Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090035098 | LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING SAME - An object is to provide a FIMS system that can be loaded with a plurality of low profile pods that are arranged vertically one above another. A tunnel is provided between a position on a support mechanism on which a pod is to be set and a mini environment that is in communication with the FISM. The position of the pod at which a lid of the pod is detached from the pod after the lid is held by a FIMS door and a position of the pod to which the pod is brought after the detachment of the lid and at which a wafer can be brought into/out of the pod are designed to be inside the tunnel. In addition, the lid detached from the pod and the door can be located in a housing space provided in the tunnel. | 02-05-2009 |
20090142164 | CONTAINER LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SYSTEM - An FIMS system in which loading is possible in a manner in which multiple thin pods are vertically stacked together, in which attraction pads are arranged on plates on which the pods are loaded, the pods being retained by and fixed to the plates through attraction and retention by the pads. A tube for imparting an attraction force to the attraction pads is accommodated in an accommodation space inside box-like member of a minimum requisite space thickness, and the region where the tube can be reflected only exists within the accommodation space. | 06-04-2009 |
20090142166 | CONTAINER LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SYSTEM - Provided is an FIMS system in which loading is possible in a manner in which multiple thin pods are vertically stacked together, with an information pad being arranged on an abutment surface of the main body of each pod abutting a door and on the side surface of the door corresponding to the abutment surface. When there is detected a state in which the door is pushed in toward a mini-environment, information imparted to the information pad can be detected by the FIMS system. | 06-04-2009 |
20090175709 | CONTAINED OBJECT TRANSFER SYSTEM - A so-called transfer chamber in a semiconductor processing apparatus in which an FIMS system is secured is separated into a second chamber in which a transfer robot is disposed and a first chamber that is minute and includes a door capable of holding a cap of a pod as the FIMS system. In the second chamber, higher pressure than in the first chamber is maintained by a minute amount of nitrogen. In the first chamber, usually, a down flow of clean air is used via the FFU. When the wafer is transferred, a down flow of nitrogen is used. Thus, oxidation gas in the transfer chamber and released substances caused the FFU can be decreased. | 07-09-2009 |
20090218773 | NTERFACE SEAL - A seal member has a configuration including a ring-shaped main body portion, an inner peripheral lip portion protruding from a ring inner peripheral portion of the main body portion and an outer peripheral lip portion protruding from a ring outer peripheral portion of the main body portion. The inner peripheral lip portion takes an O-ring shape deformable in a protruding direction. The outer peripheral lip portion takes a structure deformable in a direction different from an extending direction, corresponding to a pressure in a sealed area. The member preferably sealing, when communicating a plurality of spaces separated from an external space, these spaces from an external environment, is thereby provided. | 09-03-2009 |
20090245981 | CLOSED CONTAINER, LID OPENING AND CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER, WAFER TRANSFER SYSTEM, AND LID CLOSING METHOD FOR CLOSED CONTAINER - A plurality of detection marks that can be detected from outside are provided on a lid of a pod. Whether the lid is appropriately fixed on the pod main body is determined by detecting the presence of the marks at predetermined positions. Thus, whether the lid is appropriately fixed on the pod is detected in the operation of closing the pod opening with the lid in a FIMS system. | 10-01-2009 |
20090294442 | LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER, CONTAINED OBJECT INSERTION/TAKEOUT SYSTEM HAVING SAME LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM, AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING SAME LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM - A tunnel is provided between a portion on a support mechanism on which a pod is loaded and a mini environment that is in communication with a FIMS. The pod is located in the tunnel when a lid of the pod is detached from the pod after the lid is held by a door. The pod is also located in the tunnel when it is at a position that allows transfer of wafers and to which the pod is moved after detachment of the lid. The lid and the door that have been separated from the pod can also be housed in a housing space annexed to the tunnel. A light emitting portion and a light receiving portion of an optical sensor are provided respectively on opposed walls of the tunnel. A pod is provided with a detection window that can transmit detection light. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297298 | CONTAINED OBJECT TRANSFER SYSTEM - A transfer chamber is partitioned into a second chamber in which a transfer robot moving through an opening portion which can be opened/closed by a door is arranged, and a minute first chamber which serves as a FIMS system and includes a door capable of retaining a lid of a pod. The second chamber maintains a state in which an inert gas constantly circulates owing to minute nitrogen while having a pressure higher than that inside the first chamber. The first chamber is normally sealed while an oxide gas is suppressed in advance. In addition, at a time of transferring wafers, a partial pressure of the oxide gas is lowered with use of a downflow which is caused by the inert gas. Further, the first chamber and the second chamber are communicated with each other after a level of the partial pressure is confirmed with use of an oxygen level meter. As described above, an existing amount of the oxide gas is reduced in the so-called transfer chamber in semiconductor processing equipment in which the FIMS system is secured. | 12-03-2009 |
20100059408 | CLOSED CONTAINER AND LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM THEREFOR - In a pod used in an FIMS system, diffusion of dust particles or the like adhering on the lid of the pod to the interior of the system is reduced. An engaged portion is provided inside the outer surface of the lid of the pod, and a flange portion provided around a pod opening to which the lid can be fitted is provided with an insertion hole that allows access to the engaged portion from the exterior space. A latch mechanism is supported on the pod body side surface of the flange portion in such a way that the latch mechanism can slide along a direction parallel to the side wall of the flange. An engagement portion of the latch mechanism reaches the engaged portion through the insertion hole, and the state of the latch mechanism changes between an engaged state and a disengaged state with movement of the latch mechanism. | 03-11-2010 |
20100117377 | CLOSED CONTAINER AND LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM THEREFOR - In a pod used in an FIMS system, an engaged portion is provided on the outer surface of the lid of a pod. A through hole is provided in a flange portion that is provided around the pod opening and in which the lid is to be received. The through-hole allows access to the engaged portion from the external space. A latch mechanism is supported on the pod body side surface of the flange portion in such a way that it can slide in a direction parallel to the side wall of the flange. The engagement portion of the latch mechanism reaches the engaged portion through the aforementioned through-hole. Movement of the latch mechanism brings the engagement portion into an engaging state and a disengaged state. | 05-13-2010 |
20100133270 | LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER - The FIMS system is for use with a pod composed of a lid having an engaged portion provided on the outer surface thereof and a pod body having a latch mechanism including an engagement portion that engages the engaged portion as it moves along a predetermined axis to fix the lid to the pod. The FIMS system has a latch mechanism drive means for driving the latch mechanism along a certain axis and an engagement portion position sensor that can generate a signal indicating whether the engagement portion is at an engagement position or non-engagement position when the latch mechanism drive means drives the latch mechanism. The latch mechanism drive means and the engagement portion position sensor are provided in the vicinity of a first opening portion of the FIMS system. | 06-03-2010 |
20100135755 | LID CLOSING METHOD FOR CLOSED CONTAINER AND LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER - Provided is a method of detecting whether or not a lid is fixed to a pod appropriately when performing an operation of closing an opening of the pod by the lid in an FIMS system. Determination is made whether or not a door is present at a predetermined position when the lid is attached to the pod and whether or not the pod is displaced from a position of opening/closing the lid, and determination is made again, after the lid engages with the pod, whether or not the door is present at the predetermined position and whether or not the pod is displaced from the position of opening/closing the lid. When it is confirmed in both the determinations that the door is present at the predetermined position and the pod is not displaced, determination that fixation of the lid is appropriate is made. | 06-03-2010 |
20100254786 | DUST RESISTANT LOAD PORT APPARATUS AND MINI-ENVIRONMENT SYSTEM - In a load port apparatus, a clearance is formed between an inner circumferential surface of an opening of the chamber and an outer circumferential surface of a door. The area of the clearance between the plate and the opening portion on a plane flush with an interior side of the chamber is larger than the area of the clearance between the plate and the opening portion on a plane flush with the exterior of the chamber. A fan located at an upper side of the chamber generates a first flow of air in the downward direction. The clearance generates a second flow of air from the interior of the chamber to the exterior of the chamber. The second flow of air is generated by the difference in the area of the interior cross section of the clearance and area of the exterior cross section of the clearance. | 10-07-2010 |
20110210041 | SUBSTRATE STORAGE POD WITH REPLACEMENT FUNCTION OF CLEAN GAS - The substrate storage pod includes a pod case which includes a hollow inner space for storing a substrate, and an opening; a lid member which is capable of sealing the opening; an exhaust port for exhausting a replacement gas in the hollow inner space of the pod case; and an exhaust space which is defined in the hollow inner space so as to communicate to the exhaust port. The exhaust space is defined in the hollow inner space by a multi-hole partition member including multiple holes and by an inner surface of the pod case. In the substrate storage pod, back pressure on an exhaust side can be lowered, and hence dust in the pod can be collected to the exhaust side. | 09-01-2011 |
20110215028 | SUBSTRATE STORAGE POD AND LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR THE SAME - The substrate storage pod includes an engagement portion in an outer side surface of a lid of the pod, and an insertion slot through which the engagement portion can be accessed from an external space; the insertion slot is formed in a flange portion arranged around the periphery of an opening in the pod and into which the lid can be fitted, and a latch mechanism supported so as to be slidable in a direction parallel to a flange side wall in a pod main body-surface of the flange portion. An engaging portion of the latch mechanism reaches the engagement portion via the insertion slot. The engagement portion is switched between an engaged state and a non-engaged state in response to movement of the latch mechanism. | 09-08-2011 |
20120063869 | LOAD PORT APPARATUS - To prevent an overload from being imposed on a door drive mechanism when driving a door increased in weight due to upsizing so that reproducibility of a stop position of the door can be ensured, provided is a load port apparatus in which the door drive mechanism for driving the door in a direction perpendicular to an opening-portion forming plane is constituted by: a rotary cylinder capable of pivoting a cam follower from an angle of 0° to an angle of 180°; and a slider including a cam groove capable of housing the cam follower within a plane perpendicular to a rotational axis of the rotary cylinder, the cam groove extending in a vertical direction, and in which the door is supported by the slider. | 03-15-2012 |
20130011223 | LOAD PORT APPARATUS - To prevent an inert gas from stagnating in an internal space of a mount base of a load port apparatus, the load port apparatus includes: an outside air supply device for introducing an air from an external space, in which an operator works, into the internal space of the mount base; a casing surrounding a space in which a drive mechanism for a door is arranged; and a duct through which a gas inside the internal space of the casing is dischargeable. | 01-10-2013 |
20130042945 | PURGE DEVICE AND LOAD PORT APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - To generate a gas-curtain for a load-port-apparatus and to supply a purge-gas into a pod by a single gas source, provided is a gas purge device including: purge nozzles extending along an outer side of side edges of the opening portion; a curtain nozzle arranged above an upper edge of the opening portion; a gas supply pipe arranged in parallel to each purge nozzle, for supplying an inert gas to the purge nozzle and the curtain nozzle, the gas being supplied from the gas supply pipe to the purge nozzle in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the gas supply pipe; and a conductance adjusting unit arranged at an end portion of the gas supply pipe, for generating a pressure loss in a gas flow in a configuration in which the gas is supplied to the curtain nozzle at the end portion of the gas supply pipe. | 02-21-2013 |
20140157722 | LID OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR CLOSED CONTAINER, AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SAME - The partial pressure of an oxidizing gas within a FOUP fixed to a FIMS system and placed in an open state is prevented from increasing with the lapse of time. To that end, a gas supply port is arranged in the bottom face of the FOUP to enable nitrogen supply into the FOUP through the gas supply port with a pod mounted on the FIMS system. A nitrogen supply system for supplying nitrogen with the FOUP mounted is controlled so as to make a nitrogen supply at such a low flow rate and pressure as to be able to prevent dust or the like having such sizes as to possibly cause problems in wiring lines to be formed on a wafer from being stirred up from the gas supply port or the like. | 06-12-2014 |
20140363258 | LOAD PORT UNIT AND EFEM SYSTEM - A load port unit can prevent or control leakage of inert gas from an EFEM system to the outside. The load port unit used in the EFEM system is provided with an air inlet that opens on a side facing a mini-environment between the upper end of an opener driving unit and the lower end of the pod. The width of the air inlet opening is larger than the width of the opening of the pod. With this arrangement, surplus gas is sucked from the pod when gas purging is performed on the pod. | 12-11-2014 |