A reticle pod includes an outer portion that includes a pod door and a pod dome, and an inner portion including a baseplate and a cover. One of the baseplate or the cover includes a reticle compartment wall extending towards the other of the baseplate or cover. The reticle compartment wall includes one or more retaining features. The pod door or the pod dome includes one or more actuating surfaces configured to contact the retaining features. The retaining features are configured to be moved by contact with the actuating surfaces. The retaining features may be in a position configured to secure a reticle within the inner portion of the reticle pod when the reticle pod is assembled by joining the baseplate and the cover, placing the joined baseplate and cover within the pod dome, and securing the pod door to the pod dome.

A clamping device, a storage system and an operating method for an EUV reticle stocker are provided. The required space for storing EUV reticles is significantly reduced while ensuring a high quality storage environment for the stored EUV reticles. A stocker for storing EUV reticles is also provided.

A reticle pod includes an inner portion that includes a cover and a baseplate, and an outer portion including a pod dome and a pod door. The pod door includes a latch, and one or more movable posts that may be driven to move when the latch is operated. The baseplate includes movable reticle contacts that may be contacted by the movable posts. Contact between the movable posts and the movable reticle contacts moves the movable reticle contacts in the baseplate towards the cover. This movement can secure the reticle within the reticle pod.

A substrate housing container (1) includes (i) a container body (10) having one end that is provided with an opening (11) and another end that is provided with a mount element (12) on which substrates (W) are stacked, the mount element 12 facing the opening (11), and (ii) a cover (20) to cover the opening (11), wherein the cover (20) includes a lid portion (21) to cover the opening (11) and at least two holding members (22) disposed on the lid portion (21), the holding members (22) being configured to swing in a central direction of the lid portion (21) and to press outer sides of the substrates (W) accommodated in the container body (10) with the substrates (W) stacked, the container body (10) has guide grooves (13) to make tips (22a) of the holding members (22) move from an outer side of the mount element (12) to an inner sides of the mount element (12) to guide the tips (22a) of the holding members (22) to positions at which the holding members (22) press the outer sides of the substrates (W), and the guide grooves (13) are formed as a dent on surfaces of the mount element (12).

A first lift pin holder assembly includes a base portion and a stem portion including a ball lock mechanism to hold a lift pin. A second lift pin holder assembly includes a base portion and a stem portion including a fork lock mechanism to hold a lift pin. A slotted ring with coin-slot type slots is arranged on abase of a substrate support assembly. A plurality of the first or second lift pin holder assemblies are retained in the slots using retainers that surround the base portions of the lift pin holder assemblies. Each slot includes an aperture in which a T-shaped retainer is inserted. The top portion of the T-shaped retainer prevents the retainer and the lift pin holder assembly from sliding out of the slot. The lift pin, the lift pin holder assemblies, the retainers, the T-shaped retainer, and the slotted ring are made of ceramic materials.

A semiconductor manufacturing equipment has an outer case housing including a lower case extension to support a semiconductor panel. The lower case extension is fixed in position within the outer case housing. An inner case housing having an upper case extension is disposed within the outer case housing in proximity to the lower case extension. A mechanism draws the upper case extension toward the lower case extension and locks the semiconductor panel in place between the upper case extension and lower case extension. The mechanism has a cam assembly disposed above the inner case housing and operatable with a handle to rotate the cam assembly and apply pressure to the inner case housing and upper case extension to lock the semiconductor panel in place between the upper case extension and lower case extension. A spring or other elastic mechanism is disposed under the inner case housing to load the pressure.

A reticle pod includes an outer pod, an inner pod cover and an inner base plate. A reticle is supported on the base and is contained within the environment created by the inner pod cover and the inner pod base. The inner pod cover can include a plurality of reticle retainers configured to contact a side wall of the reticle and limit movement of the reticle in a horizontal direction.

A semiconductor manufacturing equipment has an outer case housing including a lower case extension to support a semiconductor panel. The lower case extension is fixed in position within the outer case housing. An inner case housing having an upper case extension is disposed within the outer case housing in proximity to the lower case extension. A mechanism draws the upper case extension toward the lower case extension and locks the semiconductor panel in place between the upper case extension and lower case extension. The mechanism has a cam assembly disposed above the inner case housing and operatable with a handle to rotate the cam assembly and apply pressure to the inner case housing and upper case extension to lock the semiconductor panel in place between the upper case extension and lower case extension. A spring or other elastic mechanism is disposed under the inner case housing to load the pressure.

Wafer cushions for use in wafer carriers include spring beams that include a first arm extending from the frame of the wafer cushion in a first direction and a second arm extending from the first arm in a second direction, and a wafer contact at the end of the second arm opposite where the second arm is joined to the first arm. The wafer cushion may contact a substrate within the wafer carrier only at the wafer contacts during normal conditions. The substrate may also contact secondary contact points on the second arm when a shock event occurs. The wafer contact can be v-groove style wafer contact. The wafer contact may include a contact surface having a convex surface where it is configured to contact the wafer.

Provided is a substrate storing container in which a latching mechanism includes an engagement latch 32, an engagement latch lifting/lowering cam 35 that causes the engagement latch 32 to advance to and retreat from an engagement concave portion and causes the engagement latch 32 in the engagement concave portion to move toward/away from the other end portion of a container main body by advancing and retreating in a direction in which the engagement latch 32 advances and retreats, and a rotating cam 31, and the engagement latch lifting/lowering cam 35 includes an engagement latch connection portion 357 that causes the engagement latch 32 to be engaged with the engagement concave portion and thereafter causes the engagement latch 32 to approach the other end portion of the container main body by moving in a direction in which the engagement latch 32 approaches the engagement concave portion.