JP2024068922A - Substrate storage container - Google Patents

Abstract

A substrate storage container is provided that includes a valve body that opens and closes in response to an external force.
[Solution] In a substrate storage container 1 comprising a container body 10 for storing substrates, a lid body for closing the opening of the container body 10, and a valve body 40 for controlling the flow of gas into the container body 10, the valve body 40 is attached to the bottom of the container body 10 and includes a block member 41 having a valve hole 416, a valve member 42 for opening and closing the valve hole 416, and an operating member 43 connected to the valve member 42 and having a gas passage, when no external force is acting on the operating member 43 in a direction to open the valve hole 416, the block member 41 and operating member 43 are spaced apart and do not come into contact, resulting in a valve closed state, and when an external force is acting on the operating member 43 in a direction to open the valve hole 416, the block member 41 and operating member 43 come into contact, resulting in an open valve state which allows gas to flow between the passage and the valve hole 416.
[Selected Figure] Figure 2A

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate storage container equipped with a valve body that controls the flow of gas to the container body.

The substrate storage container that stores substrates includes a container body, a lid that closes the opening of the container body, and a valve body that controls the flow of gas to the container body. This valve body has a check valve function and includes a valve body and a metallic elastic member that opens and closes the valve body (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In order to store substrates in an airtight state, gas is supplied to the substrate storage container from a valve body and the gas is discharged through the valve body. However, when the stored substrates are processed, residual substances that have adhered to the substrates may also be discharged along with the supplied gas. As a result, metallic elastic members of the valve body may be corroded by the residual substances.

The inventors have proposed a valve body that uses an elastic valve body to open and close the gas passage without using metal members (see Patent Document 3). This valve body has a valve opening mechanism that closes the valve opening formed in the elastic valve body by its own elastic force and opens it when the gas pressure exceeds the elastic force.

JP 2008-066330 A JP 2004-179449 A JP 2022-088279 A

However, the valve body described in Patent Document 3 opens and closes the valve depending on the pressure of the gas being supplied or discharged, and if the gas pressure does not reach the specified value, if the specified value is extremely low, or even if the gas pressure reaches the specified value, the specified value may change due to deterioration over time or sticking of the valve body (e.g., valve body, elastic member), there is a risk that the valve will not open at the specified pressure.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a substrate storage container equipped with a valve body that opens and closes using an external force other than gas pressure.

(1) One aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage container comprising a container body for storing substrates, a lid body for closing an opening of the container body, and a valve body for controlling the flow of gas into the container body, the valve body including a block member attached to the bottom of the container body and having a valve hole, a valve member for opening and closing the valve hole, and an operating member connected to the valve member and having a gas passage, wherein when no external force is acting on the operating member in a direction to open the valve hole, the block member and the operating member are spaced apart and do not come into contact, resulting in a valve closed state, and when an external force is acting on the operating member in a direction to open the valve hole, the block member and the operating member come into contact, resulting in an open valve state allowing gas to flow between the passage and the valve hole.
(2) In the above aspect (1), the operating member may be supported by a bottom plate attached to the bottom of the container body.
(3) In the above aspect (1) or (2), the valve body may include a biasing member that biases the operating member in a direction to close the valve hole, and the biasing member may be provided outside the block member and the operating member without being present in a flow path through which gas flows.
(4) In the above aspect (3), the biasing member may be a coil spring or a leaf spring.
(5) In any one of the above aspects (1) to (4), the valve member may have an umbrella portion that closes the valve hole.
(6) In any one of the above aspects (1) to (5), the valve body may control the flow of gas from the inside to the outside of the container body.
(7) In any one of the above aspects (1) to (5), the valve body may control the flow of gas from the outside to the inside of the container body.
(8) In any one of the above aspects (1) to (7), the valve body may have a filter that filters the gas.

The present invention provides a substrate storage container equipped with a valve body that opens and closes using an external force other than gas pressure.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the periphery of a bottom of a substrate storage container provided with a valve body. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a valve body. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the valve body in an open state. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of gas in the valve body in the gas supply state. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of gas in the valve body in an exhaust state. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a flow of a cleaning fluid when a substrate storage container is cleaned. FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a valve body having a leaf spring as a biasing member according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a valve body of a third embodiment that does not have a biasing member.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments of this specification, identical components are designated by the same reference numerals throughout.

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The container includes a container body 10 for storing a substrate, a lid 20 for closing an opening 11 of the container body 10 , and an annular gasket 30 provided between the container body 10 and the lid 20 .

The container body 10 is a box-shaped body with an opening 11 formed on the front. This opening 11 is bent and stepped so that it spreads outward, and the surface of the stepped part is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the front of the opening 11 as the sealing surface 12 with which the gasket 30 comes into contact. Note that the container body 10 is preferably a front-open type, as this makes it easy to insert substrates with a diameter of 300 mm or 450 mm.

Support bodies 13 are arranged on both the left and right sides inside the container body 10. The support bodies 13 have the function of placing and positioning the substrate. The support body 13 has multiple grooves formed in the height direction, constituting so-called groove teeth. The substrate is placed on the two groove teeth on the left and right at the same height. The material of the support body 13 may be the same as that of the container body 10, but a different material may be used to improve cleaning properties and sliding properties.

A rear retainer (not shown) is disposed at the rear (back side) inside the container body 10. When the lid 20 is closed, the rear retainer pairs with a front retainer, which will be described later, to hold the substrate. However, instead of providing a rear retainer as in this embodiment, the support body 13 may have, for example, a V-shaped or linear substrate holding portion at the back side of the groove teeth, so that the substrate is held by the front retainer and substrate holding portion. The support body 13 and rear retainer may be provided in the container body 10 by insert molding, fitting, or the like.

The substrate is supported by the support 13 and stored in the container body 10. An example of the substrate is a silicon wafer, but is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a quartz wafer, a gallium arsenide wafer, etc.

A robotic flange 14 is detachably attached to the center of the ceiling of the container body 10. The substrate storage container 1, which contains clean substrates stored in an airtight manner, is grasped by the robotic flange 14 by a transport robot in the factory and transported to the processing equipment for each process that processes the substrates.

In addition, manual handles 15 that can be gripped by the operator are detachably attached to the center of the outer surface of both sides of the container body 10.

An air supply section 16 and an exhaust section 17 are provided on the inside bottom surface of the container body 10, and a valve body 40 (described later) is attached to the outside bottom surface of the container body 10. These are designed to replace the gas inside the substrate storage container 1, maintain a low humidity airtight state, blow away impurities on the substrates, and keep the inside of the substrate storage container 1 clean by supplying an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or dry air from the air supply section 16 to the inside of the substrate storage container 1 closed by the lid body 20, and exhausting it from the exhaust section 17 as necessary. Note that in addition to supplying gas from the air supply section 16, the exhaust section 17 may also be connected to a negative pressure (vacuum) generating device to forcibly exhaust gas from the exhaust section 17.

Furthermore, by detecting the gas exhausted from the exhaust section 17, it is possible to confirm whether the inside of the substrate storage container 1 has been replaced with the introduced gas. Note that it is preferable that the gas supply section 16 and the exhaust section 17 are located at a position that is different from the position where the substrate is projected onto the bottom surface, but the number and positions of the gas supply sections 16 and the exhaust sections 17 are not limited to those shown in the figure, and they may be located at the four corners of the bottom surface of the container body 10. Also, the gas supply sections 16 and the exhaust sections 17 may be attached to the side of the lid body 20.

A bottom plate 50 for placing the substrate storage container 1 on a load port (not shown) is attached to the exterior bottom surface of the container body 10 by fitting or fastening.

The lid 20, on the other hand, is attached to the front of the opening 11 of the container body 10 and has a generally rectangular shape. The lid 20 has a locking mechanism (not shown) and is locked by fitting a locking piece into a locking hole (not shown) formed in the container body 10.

The lid 20 also has an elastic front retainer (not shown) in the center that holds the front edge of the substrate horizontally, which is either detachably attached by fitting or integrally formed by insert molding. This front retainer, like the groove teeth and substrate holding portion of the support 13, is a part that comes into direct contact with the wafer, so a material with good cleanability and sliding properties is used for it.

The lid 20 is formed with an attachment groove 21 for attaching the gasket 30. For example, a convex portion 22 smaller than the step of the opening 11 may be formed in an annular shape on the surface of the lid 20 facing the container body 10, so that the attachment groove 21 is formed in an annular shape with a generally U-shaped cross section. This convex portion 22 is designed to go deeper than the step of the opening 11 when the lid 20 is attached to the container body 10.

The materials for the container body 10 and the lid 20 include, for example, thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyether ether ketone, and liquid crystal polymer. This thermoplastic resin may be appropriately supplemented with conductive agents such as conductive carbon, conductive fiber, metal fiber, and conductive polymer, various antistatic agents, and ultraviolet absorbing agents.

Next, the gasket 30 is annular in shape to correspond to the front shape of the lid body 20 (and the shape of the opening 11 of the container body 10), and in this embodiment, is rectangular frame-shaped. However, the annular gasket 30 may also be annular (ring-shaped) before being attached to the lid body 20.

The gasket 30 is disposed between the sealing surface 12 of the container body 10 and the lid body 20, and when the lid body 20 is attached to the container body 10, it adheres closely to the sealing surface 12 and the lid body 20 to ensure the airtightness of the substrate storage container 1, reducing the intrusion of dust, moisture, etc. from the outside into the substrate storage container 1, and reducing the leakage of gas from the inside to the outside.

The gasket 30 may be formed using elastic materials such as thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester-based elastomers, polyolefin-based elastomers, fluorine-based elastomers, and urethane-based elastomers, as well as fluororubber, ethylene propylene rubber, and silicone-based rubber. Various additives may be added to these materials to impart other functions.

Next, the valve body 40 will be described.
Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing the bottom periphery of the substrate storage container 1 equipped with a valve body 40, Fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing the valve body 40, Fig. 2C is a cross-sectional view showing the valve body 40 in the valve open state, Fig. 2D is a cross-sectional view showing the gas flow in the valve body 40 in the gas supply state, and Fig. 2E is a cross-sectional view showing the gas flow in the valve body 40 in the gas exhaust state. Note that only Fig. 2B shows the valve body 40 alone.

The air supply valve body 40 controls the flow of gas from the outside to the inside of the container body 10, and when attached to the container body 10, it communicates with the air supply section 16 via a gas flow passage (not shown). On the other hand, the exhaust valve body 40 controls the flow of gas to the container body 10, and when attached to the container body 10, it communicates with the exhaust section 17 via a gas flow passage (not shown).

The valve body 40 of the embodiment does not have a different structure for gas supply and gas exhaust, and the direction of gas flow through the valve body 40 is determined by an external device (supply and exhaust equipment) such as a load port on which the substrate storage container 1 is placed.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the valve body 40 is fitted into a through hole 18 formed by a rib on the bottom surface of the container body 10 (or a bottom plate attached to the bottom surface of the container body 10). In addition, a plurality of ventilation ribs 19 are formed on the base end side of the through hole 18 to ensure the flow of gas to the container body 10.

The block member 41 is a roughly two-stage cylindrical member consisting of a large diameter portion 411 on the container body 10 side and a small diameter portion 412 on the load port side (see FIG. 2B).

The large diameter portion 411 has an outer periphery that tapers toward the container body 10, and has one or more annular ribs 411a. The annular rib 411a ensures airtightness between the block member 41 and the through hole 18 when the block member 41 is inserted into the through hole 18 of the container body 10, and also has the function of fixing the block member 41 by fitting into the through hole 18 (see FIG. 2A). Note that a separate sealing member such as an O-ring may be attached instead of the annular rib 411a.

The inner cavity of the large diameter portion 411 is formed, from the container body 10 side, by a first step 411b and a second step 411c having a smaller diameter than the first step 411b.

On the other hand, the small diameter portion 412 has an outer periphery that narrows toward the load port side, and a cavity is formed on the inside.

When the valve body 40 is used for supplying air, the cavity in the small diameter portion 412 becomes the inlet passage 414, and the cavity in the large diameter portion 411 becomes the outlet passage 418. In addition, a part of the bottom surface of the second step portion 411c in the large diameter portion 411 becomes the valve seat 417 on which the valve member 42 described below sits, and the boundary between the inlet passage 414 and the outlet passage 418 becomes the valve hole 416.

The cross-sectional areas of the inlet passage 414 and the outlet passage 418 are appropriately designed according to the flow rate and pressure of the gas, or according to the maximum opening amount and Cv value of the valve hole 416. In addition, it is preferable that the opening area of the valve hole 416 is larger than the opening areas of the air supply nozzle 160 and the exhaust nozzle 170 described below.

Such block member 41 may be formed using various types of rubber or thermoplastic resin. Examples of such rubber or resin include rubber such as fluororubber or ethylene propylene rubber, thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester-based elastomers, polyolefin-based elastomers, fluorine-based elastomers, and urethane-based elastomers, and resins such as polyether ether ketone, polybutylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate.

The bonnet 46 is disposed on the first step 411b of the block member 41. The bonnet 46 includes an annular main body 461 and a cylindrical guide portion 463 that hangs down from the center of the main body 461, and is formed in a substantially T-shape in cross section (see FIG. 2B).

The main body 461 has multiple partition ribs 462 on the inside, allowing gas to pass between the partition ribs 462. The guide portion 463 guides the vertical movement of the valve member 42, which will be described later.

One or more filters 44 are arranged on the upper surface of the bonnet 46 (the upper surface of the partition rib 462) so as to be sandwiched between the bonnet 46 and the ventilation rib 19 of the container body 10 (see FIG. 2A). However, the filters 44 may be attached to the container body 10, the block member 41, or the bonnet 46 by, for example, adhesion or welding.

This filter 44 filters the gas being supplied or discharged, and is selected from porous membranes made of tetrafluoroethylene, polyester fiber, fluororesin, etc., molecular filtration filters made of glass fiber, etc., and chemical filters in which a chemical adsorbent is supported on a filter material such as activated carbon fiber.

When multiple filters 44 are used, they may be of the same type, but it is more preferable to combine filters with different properties, since this can prevent organic contamination in addition to particles. For example, when cleaning the container body 10, a hydrophobic or hydrophilic material may be used on one side of the filter 44 to prevent liquid from passing through, or to prevent the retention of liquid such as water or cleaning liquid.

Next, we will explain the valve member 42.

The valve member 42 opens and closes the valve hole 416, and is formed of a cylindrical body 421 having a tip 422 at one end and an umbrella portion 423 at the other end (see FIG. 2B).

A ring groove 422a is formed in the tip 422 to which the operating member 43 (described later) is detachably connected. In addition, a guide hole 421a is formed in the main body 421 from the umbrella portion 423 side toward the tip 422.

The pin-shaped guide portion 463 is inserted into the guide hole 421a to guide the vertical movement of the valve member 42.

As the valve member 45 moves up and down, the umbrella portion 423 seats on the valve seat 417 of the block member 41, opening and closing the valve hole 416.

The operating member 43 is formed of an inverted hat-shaped main body portion 431 having a cavity and a connecting portion 433 that is connected to the valve member 42 (see FIG. 2B).

The body part 431 has a ring-shaped convex seal part 432 protruding from the part that protrudes toward the container body 10. In addition, the ring-shaped flange part of the body part 431 is formed with a larger diameter than the circular opening 51 of the bottom plate 50.

The connecting portion 433 is provided on the upper surface (container body 10 side) of the main body portion 431 and has a connecting ring portion erected on multiple legs. This connecting ring portion is fitted into the ring groove 422a of the valve member 42, so that the valve member 42 and the operating member 43 are connected.

A buffer section 47 is provided on the underside (load port side) of the main body section 431 of the operating member 43 by adhesion, welding, or the like. This buffer section 47 ensures airtightness between the valve body 40 and the air supply nozzle 160 and exhaust nozzle 170 of the load port when the substrate storage container 1 is placed on the load port, and absorbs shocks during contact connection (see Figures 2D and 2E).

The buffer section 47 has a through hole 47a in the center, which, together with the through hole 431a of the operating member 43, allows gas to flow through.

The valve member 42 and the operating member 43 may be formed using various rubbers or thermoplastic resins. Examples of the rubbers and resins that can be used include rubbers such as fluororubber and ethylene propylene rubber, thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester-based elastomers, polyolefin-based elastomers, fluorine-based elastomers, and urethane-based elastomers, and resins such as polyether ether ketone, polybutylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate. Note that the material of the valve member 42 may be selected depending on performance conditions such as whether to prioritize sealing (adhesion) with the valve seat 417, prevention of sticking to the valve seat 417, or ease of cleaning and drying.

In addition, the buffer section 47 may be formed using various rubbers or thermoplastic resins depending on the desired elasticity and shock absorbing power. Examples of such rubbers or resins include rubbers such as fluororubber and ethylene propylene rubber, thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester-based elastomers, polyolefin-based elastomers, fluorine-based elastomers, and urethane-based elastomers, and resins such as polyether ether ketone, polybutylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate.

A biasing member 45 is disposed between the block member 41 and the operating member 43. Specifically, the biasing member 45 is attached so as to fit into the small diameter portion 412 of the block member 41 and the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 431 of the operating member 43.

The biasing member 45 biases the block member 41 and the operating member 43 in a direction that separates them. As a result, the valve member 42 is biased to constantly close the valve hole 416 when no external force is acting on the operating member 43. In this state, the block member 41 and the operating member 43 do not come into contact with each other, leaving a gap of about 1 mm to 2 mm (see Figure 2A).

The biasing member 45 is, for example, a resin coil spring, but may also be made of metal since it is not exposed to the gas flowing through the passage.

The magnitude of the external force required to move the operating member 43, i.e., to open the valve hole 416, is adjusted by appropriately setting the biasing force of the biasing member 45, i.e., the elastic force (spring constant). Note that the weight of the operating member 43 also acts as a biasing force, so it is advisable to take into account the mass of the operating member 43, etc.

Incidentally, as long as the biasing member 45 is capable of biasing the block member 41 and the operating member 43 in a direction separating them, it may be, for example, a leaf spring as in the second embodiment, or other biasing means may be used.
FIG. 4 shows a valve body 240 of the second embodiment.

In the valve body 240 of the second embodiment, the biasing member 245, which is a leaf spring, is attached to the bottom plate 50 and biases the operating member 43 toward the bottom plate 50. The biasing member 245 may also be attached to the container body 10.

The biasing member 245 may be a plurality of roughly S-shaped leaf springs arranged radially (e.g., three or four or more locations).

Furthermore, without using the biasing member 45, as in the third embodiment, the block member 41 and the operating member 43 may be separated by the weight of the operating member 43 (more precisely, the total mass including the mass of the valve member 42 and, if the buffer portion 47 is included, the total mass including the mass of the buffer portion 47).
FIG. 5 shows a valve body 340 according to a third embodiment.

In the valve body 340 of the third embodiment, the biasing members 45, 245 are not provided, and the weight of the operating member 43 biases the operating member 43 toward the bottom plate 50. At this time, the weight of the operating member 43 can be adjusted by appropriately setting the material, shape, and dimensions according to the magnitude of the external force that opens the valve. However, as described above, the biasing force that biases the valve member 42 downward includes not only the weight of the operating member 43 but also the weight of the valve member 42 and the weight of the buffer portion 47, so that at least one of the members may be used for adjustment. Note that metal materials may be included inside each member so that they are not exposed to the gas passage.

Next, we will explain how the valve body 40 controls the flow of gas.

When no external force is applied to the operating member 43, the valve body 40 has the valve member 42 in close contact with the valve seat 417, blocking the flow of gas to either side. Then, for example, when the substrate storage container 1 is placed on the load port, the air supply nozzle 160 rises and contacts the buffer section 47, and an external force is applied that pushes up the operating member 43, the valve member 42 moves away from the valve seat 417 and opens the valve hole 416 (see FIG. 2D). At this time, the block member 41 and the operating member 43 come into contact with each other, forming a sealed gas passage connecting the block member 41 and the operating member 43. In this way, the gas supplied from the air supply nozzle 160 outside the container body 10 passes through the valve hole 416 and is supplied to the inside of the container body 10 (see FIG. 2D).

Next, we will explain how the flow of gas is controlled when the valve body 40 is used for exhaust. In this case, the flow is the same as when supplying air, except that the exhaust nozzle 170 comes into contact with the operating member 43, and the flow direction of the gas is changed from the inside to the outside of the container body 10 (see Figure 2E).

Incidentally, after the substrate storage container 1 is cleaned with a cleaning fluid (cleaning liquid), it may be dried.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of a cleaning fluid when the substrate storage container 1 is cleaned.

During cleaning, as shown in FIG. 3, the substrate storage container 1 may be placed with the bottom plate 50 facing forward, but because no external force is acting on the operating member 43, the valve hole 416 is closed by the valve member 42, and a gap is formed between the block member 41 and the operating member 43. Therefore, even if the cleaning liquid attempts to enter the inside of the container body 10, it will not enter further than the valve hole 416, and will be discharged from the gap between the block member 41 and the operating member 43.

As described above, the substrate storage container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a container body 10 for storing substrates, a lid body 20 for closing the opening of the container body 10, and a valve body 40 for controlling the flow of gas through the container body 10. The valve body 40 is attached to the bottom of the container body 10 and includes a block member 41 having a valve hole 416, a valve member 42 for opening and closing the valve hole 416, and an operating member 43 connected to the valve member 42 and having a gas passage. When no external force is acting on the operating member 43 in a direction to open the valve hole 416, the block member 41 and the operating member 43 are separated from each other and do not come into contact with each other, resulting in a valve-closed state. When an external force is acting on the operating member 43 in a direction to open the valve hole 416, the block member 41 and the operating member 43 come into contact with each other, resulting in an open valve state in which gas can flow between the passage and the valve hole 416.

As a result, by applying an external force to the operating member 43, the operating member 43 can be moved and the valve hole 416 can be opened, regardless of the pressure of the gas supplied to the substrate storage container 1 or the gas exhausted from the substrate storage container 1 (i.e., regardless of whether the pressure is low or high). Then, when the external force is removed from the operating member 43, the valve hole 416 can be closed by a biasing force such as elastic force or gravity.

In addition, since the substrate storage container 1 is equipped with a valve body 40 that does not use metal components in the gas passage, even if there are residual substances corrosive to metals on the substrates stored therein, problems with metal corrosion do not occur, and the valve body 40 is unlikely to fail to operate.

In addition, a humidity retention test was conducted using the substrate storage container 1 of the embodiment, and no significant difference in humidity decrease over time was observed compared to the conventional container.

The movement of the operating member 43 in this embodiment is restricted by a bottom plate 50 attached to the bottom of the container body 10. This allows the distance between the block member 41 and the operating member 43 to be appropriately set, and also prevents the operating member 43 from falling off.

The valve body 40 of the embodiment has a biasing member 45 that biases the operating member 43 in a direction that closes the valve hole 416, and the biasing member 45 is not present in the gas flow path, but is provided outside the block member 41 and the operating member 43. As a result, even if metal is used for the biasing member 45, it is provided outside the gas flow path, so problems with metal corrosion are unlikely to occur, and the valve body 40 will not fail to operate.

The biasing member in this embodiment is a coil spring 45 or a leaf spring 245. This allows the biasing members 45, 245 to have a simple structure.

The valve member 42 of this embodiment has an umbrella portion 423 that closes the valve hole 416. This allows the opening area of the valve hole 416 to be increased.

The valve body 40 of the embodiment controls the flow of supply gas from the outside to the inside of the container body 10, or controls the flow of exhaust gas from the inside to the outside of the container body 10. This makes it possible to control the flow of gas through the substrate storage container 1. And because the valve body 40 does not open or close using gas pressure, it is not a dedicated structure for supplying or exhausting, but rather has a dual-purpose structure, which allows for the sharing of parts and allows it to function as a valve body 40 for supplying or exhausting depending on the structure on the load port side.

The valve body 40 of the embodiment has a filter 44 that filters gas. This allows the gas passing through the valve body 40 to be filtered. In addition, by sandwiching the filter 44 between the block member 41 (or the partition rib 462 of the bonnet 46) and the container body 10 (the ventilation rib 19), it is possible to prevent the filter 44 from falling off.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, the filter 44 may be disposed separately from the valve body 40 in the gas flow path from the gas supply source to the container body 10 .

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate storage container 10 Container body 11 Opening, 12 Sealing surface, 13 Support, 14 Robotic flange, 15 Manual handle, 16 Air supply section, 17 Exhaust section, 18 Through hole, 19 Ventilation rib 20 Lid, 21 Mounting groove, 22 Convex section 30 Gasket 40 Valve body 41 Block member, 411 Large diameter section, 412 Small diameter section, 414 Inflow passage, 416 Valve hole, 417 Valve seat, 418 Outflow passage 42 Valve member, 421 Main body, 421a Guide hole, 422 Tip, 422a Ring groove, 423 Umbrella section 43 Operation member, 431 Main body, 431a Through hole, 432 Sealing section, 433 Connection section 44 Filter 45 Pressing member (coil spring)
46 Bonnet, 461 Main body, 462 Partition rib, 463 Guide portion 47 Cushioning portion, 47a Through hole 50 Bottom plate, 51 Opening 240 Valve body 160 Air supply nozzle 170 Exhaust nozzle 245 Pressurizing member (leaf spring)
340 Valve body

Claims (8)

A container body for storing the substrate;
A lid body that closes the opening of the container body;
a valve body that controls the flow of gas into the container body,
The valve body is
a block member attached to the bottom of the container body and having a valve hole;
a valve member for opening and closing the valve hole;
an operating member connected to the valve member and having a gas passage,
When no external force acts on the operating member in a direction to open the valve hole, the block member and the operating member are separated from each other and do not come into contact with each other, and the valve is in a closed state.
When an external force acts on the operating member in a direction to open the valve hole, the block member comes into contact with the operating member, thereby establishing a valve open state in which gas can flow between the passage and the valve hole.
A substrate storage container comprising: The operating member is supported by a bottom plate attached to the bottom of the container body.
The substrate storage container according to claim 1 . the valve body includes a biasing member that biases the operating member in a direction to close the valve hole,
The biasing member is not present in a flow path through which a gas flows, and is provided outside the block member and the operation member.
3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2. The biasing member is a coil spring or a leaf spring.
The substrate storage container according to claim 3 . The valve member has a head portion that closes the valve hole.
3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2. The valve body controls the flow of gas from the inside to the outside of the container body.
3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2. The valve body controls the flow of gas from the outside to the inside of the container body.
3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2. The valve body has a filter that filters the gas.
3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2.