TWI709441B - Substrate container and purge tower assembly for the substrate container - Google Patents

Abstract

A purge tower assembly for a substrate container. The assembly may include a purge interface body, including a base portion and a top portion, for mounting to a bottom plate of a substrate container. The base portion may include a substantially tubular base sidewall and the top portion may have a top sidewall positioned on the top edge of the base portion. The top portion may include an inlet nozzle for mounting through a rearward inlet in the bottom plate. The inlet nozzle may have a substantially tubular sidewall extending upwardly from the top sidewall and defining an interior of the inlet nozzle. The base portion and the top sidewall may define an offset conduit portion disposed connected to the base portion and the inlet nozzle, the base portion and the inlet nozzle in fluid communication via the offset conduit portion.

Description

Substrate container and cleaning tower assembly used for the substrate container

The present invention generally relates to cleaning systems for micro-environments, and more specifically, the present invention relates to sprinkler towers for substrate containers.

During the insertion or removal of the substrate from a substrate container, dust traces, gas impurities, or increased humidity can be introduced into the substrate container, negatively affecting the product yield of the resident wafer. Correspondingly, there is an increased need to control one of the environments in these containers during substrate processing to achieve or maintain a high level of cleanliness.

In some examples, injecting into the interior of a substrate container through an inlet port is used to cause the air in the container to leave an inert gas through an outlet port to clean a microenvironment in the container. The system and method for delivering clean gas into the container has been designed to provide an improved environment in the container.

Since the front opening wafer transfer box (FOUP) was developed, the carrier manufacturer introduced the bottom cleaning port to use clean dry air (CDA) or inert cleaning to clean the internal environment. Introduce these cleaning modules under the inner bottom surface of the FOUP shell.

When the cleaning sprayer is introduced, we will understand that if the sprayer is assembled axially to the cleaning interface, the sprayer will not only interfere with the wafer disposal volume but also the wafers stored in the FOUP. On the contrary, without any modification to the existing shell design, the sprinkler tube is designed as a shaft Offset towards the inside.

U.S. Patent No. 9,054,144 assigned to Burns et al. ("Burns") discloses a substrate container with a cleaning tower. The cleaning tower includes a base portion and a sprinkler tower portion connected by an offset conduit. The offset duct enables the tower portion to be offset toward the back of the container, thereby enabling the internal space to be better used for substrate storage and disposal and providing a more compact design. Except for the explicit limitations and patent claims contained therein, the disclosure of Burns is hereby incorporated by reference.

The conventional cleaning tower using an offset conduit is configured such that the offset conduit is located inside the substrate container and protrudes upward from the floor of the substrate container so that the offset conduit part is not flush with the floor. Although the catheter can be sized so that the bottom wafer passes through the catheter, we have found that the protruding catheter can still interfere with the operation of the robot end effector during the insertion or removal of the bottom wafer. Interference can cause collisions between the end effector and the conduit, thereby generating particles and can also lead to improper handling of the wafer.

Another problem related to the conventional offset cleaning tower is that the conventional offset cleaning tower must be installed inside the substrate container. For configurations where the total length of the offset cleaning tower is greater than the floor-to-ceiling gap of the substrate container, problems can arise when trying to make the cleaning tower upright during assembly. The upper end of the sprayer part can collide with the ceiling of the substrate container, which can damage one or both of the sprayer part and the substrate container. In some cases, it may be necessary to compromise the desired length of the sprinkler section.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a cleaning sprayer assembly that releases extra space in a wafer container for wafer storage and manipulation while allowing a flow of cleaning gas. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention present a lower probability of contaminating the inner surface of the substrate container due to the collision between the end effector and the cleaning tower assembly. In addition, in various embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning tower The effective length of the sprayer part of the assembly is increased so that the cleaning gas outlet is located closer to the floor of the substrate container than the conventional cleaning tower assembly. By positioning the cleaning outlet closer to the floor, the flow of cleaning gas under the bottom wafer of the substrate container can be increased to improve cleaning performance.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide an offset conduit located outside of the substrate container rather than inside the container, the conduit being routed under the floor of the substrate container. The extra space provided by positioning the offset tube outside the substrate container allows the robotic end effector to be manipulated under one of the bottom wafers stored without colliding with the offset tube.

In addition, some embodiments are configured so that the sprayer portion of the cleaning tower can function at the floor level of the substrate container. That is, the effective length of the sprayer portion starts at a height on the sprayer portion corresponding to the floor of the substrate container. This allows the cleaning gas to enter the substrate container at the floor level, so that the cleaning air flow under the bottom substrate is increased compared to the conventional cleaning tower. In one embodiment, the effective part of the sprinkler part is reduced by up to 4.5 mm compared to the conventional sprinkler.

Some embodiments of the present invention present an external offset cleaning tower assembly that is assembled outside and can be installed and removed from the outside of the substrate container. Some embodiments of the present invention include a sprayer portion that is detachable and reattachable to a cleaning interface body of the external offset cleaning tower assembly, so that the sprayer portion is installed after the cleaning interface body is mounted to the substrate container Attached to the cleaning interface body. Through both of these embodiments, the problem of excessive length of the cleaning tower assembly is eliminated.

An embodiment in which the contour of the duct is reduced by providing a recess in the floor of the container through which an internal duct is routed is also considered. The offset conduit and the notch can be sized so that the uppermost end of the offset conduit is located at or below the inner plane of the floor of the substrate container. In this embodiment, the reduced profile of the offset conduit (albeit on the inside) relative to the end effector gap provides the same effect as an external offset conduit and enhances the cleaning of the bottom substrate.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a cleaning tower assembly for a substrate container including a cleaning interface body for connecting to a bottom plate of a substrate container. The cleaning interface body can include a base part and a top part. The base portion may have a substantially tubular base side wall extending upward from a bottom edge to a top edge. The bottom edge may define a first aperture for access to an interior of the base portion, the first aperture being concentric about a first axis.

In one or more embodiments, the top portion is connected to the top edge of the base portion. The top part may have a top side wall positioned on the top edge of the base part to cover up the bottom aperture. The top portion may include an inlet nozzle for installing through an inlet in the bottom plate of the substrate container. The inlet nozzle may have a substantially tubular nozzle side wall extending upward from the top side wall to an edge of the nozzle. The edge of the nozzle may define a second aperture for access to the inside of one of the inlet nozzles, the second aperture being concentric about a second axis. In a specific embodiment, the second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis and is positioned behind the first axis. In one or more embodiments, the cleaning interface body includes an offset duct part disposed between the base part and the inlet nozzle. The base part and the inlet nozzle can be in fluid communication via the offset conduit part.

The cleaning tower assembly includes a sprayer part. In one or more embodiments, the sprinkler portion is a sprinkler portion that includes a porous sprinkler side wall and defines a sprinkler channel extending along a sprinkler axis to the sprinkler portion. The sprinkler side wall may define an opening at a bottom portion of the sprinkler portion that is operatively coupled to the inlet nozzle for fluid communication between the base portion, the inlet nozzle, and the sprinkler portion. Additionally or alternatively, the sprinkler part may include a housing having a plurality of passage holes formed therein.

The above [Summary of the Invention] is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention.

7-7: Line

30: Substrate container

32a: substrate

32b: substrate

34: Opposite side part/side wall part

36: top part

38: bottom plate

40: Floor

42: back

44: front

46: door frame

48: Door opening

52: door

54: vertical

64: micro environment

66: Slotted side wall

68: slot position

68a: bottom slot

70: Clean tower assembly

71: conveyor plate

90: Clean the interface body

94: base part

98: top part

100: sidewall

102: bottom edge

106: top edge

110: internal part

114: bottom pore

118: Grommet

119: Pore

120: support part

122: filter

126: Valve

130: first axis

134: top side wall

138: offset part

142: Inlet nozzle

146: Nozzle side wall

150: Nozzle edge

154: internal part

158: Nozzle hole

162: Second axis

166: Offset duct part

170: Barbed part

174: tapered part

178: Side Pore

182: Sprinkler part

186: Sidewall

190: top surface

194: bottom edge

198: Pore

202: bottom part

206: widened part

210: direction

214: Rear Entrance

218: Rear installation area

222: vertical height

250: Installation entrance

251: Installation entrance

254: installation mechanism

258: Extend the side wall downward

263: vertical part

264: Stop part

265: Cam

266: rear opening

267: side opening

268: support frame

269: Undercut

290: Gap

300: Rear notch

304: Pore

308: clean airflow

The drawings included in this application are incorporated into this specification and form part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with [Embodiments] are used to explain the principle of the present invention. The drawings only illustrate specific embodiments and do not limit the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of a cleaning tower assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning tower assembly of Figure 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the cleaning tower assembly of Figure 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a cleaning tower assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a cleaning tower assembly installed in a substrate container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning tower assembly and substrate container taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6.

8 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate container and an exploded view of a cleaning tower assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a partial bottom perspective view of a substrate container including an opening of a cleaning tower assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a bottom perspective view of a part of a substrate container including a conveying plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a partial bottom perspective view of a substrate container including a transport plate mounted to a bottom plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate container including a transport plate mounted to a bottom plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 13 is a cleaning tower assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention including an externally installed cleaning tower assembly A bottom perspective view of a portion of a substrate container.

Fig. 14 is a partial perspective view of the inside of a substrate container including a cleaning tower assembly mounted on the outside according to an embodiment of the present invention.

15 is a partial perspective view of the inside of a substrate container including a cleaning tower assembly installed on the outside according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate container including a recess having a cleaning tower assembly installed inside according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 17 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the cleaning tower assembly and substrate container taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Although the embodiments of the present invention are suitable for various modifications and alternative forms, the specific details thereof have been shown in the drawings by way of examples and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that the present invention does not limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, the present invention covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Related applications

This application claims the rights of the earlier U.S. Patent Application No. 62/214,464 filed on September 4, 2015 and the U.S. Patent Application No. 62/263,194 filed on December 4, 2015. These patents The entire content of the application is incorporated herein by reference.

1, a substrate container 30 for storing a plurality of substrates according to an embodiment of the present invention is depicted. As used herein, the plurality of substrates include substrates used in the manufacture of semiconductors, printed circuit boards, flat panel displays, and/or the like. For illustration, a single substrate 32a is presented. In a particular embodiment, the substrate container 30 includes two opposite side portions 34, a top portion 36, a bottom plate 38 and a back portion 42. The bottom plate 38 defines an inner surface or floor of the substrate container 30 40. A front portion 44 of the substrate container 30 includes a door frame 46 that defines a door opening 48 for insertion and removal of the substrate 32. A door 52 is adapted to seal and cover the door opening 48. The door opening 48 of the substrate container 30 is located in a plane substantially parallel to a vertical direction 54. In various embodiments, the substrate container 30 is characterized by containing a micro environment 64.

In one or more embodiments, a pair of slotted sidewalls 66 are disposed in the substrate container 30, and each adjacent sidewall portion 34 has its own sidewall portion. The slotted side walls 66 are aligned so that the slots face each other to define a plurality of slot positions 68 and are spaced so that the substrate(s) 32 are supported therebetween. For the purpose of the present invention, the bottom slot position 68a of one of the plurality of slot positions 68 (ie, the slot closest to the bottom plate 38) is identified as the "first" slot, in which the number of slots increases in the upward direction . For illustration purposes, such as in FIGS. 6-8 and 15-16 described below, a substrate 32b is presented and is depicted as occupying the bottom slot 68a.

In various embodiments, the substrate container 30 further includes at least one cleaning tower assembly 70 disposed in the substrate container 30. In various embodiments, the cleaning tower assembly 70 is operatively coupled to a gas source (not depicted) located outside the substrate container 30 for introducing a gaseous working fluid into the substrate container 30. In a particular embodiment, one or more of the cleaning tower assemblies 70 are oriented to direct the gaseous working fluid toward the door opening 48 to clean the substrate container 30.

In a specific embodiment, the substrate container 30 further includes a conveying plate 71 positioned under the bottom plate 38. In various embodiments, the conveyor plate 71 is mounted to the bottom of the substrate container 30 for machine-based positioning and alignment of the substrate container 30 during various substrate processing steps.

2 to 5, depicts a cleaning tower assembly 70 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment, the cleaning tower assembly 70 includes a cleaning interface body 90 that includes a base portion 94 and a top portion 98. In one or more embodiments, the cleaning interface body 90 is appropriately sized and shaped for external mounting on a substrate container 30. For example, clean the interface body It can be installed to a conveying plate 71 of a substrate container 30. In some embodiments, the cleaning interface body can be mounted to the bottom plate 38. In some embodiments, the cleaning interface body 90 can be installed between the bottom plate 38 and a conveying plate 71.

In, for example, the various embodiments in FIG. 3, the base portion 94 has a tubular shape defined by a side wall 100 extending from a bottom edge 102 to a top edge 106. The tubular shape of the side wall 100 defines an inner portion 110 and a bottom aperture 114 for access to the inner portion 110 at the bottom edge 102. In various embodiments, the base portion 94 includes components for coupling to an external fluid source. For example, in some embodiments, the base portion includes a grommet 118 installed in the bottom aperture 114 and the inner portion 110, a filter 122, and a valve 126 (FIG. 4). In a specific embodiment, the bottom aperture 114 is concentric with an axis 130.

In one or more embodiments of, for example, FIG. 5, the sidewall 100 defines a plurality of apertures 119 in the base portion 94. In a particular embodiment, each of the apertures 119 are spaced circumferentially around the sidewall 100 and the axis 130. In various embodiments, the aperture 119 is a protruding portion protruding from the side of the grommet 118 for fitting and placing the grommet 118 in the socket in the interior 110 of the base portion 94. For example, in some embodiments, the grommet 118 is a flexible component and the protrusion can be elastically compressed during insertion into the interior 110 of the base portion and then expand outward to the aperture 119 to lock the grommet in place .

In some embodiments, the base portion 94 includes a support portion 120. The supporting part 120 may be an outwardly extending material part integrated with the side wall 100. In a specific embodiment, the supporting portion 120 serves as a handle or handle for the manipulation of the cleaning interface body 90. In some embodiments, the supporting portion 120 is snap-fitted into an undercut feature in the conveying plate for mounting the body 90 to the flexible beam of a substrate container, as described further herein.

In one or more embodiments, the top portion 98 includes a substantially flat surface and along the top edge 106 is connected to a top side wall 134 of the base portion 94. In some embodiments, the top side wall 134 is connected to the top of the base portion 94. The base portion 94 and the top portion 98 can be connected by a technique available to a technician (for example, ultrasonic welding or thermal welding, snap fitting, adhesive bonding) or other suitable techniques.

In addition, for example in FIG. 3, the top side wall 134 may include an offset portion 138 extending from the base portion 94 to one side. The offset portion 138 may include an inlet nozzle 142 that is offset from the base portion 94. In one or more embodiments, the inlet nozzle 142 has a tubular shape defined by a nozzle side wall 146 extending upward from the top side wall 134 to a nozzle edge 150. In one or more embodiments, the nozzle side wall 146 defines an inner portion 154 and a nozzle aperture 158 located at the edge 150 of the nozzle. In various embodiments, the nozzle aperture 158 provides access to the inner portion 154 of the inlet nozzle 142. In a specific embodiment, the nozzle aperture 158 is concentric about a second axis 162. In various embodiments, the second axis 162 is substantially parallel to the first axis 130.

In one or more embodiments, an offset conduit portion 166 is disposed between the base portion 94 and the inlet nozzle 142 (Figures 2 and 5). In one or more embodiments, the offset conduit portion 166 cooperates with the offset portion 138 of the top side wall 134 to provide a passage between the base portion 94 and the inlet nozzle 142 for cleaning between the components of the interface body 90 Fluid communication.

In operation, fluid enters the cleaning tower assembly 70 through the check valve 126 and the bottom aperture 114, through the inner portions 110, 154, and through the nozzle aperture 158. Functionally, the offset duct 166 diverts the air flow from the first axis 130 to the second axis 162.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the inlet nozzle 142 includes one of the sidewalls 146 of the nozzle having a barbed portion 170 and a tapered portion 174 of one having a barb. In certain embodiments, the barbed portion 170 defines an outer diameter of the inlet nozzle 142 and the tapered portion 174 defines a reduced outer diameter adjacent to the barbed portion 170. In a particular embodiment, the side wall 146 of the nozzle defines a barbed A side hole 178 between the portion 170 and the tapered portion 174. Further description: the side hole 178 is a hole or hole in the side wall 146 of the nozzle for spraying gas to the substrate container 30.

In one or more embodiments, the cleaning tower assembly 70 includes a sprayer portion 182 coupled to the inlet nozzle 142 of the cleaning interface body 90. In some embodiments, the sprayer portion 182 includes a porous or perforated (porous) side wall 186. In some embodiments, the side wall 186 defines a substantially tubular shape in which a sprinkler channel extends from a top surface 190 of the sprinkler portion 182 to a bottom edge 194. In one or more embodiments, the bottom edge 194 of the sprayer portion 182 defines an aperture 198 at a bottom portion 202 of the sprayer portion 182. In various embodiments, the aperture 198 may be sized for the insertion of the inlet nozzle 142 to be operatively coupled therebetween for fluid communication between the base portion 94, the inlet nozzle 142, and the sprinkler portion 182 .

In a particular embodiment, the nozzle side wall 146 includes external threads (not depicted) formed on an outer surface of the nozzle side wall 146. The sprayer portion 182 may include internal threads (not depicted) formed on an inner surface of the sprayer portion. When implemented, the threads of the sprinkler portion 182 are compatible with the threads of the nozzle side wall 146 to be coupled therebetween.

In various embodiments, the sprayer portion 182 includes a widened portion 206 located at the bottom portion of the sprayer portion 182. In a particular embodiment, the widened portion 206 is widened outwardly, having an increased inner diameter relative to one of the main bodies of the sprinkler portion to be inserted into the inlet nozzle 146 and coupled with the inlet nozzle 142.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, a cleaning tower assembly 70 assembled in a substrate container 30 is depicted according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment, the substrate container 30 is the same or substantially similar to the cleaning tower assembly 70, as described herein. Correspondingly, the same elements are identified by the same reference numerals.

In (for example) the assembly in Figure 8, the cleaning interface body 90 can be assembled to Substrate container 30: Insert the cleaning interface body 90 upward in the direction 210, place the inlet nozzle 142 through one of the rear entrances 214 in the bottom plate 38, and attach the cleaning interface body 90 to one of the bottom plates 38 in a rear mounting area 218 surface. In various embodiments, the rear mounting area 218 is between the conveying plate 71 and the bottom plate 38. The cleaning interface body 90 can be designed to be assembled to the substrate container 30 up to various vertical heights 222 of a cleaning fixture relative to a load port. In various embodiments, the vertical height 222 substantially matches the vertical height of the existing substrate container(s). In one or more embodiments, the inlet nozzle 142 is sized so that when installed on the conveying plate 71 of the substrate container 30, the nozzle edge 150 of the inlet nozzle 142 extends upward to approximately the first slot of the substrate container 30 68a.

Once the cleaning interface body 90 is inserted through the inlet 214, the sprayer portion 182 can be assembled by allowing the inlet nozzle 142 to reach the rear of the substrate container 30 through the door opening 48. Then, the sprayer part 182 is attached to the inlet nozzle 142.

Referring to FIGS. 9 to 14, various stages of assembling the cleaning tower assembly 70 in the substrate container 30 are depicted according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate container 30 and the cleaning tower assembly 70 may be the same or substantially similar, as described herein. Correspondingly, the same components are identified by the same reference numbers. Referring to FIG. 9, a bottom perspective view of a substrate container 30 and bottom plate 38 is depicted. In one or more embodiments, the bottom plate 38 includes a rear inlet 214 for insertion of an inlet nozzle 142 of a cleaning tower assembly 70 (FIG. 8). In addition, in some embodiments, the bottom plate 38 includes an installation inlet 250. In various embodiments, the mounting inlet 250 is an aperture in the bottom plate 38 for receiving a mounting member for mounting the conveying plate 71 to the bottom plate 38 of the substrate container 30.

For example, in FIG. 10, a conveying plate 71 is placed against the bottom plate 38 of the substrate container 30. The conveying plate 71 may include an installation entrance 251 aligned with the installation entrance 250. As depicted in FIG. 11, an installation mechanism 254 is received in the installation entrance 250 and fixes the conveying plate 71 to the bottom plate 38. In one or In various embodiments, the mounting mechanism 254 is positioned in the bottom plate 38 to fix the conveying plate 71 to a part of the material at the bottom of the substrate container 30. 11 and 12 depicts that the mounting mechanism 254 is a partial ring having a downwardly extending side wall 258 and including a plurality of substantially L-shaped slots 262 circumferentially arranged in the side wall 258. In one or more embodiments, the L-shaped slot 262 is inclined to have a vertical portion 263 and a horizontal or stop portion 264.

In various embodiments, the conveying plate 71 may include a plurality of outwardly extending parts or cams 265 in the installation inlet 251. Each of the cams 265 can correspond to the L-shaped slot 262 so that the conveying plate 71 can be fixed to the bottom plate 38 by the following steps: insert the mounting mechanism 254 downwards into the mounting entrances 250 and 251, and receive the cam 265 into the vertical portion 263 And twist the mounting mechanism 254 to guide the cam 265 upward and into the stop portion 264, thereby fixing the conveying plate 71 to the bottom plate 38.

In various embodiments, the side wall 254 includes an opening 266 corresponding to the rear of the offset conduit portion 166. In this way, when fixed to the bottom plate 38, the offset duct portion 166 extends rearward from the mounting mechanism 254 to reach the inlet nozzle 142.

In certain embodiments, various types of mounting mechanisms 254 can be used to fix the conveying plate 71 to the bottom plate 38. For example, the installation mechanism may use ultrasonic welding or thermal welding, snap fit, adhesive bonding, or other suitable techniques. In some embodiments, the mounting mechanism 254 is integrated with the bottom plate 38 such that the bottom plate 38 and the mounting mechanism are a continuous part.

In one or more of the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 12-13, the conveying plate 71 includes a locking feature for cleaning the interface body 90, including one or more of the mounting inlets 251 exposed to a support frame 268 Side opening 267. In various embodiments, the support frame 268 is defined by the undercut portion 269 in the conveying plate 71. In various embodiments, the cleaning interface body 90 is fixed to the substrate container 30 by inserting the cleaning interface body 90 up to the installation inlet 251 and inserting the inlet nozzle 142 (FIGS. 2 to 4) into the rear inlet 214. When the cleaning interface body 90 is inserted upward, the supporting part 120 can Engage with the inclined or barbed undercut portion 269 and flex until the cleaning interface body 90 has been completely inserted into the installation inlet 251. Once inserted, the support portion 120 can be "snapled" to the support frame 268 to lock the cleaning interface body in place.

In FIG. 14, the inside of the substrate container 30 is depicted. Inside, the rear entrance 214 and the mounting mechanism 254 are depicted in the floor 40 of the substrate container 30. The cleaning interface body 90 is mounted to the substrate container 30 and the inlet nozzle 142 is depicted inserted through the rear inlet 214 and extends into the interior of the container 30. In FIG. 15, a sprinkler tower 182 is depicted, which fits into the inlet nozzle 142.

16 and FIG. 17, depict a cross-sectional view of a part of a substrate container 30 and a cleaning tower assembly 70 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 15, the cleaning interface body 90 is externally mounted on the bottom plate 38, as described above. The installation mechanism 254 is positioned in the floor 40 and fixes the cleaning interface body 90 to the container 30. The inlet nozzle 142 enters the interior of the container 30 through the rear inlet 214. A sprayer portion 182 for spraying the cleaning gas entering the substrate container 30 through the cleaning interface body 90 is assembled to the inlet nozzle 142 such that a part of the inlet nozzle 142 extends into the interior of the sprayer portion 182. The base plate 32b located in the lowermost slot 68a extends rearward toward the cleaning tower assembly 70 in the container 30. Because the cleaning interface body 90 is installed outside, a gap 290 is maintained between the bottom substrate 32b and the floor 40 of the container and the installation mechanism 254.

Such as depicted in FIG. 16, in some embodiments, the substrate container 30 defines one of the rear recesses 300 in the floor 40. In these embodiments, the cleaning interface body 90 is installed inside the container 30. For example, the cleaning interface body 90 may be positioned in the recess 300 with the base portion 94 extending through an aperture 304 for connection to an external fluid source. The size of the notch 300 can be set so that the uppermost end of the cleaning interface body 90 is located at or below the plane of the floor 40 of the substrate container 30.

Functionally, the notch 300 of the embodiment of FIG. 16 reduces the profile of the offset conduit 166. Due to the reduced profile, the offset conduit 166 (although located inside the container 30) provides the same The gap 290 of the external offset duct configuration and the same operational advantages relative to end effector manipulation and gas cleaning.

Also depicted in Figures 15 and 16, in one or more embodiments, the inlet nozzle 142 includes a side aperture 178, as described above. In various embodiments, the inlet nozzle 142 and the side aperture 178 are configured so that the sprayer portion 182 of the cleaning tower assembly 70 can function at or near the floor 40 of the substrate container. For example, in some embodiments, the side aperture 178 is positioned on the inlet nozzle 142 corresponding to the floor 40 of the substrate container 30 at a height.

In operation, for both the embodiment of FIG. 15 and the embodiment of FIG. 16, the gap 290 provides little or no interference control of the components from the cleaning interface body 90 under the substrate 32b of the robot end effector (not depicted) space. In addition, the combination of the base of the sprayer portion 182 at the floor level and the gap 290 provided by the external or reduced profile offset duct 166 allows the cleaning gas to enter the substrate container 30 at the floor level so that the cleaning airflow 308 is guided to the maximum Below the bottom substrate 32b.

Each of the additional features and methods disclosed herein can be used alone or in combination with other features and methods to provide improved devices and methods for manufacturing and using the improved devices. Therefore, the combination of the features and methods disclosed herein may not necessarily implement the present invention in its broadest sense, and instead, only the representative embodiments and preferred embodiments are disclosed with particular descriptions.

Those skilled in the art can understand various modifications to the embodiments after reading the present invention. For example, those familiar with the related art in general will recognize that various features described for different embodiments can be combined, separated, and recombined as appropriate with other features (alone or in different combinations). Likewise, the various features described above should all be regarded as exemplary embodiments rather than limiting the scope or spirit of the present invention.

Those familiar with the related art in general will recognize that various embodiments may include any other than those described above. Few features are shown in the individual embodiments. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive representation of the ways in which various features can be combined. Correspondingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; to be precise, the scope of the patent application may include a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by those familiar with the related art.

Any incorporation in the form of citing the above-mentioned documents is restricted so that there is no incorporation of subject matter contrary to the content clearly disclosed in this article. Any incorporation in the form of citing the above-mentioned documents is further restricted so that claims not included in the documents are incorporated herein by reference. It is further restricted to any incorporation in the form of citing the aforementioned documents so that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated herein by reference, unless expressly included herein.

Refer to "(several) embodiments", "disclosure", "present invention", "(several) embodiments of the present invention", "disclosed (several) embodiments" and the like contained in this text The description (text, including the scope of the patent application and drawings) of this patent application without prior art.

In order to explain the scope of the patent application, the express intention of this article is to not quote the clauses of 35 U.S.C.112(f) unless specific terms "method of..." or "steps of..." are listed in the respective claims.

94: base part

98: top part

100: sidewall

102: bottom edge

106: top edge

114: bottom pore

118: Grommet

122: filter

126: Valve

134: top side wall

138: offset part

142: Inlet nozzle

146: Nozzle side wall

150: Nozzle edge

166: Offset duct part

170: Barbed part

174: tapered part

178: Side Pore

182: Sprinkler part

194: bottom edge

198: Pore

202: bottom part

Claims (12)

A cleaning tower assembly for a substrate container. The cleaning tower assembly includes: a cleaning interface body for inserting into an inlet of a bottom plate of a substrate container, the cleaning interface body including: a base part , Which has a substantially tubular base side wall extending upward from a bottom edge to a top edge, the bottom edge defines a first aperture for accessing an interior of the base portion, and the first aperture surrounds A first axis is concentric, and a support portion extending outward from the side wall of the tubular base for engaging with the locking feature when the cleaning interface body is inserted into the inlet; and a top portion connected to the base Part, the top part includes a top side wall positioned on the top edge of the base part, the top part includes an inlet nozzle configured to be installed through an inlet in the bottom plate of the substrate container, the The inlet nozzle has a substantially tubular nozzle side wall extending upward from the top side wall to an edge of a nozzle, the nozzle edge defines a second aperture for access to an interior of one of the inlet nozzles, the second The aperture is concentric around a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis and positioned on the rear side of the first axis, wherein the top side wall cooperates with the base portion to define the first aperture and the inlet nozzle An offset duct part between the base part and the inlet nozzle is in fluid communication via the offset duct part. For example, the cleaning tower assembly of claim 1, which further includes: a sprinkler part defining a sprinkler channel extending to the sprinkler part along a sprinkler axis, the sprinkler channel defining an operative coupling to the inlet pipe The mouth is used for the base part, An opening at a bottom portion of the sprayer portion in fluid communication between the inlet nozzle and the sprayer portion. The cleaning tower assembly of claim 2, wherein the side wall of the nozzle includes an external thread formed on an outer surface of the side wall of the nozzle. The cleaning tower assembly of claim 3, wherein the sprayer part includes internal threads formed on an inner surface of the sprayer part, and the internal threads are compatible with the external threads of the inlet nozzle to operate It is coupled between the sprinkler part and the inlet nozzle. Such as the cleaning tower assembly of claim 2, wherein the sprayer part includes a widened part at the bottom part. Such as the cleaning tower assembly of claim 2, wherein the sprinkler part includes a side wall of a porous sprinkler. The cleaning tower assembly of claim 1, wherein the base portion includes a grommet and a valve installed in the first aperture to be in fluid communication with an external fluid source. Such as the cleaning tower assembly of claim 1, wherein the inlet nozzle includes a barbed nozzle with a barbed part and a tapered part, and the barbed part defines the barbed nozzle An outer diameter, the tapered portion defining a reduced outer diameter adjacent to the barbed portion. The cleaning tower assembly of claim 8, wherein the side wall of the nozzle defines a side hole between the barbed portion and the tapered portion. The cleaning tower assembly of claim 1, wherein the inlet nozzle is sized so that when installed on the bottom plate of the substrate container, the inlet nozzle extends upward to approximately contain a first crystal in the substrate container One position of the circle. Such as the cleaning tower assembly of claim 1, wherein the top side wall is substantially flat. A substrate container, which includes the cleaning tower assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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