Substrate transport apparatus, pod and method
First Claim
1. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
- a substrate transport pod that can be sealed hermetically for holding substrates therein, which are taken out from a processing apparatus;
at least one of a particle filter, a chemical filter, and a dehumidifying apparatus for removing, respectively, particulate substances, chemical substances, and moisture from a gas circulated inside the pod;
a gas circulation apparatus for circulating a purified gas or purge means;
a holding apparatus for holding the substrates;
data storing means; and
a power supply for driving the dehumidifying apparatus and/or the circulation apparatus and the data storing means.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of using a substrate transport pod is suitable for manufacturing semiconductor devices with copper wiring and low dielectric insulating film having dielectric constants of less than 3. The method is based on loading the substrates into a pod from an atmosphere of a first process, and circulating a gaseous atmosphere through interior of the pod in such a way to selectively remove at least one contaminant including moisture, particulate substances or chemical substances, and to expose the substrates to a controlled atmosphere intermittently or continually while the substrates are held in the pod before they are unloaded from the pod and introduced into a second process. For a pod that is used to house the substrates for the purpose of retaining or transporting, the pod has a pod main body and a door that provides a hermetic seal, the pod is made primarily of a materiel that has moisture absorption factor of less than 0.1 %, the pod can contact the substrates directly or indirectly and has a conductive area so as to enable static charges to be guided out of the pod.
75 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
-
a substrate transport pod that can be sealed hermetically for holding substrates therein, which are taken out from a processing apparatus;
at least one of a particle filter, a chemical filter, and a dehumidifying apparatus for removing, respectively, particulate substances, chemical substances, and moisture from a gas circulated inside the pod;
a gas circulation apparatus for circulating a purified gas or purge means;
a holding apparatus for holding the substrates;
data storing means; and
a power supply for driving the dehumidifying apparatus and/or the circulation apparatus and the data storing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A substrate transport pod for containing, storing or transporting substrates, comprising:
-
a pod main body and a door for hermetic sealing of the pod main body, which is formed primarily of a material having moisture absorption coefficient of not more than 0.1%, wherein the pod main body is in contact with the substrates directly or indirectly and has a conductive part so as to enable static charges to be drained from the pod main body; and
a sensor provided for detecting whether the door is opened or closed;
wherein a gas circulation apparatus and/or a dehumidifying apparatus is installed in said pod main body, and is controlled to operate by detecting that the door is closed or opened.
-
-
24. A substrate transport pod for containing, storing or transporting substrates, comprising:
-
a pod main body and a door for hermetic sealing of the pod main body, which is formed primarily of a material having moisture absorption coefficient of not more than 0.1%, wherein the pod main body is in contact with the substrates directly or indirectly and has a conductive part so as to enable static charges to be drained from the pod main body; and
a sensor provided for detecting presence of the substrates;
wherein a gas circulation apparatus and/or dehumidifying apparatus is controlled to operate in accordance with detection signal of the sensor for detecting the presence of the substrates.
-
Specification