JP6326342B2 - Substrate storage container, load port device, and substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention can be applied to a substrate storage container for storing a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a substrate for an optical disk (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”), and the like. The present invention relates to a load port apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus.

  Conventionally, there is a substrate storage container that supports a substrate in two modes. This type of substrate storage container includes a housing, a lid, a shelf, a housing side cushion, and a lid side cushion. The housing accommodates the substrate. The lid is attached to and detached from the housing. The shelf and the case side cushion are provided inside the case. The lid side cushion is provided inside the lid. The shelf places the substrate with the lower surface of the substrate in contact with the shelf. The housing side cushion and the lid side cushion hold the substrate in a state where the substrate is not moved while being separated from the shelf. The substrate is supported by the shelf when the lid is removed from the housing. Thereby, a board | substrate can be carried out from a board | substrate storage container, or a board | substrate can be carried in to a board | substrate storage container. On the other hand, the substrate is held by the housing side cushion and the lid side cushion when the lid is mounted on the housing. Accordingly, the substrate can be suitably protected when the substrate storage container is transported.

JP 2007-227941 A

However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems.
That is, even when the lid is removed from the housing (detached), the housing-side cushion may hold the substrate, and the substrate may not be detached from the housing-side cushion. Possible causes of this include damage formed on the surface of the housing side cushion, and wear powder from the housing side cushion and the substrate W accumulating on the housing side cushion.

  If the substrate is not detached from the housing side cushion when the lid is removed from the housing, the substrate is not properly placed on the shelf, and the distance between the substrates cannot be ensured properly. For this reason, it is difficult for the external transport mechanism to enter the gap between the substrates. Further, if the substrate is not removed from the housing side cushion when the lid is removed from the housing, the positions of the substrates are not aligned. For this reason, it becomes difficult for the external transport mechanism to hold the substrate.

  Further, when the substrate is caught by the lid side cushion when the lid is removed from the housing, the substrate moves together with the lid to the opening side of the housing, and the positions of the substrates are not aligned in the front-rear direction. For this reason, similarly, it becomes difficult for the external transport mechanism to hold the substrate. For example, the substrate may be missed and the substrate may be dropped.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate storage container, a load port device, and a substrate processing apparatus that can appropriately carry out a substrate.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention has the following configuration.
That is, a substrate storage container according to the present invention includes a housing that can be housed therein and having an opening on the front surface thereof, a lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening, and an interior of the housing. A shelf member that is in contact with the lower surface of the substrate and places the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture; a housing support member that is provided inside the housing and supports an end portion of the substrate; and A lid support member that is attached to the back surface and supports an end portion of the substrate, a groove portion that is formed on at least one of the housing support member and the lid support member, and that supports the end portion of the substrate, and the groove portion A variable portion configured to be rotatable with respect to a lower end side of the inclined surface, and an angle of the inclined surface of the variable portion. An angle change drive unit for changing, and the lid is attached to the housing. The support member for the case and the support member for the lid hold the end of the substrate in a state where the lower surface of the substrate is not in contact with the shelf member, and remove the cover from the case The angle change drive unit is characterized in that the angle of the inclined surface of the variable unit is increased as compared with a state where the lid is mounted on the housing.

  According to the substrate storage container of the present invention, the groove portion that supports the end portion of the substrate is formed in at least one of the housing support member and the lid support member. The variable portion is at least a part of the lower inclined surface that extends obliquely downward from the innermost portion of the groove portion, and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the lower end side of the inclined surface. And when removing a lid | cover from a housing | casing, an angle change drive part enlarges the angle with respect to the horizontal surface of the inclined surface of a variable part compared with the state with which the lid | cover is mounted | worn with the housing | casing. The substrate is pushed by the variable portion, and the substrate is placed on the inclined surface whose angle is changed so that the inclined surface approaches the vertical direction. It becomes easy. Therefore, the positional deviation of the substrate in the front-rear direction can be suppressed, and the holding arm of the transport mechanism can be prevented from failing to hold the substrate. Therefore, the substrate can be properly carried out.

  Moreover, in the substrate storage container according to the present invention, an example of the angle change drive unit is a gas supply unit that changes the angle of the inclined surface of the variable unit by supplying gas. Since the gas supply unit supplies gas, the angle of the inclined surface of the variable unit can be changed. In addition, the variable portion can be driven regardless of whether the lid is attached to or detached from the housing, and the drive timing can be arbitrarily set. Further, the gas supply unit can be configured relatively easily compared to a link mechanism or the like.

  Further, in the substrate storage container according to the present invention, an example of the gas supply unit has a spray port provided in the groove portion adjacent to the back surface of the variable unit, and the gas supply unit is configured to gas from the spray port. Is directly supplied, thereby changing the angle of the inclined surface of the variable portion. The configuration can be made simpler than the configuration in which the balloon is provided in the groove portion adjacent to the back surface of the variable portion.

  Further, in the substrate storage container according to the present invention, an example of the gas supply unit has a balloon provided in the groove adjacent to the back surface of the variable unit, and the gas supply unit inflates the balloon. The angle of the inclined surface of the variable part is changed. The variable portion 31 can be driven stably with a smaller amount of gas than that in which the gas is directly supplied to the back surface of the variable portion, and without vibration.

  Further, in the substrate storage container according to the present invention, the angle change driving unit is configured such that the angle supplying unit supplies power and the angle of the inclined surface of the variable unit by contacting the variable unit to supply power. And a power transmission unit that transmits power between the power supply unit and the power application member. The power transmission unit transmits power from the power supply unit to the power application member, and the power application member contacts the variable unit to provide power. Therefore, the angle of the inclined surface of the variable part can be changed. Moreover, even if there is no gas supply source, the variable part can be driven by the power supply part.

  In the substrate storage container according to the present invention, it is preferable that the power supply unit is a power receiving unit that receives power from a relative movement in the front-rear direction when the lid is attached to and detached from the housing. Even if a gas supply source, a motor, and the like are not provided, the variable portion can be driven by using the relative movement in the front-rear direction when the lid is attached to and detached from the housing.

  In the substrate storage container according to the present invention, an example of the groove is a housing groove formed in the housing support member. Even when the lid is removed from the housing, the housing groove portion of the housing support member may hold the substrate, and the substrate may not be removed from the housing groove portion. In this case, the substrate may be displaced in the backward direction, and the external transport mechanism may fail to hold the substrate. However, the substrate can be removed from the housing groove by driving the variable portion. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation in the backward direction and prevent the holding arm of the transport mechanism from failing to hold the substrate. Moreover, since the board | substrate is mounted in the shelf member in the substantially horizontal attitude | position, the clearance in the up-down direction between board | substrates is ensured appropriately.

  In the substrate container according to the present invention, an example of the groove is a lid groove formed on the lid support member. If the substrate is caught in the lid groove portion of the lid support member when the lid is removed from the housing, the substrate moves together with the lid, and the positions of the substrates in the forward direction are not aligned. In this case as well, the external transport mechanism may fail to hold the substrate. However, the substrate can be removed from the lid groove by driving the variable portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the positional deviation in the forward direction and prevent the holding arm of the transport mechanism from failing to hold the substrate.

  The load port device according to the present invention includes a mounting table on which the substrate storage container according to the above-described invention can be mounted, and a lid opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the lid of the substrate storage container mounted on the mounting table. , Provided. According to the load port device of the present invention, the above-described substrate storage container can be suitably placed.

  The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a mounting table on which the substrate storage container according to the above-described invention can be mounted, and a lid opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the lid of the substrate storage container mounted on the mounting table. A processing unit that performs processing on the substrate, and a transport mechanism that unloads the substrate from the substrate storage container placed on the mounting table and loads the substrate into the processing unit. is there. According to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to perform processing on the substrate stored in the above-described substrate storage container.

  According to the substrate storage container, the load port device, and the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the substrate is pushed by the variable portion, and the substrate is placed on the inclined surface having a large angle. It becomes easy to remove from the support member or the cover support member. Therefore, the positional deviation of the substrate in the front-rear direction can be suppressed, and the holding arm of the transport mechanism can be prevented from failing to hold the substrate. Therefore, the substrate can be properly carried out.

(A) is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of a substrate storage container when the lid | cover is mounted | worn to a housing | casing, (b) is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of a substrate storage container when the lid | cover is not mounted | worn to a housing | casing. FIG. (A) is a side view showing the inside of the housing according to the first embodiment, (b) is a plan view showing the inside of the housing according to the first embodiment, and (c) is a housing according to the first embodiment. It is a front view which shows the inside of a body. (A) is a perspective view which shows a cover and a cover support member, (b) is a side view which shows a cover and a cover support member. It is a figure for demonstrating a variable part. (A) is a top view of a substrate processing apparatus, (b) is a side view of a substrate processing apparatus. It is an enlarged side view which shows a substrate storage container and a load port part. (A)-(c) is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the substrate storage container which concerns on Example 1. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the inside of a housing according to Embodiment 2. FIG. (A), (b) is the elements on larger scale for demonstrating operation | movement of the substrate storage container which concerns on Example 2. FIG. (A), (b) is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the board | substrate storage container which concerns on Example 3, and its operation | movement. (A), (b) is the elements on larger scale for description of the structure of the board | substrate storage container which concerns on a modification, and its operation | movement.

1. Configuration of Substrate Storage Container Referring to FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b). The outer shape of the substrate storage container 1 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The substrate storage container 1 can store a plurality of substrates W. “Substrate W” is, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, etc. It is.

  The substrate storage container 1 includes a housing 2 that can be stored therein and that has an opening A on the front surface thereof, and a lid 3 that is attached to and detached from the housing 2 to open and close the opening A. The lid 3 is attached to the front surface of the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 1B, an opening A is formed on the front surface of the housing 2. The lid 3 closes the opening A. When the lid 3 is attached to and detached from the housing 2, the lid 3 moves in the front-rear direction substantially perpendicular to the opening A while facing the opening A. The front-rear direction is substantially horizontal. A space S for accommodating the substrate W is formed inside the housing 2. The substrate storage container 1 is configured to store at least one substrate W. Although the substrate storage container 1 normally stores 25 substrates W, for the sake of convenience, the substrate storage container 1 capable of storing up to three substrates W will be described below as an example.

  In addition to FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), reference is made to FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (c). The housing 2 includes an upper plate part 4, a bottom plate part 5, a right side wall part 6, a left side wall part 7, and a rear wall part 8. Each part 4 thru | or 8 demarcates the space S mentioned above. In FIG. 2A, illustration of the right side wall part 6 and the left side wall part 7 is omitted. In FIG. 2B, the upper plate portion 4 and the bottom plate portion 5 are not shown for convenience of illustration. In FIG. 2C, illustration of the rear wall portion 8 is omitted.

  Hereinafter, of the front and rear directions, the direction from the rear wall 8 toward the opening A is appropriately referred to as “front direction”, and the direction opposite to the front direction is referred to as “rear direction”.

  Shelf members 11 a, 11 b, and 11 c are provided on the side wall portions 6 and 7 inside the housing 2. The shelf members 11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged in the vertical direction. Each shelf member 11a, 11b, 11c supports the substrate W from below in a substantially horizontal posture. Each shelf member 11a, 11b, 11c contacts only the lower surface of the substrate W. In the present specification, the lower surface of the substrate W is a concept including the lower peripheral edge of the substrate W. Hereinafter, when the shelf members 11a, 11b, and 11c are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as “shelf members 11”. As will be described later, one substrate W is placed on each shelf member 11. A holding arm 47a, which will be described later, carries the substrate W into each shelf member 11 and carries out the substrate W from each shelf member 11. Therefore, a vertical space (clearance) is provided between the shelf members 11 so that the substrate W can be safely carried in and out by the holding arm 47a.

  In the present embodiment, each shelf member 11 includes a right shelf member 12 and a left shelf member 13. The right shelf member 12 projects from the right wall portion 6, and the left shelf member 13 projects from the left wall portion 7.

  A housing support block 14 is further provided on the rear wall 8 inside the housing 2. The housing support block 14 is fixed to the housing 2. The housing support block 14 is formed with housing support members 16a, 16b, and 16c. The casing support members 16a, 16b, and 16c are arranged in the vertical direction. Each housing support member 16a, 16b, 16c supports the end of the substrate W. Hereinafter, the housing support members 16a, 16b, and 16c are simply referred to as “housing support members 16” unless otherwise distinguished.

  The material of the housing support member 16 is, for example, resin. More preferably, the material for the housing support member 16 is a resin having elasticity. Each housing support member 16 is formed with one groove portion 17. As shown in FIG. 2B, the groove portion 17 is recessed backward. The groove portion 17 has, for example, a substantially V shape in a side view. The groove portion 17 corresponds to the housing groove portion of the present invention.

  The groove portion 17 has a lower inclined surface (lower inclined portion) 17a, an innermost portion 17b, and an upper inclined surface (upper inclined portion) 17c. The lower inclined surface 17a is adjacent to the lower side of the innermost portion 17b, and the upper inclined surface 17c is adjacent to the upper side of the innermost portion 17b. The innermost portion 17b is formed in a substantially horizontal direction when viewed from the opening A. The lower inclined surface 17a is formed to extend obliquely downward from the innermost portion 17b, and the upper inclined surface 17c is formed to extend obliquely upward from the innermost portion 17b.

  Here, the height relationship between the housing support member 16 and the shelf member 11 will be described. The position of the innermost part 17b of the housing support member 16b is higher than the contact surface of the shelf member 11b that contacts the substrate W. The lower end of the lower inclined surface 17a of the housing support member 16b has a height equal to or lower than the contact surface of the shelf member 11b. The same applies to the height relationship between the housing support member 16a and the shelf member 11a and the height relationship between the housing support member 16c and the shelf member 11c.

  Next, the lid 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). When the lid 3 is attached to the housing 2, the inner surface of the lid 3 in contact with the inside of the housing 2 is referred to as a “back surface 3 b”. A lid support block 21 is fixed to the back surface 3b. The lid support block 21 is provided with lid support members 23a, 23b, and 23c. The lid support members 23a, 23b, and 23c are arranged in the vertical direction. When the lid 3 is mounted on the housing 2, the lid support members 23a, 23b, and 23c face each other at substantially the same height as the housing support portions 16a, 16b, and 16c. Each lid support member 23 a, 23 b, 23 c supports the end portion of the substrate W. Hereinafter, when the lid support members 23a, 23b, and 23c are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the “lid support member 23”.

  The material of the lid support member 23 is, for example, resin. More preferably, the material for the lid support member 23 is a resin having elasticity. The lid support member 23 has substantially the same shape as the housing support member 16. In other words, each lid support member 23 is formed with a groove portion 24, and the groove portion 24 has a substantially V shape in a side view. Each groove portion 24 has a lower inclined surface 24a, an innermost portion 24b, and an upper inclined surface 24c. The groove portion 24 corresponds to the lid groove portion of the present invention.

  Next, the variable part 31 and the gas supply part 33 which are the characteristic parts of this invention are demonstrated. Reference is made to FIGS. 2A to 2C and FIG. First, the variable part 31 and the gas supply part 33 are demonstrated easily. The substrate storage container 1 is at least a part of the inclined surface 31a of the lower inclined surface 17a that extends obliquely downward from the innermost portion 17b of the groove portion 17, and is configured to be rotatable on the lower end side of the inclined surface 31a. The unit 31 is provided. The substrate storage container 1 also includes a gas supply unit 33 that changes the angle of the inclined surface 31 a of the variable unit 31. The gas supply unit 33 corresponds to the tilt angle changing drive unit of the present invention.

  When removing the lid 3 from the housing 2, the gas supply unit 33 increases the angle of the inclined surface 31 a of the variable portion 31 with respect to the horizontal plane as compared with the state where the lid 3 is attached to the housing 2. As a result, the substrate W is pushed forward by the variable portion 31, and the substrate W is placed on the inclined surface 31a whose angle with respect to the horizontal plane is increased, so that the substrate W is easily removed from the housing support member 16. . That is, the substrate W can be easily slid down from the lower inclined surface 17 a of the groove 17 of the housing support member 16.

  Next, the variable part 31 and the gas supply part 33 are demonstrated concretely. The variable portion 31 is configured by any or all of the lower inclined surface 17a among the lower inclined surface 17a, the innermost portion 17b, and the upper inclined surface 17c constituting the groove portion 17. That is, the lower inclined surface 17 a includes the inclined surface 31 a of the variable portion 31. Further, an inclined surface 31a may be provided on the extension of the lower inclined surface 17a, and a step may be provided between the lower inclined surface 17a and the inclined surface 31a. Moreover, the variable part 31 comprised by a part of lower inclined surface 17a has a shape which does not reach the innermost part 17b, for example. The variable portion 31 may be made of, for example, resin and may be the same material as the housing support member 16.

  Moreover, the variable part 31 is comprised so that rotation is possible on the basis of the preset position of the lower end side among the upper end side and lower end side of the inclined surface 31a. The variable portion 31 is rotated with respect to the hinge H. The hinge H is rotatably connected to the variable portion 31 and the groove portion 17. The hinge H is constituted by, for example, a living hinge integrally formed with the housing support member 16 and the variable portion 31. The housing support member 16 and the variable portion 31 may be separated from each other. Further, the hinge H may be slightly separated from the inclined surface 31a.

  The gas supply part 33 changes the angle of the inclined surface 31a of the variable part 31 by supplying gas, such as inert gas (for example, nitrogen). The gas supply unit 33 is configured to directly apply gas to the back surface of the variable unit 31. Specifically, the gas supply unit 33 is provided in the groove portion 17 adjacent to the back surface of the variable unit 31, and can be connected to the blowing port 35 for blowing gas to the back surface of the variable unit 31 and an external device of the substrate storage container 1. A connection port 36 and a gas flow path 37 that connects the spray port 35 and the connection port 36 are provided. The back surface of the variable portion 31 refers to the surface on the opposite side of the inclined surface 31 a that contacts the substrate W.

  The spray port 35 is provided in each groove portion 17. An external device that can be connected to the connection port 36 is provided in a load port unit 42 described later. The gas flow path 37 may be formed inside the housing support member 16 as shown in FIG. Moreover, the gas flow path 37 may be comprised by tubular piping, and may be comprised combining the support member 16 for housing | casings, and piping. In addition, a regulating member (not shown) is provided so that the angle of the inclined surface of the variable portion 31 does not become larger than a predetermined angle.

2. Configuration of Load Port Device and Substrate Processing Apparatus A substrate processing apparatus 41 to which the substrate storage container 1 is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). The substrate processing apparatus 41 includes a load port unit 42 and a processing unit 43. The load port unit 42 has a plurality of load port devices 420, 421, 422. Each load port device 420, 421, 422 includes a mounting table 44 and a lid opening / closing mechanism 45. The mounting table 44 mounts the substrate storage container 1 thereon. The lid opening / closing mechanism 45 opens and closes the substrate storage container 1 placed on the placement table 44. The lid opening / closing mechanism 45 includes a shutter member 45a and a shutter member drive mechanism 45b. The shutter member 45 a attaches and detaches the lid 3 to the substrate storage container 1 and holds the lid 3 removed from the substrate storage container 1. When opening the lid 3, the shutter member driving mechanism 45b moves the shutter member 45a in the order of positions P1, P2, and P3 (see FIG. 5B). When the shutter member 45a moves between the position P1 and the position P2, the lid 3 held by the shutter member 45a moves in the front-rear direction while facing the opening A.

  The processing unit 43 includes a transport mechanism 47 and a processing unit 48. The transport mechanism 47 accesses the substrate storage container 1 and the processing unit 48 mounted on the mounting table 44. The transport mechanism 47 includes a holding arm 47a for holding the substrate W and a holding arm drive mechanism 47b for moving the holding arm 47a. The processing unit 48 performs a process such as a cleaning process on the substrate W.

  The substrate processing apparatus 41 includes a main control unit 49 that controls each component of the apparatus 41 and an operation unit 50 for operating the substrate processing apparatus 1. The main control unit 49 is composed of a CPU and the like. The operation unit 50 includes, for example, a display unit such as a liquid crystal monitor and an input unit such as a keyboard, a mouse, and other switches.

  Next, the external device 60 will be described with reference to FIG. When the substrate storage container 1 is placed on the mounting table 44, the connection port 36 of the substrate storage container 1 and the external device 60 are connected.

  The external device 60 is provided in the load port unit 42. The external device 60 includes a gas supply pipe 61, a supply valve 62, a gas discharge pipe 63, a discharge valve 64, a three-way valve 65, a gas common pipe 66, a gas port 67, and a control unit 68. One end of the gas supply pipe 61 is connected to a gas supply source. A supply valve 62 is provided in the middle of the gas supply pipe 61. On the other hand, one end of the gas exhaust pipe 63 is connected to the gas exhaust unit. A discharge valve 64 is provided in the middle of the gas discharge pipe 63. The other end of the gas supply pipe 61 and the other end of the gas discharge pipe 63 are connected to a three-way valve 65.

  One end of a gas common pipe 66 is further connected to the three-way valve 65. The three-way valve 65 connects one of the gas supply pipe 61 and the gas discharge pipe 63 to the gas common pipe 66. The other end of the gas common pipe 66 is connected to a gas port 67. The gas port 67 can be connected to and detached from the connection port 36. The control unit 68 operates the supply valve 62, the discharge valve 64, and the three-way valve 65. Thereby, the control part 68 controls supply and discharge | emission of the gas with respect to the spraying opening 35. FIG.

  The gas supply source is, for example, an inert gas cylinder. The other end of the gas supply pipe 71 is connected to the gas supply port 72. The gas discharge unit is a blower or a vacuum pump. When the connection port 36 and the gas port 67 are connected to each other, the connection port 36 and the gas port 67 are both opened, and the gas flow path 37 and the gas common pipe 66 are communicated. On the other hand, when the connected connection port 36 and the gas port 67 are separated from each other, the connection port 36 and the gas port 67 are both closed.

3. Operation Example Next, an operation example of the substrate storage container 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.

3.1. Placing the substrate storage container 1 on the mounting table 44 As shown in FIG. 6, the substrate storage container 1 is transported to the mounting table 44 of the load port unit 42 of the substrate processing apparatus 41. When the substrate storage container 1 is transported to and placed on the mounting table 44, the connection port 36 of the substrate storage container 1 and the gas port 67 of the external device 60 provided in the load port unit 42 are connected to each other. The path 37 and the gas common pipe 66 communicate with each other. When the substrate storage container 1 is placed on the placement table 44, a sensor (not shown) detects the placement of the substrate storage container 1.

  For example, based on the detection information of the sensor (not shown), the control unit 68 controls the supply valve 62, the discharge valve 64, and the three-way valve 65 to supply gas from the gas supply source to the gas port 67. The gas supplied to the gas port 67, that is, the gas supplied from the external device 60 is directly supplied to the back surface of the variable portion 31 through the connection port 36, the gas flow path 37 and the blowing port 35.

3.2. Removal of the lid 3 by the lid opening / closing mechanism 45 The lid opening / closing mechanism 45 removes the lid 3 from the housing 2 based on detection information of a sensor (not shown). FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating a state where the lid 3 is attached to the housing 2. In this state, the groove portion 17 of the housing support member 16 and the groove portion 24 of the lid support member 23 sandwich the end portion of the substrate W in a state where the lower surface of the substrate W is not in contact with the shelf member 11. That is, the end portion of the substrate W is sandwiched between the innermost portion 17 b of the groove portion 17 and the innermost portion 24 b of the groove portion 24 while separating the substrate W from the shelf member 11. Thereby, vibration of the substrate W or the like can be suppressed during transportation.

  In the state of FIG. 7A, the lid opening / closing mechanism 45 removes the lid 3 from the housing 2. The lid opening / closing mechanism 45 holds the lid 3 with a shutter member 45a and releases the lock of the substrate storage container 1 by a lock mechanism (not shown). The lid opening / closing mechanism 45 moves the lid 3 forward while holding the lid 3. At this time, the blowing unit 35 of the gas supply unit 33 supplies gas to the back surface of the variable unit 31. As a result, a force that rises with the hinge H as a base point is acting on the variable portion 31.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, when removing the lid 3 from the housing 2, the gas supply unit 33 increases the angle of the inclined surface 31 a of the variable unit 31 with respect to the horizontal. When the lid 3 is moved forward by the lid opening / closing mechanism 45, the holding of the substrate W by the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23 is released. As a result, a gap is generated between the support member 16 for the casing and the support member 23 for the lid and the substrate W, and the substrate W slides along the lower inclined surfaces 17a and 24a of the groove portions 17 and 24. Finally, the substrate W is placed on the shelf member 11 in a substantially horizontal posture.

  Here, the above-described problem occurs in the conventional case. That is, even if the lid 3 is removed from the housing 2, the housing support member 16 still holds the substrate W, and the substrate W does not come off the housing support member 16, that is, FIG. As described above, there is a case where the sliding member does not slide down from the lower inclined surface 17a of the groove portion 17 of the housing support member 16. In this case, since the substrate W is displaced in the rearward direction, the holding arm 47a of the transport mechanism 47 may miss the substrate W and drop the substrate W. Moreover, since the board | substrate W is not mounted in the substantially horizontal attitude | position on the shelf member 11, the space | interval of board | substrates cannot be ensured appropriately. Accordingly, when the substrate W on the first stage of the substrate W in the oblique posture in FIG. 7C is taken out, there is a possibility that the surface of the substrate W in the oblique posture is scratched.

  However, when the holding of the substrate W is released, the angle of the inclined surface 31a (lower inclined surface 17a) is increased by the variable portion 31. At this time, the substrate W is pushed forward by the variable portion 31 to give an opportunity to slide down the lower inclined surface 17a, and the substrate W easily slides down the lower inclined surface 17a. In addition, since the substrate W is placed on the inclined surface 31a whose angle with respect to the horizontal plane is increased, the substrate W easily slides down the lower inclined surface 17a. Therefore, the substrate W is placed on the shelf member 11 in a substantially horizontal posture.

3.3. Removal and Storage of Substrate W by Transport Mechanism 47 The lid opening / closing mechanism 45 moves the shutter member 45a and the lid 3 from the position P1 to the positions P2 and P3 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the transport mechanism 47 takes out the substrate W stored in the substrate storage container 1 and transports it to a predetermined processing unit 48. When a preset process is performed in the processing unit 48, the transport mechanism 47 stores the substrate W unloaded from the processing unit 48 in the substrate storage container 1.

  Note that the gas supply unit 33 may stop the gas supply after driving the variable unit 31 and after a predetermined timing or a predetermined time has elapsed. For example, the control unit 68 may stop the gas supply by the gas supply unit 33 by controlling the supply valve 62 at the timing when the lid 3 reaches the position P2. At that timing, the control unit 68 controls the supply valve 62, the discharge valve 64, and the three-way valve 65 to discharge the gas to the gas discharge unit, so that the spray port 35, the gas flow path 37, the connection port 36, and Gas may be sucked through the gas port 67 or the like.

3.4. Attachment of the lid 3 by the lid opening / closing mechanism 45 The lid opening / closing mechanism 45 moves the lid 3 held by the shutter member 45a from position P3 to position P2 and position P1, as shown in FIG. The opening A of the body 2 is closed with the lid 3. Before the lid 3 is attached by the lid opening / closing mechanism 45, as shown in FIG. 7B, the substrate W is placed on the shelf member 11 in a substantially horizontal posture. When the lid 3 is moved backward from this state, the substrate W is sandwiched between the groove portion 17 of the housing support member 16 and the groove portion 24 of the lid support member 23, and the substrate W is lifted from the shelf member 11. It is done. When the lid 3 is attached by the lid opening / closing mechanism 45, as shown in FIG. 7A, in the innermost portions 17b and 24b, the groove portion 17 of the housing support member 16 and the groove portion 24 of the lid support member 23 While separating the substrate W from the shelf member 11, the end portion of the substrate W is clamped.

  Before the lid 3 is attached by the lid opening / closing mechanism 45, the gas supply by the gas supply unit 3 is stopped and the gas is sucked by the control of the supply valve 62 and the like by the control unit 68. You may make the angle with respect to a horizontal direction small.

3.5. Transporting the substrate storage container 1 from the mounting table 44 The lid opening / closing mechanism 45 attaches the lid 3 to the housing 2 and locks it by a lock mechanism (not shown). Thereafter, the substrate storage container 1 is transferred to a substrate processing apparatus for the next step, for example.

  In addition, the timing which enlarges the inclined surface 31a of the variable part 31 by the gas supply part 33, and the timing which makes it small are set arbitrarily. For example, the inclined surface 31a of the variable portion 31 may be enlarged after the lid 3 is sufficiently moved forward. In this case, the lid support member 23 of the lid 3 may receive the substrate W that has been pushed out by the variable portion 31 and protruded, thereby preventing the displacement.

  According to the present embodiment, the groove portion 17 that supports the end portion of the substrate W is formed in the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23. The variable portion 31 is at least a part of the inclined surface 31 of the lower inclined surface 17a extending obliquely downward from the innermost portion 17b of the groove portion 17, and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the lower end side of the inclined surface 31. And when removing the lid | cover 3 from the housing | casing 2, compared with the state with which the lid | cover 3 is mounted | worn with the housing | casing 2, the gas supply part 33 enlarges the angle with respect to the horizontal surface of the inclined surface 31a of the variable part 31. The substrate W is pushed by the variable portion 31, and the substrate W is placed on the inclined surface 31a having a larger angle, so that it can be easily removed from the housing support member 16. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation of the substrate W in the backward direction and prevent the holding arm 47a of the transport mechanism 47 from failing to hold the substrate W. Further, since the substrate W is placed on the shelf member 11 in a substantially horizontal posture, the clearance in the vertical direction between the substrates W is appropriately ensured. Therefore, the substrate W can be properly carried out.

  The substrate storage container 1 also includes a gas supply unit 33 that changes the angle of the inclined surface 31a of the variable unit 31 by supplying gas. When the gas supply unit 33 supplies gas, the angle of the inclined surface 31a of the variable unit 31 can be changed. In addition, the variable portion 31 can be driven regardless of whether the lid 3 is attached to or detached from the housing 2, and the driving timing can be arbitrarily set. Moreover, the gas supply part 33 can be comprised comparatively easily rather than the link mechanism 70 mentioned later.

  The gas supply unit 33 has a blowing port 35 provided in the groove portion 17 adjacent to the back surface of the variable unit 31, and the gas supply unit 33 directly supplies gas from the blowing port 35, so that the variable unit 31. The angle of the inclined surface 31a is changed. The configuration can be simpler than the configuration in which the balloon 91 is provided in the groove portion 17 adjacent to the back surface of the variable portion 31.

  The load port unit 42 includes a mounting table 44 on which the substrate storage container 1 can be mounted, and a lid opening / closing mechanism 45 that opens and closes the lid 3 of the substrate storage container 1 mounted on the mounting table 44. Thereby, the board | substrate storage container 1 mentioned above can be mounted suitably.

  The substrate processing apparatus 41 processes the substrate W on the mounting table 44 on which the substrate storage container 1 can be mounted, the lid opening / closing mechanism 45 that opens and closes the lid 3 of the substrate storage container 1 mounted on the mounting table 44, and the substrate W. And a transport mechanism 47 that unloads the substrate W from the substrate storage container 1 mounted on the mounting table 44 and loads the substrate W into the processing unit 48. Thereby, processing can be performed on the substrate W stored in the substrate storage container 1 described above.

  Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the description which overlaps with Example 1 is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the variable portion 31 is driven by the gas supplied from the gas supply portion 33. In this regard, in the second embodiment, the variable portion 31 is transmitted with power by the link mechanism 70. Driven. The link mechanism 70 corresponds to the angle change drive unit of the present invention.

  The housing 3 of the substrate storage container 1 includes a link mechanism 70 instead of the gas supply unit 33 as shown in FIG. The link mechanism 70 includes a link rod 71 that receives power from relative movement in the front-rear direction when the lid 3 is attached to the housing 2, and a spring 72 such as a compression coil spring. , And a guide member 73 that supports the link rod 71 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. In FIG. 8, the spring 72 is provided on the rear side of the link bar 71. When the link bar 71 is pushed rearward, the spring 72 accumulates a restoring force in the front direction. The link rod 71 and the spring 72 correspond to a power receiving portion and a power supply portion of the present invention.

  Further, the link mechanism 70 contacts the variable portion 31 to apply power, thereby changing the angle of the inclined surface of the variable portion 31, and the link between the link rod 71 and the power applying member 74. And a power transmission unit 75 that transmits power by the member 75a. The power applying member 74 is rotatably connected to the variable portion 31 and the shaft portion 76a. The power transmission unit 75 includes one or more link members 75a, and is appropriately provided with a shaft portion 76a and a position fixing shaft 76b. The position fixing shaft portion 76b is fixed at the installation position, and rotatably supports the link member 75a at that position. The power applying member 74 is in contact with the variable portion 31 via the shaft portion 76 a and transmits power to the variable portion 31. Moreover, the variable part 31, the link member 75a, and the axial part 76a may be able to be moved in a connection position by a regulating member (not shown).

  Next, operation | movement of the board | substrate storage container 1 of a present Example is demonstrated. The lid 3 is attached to the housing 2 by moving the lid 3 or the like indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. During this attachment, the link bar 71 contacts the lid 3 and is pushed backward by the lid 3. That is, the link rod 71 and the spring 72 receive power from relative movement of the lid 3 and the housing 2 in the front-rear direction. The received power is transmitted to the power application member 74 through the power transmission unit 75. In FIG. 9A, the angle of the inclined surface 31a of the variable portion 31 is reduced by lowering the power applying member 74. When the inclined surface 31a becomes small, the substrate W easily moves to the innermost portion 17b. It should be noted that the spring 72 interlocked with the link rod 71 is pushed in and the restoring force is accumulated.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 8, the lid 3 is removed from the housing 2 by moving the lid 3 forward. Similarly, the link rod 71 and the spring 72 receive power from the relative movement of the lid 3 and the housing 2 in the front-rear direction. That is, the link bar 71 moves forward together with the lid 3 by the restoring force of the spring 72. In addition, the restoring force of the spring 72 is transmitted to the power applying member 74 via the power transmission unit 75. In FIG. 9A, the angle of the inclined surface of the variable portion 31 is increased by moving the power applying member 74 upward. The substrate W is pushed forward by the variable portion 31 whose angle with respect to the horizontal plane is increased, and the substrate W is placed on the inclined surface 31a whose angle with respect to the horizontal plane is increased. Therefore, it becomes easy for the substrate W to move from the innermost portion 17b.

  According to this embodiment, the substrate storage container 1 changes the angle of the inclined surface 31a of the variable portion 31 by contacting the link rod 71 and the spring 72 for supplying power and the variable portion 31 to apply power. A power transmission member 74, and a power transmission unit 75 that transmits power by a link member 75 a between the link rod 71 and the spring 72 and the power transmission member 74 are provided. The power transmission unit 75 transmits the power from the link rod 71 to the power application member 74, and the power application member 74 contacts the variable unit 31 to provide the power, thereby changing the angle of the inclined surface 31a of the variable unit 31. .

  Further, the link bar 71 and the spring 72 receive power from the relative movement in the front-rear direction when the lid 3 is attached to and detached from the housing 2. Even if no gas supply source or motor is provided, the variable portion 31 can be driven by utilizing the relative movement in the front-rear direction when the lid 3 is attached to and detached from the housing 2.

  Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the description which overlaps with Example 1 is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the first and second embodiments, the variable portion 31 is provided on the housing support member 16 disposed on the rear wall portion 8 of the housing 2. In this regard, however, in the third embodiment, the variable portion 81 includes the lid 3. The lid support member 23 may be provided on the back surface 3b. Further, the configuration of the third embodiment may be added to the configuration of any of the first and second embodiments.

  Refer to FIG. 10A and FIG. The variable portion 81 is provided in the groove portion 24 formed in the lid support member 23. In addition, the angle of the inclined surface 81 a of the variable portion 81 with respect to the horizontal plane is changed by the gas supply portion 83. The configurations of the variable portion 81 and the gas supply portion 83 are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. The gas supply unit 83 is provided across the lid 3 and the lid support member 23, and includes a blowing port 85, a connection port 86, and a gas flow path 87.

  The connection port 86 is provided on the front side of the lid 3. For example, when the lid 3 is held by the shutter member 45a (see FIG. 6), the connection port 85 is connected to the gas port 67 provided in the shutter member 45a. Thereby, gas is supplied by a gas supply source like FIG. 6, and gas is exhausted by a gas exhaust part. Instead of the gas supply unit 83, the link mechanism 70 of the second embodiment may be provided.

  Here, the height relationship between the housing support member 16 and the shelf member 11 will be described. The position of the innermost portion 17b of the housing support member 16a is substantially the same as that of the substrate W placed on the shelf member 11 in a substantially horizontal posture. Therefore, the substrate W is placed on the shelf member 11 in a substantially horizontal posture with the substrate W positioned at the innermost portion 17b. The same applies to the height relationship between the housing support member 16b and the shelf member 11b and the height relationship between the housing support member 16c and the shelf member 11c. The height relationship between the lid support members 23a to 23c and the shelf members 11a to 11c is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  Next, the operation of the substrate storage container 1 when the lid 3 is removed and attached by the lid opening / closing mechanism 45 will be described.

  In a state where the lid 3 is attached to the housing 2 in FIG. 10A, the lid 3 is moved forward by the lid opening / closing mechanism 45, and the lid 3 is removed from the housing 2. At this time, the lid 3 is held by the shutter member 45 a of the lid opening / closing mechanism 45, and the connection port 86 of the substrate storage container 1 is connected to the gas port 67.

  When the lid 3 is moved in the forward direction, the holding of the substrate W by the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23 is released. A gap is generated between the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23 and the substrate W, and the substrate W slides down the groove portions 17 and 24 of the housing support member 16 and the lid support member 23.

  Here, the above-described problem occurs in the conventional case. That is, when the substrate W is caught in the groove 24 of the lid support member 23 when the lid 3 is removed from the housing 2, the substrate W jumps out together with the lid 3 to the opening A side (forward direction) of the housing 2, In the direction, the positions of the substrates W are not aligned. In this case, since the substrate W is displaced in the forward direction, there is a possibility that the holding arm 47a of the transport mechanism 47 misses the substrate W and drops the substrate W.

  However, when the holding of the substrate W is released, as shown in FIG. 10B, the gas is directly supplied to the back surface of the variable portion 81 by the gas supply portion 83, so that the angle of the inclined surface 81a of the variable portion 81 is increased. Becomes larger. At this time, the substrate W is pushed backward by the variable portion 81 to give an opportunity to slide down the lower inclined surface 24a, and the substrate W easily slides down the lower inclined surface 24a. Further, since the substrate W is placed on the inclined surface 81a having a larger angle, the substrate W can easily slide down the lower inclined surface 24a. Therefore, the substrate W is placed on the shelf member 11 in a substantially horizontal posture.

  On the other hand, when attaching the lid 3 to the housing 2 from the state in which the lid 3 is removed from the housing 2 in FIG. 10B, the supply of gas to the variable portion 81 by the gas supply portion 83 is stopped, Gas is sucked from the variable portion 71. Thereby, the angle with respect to the horizontal surface of the inclined surface 81a of the variable part 81 becomes small. When the angle of the inclined surface 81a with respect to the horizontal plane decreases, the substrate W easily moves to the innermost portion 17b.

  According to the present embodiment, the substrate W is pushed by the variable portion 81, and the substrate W is placed on the inclined surface 81a having a larger angle with respect to the horizontal plane, so that it can be easily removed from the lid support member 23. Become. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation of the substrate in the forward direction and prevent the holding arm 47a of the transport mechanism 47 from failing to hold the substrate W. Therefore, the substrate W can be properly carried out. Note that the gas supply unit 83 of the present embodiment may be replaced with a configuration like the link mechanism 70 of the second embodiment.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as follows.

  (1) In the first and third embodiments described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the gas supply unit 33 supplies the gas directly to the back surface of the variable unit 31, thereby the angle of the inclined surface of the variable unit 31. Had changed. In this regard, for example, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the gas supply unit 33 changes the inclination angle of the variable unit 31 by inflating the balloon 91 provided on the back surface of the variable unit 31. May be.

  The gas supply unit 33 includes a balloon 91 provided in the groove 17 adjacent to the back surface of the variable unit 31 in place of the blowing port 35. The gas flow path 37 allows gas to flow between the balloon 91 and the connection port 36. When gas is supplied to the balloon 91, the balloon 91 is inflated as shown in FIG. When the balloon 91 is inflated, the balloon 91 pushes the variable portion 31 from the back surface of the variable portion 31 and increases the angle of the inclined surface 31 a of the variable portion 3. Further, when the gas is discharged from the balloon 91, the balloon 91 is contracted as shown in FIG. In addition, it is applicable also to the gas supply part 83 of the support member 23 for lid | covers of Example 3. FIG.

  According to this modification, the gas supply unit 33 has a balloon 91 provided in the groove portion 17 adjacent to the back surface of the variable unit 31, and the gas supply unit 33 inflates the balloon 91, The angle of the inclined surface 31a is changed. The variable portion 31 can be driven stably with no vibration with a smaller amount of gas than the configuration in which the gas is directly supplied to the back surface of the variable portion 31.

  (2) In each of the above-described embodiments and modification (1), the plurality of housing support members 16 are integrally formed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the housing support members 16 may be separated from each other. The same applies to the structure of the lid support member 23.

  (3) In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the plurality of housing support members 16 are arranged in a line in the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. A plurality of housing support members 16 may be arranged in a plurality of rows in the vertical direction. A plurality of housing support members 16 may be arranged in a staggered manner in the vertical direction. The same applies to the arrangement of the lid support member 23.

  (4) In the second embodiment described above, the substrate storage container 1 may further include a shielding member for shielding the atmosphere in the housing 2. For example, the shielding member shields the atmosphere between the space where the substrate W is supported and the link mechanism 70. Thereby, when particles are generated in the link mechanism 70, the particles can be prevented from entering the space where the substrate W is supported. In addition, about a movable part, you may shield with the bellows etc. with freedom.

  (5) In the above-described second embodiment, the link rod 71 and the spring 72 are used as the power supply unit that supplies power for changing the angle of the variable unit 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a motor may be used as the power supply unit. The motor is provided inside or outside the substrate storage container 1, and when provided outside, the motor may be detachable like the connection port 36 and the gas port 67 of the first embodiment. The power supply unit may be a handle operated by an operator. The handle may be detachably provided on the outside of the substrate storage container 1 and attached at the time of use. Further, the power supply unit may be a cylinder driven by gas.

  (6) In the above-described second embodiment, the power transmission unit 75 is configured by the link member 75a or the like, but is configured by a contact transmission member that transmits power by contact, such as a cam or a gear. Also good. The contact transmission member includes a link member 75a.

  (7) In each of the embodiments described above, each of the load port devices 420, 421, and 422 includes one mounting table 44, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, you may change into a load port apparatus provided with several mounting bases. In the above-described embodiment, each of the load port devices 420, 421, and 422 mounts one substrate storage container 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, you may change into the load port apparatus which can mount the some board | substrate storage container 1. FIG.

  (8) For each of the above-described embodiments 1-3 and the modified embodiments described in the above (1) to (7), each configuration is further replaced with the configuration of another embodiment or the configuration of another modified embodiment. Or you may change suitably by combining.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate storage container 2 ... Housing 3 ... Lid 3b ... Back surface 11 ... Shelf member 16 ... Housing support member 17, 24 ... Groove part 17a, 24a ... Lower inclined surface (lower inclined part)
17b, 24b ... innermost part 17c, 24c ... upper slope (upper slope)
23 ... Lid support member 31, 81 ... Variable part 31a, 81a ... Inclined surface 33, 83 ... Gas supply part 35, 85 ... Blowing port 36, 86 ... Connection port 37, 87 ... Gas flow path 41 ... Substrate processing apparatus 42 ... Load port section 43 ... Processing section 44 ... Placement table 45 ... Lid opening / closing mechanism 47 ... Transport mechanism 48 ... Processing unit 49 ... Main control section 68 ... Control section 70 ... Link mechanism 71 ... Link rod 72 ... Spring 74 ... Power applying member 75 ... Power transmission part 75a ... Link member 91 ... Balloon 420, 421, 422 ... Load port device W ... Substrate H ... Hinge

Claims (10)

A substrate storage container,
A housing that can be housed therein and that has an opening on its front surface;
A lid that is attached to and detached from the housing to open and close the opening;
A shelf member provided inside the housing, in contact with the lower surface of the substrate, and placing the substrate in a substantially horizontal posture;
A housing support member provided inside the housing and supporting an end of the substrate;
A lid support member attached to the back surface of the lid and supporting an end of the substrate;
A groove formed on at least one of the housing support member and the lid support member to support an end of the substrate;
A variable portion configured to be rotatable on the basis of the lower end side of the inclined surface, which is at least a part of the inclined surface of the lower inclined surface extending from the innermost portion of the groove,
An angle change drive unit for changing the angle of the inclined surface of the variable unit;
With
In the state where the lid is mounted on the housing, the housing support member and the lid support member sandwich the end portion of the substrate in a state where the lower surface of the substrate is not in contact with the shelf member,
When removing the lid from the housing, the angle change drive unit increases an angle of the inclined surface of the variable unit with respect to a horizontal plane as compared with a state in which the lid is attached to the housing. Substrate storage container. The substrate storage container according to claim 1,
The substrate storage container, wherein the angle change drive unit is a gas supply unit that changes the angle of the inclined surface of the variable unit by supplying gas. The substrate storage container according to claim 2,
The gas supply part has a spray port provided in the groove part adjacent to the back surface of the variable part,
The said gas supply part changes the angle of the inclined surface of the said variable part by supplying gas directly from the said blowing port, The board | substrate storage container characterized by the above-mentioned. The substrate storage container according to claim 2,
The gas supply part has a balloon provided in the groove part adjacent to the back surface of the variable part,
The said gas supply part changes the angle of the inclined surface of the said variable part by inflating the said balloon, The board | substrate storage container characterized by the above-mentioned. The substrate storage container according to claim 1,
The angle change drive unit includes a power supply unit that supplies power,
A power applying member that changes the angle of the inclined surface of the variable portion by applying power by contacting the variable portion;
A power transmission unit that transmits power between the power supply unit and the power application member;
A substrate storage container characterized by comprising: The substrate storage container according to claim 5,
The substrate storage container, wherein the power supply unit is a power receiving unit that receives power from a relative movement in a front-rear direction when the lid is attached to and detached from the housing. The substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The substrate storage container, wherein the groove is a housing groove formed in the housing support member. In the board | substrate storage container in any one of Claim 1 to 7,
The substrate storage container, wherein the groove is a lid groove formed in the lid support member. A mounting table on which the substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 8 can be mounted;
A lid opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the lid of the substrate storage container placed on the mounting table;
A load port device comprising: A mounting table on which the substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 8 can be mounted;
A lid opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the lid of the substrate storage container placed on the mounting table;
A processing unit for processing a substrate;
A transport mechanism that unloads the substrate from the substrate storage container placed on the mounting table and loads the substrate into the processing unit;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

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