초록 ▼

A purging station with a substrate container receiving zone having at least one upwardly extending purging nozzle. The nozzle has a circular engaging lip. The substrate container has support means for at least one substrate and a purge port assembly that includes an externally facing sealing flange

A purging station with a substrate container receiving zone having at least one upwardly extending purging nozzle. The nozzle has a circular engaging lip. The substrate container has support means for at least one substrate and a purge port assembly that includes an externally facing sealing flange facing downward from the container. The sealing flange has a central aperture and a cantilevered flange portion that engages with the circular engaging lip of the nozzle. The weight of the substrate container on the nozzle carried by the canilevered portion of the flange causes bending of the flange for a resilient soft seal.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A reticle SMIF pod for holding reticles used in the manufacture of semiconductors, the pod comprising: an upper shell with an open interior and an open bottom;a door configured to sealingly engage and latch to the upper shell at the open bottom, the door comprising a base, support members for a r

1. A reticle SMIF pod for holding reticles used in the manufacture of semiconductors, the pod comprising: an upper shell with an open interior and an open bottom;a door configured to sealingly engage and latch to the upper shell at the open bottom, the door comprising a base, support members for a reticle extending from the base and defining a reticle pod receiving region, and a nozzle interface facing downwardly for interfacing with purging nozzles; the nozzle interface comprising a disk shaped cantilevered flange portion formed of a resilient polymer with a central opening for passing purge gas therethrough, the cantilevered flange portion positioned to be concentrically deflectable from the horizontal upwardly into a conical or rounded conical position when engaged with a purge nozzle. 2. The reticle SMIF pod of claim 1 wherein the purge port further comprises a diffuser, the diffuser having outlets extending upwardly and laterally outwardly away from the reticle receiving region. 3. The reticle SMIF pod of claim 1 wherein the nozzle interface is engaged within a purge port aperture in the door of the pod and nozzle interface further comprises a diffuser portion positioned in the open interior, the diffuser portion. 4. The reticle SMIF pod of claim 1 wherein the door has a purge port aperture and the nozzle interface portion comprises a grommet portion with an annular groove sized to sealing engage with purge port aperture and a central axial bore, and the cantilevered flange portion is integral with a tubular portion sized to be snugly received within central axial bore. 5. A combination purgible substrate container and purging station, the purging station having a substrate container receiving zone with an upwardly extending purge nozzle, the nozzle having a circular engagement lip with a diameter and positioned in a horizontal plane, the container comprising a nozzle interface with a cantilevered flange portion and a central aperture therein, the cantilevered flange portion extending horizontally and connecting with a supported portion radially inward from the cantilevered flange portion, the supported portion having a diameter less than that of the circular engagement lip, whereby when the substrate container is placed in the receiving zone with the nozzle interface aligned with the purge nozzle, the cantilevered flange portion flexes upwardly from the horizontal. 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the nozzle is fixed with respect to the purging station and the engagement of the nozzle with the nozzle interface is provided by the weight of the substrate container resting partially on the nozzle. 7. The combination of claim 5 wherein the nozzle interface further comprises a grommet portion with diffuser ports extending into the substrate container. 8. The combination of claim 5 wherein the purging station comprises an enclosure and is configured as a reticle SMIF pod stocker and substrate container is configured as a reticle SMIF pod. 9. The combination of claim 5 wherein the substrate container is a front opening container and comprises wafer shelves. 10. A purgible substrate container for holding at least one substrate, the container comprising: a container defining an open interior, the container including an open side and a purge port aperture;supports attached to the container for holding the at least one substrate within the open container;a door sealably latchable to said open side;a purge nozzle interface assembly for injection of purge gas attached to the container at the purge port aperture, the purge assembly including a resilient polymer disk with a central aperture and a cantilevered peripheral portion, the disk supported radially inward from the cantilevered peripheral portion, the cantilevered portion having an unflexed position wherein the cantilevered peripheral portion extends horizontally and radially outward and a sealing engagement position wherein the cantilevered portion is flexed and extends upwardly at an angle from the horizontal unflexed position. 11. The purgible substrate container of claim 10 wherein the purge port interface assembly is on the door and further comprising a filter cartridge and a second purge nozzle interface assembly also positioned on the door. 12. A substrate container comprising containment wall with a purging aperture, a nozzle interface, the nozzle interface comprising a resilient polymeric sealing cantilevered flange portion positioned parallel to the containment wall and outwardly facing, a purge gas passageway extending axially through the sealing cantilevered flange portion into the interior of the substrate container, the cantilevered portion having an unflexed position wherein the cantilevered peripheral portion extends horizontally and radially outward and a sealing engagement position wherein the cantilevered portion is flexed and extends upwardly at an angle from the horizontal unflexed position. 13. A method of purging a substrate container, the substrate container having a purging port on a bottom side thereof, the purging port comprising a resilient polymeric thin annular portion, the annular portion having a downwardly facing engagement surface portion and an opposite upwardly facing side, the upwardly facing side not being supported, the method comprising the steps of: placing the substrate container on purging station having an upwardly directed nozzle with the downwardly facing engagement surface,bending the annular portion upwardly by the weight of the substrate container resting on the nozzle. 14. A substrate container with a purge port aperture and a purge port assembly attached therein, said purge port assembly comprising a body portion and a nozzle receiving portion both formed of a resilient polymer, said body portion having an annular channel shaped recess extending therearound and sized to sealingly fit the purge port aperture, said body portion further having a diffuser port and a bore extending axially through the body and in communication with the diffuser port, the nozzle receiving portion comprising a flange portion integral with a tubular portion, the flange portion having a central aperture and comprising a supported flange portion and a cantilevered flange portion concentric with and extending radially away from the supported flange portion, and a tubular portion integral with the supported flange portion, the tubular portion sized to be insertably retained within the bore of the body portion, whereby the flange portion is positioned exteriorly of the container, the diffuser port is interiorly positioned and there is an axial purge path through the purge port assembly. 15. A method of confirming placement of a substrate container on a purge station on a purge nozzles, comprising applying downward pressure and visually observing and feeling a deflection of at least about 0.1 inch to confirm the proper engagement, the deflection arising from an upward deflection of a cantilevered peripheral portion of a cantilevered flange portion. 16. A reticle pod stocker in combination with a plurality of reticle pods, the stocker comprising: a vertical post having purge gas tubing therein and connectible to a purge gas source,a plurality of trays swivelably connected to the vertical post, whereby each of the trays swing horizontally to a plurality of different positions, each tray configured for receiving reticle pods and having a purge nozzle extending upwardly therefrom, each purge nozzle connecting to the purge gas tubing. The plurality of reticle pods each having a downwardly directed cantilevered purge interface flange, the flange having a supported portion and a cantilevered portion, the reticle pods positioned on trays of the pod stocker with the cantilevered portions engaged with the upwardly extending nozzles whereby the cantilevered portions are flexed upwardly from a horizontal position. 17. The reticle pod stocker of claim 16, further characterized by an enclosure that contains said post and said plurality of trays. 18. The reticle pod stocker of claim 16, wherein each tray has a receiving zone for a reticle SMIF pod and a aperture in said tray centrally below said region for allowing discharge of purge gas from the bottom side of such reticle SMIF pods.