the insertion hole 21b is set to a minute slit. In the shape, it is possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of a situation in which the particles enter the transfer chamber 3. Further, a cover 28 for covering the outside of the transfer chamber 3 in the door moving mechanism 27, a portion, and the like, specifically, a part of the support frame 271, the slide support portion 272, the movable block 273, and the slide are provided. Rail 274. Thereby, it is set that the ambient gas in the transfer chamber 3 does not pass through. The aforementioned insertion hole 21b of the frame 21 flows out to the outside of the EFEM 1.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 to 8, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment includes a processing chamber 5 which is disposed closer to the transfer chamber 3 than the opening 21a of the frame 21. . In the processing chamber 5, the storage container 4 in a state in which the inner space is opened by the door portion 22 can be shielded from the front side of the storage container 4. Further, in Fig. 1, the entire processing chamber 5 is shown by a hidden line (dashed line), and in Figs. 5 to 8 showing a side cross section of the door opening and closing device 2, the processing is schematically shown in a side view instead of the side cross section. Room 5 overall. Further, the processing chamber 5 is omitted in FIGS. 2 to 4.

The processing chamber 5 is provided at a position facing the loading/unloading port 41 of the storage container 4 and the opening 21a of the frame 21. Further, in the present embodiment, when the door portion 22 is moved to the fully open position (O) and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 released by the sealed state of the lid portion 43 is opened forward, the processing chamber 5 The space in which the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 communicates is blocked at least in the front-rear direction. That is, the space in which the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 communicates can be restricted to the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5. The processing chamber 5 is a standing wall 51 having a slightly larger opening size than the opening 21a formed in the frame 21, a pair of right and left side walls 52 extending from both side edges of the standing wall 51 toward the frame 21 side, and a standing from the side The upper wall and the lower edge of the wall 51 are integrally or integrally provided with the upper wall 53 and the bottom wall 54 which extend toward the side of the frame 21, respectively. Further, when the inner space 5S of the processing chamber 5 is positioned at the fully closed position (C), the walls 51, 52, 53, 54 of the processing chamber 5 and the frame 21 and the door portion 22 are provided. A confined or slightly enclosed space. Also, moving the door portion 22 to the fully open position (O) In addition, the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 is a sealed or slightly sealed space that communicates with the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 via the opening 21a of the loading/unloading inlet 41 and the frame 21.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the processing chamber 5 is configured such that the opening 21a of the frame 21 is covered from the transfer chamber 3 side by a chamber moving mechanism (not shown) (see FIGS. 5 to 8). The internal space 4S of the storage container 4 that can be connected to the opening 21a can be opened to move between the indoor space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 and open to a room avoidance position (not shown) of the internal space MS of the processing apparatus M. The chamber moving mechanism includes, for example, a cylinder for horizontally driving the processing chamber 5, a rail portion for guiding the horizontal operation of the processing chamber 5, a cylinder for driving the processing chamber 5 to be lifted and lowered, and a lifting operation of the guiding processing chamber 5. The guide rail. In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the door portion 22 and the processing chamber 5 are movably set independently of each other. Further, an opening portion, a slit, or the like (not shown) through which the respective members can pass is formed in the bottom wall 54 of the processing chamber 5. Thereby, when the door portion 22 is moved in a state where the processing chamber 5 is set to the shielding position, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a situation in which the door portion 22, the door moving mechanism 27, and the like interfere with the processing chamber 5.

In the present embodiment, the processing chamber 5 is provided, that is, a gas supply nozzle 55 for supplying an ambient gas such as nitrogen gas into the processing chamber 5, and an ambient gas filled in the processing chamber 5 is discharged to the processing chamber. The gas discharge nozzle 56 outside the 5th. The indoor flushing process of supplying the ambient gas into the processing chamber 5 from the gas supply nozzle 55 provided in the upper wall 53 of the processing chamber 5 can be performed. When the indoor flushing process is performed, the gas is discharged from the processing chamber 5 from the gas discharge nozzle 56 provided in the bottom wall 54 of the processing chamber 5. Gas ambient gas. In other words, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment is configured to discharge the gas such as the ambient air having a low degree of cleanness other than the air or the air filled in the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 through the gas discharge nozzle 56. Outside the chamber 5, the ambient gas supplied from the gas supply nozzle 55 can be filled into the processing chamber 5 at a high concentration. Further, the gas supply nozzle 55 and the gas discharge nozzle 56 have a valve function of restricting gas backflow.

Further, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment includes a pressure adjusting unit 6 that uses the other path different from the opening 21a formed in the frame 21 to open the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 and the storage container 4. The internal spaces 4S are in communication with each other.

The pressure adjusting unit 6 of the present embodiment includes a gas discharge unit 61 that discharges the ambient gas supplied to the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 to the outside of the processing chamber 5, and introduces an environmental gas into the internal space 4S of the storage container 4. The gas introduction portion 63 and the gas exhaust passage 62 disposed between the gas discharge portion 61 and the gas introduction portion 63. The upstream end of the gas exhaust passage 62 is coupled to the gas discharge portion 61. The downstream end of the gas exhaust passage 62 is coupled to the gas introduction portion 63. Through such a gas exhaust passage 62, the ambient gas discharged from the processing chamber 5 can be introduced into the storage container 4. In the present embodiment, the gas discharge portion 61 is constituted by the gas discharge nozzle 56 provided in the bottom wall 54 of the processing chamber 5. Moreover, the gas introduction portion 63 is constituted by a bottom flushing injection nozzle provided in the nozzle 261 of the mounting table 23. Here, the following aspects are exemplified in FIGS. 5 to 8, that is, the mounting table 23 is provided at a position separated in the front-rear direction D. Among the plurality of nozzles 261, the nozzle 261 on the side of the frame 21 functions as a gas introduction portion 63. Further, the pressure adjusting unit 6 of the present embodiment constitutes the gas exhaust path 62 by an exhaust pipe that connects the upstream end to the gas discharge nozzle 56. Further, the downstream end of the exhaust pipe 62 is coupled to a nozzle 261 that functions as the gas introduction portion 63.

As shown schematically in FIGS. 6 to 8, a predetermined portion between the upstream end and the downstream end of the exhaust pipe 62 constituting the pressure adjusting member 8 penetrates the frame 21 in the thickness direction (front-rear direction) or penetrates the horizontal direction in the height direction. The base 25 and the mounting table 23. Further, an appropriate sealing process is performed on the portions of the frame 21, the horizontal base 25, and the mounting pipe 23 through which the exhaust pipe 62 passes. Thereby, it is possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of a decrease in the sealing property due to the gap of the penetration portion. Further, in the present embodiment, the exhaust pipe 62 having excellent flexibility or stretchability (including a corrugated form) which can follow the movement of the processing chamber 5 and the movement of the mounting table 23 is applied. The fitting portion of the exhaust pipe 62 that is fitted into the gas discharge nozzle 56 and the gas introduction nozzle 63 is sealed by a gasket or the like.

As shown in FIG. 9, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment includes a hollow elastic sealing portion S provided near the periphery of the opening 42 and a storage container 4 that restricts positioning on the mounting table 23 at the connection position. The movement restricting portion L that moves in the direction (rear) from which the frame 21 is separated. In the present embodiment, the hollow elastic sealing portion S and the movement restricting portion L are unitized as the window unit 214.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 9, the window unit 214 is provided with a substantially rectangular opening 215 formed in a central portion and has a frame shape. a sash portion 216; a hollow elastic sealing portion S; and a movement restricting portion L.

The sash portion 216 is provided at a position facing the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 . In the sash portion 216, an opening 215 having an opening size which is set to be slightly larger than the outer portion (outer size) of the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 is formed. Through the opening 215, the lid portion 43 in the state held by the door portion 22 can be moved toward the inside of the transfer chamber 3.

The hollow elastic sealing portion S is disposed to surround the opening 21a in the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening 21a in the frame 21. In the present embodiment in which the window unit 214 is attached to the frame 21, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is provided around the opening 215 in the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening 215 in the sash portion 216. More specifically, in the front surface 216A of the sash portion 216, the front surface 42B of the container main body 42 is opposed to a sealing surface (a surface of the storage container main body 42 which is set on the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43) which will be described later. The hollow elastic sealing portion S is mounted around the ground. The hollow elastic sealing portion S disposed so as to surround the opening 215 in the vicinity of the opening edge of the rectangular opening 215 is a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from the side of the storage container 4 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the hollow elastic sealing portion S can be roughly divided into the upper side portion SA disposed near the upper edge of the opening of the opening 215, the lower side portion SB disposed near the lower edge of the opening of the opening 215, and the side edges of the opening respectively disposed at the opening 215. Side portion SC. The hollow elastic sealing portion S of the present embodiment having a rectangular shape having the four side portions SA, SB, and SC as a basic shape has a shape in which the four corners are rounded and connected by a circular arc.

Further, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is in a contracted state (1) and inflated A state change can be made between the bulging states (2). As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 , the hollow elastic sealing portion S of the present embodiment includes an annular hollow portion S1 that is hollow inside and that surrounds the opening 21 a as a whole, and a fluid passage that communicates with the inside of the hollow portion S1 . S2 (flow hole in the example of the figure). The hollow elastic sealing portion S is formed in an expanded state by increasing the pressure of the hollow portion S1 by the fluid supplied through the fluid passage S2. Further, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is formed into a contracted state by discharging the supplied fluid from the hollow portion S1 through the fluid passage S2 and lowering the pressure of the hollow portion S1. That is, in the present embodiment, the expansion seal is applied as the hollow elastic seal portion S. The hollow elastic sealing portion S includes one hollow portion S1 and a fluid passage S2.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, a hollow elastic sealing groove (a concave portion in which the hollow portion S1 is fitted in FIG. 10) is formed on the back surface 216A of the sash portion 216, and the hollow elastic sealing groove is formed in a cross section. It is concave to surround the opening edge of the opening 215. Here, the hollow elastic sealing groove is tightly mounted in a state in which the hollow portion S1 is inserted. Further, the hollow portion S1 is attached so as not to be detached from the hollow elastic seal mounting groove by an appropriate means such as an adhesive or a bolt. In this mounted state, only a predetermined portion of the hollow portion S1 on the side of the frame 21 is housed in the hollow elastic seal mounting groove, and the other portion (predetermined portion on the side of the storage container 4) is not accommodated by the hollow elastic seal mounting groove. It is exposed to the outside of the hollow elastic sealing installation groove.

Further, when the hollow elastic sealing portion S is in the contracted state (1) shown in FIG. 10, the fluid passage S2 that communicates with the hollow portion S1 is transmitted. The fluid is supplied from the predetermined gas supply portion to the hollow portion S1 to raise the pressure. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is formed in an expanded state (2) in which the portion of the hollow portion S1 exposed to the outside of the hollow elastic sealing groove is expanded toward the storage container 4 side (rear). Further, in Fig. 11, the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23 positioned at a predetermined connection position is displayed on an imaginary line. Further, in the same figure, the expanded state (2) of the hollow elastic sealing portion S under the condition that no contact with the container 4 is generated is schematically shown.

Further, as shown in Fig. 12, the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23 positioned at the predetermined connection position is elastically contacted by the hollow elastic sealing portion S which is changed from the contracted state (1) to the expanded state (2). Time point. As shown in the figure, the hollow portion S1 in the expanded state (2) is elastically contacted to the front surface 42B of the container body 42 placed on the mounting table 23 positioned at the predetermined connection position. In other words, in the present embodiment, the front surface 42B of the container body 42 in which the hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically contacted in the storage container 4 is set as a sealing surface. Further, by bringing the hollow elastic sealing portion S into elastic contact with the sealing surface, a good sealing region can be formed.

In the present embodiment, even when the hollow elastic sealing portion S is in the contracted state (1), a part of the hollow portion S1 is exposed outside the hollow elastic sealing groove. However, as will be described later, the sealing surface of the storage container 4 (the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42) placed on the mounting table 23 positioned at the predetermined connection position is set to be close to the hollow state in the contracted state (1). The extent to which the elastic sealing portion S abuts. Moreover, the fluid supplied to the hollow portion S1 can use the ambient gas supplied into the transfer chamber 3 The body is supplied to the atmosphere or the like in the storage container 4.

In the present embodiment, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the expanded state (2) is configured to vacuum-suck the inside of the hollow portion S1 through the fluid passage S2, thereby changing the hollow elastic sealing portion S from the expanded state (2) to The contracted state (1) as shown in FIG. Specifically, the ambient gas supply path S3 that supplies the ambient gas to the hollow portion S1 is connected to the upstream end of the fluid passage S2, and the gas supply switching switch S4 is provided in the ambient gas supply path S3. Further, a vacuum path S5 for vacuum suction of the hollow portion S1 is connected to the ambient gas supply path S3, and a gas exhaust switch S6 is provided for the vacuum path S5. Each of the switches S4 and S6 can be constituted by, for example, an on-off valve (switching valve). By switching the open/close states of the switches S4 and S6 as appropriate, the hollow elastic seal portion S can be changed between the contracted state (1) and the expanded state (2).

Further, in FIGS. 5 to 8, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is schematically shown by a mark which is blackened in a slightly elliptical shape. 6 to 8, the front surface (sealing surface) of the container body 42 is in contact with the frame 21 (window unit 214), but actually, the sealing surface of the container body 42 is not attached to the frame 21 (window unit 214). contact. As described above, the sealing surface of the container body 42 is in contact with the frame 21 (window unit 214) via the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the expanded state (2).

The movement restricting portion L is a movement restricting state (3) for restricting the movement of the storage container 4 positioned on the mounting table 23 positioned at the connection position in the direction (rear) separated from the frame 21, and a mounting table 23 that is allowed to be positioned at the connection position. The movement capacity of the storage container 4 moving in the direction away from the frame 21 Switching between the states (4) is possible. In other words, the movement restricting portion L can hold the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23 positioned at the predetermined connection position by the movement restriction state (3).

As shown in FIG. 9 and the like, the movement restricting portion L of the present embodiment includes an engagement piece L1 that can be engaged with the crotch portion 45 provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42. The pull-in portion L2 that moves toward the frame 21 side in a state in which the engagement piece L1 is engaged with the crotch portion 45 is engaged. Such a movement restricting portion L functions as a jig that holds the crotch portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 in a state of being held between the engagement piece L1 and the frame 21. In the present embodiment, the window unit 214 is provided in the frame 21. Therefore, the movement restricting portion L has a function of holding the crotch portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 between the engagement piece L1 and the sash portion 216 of the window unit 214.

The pull-in portion L2 is provided on the shaft L3 that is provided in a posture penetrating through the hole portion formed in the sash portion 216 and that can move forward and backward in the front-rear direction D, and on the side of the base end portion of the shaft L3 for advancing and retracting the shaft L3. The moving cylinder L4 is used as a main body. On the outer circumference of the shaft L3, a guide groove L3a (see FIG. 9) which is twisted by 90° in the axial direction is formed. Further, a guide pin (not shown) fixed to the side of the sash portion 216 is formed in a state in which the guide groove L3a is inserted from the radial direction of the shaft L3. Thereby, with the advancing and retracting action of the shaft L3, the guide groove L3a guides the guide pin so that the entire axis L3 is rotated by 90° about the center of the shaft.

The cylinder L4 is disposed in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3. In the present embodiment in which the processing chamber 5 is disposed in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, the pressure cylinder L4 is disposed in the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5. The end portion of the front end portion of the cylinder L3 is held in the front end region of the cylinder L4. The outer side of the chamber L is a position rearward of the rearmost surface 21A of the frame 21 (on the side of the storage container 4) (see FIGS. 2 and 9). The cylinder L4 is supported by a cylinder support portion L5 fixed to the sash portion 216.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, the engaging piece L1 has a shape in which the base end L1a is attached to the tip end of the shaft L3, and is oriented outward from the base end L1a in the radial direction of the shaft L3 (the direction separated from the axis L3 axis center). The shape in which the front end 51b is extended. Further, the cylinder L3 is moved by a predetermined distance from the predetermined reference position to the direction (rear) from which the transfer chamber 3 is separated by the pressure cylinder L4. Then, the engaging piece L1 moves in the same direction as the axis L3 and the entire front end L1b is formed as a non-facing posture that does not face the storage container 4 in the front-rear direction D (in FIG. 13, as a non-facing posture) In one example, the posture in which the front end L1b of the engagement piece L1 faces upward is displayed on the imaginary line. Further, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent other members from being caught in the engagement piece L1, an appropriate cover L6 may be provided around the engagement piece L1.

In addition, the shaft L3 that moves rearward until the engagement piece L1 is formed in a non-facing posture moves (pushes) a predetermined distance toward the transfer chamber 3 side (front). Then, the engagement piece L1 is moved in the same direction as the axis L3 and the predetermined area including the front end L1b is formed to face the storage container 4 in the front-rear direction D (in FIG. 13, as an example of the facing posture, The posture in which the front end L1b of the engagement piece L1 faces in the horizontal direction is displayed in a solid line).

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the mounting piece 23 on which the storage container 4 is placed can be brought close to the opening 21a, 215 by the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 by the engagement piece L1 being in a non-facing posture. The connection position is closer to the predetermined distance from the transfer chamber 3 than the connection position Move between positions. In other words, the movement restricting portion L is formed in the movement permission state (4) by making the engagement piece L1 a non-facing posture.

In the state in which the engagement piece L1 is placed in the non-facing posture, the movement control unit L moves the attachment table 23 at the non-coupling position to the connection position in the state in which the storage container 4 is placed. The engaging piece L1 in the non-facing posture is moved in the direction of being pulled to the side of the transfer chamber 3 together with the shaft L3, and is changed from the non-facing posture to the facing posture. Then, the engagement piece L1 can be engaged with the crotch portion 45 that protrudes outward on the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42. By pulling the shaft L3 toward the transfer chamber 3 side, the engagement state between the engagement piece L1 and the crotch portion 45 of the storage container 4 can be maintained, and the engagement piece L1 can be moved toward the transfer chamber 3 side (front). Being pulled in. As a result, the crotch portion 45 of the storage container 4 is held in the state in which the engagement piece L1 and the frame 21 are held, and the storage container 4 positioned on the mounting table 23 at the connection position can be restricted from moving in the direction separating from the frame 21. In other words, the movement restricting portion L changes the engagement piece L1 from the non-facing posture to the facing posture, and pulls the engagement piece L1 toward the frame 21 side by the pulled-in portion L2, thereby forming the movement restriction state. (3).

In the present embodiment, the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 is set so as to approach the rear surface 21A of the frame 21 at a time interval in which the mounting table 23 is positioned at a predetermined connection position (the rear surface 216A of the sash portion 216) ). Further, even when the movement restricting portion L is switched from the movement permitting state (4) to the movement restricting state (3), the front surface 42B of the container main body 42 and the rear surface 21A of the frame 21 (the rear surface 216A of the sash portion 216) A gap of a predetermined size is ensured between.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment arranges the movement restricting portions L in the vicinity of the upper end and the lower end of both sides of the opening 21a which is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in the frame 21. A total of 4 parts. Specifically, in the sash portion 216 of the window unit 214, both sides of the opening 215 having a substantially rectangular shape are formed, and the movement restricting portion L is disposed in a total of four places separated in the vertical direction.

The door opening and closing device 2 configured as described above performs a predetermined operation by giving a drive command to each unit from the control unit 2C. In the EFEM 1 of the present embodiment, the door opening and closing device 2 is arranged in a plurality of (for example, three) rows on one wall surface 3A of the transfer chamber 3. As described above, in the front-rear direction D in which the storage container 4 and the frame 21 are arranged, the frame 21 side is defined as the front side and the storage container 4 side is defined as the rear embodiment, and the door opening and closing device can be disposed in the transfer chamber 3 The wall 3A of 2 is regarded as the back side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the EFEM 1 is mainly composed of a door opening and closing device 2 (loading port) and a transfer chamber 3 which are provided at positions adjacent to each other in a common clean room. The actuation of the EFEM 1 is controlled by the controller of the door opening and closing device 2 (the control unit 2C shown in FIG. 2) and the controller of the entire EFEM 1 (the control unit 3C shown in FIG. 1).

In the transfer chamber 3, a wall surface 3B facing the wall surface 3A (back surface) of the door opening and closing device 2 is disposed adjacent to, for example, a processing device M (semiconductor processing device). In the clean room, the internal space MS of the processing apparatus M, the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 placed on the door opening and closing device 2 are maintained at high purity. In addition, with The space in which the door opening and closing device 2 is placed, in other words, the outside of the processing device M and the outside of the EFEM 1 is a low low degree of cleanness. In addition, FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing the relative positional relationship between the door opening and closing device 2 and the transfer chamber 3, and the relative positional relationship between the EFEM 1 and the processing device M including the door opening and closing device 2 and the transfer chamber 3.

The processing apparatus M includes a load lock chamber that is disposed at a position relatively close to the transfer chamber 3, and a processing device body that is relatively distant from the transfer chamber 3. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, in the front-rear direction D of the EFEM 1, the door opening and closing device 2, the transfer chamber 3, and the processing device M are disposed in close contact with each other in this order. Furthermore, the operation of the processing device M is controlled by the controller of the processing device M (the control unit MC shown in Fig. 1). Here, the control unit 3C, which is the controller of the entire control unit M, that is, the control unit MC and the EFEM1, is the upper controller of the control unit 2C of the door opening and closing device 2.

The transport chamber 3 is a transport robot 31 that can transport the wafer W as the transported object W between the storage container 4 and the processing device M in the internal space 3S. The transport robot 31 is provided with, for example, a plurality of link members that are horizontally reciprocally coupled to each other, and a hand arm provided at the front end portion; and an arm space that rotatably supports the base end portion of the arm and toward the transfer chamber The traveling portion that travels in the width direction of 3 (the parallel direction of the door opening and closing device 2) can change the shape of the link structure between the folded state in which the arm length is formed to be the smallest and the extended state in which the arm length is longer than in the folded state ( Multi-joint structure). Further, the EFEM of one or both of the buffer station and the collimator may be disposed on the side surface of the transfer chamber 3.

In the transfer chamber 3, the door opening and closing device 2 and the processing device M are connected, and the internal space 3S is slightly sealed. In the transfer chamber 3, the gas supply port and the gas discharge port (not shown) are used to perform the rinsing treatment by the ambient gas, whereby the concentration of the ambient gas can be increased. Moreover, the fan filter unit 32 is provided in the upper part of the wafer transfer chamber 3, gas is sent downward, and the gas is suctioned from the chemical filter provided in the lower part. The attracted gas system is returned to the upper fan filter unit 32 via the circulation conduit 32. Thereby, the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 forms a downward flow of the airflow from the upper side toward the lower side. Therefore, the gas in the transfer chamber 3 is circulated and maintained in a clean state. In addition, even if there are particles that contaminate the surface of the wafer W in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, the particles can be pressed downward by the downward flow, and the adhesion of the particles to the wafer W being transported can be suppressed. surface. Fig. 1 schematically shows the flow of gas by the fan filter unit 32 with arrows.

In the present embodiment in which the processing chamber 5 is disposed in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 having a high ambient gas concentration, the rinsing treatment (indoor rinsing treatment) of the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 can be controlled to the environment. The rinsing of the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 by the gas is performed simultaneously or individually. In other words, the gas supply nozzle 55 provided in the upper wall 53 of the processing chamber 5 may be a nozzle that supplies the environmental gas supplied from the gas supply source dedicated to the indoor flushing process to the processing chamber 5, or may be supplied. The ambient gas in the transfer chamber 3 is directly supplied to the nozzles in the processing chamber 5.

In the present embodiment, the FOUP is applied as the storage container 4. The storage container 4 of the present embodiment includes a storage container main body 42 that can open only the internal space 4S through the carry-in/out port 41 formed on the front surface (the surface on the side of the frame 21), and the storage container 41 can be opened and closed. Cover portion 43. In the storage container 4, a plurality of pieces of the object W, that is, the wafer W, are stored in the vertical direction H in a plurality of stages, and the wafer W can be placed and taken out through the carry-in/out port 41. Know the storage container.

The storage container body 42 integrally has a back wall, a pair of right and left side walls, an upper wall, and a bottom wall. The internal space 4S surrounded by the respective walls is provided with a scaffolding portion 421 (wafer placing portion) capable of carrying the object W in a plurality of stages and at a predetermined pitch. The boundary portion between the walls constituting the container body 42 is formed into a gently curved shape. Further, a flange portion that is held by a storage container transport device (for example, OHT: Over Head Transport) or the like is provided at a central portion of the upper wall toward the upper surface. At the front end portion of the storage container main body 42, a crotch portion 45 that protrudes upward and on both sides from the other portions is provided. That is, the crotch portion 45 is provided in a portion around the region where the lid portion 43 is disposed in the storage container body 42. In the present embodiment, the engagement portion L1 of the movement restriction portion L is engaged with the crotch portion 45.

The lid portion 43 is placed on the mounting table 23 of the door opening and closing device 2, and faces the door portion 22 of the door opening and closing device 2, and is formed in a plate shape. The height dimension of the lid portion 43 is set to be substantially equal to the height dimension of the surface of the door portion 22 that can be in close contact with the lid portion 43. Further, in FIG. 5 and the like, the lid portion 43 which is set to have a height dimension slightly larger than the height of the surface of the door portion 22 which can be in close contact with the lid portion 43 is schematically shown. In the cover portion 43, there is provided The lid portion 43 is locked to a latch portion (not shown) that houses the container body 42. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14, the holder 44 is provided in the inward surface 431 of the cover part 43. The holder 44 may be integrally or integrally provided with the lid portion 43. However, if it is detachably provided in the lid portion 43, the holder 44 may be replaced only by replacing the holder 44. Moreover, the number of holders for holding one wafer may be singular or plural, and the shape of the holder 44 may be appropriately changed. Such a holder 44 is provided on the inward surface 431 of the lid portion 43 (specifically, the concave portion 432 formed on the inward surface 431), and the holder 44 is a wafer W that has been accommodated in the storage container 4. It is held while being elastically deformed from the inward surface 431 side of the lid portion 43, and functions as a wafer pressing member. Thereby, the storage position of each of the objects to be transported W in the storage container 4 can be positioned, and the conveyed object W such as a thin and fragile wafer can be prevented from being damaged. In a state in which the carry-in/out port 41 is closed by the lid portion 43, a predetermined portion (both sides of the inward surface 431 in the illustrated example) that is in contact with or close to the container body 42 in the inward surface 431 is provided with a gasket. 433. Further, the inner surface 431 of the lid portion 43 is elastically deformed by preferentially contacting the container body 42 with respect to the inner surface 431 of the lid portion 43, so that the inner space 4S of the storage container 4 can be completely sealed. Further, the processing chamber 5 is omitted in FIG.

The door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment performs a predetermined operation by giving a drive command to each unit from the control unit 2C. In the present embodiment, the control unit 2C included in the door opening and closing device 2 is configured to give a drive command to each unit. The control unit 2C is configured to include a memory unit, a ROM, a RAM, an I/O port, a CPU, and an external display device (not shown). The input/output interface (IF) for inputting and outputting data between the two is shown; and a bus bar that connects these components to each other and transmits information between the parts. In the memory unit, the control sequence is memorized in accordance with the type of processing to be performed by the door opening and closing device 2. That is, in the memory unit, a predetermined action program for each part of the device is stored.

As described above, the program of the present embodiment is stored as an executable program on a non-transitory computer readable recording medium (hard disk, etc.). The ROM is composed of a hard disk, an EEPROM, a flash memory, or the like, and memorizes a recording medium such as an operation program of the CPU. The RAM functions as a workpiece area of the CPU or the like. The I/O system outputs, for example, a control signal output from the CPU to each part of the device, or supplies information from the sensor to the CPU. The CPU system constitutes a hub of the control unit 2C, and executes an operation program stored in the ROM. The CPU controls the operation of the door opening and closing device along the program stored in the memory unit. Referring to Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 showing the operation flow of EFEM 1, the content of the program stored in the memory unit will be described together with the method and function of the EFEM 1 having the door opening and closing device 2.

First, the storage container 4 is transported to the door opening and closing by a storage container transport device such as an OHT that is moved along a line (moving line) on a straight line in which the common wall surface 3A of the door opening and closing device 2 is disposed in the transfer chamber 3 The upper portion of the device 2 is placed on the mounting table 23. At this time, for example, the positioning projections 231 provided on the mounting table 23 are fitted into the positioning recesses of the storage container 4. Moreover, the control unit 2C locks the lock claw 232 on the mounting table 23 (lock processing St1). Specifically, the mounting table 23 is placed on a locked portion (not shown) provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 4 The locking claw 232 is hooked and fixed to be in a locked state. Thereby, the storage container 4 can be placed on a predetermined normal position on the mounting table 23 and fixed. In the present embodiment, the mounting table 23 of the three door opening and closing devices 2 in the width direction of the transfer chamber 3 is arranged and placed, and the storage container 4 can be placed. Further, it is also possible to detect a position sensor (not shown) that detects whether or not the storage container 4 is placed at a predetermined position on the mounting table 23, and detects a normal position on which the storage container 4 is placed on the mounting table 23.

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C moves the mounting table 23 at the position shown in FIG. 5 to the connection position shown in FIG. 6 (connection processing St2). In other words, the mounting table 23 at the position shown in FIG. 5 is advanced toward the frame 21, and the front surface of the storage container 4 (the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 and the outer surface 434 of the lid portion 43 which are formed to be the same surface) The proximity [the outermost surface 21A of the frame in which the periphery of the opening 21a in the frame 21 is closest to the container body 42] is close to a predetermined distance. Until the connection processing St2 is executed, the movement restricting portion L is maintained in the movement permission state (4) in which the engagement piece L1 is made to be in a non-facing posture. Further, until the joining process St2 is performed, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is maintained in the contracted state (1). Further, the surface indicated by the reference numeral 21B in FIG. 5 and the like is the front end of the frame 21 in the frame 21 at the periphery of the opening 21a (the opening 215 of the sash portion 216) which is the farthest from the storage container body 42.

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C holds at least two sides of the storage container 4 using the movement restricting portion L and then performs the following operations. Fixed processing (storage container holding process St3). Specifically In other words, the engaging piece L1 is pulled toward the frame 21 side by the drawing portion L2 of the movement restricting portion L. Then, the engagement piece L1 is switched from the non-facing posture to the facing posture, and is formed in a state of being engaged with the crotch portion 45 of the storage container body 42. In this state, the crotch portion 45 of the storage container 4 positioned on the mounting table 23 at the connection position can be between the engagement piece L1 of the movement restricting portion L and the rearmost surface 21A of the frame (the rear surface 216A of the sash portion 216). Be held hostage. In other words, the storage container holding process St3 can be achieved by the process of switching the movement restricting unit L from the movement allowance state (4) to the movement restriction state (3).

Further, when the movement restricting portion L is switched from the movement permission state (4) to the movement restriction state (3), the time point after the positioning of the mounting table 23 at the connection position is made and the contraction state is made (1) The hollow elastic sealing portion S may be changed to the expanded state (2) before. Therefore, the movement restricting portion L may be switched from the movement permitting state (4) to the movement restricting state (3) immediately after the mounting table 23 is positioned at the coupling position. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the movement restricting portion L is switched from the movement permission state (4) to the movement restriction state (3) after a predetermined time has elapsed after the placement table 23 is positioned at the connection position.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state (1) is set to approach the front surface 42B of the container body 42 at the time when the storage container holding process St3 is completed. In other words, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state (1) is not in contact with the front surface 42B of the container body 42 (see FIG. 10) at the time when the storage container holding process St3 is completed.

Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the door opening and closing device 2 is implemented. The lower processing (sealing process St4), that is, the control unit 2C changes the state of the hollow elastic sealing portion S that has been set to the contracted state (1) to the expanded state (2) at the time point when the storage container holding process St3 is completed, and is formed in the expanded state (2). The process of blocking the gap between the storage container 4 and the frame 21 in the vicinity of the opening 21a of the frame 21 (the opening 215 of the sash portion 216). That is, the gas supply changeover switch S4 that is in the off state until the sealing process St4 is implemented is switched to the open state, and the gas exhaust gas changeover switch S6 that is in the open state until the sealing process St4 is implemented is switched to the closed state. Then, the fluid is supplied from the predetermined gas supply source to the hollow portion S1 through the fluid passage S2 (circulation hole) that communicates with the hollow portion S1. Thereby, the pressure in the hollow portion S1 can be increased, and the hollow portion S1 can be changed from the contracted state shown in FIG. 10 to the expanded state shown in FIG. 12 which is expanded toward the rear (the storage container 4 side). As a result, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically brought into contact with the front surface 42B of the container body 42 which is set as the sealing surface in the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23 positioned at the connection position. By the sealing treatment St4, the supply pressure acting on the hollow elastic sealing portion S elastically contacting the front surface 42B of the container body 42 becomes a sealing surface pressure, and a good sealing region is formed.

In the present embodiment, the portion in which the hollow elastic sealing portion S elastically contacts is the portion of the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 that surrounds the loading/unloading inlet 41 of the storage container 4 in accordance with the sealing treatment St4. More specifically, according to the sealing process St4, the portion of the upper side portion SA of the hollow elastic sealing portion S and the side edge portions SC (see FIG. 9) are elastically connected to the vicinity of the loading/unloading port 41 of the storage container 4 In the storage container The front face of the crotch portion 45 of the front end portion of the body 42. Further, the crotch portion 45 is provided to protrude upward and both sides of the front end portion of the storage container main body 42. That is, the crotch portion that protrudes downward at the front end portion of the container body 42 is not provided. Therefore, the lower side portion SB of the hollow elastic sealing portion S is the front surface of the lower end side of the front end portion of the container body 42 by the sealing process St4.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the front surface 42B of the storage container main body 42 is used as a sealing surface, and the sealing surface, the hollow portion S1 of the hollow elastic sealing portion S itself is inflated, and the surface pressure can be imparted. As a result, even if the sealing surface is changed by vibration or the like, it is possible to ensure that the sealing area can be immediately followed.

The sealing treatment St4 is performed to change the hollow elastic sealing portion S into the expanded state (2), and the force pressed in the direction separating from the frame 21 acts on the storage container 4. However, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the storage container holding process St3 can maintain the state in which the storage container 4 positioned on the mounting table 23 at the connection position is fixed by the movement restricting portion L. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the storage container 4 pressed against the hollow elastic sealing portion S moves or tilts in a direction in which it is separated from the frame 21. In the present embodiment, in particular, the movement restricting portion L is disposed in a total of four places in the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end of the openings 21a and 215 which are formed in a substantially rectangular shape. In the storage container 4 positioned on the mounting table 23 at the connection position, a total of four portions in the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end on both sides of the front end portion of the container main body 42 can be fixed by the respective movement restricting portions L.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the sealing process is continued St4, the control unit 2C switches the connection mechanism 221 to the lid connection state (the lid connection processing St5. By this processing, the lid portion 43 can be coupled to the door portion 22 that is previously waiting at the fully closed position (C) by the connection mechanism 221 and In addition, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment is placed in the state in which the storage container 4 is placed on the mounting table 23 in a state in which the lid portion 43 is removed from the container body 42. At the time of the position, the control unit 2C detects that the bottom surface portion of the storage container 4 presses the pressed portion of the pressure sensor provided on the mounting table 23, and the control unit 2C gives the nozzle provided on the mounting table 23 261 (including all the nozzles 261 of the nozzles functioning as the gas introduction portion 63) drive commands (signals) that are moved upward and upward toward the upper surface of the mounting table 23. As a result, the nozzles 261 are connected to the storage container 4, respectively. The injection port and the discharge port are formed in a state in which the rinsing treatment can be performed in the storage container 4.

Next, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes the indoor flushing process St6 for supplying the ambient gas into the processing chamber 5. In the indoor flushing process St6, the ambient gas supplied from a suitable ambient gas supply source is injected into the processing chamber 5 from the gas supply nozzle 55 provided in the upper wall 53 of the processing chamber 5, and the inside of the processing chamber 5 is replaced with an environment. Gas treatment. By performing such an indoor flushing process St6, the gaseous ambient gas in the processing chamber 5 can be discharged from the gas discharge nozzle 56 (gas discharge portion 61) provided in the bottom wall 54 of the processing chamber 5. The gas atmosphere (exhaust gas) to be discharged from the nozzle is connected to the storage container by a nozzle 261 that is connected to the downstream end of the exhaust pipe 62 and is provided as a gas introduction portion 63 through a nozzle 261 provided in the mounting table 23 4 internal space 4S. Take this The internal space 4S of the nano container 4 is filled with the same ambient gas as the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5, and the pressure of the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 becomes equal to the pressure of the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5.

In the present embodiment, the indoor flushing process St6 is performed in a state where the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is sealed, and then the following pressure adjustment process St7 is performed, that is, the processing chamber from which the flushing process St6 is performed is performed. In the internal space 5S of the fifth space, the pressure in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is introduced into the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 by the pressure adjusting unit 6 which is different from the opening 21a, and the pressure in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is changed. The pressure adjustment process St7 is equal to the pressure of the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5. In the execution of the pressure adjustment process St7, the nozzle 261 is connected to the exhaust pipe 62 that is connected to the discharge port of the storage container 4 and is not connected to the discharge pipe 6 of the storage container 4 (the bottom flushing discharge is used for the bottom). The nozzles) discharge the gaseous ambient gas of the storage container 4, and the gaseous ambient gas is an ambient gas having a low degree of cleanness other than air or air from the start of the pressure adjustment process until a predetermined time. After the predetermined time, the ambient gas filled in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 passes through a suitable exhaust passage (not shown), and is exhausted to a suitable space that does not communicate with the inside of the storage container 4 and the transfer chamber 3. By this, the environmental gas supplied from the nozzle 261 functioning as the gas introduction part 63 can be filled in the storage container 4 at a high concentration. By performing such a pressure adjustment process St7, the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 can be filled with the ambient gas, and the water concentration and the oxygen concentration in the storage container 4 can be reduced to a predetermined value or less, respectively, and the object to be transported in the storage container 4 can be transported. W The surrounding environment is used as a low humidity environment and a low oxygen environment. Therefore, the pressure adjustment process St7 can also be regarded as a process of replacing the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 with an environmental gas (flushing treatment in the storage container).

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C performs the following process (the container closing process St8), that is, the lid portion 43 is moved together with the door portion 22, and the frame 21 is opened. The opening 21a and the carry-in/out port 41 of the storage container 4 release the process of sealing the inside of the storage container 4. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the control unit 2C causes the door portion 22 to move along the horizontal level from the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 toward the transfer chamber 3 side by the door moving mechanism 27 from the fully closed position (C). The path moves by a predetermined distance. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the control unit 2C positions the door portion 22 that has reached the moving direction switching position (P) by a predetermined distance along the vertical path to be positioned at the fully open position (O). When the storage container sealing release process St8 is executed, the pressure adjustment process St7 causes the pressure difference between the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 to disappear. The process of moving the door portion 22 toward the internal space 5S side of the processing chamber 5 is performed smoothly and appropriately. In addition, since the storage container sealing release processing St8 is a process of opening the inside of the storage container 4, it may be referred to as [storage container opening process].

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes the following processing (chamber avoidance processing St9), that is, moves the processing chamber 5 from the shielding position to the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 that communicates with the opening 21a. It is possible to face the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 and further toward the processing device M. The processing of the internal space MS open room avoidance position (not shown). Thereby, the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 and the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 are not shielded by the processing chamber 5, and are formed in a state of being in communication with each other. Further, after the indoor flushing process St6 is executed, the following processing sequence may be employed, that is, the door portion 22 is moved from the fully closed position (C) to the moving direction switching position (P), and the position is temporarily standby at the position. Next, the processing chamber 5 is moved from the shielding position to the chamber avoiding position, and then the door portion 22 is moved from the moving direction switching position (P) to the fully open position (O). Further, in the present embodiment, at an appropriate time point after the pressure adjustment process St7 is performed, for example, before the execution of the chamber avoidance process St9, the supply of the ambient gas to the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 is stopped in advance, thereby being able to restrict The amount of gas used and the time of use of the gas can be reduced.

In the state in which the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 is connected to the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, the transport robot 31 provided in the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 is connected to the storage container 4, and is transported. The transfer processing of the object W (transport processing St10). In the transport processing that can be carried out in the transport processing St10, the transport robot 31 picks up the transported object W in the storage container 4, and finishes the processing after the appropriate processing by the manufacturing apparatus M is completed. W is placed in the storage container 4 for processing or the like. When the conveyed object W in the storage container 4 is transported into the transfer chamber 3 by the transport processing St10, the transported object W that has been transported into the transport chamber 3 is transported to the processing device M by the transport robot 31. (specifically load lock chamber), or transport to a buffer station or collimator. Moreover, the processing after completion of the appropriate processing by the manufacturing apparatus M The conveyed object W is directly stored in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 from the internal space MS of the processing apparatus M by the transport robot 31, or sequentially stored in the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 via the buffer station.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, when the transport robot 31 connects the storage container 4 to the lower side (St11; Yes in Fig. 15), the transport processing St6 is repeatedly performed. In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, when all the conveyed objects W in the storage container 4 have finished the processing of the processing apparatus M, the control unit 2C executes the next transfer processing that has not yet been executed (Fig. 15). Processing of St11; No). In other words, the control unit 2C executes the following processing (storage container sealing processing St12; see FIG. 16), that is, the door moving mechanism 27 moves the door portion 22 to the fully closed position (C), closing the opening 21a of the frame 21 and housing The loading/unloading port 41 of the container 4 is sealed by the internal space 4S of the storage container 4. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the control unit 2C moves the door portion 22 up by a predetermined distance along the vertical path and also moves to the moving direction switching position (P) at the fully open position (0). Next, the control unit 2C moves the door portion 22 that has reached the moving direction switching position (P) by a predetermined distance along the horizontal path in the direction (backward) away from the transfer chamber 3. As a result, the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the carry-in/out port 41 of the storage container 4 are closed, and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is formed in a sealed state. With the storage container sealing process St12, the holder 44 of the inward surface 431 of the lid portion 43 is elastically deformed while holding the edge of the object W, and all the objects W to be stored in the container 4 can be positioned. In the normal storage position (see Figure 14).

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes the following process (the room shielding process St13), that is, the process of moving the processing chamber 5 from the room avoiding position to the shielding position. Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes the second indoor flushing processing St14 and the second pressure adjusting processing St15 which are the same processing contents as the indoor flushing processing St6 and the pressure adjusting processing St7, respectively. In addition, the following processing procedure may be employed, that is, the door portion 22 is moved from the fully open position (O) to the moving direction switching position (P), and after the position is temporarily standby, the room shading processing St13 is performed. Then, the second indoor flushing process St14 and the second pressure adjusting process St15 are performed, and then the door portion 22 is moved from the moving direction switching position (P) to the fully closed position (C). Further, in the present embodiment, by stopping the supply of the ambient gas to the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 at an appropriate timing after the start of the indoor flushing process St6, the gas usage amount and the gas use time can be restricted, and the cost can be reduced. .

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes the following process (the cover connection release processing St16), that is, the process of switching the connection mechanism 221 from the cover connection state to the cover connection release state. By this processing, the connection state (the lid connection state) of the door portion 22 and the lid portion 43 of the connection mechanism 221 can be released, and the lid portion 43 can be attached to the storage container main body 42.

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, after the lid connection releasing processing St16, the control unit 2C executes the following processing (sealing release processing St17), that is, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is in the expanded state (2) state. Change to a contracted state (1), release by a hollow elastic seal The process of sealing the front surface 42B of the storage container body 42 with the frame 21 of S. In other words, the gas supply changeover switch S4 that is maintained in the open state is switched from the start of the sealing process St4 to the sealing release process St17 to the closed state, and the sealing process St4 is started until the sealing release process St17 is performed. The gas exhaust gas switching switch S6 is switched to an open state. Then, the inside of the hollow portion S1 is vacuum-absorbed through the fluid passage S2. Therefore, the fluid supplied to the hollow portion S1 can be discharged from the hollow portion S1. Thereby, the pressure of the hollow portion S1 can be lowered, and the hollow elastic sealing portion S can be changed from the expanded state (2) shown in FIG. 12 to the contracted state (1) shown in FIG. As a result, the elastic contact state between the hollow elastic sealing portion S and the front surface 42B of the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23 positioned at the connection position is released.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, after the seal release processing St17, the control unit 2C executes the following process (the container holding release processing St18), that is, the fixed state of the storage container 4 by the movement restricting portion L is released. (Handling state) processing. Specifically, the engaging piece L1 at the position pulled in toward the frame 21 by the drawing portion L2 of the movement restricting portion L moves in the direction separating from the frame 21 together with the shaft L3. Then, the engagement piece L1 is automatically switched from the facing posture to the non-facing posture, and the engagement state of the engagement piece L1 with respect to the crotch portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 is released, and the storage container by the movement restriction portion L can be released. The fixed state of 4. In other words, the storage container holding release processing St18 can be completed by the process of switching the movement restricting unit L from the movement restriction state (3) to the movement permission state (4).

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the control unit 2C executes the following process (connection release processing St19), that is, the process of retracting the mounting table 23 in the direction separating from the frame 21. Moreover, the control unit 2C releases the state in which the storage container 4 is locked by the lock claws 232 on the mounting table 23 (lock release processing St20). Specifically, the unlocking claw 232 is in a locked state with respect to the locked portion provided on the bottom surface of the storage container 4. By this, the storage container 4 in which the object to be conveyed W that has been subjected to the predetermined process is stored is transferred from the mounting table 23 of each door opening and closing device 2 to the storage container transfer device, and is carried out in the next process.

As described above, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment is provided with a hollow elastic sealing portion S in the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening 21a in the frame 21 for surrounding the opening 21a, and the hollow elastic sealing portion S is configured to A state change can be made between the contracted state (1) and the expanded state (2). Therefore, when the mounting table 23 is positioned in a state where the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23 approaches the predetermined connection position of the opening 21a, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state (1) is used. By changing to the expanded state (2), the hollow elastic sealing surface S can be elastically brought into contact with the sealing surface of the container body 42 set to the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43, that is, the front surface 42B of the container body 42 of the present embodiment. A good sealing area is formed. As a result, the storage container 4 and the frame 21 can be brought into close contact with each other via the sealing region formed around the opening 21a of the frame 21.

Further, according to the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the gap between the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the container body 42 can be connected to the outside of the storage container 4 and the outside of the transfer chamber 3 by the sealing region. The passage area is sealed, and the inside of the storage container 4 can be blocked from the environment outside the storage container 4 (outside air). Further, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment transmits the sealing region formed by the sealing surface of the storage container main body 42 by the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the expanded state (2), thereby preventing or suppressing the emptying of the container. A situation in which the outside flows into the storage container 4, the inside of the transfer chamber 3, and the like occurs. As a result, the quality of the object to be conveyed can be improved.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the sealing surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the container main body 42 is changed from the contracted state (1) to the expanded state ( 2) The hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically contacted to form a sealed region. Therefore, the sealing property (sealing property) of the sealing region formed in the present embodiment can be made into a sealing region formed by pressing the sealing member of the container body 42 against the elastic material having poor flexibility such as an O-ring. The sealing is high. Therefore, even when the ambient gas is supplied to the inside of the storage container 4 or the transfer chamber 3, it is possible to prevent the ambient gas from flowing out of the sealed area to the outside of the storage container 4, the outside of the transfer chamber 3, and the like. Further, by using the hollow elastic sealing portion S, it is possible to seal even a large gap.

In particular, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the movement restricting portion L is provided at least in the vicinity of the upper end of the opening 21a of the frame 21. Further, the movement restricting portion L is a movement restricting state (3) for restricting the movement of the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 positioned at the connection position in the direction (rear) separated from the frame 21, and a mounting table that allows positioning at the connection position. The movement of the storage container 4 on the 23 in the direction of separation from the frame 21 is allowed between the states (4) Switching is possible. Therefore, after the positioning stage 23 is positioned at the connection position, the movement restricting unit L is switched from the movement permission state (4) to the movement restriction state (3), and the movement restriction state (3) is maintained. The change of the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state (1) into the expanded state (2) can achieve the following effects. In other words, in the storage container 4 positioned on the mounting table 23 at the connection position, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is changed from the contracted state (1) to the expanded state (2), and is pressed even in the direction separated from the frame 21. The force acts on the storage container 4, and at least the movement restricting portion L in the movement restricting state (3) provided in the vicinity of the upper end of the opening 21a prevents or suppresses the movement, tilting, and the like of the storage container 4. As a result, it is possible to prevent the storage container 4 positioned on the mounting table 23 at the connection position from moving or tilting in the direction in which the frame 21 is separated from the frame 21, and the particles in the storage container 4 may be scattered, and the position of the object W may be shifted. .

Further, in the present embodiment, the movement restricting portion L is provided with the following movement restricting portion, and includes an engaging piece L1 engageable with the crotch portion 45 provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42; Further, the pull-in portion L2 that is moved toward the frame 21 side in a state in which the engagement piece L1 is engaged with the crotch portion 45 can be used. Because it is such a movement restricting portion L, the hollow elastic sealing portion S can be improved to the storage container body by the operation of pulling the crotch portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 engaged with the engaging piece L1 toward the frame 21 side. In 42, the degree of adhesion (increasing the adhesion area) of the sealing surface of the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 is set. As a result, it is possible to ensure a better sealing property in the sealing area. The [sealing surface] in which the sealing region is formed in the present embodiment means [the sealing surface provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 in the storage container main body 42]. In this implementation In the configuration, the storage container 4 having the crotch portion 45 projecting upward and outward is provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the container body 42, and the upper side portion SA and the side edge portions SC of the hollow seal portion S are elastically contacted with the side portion SC. The front of the section 45. Therefore, the front surface of the crotch portion 45 functions as a sealing surface for elastically contacting the hollow elastic sealing portion S by the sealing treatment St4.

Further, the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the movement restricting portion L is disposed in the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end of both sides of the opening 21a having a substantially rectangular shape. When the hollow elastic sealing portion S is inflated and adhered to the storage container 4 positioned on the mounting table 23 at the connection position, it is possible to more reliably prevent the storage container 4 from moving or tilting in the direction away from the frame 21. produce.

In particular, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the following hollow elastic sealing portion is applied, and the pressure of the hollow portion S1 is raised by the fluid supplied to the hollow portion S1 to form an expanded state (2). The supplied fluid is discharged from the hollow portion S1 to lower the pressure of the hollow portion S1, and is formed into a contracted state (1). Thereby, the supply pressure in the hollow portion S1 is directly formed as the sealing surface pressure, and a good sealing energy supply can be exhibited. Further, the hollow portion S1 itself is inflated to apply a surface pressure to the sealing surface of the container body 42, and the sealing portion can be immediately caught even when the sealing surface is changed by vibration or the like.

In addition, the transport apparatus (EFEM1) of the present embodiment includes the transport chamber 3, the door opening and closing device 2 provided in the wall surface 3A of the transport chamber 3, and the above-described structure, and the door opening and closing device 2 provided in the transport chamber 3 The object to be transported between the storage container 4 on the mounting table 23 and the transfer chamber 3 Since the transporting robot 31 is inserted and removed, the above-described effects of the door opening and closing device 2 can be obtained, and the gap between the peripheral portion of the opening 21a in the frame 21 and the storage container 4 can be eliminated, and the prevention and suppression can be prevented. The atmosphere in the storage container 4, the inside of the transfer chamber 3, and the like, flows out of the outside of the storage container 4, the outside of the transfer chamber 3, and the like, and air or the like flows into the storage container 4 and the transfer chamber 3 from the outside. The situation has arisen.

In the present embodiment, the sealing process St4 is performed by the connection method of the storage container 4 of the door opening and closing device 2, and the sealing process is performed by moving the mounting table 23 on which the storage container 4 is placed to the lid portion 43. After the predetermined connection position of the opening 21a is approached, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state (1) is changed into the expanded state (2), and the hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically contacted in the container body 42 to be set in the lid portion 43. The sealing surface of the surrounding portion forms a sealed area. Therefore, it is possible to seal the gap between the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the storage container main body 42, that is, the internal space 4S of the storage container 4, the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3, and the like, which can be connected to the outside, and the load can be ensured. The airtightness of the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 in the table 23 and the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 is good.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, a hollow elastic sealing portion is provided in the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening in the frame to surround the opening, and then the sealing treatment is performed to expand the hollow elastic sealing portion toward the rear (the container side) to elastically contact the positioning. The front side of the storage container on the mounting table at the connection position. Can also use the following The structure is substituted for the structure, that is, the hollow elastic sealing portion is provided with a hollow elastic sealing portion so that the opening edge of the opening in the frame surrounds the opening. As a case where the above-described configuration is preferable, a state in which the lid portion is positioned close to the predetermined connection position of the opening of the frame in the state in which the lid portion is positioned close to the opening of the frame, the lid portion approaches and reaches the opening. .

In other words, as shown in FIG. 17, when the mounting table 23 is positioned at the connection position, the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 approaches and reaches the opening 21a of the frame 21 (the opening 215 of the window unit 214), and is accommodated. The front face 42B of the container body 42 is positioned further forward than the rear edge of the opening formed in the opening 21a of the frame 21. In such a configuration, when the opening edge of the opening 21a in the frame 21 is provided so that the hollow elastic sealing portion S surrounding the opening is in the contracted state (1), the hollow elastic sealing portion S is not set in advance with the front end of the container body 42. Contact. Then, when the hollow elastic sealing portion S is changed from the contracted state (1) to the expanded state (2), the hollow elastic sealing portion S is directed toward the direction in which the opening size of the opening 21a is narrowed (toward the center of the opening 21a). The direction is expanded to elastically contact the front end portion of the container body 42. Thereby, the gap between the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the container body 42 can be sealed.

In the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 17, the sealing surface of the object to be elastically contacted by the hollow elastic sealing portion S by the sealing treatment is in a state in which the mounting table 23 is positioned at a predetermined joint position, and in the storage container body 42. The peripheral portion of the lid portion 43, that is, the opening edge of the opening 21a faces the surface. Specifically, in the storage container main body 42, the surface facing the opening edge of the opening 21a in the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction D is as a dense The cover comes to function. Therefore, the front end portion, the lower surface, and the side surface of the front end portion of the storage container main body 42 function as a sealing surface. Further, the sealed region can be formed by elastically contacting the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the expanded state with the sealing faces. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, when the crotch portion 45 is provided at the distal end portion of the container body 42, the upper surface, the side surface, and the like of the crotch portion 45 function as a sealing surface.

In the case of the configuration shown in Fig. 17, the hollow elastic seal portion which can be in the contracted state and the expanded state is set so as not to exceed the thickness of the frame. Further, the hollow elastic sealing portion in the contracted state and the expanded state may have a shape that exceeds the thickness of the frame and protrudes forward or rearward from at least one of the frontmost surface 21B or the rearmost surface 21A of the frame 21.

Moreover, the opening of the mounting position of the mounting base of the mounting table to the frame is appropriately set in accordance with the specifications of the arrangement position of the hollow elastic sealing portion in the rack.

For example, as shown in FIG. 17, in the storage container which is positioned on the mounting table of the connection position, the hollow elastic sealing portion is changed from the contracted state to the expanded state, and the storage container is pressed in the direction of separation from the frame. If the force does not act, the movement restriction portion can be omitted. If the movement restricting portion is not required, the structure can be simplified as compared with the case where the movement restricting portion is provided.

The hollow elastic sealing portion of the present invention may be changed in state between a contracted state and an expanded state. Therefore, the hollow elastic sealing portion can be configured by using a member, a mechanism, or the like other than the so-called expansion seal of the above configuration.

Further, the hollow elastic sealing portion around the opening formed in the frame may be disposed in the height direction or the front-rear direction at a predetermined pitch and in a plurality of stages. In this case, by arranging a plurality of hollow elastic sealing portions, the sealing area can be widened, and a higher sealing property can be ensured. Further, even when the sealing function of one hollow elastic sealing portion is lowered, the other hollow elastic sealing portion can ensure an effective sealing function, whereby the sealing property of the sealing region can be ensured.

Further, by arranging a plurality of hollow elastic sealing members in this order along the opening formed in the frame, a hollow elastic sealing portion disposed to surround the opening may be formed.

The portion where the movement restricting portion is disposed is suitable for selection. As an example, a door opening and closing device that can hold a movement restricting portion of a portion other than the both sides of the upper end portion of the container body (for example, the central portion in the width direction) may be provided. Moreover, the number of movement restriction units can also be changed.

Further, the following movement restricting portion may be applied instead of or in combination with the movement restricting portion exemplified in the above-described embodiment, that is, the holding function may not be exhibited, but an appropriate means may be utilized. The locking function or the bolt function is used to restrict the movement restricting portion that moves or tilts the storage container positioned on the mounting table at the connection position in the direction in which the frame is separated from the frame.

Further, the hollow elastic sealing portion and the movement restricting portion may be unitized and disposed in the frame, or the hollow elastic sealing portion and the movement restricting portion may be unitized without being unitized. In the case where the structure of the window unit 214 of the foregoing embodiment is omitted, the frame body 212 can be directly applied. The frame of the opening 21a.

In the above embodiment, the configuration of the processing chamber is exemplified in the transfer chamber. However, a configuration in which the processing chamber is not disposed in the transfer chamber may be employed. If the configuration is not arranged in the transfer chamber, the pressure adjustment unit may be omitted. In this case, the processing chamber flushing process and the pressure adjustment process may be omitted.

Further, as a door opening and closing device including a processing chamber and a pressure adjusting portion, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the gas discharge portion 61' can be provided in the frame 21, and a pressure adjusting portion 6' having a gas exhausting path 62' can be used. The upstream end of the gas exhaust path 62' is coupled to the gas discharge portion 61'. The gas discharge portion 61' provided in the frame 21 is a through hole that communicates with the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5. The upstream end of the gas exhaust path 62' is in close contact with the gas discharge portion 61'. Most of the gas exhaust path 62' is disposed within the aforementioned cover 28. At least a portion of the gas exhaust path 62' disposed in the aforementioned cover 28 is formed by a tube. The downstream end of the gas exhaust path 62' is in close contact with the gas introduction portion 63. By the pressure adjusting unit 6', the ambient gas supplied into the processing chamber 5 by the indoor flushing process is sequentially introduced into the storage container through the gas discharge portion 61', the gas exhaust path 62', and the gas introduction portion 63. 4 internal space 4S. Therefore, the pressure difference between the internal space 5S of the processing chamber 5 and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 can be removed by the pressure adjusting portion 6'. In the case of such a gas exhaust path 62', conditions for moving or deforming following the movement of the processing chamber 5 are not required. Therefore, the selection of the members constituting the gas exhaust path 62' and the degree of design freedom in the installation space can be improved. As the gas exhaust path 62', as shown in Fig. 18, In addition to the path (pressure adjustment path) for guiding the ambient gas in the processing chamber 5 flowing from the gas discharge portion 61' to the gas introduction portion 63, there is a configuration in which the gas is discharged from the gas discharge portion 61'. The ambient gas in the chamber 5 is directed to a path (exhaust path) of a suitable exhaust space (for example, an internal space of the transfer chamber). As shown in Fig. 18, the downstream end of the exhaust passage is brought into close contact with the through hole 64' provided in the frame 21 at a position where the internal space of the cover 28 communicates with the internal space of the transfer chamber. In this case, the exhaust gas path of the ambient gas in the processing chamber 5 flowing from the gas discharge portion 61' may be switched to a pressure adjustment path or an exhaust path. The structure of one (for example, the configuration of the switching valve).

Also, the door portion may be accompanied by rotation of all movements or a portion of movement between the fully closed position and the fully open position. The following configuration is exemplified. For example, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the movement of the door portion 22 between the fully closed position (C) and the moving direction switching position (P) is set as the rotational motion, and the moving direction is set. The movement of the door portion 22 between the switching position (P) and the fully open position (O) is set to a linear motion. In this case, the posture of the door portion 22 positioned at the moving direction switching position (P) is formed as a posture inclined by a predetermined angle. In the state in which the tilt posture is maintained, the movement direction switching position (P) and the full open position (O) are moved. Further, the specific configuration, driving source, and the like of a part of the door moving mechanism 27 omitted in FIGS. 19 and 20 may be appropriately changed.

Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the door portion is placed in the fully open position in the insertion/removal process of the object to be conveyed. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, it may be configured to be placed in the object W to be transported. In the process of the discharge, the door portion 22 is placed in the middle open position (I), and the intermediate open position (I) is used to allow the conveyed object W to be inserted into and taken out from the storage container 4, and the internal space 4S of the container body 42 is accommodated. The amount needed to open up. With such a configuration, it is possible to effectively reduce the degree of opening in the height direction of the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 in the insertion/removal process of the conveyed object W. Therefore, when the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 is opened, the rinsing concentration in the storage container 4 is lowered and the water concentration is increased, but the low water concentration at which the increased water concentration is returned to a predetermined value can be shortened. The time until then. Further, compared with the case where the door portion 22 is moved between the fully closed position (C) and the fully open position (O), there is an advantage that the movement stroke of the door portion 22 can be shortened. In addition, depending on the setting state of the full-open position (O), the intermediate opening position in the insertion/removal process of the conveyed object W at the lowest position in the storage container 4 is also formed in the fully open position (O). ) The same position or slightly the same position. Furthermore, the processing chamber is omitted in FIG.

As described above, the door opening and closing device of the present invention can be used as a part of the EFEM constituting an example of the conveying device. Therefore, it can also be used as a part of a conveyance apparatus and classification apparatus other than an EFEM. In the sorting device, a plurality of door opening and closing devices according to the present invention are disposed on the wall surface of the transfer chamber, and the transporting robot provided in the transfer chamber can replace the transported object between the storage containers placed on the mounting table of each of the door opening and closing devices. Device. It is possible to arrange a plurality of door opening and closing devices on the common wall surface of the transfer chamber, or to arrange one or more of the mutually different wall surfaces of the transfer chamber (for example, the opposite wall surfaces such as the front wall and the rear wall) One The sorting device for the door opening and closing device may be configured such that a buffering station, a collimator, or the like is disposed on one of the side surfaces, and the storage containers placed on the mounting table of each door opening and closing device or the storage container are transported by the transfer machine. A sorting device for replacing and unloading the object with the buffer station or the collimator.

In the classification device, the door opening and closing device having the above configuration can provide the above-described effects, and the object to be transported can be desirably taken in and out.

The number of door opening and closing devices disposed on the wall surface of the transfer chamber may be one.

In the above embodiment, the wafer is exemplified as the object to be conveyed, but the object to be conveyed may be an optical net, a liquid crystal substrate, a glass substrate, a culture plate, a culture container, a plate, or a petri dish. In other words, the present invention is applied to a transfer technique of a container to be transported in various fields such as semiconductors, liquid crystals, and cell culture.

Further, the door opening and closing device of the present invention is not limited to the loading cassette, and can be used for the purpose of functioning as an interface portion between the storage container and the transfer chamber.

As the rinsing treatment in the storage container, in addition to the bottom rinsing treatment, a so-called front side rinsing treatment for supplying the ambient gas from the inside of the storage container is applied, or the front side rinsing treatment is applied instead of the bottom rinsing treatment. The front side flushing portion for performing the front side flushing treatment may be provided in the storage container body or the lid body, or may be provided in the door opening and closing device. In the storage container of the present invention, as described in the above embodiment, the rinsing process is carried out at a timing after the time of loading on the mounting table of the door opening and closing device. The container is fine. However, the storage container of the present invention can be applied to a storage container which is not subjected to the rinsing treatment at an appropriate timing after the time of loading on the mounting table of the door opening and closing device, and is placed earlier on the mounting table. A storage container or the like in which the rinsing treatment is performed in advance at a time point. A specific example of the timing at which the rinsing process is performed in advance at a time earlier than the mounting on the mounting table of the door opening and closing device, for example, a time when a plurality of storage containers are stored in a storage that can be stored, The time point at which it is placed on another dedicated washing station different from the door opening and closing device, the appropriate time point in the manufacturing process of the other conveyed material manufacturing device, the appropriate time point after the completion of the manufacturing, and the like.

The type and form of the storage container, the specific structure and function of the transfer chamber, and the like may be appropriately changed. As the ambient gas required for the rinsing treatment, a gas other than nitrogen or a dryer body may be applied.

As the transport robot, a plurality of transported object gripping portions (or hands in the above embodiment) may be applied. In addition, it is also possible to apply a transport robot including a predetermined component or the like other than the hand to be transported. Further, the transport robot may be placed in the transport room. It can also be a door opening and closing device that has a transport robot.

In the above-described embodiment, the door opening and closing device 2 is provided with a control unit 2C that controls the operation of each unit such as the movement of the door unit 22. The control unit that controls the operation of the upper device (EFEM or the processing device of the above-described embodiment) of the door opening and closing device (the control unit 3M of the entire EFEM of the upper controller, the control unit MC of the processing device M, etc.) may be configured. It also controls the operation of the door opening and closing device to replace the foregoing.

Further, the control unit is not limited to a dedicated system, and can be achieved by using a general computer system. For example, by installing the program from a recording medium (floppy disk, CD-ROM, etc.) storing a program for executing the above-described processing to a general-purpose computer, it is possible to configure a control unit that performs the above-described processing. Moreover, the means for supplying the programs is arbitrary. As described above, it can be supplied via a predetermined recording medium, or can be supplied via, for example, a communication return line, a communication network, a communication system, or the like. In this case, for example, the program is disclosed on the communication board's bulletin board (BBS), which is provided by superimposing on the carrier wave via the network. Further, the program provided as described above is executed in the same manner as other applications under the control of the OS, and the above-described processing can be executed.

Further, for example, as a conveying device other than the EFEM, as shown in FIG. 22, a standard mechanical interface (SMIF) system 1 is exemplified. In the SMIF system 1, the storage container 4 having the lid portion 43 at the bottom is placed on the mounting table 23 formed on a part of the frame 21, and the lid portion 43 can be opened from the lower side of the storage container 4 by the door portion 22. ,turn off. Further, in the SMIF system 1, a storage box (not shown) called a cassette for accommodating a conveyed object such as a wafer is fixed to the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4, and the door portion 22 can be lifted and lowered. When it moves, it can stand by the conveyance in the conveyance chamber 3, or can carry it in the accommodation container 4S. In the following, an example of the conveying device 1 (SMIF system) to which the door opening and closing device 2 of the present invention is applied will be described as a second embodiment.

The door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment is used, for example, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor, and as shown in FIG. 22, a part of a wall surface of a transfer chamber 3 called a loader is formed in a clean room, and is used in the transfer chamber 3 A device for inserting and taking out the conveyed object W is carried out between the storage container 4. The door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment includes a frame 21 constituting one of the wall faces 3A of the transfer chamber 3, a door portion 22 for opening and closing the opening 21a formed in the frame 21, and a frame portion 21 formed in the frame 21 so as to be The lid portion 43 of the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is opened and closed with respect to the door portion 22, and the mounting table 23 at the position of the storage container 4 can be placed.

The frame 21 has a hollow box shape, and the upper wall 211 functions as a mounting table 23. Further, an opening 21a for opening the space (the internal space 21S of the frame) partitioned by the frame 21 is formed in the upper wall 211 of the frame 21 functioning as the mounting table 23. The opening 21a has a size that can communicate with the carry-in/out port 41 of the storage container 4 placed on the mounting table 23. Further, this opening 21a is formed in a central portion of the mounting table 23 in a plan view. The door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment can be used in a state in which such a frame 21 is in close contact with the transfer chamber 3. Further, in the frame 21, a part of the standing wall 212 that partitions the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3 from the internal space 21S of the frame 21 is formed with openings 212a for the internal spaces 3S and 21S.

The door portion 22 includes a coupling mechanism (not shown), and the door portion 22 is coupled to the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4, and the lid portion 43 is detachably removed from the storage container main body 42 and the lid is released. The connection state of the portion 43 can be switched between the lid connection state in which the lid portion 43 is attached to the storage container main body 42. The door portion 22 is held in a state in which the lid portion 43 is integrated by the connection mechanism, and is movable along a predetermined movement path. In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the door portion 22 is configured to be The lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22 closes the inner space 4S of the container body 42 to the closed position (see FIG. 22) and the lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22 from the container body. The separation 42 allows the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 to move between the fully open positions (not shown) that are open to the lower side of the internal space 21S of the transfer chamber 21. In the second embodiment, the door portion 22 at the fully closed position shown in Fig. 22 is set to be moved to the fully open position while the posture is maintained. That is, the moving path of the door portion 22 between the fully closed position and the fully open position is a path (vertical path) in which the door portion 22 at the fully closed position is moved downward while maintaining the front and rear positions thereof.

Such movement of the door portion 22 is achieved by the door moving mechanism 27 provided in the door opening and closing device 2. The door moving mechanism 27 includes an elevating portion 271 that can elevate and lower in a state in which the door portion 22 is supported, and a driving source (for example, an actuator (not shown)) for driving the elevating portion 271. The door portion 22 can be moved in the vertical direction by giving a drive command to the actuator from the control unit.

Further, the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment includes a hollow elastic sealing portion S provided near the periphery of the opening 42 and a storage container 4 that restricts a predetermined connection position placed on the mounting table 23 toward the frame 21 The movement restricting portion L that moves in the direction of separation (upward).

The hollow elastic sealing portion S is disposed to surround the opening 21a in the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening 21a in the frame 21. In the second embodiment in which the mounting table 23 is formed in a part of the frame 21, the opening edge of the opening 21a formed in the central portion of the mounting table 23 in the plan view is attached. In the near region, a hollow elastic sealing portion S is provided at a position surrounding the opening 215. More specifically, in the upper surface 23T of the mounting table 23, the upper surface 42U of the storage container main body 42 faces the sealing surface (the surface of the storage container main body 42 which is set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43) which will be described later. The position is such that the hollow elastic sealing portion S is mounted around. The hollow elastic sealing portion S disposed around the opening 21a in the vicinity of the opening edge of the rectangular opening 21a is slightly rectangular in plan view. In the second embodiment, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is disposed in the front-rear direction D at a predetermined pitch and in a plurality of stages (two stages in the illustrated example).

Further, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is changeable in state between the expanded state and the contracted state as shown in FIG. The hollow elastic sealing portion S of the second embodiment is applied to the expansion sealing in the same manner as the configuration of the hollow elastic sealing portion S of the above-described embodiment. In other words, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is provided with an annular hollow portion that is hollow inside and that surrounds the opening 21a as a whole, and a fluid passage (circulation hole) that communicates with the inside of the hollow portion. The hollow elastic sealing portion S is formed in an expanded state by increasing the pressure of the hollow portion by the fluid supplied through the fluid passage. Further, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is formed into a contracted state by discharging the supplied fluid from the hollow portion through the fluid passage and lowering the pressure of the hollow portion. The hollow elastic sealing portion S includes one hollow portion and a fluid passage.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, a hollow elastic sealing groove is formed in the upper surface 23T of the mounting table 23, and the hollow elastic sealing groove is formed in a concave shape in cross section to surround the opening edge of the opening 21a. . In this hollow elastic sealing installation groove, the hollow portion is inserted Tightly installed. Further, the hollow portion is attached so as not to be detached from the hollow elastic seal mounting groove by an appropriate means such as an adhesive or a bolt. In this mounted state, only a predetermined portion of the hollow portion on the side of the frame 21 is accommodated in the hollow elastic seal mounting groove, and the other portion (predetermined portion on the side of the storage container 4) is not accommodated by the hollow elastic seal mounting groove, but Exposed to the outside of the hollow elastic sealing installation groove. Further, when the hollow elastic sealing portion S is in the contracted state, when the fluid is supplied from the predetermined gas supply portion to the hollow portion through the fluid passage communicating with the hollow portion to raise the pressure, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is formed to be hollow. The portion of the portion that is exposed outside the hollow elastic seal mounting groove is in an expanded state in which it expands toward the storage container 4 side (upper side).

As shown in Fig. 22, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the expanded state of the lower surface 42U of the storage container main body 42 placed at the predetermined connection position on the mounting table 23 is in contact with each other. In other words, in the present embodiment, the lower surface 42U of the storage container main body 42 in which the hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically contacted in the storage container 4 is set as a sealing surface. Further, by bringing the hollow elastic sealing portion S into elastic contact with the sealing surface, a good sealing region can be formed.

In the present embodiment, even when the hollow elastic sealing portion S is in the contracted state, a part of the hollow portion is exposed outside the hollow elastic sealing groove. The sealing surface of the storage container 4 (the lower surface 42U of the storage container main body 42) placed at the predetermined connection position on the mounting table 23 is set in contact with the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the sealing surface of the storage container 4 placed at a predetermined connection position on the mounting table 23 is preferentially brought into contact with other parts than the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state. Set to be close to A structure that is in contact with the hollow elastic sealing portion S in a contracted state. Moreover, the fluid supplied to the hollow portion S1 can use the ambient gas supplied into the transfer chamber 3, the ambient gas supplied into the storage container 4, or the like.

In the second embodiment, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the expanded state can be vacuum-sucked through the fluid passage S2, thereby changing the hollow elastic sealing portion S from the expanded state to the contracted state.

Further, in Fig. 22, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is schematically shown by a mark which is blackened in a slightly elliptical shape. As can be understood from the same figure, in the second embodiment, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is also disposed between the lower surface of the frame 21 (specifically, the mounting table 23) and the door portion 22.

The movement restricting portion L is a movement restricting state (see FIG. 22) in which the storage container 4 that restricts the connection position placed on the mounting table 23 is moved in the direction (upward) separated from the frame 21, and is allowed to be placed on the mounting table 23. The storage container 4 at the connection position on the upper side can be switched between the movement permission states (not shown) in the direction in which the frame 21 is separated from the frame 21 . In other words, the movement restricting portion L is capable of holding the storage container 4 placed at a predetermined connection position on the mounting table 23 by being in the movement restricted state.

The movement restricting portion L of the present embodiment is mainly constituted by an engaging piece L1 that can be engaged with the crotch portion 45 provided in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body 42. In addition, a movement restricting portion having a pull-in portion that moves toward the frame 21 in a state in which the engagement piece L1 is engaged with the crotch portion 45 can be used. Such a movement restricting portion L can function as a storage container The crotch portion 45 of the body 42 is held by a clamp function that is held between the engagement piece L1 and the frame 21.

The engaging piece L1 is a facing posture (see FIG. 22) that faces the storage container 4 in the height direction H and a non-facing posture that does not face the storage container 4 at least in the height direction H (not shown) Move between shows).

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the storage container 4 can be placed from the upper side of the mounting table 23 to the predetermined connection position of the lid portion 43 close to the opening 21a by the engagement piece L1 being in a non-facing posture, or The storage container placed at the connection position is moved upward above the mounting table 23. In other words, the movement restricting portion L is formed in a movement permit state by making the engagement piece L1 a non-facing posture.

The movement restricting portion L is a connection position in which the storage container 4 is placed on the mounting table 23 in a state in which the engagement piece L1 is placed in a non-facing posture, and after that time, the non-facing posture is performed. The engaging piece L1 is changed from a non-facing posture to a facing posture. Then, the engagement piece L1 can be engaged with the crotch portion 45 that protrudes outward at the lower end portion of the storage container main body 42. As a result, the crotch portion 45 formed in the storage container 4 is held between the engagement piece L1 and the frame 21 (specifically, the mounting table 23), and the storage container 4 placed at the connection position can be restricted from the frame 21 Move in the direction of separation. In other words, the movement restricting portion L is formed in a movement restricted state by changing the engagement piece L1 from the non-facing posture to the facing posture.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the movement restricting portion L is disposed at a position in the vicinity of the four corners of the crotch portion 45 of the storage container 4, that is, a total of four portions.

The door opening and closing device 2 configured as described above performs a predetermined operation by giving a drive command to each unit from a controller (control unit) of the door opening and closing device 2. Such a door opening and closing device 2 can be arranged in a plurality of (for example, three) rows on one wall surface 3A of the transfer chamber 3.

As shown in FIG. 22, the conveyance device 1 of the second embodiment is mainly constituted by a door opening and closing device 2 provided at a position adjacent to each other in a common clean room, and a loader 3 as a transfer chamber. The operation of the conveying device 1 is controlled by the controller of the door opening and closing device 2, the controller of the entire conveying device 1, and the like. In the transfer chamber 3, a wall surface facing the wall surface 3A of the door opening and closing device 2 is disposed adjacent to, for example, a processing device (semiconductor processing device) (not shown). Furthermore, the processing device actuation is controlled by the processing device controller. Here, the controller of the entire processing apparatus and the controller of the entire transport apparatus 1 are the upper controllers of the control unit of the door opening and closing device 2.

The loader 3 as the transfer chamber transports the cassette (the cassette containing the transported object W) moving from the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 to the internal space 21S of the frame 21 to the processing device, or the processing device The removed cassette is transported to the door portion 22 of the door transport device 2. In the transfer chamber 3, the door opening and closing device 2 and the processing device M are connected, and the internal space 3S is slightly sealed. In the transfer chamber 3, the gas supply port and the gas discharge port (not shown) are used to perform the rinsing treatment by the ambient gas, whereby the concentration of the ambient gas can be increased.

In the second embodiment, the following storage container 4 is applied, that is, the storage container 4 is provided with a transparent space formed at the lower end 4S is only a storage container body 42 that can be opened downward; and a lid portion 43 that can open and close the loading and unloading port 41. In the internal space 4S of the storage container 4, a cassette (not shown) in which a plurality of wafers, which are a plurality of substrates to be conveyed, are stored in the lid portion 43 in the vertical direction H, and is carried out via the carry-in/out port 41. These wafers are placed in a conventional storage container formed by taking out the entire cassette.

At the lower end portion of the container body 42, a crotch portion 45 that protrudes outward from the other portion is provided. That is, the crotch portion 45 is provided in a portion around the region where the lid portion 43 is disposed in the storage container body 42. In the present embodiment, the engagement portion L1 of the movement restriction portion L is engaged with the crotch portion 45.

The lid portion 43 is formed in a plate shape in a state in which the storage container 4 is placed at the connection position on the mounting table 23 and faces the door portion 22 of the door opening and closing device 2. The lid portion 43 is provided with a latch portion (not shown) that can lock the lid portion 43 to the container body 42. In the state in which the carry-in/out port 41 is closed by the lid portion 43, the gasket 433 is provided at a predetermined portion where the container body 42 is in contact with or close to the container body 42. In addition, the gasket 433 is elastically deformed by preferentially contacting the container body 42 with respect to the upper surface of the lid portion 43, and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 can be completely sealed.

The door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment performs a predetermined operation by giving a drive command to each unit from a predetermined control unit (this control unit may be a control unit of the door opening and closing device 2 or the above-described upper controller). A predetermined operation program for each part of the device is stored in the memory unit of the control unit. This program is stored as an executable program on a non-transitory computer readable recording medium. Body (hard disk, etc.). The method of use and the function of the transport apparatus 1 including the door opening and closing device 2 are as follows.

First, the storage container 4 is transported to the door opening and closing by a storage container transport device such as an OHT that is moved along a line (moving line) on a straight line in which the common wall surface 3A of the door opening and closing device 2 is disposed in the transfer chamber 3 The upper portion of the device 2 is placed on the mounting table 23. At this time, for example, the positioning projection provided on the mounting table 23 is fitted into the positioning recessed portion of the storage container 4. Moreover, the control unit locks the lock claw (not shown) on the mounting table 23 in a locked state. Thereby, it is possible to perform a joining process of fixing the storage container 4 to a predetermined connection position on the mounting table 23 and fixing it. In the second embodiment, the mounting table 23 of the three door opening and closing devices 2 in the width direction of the transfer chamber 3 is arranged and placed, and the storage container 4 can be placed. Further, it is also possible to detect a position sensor (not shown) that detects whether or not the storage container 4 is placed at a predetermined position on the mounting table 23, and detects a connection position where the storage container 4 is placed on the mounting table 23. Until the connection processing is executed, the movement restricting portion L is maintained in the movement permission state in which the engagement piece L1 is made to be in a non-facing posture. Further, until the joining process is performed, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is maintained in the contracted state.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit performs a process of holding and fixing the crotch portion 45 of the storage container 4 by the movement restricting portion L (storage container holding process). Specifically, the engagement piece L1 of the movement restricting portion L is switched from the non-facing posture to the facing posture, and is engaged with the crotch portion 45 of the storage container body 42. In this state, the crotch portion 45 of the storage container 4 placed at the connection position on the mounting table 23 can be moved. The engagement piece L1 of the movement restricting portion L and the upper surface 23T of the frame 23 are held. In other words, the storage container holding process can be achieved by the process of switching the movement restricting portion L from the movement allowance state to the movement restriction state.

In addition, when the movement restricting portion L is switched from the movement permitting state to the movement restricting state, the time when the storage container 4 is placed on the connection position of the mounting table 23 is later, and the hollow elastic state in the contracted state is obtained. It is sufficient that the sealing portion S is changed to the expanded state. Therefore, the movement restricting portion L may be switched from the movement permission state to the movement restriction state immediately after the storage container 4 is placed on the connection position on the mounting table 23 . In addition, after the predetermined time has elapsed after the storage container 4 is placed on the connection position on the mounting table 23, the movement restricting portion L is switched from the movement permission state to the movement restriction state.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state is set to approach the lower surface 42U of the container body 42 at the time when the storage container holding process is completed.

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the following process (sealing process) is performed, that is, the control unit changes the state of the hollow elastic sealing portion which is set to the contracted state to the expanded state until the storage container holding process is completed. The process of blocking the gap between the storage container 4 formed in the vicinity of the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the frame 21 is blocked. As a result, the hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically contacted to the lower surface 42U of the storage container main body 42 which is set as the sealing surface in the storage container 4 at the connection position placed on the mounting table 23. By this sealing treatment, it acts on the elastic joint The supply pressure of the hollow elastic sealing portion S that is in contact with the lower surface 42U of the container body 42 is a sealing surface pressure, and a good sealing region is formed.

In the second embodiment, the portion in which the hollow elastic sealing portion S is in elastic contact with the sealing treatment is the portion of the container body 42 that is adjacent to the loading and unloading port 41 of the storage container 4 in the lower surface 42U (the lower surface of the crotch portion 45). .

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the lower surface 42U of the storage container main body 42 is used as a sealing surface, and the sealing surface, the hollow portion S1 of the hollow elastic sealing portion S itself is inflated, and the surface pressure can be imparted. As a result, even if the sealing surface is changed by vibration or the like, it is possible to ensure that the sealing area can be immediately followed.

The sealing treatment is performed to change the hollow elastic sealing portion S into an expanded state, so that a force pressed in a direction separating from the frame 21 acts on the storage container 4. However, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the present embodiment, the storage container holding process can maintain the state in which the storage container 4 placed at the connection position on the mounting table 23 is fixed by the movement restricting portion L. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the storage container 4 pressed against the hollow elastic sealing portion S moves or tilts in a direction in which it is separated from the frame 21. In particular, in the present embodiment, the movement restricting portion L is disposed at a position near the four corners of the crotch portion 45 in which the planar viewing angle is rectangular.

In the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the sealing process is continued, and the control unit switches the connection mechanism to the lid connection state (cover connection process). By this processing, the lid portion 43 can be coupled to the door portion 22 that is previously in the fully closed position by the connection mechanism, and can be held in an intimate state. Also formed as The state in which the lid portion 43 is removed from the container body 42 can be removed. Further, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit can perform the flushing process in the storage container 4 at an appropriate timing after the storage container 4 has been placed at the connection position on the mounting table 23.

Further, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit performs the following processing (storage container sealing release processing), that is, the lid portion 43 is moved together with the door portion 22, and the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the storage container 4 are opened. The loading and unloading port 41 is removed, and the process of sealing the inside of the storage container 4 is released. Specifically, the control unit moves the door portion 22 downward from the fully closed position toward the inner space 21S of the frame 21 by the door moving mechanism 27 by a predetermined distance. In addition, since the storage container sealing release process is a process of opening the inside of the storage container 4, it may be referred to as [storage container opening process].

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit performs the conveyance of the cassette on the lid unit 43 to the conveyance in a state where the internal space 4S of the storage container main body 42 is communicated with the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3. The processing of the chamber 3 (transport processing). The cassette conveyed into the transfer chamber 3 is transported to the processing device or transported to the buffer station. Moreover, the cassette containing the processed wafer which has been suitably processed by the processing apparatus is placed on the lid portion 43 held by the door portion 22 positioned at the fully open position via the internal space 3S of the transfer chamber 3.

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit performs the following processing (storage container sealing process), that is, the door moving mechanism 27 moves the door portion 22 to the fully closed position, and closes the opening 21a of the frame 21 and The loading/unloading port 41 of the storage container 4 is placed inside the storage container 4 The space 4S is sealed. Specifically, the control unit moves the door portion 22 at the fully open position by a predetermined distance and then moves to the fully closed position. As a result, the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the carry-in/out port 41 of the storage container 4 are closed, and the internal space 4S of the storage container 4 is formed in a sealed state.

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit executes the following processing (cover connection release processing), that is, the process of switching the connection mechanism from the lid connection state to the lid connection release state. By this processing, the connection state (the lid connection state) of the door portion 22 and the lid portion 43 of the connection mechanism 221 can be released, and the lid portion 43 can be attached to the storage container main body 42.

After the door opening/closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit performs the following process (sealing release process), that is, the state in which the hollow elastic sealing portion S is changed from the expanded state to the contracted state. The process of sealing the lower surface 42U of the container body 42 of the hollow elastic sealing portion S to the frame 21 is released. As a result, the elastic contact state between the hollow elastic sealing portion S and the storage container 4 at the connection position placed on the mounting table 23 is released to the lower surface 42U.

After the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit performs the following processing (storage container release processing), that is, the fixed state of the storage container 4 by the movement restricting portion L is released. State) processing. Specifically, the engagement piece L1 is switched from the facing posture to the non-facing posture, and the engagement state of the engagement piece L1 with respect to the crotch portion 45 of the storage container main body 42 is released, and the storage container 4 by the movement restriction portion L is released. Fixed state. That is, the storage container is held and released. This can be achieved by a process of switching the movement restricting portion L from the movement restriction state to the movement permission state.

Then, in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the control unit executes the following process (connection release process), that is, the state in which the storage container 4 is locked by the lock claws on the mounting table 23 is released, and the storage table 23 is placed on the mounting table 23. The storage container 4 is treated to be movable upward. By this, the storage container 4 in which the cassette of the conveyed material W in which the predetermined process has been completed is stored is transferred from the mounting table 23 of each door opening and closing device 2 to the storage container transfer device, and is carried out in the next process.

As described above, the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment is provided with a hollow elastic sealing portion S in the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening 21a in the frame 21 for surrounding the opening 21a, and the hollow elastic sealing portion S is configured as A state change can be made between the contracted state and the expanded state. Therefore, when the storage container 4 is placed on the predetermined connection position of the lid portion 43 of the storage container 4 close to the mounting table 23 of the opening 21a, the hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state is changed into the expanded state. Thereby, the hollow elastic sealing surface S can be elastically brought into contact with the sealing surface set in the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 of the storage container main body, that is, the storage container main body 42 of the present embodiment forms a favorable sealing region toward the lower surface 42U. As a result, the storage container 4 and the frame 21 can be brought into close contact with each other via the sealing region formed around the opening 21a of the frame 21.

Further, according to the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the gap between the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the container body 42 can be separated from the outside of the storage container 4 and the outside of the transfer chamber 3 by the sealing region. The connected area is sealed, and the inside of the storage container 4 can be blocked from the environment outside the storage container 4 (outside air), and the situation in which the air or the like flows into the storage container 4 and the transfer chamber 3 from the outside can be prevented from being transmitted through the sealed area. . As a result, the quality of the object to be conveyed can be improved. In addition, even in the door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment, the same or substantially the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

The door opening and closing device 2 of the second embodiment is preferably applied to a SMIF system (also referred to as a SMIF loader).

In the second embodiment, in particular, in the method of connecting the storage container 4 of the door opening and closing device 2, a sealing process is performed by placing the storage container 4 on a predetermined connection position on the mounting table 23, The hollow elastic sealing portion S in the contracted state is changed into an expanded state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion S is elastically brought into contact with the sealing surface of the container body 42 set at the peripheral portion of the lid portion 43 to form a sealed region. Therefore, the gap between the opening 21a of the frame 21 and the container body 42 can be surely sealed.

The door opening and closing device of the present invention described in the second embodiment may be used as a part of a conveying device or a sorting device other than the conveying device.

Furthermore, the above various modifications are also applicable to the door opening and closing device of the present invention in the second embodiment.

In addition, the specific structure of each part is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

4‧‧‧ storage container

4S‧‧‧ Interior space of the storage container

21‧‧‧Frame

21a‧‧‧ Opening

21A‧‧‧Back

21B‧‧‧ symbol

22‧‧‧ Doors

41‧‧‧ Move out of the entrance

42‧‧‧Ontology

43‧‧‧ 盖部

45‧‧‧锷

211‧‧‧上壁

212‧‧‧立立立

214‧‧‧Window unit

215‧‧‧ openings

216‧‧‧Window Frame Department

216A‧‧‧back

D‧‧‧ front and rear direction

S‧‧‧ Sealing Department

S1‧‧‧ Hollow

S2‧‧‧ flow holes

S3‧‧‧Supply path

S4, S6‧‧ switch

S5‧‧‧ vacuum path

Claims (7)

A door opening and closing device is provided adjacent to the transfer chamber, and is configured to carry out the loading and unloading of the object to be transported between the storage container in which the object to be transported in the internal space of the container body and the transfer chamber, and is characterized in that a plate-like frame which is a part of a wall surface constituting the transfer chamber and has an opening for opening the transfer chamber; a door portion that opens and closes the opening; and a mounting table that is a lid portion that opens and closes an inner space of the storage container main body faces the door portion, and the storage container is placed to move forward and backward of the frame; and a hollow elastic sealing portion that is in the frame The opening edge or the vicinity of the opening edge of the opening is provided to surround the opening, and a state change is possible between the contracted state and the expanded state, and the positioning table is positioned on the storage container placed on the mounting table. The hollow elastic seal that is in the contracted state described above in a state where the lid portion is close to the predetermined joint position of the opening It is changed to the expanded state, so that the hollow portion of the elastic seal elastically contacts the storage container is set on the sealing surface of the body portion of the peripheral lid portion to form a seal region. The door opening and closing device of the first aspect of the invention, further comprising: a movement restricting portion that moves in a direction in which the storage container that is positioned on the mounting table at the connection position is separated from the frame The movement limit state, and the position allowed to be positioned before the aforementioned joint position The storage container on the mounting table is switchable between a movement permitting state in which the storage container is moved in a direction separating from the frame, and the movement restricting portion is allowed to move from the movement after the positioning of the mounting table at the connecting position. The state is switched to the movement restriction state, and the hollow elastic seal portion in the contracted state is changed to the expanded state while the movement restriction state is maintained. A door opening and closing device is provided adjacent to the transfer chamber, and is configured to carry out the loading and unloading of the object to be transported between the storage container in which the object to be transported in the internal space of the container body and the transfer chamber, and is characterized in that a frame, the frame is a part of a wall surface constituting the transfer chamber; the door portion is openable and closable, the opening is formed in the frame for opening a space partitioned by the frame; and a mounting table The mounting table is formed in a frame in which a lid portion that can open and close the inner space of the storage container main body faces the door portion, a position at which the storage container can be placed, and a hollow elastic sealing portion. The hollow elastic sealing portion is provided so as to surround the opening in the vicinity of the opening edge or the opening edge of the opening in the frame, and is changeable between the contracted state and the expanded state, and the storage container is placed in the storage. In a state in which the cover portion of the container approaches a predetermined connection position on the mounting table of the opening, by being in the contracted state The elastic sealing hollow section is changed to the expanded state, so that the elastic sealing hollow section is set in elastic contact with the sealing surface portion surrounding portion of the lid in the container body to form a seal region. A conveying device comprising: a transfer chamber; a door opening and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 of the wall surface of the transfer chamber; and a door provided in the transfer chamber and at the door A transport robot that can insert and remove the object to be transported between the storage container on the opening and closing device and the transfer chamber. A sorting device, comprising: a transfer chamber; a plurality of door opening and closing devices provided in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the wall surface of the transfer chamber; and a plurality of door opening and closing devices provided in the transfer chamber, and at least The transport robot that can insert and remove the transported object between the storage containers on the plurality of door opening and closing devices can perform the transfer robot. A method of connecting a storage container in a state in which a storage container capable of sealing the internal space of the container body with a lid portion is placed on the mounting table of the door opening and closing device according to the first or second aspect of the patent application, and is in close contact with each other. In the above-described frame, the sealing treatment is performed by moving the mounting table on which the storage container is placed to a predetermined connection position where the lid portion is close to the opening, and then is in the contracted state. The hollow elastic sealing portion is changed to the expanded state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion is elastically brought into contact with a sealing surface of the storage container main body set at a peripheral portion of the lid portion to form a sealing region. In a state in which the storage container capable of sealing the internal space of the container body with the lid portion is placed on the mounting table of the door opening and closing device of the third aspect of the patent application, the container is in close contact with the front side. The sealing frame is characterized in that the sealing process is performed by placing the storage container at a predetermined connection position on the mounting table where the lid portion is close to the opening, and then the hollow portion is in the contracted state. The elastic sealing portion is changed to the expanded state, and the hollow elastic sealing portion is elastically brought into contact with a sealing surface of the storage container body set at a peripheral portion of the lid portion to form a sealing region.