JP2009520352A5

JP2009520352A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2009520352A5
Application number: JP2008545593A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2006-10-30
Publication date: 2009-11-26

Claims

In a system for opening a substrate carrier,
A substrate carrier adapted to hold one or more substrates;
A load port for receiving a substrate carrier from the substrate carrier transport system;
With
The load port includes a door opening mechanism that is adapted to use vacuum pressure to hold a substrate carrier door against the door opening mechanism.
system.

The system of claim 1, wherein the door opening mechanism includes a port adapted to apply a vacuum pressure from a vacuum source to the substrate carrier door.

The system of claim 2, wherein the door opening mechanism further includes one or more channels adapted to direct vacuum pressure from the vacuum source to the door of the substrate carrier.

The door opening mechanism further includes one or more kinematic features adapted to couple with the door of the substrate carrier and to align the door of the substrate carrier with the door opening mechanism. The system of claim 1.

The door, when the door opening mechanism is adjacent to the door, see contains one or more cup features that are disposed to align with the port of the door opening mechanism,
The one or more cup features are adapted to create a seal against the door opening mechanism, the system according to claim 1.

The system of claim 1, wherein the load port is further adapted to apply a gas flow around the substrate carrier when the substrate carrier is disposed adjacent to the load port.

Comprising the steps of: receiving a substrate carrier at the load port,
Aligning the load port door opener with the substrate carrier door;
Applying vacuum pressure to the door via the door opener to hold the door;
With a method.

The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of applying a gas stream around the substrate carrier.

A step of removing the door of the substrate carrier, comprising the steps of lowering the door to below the level with the substrate carrier, further comprising a method according to claim 7.

In an apparatus for use in a substrate carrier,
An apparatus comprising a load port including a door opening mechanism, wherein the door opening mechanism is adapted to use vacuum pressure to hold a substrate carrier door against the door opening mechanism.

The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the door opening mechanism includes a port adapted to apply vacuum pressure from a vacuum source to the door of the substrate carrier.

The door opening mechanism further vacuum pressure comprises one or more channels adapted to direct to the door of the substrate carrier from said vacuum source apparatus of claim 11.

The door opening mechanism is coupled to the door of the substrate carrier comprises one or more kinematic features that the door of the substrate carrier is adapted to align with the door opening mechanism, to claim 10 The device described.

The door, when the door opening mechanism is adjacent to the door, see contains one or more cup features that are disposed to align with the port of the door opening mechanism,
The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the one or more cup features are adapted to create a seal against the door opening mechanism .

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the load port is adapted to apply a gas flow around the substrate carrier when the substrate carrier is disposed adjacent to the load port.