WO2017038501A1 - Nozzle unit - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to provide a nozzle unit that prevents atmospheric air from penetrating, when gas is being filled into an FOUP, the present invention comprises: a nozzle main body 71 having a gas supply port 72 connected to a container 7 housing contents to be housed and a gas flow path 77 connected to the gas supply port 72; a supply nozzle 78 connected to the gas flow path 77 and supplying gas to the container 7 via the gas supply port 72; and an exhaust nozzle 83 connected to the gas flow path 77 and evacuating the gas flow path 77.

Description

Nozzle unit

The present invention relates to a nozzle unit that fills a storage container for storing a wafer being transferred.

Conventionally, semiconductors have been manufactured by performing various processing steps on a wafer as a substrate. In recent years, higher integration of devices and circuit miniaturization have been promoted, and it is required to maintain the wafer periphery with a high degree of cleanliness so that particles and moisture do not adhere to the wafer surface. . Furthermore, in order not to change the surface properties such as oxidation of the wafer surface, the periphery of the wafer is made an inert gas nitrogen atmosphere or a vacuum state.

In order to properly maintain the atmosphere around the wafer, the wafer is placed in a sealed storage pod called FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) and managed, and this interior is filled with nitrogen. Further, EFEM (Equipment Front Front End Module) is used to transfer a wafer between a processing apparatus for processing a wafer and the FOUP. The EFEM constitutes a wafer transfer chamber that is substantially closed inside the housing, and is provided with a load port (Load） Port) that functions as an interface with the FOUP on one of its opposing wall surfaces, and processing on the other A load lock chamber which is part of the apparatus is connected. A wafer transfer device for transferring wafers is provided in the wafer transfer chamber, and wafers are taken in and out between the FOUP connected to the load port and the load lock chamber using this wafer transfer device. . In the wafer transfer chamber, normally, a downflow, which is clean air, is constantly flowing from a fan filter unit disposed in the upper portion of the transfer chamber.

Furthermore, in recent years, in the most advanced process of wafers, even the oxygen, moisture, etc. contained in the clean air used as a downflow may change the properties of the wafer. For this reason, as in Patent Document 1, there is a demand for practical application of a technique for injecting an inert gas into the FOUP so that the periphery of the wafer is in a nitrogen atmosphere.

JP 2011-187539 A

However, in the nozzle unit described in Patent Document 1, air and particles still remain in the flow path in the injection nozzle. As a result, there is a problem that in the FOUP in which a lower oxygen concentration and a lower humidity are required, these remaining air and particles may not be mixed, and the properties of the wafer may be changed.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle unit that prevents the atmosphere from entering when the FOUP is filled with an inert gas.

The nozzle unit according to the first invention is:
A nozzle body having a gas supply port communicating with a container for containing the contents, and a gas flow path communicating with the gas supply port;
A supply nozzle connected to the gas flow path for supplying gas to the container via the gas supply port;
An exhaust nozzle connected to the gas flow path and exhausting the gas flow path;
Equipped with.

In this nozzle unit, the air is exhausted by the exhaust nozzle. Therefore, after the container and the nozzle body come into contact, the atmosphere in the nozzle unit including the nozzle body, the supply nozzle, and the exhaust nozzle is exhausted, and the supply nozzle supplies gas to the container. Thereby, the air in the nozzle unit can be prevented from flowing into the container. Note that the air here means a substance that may change the properties of the wafer, such as oxygen, moisture, and particles, such as oxidizing the wafer contained in the container, and a gas containing these substances. Since this atmospheric air is prevented from flowing into the container, a change in the properties of the wafer accommodated in the container can be prevented.

The nozzle unit according to the second invention is
The nozzle body is
A body forming the gas supply port;
A first peripheral wall that rises from an upper end surface of the trunk part;
An upper space formed by the upper end surface of the trunk and the first peripheral wall;
The gas flow path communicates with the upper space through the gas supply port.

In this nozzle unit, the exhaust nozzle exhausts the air in the supply nozzle, gas flow path, upper space and exhaust nozzle. Therefore, after the container and the nozzle main body come into contact with each other, the air is reliably prevented from flowing into the container when the supply nozzle supplies gas to the container. Thereby, the property change of the wafer accommodated in the container can be prevented.

The nozzle unit according to the third invention is
The supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle are integrated.

In this nozzle unit, the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle are integrally provided to simplify the configuration and reduce the manufacturing cost.

A nozzle unit according to a fourth invention is
Pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure in the nozzle body,
When replacing the inside of the nozzle body with gas, the pressure adjusting means controls the pressure in the nozzle body to a predetermined value or less.

In this nozzle unit, the pressure adjusting means controls the pressure in the nozzle body to a predetermined value or less. Accordingly, when the inert gas is supplied by exhausting the atmosphere inside the nozzle body, that is, when the inside of the nozzle body is replaced with the inert gas from the atmosphere, the inert gas can be prevented from flowing into the container.

A nozzle unit according to a fifth invention is
The nozzle body;
An opening and closing mechanism for closing the gas supply port;
Opening means for opening the gas supply port closed by the opening and closing mechanism;
Equipped with.

In this nozzle unit, after the container and the nozzle body come into contact, the opening means opens the gas supply port closed by the opening / closing mechanism, and the exhaust nozzle exhausts the atmosphere in the nozzle unit. Therefore, since the supply nozzle supplies the inert gas to the container after the exhaust nozzle exhausts the atmosphere in the nozzle unit, the atmosphere in the nozzle unit can be prevented from flowing into the container.

A nozzle unit according to a sixth invention is
The opening / closing mechanism includes an elastic closing member that is located in the upper space and closes a peripheral edge of the gas supply port at an outer peripheral edge portion, and a fixing portion that fixes the elastic closing member to the trunk portion.
The opening means is an inert gas that releases the closing by pressing and elastically deforming the elastic closing member.

In this nozzle unit, by setting the pressure of the inert gas to a predetermined value or more, the inert gas presses the elastic closing member to elastically deform it, and the gas supply port is released from closing. Thereby, gas can be supplied with an easy structure.

In the first invention, the air is exhausted by the exhaust nozzle. Therefore, after the container and the nozzle body come into contact, the atmosphere in the nozzle unit including the nozzle body, the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle is exhausted, and the supply nozzle supplies the inert gas to the container. Thereby, the air in the nozzle unit can be prevented from flowing into the container. Note that the air here includes oxygen, moisture, particles, and the like that may change the properties of the wafer, such as oxidizing the wafer contained in the container. Since this atmospheric air is prevented from flowing into the container, a change in the properties of the wafer accommodated in the container can be prevented.

In the second invention, the exhaust nozzle exhausts the air in the supply nozzle, gas flow path, upper space and exhaust nozzle. Therefore, after the container and the nozzle main body come into contact with each other, the air is reliably prevented from flowing into the container when the supply nozzle supplies gas to the container. Thereby, the property change of the wafer accommodated in the container can be prevented.

In the third invention, the configuration can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced by integrally providing the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle.

In the fourth invention, the pressure adjusting means controls the pressure in the nozzle body to a predetermined value or less. Accordingly, when the inert gas is supplied by exhausting the atmosphere inside the nozzle body, that is, when the inside of the nozzle body is replaced with the inert gas from the atmosphere, the inert gas can be prevented from flowing into the container.

In the fifth invention, after the container and the nozzle body come into contact, the opening means opens the gas supply port closed by the opening / closing mechanism, and the exhaust nozzle exhausts the atmosphere in the nozzle unit. Therefore, since the supply nozzle supplies the inert gas to the container after the exhaust nozzle exhausts the atmosphere in the nozzle unit, the atmosphere in the nozzle unit can be prevented from flowing into the container.

In the sixth invention, by setting the pressure of the inert gas to a predetermined value or higher, the inert gas presses the elastic closing member to elastically deform it, and the gas supply port is released from closing. Thereby, an inert gas can be supplied with an easy structure.

The side view which shows the state which removed the side wall of EFEM. The perspective view of the load port shown in FIG. Side surface sectional drawing which shows FOUP and a load port. The principal part expansion perspective view which expands and shows the window unit and door part which comprise EFEM. The partial expansion perspective view of a positioning sensor. Sectional drawing of the nozzle unit which concerns on 1st Embodiment. Sectional drawing which moved the nozzle unit of FIG. 6 toward FOUP. Sectional drawing which shows the state which mounted | wore the FOUP with the nozzle unit of FIG. The block diagram which shows the connection state of a control part. The flowchart which shows the gas injection | pouring operation | movement to FOUP. Sectional drawing of the nozzle unit which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. Sectional drawing which moved the nozzle unit of FIG. 11 toward FOUP. Sectional drawing which moved the nozzle unit of FIG. 12 further toward FOUP. Sectional drawing which shows the state which mounted | wore the FOUP with the nozzle unit of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of the nozzle unit which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a nozzle unit according to a modification of FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a nozzle unit according to the modification of FIG. Sectional drawing of the nozzle unit using the elastic closing member different from FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the state which the elastic closure member of FIG. 18 opened. Sectional drawing of the nozzle unit which concerns on the modification of 2nd Embodiment which replaced with the spring and employ | adopted the pressure chamber. Sectional drawing of the nozzle unit which concerns on the modification of 2nd Embodiment which employ | adopted the regulator which opens and closes a gas supply port. Sectional drawing of the periphery of the mounting base which concerns on the modification which fixed the gas replacement mechanism without raising / lowering. Sectional drawing of the periphery of the mounting base which concerns on the modification using a pressurization sensor as a positioning sensor.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view in which the inside of the EFEM 1 is made visible by removing the side wall. As shown in FIG. 1, the EFEM 1 includes a wafer transfer device 2 that transfers a wafer W between predetermined delivery positions, a box-shaped case 3 provided so as to surround the wafer transfer device 2, and a case 3 is composed of a load port 4 connected to the outside of the front side wall 3 and a control means 5. Here, in this application, the direction on the side connected to the load port 4 when viewed from the housing 3 is defined as the front, and the direction opposite to the side connected to the load port 4 when viewed from the housing 3 is defined as the rear.

The control means 5 controls the operation of the wafer transfer device 2, whereby the wafer (contained item) W stored in the FOUP (container) 7 placed on the load port 4 is transferred to the transfer space 9 inside the housing 3. It is possible to transfer and to transfer the wafer W after each processing into the FOUP 7 again.

The load port 4 includes a door portion 51 (see FIG. 2). The door portion 51 is connected to the lid 32 provided on the FOUP 7 and moves together, so that the FOUP 7 is opened to the transport space 9. It has become so. A large number of mounting portions are provided in the FOUP 7 in the vertical direction, whereby a large number of wafers W can be accommodated. The FOUP 7 is normally filled with nitrogen, and the atmosphere in the FOUP 7 can be replaced with nitrogen through the load port 4 under the control of the control means 5.

The control means 5 is configured as a controller unit provided in the upper space of the housing 3. The control means 5 performs drive control of the wafer transfer device 2, nitrogen replacement control of the FOUP 7 by the load port 4, opening / closing control of the door part 51, nitrogen circulation control in the housing 3, and the like. The control means 5 is constituted by a normal microprocessor or the like having a CPU, a memory, and an interface. The memory stores a program necessary for processing in advance, and the CPU sequentially extracts and executes the necessary program. In addition, the desired functions are realized in cooperation with peripheral hardware resources. The nitrogen circulation control will be described later.

The internal space of the housing 3 is partitioned by a partition member 8 into a transport space 9 that is a space in which the wafer transport device 2 is driven and a gas return path 10. The conveyance space 9 and the gas return path 10 are a gas outlet 11 provided extending in the width direction above the conveyance space 9 and a gas suction provided extending in the width direction below the conveyance space 9. It communicates only with the mouth 12. The gas delivery port 11 and the gas suction port 12 generate a downward airflow in the transfer space 9 and an upward airflow in the gas return path 10 so that nitrogen gas circulates. In the present embodiment, nitrogen, which is an inert gas, is circulated in the housing 3. However, the circulated gas is not limited to this, and other gases can be used.

A gas supply means 16 for introducing nitrogen into the housing 3 is connected to the upper part on the back side of the return path 10. The gas supply means 16 can control supply and stop of supply of nitrogen based on a command from the control means 5. Therefore, when a part of nitrogen flows out of the housing 3, the gas supply means 16 supplies nitrogen for the outflow, so that the nitrogen atmosphere in the housing 3 can be kept constant. A gas discharge means 17 for discharging nitrogen gas in the housing 3 is connected to the lower part on the back side. The gas discharge means 17 operates based on a command from the control means 5 and can open the shutter (not shown) to communicate the inside of the housing 3 with the nitrogen gas discharge destination provided outside. It has become. And by using together with the supply of nitrogen by the gas supply means 16 described above, it is possible to replace the inside of the housing 3 with a nitrogen atmosphere or to control the pressure in the housing 3. In this embodiment, since the gas to be circulated is nitrogen, the gas supply means 16 supplies nitrogen. However, when other gases are circulated, the gas supply means 16 supplies the circulated gas.

Further, the gas outlet 11 is provided with a fan filter unit 13 (FFU 13) including a fan 13a and a filter 13b as a first blowing means. The fan filter unit 13 removes particles contained in the nitrogen gas that circulates in the housing 3 and generates a downward air flow in the transport space 9 by blowing air downward into the transport space 9. . The FFU 13 is supported by a support member 18 that is connected to the partition member 8 and extends in the horizontal direction.

Then, the nitrogen gas in the housing 3 is lowered by the fan 13 a and the fan 15 of the FFU 13 described above, and circulates by rising in the gas return path 10. Since the gas outlet 11 is opened downward, nitrogen gas is sent downward by the FFU 13. Since the gas suction port 12 is opened upward, the nitrogen gas can be sucked downward as it is without disturbing the downward air flow generated by the FFU 13, and a smooth flow of the nitrogen gas can thereby be achieved. Can be produced. In addition, since the descending airflow is generated in the transfer space 9, the particles adhering to the upper portion of the wafer W and the gas released temporarily from the processed wafer are removed, and the wafer transfer device 2 in the transfer space 9 is removed. Such a device prevents the emission gas and particles from floating.

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

In the load port 4, the base 21 is erected vertically from the rear of the leg 25 to which the caster and the installation leg are attached, and the horizontal base 23 is provided forward from a height position of about 60% of the base 21. Yes. Further, a mounting table 24 for mounting the FOUP 7 is provided on the upper portion of the horizontal base 23.

As schematically shown in FIG. 3, the FOUP 7 is provided on one surface of the main body 31 as a main body 31 having an internal space Sf for accommodating the wafer W (see FIG. 1) and as a carry-in / out port for the wafer W. It is comprised from the cover body 32 which opens and closes the opening 31a. When the FOUP 7 is correctly placed on the placement table 24, the lid 32 faces the base 21.

Returning to FIG. 2, positioning pins 24 a for positioning the FOUP 7 are provided on the mounting table 24, and lock claws 24 b for fixing the FOUP 7 to the mounting table 24 are provided. The lock claw 24b can fix the FOUP 7 by performing a locking operation after the FOUP 7 is properly positioned on the mounting table 24, and can separate the FOUP 7 from the mounting table 24 by performing an unlocking operation. It can be. The mounting table 24 can be moved in the front-rear direction by a mounting table driving unit (not shown) with the FOUP 7 mounted. Here, being appropriately positioned means that the height of the bottom surface of the FOUP 7 with respect to the mounting table 24 is within a predetermined range from the top surface of the mounting table 24.

Whether the FOUP 7 is positioned at an appropriate position is detected by a positioning sensor 60 (see FIG. 5) disposed in the vicinity of the positioning pin 24a. The positioning sensor 60 is connected to a sensor 61 formed by a leaf spring, a flag 62 protruding downward from the sensor 61, a transmission type photosensor 63 disposed below the flag 62, and the photosensor 63. A sensor cable 64. The positioning sensor 60 is preferably arranged in the vicinity of each positioning pin 24a.

When the FOUP 7 is mounted on the mounting table 24, a positioning groove (not shown) of the FOUP 7 is inserted into the positioning pin 24a, and the bottom of the FOUP 7 contacts the sensor 61. Then, the flag 62 is lowered by the weight of the FOUP 7 to shield the photosensor 63, so that the FOUP 7 can be recognized (detected). The detection result is transmitted to the controller via the sensor cable 64. Thus, when the flag 62 shields the photosensor 63 from light, it can be detected that the FOUP 7 is properly positioned on the mounting table 24. Specifically, in order to detect whether the FOUP 7 is properly positioned, the flag 62 may be designed to shield the photosensor 63 when the FOUP 7 is properly positioned. . In addition, the light shielding amount of the flag 62 detected by the photosensor 63 may be detected by comparing with a predetermined threshold.

The mounting table 24 is provided with nozzle units 70 for supplying nitrogen gas into the FOUP 7 and second exhaust nozzles 104 for discharging nitrogen gas from the FOUP 7 at two locations. The nozzle unit 70 and the second exhaust nozzle 104 are usually located below the bottom surface of the FOUP 7 in a properly positioned state, and are advanced upward during use to provide the gas supply valve 33 provided in the FOUP 7 (see FIG. 3). ) And the gas discharge valve 34, respectively.

During use, the upper end of the nozzle unit 70 contacts the gas supply valve 33 of the FOUP 7, and similarly, the upper end of the second exhaust nozzle 104 contacts the gas exhaust valve 34 of the FOUP 7. Then, a gas such as dry nitrogen gas can be supplied from the nozzle unit 70 to the internal space Sf of the FOUP 7 via the gas supply valve 33, and the gas in the internal space Sf can be discharged from the second exhaust nozzle 104 via the gas discharge valve 34. It has become. Further, by setting the nitrogen gas supply amount to be larger than the nitrogen gas discharge amount, the positive pressure setting in which the pressure of the internal space Sf is increased with respect to the pressure of the outside or the transfer space 9 of the housing 3 can be achieved.

Here, when the gas supply valve 33 of the FOUP 7 usually placed on the load port 4 is an elastic member called a so-called grommet type, the upper end of the corresponding nozzle unit 70 is higher in rigidity than the gas supply valve 33. For example, it is made of a material such as metal or plastic, or an elastic member similar to the grommet type. In the present embodiment, the upper end of the nozzle unit 70 is made of plastic.

The base 21 constituting the load port 4 constitutes a part of the front wall that isolates the transfer space 9 from the external space. As shown in FIG. 2, the base 21 is attached to columns 21a and 21a erected on both sides, a base main body 21b supported by these, and a window portion 21c opened to the base main body 21b in a substantially rectangular shape. Window unit 40. Here, the “substantially rectangular” as used in the present application refers to a shape in which four corners are smoothly connected by arcs while a rectangle having four sides is a basic shape.

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

The window unit 40 is configured to bring the FOUP 7 into close contact with the window frame portion 41 through the window frame portion 41, the first O ring 43 and the second O ring 44 as elastic materials attached to the window frame portion 41, and the first O ring 43. It comprises a clamp unit 45 as a retracting means.

The window frame 41 has a frame shape in which a substantially rectangular opening 42 is formed inside. Since the window frame 41 constitutes a part of the base 21 (see FIG. 2) described above as a component of the window unit 40, the opening 42 opens the front wall of the housing 3. Can do. A first O-ring 43 is disposed on the front surface of the window frame portion 41 so as to go around the periphery of the opening 42. A second O-ring 44 is disposed on the rear surface of the window frame 41 so as to go around the periphery of the opening 42.

The opening 42 is slightly larger than the outer periphery of the cover body 32 of the FOUP 7, and the cover body 32 can be moved through the opening section 42. Further, in a state where the FOUP 7 is placed on the placement table 24, the front surface of the main body 31 that forms the periphery of the lid body 32 abuts against the front surface of the window frame portion 41 via the first O-ring 43 as a contact surface 31 b. Thereby, when the FOUP 7 is attached to the window unit 40, the first O-ring 43 seals between the periphery of the opening 42 (base 21) and the FOUP 7.

Further, the above-described door portion 51 is in contact with the rear surface of the window frame portion 41 via the second O-ring 44. Thereby, the second O-ring 44 seals between the periphery of the opening 42 and the door portion 51.

The clamp units 45 are provided at a total of four locations that are spaced apart in the vertical direction on both sides of the window frame portion 41. Each clamp unit 45 is generally composed of an engagement piece 46 and a cylinder 47 that operates the clamp piece 45, and presses the FOUP 7 toward the base 21 in a state where the FOUP 7 is attached to the window unit 40.

When the engaging piece 46 jumps forward, the tip is directed upward, and when the engagement piece 46 is pulled backward, the tip is directed to the inner FOUP 7. With the clamping operation, the engagement piece 46 can be engaged with the flange projecting laterally from the FOUP 7 with the tip thereof facing inward.

Further, the load port 4 includes an opening / closing mechanism 50 for opening / closing a window unit 40 configured to be attached with the FOUP 7.

As shown in FIG. 3, the opening / closing mechanism 50 includes a door portion 51 for opening and closing the opening 42, a support frame 52 for supporting the door portion 51, and the support frame 52 in the front-rear direction via the slide support means 53. A movable block 54 that is movably supported and a slide rail 55 that movably supports the movable block 54 with respect to the base main body 21b are provided.

Further, an actuator (not shown) for causing the door portion 51 to move in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction is provided in each direction, and a drive command from the control unit Cp is given thereto. Thereby, the door part 51 can be moved now in the front-back direction and an up-down direction. As described above, the load port 4 is operated when a drive command is given to each unit by the control unit Cp.

The door unit 51 includes an adsorbing unit 56 (see FIG. 4) for adsorbing the lid body 32 of the FOUP 7, a latching operation for opening and closing the lid body 32 of the FOUP 7, and a connecting means 57 for holding the lid body 32. It has. The door 51 can fix and release the lid 32 so that the lid 32 can be detached from the FOUP 7 and attached. In the connecting means 57, the lid 32 can be opened by performing an unlatching operation of the lid 32, and the lid 32 can be connected to the door portion 51 and integrated. Conversely, the connection between the lid 32 and the door portion 51 can be released, and the lid 32 can be attached to the main body 31 to be in a closed state.

Hereinafter, the nozzle unit 70 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle unit 70 according to the first embodiment includes a nozzle body 71 having a gas supply port 72 for supplying nitrogen gas to the FOUP 7, and driving means 96 for moving the nozzle body 71 up and down. Yes.

The nozzle body 71 hangs downward from the barrel 73 that forms the gas supply port 72, the first peripheral wall 74 that rises upward from the outer periphery of the upper end surface of the barrel 73, and the outer periphery of the lower end surface of the barrel 73. And a second peripheral wall 75.

The barrel portion 73 has a cylindrical shape extending along the axial direction of the nozzle body 71. The body portion 73 includes a gas flow path 77 that communicates with the gas supply port 72 and an annular locking portion 86 that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 73.

The gas flow path 77 extends linearly through the body 73 in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the nozzle body 71 and communicates with the gas supply port 72 at the center. One opening of the gas flow path 77 is connected to the supply nozzle 78 to form a supply flow path 79. The supply nozzle 78 is connected to a nitrogen supply source (not shown) via a supply valve 80 (see FIG. 3), and supplies nitrogen gas to the FOUP 7. The other opening of the gas channel 77 is connected to the first exhaust nozzle 81 to form an exhaust channel 82. The first exhaust nozzle 81 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) via an exhaust valve 83, and exhausts the atmosphere of the gas flow path 77 and an upper space 87 described later.

An upper space 87 above the body 73 is formed between the first peripheral wall 74 and the upper end surface of the body 73. A protruding wall 88 that protrudes toward the FOUP 7 is formed at the tip of the first peripheral wall 74.

A lower space 89 below the body part 73 is formed between the second peripheral wall 75 and the lower end surface of the body part 73. A lower end of the second peripheral wall 75 is supported by a pedestal 90 fixed to the mounting table 24.

The nozzle body 71 is provided with a contact detection sensor (not shown) and a flow rate controller 76 (see FIG. 3) which is a pressure adjusting means connected to the supply valve 80.

The contact detection sensor detects that the FOUP 7 and the nozzle unit 70 are in contact with each other. This detection may be performed by the stroke amount of the air cylinder 101 or may be indirectly detected by the pressure of the air cylinder 101.

The flow controller 76 adjusts the pressure in the nozzle unit 70 by controlling the flow rate of the supplied nitrogen gas by adjusting the opening degree of the supply nozzle 80. Specifically, when the atmosphere in the nozzle unit 70 is exhausted and nitrogen gas is supplied, the pressure in the nozzle unit 70 is controlled to a predetermined value or less. Here, the inside of the nozzle unit 70 includes the inside of the gas flow path 77, the upper space 87, the supply nozzle 78 and the first exhaust nozzle 81.

The driving means 96 includes a disk-shaped support member (support portion) 97 and an annular standing wall 98 that rises upward from the upper surface of the support member 97. A through hole 99 that penetrates the support member 97 in the thickness direction is formed inside the standing wall 98 of the support member 97, and the second peripheral wall 75 is inserted through the through hole 99.

The outer side of the support member 97 in the radial direction is connected to the lower end of the air cylinder 101 disposed on the mounting table 24. Thus, the air cylinder 101 drives the support member 97 to move up and down, thereby driving the nozzle body 71 up and down.

As shown in FIG. 9, the input side of the control unit Ct includes a positioning sensor 60 that detects that the FOUP 7 is properly positioned, and a contact detection sensor that detects that the FOUP 7 and the nozzle body 71 are in contact with each other. It is connected. The output side of the control unit Ct is connected to the supply valve 80, the exhaust valve 83, and the air cylinder 101. The control unit Ct is installed in the EFEM 1 and incorporates various memories and a controller that receives operation inputs from the user.

Hereinafter, an operation example when the nozzle unit 70 of the first embodiment is used will be described with reference to FIGS. In the initial state, the supply valve 80 and the exhaust valve 83 are closed.

As shown in FIG. 10, in step S1, the positioning sensor 60 detects that the FOUP 7 has been properly positioned on the mounting table 24, and proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, after the FOUP 7 is positioned on the mounting table 24, the air cylinder 101 raises the nozzle unit 70 toward the FOUP 7 via the support member 97 (see FIG. 7). At this time, the lower end of the second peripheral wall 75 is separated from the pedestal 90.

In step S3, the contact detection sensor detects that the FOUP 7 and the protruding wall 88 of the nozzle body 71 are in contact with each other. When the contact detection sensor is not used, the rising position of the nozzle body 71 may be set based on the bottom surface of the FOUP 7 that is properly positioned on the mounting table 24. Thereby, the contact between the FOUP 7 and the protruding wall 88 of the nozzle body 71 can be detected indirectly by detecting the stroke amount of the air cylinder 101 and the pressure of the air cylinder 101.

In step S4, the exhaust valve 83 is opened, and the atmosphere is exhausted from the inside of the gas flow path 77, the upper space 87, the supply nozzle 78, and the first exhaust nozzle 81. When exhaust is completed, the exhaust valve 83 is closed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When the first exhaust nozzle 81 exhausts the atmosphere in the nozzle unit 70, the supply nozzle 78 simultaneously supplies nitrogen gas to the nozzle unit 70 including the upper space 87 to replace the atmosphere. Also good. When supplying nitrogen gas from the supply nozzle 78 to the upper space 87, the flow rate controller 76 controls the pressure in the nozzle unit 70 to a predetermined value or less. The predetermined value here means a pressure at which an on-off valve (not shown) such as a check valve provided at the gas supply port 72 is not opened. The on-off valve seals the gas supply port 72 in a closed state to prevent the gas in the FOUP 7 from flowing out of the FOUP 7 and to prevent the atmosphere outside the FOUP 7 from flowing into the FOUP 7. However, this on-off valve is opened by receiving a predetermined pressure, and allows nitrogen gas to flow into the FOUP 7 via the gas supply port 72.

Thereafter, in step S5, the supply valve 80 is opened, and nitrogen gas flows from the supply nozzle 78 through the supply flow path 79, the gas supply port 72, and the upper space 87 in this order to be supplied to the FOUP 7. As a result, the inside of the FOUP 7 is filled with nitrogen gas, and replacement with nitrogen gas is performed. When this replacement is completed, the supply valve 80 is closed.

In step S6, when the load port 4 receives a nitrogen gas stop command, the supply valve 80 is closed and the supply of nitrogen gas from the nozzle unit 70 is stopped. Thereafter, in step S7, the air cylinder 101 is moved down the support member 97, whereby the nozzle unit 70 is moved downward and separated from the FOUP 7 (see FIG. 7). And if the lower end of the 2nd surrounding wall 75 contact | abuts to the base 90, the fall of the nozzle unit 70 will be complete | finished (refer FIG. 6).

[Features of nozzle unit of this embodiment]
The nozzle unit 70 of this embodiment has the following characteristics.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the first embodiment, the air is exhausted by the exhaust nozzle 83. Therefore, after the FOUP 7 and the nozzle body 71 come into contact with each other, the supply nozzle 78 supplies nitrogen gas to the FOUP 7 after exhausting the atmosphere in the nozzle unit 70 including the nozzle body 71, the supply nozzle 78 and the first exhaust nozzle 81. To do. Thereby, the atmosphere in the nozzle unit 70 can be prevented from flowing into the FOUP 7. Since this atmospheric air is prevented from flowing into the FOUP 7, a change in the properties of the wafers accommodated in the FOUP 7 can be prevented.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the first embodiment, the first exhaust nozzle 81 exhausts the atmosphere in the supply nozzle 80, the gas flow path 77, the upper space 87, and the first exhaust nozzle 81. Therefore, after the FOUP 7 and the nozzle main body 71 come into contact with each other, the supply nozzle 78 reliably prevents the atmosphere from flowing into the FOUP 7 when supplying the nitrogen gas to the FOUP 7. Thereby, the property change of the wafer accommodated in the FOUP 7 can be prevented.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the first embodiment, the flow rate controller 76 controls the pressure in the nozzle body 71 to a predetermined value or less. Therefore, when the atmosphere in the nozzle body 71 is exhausted and nitrogen gas is supplied, that is, when the inside of the nozzle body 71 is replaced with nitrogen gas from the atmosphere, the nitrogen gas can be prevented from flowing into the FOUP 7.

Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, the nozzle unit 70 according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that the same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the nozzle unit 70 includes a nozzle body 71 having a gas supply port 72 for supplying nitrogen gas to the FOUP 7, an opening / closing mechanism 92 for sealing the gas supply port 72, and a gas sealed by the opening / closing mechanism 92. And an opening means 96 for opening the supply port 72.

The body 73 has a gas flow path 77 communicating with the gas supply port 72, a first seal portion 85 provided on the upper edge of the gas supply port 72, and a radially outward direction from the outer peripheral surface of the body 73. And an annular locking portion 86 protruding.

The opening / closing mechanism 92 has a T-shaped cross section, and includes a disc-shaped lid portion 93 and a columnar extending portion 94 extending downward from the center of the lower surface of the lid portion 93. The lid portion 93 is located in the upper space 87, and the outer peripheral edge portion of the lower surface contacts the first seal portion 85 to seal the peripheral edge of the gas supply port 72. The extending portion 94 extends from the lid portion 93 through the body portion 73 to the lower space 89. The extension portion 94 and the body portion 73 are sealed with a second seal portion 95 disposed at the lower end of the body portion 73.

The opening means 96 is connected to the lower end of the extending portion 94 and presses the extending portion 94 upward to move the opening / closing mechanism 92 upward. The opening means 96 includes a disk-like support member (support portion) 97 and an annular standing wall 98 that rises upward from the upper surface of the support member 97. A through hole 99 that penetrates the support member 97 in the thickness direction is formed inside the standing wall 98 of the support member 97. When the second peripheral wall 75 is inserted into the through hole 99, the opening means 96 is attached to the lower space 89 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the trunk portion 73. The opening means 96 according to the second embodiment is the same element as the driving means 96 according to the first embodiment, and the name of the member is changed due to the difference in function in each embodiment.

The outer side of the support member 97 in the radial direction is connected to the lower end of the air cylinder 101 disposed on the mounting table 24. As a result, the air cylinder 101 drives the support member 97 up and down to drive the nozzle body 71 up and down via the spring 102 (see FIGS. 12 and 13).

A spring 102 that is an urging member is disposed between the barrel portion 73 and the support member 97. The opening means 96 presses the opening / closing mechanism 92 upward against the elastic force of the spring 102. The opening means 96 and the opening / closing mechanism 92 are integrally formed.

[Features of nozzle unit of this embodiment]
The nozzle unit 70 of this embodiment has the following characteristics.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the second embodiment, the gas supply port 72 sealed by the opening / closing mechanism 82 can be opened after the gas passage 77 is exhausted (see FIG. 14). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the atmosphere in the gas flow channel 77 from flowing into the FOUP 7 that is supplied with nitrogen gas, and to prevent changes in the properties of the wafers accommodated in the FOUP 7. Further, since the opening means 96 opens the gas supply port 72 sealed by the opening / closing mechanism 92, the nitrogen gas can be easily supplied from the gas supply port 72.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the second embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism 92 is also moved upward simply by moving the opening means 96 upward, and the seal of the gas supply port 72 by the lid 93 can be released. Therefore, nitrogen gas can be easily supplied from the gas supply port 72.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the second embodiment, the opening means 96 is urged downward with respect to the nozzle body 71 by the spring 102, so that the lid portion 93 of the opening / closing mechanism 92 connected to the opening means 96 is surely provided. The gas supply port 72 can be sealed. Even when the opening means 96 is moved upward, the spring 102 biases the body portion 73 toward the lid portion 93, so that the sealing of the gas supply port 72 by the lid portion 93 can be reliably maintained.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the second embodiment, before the nitrogen gas is supplied from the gas supply port 72 by bringing the upper end of the nozzle body 71 into contact with the FOUP 7, the atmosphere in the gas flow channel 77 is exhausted by the first exhaust nozzle 81. it can. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the atmosphere in the gas flow channel 77 from flowing into the FOUP 7 that receives the supply of nitrogen gas when supplying the nitrogen gas.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the second embodiment, the atmosphere in the gas flow path 77 is exhausted by the first exhaust nozzle 81, and after the upper end of the nozzle body 71 contacts the FOUP 7, the gas supply port 72 is opened to connect to the FOUP 7. Start nitrogen gas injection. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the atmosphere in the gas flow channel 77 from flowing into the FOUP 7 when the nitrogen gas injection into the FOUP 7 is started. Thereby, the property change of the wafer accommodated in the FOUP 7 can be prevented. Here, when the gas supply port 72 is opened after the upper end of the nozzle body 71 has contacted the FOUP 7, the air in the upper space is exhausted by moving the opening means 96 upward while exhausting the inside of the nozzle. Is preferred. Further, the nitrogen gas injection into the FOUP 7 is preferably performed after exhausting the air in the above-described upper space. In this way, it is possible to prevent the atmosphere in the upper space from entering the FOUP.

In the nozzle unit 70 of the second embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism 92 seals the gas supply port 72 after the nitrogen gas injection into the FOUP 7 is completed. Then, the nozzle body 71 is separated from the FOUP 7. Therefore, it is possible to prevent nitrogen gas from leaking from the gas supply port 72 after the completion of nitrogen gas injection. In addition, after the nitrogen gas injection into the FOUP 7 is finished, the nozzle body 71 is disconnected from the FOUP 7 with the nozzle body 71 maintained at a positive pressure state of a predetermined value or less, or At the same time, the gas supply port may be closed (sealed) by the opening / closing mechanism 92. In addition, the predetermined value said here means the pressure of the grade which the check valve (not shown) provided in the gas supply port 72 does not open.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described based on drawing, it should be thought that a specific structure is not limited to these embodiment. The scope of the present invention is shown not only by the above description of the embodiments but also by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

In the second embodiment, the gas supply port 72 is sealed and the seal is released by moving the opening and closing mechanism 92 up and down. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 15, an elastic closing member 111 that is located in the upper space 87 and seals the peripheral edge of the gas supply port 72 at the outer peripheral edge portion of the lower surface, You may employ | adopt the opening-and-closing mechanism 110 which has the fixing | fixed part 112 to fix. In the following modified example, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those of the above embodiment in the drawings, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the opening / closing mechanism 110, an air cylinder (not shown) moves the body 73 upward (see FIG. 16), and brings the protruding wall 88 into contact with the gas supply valve 33 of the FOUP 7. In this state, when nitrogen gas flows from the supply nozzle 78 toward the upper space 87, the elastic closing member 111 is elastically deformed by the pressure of the nitrogen gas to release the seal of the gas supply port 72 as shown in FIG. . In this way, by setting the pressure of the nitrogen gas to a predetermined value or more, the nitrogen gas presses and elastically deforms the elastic closing member 111 and releases the seal of the gas supply port 72. The predetermined value mentioned here means a pressure value that can elastically deform the elastic closing member 111 and release the seal of the gas supply port 72 by the check valve. Thereby, nitrogen gas can be supplied to the FOUP 7 from the supply flow path 79 through the upper space 87 with an easy configuration. In this case, the exhaust passage 82 is not required as in the above embodiment, and the supply nozzle 78 and the first exhaust nozzle 81 are integrated and used in common. For example, before separating the nozzle body 71 from the FOUP 7, the supply of nitrogen gas is stopped and the gas supply port 72 is sealed with the elastic closing member 111. Thereby, even after the nozzle body 71 is separated from the FOUP 7, it is possible to substantially prevent the atmosphere from remaining in the supply flow path 79. The opening / closing mechanism 110 functions as a check valve, and a known check valve can be used.

As a further modification of the opening / closing mechanism 110, as shown in FIG. 18, an elastic closing member 113 that seals the gas supply port 72 by contacting and closely contacting the central portion, and radially outward of the elastic closing member 113. An opening / closing mechanism 110 that is formed and has a fixing portion 114 that fixes the elastic closing member 113 to the trunk portion 73 may be adopted.

In this opening / closing mechanism 110, when nitrogen gas flows from the supply nozzle 78 toward the upper space 87, the elastic closing member 113 is elastically deformed by the pressure of the nitrogen gas and bent outward as shown in FIG. The seal of the mouth 72 is released. Thereby, nitrogen gas can be supplied to the FOUP 7 with a simple configuration.

In the second embodiment, the seal of the gas supply port 72 by the opening / closing mechanism 92 is maintained by the spring 102 urging the nozzle body 71 upward with respect to the support member 97. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the gas supply port 72 may be sealed or released by using the pressure chamber 115 instead of the spring 102 as the urging member. As shown in FIG. 20, the pressure chamber 115 is formed between a support member 97 integrated with the nozzle body 71 and the body portion 73. The pressure chamber 115 is connected to a pressure adjusting nozzle 116 that supplies or exhausts gas.

The pressure adjusting nozzle 116 increases the pressure by supplying gas to the pressure chamber 115 and presses the lower end portion 117 of the opening / closing mechanism 92 downward to urge the opening / closing mechanism 92 downward. Thereby, the lid part 93 seals the gas supply port 72. On the other hand, the pressure adjustment nozzle 116 exhausts the gas from the pressure chamber 115 to lower the pressure, and the lower end portion 117 is pulled upward by the negative pressure to move the opening / closing mechanism 92 upward. As a result, the sealing of the gas supply port 72 by the lid portion 93 is released.

In the second embodiment, an elastic member called a grommet type is adopted as the gas supply valve 33 of the FOUP 7. However, as the gas supply valve 33, a so-called lip type, for example, a highly rigid material such as metal or plastic may be employed. In this case, the upper end of the corresponding nozzle unit 70 is constituted by an elastic member 37 (see FIG. 20) such as a grommet type. In this way, the gas supply valve 33 and the upper end of the nozzle unit 70 are set in a relationship between an elastic member and a rigid member, or elastic members. Thereby, when the upper end of the gas injection device 70 comes into contact with the gas supply valve 33, the protrusion 33a of the gas supply valve 33 and the elastic member 37 can be brought into contact with each other to provide a sealing property. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the nitrogen gas supplied into the FOUP 7 from leaking to the outside.

In the second embodiment, the opening means 96 and the opening / closing mechanism 92 are integrally formed. However, in order to facilitate the assembly, they may be separated from each other, for example, detachable as a relationship between the male screw 133 and the female screw 134 that regulate the relative position of the opening / closing mechanism 92 with respect to the opening means 96. This facilitates assembly and replacement of the valve mechanism 92.

Further, the gas supply port 72 may be sealed or released by adjusting the pressure of the nitrogen gas in the gas flow path 77. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 21, a first regulator 121 and a second regulator 122 connected in parallel to the flow rate controller 120 are connected to the supply nozzle 78. Thereby, the high-pressure nitrogen gas flows through the supply nozzle 78 by driving the first regulator 121 that discharges the high-pressure nitrogen gas. With the pressure of the nitrogen gas, the opening / closing mechanism 92 is moved upward to release the seal of the gas supply port 72 by the lid portion 93. At this time, the exhaust valve 83 is closed. On the other hand, by driving the second regulator 122 that discharges the low-pressure nitrogen gas, the low-pressure nitrogen gas flows through the supply nozzle 78. With this low-pressure nitrogen gas, the opening / closing mechanism 92 is moved downward, and the gas supply port 72 is sealed by the lid portion 93.

In the first and second embodiments, the nozzle unit 70 is moved up and down by the air cylinder 101. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the nozzle unit 70 is not raised or lowered may be employed. As shown in FIG. 22, the gas replacement mechanism 125 has a gas supply device (not shown) filled with an inert gas, and supplies the inert gas into the FOUP 7 disposed on the mounting table 24. The gas replacement mechanism 125 is provided with a gas supply port 126 and a gas exhaust port 127. The gas supply port 126 is connected to the intake purge port 128 of the mounting table 24, and the gas discharge port 127 is connected to the extraction purge port 129 of the mounting table 24. Accordingly, the gas supply port 126 and the gas exhaust port 127 are fixed to the mounting table 24 and do not move up and down.

In the first and second embodiments, the positioning sensor 60 detects whether or not the FOUP 7 is fixed at an appropriate position. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 23, it is detected that the protrusion 130 provided at the bottom of the FOUP 7 presses the pressing portion 131a of the pressure sensor 131 provided at the top of the mounting table 24. Thus, proper positioning of the FOUP 7 may be detected.

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

In the above embodiment, the positioning sensor is an optical sensor or a pressure sensor, but is not limited to this, and a mechanical sensor or an electric sensor can be used.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the load port, but is not limited thereto. For example, a purge station (purge device) device for supplying an inert gas into the FOUP, a FOUP stocker for storing a plurality of FOUPs, and a buffer device for temporarily storing the FOUPs Applicable.

70 Nozzle unit 71 Nozzle body 72 Gas supply port 73 Body 76 Flow rate controller (pressure adjusting means)
77 Gas flow path 78 Supply nozzle 81 First exhaust nozzle 87 Upper space 89 Lower space 92 Opening / closing mechanism 93 Lid portion 94 Extending portion 96 Opening means 97 Support member (support portion)
102 Spring (biasing member)
111 Elastic closing member 112 Fixing part

Claims (6)

A nozzle body having a gas supply port communicating with a container for containing the contents, and a gas flow path communicating with the gas supply port;
A supply nozzle connected to the gas flow path for supplying gas to the container via the gas supply port;
An exhaust nozzle connected to the gas flow path and exhausting the gas flow path;
A nozzle unit characterized by comprising: The nozzle body is
A body forming the gas supply port;
A first peripheral wall that rises from an upper end surface of the trunk part;
An upper space formed by the upper end surface of the trunk and the first peripheral wall;
The nozzle unit according to claim 1, wherein the gas flow path communicates with the upper space through the gas supply port. The nozzle unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply nozzle and the exhaust nozzle are integrated. Pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure in the nozzle body,
The nozzle unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when replacing the inside of the nozzle body with gas, the pressure adjusting means controls the pressure in the nozzle body to a predetermined value or less. The nozzle body;
An opening and closing mechanism for closing the gas supply port;
Opening means for opening the gas supply port closed by the opening and closing mechanism;
The nozzle unit according to claim 1, further comprising: The opening / closing mechanism includes an elastic closing member that is located in the upper space and closes a peripheral edge of the gas supply port at an outer peripheral edge portion, and a fixing portion that fixes the elastic closing member to the trunk portion.
The nozzle unit according to claim 5, wherein the opening means is an inert gas that releases the closing by pressing and elastically deforming the elastic closing member.

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