A reticle pod with backside static dissipation has an inner pod defining an accommodation space for a reticle. Multiple flexible guiding components are correspondingly disposed on multiple outer mounting portions of the inner pod in order to guide an inner cover and an inner base of the inner pod to position without relative displacement. Multiple conductive retainers are correspondingly arranged in the accommodation space to push against a backside of the reticle and form a full-time electrical conduction with the back side of the reticle, so as to establish a static dissipation path by the conductive retainers and the inner pod. Meanwhile, with the conductive retainers pushing against the reticle as well as the flexible guiding components providing the inner cover and the inner base with automatic position guiding, the reticle is automatically pushed and positioned to a center position of the inner base.

Apparatuses including substrate container attachment interfaces and substrate container adapters are provided. The substrate container attachment interfaces and substrate container adapters include at least one engagement feature configured to engage with a projection or recess provided in a substrate container. Adapters can include a cassette configured to be attached to, or integrally formed including the substrate container attachment interfaces. The substrate container attachment interfaces can attach to side columns provided in substrate containers. The substrate container attachment interfaces can include or be joined to environmental adjustment packs and/or sensors. The adapters can be configured to be at predetermined heights, and the predetermined heights can be selected based on interactions with automated handling.

A substrate storing container includes a lid body side substrate support portion. The lid body side substrate support portion has support flat surfaces respectively configured to contact with peripheral surfaces of the edge portions of the plurality of substrates so as to support the substrates, and the support flat surfaces that contact with the peripheral surfaces of the edge portions of adjacent ones of the plurality of substrates have overlap portions adjacent to each other in a direction parallel to upper surfaces of the substrates.

A substrate container includes a shell defining an interior space and a manifold with an inlet and a gas distributing surface. The shell includes a front opening, a bottom wall, and a rear wall. The manifold is attached to the bottom wall and is closer to the front opening than the rear wall. The gas distributing surface is configured to distribute purge gas into the interior space. A method of purging an open substrate container includes supplying a first stream of purge gas to a manifold and supplying a second stream of purge gas to an interior space of the substrate container. The method also including the manifold distributing the purge gas of the first stream within the interior space of the substrate container.

A load port control unit performs an opening operation of a sealable container according to a first operation procedure when a sensor has detected a normal placement of the sealable container, and retries the opening operation according to a second operation procedure for being able to more reliably perform the opening operation of the sealable container, to prevent a transfer device from stopping, when the sensor has detected a placement abnormality of the sealable container.

A semiconductor manufacturing system is provided. The system includes a semiconductor process tool. The semiconductor process tool includes a load port including a plurality of positioning pins positioned on a top surface thereof. The system further includes a cleaning device used to be positioned on the load port. The cleaning device include a housing, a gas driving member, and a number of gas guides. The housing has a lower plate. The gas driving member is positioned in the housing. The gas guides are positioned on the lower plate of the housing and fluidly connected to the gas driving member. When the cleaning device is positioned on the load port, each of the positioning pins of the load port is covered by and surrounded by the lower opening of one of the gas guides.

A filter module includes an interface body and a filter retention body. A filter can be disposed between the filter retention body and a filter retainer joined to the filter retention body. The filter retention body can further include a valve. The filter retainer can be joined to the filter retention body by a snap fit, a press-fit, or a weld. The filter retainer can include stand-offs configured to contact the filter such that the filter is held away from the filter grill. The filter module can be used for providing purge in a wafer container such as a front opening unified pod (FOUP).

A semiconductor workpiece transport pod includes: a lower container, having a top opening; an upper cover, having at least one lateral surrounding groove; and at least one airtight strip, having a base and at least one skirt, the base accommodated in the lateral surrounding groove, the skirt connected to the base and extending outward. When the upper cover is joined with the top opening of the lower container, the skirt of the airtight strip is elastically bent and presses tightly against an inner sidewall of the lower container to form airtightness.