A substrate loading device including a frame adapted to connect to a substrate processing apparatus, the frame having a transport opening through which substrates are transported to the processing apparatus, a cassette support connected to the frame for holding at least one substrate cassette container proximate the transport opening, the support configured so that a sealed internal atmosphere of the container is accessed from the support at predetermined access locations of the container, and the cassette support has a predetermined continuous steady state differential pressure plenum region, determined at least in part by boundaries of fluid flow generating differential pressure, so that the predetermined continuous steady state differential pressure plenum region defines a continuously steady state fluidic flow isolation barrier disposed on the support between the predetermined access locations of the container and another predetermined section of the support isolating the other predetermined section from the predetermined access locations.

An automated material handling system includes: at least one state detecting sensor disposed inside or outside the carrier to detect an internal state of the carrier including a degree of pollution in the carrier; a carrier interface to transmit a carrier state value; a carrier controller including a controller interface disposed on the plate to obtain a carrier state value by communicating with the carrier interface, and a carrier control unit configured to generate carrier management information including the carrier state value obtained through the controller interface and current location information of the carrier and output the carrier management information to a server; and a server configured to analyze an internal pollution state of the carrier based on the carrier management information provided by the carrier controller.

A substrate processing method includes supplying processing gas from a plurality of gas holes formed along a longitudinal direction of an injector, which extends in a vertical direction along an inner wall surface of a processing container and is rotatable around a rotational axis extending in the vertical direction, to perform a predetermined process on a substrate accommodated in the processing container. The predetermined process includes a plurality of operations, and a supply direction of the processing gas is changed by rotating the injector in accordance with the operations.

In an embodiment, the present invention discloses cleaned storage processes and systems for high level cleanliness articles, such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticle carriers. A decontamination chamber can be used to clean the stored workpieces. A purge gas system can be used to prevent contamination of the articles stored within the workpieces. A robot can be used to detect the condition of the storage compartment before delivering the workpiece. A monitor device can be used to monitor the conditions of the stocker.

A semiconductor processing system includes a first component and a second component. The first component forms a first chamber with a first sealed environment at a first state within the first chamber. The second component is coupled to the first component. The second component forms a second chamber with a second sealed environment at a second state within the second chamber. A third component is to change the first state of the first sealed environment within the first chamber to cause the first state to be substantially similar to the second state of the second sealed environment within the second chamber. The second sealed environment is at the second state prior to changing of the first state of the first sealed environment to be substantially similar to the second state.

Provided are a substrate storage apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus using the substrate storage apparatus. The substrate storage apparatus includes a housing having a loading/unloading port for loading/unloading of a substrate and configured to provide a loading space for a loaded substrate, a separation membrane coupled to the housing to divide the loading space into a plurality of separation spaces isolated from each other, a gas supplier configured to supply a purge gas into the loading space to clean the substrate, a gas discharger configured to discharge the purge gas accommodated in the loading space, and a controller configured to control supply and discharge of the purge gas for each of the plurality of separation spaces.

The present disclosure provides a load port device, a gas gate and a gas-providing method. The load port device includes a gas-providing nozzle and the gas gate. The gas-providing nozzle is used for providing gas to a wafer container. The gas gate includes a plurality of gas inlet ports, a gas-providing port and a controller. Each gas inlet port connects to a gas source. The gas-providing port connects to the gas-providing nozzle. The controller is configured to: select one of the plurality of gas inlet ports; and connect the selected gas inlet port to the gas-providing port.

A container storage facility including a container storage rack with a plurality of container placement sections and an inert gas supply device includes a sensor group constituted by a plurality of oxygen concentration sensors arranged in a distributed manner around the container storage rack; a diffusion fan capable of blowing air to an intended point in the container storage rack; and a controller. The controller divides an area of the container storage rack into a plurality of monitoring areas, estimates respective oxygen concentrations in the monitoring areas based on respective detection values of the oxygen concentration sensors constituting the sensor group, and, in response to any of the monitoring areas being a low oxygen concentration area in which the estimated oxygen concentration is lower than or equal to a predetermined determination threshold, operates the diffusion fan in such a manner as to blow air to the low oxygen concentration area.

Provided is a quick-release valve including: a quick-release member having a collar detachably coupled to a bottom opening of a base; and a sleeve having a flow passage for allowing a gas to enter or exit a substrate container. The collar has a pair of ear portions extending outward therefrom along a diameter direction and a handle extending outward therefrom along a radius direction. The ear portions are at a height substantially different from the handle.

Electronic device processing systems including an equipment front end module (EFEM) with at least one side storage pod are described. The side storage pod has a chamber including a storage container. The storage container includes at least a top substrate holder and a bottom substrate holder. In some embodiments, an exhaust port is located at a midpoint between the top substrate holder and the bottom substrate holder. A gas flow component is configured to provide a gas flow between the EFEM body and the storage container. A gas flow temperature component is configured to modify the temperature of the gas flow to a particular temperature.