Sinfonia Technology Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Electron Limited

Other

Shinko Electric Company, Ltd.

Yasushi Taniyama

Toshihiro Kawai

Takashi Shigeta

Munekazu Komiya

Hiroaki Saeki

Yoshiaki Sasaki

Hiroaki Nakamura

Atsushi Suzuki

Mitsuo Natsume

Gengoro Ogura

Shuuji Hagiwara

Mikio Segawa

Kosuke Sugiura

Masaki Narushima

Tetsu Osawa

Keiichi Matsushima

Tetsuo Yoshida

Toshimitsu Morihana

Tomoya Mizutani

Fuminori Asa

Kunihiko Sato

Shin Kawahisa

Sachio Tachibana

Hiroshi Takizawa

A conveyance system discriminates the front and back of a frame wafer without human intervention. A frame is partially formed asymmetrically with respect to a predetermined center line when viewed in a direction orthogonal to a surface of a wafer. The conveyance system includes a hand configured to hold the frame so that the frame extends in a predetermined virtual plane, a first sensor configured to detect a portion of the frame held on the hand and located in a predetermined first region in the virtual plane, a second sensor configured to detect a portion of the frame held on the hand and located in a second region opposite to the first region across the center line, and a controller configured to determine the front and back of the frame wafer based on a detection result obtained by the first sensor and a detection result obtained by the second sensor.

Conveyance system for transferring frame wafer

To provide a transfer chamber capable of replacing a chemical filter without affecting an internal atmosphere, and shortening or eliminating stop time of a transfer process of a wafer (W) associated with replacement of the chemical filter. The transfer chamber transfers the wafer (W) to or from a processing device () by using a transfer robot () provided thereinside, and includes a circulation path (CL) formed inside of a transfer chamber () to circulate gas, a chemical filter unit () provided in the midstream of the circulation path (CL), and a connecting and disconnecting means () which switches connection and disconnection of the chemical filter unit () to and from the circulation path (CL).

Transfer chamber

A wafer stocker capable of further improving an environment around wafers is provided. The wafer stocker includes a housing, a loading device provided on a front surface of the housing, a wafer cassette shelf arranged in the housing, a wafer transfer robot configured to move the wafers from a transfer container mounted on the loading device to a wafer cassette in the wafer cassette shelf, a wafer cassette delivery device configured to move the wafer cassette in the wafer cassette shelf to a stage having a different height, and a fan filter unit configured to generate a laminar flow in a wafer transfer space and in a wafer cassette transfer space.

Wafer stocker

A transport system for transporting a plurality of objects between a storage container configured to store the plurality of objects and a processing apparatus configured to collectively process the plurality of objects held on a tray, including a mounting part on which the storage container is mounted, a stage on which the plurality of objects are mounted, a tray support part configured to support the tray, a first transport device configured to transport the plurality of objects between the storage container mounted on the mounting part and the stage, and a second transport device configured to transport the plurality of objects between the stage and the tray supported by the tray support part.

Transport system

There is provided an exhaust nozzle unit capable of discharging a gas atmosphere in a substrate storage container having a loading/unloading opening from the container to an outside of the container through a port formed on a bottom surface of the container. The exhausted nozzle includes a nozzle capable of switching the port from a closed state to an open state by pressing a valve of the port; and a housing configured to hold the nozzle so as to be movable up and down between a use posture in which the port is in the open state and a standby posture in which the port is in the closed state.

Exhaust nozzle unit, load port, and EFEM

A wafer stocker is capable of further improving an environment around wafers. The wafer stocker includes a housing, a loading device provided on a front surface of the housing, a wafer cassette shelf arranged in the housing, a wafer transfer robot configured to move the wafers from a transfer container mounted on the loading device to a wafer cassette in the wafer cassette shelf, a wafer cassette delivery device configured to move the wafer cassette in the wafer cassette shelf to a stage having a different height, and a fan filter unit configured to generate a laminar flow in a wafer transfer space and in a wafer cassette transfer space.

A purging nozzle unit of a gas supply device according to the present invention including: a housing that is capable of passing a predetermined gas so as to replace the internal atmosphere of a FOUP with the predetermined gas; a nozzle coming into intimate contact with the proximity of a port that is provided on one face of the FOUP, the nozzle being pressed to thereby open the port; an operation adjustment space configured to increase or decrease so as to operate the nozzle between a use posture in which the predetermined gas can be supplied into the target container via the port and a standby posture in which the predetermined gas cannot be supplied into the target container via the port; and a gas introducing part configured to export or import compression air relative to the operation adjustment space to thereby control an operation of the nozzle.

Gas supply device, method for controlling gas supply device, load port, and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

A load port including: a base as part of a wall partitioning a transportation space from an external space; an opening provided to the base; a door configured to open and close the opening and securing a lid to, and releasing a lid from, a container containing contents; and a first seal member for sealing the space between the base and the container. At least some of the container-side end surface of the door is located nearer to the transportation space than the container-side end part of the first seal member. The load port can keep a surrounding space clean when a FOUP is connected to a casing.

Load port

Provided are a door opening/closing system which prevents the entry of atmospheric air into a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) and an equipment front end module (EFEM) when the FOUP and the EFEM are placed in communication with each other, and a load port equipped with the door opening/closing system. The door opening/closing system is provided with: a base which constitutes a part of a wall isolating a conveyance space from an external space, an opening portion provided in the base; a door which is capable of opening and closing the opening portion; a first seal member which seals a gap between the base and a container; a second seal member which seals a gap between the base and the door, a sealed space which is constituted by the base, the first seal member, the second seal member, a lid member, and the door when the container is in a state of contact with the opening portion with the first seal member therebetween, a first gas injection unit which injects gas into the sealed space; and a second gas discharge unitwhich evacuates the sealed space.

Door opening/closing system, and load port equipped with door opening/closing system

There is provided a gas injection device configured to prevent entry of atmospheric air when charging gas into a FOUP. In order to realize such a gas injection device, the gas injection device is structured so as to include: a gas supply portthrough which inert gas is supplied; a nozzle main bodyincluding a gas passagecommunicating with the gas supply port; an opening/closing mechanismconfigured to close the gas supply port; and an openerconfigured to cause the opening/closing mechanismto open the gas supply portclosed by the opening/closing mechanism

Gas injection device

The transfer chamber transfers a wafer (W) as a transferred object to or from a processing device () by using a transfer robot () provided thereinside, and includes a circulation path (CL) formed inside of a transfer chamber () to circulate gas, a chemical filter unit () as a chemical filter provided in the midstream of the circulation path (CL), a humidity detector (HG) as a humidity detection means which detects internal humidity, a gas supply means (NS) which supplies gas to the inside of the transfer chamber (), and a moisture supply means (HS) which supplies moisture content to the inside of the transfer chamber (). The moisture supply means (HS) is made to operate in accordance with a humidity detection value by the humidity detection means.

A door opening/closing system includes: a base as part of a wall isolating a conveyance space from an external space; an opening portion provided in the base; a door configured to open/close the opening portion; a first seal member which seals a gap between the base and a container; a second seal member which seals a gap between the base and the door; a sealed space constituted by the base, the first and second seal members, a lid member, and the door when the container state of contact with the opening portion with the first seal member therebetween; a first gas injection unit which injects gas into the sealed space; and a second gas discharge unit which evacuates the sealed space. The door opening/closing system prevents entry of atmospheric air into a front-opening unified pod and an equipment front end module when placed in communication.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yasushi Taniyama