Purge diffusers for use in systems for transporting substrates include: i) a purge diffuser core having an internal purge gas channel, one or more diffuser ports and an outer surface; ii) filter media secured to the outer surface of the purge diffuser core; and iii) a purge port connector for mounting the purge diffuser to a purge port of a substrate container for transporting substrates. The purge diffuser core may be a unitary article, may be formed by injection molding, and may include diverters internal to the internal purge gas channel.

Electronic device processing assemblies including an equipment front end module (EFEM) with at least one side storage pod attached thereto are described. The side storage pod has a side storage container. In some embodiments, an exhaust conduit extends between the chamber and a pod plenum that can contain a chemical filter proximate thereto. A supplemental fan may draw purge gas from the pod plenum through the chemical filter and route the gas through a return duct to an upper plenum of the EFEM. Methods and side storage pods in accordance with these and other embodiments are also disclosed.

Substrate loading device including a frame adapted to connect the substrate loading device to a substrate processing apparatus, the frame having a transport opening through which substrates are transported between the substrate loading device and the substrate processing apparatus, a cassette support connected to the frame for holding at least one substrate cassette container for transfer of substrates to and from the at least one substrate cassette container through the transport opening, and selectably variable cassette support purge ports with a variable purge port nozzle outlet, variable between more than one selectable predetermined purge port nozzle characteristics, disposed on the cassette support, each of the more than one purge port nozzle characteristics being configured so that the purge port nozzle outlet with each selected predetermined purge port nozzle characteristic complements and couples to at least one purge port of the at least one substrate cassette container.

A wafer stocker is capable of further improving an environment around wafers. The wafer stocker includes a housing, a loading device provided on a front surface of the housing, a wafer cassette shelf arranged in the housing, a wafer transfer robot configured to move the wafers from a transfer container mounted on the loading device to a wafer cassette in the wafer cassette shelf, a wafer cassette delivery device configured to move the wafer cassette in the wafer cassette shelf to a stage having a different height, and a fan filter unit configured to generate a laminar flow in a wafer transfer space and in a wafer cassette transfer space.

The present invention disclosed herein relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus that performs substrate processing through a pressure change between a high pressure and a low pressure. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber (100) comprising a chamber body (110) which has an opened upper portion and in which a through-hole (150) is defined in a bottom surface thereof, and a top lid (140) coupled to the upper portion of the chamber body (110) to define an inner space (S1); a substrate support (200) comprising a substrate support plate (210) which is installed in the process chamber (100) and on which a substrate (1) is seated on a top surface thereof, and a substrate support shaft (220) installed to pass through the through-hole (150) so as to support the substrate support plate (210).

The present invention disclosed herein relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus that performs substrate processing through a pressure change between a high pressure and a low pressure. The present invention discloses a substrate processing apparatus including; a process chamber (100) comprising a chamber body (110) which has an opened upper portion, in which an installation groove (130) is defined at a central side of a bottom surface (120) thereof, and which comprises a gate (111) for loading/unloading a substrate (1) is disposed at one side thereof and a top lid (140) coupled to the upper portion of the chamber body (110) to define an inner space, a substrate support (200) installed to be inserted into the installation groove (130) of the chamber body (110) and having a top surface on which the substrate (1) is seated.

Substrate containers include purge flow distribution systems. The purge flow distribution systems can divide one or more input flows of purge gas to a plurality of gas distribution surfaces of a network of gas distribution devices. Methods of controlling purge can include configuring the substrate containers to provide determined purge gas flow rates at each of the gas distribution surfaces. The configuration can be performed using flow controls of the purge flow distribution systems. The purge gas flow rates can be determined based on purge performance parameters. A controller can direct the operation of the purge flow distribution systems. The controller and the substrate container can be combined in a substrate container purging system.

A substrate container includes a shell defining an interior space and a purge flow distribution system. The shell includes a front opening, a bottom wall, and a rear wall. The purge flow distribution system receives a stream of purge gas and includes an inlet and a network of separate gas distributing devices configured to distribute the stream of purge gas into the interior space. A supply line is also included that is connected to the inlet and configured to divide the supply of purge gas to the network of separate gas distributing devices. A method of purging an open substrate container includes supplying a stream of purge gas to an inlet of a purge flow distribution system and dividing the purge gas to supply a network of separate gas distributing devices to distribute the stream of purge gas into the interior space.

An EFEM is provided with a circulation path including a substrate transfer space formed inside a housing and a return path configured to return gas flowing from one side to the other side of the substrate transfer space, the EFEM including: a partition wall configured to separate the substrate transfer space and the return path; a capture part provided in the return path having a higher pressure than the substrate transfer space in a state in which the gas circulates through the circulation path, and configured to capture particles contained in the gas flowing through the return path; and a connecting pipe configured to guide the gas flowing inside a predetermined device arranged in the substrate transfer space to the return path, wherein the connecting pipe is connected to the return path on an upstream side of the capture part in a gas flow direction.

A load port of a factory interface of an electronic device manufacturing system can include a purge apparats, a docking tray configured to receive a substrate carrier including a substrate carrier door and a substrate carrier housing, a backplane located adjacent to the docking tray, and a carrier door configured to seal an opening in the backplane when the carrier door opener is closed. The carrier door opener can include an inlet gas line therethrough that is coupled to one or more components of the purge apparatus. The load port can also include a controller that is configured to detect that the substrate carrier is placed in a docking position on the docking tray. The substrate carrier placed in the docking position on the docking tray can form a gap between the substrate carrier housing and the backplane. The controller can also purge a space between the carrier door and the carrier housing and/or an area between the carrier door and the carrier door opener via the inlet gas line and the gap between the substrate carrier housing and the backplane. The controller can cause the purge apparatus to stop the purge and close the gap between the substrate carrier housing and the backplane.