LOADING PORT AND LOADING PORT ATMOSHPERE SUBSTITUTION METHOD

摘要

Provided is a loading port allowing a transfer robot to transfer in and transfer out a substrate while the state inside a substrate storage space is maintained in a purging gas atmosphere. After the lid of a substrate storage container has been opened, at a third position that is further forward from the releasing position, the opening portion of the substrate storage container is shut by a frame body, which tightly seals the periphery of the opening portion of the substrate storage container, and a shutter unit, which comprises a plurality of shutter plates arranged in the vertical direction. The shutter unit is capable of forming a narrow opening portion (third opening portion) by moving all or some of the plurality of shutter plates locally. The substrate transfer with the interior of the substrate storage space in the atmosphere substituted state is performed through this narrow opening portion (third opening portion).