A connecting mechanism includes a mounting unit, a substrate transfer port, a door closing or opening the substrate transfer port, a coupling mechanism coupling a cover of the substrate container mounted on the mounting unit with the door, and a gas exhaust/purge unit. First, second and third seal members respectively seal a first space between a peripheral portion of the substrate transfer port and the door, a second space between the door and the cover of the substrate container, and a space between the peripheral portion of the substrate transfer port and the main body. The gas exhaust unit exhausts the first space and a second space. The purge gas, which has been supplied into the substrate container by the gas exhaust/purge unit, is supplied into the first and the second space by allowing the gas exhaust unit to exhaust the first and the second space.

The lid body side wafer support parts allow flexibility to be exhibited and supports the wafers. If a closed state substrate is defined as being a wafer which is stored in the substrate storing space in a container main body in a state wherein the container main body opening portion is closed by the lid body, and a closed time center is defined as being the center of a closed state substrate, the back side substrate support portion, when a closed state substrate is viewed in the thickness direction, are disposed in a pair about a depth direction reference line and support the wafer. A center angle which the back side substrate support portion form toward the depth direction with respect to a left/right direction reference line when a closed state substrate is viewed in the thickness direction is 20-55°.

The present invention provides a container opening/closing device for opening and closing a lid of a container. The container comprises a container body including an opening and the lid detachably attached to the opening. The device comprises an opening/closing mechanism including a holding portion for holding the lid and a pressing mechanism. The opening/closing mechanism opens and closes the opening by moving the holding portion between a closing position and an open position. The pressing mechanism presses a peripheral edge of the holding portion toward the container body when the opening/closing mechanism moves the lid from the open position to the closing position.

A substrate transport system includes a carrier having a housing forming an interior environment having an opening for holding at least one substrate and a door for sealing the opening from an outside atmosphere where when sealed the interior environment is configured to maintain an interior atmosphere therein, the housing including a fluid reservoir exterior to the interior environment and configured to contain a fluid, forming a different atmosphere in the fluid reservoir than the interior atmosphere, to form a fluidic barrier seal that seals the interior environment from an environment exterior to the carrier.

A door of a substrate container includes a latching mechanism for operating at least two latch members. The substrate container can be a front opening substrate container or a bottom opening substrate container. The latching mechanism can include a rotatable cam having a first rotational profile out of phase with a second rotational profile such that when the cam is rotated to operate the latch mechanism from the disengaged position to the engaged position, a first latch member engages a first corresponding slot in a door frame prior to a second latch member engaging a second corresponding opening provided in the door frame such that the latch members are operated in a staggered manner. This staggered latching configuration allows for the application of a load provided by the system to be used in the most efficient manner per latch arm or per set of latch arms.

A substrate storage container comprises a container body that stores substrates, a lid that closes an opening of the container body, locking mechanisms provided on the lid and locking with the locking portions of the container body, and packing interposed between the container body and the lid, wherein the packing includes a first packing attached to the container body and a second packing attached to the lid, and wherein the first packing and the second packing are located inside the container body from positions of the locking portions when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the closing direction of the lid. As a result, a substrate storage container with improved internal cleanliness can be provided while also improving the sealability with respect to internal negative pressure and positive pressure.

A method includes receiving, by a first loadlock chamber of the loadlock system, a first object from a factory interface via a first opening. The first object is transferred into the first loadlock chamber via a first robot arm. The factory interface is at a first state. The first loadlock chamber is configured to receive different types of objects. The method further includes sealing a first loadlock door against the first opening to create a first sealed environment at the first state in the first loadlock chamber and causing the first sealed environment of the first loadlock chamber to be changed to a second state. The method further includes actuating a second loadlock door to provide a second opening between the first loadlock chamber and a transfer chamber. The first object is to be transferred from the first loadlock chamber to the transfer chamber via a second robot arm.

A substrate processing system including a processing section arranged to hold a processing atmosphere therein, a carrier having a shell forming an internal volume for holding at least one substrate for transport to the processing section, the shell being configured to allow the internal volume to be pumped down to a predetermined vacuum pressure that is different than an exterior atmosphere outside the substrate processing system, and a load port communicably connected to the processing section to isolate the processing atmosphere from the exterior atmosphere, the load port being configured to couple with the carrier to pump down the internal volume of the carrier and to communicably connect the carrier to the processing section, for loading the substrate into the processing section through the load port.

An apparatus for storing and transporting semiconductor elements includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first front side wall, a first rear side wall, a top wall, and at least one pin holder integrally extending from the first rear side wall. The second portion includes a second front side wall, a second rear side wall, a bottom wall, and at least one pivotal pin structure integrally coupled with and extending from the second rear side wall. The at least one pivotal pin structure comprises a shaft, and a head connected with the shaft. The at least one pin holder defines a cavity sized and shaped to accept the head of the at least one pivotal pin structure. The first portion and the second portion are pivotally movable between an open configuration and a closed container configuration.

A method and apparatus for substrate processing and a cluster tool including a transfer chamber assembly and a plurality of processing assemblies. The transfer chamber assembly and processing assemblies may include processing platforms for ALD, CVD, PVD, etch, cleaning, implanting, heating, annealing, and/or polishing processes. Processing chamber volumes are sealed from the transfer chamber volume using a support chuck on which a substrate is disposed thereon. The support chuck is raised to form an isolation seal between the processing chamber volume and the transfer chamber volume using a bellows assembly and a chuck sealing surface.