Method for processing substrates

• US 20080089765A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daifuku Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Daifuku Company Limited
• Inventors: Ikehata, Yoshiteru, Moriya, Susumu
• Granted Patent: US 7,955,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/416.03
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/02 Storage devices furniture A47B; shop fittings A47F
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0435 with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6734 specially adapted for supporting large square shaped substrates containers and packaging elements for glass sheets B65D85/48, transporting of glass products during their manufacture C03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67363 specially adapted for containing substrates other than wafers H01L21/67356, H01L21/67359 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67393 characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrierl
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67769 Storage means

Abstract

The method for processing substrates for substrate processing facility includes the steps of performing ventilation a the fan filter unit while putting a lid of a container in a closed state, when the container is stored in a storage shelf, and is transferred with a substrate transfer device, and ventilating the container with the fan filter with the lid of the container in an open state, when substrates are transferred in a substrate loading/unloading section with the substrate transfer device.

Claims

1. A method for processing substrates for substrate processing facility, the substrate processing facility comprising:

a plurality of substrate processing devices that process substrates;

a container that holds a plurality of the substrates with the substrates lined up vertically with space therebetween and that is tubular having a generally quadrangular cross section, the container including a first opening provided on one end side and a second opening provided on the other end side spaced apart in the horizontal direction from the first opening, the first opening serving as an entrance for loading and unloading the substrates, the container having a fan filter unit provided in an area of the second opening that causes movement of air from the second opening toward the first opening, and a lid that opens and closes the entrance of the container being provided in the area of the entrance of the container so as to open partially in a closed state, and to allow transfer of the substrates with the substrate transfer device in an open state;

a storage shelf including a plurality of storage sections where the containers are stored;

a substrate loading/unloading section that corresponds to each of the plurality of substrate processing devices;

a substrate transfer device that provides a substrate to the substrate processing device from the container positioned in the substrate loading/unloading section, and that stores a substrate removed from the substrate processing device in the container positioned in the substrate loading/unloading section; and

a container transfer device that transfers the container to the substrate loading/unloading sections of the plurality of substrate processing devices and to the storage sections of the storage shelf,

the method for processing substrate to manufacture processed substrates by storing the container in the storage shelf, sequentially transferring the container to the substrate loading/unloading section of each of the plurality of substrate processing devices, and sequentially processing the substrates in the plurality of the substrate processing devices comprising the steps of;

ventilating the container with the fan filter unit with the lid in the closed state, when the container is stored in the storage shelf, and when the container is transferred with the substrate transfer device, and

ventilating the container with the fan filter with the lid of the container in an open state, when the substrates are transferred to or from the substrate loading/unloading section with the substrate transfer device.

2. The method for processing substrates of claim 1,

wherein a clean air ventilation means for a transfer area is provided that moves clean air in a substrate transfer area where the substrates are transferred with the substrate transfer device between the substrate loading/unloading section and the substrate processing devices,

the method further comprising a step of:

operating the clean air ventilation means for the substrate transfer area at least when the substrates are transferred to or from the substrate loading/unloading section with the substrate transfer device.

3. The method for processing substrates of claim 1, further comprising a step of increasing a ventilation flow rate of the fan filter unit when the lid is in the open state.

4. The method for processing substrates of claim 1,

wherein a plurality of storage shelves are provided with each shelf associated with each of the plurality of the substrate processing devices, and some of the plurality of storage sections of the storage shelves serve as the substrate loading/unloading section, and

as the container transfer device, a container transfer unit for storage shelf provided in association with the storage shelves, and a container transfer unit for transfer between shelves that transfers the container between a plurality of loading/unloading sections of the plurality of storage shelves are provided.

5. The method for processing substrates of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of substrate processing devices, the storage shelf, the substrate transfer device and the container transfer device are provided in a clean space where clean air is caused to move generally downwardly from a ceiling portion to a floor portion, and

the substrate loading/unloading section is positioned higher than the floor portion.

6. The method for processing substrates of claim 1,

wherein the fan filter unit comprises a fan and filter and a power receiving section supported by a frame unit.

7. The method for processing substrates of claim 6,

wherein the fan filter unit comprises a battery to supply power to the fan.