초록 ▼

In order to easily and surely remove contaminants or the like from wafers stored in a pod (FOUP), a gas supply pipe is located above an opening portion in a FIMS system. A clean gas is blown to the upper surfaces of the wafers stored in the inner portion of the pod through the gas supply pipe to rem

In order to easily and surely remove contaminants or the like from wafers stored in a pod (FOUP), a gas supply pipe is located above an opening portion in a FIMS system. A clean gas is blown to the upper surfaces of the wafers stored in the inner portion of the pod through the gas supply pipe to remove the contaminants or the like from wafers.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A lid opening/closing system for removing, from a storage container including a main body and a lid, the lid, the main body including an opening provided in a horizontal direction and a plurality of shelves arranged in a vertical direction, on each of which an object to be st

What is claimed is: 1. A lid opening/closing system for removing, from a storage container including a main body and a lid, the lid, the main body including an opening provided in a horizontal direction and a plurality of shelves arranged in a vertical direction, on each of which an object to be stored is placed, the lid being removable from the main body and covering the opening to form an enclosed space with the main body, to open the opening for insertion and removal of the object to be stored, the system comprising: a mount base on which the storage container is placed; an opening portion located adjacent to the mount base and opposite to the opening in the horizontal direction; a door capable of holding the lid and capable of closing the opening portion, the door connecting between the opening and the opening portion by holding the lid and opening the opening portion; and a gas supply unit located above the opening portion on a side different from a side on which the mount base is placed in the opening portion, for supplying a predetermined gas to the object to be stored which is stored in the storage container in a state in which the opening and the opening portion are connected to each other, wherein the gas supply unit comprises a pipe extending substantially parallel to a purged surface of the object to be stored; and the pipe comprises a slit portion arranged to supply the predetermined gas toward the entire surface of the object to be stored in the state in which the opening and the opening portion are connected to each other; wherein the gas supply unit is supported above the opening portion to be pivotable about a shaft substantially parallel to the purged surface of the object to be stored, and the pivot motion of the gas supply unit is in response to an operation of the door. 2. A lid opening/closing system according to claim 1, wherein: the slit portion comprises a first slit in the central portion of the pipe and two second slits at the end portions of the pipe, wherein the length of the first slit is greater than the length of either of the second slits, whereby the amount of gas passing through the first slit is greater than that passing through the second slits. 3. A lid opening/closing system according to claim 1, wherein: the slit portion comprises a plurality of slits arranged in parallel with each other and arranged such that each of the slits supplies the predetermined gas onto the corresponding object. 4. An object-to-be-stored purging method of removing, from a storage container including a main body and a lid, the lid, the main body including an opening provided in a horizontal direction and a plurality of shelves arranged in a vertical direction, on each of which an object to be stored is placed, the lid being removable from the main body and covering the opening to form an enclosed space with the main body, to open the opening, and of performing purge operation by blowing a predetermined gas to the object to be stored which is stored in the storage container, the method comprising: placing the storage container on a mount base in a lid opening/closing system including an opening portion opposed to the opening and the mount base located in a front surface of the opening portion; removing the lid from the main body by a door of the lid opening/closing system for closing the opening portion while the lid is held by the door; and performing purging on the object to be stored by blowing the predetermined gas from a gas supply unit located above the opening portion to the object to be stored which is stored in the storage container through the opening and the opening portion, wherein the gas supply unit comprises a pipe extending substantially parallel to a purged surface of the object to be stored; and the pipe comprises a slit portion arranged to supply the predetermined gas toward the entire surface of the object to be stored in the state in which the opening and the opening portion are connected to each other; wherein the gas supply unit is supported above the opening portion to be pivotable about a shaft substantially parallel to the purged surface of the object to be stored; the predetermined gas is supplied and pivoting by a predetermined angle is performed in the state in which the opening and the opening portion are connected each other, and the pivot motion of the gas supply unit is in response to an operation of the door. 5. A lid opening/closing system according to claim 4, wherein: the slit portion comprises a first slit in the central portion of the pipe and two second slits at the end portions of the pipe, wherein the length of the first slit is greater than the length of either of the second slits, whereby the amount of gas passing through the first slit is greater than that passing through the second slits. 6. A lid opening/closing system according to claim 4, wherein: the slit portion comprises a plurality of slits arranged in parallel with each other and arranged such that each of the slits supplies the predetermined gas onto the corresponding object.