A two piece shell is employed for intermediate and long term storage of substrates. The shell is formed of two halves that can be juxtaposed in vacuum and externally vented, with the internal vacuum retaining the halves in vacuum-sealed engagement. One of the halves also provides a vacuum-sealing perimeter for selectively sealing to a process chamber during loading and/or unloading of the shell with a substrate. A vacuum monitor or the like may be employed to monitor pressure during storage and provide alerts if the vacuum within the sealed shell is compromised.

An automated workpiece conveying vehicle included in a conveyance system that conveys a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing apparatuses is provided. The automated workpiece conveying vehicle includes: a workpiece support part that supports the workpiece; a traveling mechanism provided on the workpiece support part; a vibration detection unit that detects vibration of the workpiece support part and records the vibration as vibration data; and a receiver that receives a control signal transmitted from a control unit included in the conveyance system, the control signal instructing conveyance of the workpiece to the processing apparatus.

A reticle enclosure includes a base including a first surface, a cover including a second surface and coupled to the base with the first surface facing the second surface. The base and the cover form an internal space that includes a reticle. The reticle enclosure includes restraining mechanisms arranged in the internal space and for securing the reticle, and structures disposed adjacent the reticle in the internal space. The structures enclose the reticle at least partially, and limit passage of contaminants between the internal space and an external environment of the reticle enclosure. The structures include barriers disposed on the first and second surfaces. In other examples, a padding is installed in gaps between the barriers and the first and second surfaces. In other examples, the structures include wall structures disposed on the first and second surfaces and between the restraining mechanisms.

An ESD protection composite structure includes a link layer, a progressive layer, and a composite layer. The link layer is used for disposing the ESD protection composite structure on a substrate, wherein a material of the link layer includes a metal material. The progressive layer is disposed on the link layer, wherein the material of the progressive layer includes a non-stoichiometric metal oxide material, and an oxygen concentration in the non-stoichiometric metal oxide material is increased gradually away from the substrate in a thickness direction of the progressive layer. The composite layer is disposed on the progressive layer, wherein the composite layer includes a stoichiometric metal oxide material and a non-stoichiometric metal oxide material, and a ratio of the non-stoichiometric metal oxide material and the stoichiometric metal oxide material in the composite layer may make a sheet resistance value of the composite layer 110.sup.7 /sq to 110.sup.8 /sq.

A first lid opening-and-closing mechanism includes: a first holder that holds an upper lid of a first container; a first protrusion provided to protrude from the first holder toward one side direction with respect to the first holder and extends to outside of a casing; and a first raising/lowering driver that raises and lowers the first holder in a cantilevered manner with the first protrusion interposed therebetween. A second lid opening-and-closing mechanism includes: a second holder that holds an upper lid of a second container; a second protrusion provided to protrude from the second holder toward the one side direction and extends to the outside of the casing; and a second raising/lowering driver that raises and lowers the second holder in a cantilevered manner with the second protrusion interposed therebetween. The first raising/lowering driver and the second raising/lowering driver are located outside the casing in the one side direction.

A case-opening apparatus is operable to open a snap-shot case. The includes a first shell, a second shell pivotally connected to the first shell, a tab formed on one of the first and second shells, and an elastic hook formed on the other one of the first and second shells and engageable with the tab. The case-opening apparatus includes a holding unit, a lifting unit and a key-operating unit. The holding unit includes a holder for holding the first shell. The lifting unit is located above the holding unit and includes a pivotable frame and a grasper connected to the pivotable frame and operable to grasp the second shell. The key-operating unit is located in the vicinity of the holding unit and includes a key operable to pivot the elastic hook relative to the tab.

Embodiments herein include a halo having varied conductance. In some embodiments, a halo surrounding a semiconductor workpiece may include a first side opposite a second side, and a first end opposite a second end, wherein the first side is operable to receive an ion beam from an ion source. The halo may further include a plurality of apertures extending between the first side and the second side, wherein the plurality of apertures permit passage of a portion of the ion beam to pass therethrough, and wherein the halo has a varied conductance between the first and second ends. In some embodiments, at least a group of apertures of the plurality of apertures vary in at least one of: pitch, and diameter. In some embodiments, a thickness of the halo between the first side and the second side varies along a height extending between the first end and the second end.

A lid opening-and-closing device that opens and closes an upper lid of a container, the container including: a container body; the upper lid; a locking mechanism that locks the upper lid onto the container body when the upper lid is mounted on the container body; and a strip provided to the upper lid, the device including: a placement platform on which the container is placed; a guide provided on both sides above the placement platform and comes into contact with a lower face of the strip to rotate the strip upward to an extent exceeding the predetermined value with respect to the container body when the container is inserted in the horizontal direction to a specified position of the placement platform; and a raising/lowering mechanism that moves the container body and the upper lid for which locking by the locking mechanism has been released, relatively in an up-and-down direction.

The present invention provides a quick-release valve module which includes a flexible grommet defining a channel, and a piston having a disc portion at an end thereof, wherein the disc portion of the piston is exposed to the flexible grommet.

The invention discloses a reticle pod including a base and a lid mounted to the base. The base has a bottom surface having at least one first mark and at least one second mark. The first mark has a first reflectivity relative to a light source, and the second mark has a second reflectivity relative to the light source. The first reflectivity is different from the second reflectivity, and both are also different from that of the rest area of the bottom surface.