초록 ▼

A load port is disclosed which allows a wafer to be transferred between the inside of a FOUP and the inside of a semiconductor fabrication apparatus even during a purge operation. The load port is provided adjacent the semiconductor fabrication apparatus in a clean room and includes a purge stage ha

A load port is disclosed which allows a wafer to be transferred between the inside of a FOUP and the inside of a semiconductor fabrication apparatus even during a purge operation. The load port is provided adjacent the semiconductor fabrication apparatus in a clean room and includes a purge stage having a purge port through which a gas atmosphere in the FOUP is replaced into nitrogen gas or dry air, an opener stage provided in a juxtaposed relationship with the purge stage and having an opening communicating with the inside of the semiconductor fabrication apparatus and a door section capable of opening and closing the opening, and a moving mechanism for moving the FOUP between the purge stage and the opener stage.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A load port system to receive and process sealable pods, comprising: a purge stage including a purge portion that discharges a gas atmosphere in a sealable pod from an inside of the sealable pod and introduces nitrogen gas or dry air to the inside of the sealable pod, and a purge stage side recei

1. A load port system to receive and process sealable pods, comprising: a purge stage including a purge portion that discharges a gas atmosphere in a sealable pod from an inside of the sealable pod and introduces nitrogen gas or dry air to the inside of the sealable pod, and a purge stage side receiving plate that receives the sealable pod on the purge stage side receiving plate;an opener stage including a closeable opening communicating an inside of a fabrication apparatus with the inside of the sealable pod, and an open stage side receiving plate that receives the sealable pod on the open stage side receiving plate, the opener stage and the purge stage being juxtapositioned only substantially in a horizontal direction; anda moving mechanism configured to move the sealable pod substantially in a horizontal direction between the purge stage and the opener stage, at least a portion of said moving mechanism being disposed directly under the opener stage and the purge stage regardless of whether the moving mechanism has the sealable pod positioned at the purge stage or the opener stage, whereinthe moving mechanism comprises a table having an upper face on which the sealable pod can be placed,the moving mechanism moves only substantially in the horizontal direction when the moving mechanism moves between the purge stage and the opener stage with the sealed pod placed on the table,the purge stage side receiving plate comprises a purge stage side cutaway portion formed on the purge stage side receiving plate,the open stage side receiving plate comprises an open stage side cutaway portion formed on the open stage side receiving plate, the purge stage side receiving plate and the open stage side receiving plate being arranged substantially at a same height in a vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, andthe purge stage side cutaway portion and the open stage side cutaway portion face each other in the horizontal direction. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sealable pod is a front opening unified pod which stores and transports one or more wafers. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the purge portion further comprises: an introducing purge port to introduce the nitrogen gas or dry air to the inside of the sealable pod; anda discharging purge port to discharge the gas atmosphere in the sealable pod from the inside of the sealable pod. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the purge stage further comprises a pressure sensor that detects the sealable pod and that signals a control section which controls the introducing purge port and the discharging purge port. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the purge stage further comprises at least one positioner that couples with the sealable pod to position the sealable pod at the purge stage. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the opener stage comprises: a door section attached to a door frame, the door frame including the closeable opening when the door section is in an open position, the door section contacting a side of the sealable pod including a pod door creating a contact seal, whereinopening the door section opens the pod door to provide the closeable opening communicating the inside of the fabrication apparatus with the inside of the sealable pod, andclosing the door section closes the pod door thus closing the closeable opening and isolating the inside of a fabrication apparatus from the inside of the sealable pod. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the opener stage further comprises a sub purge portion that blows gas inside the sealable pod while the door section is opening. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sub purge portion comprises: a top sub purge section including a plurality of nozzles, the top sub purge section located on an upper edge portion of the closeable opening; andside sub purge sections including a plurality of nozzles, the side sub purge sections located on opposite side edge portions of the closeable opening, the top sub purge section and the side sub purge sections located on a fabrication apparatus side, whereinthe nozzles of the top sub purge section are directed downwardly toward the inside of the sealable pod and the nozzles of the side portions are directed laterally toward the inside of the sealable pod. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the opener stage further comprises at least one positioner that couples with the sealable pod to position the sealable pod at the opener stage. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism comprises: a vertical movement section and a horizontal movement section wherein,the moving mechanism moves only substantially in the vertical direction by the vertical movement section when placing the sealed pod on the purge stage side receiving plate, transferring the sealed pod placed on the purge stage side receiving plate to the table, placing the sealed pod on the open stage side receiving plate, and transferring the sealed pod placed on the open stage side receiving plate to the table,the table includes positioners to position the sealable pod while the sealable pod is moved between the purge stage and the opener stage, andthe positioners are protrusions protruding upwardly from the table, a bottom side of the sealable pod including corresponding holes engageable with the protrusions. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the vertical movement section comprises one or more linear actuators attached to the table and the horizontal movement section, andthe horizontal movement moving section comprises one or more rails, a carriage movable along the one or more rails, and a linear actuator attached to the carriage and to a fixed support plate, the carriage attached to the vertical movement section. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the linear actuator of the horizontal movement section is disposed below a level of the carriage. 13. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more rails to move the moving mechanism substantially in the horizontal direction between the purge stage and the opener stage, wherein the moving mechanism is configured so that the table on the moving mechanism is always directly above the rails. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism moves only substantially in the vertical direction when placing the sealed pod on the purge stage side receiving plate, transferring the sealed pod placed on the purge stage side receiving plate to the table, placing the sealed pod on the open stage side receiving plate, and transferring the sealed pod placed on the open stage side receiving plate to the table. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the moving mechanism moves downward when placing the sealed pod on the purge stage side receiving plate, moves upward when transferring the sealed pod placed on the purge stage side receiving plate to the table, moves downward when placing the sealed pod on the open stage side receiving plate, and moves upward when transferring the sealed pod placed on the open stage side receiving plate to the table. 16. A load port system provided adjacent a semiconductor fabrication apparatus in a clean room to receive a FOUP and to transfer wafers accommodated in the FOUP between an inside of the semiconductor fabrication apparatus and an inside of the FOUP, comprising: a purge stage including a purge portion through which a gas atmosphere in the FOUP is replaced with nitrogen gas or dry air, and a purge stage side receiving plate that receives the FOUP on the purge stage side receiving plate;an opener stage provided in only a substantially horizontal and juxtaposed relationship with the purge stage and including an opening communicating with the inside of the semiconductor fabrication apparatus, a door section to open and close the opening, and an open stage side receiving plate that receives the FOUP on the open stage side receiving plate; anda moving mechanism configured to move the FOUP substantially in a horizontal direction between the purge stage and the opener stage, at least a portion of said moving mechanism being disposed directly under the opener stage and the purge stage regardless of whether the moving mechanism has the sealable pod positioned at the purge stage or the opener stage, whereinthe moving mechanism comprises a table having an upper face on which the sealable pod can be placed,the moving mechanism moves only substantially in the horizontal direction when the moving mechanism moves between the purge stage and the opener stage with the FOUP placed on the table,the purge stage side receiving plate comprises a purge stage side cutaway portion formed on the purge stage side receiving plate,the open stage side receiving plate comprises an open stage side cutaway portion formed on the open stage side receiving plate, the purge stage side receiving plate and the open stage side receiving plate being arranged substantially at a same height in a vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, andthe purge stage side cutaway portion and the open stage side cutaway portion face each other in the horizontal direction. 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the opener stage includes a sub purge section that blows nitrogen gas or dry air into the FOUP when the door section is operated to open the opening.