1. A container changing system comprising: a substrate processing apparatus having a first mounting portion on which a container configured to accommodate substrates can be mounted; and a container conveying unit which is disposed above said substrate processing apparatus and configured to convey said container, wherein:
said container conveying unit comprises: a carrier configured to run along a rail laid above said first mounting portion; a first holder provided below said carrier and can hold said container; and a first lifter arranged between said carrier and said first holder, and lifts updown said first holder between said carrier and said first mounting portion, when said first holder is located opposed to said first mounting portion, said container changing system comprising:
a second mounting portion arranged between said carrier and said first mounting portion with respect to a lifting direction of said container held by said first holder which is lifted updown by said first lifter, and configured to freely advance and withdraw tofrom a lifting path of said container, said second mounting portion mounting said container thereon; and
a container lifting unit arranged between said carrier and said second mounting portion with respect to the lifting direction; wherein:
said container lifting unit comprises: a base portion configured to freely advance and withdraw tofrom the lifting path; a second holder provided below said base portion and can hold said container; and a second lifter arranged between said base portion and said second holder, and configured to lift updown said second holder between said base portion and said first mounting portion when said second holder is located opposed to said first mounting portion.
2. The container changing system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a third mounting portion on which said container can be mounted, the third mounting portion being arranged between said second mounting portion and said container lifting unit with respect to the lifting direction, and configured to freely advance and withdraw tofrom the lifting path.
3. A container changing method comprising, changing a first container held by said first holder with a second container mounted on said first mounting portion, in the container changing system according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises:
a first advancing step of permitting said second mounting portion to advance and stand in the lifting path, when said first holder is located opposed to said first mounting portion;
a first mounting step of permitting said first lifter to lift down said first holder to mount said first container on said second mounting portion that has advanced and stood in the lifting path;
a first withdrawal step of permitting said second mounting portion mounting said first container thereon to withdraw from the lifting path;
a first holding step of permitting said first lifter to further lift down said first holder, and permitting said first holder that has been lifted down to hold said second container mounted on said first mounting portion;
a second advancing step of permitting said second mounting portion to advance and stand in the lifting path, after permitting said first lifter to lift said first holder up to said carrier;
a second holding step of permitting said base portion to advance and stand in the lifting path, permitting said second lifter to lift down said second holder, and permitting said second holder that has been lifted down to hold said first container mounted on said second mounting portion;
a second withdrawal step of permitting said second mounting portion to withdraw from the lifting path, after permitting said second lifter to lift said first container held by said second holder up to a position causing no interference with a withdrawal path of said second mounting portion; and
a second mounting step of permitting said second lifter to lift down said second holder, and permitting said second holder that has been lifted down to mount said first container on said first mounting portion.
4. A container changing method comprising, changing a first container held by said first holder with a second container mounted on said first mounting portion, in the container changing system according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises:
a first holding step of permitting said base portion to advance and stand in the lifting path, permitting said second lifter to lift down said second holder, and permitting said second holder that has been lifted down to hold said second container mounted on said first mounting portion;
a first advancing step of permitting said second mounting portion to advance and stand in the lifting path, after permitting said second lifter to lift a second container held by said second holder up to a position causing no interference with a withdrawal path of said second mounting portion;
a first mounting step of permitting said second lifter to lift down said second holder to mount said second container on said second mounting portion that has advanced and stood in the lifting path;
a first withdrawal step of permitting said second mounting portion mounting said second container thereon to withdraw from the lifting path;
a second mounting step of permitting said first lifter to lift down said first holder to mount said first container on said first mounting portion when said first holder is located opposed to said first mounting portion;
a second advancing step of permitting said second mounting portion to advance and stand in the lifting path, after permitting said first lifter to lift said first holder up to said carrier;
a second holding step of permitting said first lifter to lift down said first holder, and permitting said first holder that has been lifted down to hold said second container mounted on said second mounting portion; and
a second withdrawal step of permitting said first lifter to lift said first holder up to said carrier, and permitting said second mounting portion to withdraw from the lifting path.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas comprising a porous composite metal oxide, the porous composite metal oxide containing alumina, ceria, and zirconia and having an alumina content ratio of from 5 to 80% by mass,
wherein the porous composite metal oxide is produced by:
introducing independently a first raw material solution and a second raw material solution directly into a region in which a shear rate is from 1000 to 200000 sec\u22121, and homogeneously mixing the raw material solutions to obtain a colloidal solution of metal compounds, the first raw material solution containing an aluminum ion, a cerium ion, and a zirconium ion, and the second raw material solution containing a high-molecular dispersant having a weight average molecular weight of from 3000 to 15000,
adjusting a pH of the colloidal solution to between 3 and 5,
degreasing the colloidal solution after the pH adjustment or a suspension of metal compounds which is obtained by adding an organic amine to the colloidal solution after the pH adjustment, and then
subjecting the solution or the suspension to heat treatment at from 700 to 1050\xb0 C. in an oxidizing atmosphere, to obtain the porous composite metal oxide, and
wherein after calcination in the air at 1100\xb0 C. for 5 hours, the porous composite metal oxide satisfies a condition such that standard deviations of content ratios (as at % unit) of aluminum, cerium and zirconium elements are each 19 or less with respect to 100 minute areas (with one minute area being 300 nm in length\xd7330 nm in width) of the porous composite metal oxide, the standard deviation being determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with a spherical aberration corrector.
2. The catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 1, wherein
the porous composite metal oxide after calcination in the air at 1100\xb0 C. for 5 hours satisfies conditions such that
a total pore volume of pores having pore diameters within a range of from 1 nm to 0.1 \u03bcm is 0.1 cm3g or more, the pore diameter being determined by a nitrogen adsorption method, and
a total pore volume of pores having pore diameters within a range of from 0.1 \u03bcm to 10 \u03bcm is 0.1 cm3g or more, the pore diameter being determined by a mercury intrusion method.
3. The catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 1, wherein
the porous composite metal oxide after calcination in the air at 1100\xb0 C. for 5 hours satisfies a condition such that a BET specific surface area determined by a nitrogen adsorption method is 2 m2g or more.
4. The catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 1, wherein
the porous composite metal oxide after calcination in the air at 1100\xb0 C. for 5 hours satisfies a condition such that standard deviations of content ratios (as at % unit) of aluminum, cerium and zirconium elements are each 18.5 or less with respect to the 100 minute areas, the standard deviation being determined by the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
5. The catalyst for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 1, wherein
the porous composite metal oxide after calcination in the air at 1100\xb0 C. for 5 hours satisfies a condition such that standard deviations of content ratios (as at % unit) of cerium and zirconium elements are each 15 or less with respect to the 100 minute areas, the standard deviation being determined by the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
6. A catalyst for purification of exhaust gas comprising:
the catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 4; and
a noble metal supported on the catalyst support, wherein the porous composite metal oxide contains from 5 to 30% by mass of alumina, from 25 to 39% by mass of ceria, and from 33 to 51% by mass of zirconia.
7. The catalyst for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 6, wherein
the noble metal is palladium.
8. A catalyst for purification of exhaust gas comprising:
the catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 1; and
a transition metal supported on the catalyst support, wherein the porous composite metal oxide contains from 30 to 80% by mass of alumina.
9. The catalyst for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 8, wherein
the transition metal is copper.
10. A method for producing a catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas comprising a porous composite metal oxide containing alumina, ceria, and zirconia, the method comprising the steps of:
preparing a first raw material solution containing an aluminum ion, a cerium ion, and a zirconium ion so that an alumina content ratio of the porous composite metal oxide can be from 5 to 80% by mass;
preparing a second raw solution containing a high-molecular dispersant having a weight average molecular weight of from 3000 to 15000;
introducing independently the first raw material solution and the second raw material solution directly into a region in which a shear rate is from 1000 to 200000 sec\u22121, and homogeneously mixing the raw material solutions to obtain a colloidal solution of metal compounds;
adjusting a pH of the colloidal solution to between 3 and 5; and
degreasing the colloidal solution after the pH adjustment and subjecting the solution to heat treatment at from 700 to 1050\xb0 C. in an oxidizing atmosphere, to obtain the porous composite metal oxide.
11. A method for producing a catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas comprising a porous metal composite metal oxide containing alumina, ceria and zirconia, the method comprising the steps of:
preparing a first raw material solution containing an aluminum ion, a cerium ion, and a zirconium ion so that an alumina content ratio of the porous composite metal oxide can be from 5 to 80% by mass;
preparing a second raw solution containing a high-molecular dispersant having a weight average molecular weight of from 3000 to 15000;
introducing independently the first raw material solution and the second raw material solution directly into a region in which a shear rate is from 1000 to 200000 sec\u22121, and homogeneously mixing the raw material solutions to obtain a colloidal solution of metal compounds;
adjusting a pH of the colloidal solution to between 3 and 5;
adding an organic amine to the colloidal solution and performing gelation treatment to obtain a suspension of metal compounds; and
degreasing the suspension and subjecting the suspension to heat treatment at from 700 to 1050\xb0 C. in an oxidizing atmosphere, to obtain the porous composite metal oxide.
12. The method for producing a catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 10, wherein
at least one of the first and second raw material solutions further contains a low-molecular dispersant having a molecular weight of from 40 to 200.
13. The method for producing a catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 12, wherein
the low-molecular dispersant is contained in the first raw material solution.
14. The method for producing a catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 11, wherein
at least one of the first and second raw material solutions further contains a low-molecular dispersant having a molecular weight of from 40 to 200.
15. The method for producing a catalyst support for purification of exhaust gas according to claim 14, wherein
the low-molecular dispersant is contained in the first raw material solution.