Clamp apparatus, substrate carry-in/out apparatus using the same, and substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9857124-B2
Application number	US-201615070123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

The clamp apparatus of the present disclosure includes a clamp member configured to contact a substrate accommodating container from an upper side and fix the substrate accommodating container to a predetermined position when a cover provided on a front surface of the substrate accommodating container is opened/closed, a driving mechanism configured to drive the clamp member; a casing configured to cover the driving mechanism, a suction port configured to communicate with the casing, an exhaust chamber provided near the casing, and a fan provided inside the exhaust chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clamp apparatus comprising:
a clamp member configured to come in contact with a substrate accommodating container from an upper side so as to fix the substrate accommodating container to a predetermined position when a cover provided on a front side of the substrate accommodating container is opened/closed;
a driving mechanism configured to drive the clamp member;
a casing configured to cover the driving mechanism; and
an exhaust chamber including a first exhaust chamber provided at a left side of the casing, a second exhaust chamber provided at a right side of the casing, and a third exhaust chamber provided at a rear side of the casing and between the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber and configured to interconnect the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber when viewed in a front side thereof, each of the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber including a first suction port on a side surface thereof that is configured to communicate with the casing,
wherein each of the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber is divided into a negative pressure chamber provided at an upper portion of each of the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber and including a fan therein and a second suction port provided on a top surface thereof, and a positive pressure chamber occupied by an area except for the negative pressure chamber within each of the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber and including a cleaning filter configured to clean a gas on a bottom surface thereof, and
the fan is configured to suck a gas from the first suction port into the negative pressure chamber while sucking a gas from an outside of the second suction port into the negative pressure chamber to mix the gas from the first suction port with the gas from the outside of the second suction port in the negative pressure chamber such that the mixed gases are sent to the positive pressure chamber, thereby supplying the mixed gases to a predetermined position where the substrate accommodating container is fixed in a down flow while cleaning the mixed gases through the cleaning filter.

2. The clamp apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a local exhaust duct provided inside the casing, having a T-shape and selectively disposed near the driving mechanism,
wherein the local exhaust duct includes a first part extended in a horizontal direction and having discharge ports at both ends thereof, and a second part extended in a vertical direction and connected to the first part.

3. The clamp apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first part of the local exhaust duct communicates with the first suction port of each of the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber such that the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber communicate with each other.

4. The clamp apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the casing is located adjacent to the first exhaust chamber, the second exhaust chamber and the third exhaust chamber, and
the discharge ports of the first part of the local exhaust duct are directly connected to the first suction port of the first exhaust chamber and the first suction port of the second exhaust chamber, respectively.

5. The clamp apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber are provided adjacent to a left side surface and a right side surface of the casing, respectively when viewed in a front side of the casing.

6. The clamp apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the casing includes a movable portion connected to the clamp member and configured to be movable up and down together with the clamp member, and a fixed portion configured to accommodate at least a part of the driving mechanism and the local exhaust duct.

7. The clamp apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the driving mechanism includes a driving force generating unit configured to generate a driving force and a moving unit configured to move by the driving force,
the movable portion accommodates at least a part of the moving unit, and
the fixed portion accommodates the driving force generating unit.

8. The clamp apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the movable portion is provided by being inserted into an opening of a bottom of the fixed portion, and
a wall is formed in at least a part of the periphery of the opening to be parallel with a side surface of the movable portion.

9. The clamp apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover member having a shape continuous and integral with the first exhaust chamber and the second exhaust chamber, and configured to cover the casing.

10. The clamp apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fan is a sirocco fan.

11. A substrate carry-in/out apparatus comprising:
a substrate transfer section;
a partition wall configured to partition a substrate accommodating container transfer section;
a transfer port provided on the partition wall;
an opening/closing door configured to open/close the transfer port;
the clamp apparatus of claim 1 that is attached to the substrate accommodating container transfer section side of the partition wall above the transfer port; and
a side cover provided on each of opposite sides of the transfer port in a horizontal direction at the substrate accommodating container transfer section side of the partition wall.

12. The substrate carry-in/out apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the transfer port, the opening/closing door, the clamp apparatus, and the side cover are provided on the partition wall in two tiers in a vertical direction.

13. The substrate carry-in/out apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a cover opening/closing device provided within the substrate transfer section to open/close the cover of the substrate accommodating container.

14. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
the substrate carry-in/out apparatus of claim 11 ;
a transfer mechanism provided within the substrate transfer section to transfer a substrate; and
a processing container provided within the substrate transfer section.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processing container is a heat treatment furnace configured to thermally treat a substrate.

16. The clamp apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second part of the local exhaust duct includes a suction port at each of a front surface and a rear surface thereof when viewed in a front side.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Obara Mitsuru
• Inoue Hisashi
• Shionaga Keishi
• Kobayashi Masahiro
• Baba Norio
• Kikuchi Hiroshi

Classifications

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/3406

  involving removal of lid, door or cover · CPC title

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/1924

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title