Device and method for drying and / or cleaning can-shaped hollow bodies, in particular transport containers for semiconductor wafers or for EUV lithography masks

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10) for drying and / or cleaning pot-shaped hollow bodies (12), in particular transport containers for semiconductor wafers or EUV lithography masks, in which the hollow body (12) has a hollow body wall (14) forming an inner hollow body surface (16), which delimits an inner hollow body space (17), and a hollow body opening (18) surrounded by the hollow body wall (14), the invention relates to a device (10) for cleaning a hollow body wall (14) having an opening through which the interior hollow body space (17) can be accessed, the device (10) comprising a first holding device (30), by means of which the device (10) can interact with the hollow body wall (14) in a holding manner, an evacuating device (60) for applying a vacuum in the interior hollow body space (17) and / or a conveying device (66) for conveying a flushing fluid through the interior hollow body space (17), and a displacement member (48) accessible through the hollow body opening (18) into the inner hollow body space (17). The invention also relates to a corresponding method for drying and / or cleaning can-shaped hollow bodies (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a device and a method for drying and / or cleaning pot-shaped hollow bodies, in particular transport containers for semiconductor wafers or for EUV lithography masks. Background Art

[0002] Today, the manufacture of highly integrated electronic circuits and other sensitive semiconductor components takes place in factories where so-called semiconductor wafers undergo a large number of processing steps. A large part of these processing steps takes place in clean rooms, which require great efforts to remain free of contaminants, especially particles. This complex handling is necessary because particles that come into contact with the semiconductor material of the semiconductor wafers can affect, among other things, the material properties of the semiconductor wafers, rendering entire production batches defective and unusable and having to be scrapped.

[0003] Since the efforts to maintain cleanliness increase exponentially with the increase in the integration density of semiconductor circuits and the size of clean rooms, it becomes increasingly important to maintain cleanliness. Semiconductor wafers are not transported from one processing station to the next in an "open" state. Instead, special transport containers are used (so-called FOUPs, front-opening unpacking boxes). They are understood to be box-shaped transport containers, into which a large number of semiconductor wafers are inserted. FOUPs are usually closed by a removable lid. Without a lid, the FOUP has a basic shape of a can with a rectangular bottom surface. When the FOUP is closed by its lid, the inserted semiconductor wafers can be transported from one clean room to another clean room protected from environmental influences. When the FOUPs arrive at the processing stations, they are opened, the semiconductor wafers are removed and processed accordingly. After the processing is completed, the semiconductor wafers are transported back to the FOUP and then conveyed to the next processing station.

[0004] Due to the high production losses caused by semiconductor wafer contamination, it is necessary to clean the FOUP from time to time with a cleaning fluid. The FOUP is particularly contaminated by semiconductor wafer wear debris when it is introduced into and removed from the FOUP.

[0005] The same applies to shipping containers for EUV lithography (“extreme ultraviolet radiation”) masks. EUV lithography masks are used to manufacture very small integrated circuits. As with semiconductors, EUV lithography masks also have to be transported and similar situations arise. When we talk about FOUPs below, this also applies to shipping containers for EUV lithography masks.

[0006] Devices for cleaning FOUPs are known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,238,703 A, US 2002 / 0046760 A1, US 2003 / 0102015 A1, WO 2005 / 00188 A2 and EP 1 899 084 B1.

[0007] Using this cleaning device, both the inner and outer surfaces of a FOUP can be cleaned. The outer surface of a FOUP is usually more contaminated than the inner surface. Therefore, during the cleaning process, the cleaning fluid accumulates particles originating from the outer surface and particles originating from the inner surface. Therefore, particles can be transferred from the outer surface to the inner surface. However, a satisfactory cleaning result can only be achieved when the number of particles drops below a certain value. Due to the particles from the outer surface, the cleaning procedure must be carried out for a correspondingly longer time in order to be able to remove a sufficient part of the particles.

[0008] Once the cleaning procedure has been completed, a vacuum acting on the outer and / or inner surfaces can be applied. Applying a sufficiently large vacuum serves to remove residues of the cleaning fluid which remain on the surface of the hollow body and the cover as a result of the cleaning of the hollow body in the cleaning device. Due to capillary action, moisture also diffuses into microscopic pores on the surface of the hollow body and the cover. This moisture can likewise be removed by the vacuum, so that drying can also be performed on a microscopic level. However, applying a sufficiently large vacuum is a relatively energy-intensive and arduous procedure, whereby the cleaning procedure becomes more expensive and time-consuming. Summary of the invention

[0009] The object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a device for drying and / or cleaning can-shaped hollow bodies, in particular transport containers for semiconductor wafers or EUV lithography masks, by which a remedy for the above-mentioned disadvantages can be provided in a simple and inexpensive manner, in particular an inexpensive and time-saving drying can be achieved compared to the processes known from the prior art. Furthermore, it is a basic object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide a method for operating such a device.

[0010] This object is achieved by the features specified in claims 1 and 10. Advantageous embodiments are subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0011] One embodiment of the invention relates to a device for drying and / or cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body, in particular a transport container for semiconductor wafers or EUV lithography masks, wherein the hollow body comprises:

[0012] - a hollow body wall forming an inner hollow body surface comprising the inner hollow body space; and

[0013] - having a hollow body opening surrounded by a hollow body wall, through which the interior hollow body space is accessible;

[0014] The device comprises:

[0015] - a first holding device, by means of which the device can interact with the hollow body in a holding manner;

[0016] o an evacuation device for applying a vacuum in the interior hollow body space; and / or

[0017] o a delivery device for delivering an irrigation fluid through the interior hollow body space; and

[0018] A displacement member, which can be introduced through the hollow body opening or introduced into the inner hollow body space.

[0019] The first holding means serves to position the hollow body within the device during application of a vacuum and / or during delivery of irrigation fluid through the inner hollow body space. In the simplest case, the first holding means may be a support surface.

[0020] A displacement member can be understood as a member that occupies a certain volume, which is not or largely not flowable for a certain fluid. The displacement member does not necessarily have to be solid here and can flow through a different fluid that is guided separately from the specific fluid.

[0021] The displacement member is arranged so that it protrudes into the inner hollow body space. With the help of the displacement member, the volume to be vacuumed is reduced. As a result, the time to reach the required vacuum is shortened, thereby speeding up the entire drying process, in particular the drying process of the inner hollow body surface. At the same time, the energy required to apply the required pressure is reduced.

[0022] The delivery of the flushing fluid can be carried out alternately or cumulatively with the application of the vacuum using the same device. For example, nitrogen can be used as a flushing fluid. However, the so-called AMC (airborne molecular contamination) is eliminated by vaporizing the inner hollow body surface with the help of the flushing fluid. Such AMC are in particular fluorine, metals and free radicals. The use of the displacement member reduces the volume of the required flushing fluid. In addition, the flushing fluid can be induced to flow through the inner hollow body space by the displacement member, thereby ensuring that the flushing fluid can also reach surfaces that are difficult to access and may form blind spots. Therefore, the above-mentioned vaporization process can be carried out effectively and thoroughly.

[0023] At this point it must be pointed out again that the device can be used both for vacuum drying and for cleaning with flushing fluid. To this end, the device only has to be connected to the corresponding unit, for example to the evacuation device or to the flushing fluid reservoir. In this respect, the evacuation device can also simultaneously take over the function of the delivery device and vice versa, so that different units are not required. After the drying process has been completed using the corresponding automatic valve connection, the cleaning process can be continued without any real-time losses.

[0024] According to another embodiment, the displacement member can have a passage hole, which opens into the inner hollow body area when the displacement member is introduced into the inner hollow body space, and through which a flushing fluid can be conveyed to the inner hollow body area and / or through which a vacuum can be applied in the inner hollow body space. In this embodiment, the valve body also serves to supply flushing fluid into the inner hollow space. As a result, a targeted flow of flushing fluid can be generated in the inner hollow body space in a simple manner, so that the cleaning effect can be improved.

[0025] In a further developed embodiment, the device may have a device wall, and the displacement member may be releasably connected to the device wall or may be formed integrally with the device wall.

[0026] In case the displacement member is releasably connected to the device wall, it can be replaced with another displacement member in case of any damage without any major effort. It is also possible to connect displacement members of different shapes to the device wall. Thus, a given device can be quickly converted to hollow bodies of different shapes, thereby increasing the flexibility of the device.

[0027] In case the displacement member is formed in one part with the device wall, mass production of the device can be simplified since one component can be saved. In addition, a connection step is omitted.

[0028] In a further developed embodiment, the device wall may have a first wall portion and a second wall portion, which are releasably connected to each other and surround the internal device space in the connected state, wherein the first retaining device includes a retaining surface, and the first wall portion forms a retaining surface that at least partially defines the internal device space. The retaining surface is used to support the hollow body. Since the retaining surface at least partially defines the internal device space, the retaining surface faces the internal device space. Therefore, when the hollow body is placed on the retaining surface, the hollow body is arranged in the internal device space. When the first wall portion and the second wall portion are connected to each other, the internal device space is a closed space. Since the first wall portion and the second wall portion can be released from each other, the hollow body can be introduced into the internal device space and removed from the internal device space without any problem. The device wall protects the hollow body from external influences here, especially during drying and cleaning. It is also possible that if this seems reasonable, the retaining surface is formed by the second wall portion.

[0029] In another embodiment, the hollow body wall can form the outer hollow body surface and the device can have at least one fluid conducting device, by which the flushing fluid can be conducted from the inner hollow body space to the outer hollow body space and / or by which a vacuum can be applied in the inner hollow body area and / or the inner device space.

[0030] As mentioned above, the semiconductor wafer is arranged in a mainly closed internal hollow body space. Therefore, due to the close space, the contaminants of the semiconductor wafer are mainly caused by the contaminants originating from the internal hollow body surface. Therefore, cleaning the internal hollow body surface is more important than cleaning the external hollow body surface. However, the external hollow body surface is usually more polluted than the internal hollow body surface. Since particles can move to the internal hollow body space and move from there to the semiconductor wafer with an open hollow body, cleaning the external hollow body space also helps to reduce the number of defective semiconductor wafers. In this embodiment, the external hollow body surface can also be dried by applying a vacuum and / or cleaned with a corresponding flushing fluid. Both measures help to reduce the dirt on the outer hollow body surface.

[0031] As mentioned above, the inner hollow body surface is usually less contaminated than the outer hollow body surface. In this embodiment, the flushing fluid is first conducted from the fluid conducting device to the inner hollow body surface and then to the outer hollow body surface. As a result, the flushing fluid first flows over the less contaminated surface and then flows to the more contaminated surface. As a result, it is prevented that the flushing fluid, which is highly loaded with particles, flows over relatively lightly contaminated surfaces, which are less effectively cleaned or even contaminated.

[0032] A further developed embodiment is characterized in that the hollow body has a cover, by which the hollow body opening can be closed, and the device has a second holding device, by which the cover can be releasably fastened to the device wall. As described above, the FOUP can be closed with a detachable cover. In this embodiment, the cover can also be dried and cleaned in the present device. A corresponding separate process only for the cover is omitted.

[0033] According to another embodiment, the cover may have an inner cover surface and an outer cover surface, and the device may comprise a gripping and moving device by which the cover may be connected to the second holding device such that the outer cover surface faces the outer hollow body surface.

[0034] The simultaneous cleaning of the hollow body and the cover requires that they be separated before being introduced into the device. The introduction of the device is carried out separately. In the clamping and moving devices known in the prior art that are suitable for such treatment, there will be a situation where the inner cover surface of the cover separated from the hollow body faces the outer hollow body surface. For example, due to the above reasons, people strive to make the volume of the internal device space as small as possible, so the distance between the outer hollow body surface and the inner cover surface is usually not particularly large. Therefore, due to the contamination of the outer hollow body space, the heavy-loaded flushing fluid will also flow through the inner cover surface, making it difficult to clean effectively and may even be contaminated. The flushing fluid must be supplied for a long time accordingly. Since the cover is arranged in the internal device space in this embodiment so that the outer cover surface faces the outer hollow body surface, this situation is avoided and the cleaning process is accelerated. It can be assumed here that the filling amount of the flushing fluid increases as the distance from the surface to be cleaned decreases.

[0035] In another embodiment, it is suitable to arrange at least one rectifier in the inner device space, by means of which the flow of the flushing fluid can be guided in the inner device area. The rectifier can include a plurality of baffles and / or partition walls. The flow of the flushing fluid can be guided so that the flushing fluid with a higher load does not flow on the inner cover surface or flows only to a small extent. The above-mentioned situation is avoided, that is, the flushing fluid with a higher load flows through the relatively clean inner cover surface and may even contaminate it instead of cleaning it.

[0036] A further developed embodiment is characterized in that the hollow body wall forms an edge surface around the hollow body opening, and the first holding device comprises a locking device by means of which the hollow body can be connected sealingly to the edge surface and releasably to the holding surface. During the drying and cleaning process, the hollow body is clearly fixed and positioned by using the locking device, so that the required flow rate can be ensured. The edge surface separates the inner hollow body surface from the outer hollow body surface. Since the edge surface of the hollow body lies sealingly on the holding surface, the flushing fluid is prevented from flowing from the inner hollow body space to the outer hollow body space or vice versa in an uncontrolled manner. In addition, a vacuum can only be applied permanently in the inner hollow body space.

[0037] Another embodiment is characterized in that the displacement member surrounds a hollow space accessible through the passage opening and in that a heating device is arranged in the hollow space, by means of which the hollow body can be heated for drying. The heating device serves to heat the hollow body after cleaning in order to support the drying process. Since the displacement member is introduced into the inner hollow body space, the distance between the heating device and the hollow body wall is small, so that effective heating can be achieved. Since the hollow space is open, atmospheric pressure is present in the hollow space. Therefore, it is not necessary to take special measures to protect the heating device from the effects of a vacuum. Furthermore, the heating device is easily accessible through the passage opening and can therefore be assembled and serviced without taking special measures.

[0038] A further developed embodiment may provide that the heating device comprises a plurality of infrared diodes, the displacement member consisting of or comprising a material which is transparent to infrared radiation. The advantage of infrared diodes is that they generate infrared radiation within a strictly limited frequency range which can be optimized for the cleaning fluid used. Some infrared diodes can generate infrared radiation by which the cleaning fluid is heated; other infrared diodes can generate infrared radiation by which the hollow body wall is heated. Residues of the cleaning fluid which still remain on the inner hollow body surface or on the outer hollow body surface are heated very effectively and thus eliminated in interaction with the vacuum.

[0039] One embodiment of the invention relates to a method for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body, in particular a transport container for semiconductor wafers or EUV lithography masks, using a device according to one of the preceding claims, the method comprising the following steps:

[0040] - Maintaining the interaction of the hollow body walls by means of a first retaining device;

[0041] - introducing a displacement member into the inner hollow body space; and

[0042] - applying a vacuum in the inner hollow body space by means of an evacuation device; and / or

[0043] - delivering irrigation fluid through the interior hollow body space by means of the delivery device.

[0044] The technical effects and advantages that can be achieved with the method proposed according to the invention correspond to those discussed for the present device. In summary, it must be pointed out that with the help of the displacement member, the volume of the vacuum generated is reduced. As a result, the time to reach the required vacuum is shortened, which speeds up the entire drying process, in particular the drying process of the internal hollow body surfaces. At the same time, the energy required to apply the required pressure is reduced. For the same reason, the volume of flushing fluid required for cleaning the internal hollow body surfaces is also kept small. Here, it seems advisable to carry out the cleaning after the drying process.

[0045] In another embodiment, it can be provided that the hollow body has a cover with an inner cover surface and an outer cover surface, by which the hollow body opening can be closed. The device here has a device wall, a second holding device, and a gripping and moving device, by which the cover is releasably fastened to the device wall, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0046] - releasably fastening the cover by means of the second holding means using the clamping and moving means such that the outer cover surface faces the outer hollow body surface.

[0047] In the case where the inner cover surface faces the outer hollow body surface, due to contamination of the outer hollow body space, a high load of flushing fluid will also flow through the inner cover surface, so that the inner cover surface can hardly be cleaned effectively or may even be contaminated. Since in the present embodiment, the cover is arranged in the inner device space so that the outer cover surface faces the outer hollow body surface, this situation is avoided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown below:

[0049] Figures 1A-1F : different steps of operating the device according to the first embodiment of the invention;

[0050] Figure 2 : A second embodiment of the device according to the invention;

[0051] Figure 3 : A third embodiment of the device according to the invention;

[0052] Figure 4 : A fourth embodiment of the device according to the invention;

[0053] Figure 5A : A cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of the device according to the invention;

[0054] Figure 5B : Figure 5A A plan view of the displacement member shown;

[0055] Fig. 6A : a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the device according to the invention; and

[0056] Figure 6B : Schematic cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of the device according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] Figure 1E and 1F1 shows a first embodiment of a device 101 according to the invention for drying and / or cleaning a can-shaped hollow body 12, in particular a transport container for semiconductor wafers or EUV lithography masks. The can-shaped hollow body 12, also called a FOUP, such as Figure 1E and 1F 1 and 2, and to which reference will be made hereinafter. The hollow body 12 comprises a hollow body wall 14, which forms an inner hollow body surface 16, which delimits an inner hollow body space 17. The hollow body 12 also has a hollow body opening 18, which is surrounded by the hollow body wall 14 and through which the inner hollow body space 17 can be accessed, for example to fill the hollow body 13 with a semiconductor wafer. The hollow body wall 14 forms an edge surface 20 around the hollow body opening 18.

[0058] The hollow body 12 also has an outer hollow body surface 22. The edge surface 20 separates the outer hollow body surface 22 from the inner hollow body surface 16.

[0059] The hollow body opening 18 can be closed by a cover 24, such as Figure 1E and 1F The cover 24 forms an inner cover surface 26 and an outer cover surface 28. The connection here relates to a state not shown in the figures, in which the hollow body opening 18 is closed by the cover 24. The inner cover surface 26 then faces the inner hollow body space 17 and the outer cover surface 28 faces the outside.

[0060] The device 101 has a first holding device 30 capable of interacting with the hollow body 12. In the embodiment shown, the first holding device 30 comprises a holding surface 32 on which the edge surface 20 of the hollow body 12 can be placed. The first holding device 30 also comprises a locking device 33 by which the hollow space 12 can be sealingly connected to the edge surface 20 and releasably connected to the holding surface 32.

[0061] In the embodiment shown, the holding surface 32 is formed by a device wall 34, which in turn comprises a first wall portion 36 and a second wall portion 38. The first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 can be connected to each other and separated from each other again. In this case, the holding surface 32 is formed by the first wall portion 36. In the connected state, the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 surround the internal device space 40.

[0062] from Figure 1E and 1F It can be seen that the retaining surface 32 is arranged on a projection 42 of the first wall portion 36. A plurality of channels 44 are arranged in the projection 42 and belong to a fluid conducting device 46, the function of which will be described in more detail below.

[0063] Furthermore, the conical displacement member 481 according to the first embodiment can be releasably fastened to the first wall portion 36, and the displacement member 481 can also be designed to be integral with the first wall portion 36. If the hollow body 12 is placed on the holding surface 32, such as Figure 1E and 1F As shown, the displacement member 481 then protrudes into the inner hollow body space 17, and a gap is generated between the displacement member 481 and the hollow body wall 14. The shape of the displacement member 481 is selected here so that it roughly corresponds to the shape of the inner hollow body space 17. Therefore, the gap has a constant width at least approximately. The passage hole 50 passes through the displacement member 481 and leads to the inner hollow body space 17, provided that the hollow space 12 has been placed on the holding surface 32, as shown in FIG. Figure 1E and 1F shown.

[0064] As mentioned above, the hollow body opening 18 can be closed by means of the cover 24. The cover 24 is connected to the second wall portion 38 by means of the second retaining means 52.

[0065] The device 101 according to the first embodiment may be operated in the following manner:

[0066] Before the steps described below are carried out, the hollow body 12 and the cover 24 have been cleaned with a cleaning fluid in a manner not shown.

[0067] Reference Figure 1A , it can be appreciated that the first wall portion 36 has been released from the second wall portion 38. For illustration purposes, Figure 1A The first wall portion 36 is not shown. The cover 24 has been separated from the hollow body 12 by means of the clamping and displacement device 54, which separation step is also not shown in FIG. Figure 1A . It can only be appreciated that the cover 24 is connected to the clamping and displacement device 54. The clamping and displacement device 54 has a rotation device 56, by means of which the cover 24 can be rotated about the rotation axis R. In this respect, the cover 24 is rotated so that the inner cover surface 26 faces the second holding device 52. Once the cover 24 is in the corresponding rotational position, the cover 24 is clamped by the displacement device 58 of the clamping and displacement device 54 and moved into the inner hollow body space 17 so that the cover 24 comes into contact with the second holding device 52 and can be held thereby (see Figure 1B ).

[0068] The edge surface 20 of the hollow body 12 is placed on the holding surface 32, such as Figure 1C The locking device 33 is then activated, whereby the hollow body 12 is sealingly connected to the first wall portion 36. Figure 1D As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the first wall section 36 and the second wall section 38 are now connected to each other, also using the clamping and moving device 54. Figure 1E, a vacuum is applied in the internal device space 40. For this purpose, the device 101 comprises an evacuation device 60, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a vacuum pump 62. The evacuation device is connected to the internal device space 40 via a connecting valve 63. Due to the activation of the vacuum pump 62, the fluid in the internal device space 40, typically air, is sucked out of the internal device space 40. In order to prevent air from flowing through the passage opening 50, the passage opening 50 is connected to a non-return valve 64, which is closed for this purpose. The reference arrows show the fluid flow in the internal device space 40 adopted. It must be mentioned that the fluid can flow through the passage 44, so that the fluid in the internal hollow body space 17 can also be sucked out, and the locking device 33 is formed here so that the flow towards the vacuum pump 62 is not significantly interrupted.

[0069] As a result, a vacuum is formed on the inner hollow body surface 16, the outer hollow body surface 22, the inner cover surface 26, and the outer cover surface 28, thereby removing the residues of the cleaning fluid remaining on the surfaces of the hollow body 12 and the cover 24 due to the previous cleaning of the hollow body 12 in the cleaning device. The inner hollow body surface 16, the outer hollow body surface 22, the inner cover surface 26, and the outer cover surface 28 are thereby dried.

[0070] refer to Figure 1F It can be seen that, when the drying process is complete, the access hole 50 is now connected to a fluid reservoir 65 in which a flushing fluid is located, for example nitrogen. This can be done manually or via a corresponding valve connection, the non-return valve 64 can also be used and can be actuated accordingly to open. The flushing fluid is conveyed through the device 101 via a conveying device 66, which has a conveying pump 68. The conveying device 66 is likewise connected to the internal device space 40 via the already mentioned connecting valve 63. It must be pointed out at this point that the vacuum pump 62 can be adjusted so that it can also be used as a conveying pump 68. To this extent, the vacuum pump 62 and the conveying pump 68 can be formed by the same components.

[0071] In the case of a vacuum still being applied in the interior space 40 before the drying process, the flushing fluid can also be conveyed into the interior space 40 in the following manner: by means of the non-return valve 64 and a corresponding embodiment of the fluid reservoir, the flushing fluid can be sucked into the interior space 40 due to the opening of the non-return valve. Active conveying of the flushing fluid by means of the conveying device 66 is not necessary at least before complete pressure equalization. The connecting valve 63 and / or the non-return valve 64 can be adapted here so that they can not only release and block the flow of the flushing fluid or another fluid, but also set the volume flow. In particular, when there is a greater vacuum in the interior space 40, it is meaningful to first keep the volume flow through the non-return valve 64 small in order to slowly carry out pressure equalization and avoid pressure shocks.

[0072] like Figure 1E As shown, the flushing fluid flows in approximately the same direction as the fluid when the vacuum is applied. The arrow also indicates Figure 1F . The still unladen flushing fluid here flows out of the fluid reservoir 65 through the channel openings 50 and subsequently flows over the inner hollow body surface 16. AMC (airborne molecular contamination) is removed from the inner hollow body surface 16 by evaporation of the flushing fluid and is thereby absorbed and transported by the flushing fluid. The flushing fluid then flows through the channel 44 and then impinges on the outer hollow body surface 22. Here too, the above-mentioned contaminants are eliminated.

[0073] The outer hollow body surface 16 is usually dirtier than the inner hollow body surface 16, so that the load of the flushing fluid increases significantly when flowing on the outer hollow body surface. This part of the flushing fluid has the maximum load here, which flows directly on the outer hollow body surface 22. Since the distance between the cover 24 and the hollow body 12 in the internal device space 40 is not particularly large, the flushing fluid with relatively large pollution also flows through the outer cover surface 28. The part of the flushing fluid that flows along the second wall portion 38 and is therefore less loaded flows on the inner cover surface 26. Therefore, it can be avoided that the strongly loaded flushing fluid flows through the relatively clean inner cover surface 26 and makes it dirty instead of cleaning. The flushing fluid then leaves the device 101 and can be stored in a container not shown for processing or preparation.

[0074] Also refer to Figure 2 The basic representation in shows a second embodiment of a device 102 according to the invention. The basic design of the device 102 according to the second embodiment corresponds to the basic design of the device 101 according to the first embodiment to a large extent, so that only the main differences will be considered. The device 102 according to the second embodiment comprises a rectifier 70, which is designed as a partition wall 72, which can be arranged in the internal device space 40 together with an adjustment device (not shown). The partition wall 72 divides the internal device space 40 into a first subsection 74 and a second subsection 76. The hollow body 12 is located in the first subsection 74, while the cover 24 is located in the second subsection 76. Therefore, an adjustment device is required to allow access to the second subsection 76 so that the cover 24 can be arranged there and removed from there.

[0075] The internal device space 40 is connected to a further fluid reservoir 78, in which a further flushing fluid identical to the flushing fluid stored in the fluid reservoir 65 can be stored. Here, the further fluid reservoir 78 is in communication with the second subsection 76.

[0076] As already described for the first embodiment of the device 101, the flushing fluid is conveyed through the internal device space 40 by the conveying device 66. However, in the second embodiment of the device 102, additional flushing fluid is also conveyed to the second sub-portion 76 from another fluid reservoir 78, and the additional flushing fluid that is still not loaded flows directly on the inner cover surface 26 and then flows on the outer cover surface 28. The additional flushing fluid then leaves the second sub-portion 76 through the partition wall opening 80 and merges with the flushing fluid of the first sub-portion 74 there. As previously mentioned, the flushing fluid can be directed to a container not shown to be processed or prepared. It is thus ensured that the inner cover surface 26 is acted on by the flushing fluid that is not loaded or only very lightly loaded, so that effective cleaning of the inner cover surface can be achieved.

[0077] Not shown is an embodiment in which the fluid conducting device 46 has a plurality of baffles which divide the flushing fluid into two partial flows when the flushing fluid has flowed through the channel 44. The outer flow is guided along the second wall portion 38 to the cover 24 and the inner flow is guided along the outer hollow body surface 22. As long as the outer partial flow has not yet reached the cover 24, a mixing of the outer partial flow and the inner partial flow is largely avoided. This also prevents flushing fluid, which is heavily loaded, from flowing over the inner cover surface 26. There is no need to provide a further fluid reservoir 78 here.

[0078] A third embodiment of the device 103 according to the invention is also described with reference to Figure 3 . When the hollow body 12 is placed on the first wall portion 36, the first wall portion 36 forms a passage opening 82 which is substantially flush with the hollow body opening 18. In this embodiment, the fluid conducting device 46 also includes a passage 44. The first wall portion 36 divides the internal device space 40 into a first sub-portion 74 and a second sub-portion 76, wherein the hollow body 12 can be arranged in the first sub-portion and the cover 24 can be arranged in the second sub-portion 76. The displacement member 48 protrudes from the second sub-portion 76 through the passage opening 82 into the first sub-portion 74 and into the internal hollow body space 17.

[0079] In the second subsection 76, the first wall section 36 forms a wall opening 84. In a third embodiment, a second retaining device 52, which can fix the cover 24 in place, is arranged at a cover handling unit 86, by which the cover 24 is releasably connected when using the second retaining mechanism 52. The cover handling unit 86 is rotatably supported about a rotation axis by a fastening device 88 rotatable at the first wall portion and is movable between an open position and a closed position, in which the cover handling unit releases the wall opening 84 and thus enters the internal device space 40, and in which the wall opening 84 is closed. Figure 3In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the cover handling unit 86 is in the closed position. It must be noted here that the wall opening 84 is closed by the cover 24 , with the inner cover surface 26 facing the inner device space 40 .

[0080] The main operating mode of the device 103 according to the third embodiment corresponds here to the main operating mode already described for the first and second embodiments. One of the main differences is the way in which the cap 24 is handled. Once the cap 24 has passed Figure 3 The clamping and moving device 54 not shown in the figure is separated from the hollow body 12, and the cover 24 is placed on the second clamping device 52. At this time, the cover processing unit 86 is in the open position, and the cover 24 is placed on the second clamping device 52. Figure 3 Compared to the closed position shown, it is rotated 90°. The cover 24 is placed on the second holding device 52 from above, and then the cover handling unit 86 is rotated 90° to the closed position, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 The cover 24 now closes the wall opening 84 . Figure 3 The evacuation device 60, not shown in the drawing, can now be activated, so that a vacuum is applied in the inner device space 40. Residues of the cleaning fluid located on the inner hollow body surface 16, on the inner cover surface 26 and on the outer hollow body surface 22 are removed, and the hollow body 12 and the cover 24 are dried. It must be noted that in this embodiment, a vacuum is not applied to the outer cover surface 28, so that residues of the cleaning fluid can still remain here.

[0081] After the drying process is completed, through the corresponding valve connection, you can transition to Figure 3 The cleaning process shown. As also described for the other embodiments, the delivery pump 68 of the delivery device 66 is started, the non-return valve 64 is opened, and the flushing fluid is delivered through the passage hole 50 into the inner device space 40, which is connected to the fluid reservoir 65 due to the valve connection, in which the flushing fluid flows on the inner hollow body surface 16, the inner cover surface 26 and the outer hollow body surface 22 and can remove any contaminants located in this space. This also applies to the fact that the outer cover surface 28 is not reached by the flushing fluid and is not cleaned by it.

[0082] Reference Figure 4 , in turn, shows a fourth embodiment of a device 104 according to the invention. The basic design of the device 104 according to the fourth embodiment corresponds to a large extent to the basic design of the device 101 according to the first embodiment, so that only the main differences will be considered. As in the first embodiment, the device wall 34 is divided into a first wall section 36 and a second wall section 38, wherein the separation zone extends in a different manner. Figure 4As can be seen in the figure, the first wall portion 36 is U-shaped, while the second wall portion is flat, essentially plate-shaped or disc-shaped. The first retaining device 30 is connected to the second wall portion 38 and interacts with the outer hollow body surface 22 using the retaining surface 32 so that the hollow body 12 is spaced apart from the device wall 34 in the inner device space 40. In this regard, the retaining surface 32 in the fourth embodiment is formed by the second wall portion 38. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment of the device 104, the hollow body 12 is not placed on a surface, but "floats" in the inner device space 40. The first retaining device 30 is configured so that a gap 90 remains between the edge surface 20 and the first wall portion 36, which gap 90 can be flowed through by the flushing fluid to move from the inner hollow body surface 16 to the outer hollow body surface 22. In this regard, in the second embodiment, the first retaining device 30, the hollow body wall 14 and the device wall 34 form the fluid conducting device 46 and take over its function. The first retaining device 30 is designed here so that the flow of flushing fluid in the inner device space 40 is essentially uninterrupted. Therefore, there is no need to provide the projection 42 and the channel 44. The locking device 33 can also be omitted.

[0083] A second retaining device 52 for fastening the cover 24 is also arranged on the second wall section 38 .

[0084] The displacement member 481 is formed integrally with the first wall portion 36 of the fourth embodiment of the device 104 .

[0085] The device 104 according to the fourth embodiment operates in substantially the same manner as described for the other embodiments. However, it must be noted that before the hollow body 12 and the cover 24 are connected to the first wall portion 36, they are first fixed to the second wall portion 38 using the clamping and moving device 54. In this regard, the clamping and moving device 54 grips at least one of the two wall portions 36, 38.

[0086] According to the second embodiment, the displacement member 482 is as follows Figure 5A and 5B . While the displacement member 481 according to the first embodiment is formed as a solid, the displacement member 482 according to the second embodiment surrounds a hollow space 92 which is accessible via a passage opening 94 formed by a displacement member wall 96. The displacement member 482 is introduced into the device 105 according to the fifth embodiment so that, while atmospheric pressure is present in the hollow space 92, a vacuum can be applied to the outside of the displacement member wall 96 located in the inner device space 40. Only the second wall portion 38 of the device wall 34 of the device 105 according to the fifth embodiment is shown, which in principle can have exactly the same design as the devices 101 to 104 according to the preceding embodiments. Figure 5B Only the displacement member 482 is shown.

[0087] The receiving flange 104 is arranged in the second wall section 38, which forms a flange opening 106, through which the displacement member 482 can be inserted and thus introduced into the inner device space 40 of the device 105. The receiving flange 104 can also be designed as a separate component. Figure 5A As shown, when the displacement member 482 is blocked through the flange opening 106, at least one O-ring 108, here two O-rings 108, is arranged in the receiving flange 104, which seals the second wall portion 38 relative to the displacement member wall 96. A vacuum can thus be applied in the device 105. In order to prevent the displacement member 482 from being pulled into the device 105, the displacement member 482 has a radial expansion 110 at its passage opening.

[0088] The heating device 98 is arranged in the hollow space 92, which is fixed to the displacement member wall 96 by means of a bracket 100. The heating device 98 is accessible via the passage opening 94. As already mentioned above, since atmospheric pressure is present in the hollow space 92, no special measures are required to protect the heating device 98 with respect to a vacuum. The heating device 98 comprises a plurality of infrared diodes 102 for generating infrared radiation. Two groups of infrared diodes 102 can be distinguished here. The first group of infrared diodes 102 radiates infrared radiation primarily along the longitudinal axis L of the displacement member 482. The first group of infrared diodes 102 is arranged in the region of the closed end of the displacement member 482, which is arranged at Figure 5A 9, in the upper region of the diaphragm, opposite the passage opening 94. The second set of infrared diodes 102 irradiates infrared radiation mainly perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis and is arranged centrally. The displacement member wall 96 is made of a material that is transparent to infrared radiation, for example, glass.

[0089] As described above, with the help of the displacement member 482, the volume in which the vacuum is to be created is reduced. Likewise, the vacuum is used to remove residues of the cleaning fluid from the inner hollow body surface 16 and / or the outer hollow body surface 22. The removal can be supported by the heating device 98. The infrared radiation generated by the infrared diode 102 is within a strictly defined frequency range, which can be optimized for the cleaning fluid used. Residues of the cleaning fluid that still remain on the inner hollow body surface 16 or the outer hollow body surface 22 are heated very effectively and are therefore eliminated in interaction with the vacuum.

[0090] As described above, the displacement member 481 according to the first embodiment has the passage hole 50 (see, for example, Figure 1F and Figure 2 ), when the drying process is completed, the flushing fluid (such as nitrogen) can pass through the channel hole 50 along the Figure 5A and Figure 5B16 and / or the outer hollow body surface 22 of the hollow body 12 (not shown). In contrast, the displacement member wall 96 of the displacement member 482 according to the second embodiment is closed, in particular because it is made of glass. However, in order to be able to introduce flushing fluid into the inner device space 40 of the device 105, a plurality of connecting channels 112 are provided in the receiving flange 104, distributed around the periphery of the receiving flange 104, and, as described for the channel openings 50, can be connected to the non-return valve 64 and / or the fluid reservoir 65 (see, for example, Figure 2 ). Due to the illustration, Figure 5A Only one check valve 65 is shown. In other aspects, the device 105 operates in the same manner as described for the other embodiments of the devices 101 to 104.

[0091] Reference Fig. 6A and 6B The perspective view in FIG. 1 shows a sixth embodiment of the device 106 according to the present invention. The device 106 has a displacement member 483 according to the third embodiment. The displacement member 483 is designed in the third embodiment in the shape of a parallelepiped and can be configured as a hollow body or a solid body, but with Figure 5A and 5B The second embodiment of the displacement member 482 shown in FIG is closed. The displacement member 483 is also connected to the receiving flange 104 fixed to the second wall part in this embodiment. The receiving flange 104 also has a connection channel for introducing the flushing fluid into the internal device space 40. The heating device 98 comprises a total of four groups of infrared diodes 102 arranged outside the displacement member 483. In this case, the holder is formed as a cross-shaped disk, which is fastened to the free end of the displacement member 483. The holder has a corresponding receiving hole 114 for each group of infrared diodes 102. In addition, each group of infrared diodes 102 is connected to the receiving flange 104.

[0092] The infrared diodes 102 are arranged so that they are mainly perpendicular to Fig. 6A and 6B The infrared radiation is irradiated along the longitudinal axis of the displacement member 483, not shown in the figure. A portion of the infrared radiation is therefore incident on the displacement member 483. The displacement member 483 has a reflection surface 116, by which the infrared radiation incident on the displacement member 483 is reflected and can therefore be used to heat the hollow body 12 without being lost. The reflection surface 116 can be provided, for example, because the displacement member 483 is made of metal, such as aluminum, and is provided with a particularly small roughness by, for example, polishing, wherein the reflection surface 116 is to be arranged.

[0093] In other aspects, the apparatus 106 according to the sixth embodiment operates substantially as described for the fifth embodiment of the apparatus 105 .

[0094] Reference Numbers List:

[0095] 10 Installation

[0096] Devices 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106

[0097] 12 Hollow body

[0098] 14 Hollow body wall

[0099] 16 Inner surface of hollow body

[0100] 17 Internal hollow space

[0101] 18 Hollow body opening

[0102] 20 Edge Surface

[0103] 22 External hollow body surface

[0104] 24 Cover

[0105] 26 Inner cover surface

[0106] 28 Outer cover surface

[0107] 30 first holding device

[0108] 32 Keep Surface

[0109] 33 Locking device

[0110] 34 Installation Wall

[0111] 36 first wall portion

[0112] 38 Second wall portion

[0113] 40 Internal installation space

[0114] 42 bulge

[0115] 44 channels

[0116] 46 Fluid conduction device

[0117] 48 Displacement Components

[0118] 481, 482, 483 displacement components

[0119] 50 channel holes

[0120] 52 second holding device

[0121] 54 Clamping and moving device

[0122] 56 Rotating device

[0123] 58 displacement device

[0124] 60 Vacuum device

[0125] 62 Vacuum pump

[0126] 63 connection valve

[0127] 64 Check Valve

[0128] 65 Fluid Reservoir

[0129] 66 conveying device

[0130] 68 delivery pump

[0131] 70 Rectifier

[0132] 72 Partition Wall

[0133] 74 First subsection

[0134] 76 Second subsection

[0135] 78 Another fluid reservoir

[0136] 80 Partition wall opening

[0137] 82 channel openings

[0138] 84 wall opening

[0139] 86 Cap handling unit

[0140] 88 Fastening device

[0141] 90 Clearance

[0142] 92 Hollow Space

[0143] 94 channel openings

[0144] 96 Displacement Component Wall

[0145] 98 Heating device

[0146] 100 brackets

[0147] 102 infrared diode

[0148] 104 receiving flange

[0149] 106 flange opening

[0150] 108O-ring

[0151] 110 radial expansion part

[0152] 112 connection channels

[0153] 114 receiving hole

[0154] 116 Reflective Surfaces

[0155] L vertical axis

[0156] R Rotation axis

Claims

1. A device (10) for drying and / or cleaning pot-shaped hollow bodies (12), in particular transport containers for semiconductor wafers or EUV lithography masks, The hollow body (12) comprises: - a hollow body wall (14) which forms an inner hollow body surface (16) which comprises an inner hollow body space (17); and - having a hollow body opening (18) surrounded by a hollow body wall (14) and through which the inner hollow body space (17) can be accessed; The device (10) comprises: - a first retaining device (30), by means of which the device (10) can interact with the hollow body (12) in a retaining manner; o evacuation means (60) for applying a vacuum in the inner hollow body space (17); and / or o a delivery device (66) for delivering irrigation fluid through the interior hollow body space (17); and A displacement member (48) which can be introduced or introduced into the inner hollow body space (17) through the hollow body opening (18).

2. The device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The displacement member (48) has a passage hole (50), - when the displacement member (48) has been introduced into the inner hollow body space (17), the opening opens into the inner hollow body space (17); and A flushing fluid can be conveyed into the inner hollow body space ( 17 ) via it and / or a vacuum can be applied in the inner hollow body space ( 17 ) via it.

3. The device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the device (10) has a device wall (34); and The displacement member (48) is releasably connected to or integral with the device wall (34).

4. The device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the device wall (34) has a first wall portion (36) and a second wall portion (38), which are to be releasably connected to one another and which, in the connected state, enclose an inner device space (40), and - said first retaining means (30) comprises a retaining surface (32), and - The first wall portion (36) forms the retaining surface (32) which at least partially delimits the inner device space (40).

5. The device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that - the hollow body wall (14) forms an outer hollow body surface (22); and The device (10) has at least one fluid conducting device (46) by means of which a flushing fluid can be conducted from the inner hollow body space (17) to the outer hollow body surface (22) and / or by which a vacuum can be applied in the inner hollow body space (17) and / or in the inner device space (40).

6. The device (10) according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that The hollow body (12) has a cover (24) by means of which the hollow body opening (18) can be closed, and the device (10) has a second retaining device (52) by means of which the cover (24) can be releasably fastened to the device wall (34).

7. The device (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cover (24) has an inner cover surface (26) and an outer cover surface (28), and the device (10) comprises a clamping and moving device (54), by which the cover (24) can be connected to the second holding device (52) so that the outer cover surface (28) faces the outer hollow body surface (22).

8. The device (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that At least one flow rectifier (70) is arranged in the inner device space (40), through which the flow of the flushing fluid can be guided within the inner device space (40).

9. The device (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that - the hollow body wall (14) forms an edge surface (20) around the hollow body opening (18); and The first retaining device (30) comprises locking means (33) by means of which the hollow body (12) is sealably connected to the edge surface (20) and releasably connected to the retaining surface (32).

10. The device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The displacement member (48) has a heating device (98), and the hollow body (12) can be heated by the heating device to be dried.

11. The device (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that The heating device (98) includes a plurality of infrared diodes (102).

12. The device (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that The displacement member (48) has a reflective surface to reflect infrared radiation emitted by the infrared diode.

13. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The displacement member (48), - surrounds a hollow space (92) which is accessible via a passage opening (94); and - the heating device (98) is arranged in the hollow space; and A heating device (98) is arranged in the hollow space (92).

14. The device (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that The displacement member (48) is composed of or includes a material that is transparent to infrared radiation.

15. A method for cleaning a pot-shaped hollow body (12), in particular a transport container for semiconductor wafers or EUV lithography masks, using a device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, the method comprising the following steps: - Maintaining the interaction of the hollow body wall (14) by means of a first retaining device (30); - introducing the displacement member (48) into the inner hollow body space (17); and - applying a vacuum in the inner hollow body space (17) by means of an evacuation device (60); and / or - The flushing fluid is conveyed through the inner hollow body space (17) by means of the conveying device (66).

16. The method according to claim 15, -in, The hollow body (12) has a cover (24) with an inner cover surface (26) and an outer cover surface (28), by which the hollow body opening (18) can be closed; and - The device (10) has o device wall (34); o second retaining means (52), by means of which the cover (24) is releasably fastened to the device wall (34); and o Clamping and fixing device (54); And wherein the method comprises the following steps: The cover is releasably fastened by the second holding device (52) using the clamping and moving device (54) so ​​that the outer cover surface (28) faces the outer hollow body surface (22).

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