To provide a transfer chamber capable of replacing a chemical filter without affecting an internal atmosphere, and shortening or eliminating stop time of a transfer process of a wafer (W) associated with replacement of the chemical filter. The transfer chamber transfers the wafer (W) to or from a processing device (6) by using a transfer robot (2) provided thereinside, and includes a circulation path (CL1) formed inside of a transfer chamber (1) to circulate gas, a chemical filter unit (7) provided in the midstream of the circulation path (CL1), and a connecting and disconnecting means (8) which switches connection and disconnection of the chemical filter unit (7) to and from the circulation path (CL1).

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing equipment. A control system includes a sensor unit capturing a set of data related to a gas pressure in the equipment, a sensor interface receiving the set of data and generating at least one input signal for a database server, and a control unit. The control unit includes a front end subsystem, a calculation subsystem, and a message and feedback subsystem. The front end subsystem performs a front end process to generate a data signal. The calculation subsystem performs an artificial intelligence analytical process to determine, according to the data signal, whether a malfunction related to the gas pressure has occurred and generate an output signal. The message and feedback subsystem generates an alert signal and a feedback signal according to the output signal and transmits the alert signal to a user.

To provide a transfer chamber capable of replacing a chemical filter without affecting an internal atmosphere, and shortening or eliminating stop time of a transfer process of a wafer (W) associated with replacement of the chemical filter.

The transfer chamber transfers the wafer (W) to or from a processing device (6) by using a transfer robot (2) provided thereinside, and includes a circulation path (CL1) formed inside of a transfer chamber (1) to circulate gas, a chemical filter unit (7) provided in the midstream of the circulation path (CL1), and a connecting and disconnecting means (8) which switches connection and disconnection of the chemical filter unit (7) to and from the circulation path (CL1).

To provide a transfer chamber capable of replacing a chemical filter without affecting an internal atmosphere, and shortening or eliminating stop time of a transfer process of a wafer (W) associated with replacement of the chemical filter. The transfer chamber transfers the wafer (W) to or from a processing device (6) by using a transfer robot (2) provided thereinside, and includes a circulation path (CL1) formed inside of a transfer chamber (1) to circulate gas, a chemical filter unit (7) provided in the midstream of the circulation path (CL1), and a connecting and disconnecting means (8) which switches connection and disconnection of the chemical filter unit (7) to and from the circulation path (CL1).

An equipment front end module, including: an equipment front end module chamber. An upper plenum at a top of the equipment front end module and including an opening into the equipment front end module chamber. A plurality of return ducts that are coupled between a bottom of the equipment front end module chamber and the upper plenum, the plurality of return ducts providing a return gas flow path enabling recirculation of gas from the equipment front end module chamber to the upper plenum.

A substrate accommodating container that accommodates a substrate includes a monitor installed inside the substrate accommodating container so as to detect a contamination state inside the substrate accommodating container, wherein the contamination state inside the substrate accommodating container is detected.

A method for storage a workpiece used in fabrication of a semiconductor device includes disposing the workpiece on a workpiece carrier, disposing the workpiece carrier with the workpiece in a workpiece container via a workpiece storage system, identifying a content of the workpiece container, and adjusting a storage condition inside the workpiece container in response to the content of the workpiece container via the workpiece storage system.

An article storage facility is disclosed which has a relatively high article storage efficiency and which can reduce the possibility of degradation, etc., of articles that may occur within a storage structure. The article storage facility includes: a storage structure; a first support station provided inside the storage structure and configured to support a storage container; a second support station configured to support a transporting container; and an article transfer device. A transporting container is a container that is used to transport articles outside the storage structure whereas a storage container is a container that is used to transport and store articles inside the storage structure, and is configured to hold a plurality of articles with greater holding efficiency than a transporting container. The article transfer device is configured to transfer articles, one or more articles at a time, between a storage container placed on the first support station and a transporting container placed on the second support station.

Provided is an exhaust system of a wafer treatment device, and the main purpose thereof is to prevent secondary contamination of a wafer by not allowing foreign substances such as process gases and fumes and the like floating in the wafer treatment device to make contact with the wafer in a side storage. The wafer treatment device comprises: a cleaning device for removing foreign substances remaining on a wafer; and an exhaust device comprising first and second main bodies at the lower side of a main body of the wafer treatment device. By not allowing foreign substances such as process gases and fumes and the like floating in the wafer treatment device to make contact with a wafer in a side storage, secondary contamination of the wafer is prevented.

A load port system includes an isolation compartment coupled to an equipment front end module (EFEM). Reactive gas is to be removed from the isolation compartment. The load port system further includes an elevator disposed in the isolation compartment. The elevator is coupled to an elevator arm that extends from the isolation compartment into the EFEM through an opening to raise and lower a carrier opener within the EFEM.