초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for maintaining sensitive articles such as IC wafers or the like contaminant-free including a base member having a removable cover defining a sealed unit having an interior in which a plurality of sensitive articles are supported and through which a particle-free ionizing gas

An apparatus and method for maintaining sensitive articles such as IC wafers or the like contaminant-free including a base member having a removable cover defining a sealed unit having an interior in which a plurality of sensitive articles are supported and through which a particle-free ionizing gas from a source on a wheeled table is continuously passed, the sealed unit being movable from a storage position on the table to an access position on associated processing without interruption of the ionized gas flow and at which the cover is removed and the supported articles continuously bathed with a particle-free, ionized gas to permit the articles to be sequentially moved to a fabricating position in the processing equipment and back to the access position while being continuously bathed with a particle-free ionized gas for subsequent assembly of the cover and base member and return of the sealed unit to the storage position.

대표청구항 ▼

A container for treating sensitive articles such as semiconductor wafers comprising: a base member for containing substrate wafers in a vertically stacked, spaced-apart relationship, a cover adapted to fit over said base member, an inlet on said cover for continuously passing a particle-free, ionize

A container for treating sensitive articles such as semiconductor wafers comprising: a base member for containing substrate wafers in a vertically stacked, spaced-apart relationship, a cover adapted to fit over said base member, an inlet on said cover for continuously passing a particle-free, ionized gas through said base member and said cover, an outlet on said cover for continuously passing a particle-free, ionized gas from said base member and said cover, a catch on top of said base member for receiving a releasably engageable latch through a manually actuated rod from the top of said cover such that the catch and the latch provide a sealing engagement for said base member and said cover.