Wafer carrier, wafer conveying system, stocker, and method of replacing gas

• US 20030009904A1
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Tokunaga, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,077,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/406
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67379 characterised by coupling elements, kinematic members, handles or elements to be externally gripped
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67389 characterised by atmosphere control
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67393 characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrierl
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/137 including means for charging or discharging wafer cassette
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

Abstract

When atmosphere inside a wafer carrier is replaced by introducing a gas into the wafer carrier from a gas inlet provided to the wafer carrier that can accommodate wafers. At the same time, the atmosphere inside the wafer carrier is sucked to make an inside pressure negative relative to an outside pressure.

Claims

1. A wafer carrier for accommodating wafers therein, including and comprising:

a housing having an open surface on one side;

a door fitting to said housing on said open surface;

a gas inlet for introducing a gas for replacing atmosphere inside said wafer carrier, and

a gas suction port for sucking the atmosphere inside said wafer carrier.

2. The wafer carrier according to claim 1, wherein said gas inlet is installed on said door, and said gas suction port is installed on a bottom of said housing.

3. The wafer carrier according to claim 1, wherein said gas suction port comprises deflection means for deflecting a direction for sucking the atmosphere inside said housing.

4. A wafer conveying system comprising:

the wafer carrier according to claim 1;

and

a load port device for conveying wafers accommodated inside said wafer carrier to a wafer processor for providing wafers with a predetermined processing,

wherein said load port device comprises gas sucking means connected to said gas suction port for sucking the atmosphere inside said wafer carrier.

5. The wafer conveying system according to claim 4, wherein

said load port device comprises gas supply means for supplying a gas for replacing the atmosphere inside said wafer carrier.

6. A stocker for stocking a wafer carrier accommodating wafers, comprising:

a table portion for placing said wafer carrier; and

gas suction means connected to a gas suction port provided to said wafer carrier, for sucking the atmosphere inside said wafer carrier.

7. The stocker according to claim 6, further comprising gas supply means connected to a gas inlet provided to said wafer carrier, for supplying a gas for replacing the atmosphere inside said wafer carrier.

8. The stocker according to claim 6, further comprising:

a suction port for sucking the atmosphere inside said stocker;

a supply port for supplying the atmosphere sucked from said suction port to inside said stocker; and

a filter for filtering the atmosphere supplied from said supply port.

9. A method of replacing atmosphere inside a wafer carrier by introduce a gas into an inside of said carrier from a gas inlet provided to the wafer carrier accommodating wafers, comprising the steps of sucking the atmosphere inside said wafer carrier to make the inside pressure negative.

10. A method of replacing atmosphere according to claim 9, wherein the step of sucking atmosphere is performed while a gas is introduced into inside said wafer carrier.

11. The method of replacing a atmosphere according to claim 9, wherein the step of the sucking atmosphere is performed by deflecting the direction of sucking atmosphere.

14. The method of replacing a gas according to claim 9, wherein the step of the sucking atmosphere is performed while said wafer carrier accommodating wafers is stocked inside said stocker for stocking said wafers.