Clean storage equipment for substrates and method of storing substrates

• US 6,123,120 A
• Filed: 12/02/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yotsumoto, Tadashi, Kuroda, Yuichi, Muguruma, Terumi, Yoshikawa, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US09/203,491
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 141/63, 141/65, 141/66, 141/98, 141/59, 141/192, 141/198, 414/217, 414/221, 414/292, 206/710-712
• US Class Current: 141/65
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67389 characterised by atmosphere control
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67769 Storage means

Abstract

Storage equipment simply and effectively maintains the cleanness of substrates stored therein. The substrates in the storage equipment are set in a pod. The storage equipment has removable covers, a unit for fitting the covers to pods, respectively, a unit for holding the pods with the covers, a gas supply unit for individually supplying gas into the pods through the covers, and an exhaust unit for individually discharging an atmosphere from the pods through the covers. Each pod is closed with the cover in the storage equipment, and the gas supply unit and exhaust unit periodically replace an atmosphere in each pod with inert gas or evacuate each pod, to control the storage conditions of each pod in the storage equipment.

Claims

1. Storage equipment for substrates set in pods, comprising:

a storage-cabinet for at least two pods in which substrates are set;

a plurality of covers configured to individually cover the pods, said covers being located in the storage-cabinet;

means for fitting the covers to the pods, respectively;

means for holding the pods with the covers;

gas supply means for individually supplying gas into the pods through the covers; and

exhaust means for individually discharging an atmosphere from the pods through the covers.

2. The storage equipment of claim 1, wherein the gas supply means has:

a gas source;

piping for connecting the gas source to the covers; and

gas supply valves arranged for the pods, respectively, in the piping, and the exhaust means has;

an exhaust port connected to the covers; and

exhaust valves arranged for the covers, respectively, between the covers and the exhaust port.

3. The storage equipment of claim 1, wherein the exhaust means is vacuum means for individually evacuating the pods through the covers.

4. The storage equipment of claim 3, wherein the vacuum means has:

a vacuum pump;

piping for connecting the vacuum pump to the covers; and

exhaust valves arranged for the pods, respectively, in the piping.

9. The storage equipment of any one of claims 2, 4, 6, and 8, further comprising:

a controller for individually opening and closing the gas supply valves and exhaust valves.

10. The storage equipment of any one of claims 2, 4, 6, and 8, further comprising:

a controller for individually opening and closing the gas supply valves and exhaust valves repeatedly at specified time intervals.

11. The storage equipment of any one of claims 2 and 4, further comprising:

a controller for controlling the gas supply valves and exhaust valves; and

pressure measuring means for measuring pressure in each of the pods so that the controller may individually open and close the gas supply valves and exhaust valves according to the measured pressure.

5. Storage equipment for substrates set in carrier cassettes, comprising:

a storage-cabinet;

at least two storage chambers for storing the carrier cassettes in the storage-cabinet;

means for individually opening and closing the storage chambers to take in and out the carrier cassettes;

gas supply means for individually supplying gas into the storage chambers; and

exhaust means for individually discharging an atmosphere from the storage chambers.

6. The storage equipment of claim 5, wherein the gas supply means has:

a gas source;

piping for connecting the gas source to the storage chambers; and

gas supply valves arranged for the storage chambers, respectively, in the piping, and the exhaust means has;

an exhaust port connected to the storage chambers; and

exhaust valves arranged for the storage chambers, respectively, between the storage chambers and the exhaust port.

7. The storage equipment of claim 5, wherein the exhaust means is vacuum means for individually evacuating the storage chambers.

8. The storage equipment of claim 7, wherein the gas supply means has:

a gas source;

piping for connecting the gas source to the storage chambers; and

gas supply valves arranged for the storage chambers, respectively, in the piping, and the vacuum means has;

a vacuum pump;

piping for connecting the vacuum pump to the storage chambers; and

exhaust valves arranged for the storage chambers, respectively, in the piping.

12. The storage equipment of any one of claims 6 and 8, further comprising:

a controller for controlling the gas supply valves and exhaust valves; and

pressure measuring means for measuring pressure in each of the storage chambers so that the controller may individually open and close the gas supply valves and exhaust valves according to the measured pressure.

13. A method of storing substrates comprising the steps of:

carrying at least one pod, in which substrates are set, into a storage-cabinet;

fitting a removable cover to each pod to hermetically close the pod in the storage-cabinet; and

controlling the storage conditions of each pod in the storage cabinet.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each pod is continuously supplying inert gas into each pod in the storage cabinet.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each pod is continuously evacuating each pod in the storage cabinet.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each pod is supplying inert gas into each pod in the storage cabinet at specified time interval.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each pod is evacuating each pod in the storage cabinet for a specified period at specified time interval.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each pod is repeatedly at specified time intervals, evacuating each pod in the storage cabinet for a specified period and supplying inert gas into the pod for a specified period.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each pod is repeatedly supplying and stopping inert gas into each pod in the storage cabinet according to pressure that is being monitored in the pod.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each pod is repeatedly evacuating each pod in the storage cabinet, supplying inert gas into the pod, and stopping the inert gas, according to pressure that is being monitored in the pod.

21. A method of storing substrates comprising the steps of:

carrying at least one carrier cassette, in which substrates are set, into a storage-cabinet;

placing each carrier cassette in a storage chamber in the storage-cabinet;

closing an opening of each storage chamber to form an airtight state in the storage chamber; and

controlling the storage conditions of each storage chamber in the storage-cabinet.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each storage chamber is continuously supplying inert gas into each storage chamber in the storage cabinet.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each storage chamber is continuously evacuating each storage chamber in the storage cabinet.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each storage chamber is supplying inert gas into each storage chamber in the storage cabinet at specified intervals.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each storage chamber is evacuating each storage chamber in the storage cabinet for a specified period at specified intervals.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each storage chamber is repeatedly, at specified intervals, evacuating each storage chamber in the storage cabinet for a specified period and supplying inert gas into the storage chamber for a specified period.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each storage chamber is repeatedly supplying and stopping inert gas into each storage chamber in the storage cabinet according to pressure that is being monitored in the storage chamber.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlling the storage conditions of each storage chamber is repeatedly evacuating each storage chamber in the storage cabinet, supplying inert gas into the storage chamber, and stopping the inert gas, according to pressure that is being monitored in the storage chamber.