JP2001291765A - Substrate storing box and substrate processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store a processed substrate in a compact and small space and carry it, while protecting it from contaminant particles of its external environment. SOLUTION: A substrate storing box 10 has a box main body 14 of a rectangular parallelepiped whose top surface and side surfaces are shielded from the external by walls and whose bottom surface is opened, and has a cover 18 mounted removably and airtightly on a bottom-surface opening 14a of the box main body 14. To an inner side surface or a top surface 18a of the cover 18, there is attached a substrate holding member 20 for holding a substrate 12 in the state of standing it obliquely. The substrate holding member 20 is formed out of one or more substrate-oriented rear-surface holding members 22 for holding elastically the rear surface of the substrate 12 from therebehind by reversing it up and down and inclining it thereafter, and out of a stopper member 24 which regulates the rotational direction of the substrate 12, its forward and backward movements or its positional discrepancy, while making possible its transverse sliding movement by contacting with the lower end portion of its surface. A cover opening/closing mechanism 32 has an operating rod 34 and a cover operating plate 36 fastened to the end of the operating rod 34.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing system for subjecting a substrate to be processed to microfabrication for manufacturing an integrated circuit and the like, and more particularly to a system for storing and processing a substrate to be processed in such a system.
The present invention relates to a substrate storage box that can be used for transportation or transportation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a general semiconductor manufacturing plant or LCD manufacturing plant, a worker or a transfer robot loads a plurality of substrates (semiconductor wafers, LCD substrates) into a carrier or a cassette in units of, for example, 25 substrates in a clean room. However, particles generated when an operator or a robot moves may become a source of contamination of the substrate to be processed.

[0003] Conventionally, a standardized mechanical interface (SMIF) for protecting a substrate to be processed from contamination by such particles is known. In the SMIF system, cassettes are stored and transported in dustproof boxes. A door is detachably and airtightly mounted on the bottom of the dust-proof box, and when the dust-proof box is placed on the interface port above the canopy of the device, the door on the interface port side is closed in the space covered by the canopy. The cassette is lowered by a mechanical elevator mechanism while being placed on the door, and set in a cassette station of the apparatus by a manipulator.

According to the above SMIF system,
Even if the degree of cleanness in the clean room is not sufficiently high, the gas surrounding the substrate to be processed can be kept clean and stationary during storage and transfer of the substrate to be processed, and the adhesion of contaminant particles can be mechanically prevented.

[0005]

As described above, the conventional SMIF system stores and transports substrates to be processed in units of a plurality of substrates and in a state of being loaded in a cassette. For this reason, when a substrate to be processed is transported between a plurality of single-wafer processing apparatuses having different clean environments, the single-wafer processing apparatus in the previous process loads the processed substrates one by one into a cassette. The cassette is put into the SMIF box at the same time, while the single-wafer processing apparatus in the post-process
The cassette is taken out of the MIF box, and then the substrates to be subjected to the post-process are taken out of the cassette one by one.

As described above, in the conventional SMIF system for storing and transferring substrates to be processed in a state of being loaded in a cassette,
Since the loading and unloading of the substrate to be processed between the processing apparatuses are performed in two stages, the cassette and the SMIF box, the throughput is reduced, and the mechanism of the loading and unloading unit is enlarged, complicated, and multiplexed. In addition, the SMIF box also needs a considerably large size and physical strength to accommodate a cassette loaded with a large number of substrates to be processed, and the structure of the box door and the door opening / closing part is particularly complicated. . These problems become more serious as the size of the substrate to be processed increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and has a compact and small space for storing and transferring a substrate to be processed while protecting the substrate to be processed from contaminating particles in an external environment. The purpose is to provide.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a substrate storage box in which a substrate to be processed is reduced in bending or stress due to gravity during storage and transfer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a substrate storage box which can easily carry in / out a substrate to be processed in a processing apparatus.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a processing system which transports a substrate to be processed to each processing apparatus in a minimum necessary clean environment to realize an efficient production line.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a substrate accommodating box of the present invention has an internal space capable of airtightly accommodating one substrate to be processed, Either the side surface or the bottom surface is configured to be openable and closable, and a support member provided in the housing for supporting the substrate to be processed in an upright or oblique state is provided. .

The substrate accommodating box of the present invention is a single-wafer box for accommodating substrates to be processed one by one, so that it is small, light and simple, and easy to handle. Also, since the board is set up vertically or diagonally,
The box space (planar area) is small, and the deflection of the substrate due to gravity is also small. The substrate to be processed is accommodated in a closed space inside the box, and is stored or transferred under a desired pressure or atmosphere inside the box without being affected by a clean environment outside the box. In order to adjust the inside of the box to a desired pressure or atmosphere, a gas introduction port for introducing a desired gas into the box or an exhaust port for exhausting the inside of the box may be provided.

[0013] A preferred embodiment of the substrate accommodating box of the present invention is a box having an internal space capable of accommodating one substrate to be processed, wherein the upper and side surfaces of the internal space are shielded by walls and the bottom surface is open. A main body, a lid detachably and airtightly attached to the opening of the box main body, and the box main body and / or the lid for supporting the substrate to be processed in an upright or oblique state. And a support member. According to this configuration, the substrate to be processed is put in and out of the substrate storage box from the bottom in a state of being set up vertically or obliquely. The opening at the bottom of the box can be formed with the minimum required size. The lid detachably attached to the opening at the bottom of the box can support or support the substrate from below when the container is housed in or taken out of the box.

In the processing system of the present invention, the first region and the second region are separated from each other via a plate wall, and the second region has a pressure or atmosphere space independent of the first region. One or a plurality of processing units are provided, a box transfer means for transferring the substrate storage box of the present invention is provided in the first area, and an openable and closable opening is provided in the plate wall for passing a substrate to be processed one by one. In the second area, a substrate transfer means for transferring the substrate to be processed between each of the processing units and the substrate storage box through the opening of the plate wall and the opening of the substrate storage box is provided. .

In the processing system of the present invention, the substrate to be processed is housed in a single-wafer type and upright type substrate housing box in a hermetically sealed state, and passes through a first area independent of the second area on the processing unit side. The substrate to be processed can be transported to each processing section in a clean environment with a minimum necessary (box internal space).

In a preferred aspect, the box transfer means simultaneously transfers the pair of substrate storage boxes, and stores the substrate to be processed in one of the substrate storage boxes.
The other substrate storage box may be configured not to store the substrate to be processed. According to such a configuration,
Between the box transport means and each processing unit, one of the boxes delivers the substrate to be processed to the processing unit, and the other box receives the processed substrate from the processing unit. Thus, efficient substrate transfer can be performed.

[0017]

FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of a substrate storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention. One of the features of the substrate storage box 10 is that a substrate to be processed, such as LC
The point is that the D substrates 12 are accommodated in the hermetically sealed internal space 16 of the rectangular parallelepiped casing 13 one by one. Such a single-wafer type substrate accommodating box 10 only needs to have a volume or size and physical strength capable of accommodating one substrate 12, and is much smaller and smaller than a conventional cassette accommodating SMIF box.
It can be manufactured as a lightweight and simple box structure, and it is very convenient to handle, especially when transporting.

Another feature of the substrate storage box 10 is as follows.
The point is that the substrate 12 is housed in the hermetically sealed internal space 16 of the rectangular parallelepiped casing 13 in a state of standing vertically or obliquely or in a posture. According to such a standing type substrate storage box, the space (planar area) of the housing 13 can be reduced to the minimum, and the bending of the substrate 10 in the housing 13 due to gravity can be reduced as much as possible.

The substrate storage box 10 has an upper surface,
Either the side surface or the bottom surface (at least one) is configured to be openable and closable, and the substrate 1
0 is put in and out of the housing 13. Case 1
As the material 3, any material such as a metal or a resin can be used as long as it can provide airtightness and required rigidity.

FIGS. 2 to 4 show the substrate storage box 10.
Is shown below. The housing 13 of the substrate housing box 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped box main body 14 in which the upper surface and side surfaces of the internal space 16 are shielded by walls and an open bottom surface, and a bottom opening 14 a of the box main body 14.
And a lid 18 which is detachably attached to the lid and airtightly attached. On the inner surface or upper surface 18a of the lid 18, the substrate 12
Support member 20 for supporting the substrate in an oblique state
Is attached.

The substrate supporting member 20 tilts the substrate 12 in an obliquely upright posture to elastically support the rear surface of the substrate from behind.
One or a plurality of substrate back support members 22 and a stopper member 24 that abuts on the lower end of the surface of the substrate 12 and restricts the rotational or forward / backward movement or displacement while allowing the substrate 12 to slide laterally. It is composed of The substrate back support member 22 is preferably made of an elastically deformable member such as a spring member, and has a U-shaped bent portion for passing the substrate transfer arm 40 (FIG. 4) in the horizontal direction at an intermediate portion thereof. 22a are formed. The stopper member 24 may be made of any rigid or elastic material.

As shown in FIG. 3A, a cylindrical knob 26 is mounted at the center of the outer surface (lower surface) of the lid 18, and a pair of push buttons 26a are provided on both side surfaces of the knob 26. Is provided. These buttons 26a are connected to a pair of engaging pins 28 provided on both sides of the lid 18 so as to be able to protrude and retract via a transmission mechanism (not shown) inside the lid, and when the button 26a is pushed in, When the engaging pin 28 is retracted inward and the button 26a is released (when the pushing is released), the button 26a returns to the original position and the engaging pin 28 projects outside. Pin holes 30 for receiving the engaging pins 28 are formed in the inner wall at the lower end of the box body 14 corresponding to both side surfaces of the lid 18.

The lid opening / closing mechanism 32 in this embodiment
Has an operating rod 34 and a lid operating plate 36 fixed to the tip of the operating rod 34. As shown in FIG.
The lid operation plate 36 has a circular recess 36 a that can be fitted to the knob 26 of the lid 18, and a pair of pressing pins 3 corresponding to the push buttons 26 a of the knob 26 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 36 a.
7 is provided so that it can appear and disappear. These pressing pins 37
It is operatively connected to an opening / closing drive unit (not shown) on the base end side of the operation rod 34 via a transmission mechanism (not shown) inside the lid operation plate 36 and the operation rod 34.

The opening / closing drive unit presses the pressing pin 37 into the circular recess 3.
6a, the knob 26 of the lid 18 is retracted.
The circular recess 36a of the lid operation plate 36 can be fitted to the outside,
As shown in FIG. 3B, the lid operation plate 36 can be fitted and contacted with the lid 18. The lid operation plate 36 is moved to the lid 1
8 in the state of being fitted and contacted with the pressing pin 37.
Is pushed out, the pressing pin 37 pushes the push button 26 a of the knob 26, whereby the engaging pin 2 of the lid 18 is pressed.
8 retreats inside. As a result, the lid operation plate 36 and the lid 18 are connected, and the engagement pin 28 of the lid 18 is
Can be removed from the pin hole 30 of the box body 14, and the lid 18 can be separated from the box body 14 as shown in FIG. When the cover 18 is mounted on the box body 14, the reverse operation is performed in the reverse procedure.

An appropriate sealing member (not shown) may be provided on a contact surface between the lid 18 and the box body 14 so that airtightness can be obtained.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a substrate transfer device for loading or unloading the substrate 12 on the lid 18.
In the substrate transfer device 38, the plate-shaped substrate transfer arm 40 enters the lid 18 so as to pass horizontally through the inside of the U-shaped bent portion 22 a of the substrate back support member 22, or moves on the lid 18. The substrate 12 can be held in an arbitrary posture (especially even in a vertical or oblique posture) from the back side by a vacuum suction force. The apparatus main body 42 is movable in a predetermined direction (horizontal, vertical, and / or rotational direction) in relation to the moving range of the lid opening / closing mechanism 32, and a negative pressure for applying a vacuum suction force to the substrate transfer arm 40. A mechanism (not shown) is also provided.
In the illustrated example, a vertical support arm 44 is provided which is movable in a horizontal direction along a guide groove 43 of the apparatus main body 42, and the substrate is transported around a horizontal support shaft 46 fixed to the tip of the vertical support arm 44. The arm 40 is rotatable.

Next, the substrate storage box 10 as described above is used.
A processing system for manufacturing an LCD according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As schematically shown in FIG. 5, in this processing system, the space in the factory is divided into two upper and lower regions by a horizontally extending plate wall 50, and a substrate transfer region 51 is formed on the plate wall 50. , Various single-wafer processing units 5 under the plate wall 50
2 (1), 52 (2), $ 52 (n) and cassette station 5
4 are arranged in an arbitrary layout in the horizontal direction.

Each processing section 52 (i) may be configured under any clean environment or pressure conditions and may include one or more processing chambers or chambers. At the cassette station 54, loading or unloading of substrates by a cassette into the processing system is performed at a time. As will be described later, since the substrate 12 is transported in the system using the substrate storage box 10, the cassette may remain at the cassette station 54.

The spaces between the processing units 52 (1), 52 (2),... 52 (n) and between them and the cassette station 54 are appropriately separated or separated according to the respective clean environment and pressure conditions. It may be continuous. The plate wall 50 does not necessarily have to be a single continuous partition plate, but may be, for example, a ceiling panel of an individual processing unit 52 or a cassette station 54.

In the substrate transfer area 51, a box transfer body 56 having a predetermined number of, for example, a pair of substrate storage boxes 10 (10L, 10R) is moved on the plate wall 50, and each processing unit 52 (i) or cassette is moved. Station 54
Can be accessed from above.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ceiling panel or plate wall 50 of each processing section 52 (i) (and the cassette station 54) is provided with an openable / closable opening 58 for taking in and out the substrate 12 one by one. In this embodiment, the lid operation plate 36 of the lid opening / closing mechanism 32 as described above is also exposed from the processing unit 52 (i) side to the substrate transfer area 51 side as an opening / closing lid for the opening 58. . As will be described later, the opening / closing lid, that is, the lid operation plate 36 is opened in an airtight state, and the substrate storage box 10 on the box transport body 56 side and each processing unit 5 are opened.
The substrate 12 is transferred to and from the substrate transfer device 38 on the side of 2 (i) (or the cassette station 54). In the substrate transfer device 38 of FIG. 6, only the transfer arm 40 is illustrated for convenience of illustration.

As shown in FIG. 7, in this processing system, two gas ports 60 and 6 are provided on one surface, for example, the upper surface of the substrate housing box 10 mounted on the box carrier 56.
2 are provided. One port 60 is a gas inlet for introducing an inert gas such as N 2 gas into the substrate housing box 10, and the other port 62 is a gas outlet for discharging the gas inside the substrate housing box 10. . Further, a flange portion 64 is provided on, for example, an upper portion of the box main body 14 so that the box carrier 56 can grip the substrate housing box 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, a box carrier 56 supports and holds the substrate-accommodating boxes 10 via a gripping arm 66 and moves up and down. An inert gas supply section 72 for supplying an inert gas into the box 10 through a flexible pipe 70 airtightly mounted on the box 60, and airtightly mounted on the gas outlet 62 of each box 10. A vacuum exhaust unit 76 for evacuating the inside of the box 10 through an extendable pipe 74, a traveling unit 78 traveling along a rail 59 laid on the plate wall 50, and respective units 68, 72,
A control unit 80 for controlling 76 and 78 is provided. Note that a driving unit that drives the traveling unit 78 to travel may be provided outside the box transport body 56.

While the box carrier 56 moves toward the processing unit 52 (i) of the access destination, the internal space 16 of each substrate accommodating box 10 is kept airtight and the substrate in the processing unit 52 (i) of the access destination is maintained. The pressure or atmosphere is adjusted to the same level as the pressure or atmosphere of the loading / unloading section. For example,
If the substrate loading / unloading unit in the processing unit 52 (i) of the access destination is a load lock chamber of a decompression space, each substrate is evacuated by the vacuum exhaust unit 76 on the box transfer body 56 side to the same degree of vacuum as the load lock chamber. Internal space 1 of storage box 10
6 is depressurized.

As shown in FIG. 9, the box carrier 56
Stops at a predetermined position above the processing unit 52 (i) of the access destination. At this stop position, the box elevating unit 68 lowers the substrate storage box 10 and the knob 2 of the lid 18 on the bottom surface thereof.
The box 10 is placed on the opening 58 of the plate wall 50 so that the box 6 is fitted into the recess 36 a of the lid operation plate 36. At this time, for example, a suitable seal member 82 may be provided around the opening 58 so that the lower surface of the box 10 is sealed with respect to the substrate transfer area 51.

On the processing section 52 (i) side, a substrate loading / unloading chamber 84 is provided directly below the opening 58. The substrate loading / unloading chamber 84 may be continuous with a room or space in which the substrate transfer device 38 in the processing unit 52 (i) is located or moves, or may be sealed via a door (not shown). It may be a room. In the latter case (a chamber that can be sealed), the interior of the chamber may be reduced to a desired vacuum degree by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown) through the exhaust port 86, for example.

In the substrate loading / unloading chamber 84, the box transporting plate 36 of the substrate transporting mechanism 32 is box-transported as described above in a state where it is in air-tight contact with the ceiling panel or plate wall 50 via the sealing member 88. The lid 18 of the substrate storage box 10 lowered from the body 56 can be fitted to and brought into contact with the lid 18 so as to receive the lid 18. When the lid 18 comes into contact with the lid operation plate 36, the opening / closing drive unit provided in the drive unit 90 of the substrate transfer mechanism 32 causes the pressing pin 37 of the lid operation plate 36 to operate.
By pushing out (FIG. 3), as described above, the pressing pin 37 pushes the push button 26a of the knob 26 on the lid 18 side.
3 (FIG. 3), whereby the lid operation plate 36 and the lid 18 are connected, and the engaging pin 2 of the lid 18 is
8 comes out of the pin hole 30 of the box body 14 and the lid 18
And the box body 14 can be separated.

Here, the internal space 16 of the substrate housing box 10 and the internal space of the substrate loading / unloading chamber 84 are each depressurized to substantially the same degree of vacuum.
4, the lid 18 can be easily separated. However, lid 1
8, a pressure adjusting through-hole 18b that opens and closes in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the push button 26a of the knob 26 is provided, and a corresponding portion of the lid operation plate 36 is also interlocked with the reciprocating movement of the pressing pin 38. A pressure adjusting through-hole 36b is provided for opening and closing, and when the opening / closing drive unit projects (forwards) the pressing pin 38, both through-holes 18b and 36b open to allow the substrate loading / unloading with the internal space 16 of the substrate housing box 10. It is also possible to adjust (cancel) the pressure difference with the internal space of the chamber 84.

In the drive section 90 of the substrate transport mechanism 32, there is also provided an elevating drive section for moving the lid operation plate 36 up and down via the operation rod 34. The lifting drive unit lowers the lid operation plate 36, and as shown in FIG. 10, the lid 18 and the lid 18 and the substrate supporting member 20 are placed on the lid 18 obliquely together with the lid operation plate 36. The substrate 12 supported in the tilted position is lowered. Thus, the substrate 12 is taken out of the substrate storage box 10 and is carried into the substrate carry-in / carry-out chamber 84 on the processing section 52 (i) side. Then, after the raising / lowering drive unit of the substrate transport mechanism 32 stops the lowering of the lid operation plate 36, the substrate transport device 38 (FIG. 6) on the processing unit 52 (i) accesses the substrate loading / unloading chamber 84, In a manner similar to FIG. 4, the substrate transport arm 40 enters the cover 18 and receives the substrate 12 from the substrate support member 20. Thereafter, the substrate 12 is transferred by the substrate transfer device 38 to a processing chamber in the processing section 52 (i), where it is subjected to predetermined processing.

In FIG. 6, in this processing system, one substrate 12 is selectively taken in and out of one of the two substrate storage boxes 10L and 10R mounted on the box carrier 56. .

For example, when the substrate 12 is loaded from the right box 10R into the substrate loading / unloading chamber 84 on the right side of the processing section 52 (i) as described above, the left box 10R
L is empty. In this case, the left box 10L and the left substrate loading / unloading chamber 84 of the processing unit 52 (i) are reduced in pressure to approximately the same degree of vacuum in advance, and provided in the left substrate loading / unloading chamber 84 in the same manner as described above. The opening / closing operation plate 36 is moved by the substrate transport mechanism 32 to the lid 1 of the left box 10L.
The cover 18 is opened by fitting and contacting the cover 8 and lowered to a predetermined position. The substrate supporting member 20 attached to the upper surface of the lid 18 is in a state of no load (there is no substrate 12).

As described above, when the substrate transfer device 38 takes out the unprocessed substrate 12 from the right substrate loading / unloading chamber 84R, another (although the same) substrate transfer device 38 is immediately processed. Substrate 12 is transported to the left substrate loading / unloading chamber 84L, and the processed substrate 1 is placed on the substrate supporting member 20 on the lid 18 waiting in the chamber 84L.
Give 2 Next, in the substrate transport mechanism 32 of the left substrate loading / unloading chamber 84L, the lid operation plate 36 is lifted while the processed substrate 12 and the lid 18 are placed thereon, and the substrate 12 is moved downward (into the left box 10L). Insert from the bottom). When the lid operation plate 36 is raised to a position where it comes into contact with the plate wall 50 via the seal member 88, the lid 18 fits into the bottom opening 14a of the left box 10L. Here, when the pressing pin 37 of the lid operating plate 36 is retracted, the engaging pin 28 of the lid 18 projects and fits into the pin hole 30 on the box body 14 side, and the left box 10L holds the processed substrate 12. The lid is sealed in the housed state, and the lid operation plate 36 can be separated from the lid 18.

On the other hand, in the substrate loading / unloading chamber 84R on the right side, the substrate 18 before processing is transferred to the substrate transporting device 38, and the lid 18 in a no-load (no substrate) state is replaced with the lid of the substrate transporting mechanism 32. The operation plate 36 is lifted vertically upward from below and attached to the right box 10R in the same manner as described above.

As described above, one of the boxes 10R is provided between the box carrier 56 and each of the processing units 52 (i).
(10L) passes the unprocessed substrate 12 to the processing unit, and instead receives the processed substrate 12 from the processing unit in the other box 10L (10R).

After completing the above-described exchange of the substrate 12 with the processing section 52 (i), the box carrying body 56 moves to another processing section 52 (j), where it is moved from the left box 10L to the processing section 52 (j). The substrate 12 to be processed in (j) is loaded into the left substrate loading / unloading chamber 84L of the processing unit 52 (j),
Instead, the substrate 12 processed by the processing unit 52 (j)
From the right loading / unloading chamber 84R of the processing unit 52 (j) to the right box 10R.

At this time, both boxes 1 are supplied by the inert gas supply unit 72 or the vacuum exhaust unit 76 on the box carrier 56.
0L and 10R are controlled by the processing unit 52.
The pressure or the atmosphere in the substrate loading / unloading chambers 84L and 84R in (j) can be adjusted. For example, the processing unit 5
If the substrate loading / unloading chambers 84L and 84R in 2 (j) are in a normal pressure space, the inert gas supply unit 72
After supplying inert gas into both boxes 10L and 10R to make both boxes 10L and 10R normal pressure,
What is necessary is just to exchange the board | substrate 12.

As described above, in this processing system, independent processing units 52 (1) to 52 (52) in a clean environment are provided.
(n) and the cassette station 54, the substrate 1
2 is housed in a closed state in a single-wafer and standing type substrate accommodating box 10 and transported through a substrate transport area 51 which does not require a special clean environment.
Can be conveyed to each part in a clean environment with the minimum necessary (box internal space 16), and a low-cost and efficient production line can be constructed.

FIG. 11 shows the configuration of a box transport device according to another embodiment. The box transport device includes a self-propelled unit 94 that runs on a floor surface or a transport path 92 in a clean room to access each processing unit or cassette station in the processing system. A lifting unit 96 configured to be movable up and down, and one or a plurality of box transport hands 100 configured to be able to advance and retreat in a predetermined direction on a horizontal support plate 98 mounted on the upper surface of the lifting unit 96. are doing. The box transport hand 100 in the illustrated example is configured to carry the substrate storage box 10 in a vertically upright state. However, as in the above-described embodiment, the box 10 is formed with a flange portion 64 and the like and the box is suspended. A configuration supporting 10 is also possible. Also,
The traveling section 94, the lifting section 96, or the horizontal support plate 98 can be configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis.

In the processing system of the above-described embodiment, the opening 14 a and the cover 18
In connection with the provision of the
A plate wall 50 for separating from the horizontal direction is provided. However, for example, when an opening and a lid are provided on the side surface of the substrate storage box, the transport region and the processing region are divided in a plane, and the plate wall for dividing the region extends in the vertical direction.

The substrate to be processed in the present invention is not limited to an LCD substrate, but may be a semiconductor wafer, CD substrate, glass substrate, photomask, printed substrate, or the like.

[0052]

As described above, according to the substrate accommodating box of the present invention, the substrate to be processed can be stored and transported in a small, lightweight and small space while protecting it from contaminating particles in the external environment. In addition, the bending or stress of the substrate to be processed due to gravity can be reduced, and the process of loading and unloading the substrate to be processed in the processing apparatus is simplified.

Further, according to the processing system of the present invention, an efficient production line can be realized by transporting a substrate to be processed to each processing apparatus in a minimum necessary clean environment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a basic structure of a substrate storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a method of taking a substrate in and out of a bottom surface of a housing in the substrate storage box of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a mechanism for detachably attaching a lid to a bottom opening of a housing in the board storage box of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a member that supports the substrate on a lid and a transport unit that loads / unloads the substrate in the substrate storage box of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a processing system for manufacturing an LCD according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a mechanism for exchanging a substrate between each processing unit and a box carrier in the processing system of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an external configuration of a substrate storage box mounted on a box carrier in the processing system of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating a functional configuration inside a box carrier in the processing system of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a mechanism for exchanging substrates between a substrate accommodating box on a box carrier side and each processing unit in the processing system of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mechanism for exchanging substrates between a substrate accommodating box on a box transport body side and each processing unit in the processing system of the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a box transport device according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Substrate accommodation box 12 LCD substrate 13 Box 14 Box main body 16 Box internal space 18 Lid 20 Substrate support member 26 Knob 32 Lid opening / closing mechanism 36 Lid operating plate 38 Substrate transport device 40 Substrate transport arm 50 Plate wall 56 Box transport 52 (1) to 52 (n) Processing unit 54 Cassette station 58 Opening 60 Gas inlet 62 Gas outlet 64 Flange 68 Box elevating unit 72 Inert gas supply unit 74 Vacuum exhaust unit 82 Sealing member 84 Substrate loading / unloading room 88 Seal member

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3E096 AA01 BA15 BB05 CA02 CB03 FA03 GA03 5F031 CA02 CA05 CA07 CA20 DA08 EA12 EA14 FA01 FA02 FA04 FA05 FA18 NA02 NA10 PA13 PA18 PA26

Claims (6)

[Claims] A housing having an internal space capable of air-tightly accommodating a single substrate to be processed, and having a top surface, a side surface, or a bottom surface openable and closable; And a support member provided in the housing for supporting the computer vertically or obliquely. 2. A box main body having an internal space capable of accommodating one substrate to be processed, wherein an upper surface and side surfaces of the internal space are shielded by walls and a bottom surface is open; A substrate housing box comprising: a lid that is detachably and airtightly mounted; and a support member provided on the box body and / or the lid for supporting the substrate to be processed in an upright or oblique state. . 3. The substrate accommodating box according to claim 1, wherein a gas inlet for introducing a desired gas into the internal space is provided. 4. The substrate storage box according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust port for exhausting the internal space. 5. One or more treatments wherein a first region and a second region are separated via a plate wall, and wherein said second region has a pressure or atmosphere space independent of said first region. A box transfer means for transferring the substrate accommodating box according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to the first area, and capable of opening and closing to pass the substrate to be processed through the plate wall one by one. An opening is provided, and a substrate transfer unit is provided in the second area, for transferring the substrate to be processed between each of the processing units and the substrate storage box through the opening of the plate wall and the opening of the substrate storage box. Processing system. 6. The box transfer means transfers the pair of substrate storage boxes simultaneously, stores the substrate to be processed in one substrate storage box, and stores the substrate to be processed in the other substrate storage box. The processing system according to claim 5, wherein the processing system is not accommodated.