Substrate transport container

• US 6,364,922 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Inventors: Okubo, Kazuo, Suzuki, Yoko, Tanaka, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Minh-Chau T.
• Application Number:
  US09/611,669
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 553/851, 553/852, 553/856, 554/18, 554/71, 206/710, 206/711, 454/187, 454/192
• US Class Current: 55/385.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67393 characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrierl
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67772 involving removal of lid, door, cover

Abstract

A substrate transport container having a carrier box including a container body and a door hermetically sealably covering an opening provided in the front of the container body. Partitions form a circulating flow path in the carrier box. The circulating flow path has a flow path in which air flows toward substrates and a flow path in which air flows toward a fan. A substrate carrying section is disposed in the flow path in which air flows toward the substrates to carry the substrates in such a way that the principal surfaces of the substrates are approximately parallel to the flow path in which air flows toward the substrates. A particle removing filter and a gaseous impurity trapping filter are placed on the upstream side of the substrate carrying section in the flow path in which air flows toward the substrates. A fan motor for driving the fan is incorporated in the carrier box to form an air current for circulating through the circulating flow path.

Claims

1. A combination of a substrate transport container and an automatic door opener configured to open and close automatically a wafer loading/unloading door of a substrate transport container;

wherein said automatic door opener has charging terminals for automatically charging a secondary battery of said substrate transport container when said substrate transport container is placed on said automatic door opener;

wherein said substrate transport container comprises;

a carrier box including a container body and said wafer loading/unloading door sealably covering an opening provided in a front or a bottom of said container body;

partitions configured to form a circulating flow path in said carrier box, said circulating flow path having a flow path in which air flows toward substrates and a flow path in which air flows toward a fan;

a substrate carrying section disposed in said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates to carry the substrates in such a way that principal surfaces of the substrates are approximately parallel to said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates;

a combination of a particle removing filter and a gaseous impurity trapping filter placed on an upstream side of said substrate carrying section in said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates; and

a fan motor incorporated in said carrier box and configured to drive said fan to form an air current for circulating through said circulating flow path.

3. A combination as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein said partitions divide an inside of said carrier box into a central chamber in a center thereof and a pair of side chambers on both sides of said central chamber, wherein said central chamber forms said flow path in which air flows toward said substrates and said side chambers form said flow path in which air flows toward said fan.

4. A combination as recited in claim 3, wherein said partitions are integrated with groove-shaped pockets configured to receive said substrates therein.

5. A combination as recited in claim 4, wherein said groove-shaped pockets have a tapered portion diverging toward said door.

6. A combination as recited in claim 3, wherein an inside surface of said door is configured so as to guide smoothly air flow out of said central chamber toward said side chambers.

7. A combination as recited in claim 6, wherein said inside surface of said door includes a triangular rectifying plate at a center thereof.

8. A combination as recited in claim 3, wherein said carrier box includes a cover located at a side opposite to said door to cover an opening provided in said carrier box for insertion and withdrawal of said filters and fan motor thereinto and therefrom, respectively.

9. A combination as recited in claim 8, wherein said cover includes a rectifying plate configured to guide smoothly air flow from said side chambers toward said fan.

10. A combination as recited in claim 3, wherein said filters are received in a filter box communicated with said central chamber, and rectifying plates are provided at an air outlet opening of said filter box configured to supply air uniformly from said fan to said wafers.

11. A combination as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein said wafers are accommodated in a wafer carrier which can be put into said substrate transport container through said opening provided in the bottom of said container body, wherein said partitions are formed by side walls of said wafer carrier.

12. A combination as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein said door is provided at the bottom of said container body and has an automatic open-close latch mechanism.

13. A combination as recited in claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

a power supply unit incorporating an operation control board configured to control on-off timing and a number of revolutions of said fan motor.

14. A combination as recited in claim 13, wherein said number of revolutions of said fan motor is controlled in such a manner that, in an early stage of operation, the fan motor is operated continuously or at an increased flow velocity, and after a certain period of time has elapsed, the flow velocity is reduced or the operation is performed intermittently.

15. A combination as recited in claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

a punching plate configured to distribute an air flow supplied from said fan toward said wafer, said punching plate having different aperture rates depending on the portion thereof so that air flow from said fan is uniformly distributed.

16. A combination as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the secondary battery is configured to drive the fan motor and/or a fan motor control circuit and is incorporated in said wafer loading/unloading door.

17. A combination as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein a power supply unit is provided at an outer side of said flow path via a partition.

18. A combination as recited in claim 17, wherein said power supply unit is provided in a bottom of a cover provided at a side opposite to said door to cover an opening provided in said carrier box.

24. A method of maintaining cleanliness of substrates by using a combination or a container according to one of claims 1, 2 and 19, said method comprising the steps of:

replacing an atmosphere in said substrate transport container with dry air; and

circulating clean air through said substrate transport container to provide ventilation.

25. A method of maintaining cleanliness of substrates by using a combination or a container according to one of claims 1, 2 and 19, said method comprising the steps of:

operating the fan motor continuously or at an increased flow velocity in early stages of operation, while operating at a reduced velocity or intermittently after a certain period of time has elapsed.

26. A method of maintaining cleanliness of substrates by using a combination according to claim 1, said method comprising the steps of:

placing the substrate transport container on the automatic door opener installed in a semiconductor manufacturing system;

opening the wafer loading/unloading door by the automatic door opener;

unloading the wafer sequentially by a wafer-handling robot provided in a semiconductor manufacturing system for subjecting the wafer to a processing;

putting the wafer in the substrate transport container upon completion of the processing;

closing the wafer loading/unloading door by the automatic door opener;

starting operation of the fan motor to clean air in the substrate transport container; and

transporting the substrate transport container to a subsequent processing system or storage equipment by an OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport) or an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle).

2. A combination of a substrate transport container and a substrate transport container standby station where a plurality of said substrate transport containers can stand by;

wherein said standby station has charging terminals for automatically starting charging a secondary battery of said substrate transport container when said substrate transport container is seated in a standby position;

wherein said substrate transport container comprises;

a carrier box including a container body and a wafer loading/unloading door sealably covering an opening provided in a front or a bottom of said container body;

partitions configured to form a circulating flow path in said carrier box, said circulating flow path having a flow path in which air flows toward substrates and a flow path in which air flows toward a fan;

a substrate carrying section disposed in said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates to carry the substrates in such a way that principal surfaces of the substrates are approximately parallel to said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates;

a combination of a particle removing filter and a gaseous impurity trapping filter placed on an upstream side of said substrate carrying section in said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates; and

a fan motor incorporated in said carrier box and configured to drive said fan to form an air current for circulating through said circulating flow path.

19. A substrate transport container comprising:

a carrier box including a container body and a door sealably covering an opening provided in a front or a bottom of said container body;

partitions configured to form a circulating flow path in said carrier box, said circulating flow path having a flow path in which air flows toward substrates and a flow path in which air flows toward a fan;

a substrate carrying section disposed in said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates to carry the substrates in such a way that principal surfaces of the substrates are approximately parallel to said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates;

a combination of a particle removing filter and a gaseous impurity trapping filter placed on an upstream side of said substrate carrying section in said flow path in which air flows toward the substrates;

a fan motor incorporated in said carrier box and configured to drive said fan to form an air current for circulating through said circulating flow path; and

a storage device configured to store historical data of the substrate.

20. A substrate transport container as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

terminals configured to supply power to said fan motor.

21. A substrate transport container as recited in claim 19, wherein a secondary battery is configured to drive the fan motor and/or a fan motor control circuit and is incorporated in said door.

22. A substrate transport container as recited in claim 19, wherein a power supply unit is provided at an outer side of said flow path via a partition.

23. A substrate transport container as recited in claim 19, wherein a power supply unit is provided in a bottom of a cover provided at a side opposite to said door to cover an opening provided in said carrier box.