Substrate container system and method of cleaning substrate container

Abstract

Support devices for use with substrate containers for holding or transporting substrates in a clean environment, and associated systems and methods of using the support devices and substrate containers, are described. A substrate container support system includes a base having a horizontal base surface; the nozzle vertically extends from the surface of the base, and the nozzle can vertically move relative to the surface of the base; a pressure sensor adapted to sense a fluid pressure of a fluid passing through the nozzle; and a control system including a hardware processor and a memory, the control system configured to adjust a vertical position of the nozzle based on the fluid pressure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to support devices for use with substrate containers for holding or transporting substrates in a clean environment, and associated methods of using the support devices and substrate containers. Background Art

[0002] Microelectronic devices are prepared on semiconductor substrates through a series of precise processing steps, each of which is performed in an extremely clean state. Between processing steps, the "substrate" (on which the microelectronic devices are formed) can be moved from one processing location to a different processing location.

[0003] To move substrates between processing steps or separate processing locations, they are placed in specialized containers designed to protect the substrates from damage while also shielding them from contamination. Example substrate containers may be referred to as "SMIF pods" (Standard Mechanical Interface Pods), "FOUPs" (Front Opening Universal Pods), or "FOSBs" (Front Opening Ship Pods). During use, these containers enclose a space within an atmosphere that may be evacuated (i.e., under reduced pressure) or contain a gas other than air (e.g., an inert gas) to hold multiple semiconductor wafers or other substrates.

[0004] The substrate container may be in the form of a multi-sided container body (e.g., a "shell") that defines a container interior. The container body includes an opening on one side that enables multiple substrates to be inserted into or removed from the interior. The exemplary container also includes a removable door adapted to cover the opening, thereby enclosing the interior with an airtight seal. The container also includes one or more gas ports (one or more inlets or optional outlets) that pass through the bottom of the container to enable gas to be introduced into and removed from the interior (e.g., "purged") to control the atmosphere within the container. The gas ports are aligned with nozzles of a separate piece of equipment, which may be referred to as a "substrate container support" (or "support plate" or "purge plate") of a load port apparatus. During the step of purging the interior atmosphere of the substrate container, the container is supported by the substrate container support and the nozzles engage one or more gas ports of the substrate container. Gas flows through the nozzles into the container interior.

[0005] As microelectronic devices become smaller and the number of microelectronic features per unit area of ​​semiconductor devices increases, the devices become more sensitive to particles and environmental contaminants. With smaller microelectronic devices, contaminants with increasingly smaller sizes, even at the molecular scale, can disrupt microelectronic device performance. Consequently, there is a need for continuous improvement in the control of particle contamination during all stages of semiconductor substrate processing, including during transfer of substrates between process steps.

[0006] There is an ongoing need for improved systems and methods of controlling the gaseous environment within a substrate container to maintain a high degree of cleanliness and avoid contamination of substrates during handling. Summary of the Invention

[0007] During use of a substrate container, the gaseous atmosphere within the container interior may be replaced with a new gaseous atmosphere (i.e., "purged") for various reasons. As an example, a highly pure, clean, and dry gas (referred to as "purge gas"), such as clean dry air or nitrogen, may be dispensed into the container interior to replace (i.e., displace) the previous atmosphere.

[0008] To allow this, the container may include a gas port (i.e., an opening or "inlet") through which gas can be delivered to the interior of the container. During the purge step, the container is supported by a substrate container support that includes a nozzle that dispenses purge gas into the container through the gas port at the bottom of the container. The gas flows through the nozzle into the interior of the container.

[0009] The methods and equipment used to fill a container with purge gas during a purge step can impact the yield of substrates held by the container. The seal formed between the nozzle of a substrate container support and the purge port of the substrate container can affect the efficiency of filling the container with purge gas. More specifically, an improved seal without leaks between the nozzle and the purge port provides optimal purge gas flow through the nozzle and into the container. The position of the nozzle engaging the purge port (including the height of the nozzle) affects the seal and the pressure of the gas flowing through the nozzle into the container. A better seal results in higher flow pressure ("backpressure") and a more efficient step for filling the container with purge gas.

[0010] This disclosure identifies a substrate container support, a system including the substrate container support and the substrate container, and an associated method for purging the substrate container. The system includes an adjustable nozzle that is vertically movable to adjust the position of the nozzle relative to a port of the substrate container, create an effective seal (e.g., create a tight seal that reduces or eliminates leakage from the seal), and generate a high pressure of gas flowing through the nozzle and into the substrate container.

[0011] In one aspect, the present invention relates to a substrate container support system comprising: a pedestal having a horizontal pedestal surface; a nozzle extending vertically from the pedestal surface, the nozzle being movable vertically relative to the pedestal surface; a pressure sensor adapted to sense fluid pressure of a fluid passing through the nozzle; and a control system comprising a hardware processor and memory, the control system being configured to adjust the vertical position of the nozzle based on the fluid pressure.

[0012] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for moving a gaseous fluid relative to the interior of a substrate container supported by a substrate container support system. The substrate container support system includes: a base having a horizontal base surface; a nozzle extending vertically from the base surface, the nozzle being movable vertically relative to the base surface; a pressure sensor adapted to measure fluid pressure passing through the nozzle; and a control system including a hardware processor and memory, the control system being configured to adjust the vertical position of the nozzle based on the fluid pressure. The substrate container is supported by the base and includes: an inlet port including a surface that engages the nozzle to form a seal between the nozzle and the inlet port. The method includes moving the nozzle to a vertical position determined by the fluid pressure, at which the nozzle forms a desired seal with the inlet port. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example wafer container as described.

[0014] Figure 2 A diagram illustrates the described system.

[0015] Figure 3A is a top perspective view of a portion of the described substrate container support.

[0016] Figure 3B is a top perspective view of a portion of the described substrate container support, along with a detailed view (inset) of the nozzle and nozzle adjustment mechanism.

[0017] Figure 3C is a bottom view of a portion of the described substrate container support.

[0018] All figures are schematic and not to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present disclosure describes support devices (e.g., "substrate container supports," "support plates," or "load ports" and associated equipment) used with substrate containers (sometimes referred to as "substrate carriers" or "wafer containers") for holding or transporting substrates (e.g., semiconductor wafers, etc.) in a clean environment, as well as associated methods of using the support devices and substrate containers.

[0020] The substrate container includes a container body having an interior, an opening on one side of the body to access the interior, and a door adapted to cover and seal the opening. The container also includes one or more gas ports, including at least one inlet port ("inlet" or "inlet port") for dispensing a gas (e.g., "purge gas") into the interior of the container and one or more optional outlet ports ("outlets").

[0021] The container may be used as a component of a system (eg, a "substrate container system") that includes a container support device and other components (eg, a control system and raw material (purge gas) source) used with a substrate container for handling substrates in a clean environment.

[0022] The substrate container support includes a support base ("pedestal") having a horizontal base surface and at least one movable nozzle extending vertically from the surface of the pedestal to engage at least one inlet port of the container while the container is supported by the substrate container support. During a purge step, the container is supported by the substrate container support, the nozzle engages the inlet port, and purge gas is dispensed into the container through the nozzle to fill the container with the purge gas and replace the previous gaseous atmosphere.

[0023] The methods and equipment used to dispense purge gas into a container during a purge step can affect the yield of substrates held by the container. The position (height) of the nozzle of a substrate container support relative to the inlet port (or outlet port) of the substrate container and the seal formed between the nozzle and the inlet port can change the effectiveness or efficiency of the purge step of dispensing purge gas into the container. More specifically, an improved seal with minimal leakage between the nozzle and the inlet port provides an improved purge gas flow through the nozzle and into the container. The position of the nozzle that engages the purge port (including the height of the nozzle) affects the seal between the nozzle and the inlet port, as well as the pressure and flow rate of the purge gas flowing through the nozzle into the container. A more secure seal results in a higher flow pressure ("back pressure") of the purge gas through the nozzle and into the container, and a more efficient step for filling the container with purge gas.

[0024] Thus, described herein are systems and methods for producing a high-quality, tight (substantially leak-proof) seal between a nozzle and one or more ports of a container during a purification step. The exemplary system includes an adjustable nozzle that can be vertically moved relative to the base of the substrate container support and relative to one or more ports of the substrate container while the container is supported by the substrate container support. While the container is supported by the substrate container support, the nozzle can be vertically moved relative to the ports, and the quality of the seal can be evaluated to identify the position of the nozzle where a desired (e.g., optimal) seal occurs.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the quality of the seal can be assessed by measuring the pressure of the gas in the system at a location that reflects the pressure of the gas as it flows through the nozzle into the container. For example, the gas pressure can be measured at the nozzle (within the nozzle) or at a conduit connected to the nozzle. Based on the measured pressure, the position of the nozzle can be adjusted and the height of the nozzle relative to the base of the substrate container support can be changed to provide a high pressure of the gas flow through the nozzle, which indicates a high-quality seal.

[0026] A wafer container includes a multi-sided container body (sometimes referred to as a "shell") that defines a container interior suitable for receiving and supporting one or more semiconductor wafers. The body includes an opening on one side of the container body that enables access to the container interior ("container opening" or "opening"). The container also includes a door adapted to cover the opening and form a seal at the opening between the container interior and the container exterior. The substrate container typically includes at least one inlet port adapted to enable gas (e.g., "purge gas") to be delivered to the container interior, and at least one (optional) outlet port adapted to enable gas from the container interior to flow out of the interior and be delivered to the exterior. Optionally, the container may also include one or more purge gas delivery devices (sometimes referred to as "diffusers") connected to the inlet ports. The diffusers can be used to distribute purge gas throughout the container interior by, for example, dispensing the purge gas along the length of the diffuser when the diffuser is positioned vertically along the height of the container interior.

[0027] The substrate container is adapted to hold a plurality of substrates. A "substrate" may be any of a variety of generally flat structures known to be commonly held or transported in substrate container devices to enable safe and clean handling and transfer of the substrate without damaging or contaminating the substrate. Example substrates include semiconductor wafers, their precursors, their derivatives, and in-process versions of any of these, including in-process semiconductor wafers, in-process microelectronic devices, EUV (extreme ultraviolet) reticles, panels, or other structures known to be carried or held in the carriers described herein, any of which may be generally referred to as a "wafer" or "substrate."

[0028] The purge gas may be a dry gas, such as clean dry air, oxygen, or an inert gas such as nitrogen. As used herein, the term "nitrogen" refers to pure nitrogen, which means nitrogen containing at least 99.9% or 99.99% (molar) nitrogen and less than 0.01% or less than 0.001% (molar) moisture. The term "clean dry air" refers to a gaseous composition that would be considered clean dry air sufficiently pure and free of moisture to be used in commercial steps for processing semiconductor or microelectronic substrates; this clean dry air includes a gas containing approximately 78% molar nitrogen (N2) and approximately 21% molar oxygen (O2) and less than 0.01% or less than 0.001% (molar) moisture. An example of a clean dry air product is ultra-high purity, ultra-clean dry air available from Entegris Inc. (Billerica, MA, USA). The term "oxygen" refers to pure oxygen, which means oxygen containing at least 99.9% or 99.99% by mole oxygen and less than 0.01% or less than 0.001% by mole water.

[0029] Figure 1 A substrate container that can be used as a component of the described system is shown. The substrate container 1 includes a container body (e.g., a "shell") 2, a front opening 4, an interior 8, a port 10 in the form of an opening through the bottom wall of the shell 2, and slots 12 in opposing side walls. The slots 12 are adapted to engage and support the edges of multiple substrates (not shown) when they are placed within the interior 8. The substrate container 1 also includes a door 6 that can be used to cover the opening 4 to close and seal the interior 8.

[0030] The substrate container 1 can be used to transport, hold, or store semiconductor wafers (substrates) being processed through a series of processing steps (i.e., "in-process" wafers) between the series of processing steps. The illustrated substrate container 1 is a front-opening container, such as a "front-opening universal pod" or "FOUP."

[0031] Container body 2 defines interior 8 within container 1, with opening 4 provided on one side of container body 2 to enable access to interior 8. Open side 4 enables multiple wafers to be supported at slot 12 while being placed within interior 8 of container body 2. Door 6 can be used to cover opening 4. When opening 4 is covered by door 6, a seal is formed between the door and the container by a gasket (not shown). The sealed interior of container 1 is a microenvironment that is protected from contaminants outside of container 1.

[0032] The described substrate container can be used as a component of a system (e.g., a "substrate container system") that includes a substrate container and one or more attachment devices that can engage the substrate container during use (e.g., during steps such as opening or closing the substrate container, inserting or removing a substrate from the container interior, adding a gaseous atmosphere to the container interior, etc.). As described herein, the system includes a substrate container support that supports the container from its bottom and includes one or more nozzles that dispense a purge gas into the container through an inlet port of the container. The substrate container support can be incorporated into a device referred to as a "load port" and can also include: one or more purge gas sources; purge gas controls (e.g., valves), which can include flow controls that control the volume or amount of purge gas flow, temperature controls that control the temperature of the purge gas, and mixing controls that combine two different purge gas flows into a single purge gas mixture; a measurement system that measures or monitors conditions of the container (e.g., temperature, pressure, or humidity of the container interior or atmosphere); and a control system that communicates with the substrate container to influence or control conditions within the container or to control the conditions (e.g., temperature) or flow rate of the purge gas.

[0033] The substrate container support includes one or more nozzles that engage one or more input ports of the substrate container when the substrate container is supported by the substrate container support. The substrate container support also includes or cooperates with a purge gas source and is adapted to generate a purge gas flow through the nozzles to dispense the purge gas into the interior of the container while the container is supported by the substrate container support. Furthermore, as described, the one or more nozzles are movable vertically relative to the ports to adjust the effectiveness of the seal between the nozzles and the ports. In a preferred embodiment, the effectiveness of the seal can be assessed by the gas pressure of the gas flowing through the nozzles. Based on the measured pressure of the purge gas, the position of the nozzles can be adjusted and the height of the nozzles relative to the base of the substrate container support and the ports can be varied to provide a high pressure for the gas flow through the nozzles.

[0034] The process of adjusting the height of the nozzle relative to the port to create a desired seal between the nozzle and the port can involve a control system adapted to receive input from the system, specifically including a measured pressure value reflecting the pressure of the gas flowing through the nozzle and across the seal. Reference is made to a range of pressure values ​​indicative of the quality of the seal between a particular nozzle and a particular port, with a relatively higher measured pressure indicating a better seal and a relatively lower pressure indicating a lower quality seal that can be improved by better positioning the nozzle relative to the port.

[0035] The pressure of the gas can be measured at any location suitable for evaluating the quality of the seal between the nozzle and the port. As used herein, the pressure of the gas flowing through the nozzle can be measured at a location within the nozzle, adjacent to the nozzle (upstream or downstream), upstream from the nozzle and within a conduit between the gas source and the nozzle, or within the substrate container, where the quality of the seal between the nozzle and the port of the container can be effectively measured. In response to one or a series of pressure readings taken while the gas flows through the nozzle engaged with the port of the substrate container to form a seal, the height of the nozzle can be adjusted. The height of one or more nozzles can be adjusted by any useful means or method steps, and preferably uses an electronically controlled height adjustment device (or "adjustment device") (e.g., a hydraulic device, a pneumatic device, or a mechanical device that may include a stepper motor) to adjust the height.

[0036] An exemplary control system may monitor and control the system using at least a computerized hardware processor having a memory device operatively connected to the processor. The memory may store instructions to be executed by the processor. According to various exemplary systems, the control system may include any form of microprocessor, such as a process logic controller (PLC controller) embodied in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc., as the computer processor. The control system may also include a pressure sensor that measures a pressure value reflecting the pressure of the gas flowing through the nozzle and into the container, and may communicate with one or more electronically controlled height adjustment devices that can be used to vertically move the nozzle upward or downward in response to the measured pressure value.

[0037] exist Figure 2 An exemplary system is shown at . System 100 includes a substrate container 102 that holds a plurality of substrates 104 contained within an interior 106. Container 102 includes an inlet port 110 that enables gas to flow into interior 106, and an optional outlet port 116 that enables gas to flow from interior 106 to the exterior of container 102 as exhaust 130. Container 102 is supported by a substrate container support 140 that includes an upper plate (also referred to as a "base") having an upper horizontal surface 142. At least one nozzle 112 extends through horizontal surface 142 to engage inlet port 110 of container 102. System 100 also includes a purge gas source 120, which can be a source of any useful purge gas, such as nitrogen or clean dry air (e.g., "XCDA"). A flow meter and valve 124 control the flow of purge gas from source 120 through conduit 122, through nozzle 112, through inlet 110, and into interior 106. The container 102 also includes an opening (not shown) through a side of the container that enables access to the interior 106 and a door (not shown) that can be selectively placed over or removed from the opening.

[0038] The nozzle 112 is adjustable, i.e., can be moved vertically using an adjustment device (not shown) to create an effective seal between the nozzle 112 and the port 110. The system 100 also includes a pressure gauge 114 and a control device (e.g., a microprocessor) 130 in communication with the pressure gauge 114 and the adjustment device, the adjustment device being adapted to adjust the vertical position of the nozzle 112 relative to the port 110 to create an effective seal. The control device 130 can also communicate with other devices, monitors, sensors, etc. of the system 100, such as the flow meter 124 (as illustrated) and an optional sensor (not illustrated) within the container 102.

[0039] refer to Figure 3A and 3B, showing a portion of a substrate container support 140 with added detail. As illustrated, the substrate container support 140 includes a plate (or "base") 146 having an upper surface 142. Alignment pins 144 extend perpendicularly from surface 142 and engage an alignment surface (e.g., an orifice) of a container (not shown) positioned to be supported by the substrate container support 140. Four nozzles 112 extend above the upper surface 142. At least one of the nozzles 122 is an inlet nozzle that engages an inlet port of the container to dispense gas from a gas source (not shown) through the nozzle and into the interior of the container. The remaining three nozzles can be either inlet or outlet nozzles. Each nozzle includes an upper surface 168 (e.g., a solid or flexible grommet) adapted to engage an inlet (or outlet) port of a container (e.g., 120) to form a seal.

[0040] The vertical position of the nozzle 112 can be adjusted using the adjustment device 150 (see Figure 3B ), the adjustment device is positioned below the plate 146 and engages each of the nozzles 112. As illustrated, the system includes one adjustment device 150 for each nozzle 112, and the vertical position of each nozzle 112 can be adjusted independently of the other nozzles. In other exemplary systems, a single adjustment device 150 can be connected to two or more nozzles to adjust the two or more nozzles simultaneously.

[0041] exist Figure 3B The inset diagram illustrates an example of a portion of an adjustment device 150 for vertically adjusting the height of the nozzle 112. The adjustment device 150 includes a body 160, a threaded outer surface 166, a flange 164, and a threaded outer fitting 162. The threaded outer fitting 162, for example in the form of a nut, includes a threaded inner surface that engages the threaded outer surface 166 of the body 160. The threaded outer fitting 162 can be held in a vertically fixed position relative to the flange 164, such that rotation of the threaded outer fitting 162 about the body 160 causes the body 160, the valve 112, and the surface 168 to move vertically upward or downward relative to the flange 164 and the surface 142, depending on the direction of rotation of the threaded outer fitting 162.

[0042] In use, body 160 passes through an opening in plate 146 and can be secured to plate 146 at flange 164. Container 120 is placed over upper surface 142 and contacts and rests on one or more of alignment pins 144, nozzle 112, or surface 142, with nozzle 112 and surface 168 aligned to engage the port of container 120. The vertical position of nozzle 112 and the quality of the seal between nozzle 112 (at surface 168) and the port of the container (how airtight the seal is) can be monitored by monitoring the pressure within the system (which indicates the pressure of the gas within nozzle 112 as gas flows through nozzle 112) and whether there are leaks at the seal. For a given valve and port, a higher pressure indicates a tighter seal and a lower pressure indicates a less tight seal. According to the described method, generally, the vertical position of the nozzle can be adjusted upward or downward to achieve a high or maximum pressure within nozzle 112, which means that the desired seal exists at the seal with substantially no gas leaks.

[0043] Figure 3C A detailed bottom view of an exemplary substrate container support 140 is shown. Positioned beneath the plate 146 are the control system 130, the stepper motor 152, and the lower portion of the nozzle 112, including a threaded outer fitting 162 engaged with the lower portion of the body 160. To adjust the vertical position of one or more nozzles 112, the control system 130 communicates with the stepper motor 152, which is connected to the threaded outer fitting 162 via a belt 154, to rotate the outer fitting 162 about a threaded outer surface 166 of the outer body 160 of the nozzle 112.

[0044] While this description illustrates and the figures illustrate examples of mechanical adjustment devices that include threaded engagements to control the upward and downward movement of the nozzle, other mechanical engagements, such as those using non-threaded engagements (e.g., gears), may also be used. Other examples of useful adjustment devices may be pneumatic or hydraulic. Pneumatic adjustment devices use pressurized gas (e.g., air) that can be added to or removed from the space contacting the movable valve to move the valve. Hydraulic adjustment devices use pressurized liquid that can be added to or removed from the space contacting the movable valve to move the valve.

[0045] The system can be used to create a desired, high-quality, fluid-tight seal between a nozzle and one or more ports of a container during a purge step. According to an exemplary method, a substrate container is vertically lowered from above onto a substrate container support. Alignment pins of the support engage alignment surfaces (e.g., orifices) located at the bottom of the container to set the horizontal (lateral, front-to-back, and side-to-side) orientation of the container relative to the horizontal upper surface of the support. The nozzles of the support are aligned with the ports of the container. The container can be supported by the upper surface of the substrate container, or by one or more alignment pins engaging the alignment surfaces of the container, or by the upper surface of one or more nozzles contacting the ports of the container. Generally speaking, gas is caused to flow through the one or more nozzles, and a pressure is measured that indicates the pressure of the gas flowing through the one or more nozzles. Based on the measured pressure, the vertical position of the one or more nozzles can be adjusted until a desired high pressure is achieved, indicating a tight seal.

[0046] The system can identify the final position of the nozzle for executing the decontamination step using various criteria. As an example, the system can set the final position of the nozzle based on a predetermined "target" pressure for the specific settings of the nozzle and container. For example, the system can raise or lower the position of the nozzle to achieve the desired target pressure. As another example, the system can set the final position of the nozzle by identifying a constant (steady) pressure or maximum pressure achieved by the system. During the decontamination step, the system can continue to monitor the pressure across the nozzle and can optionally adjust the vertical position of the nozzle during the decontamination step.

[0047] According to an exemplary procedure, a substrate container is vertically lowered from above onto a substrate container support. Alignment pins on the support and opposing alignment surfaces of the container are used to laterally align the container and support. Gas is caused to flow through the nozzle and into the container. The movable nozzle of the substrate container support is raised to engage the port of the substrate container and the container is lifted to a position where it is supported by one or more nozzles and not by the alignment pins. This position, with the nozzles supporting the container, produces a maximum pressure reading for the gas flow ("target pressure") and an optimal or optimum seal, e.g., a nozzle position that does not allow gas to leak through the seal. The vertical position of the nozzles can be lowered, and the pressure of the gas flowing through the nozzles can be measured, for example, continuously, preferably within the nozzles or at a position slightly upstream relative to the nozzles. If pressure is monitored, one or more nozzles (individually or collectively) can be lowered to a lowest position where the gas flow pressure remains at or near the target (e.g., maximum) pressure. Preferably, but not necessarily, while the pressure remains at the maximum or target pressure, the nozzles can be lowered to a position where the alignment pins contact the alignment surfaces of the container to support the container, and the purge step can be performed.

Claims

1. A substrate container support system comprising: a base having a horizontal base surface; a nozzle extending vertically from the base surface, the nozzle being movable vertically relative to the base surface; a pressure sensor adapted to sense fluid pressure of the fluid passing through the nozzle; as well as A control system includes a hardware processor and memory, the control system configured to adjust a vertical position of the nozzle based on the fluid pressure.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a gas source, a conduit that delivers gas from the gas source to the nozzle, wherein the pressurization sensor is located within the conduit to sense the fluid pressure of the gas within the conduit as the gas flows through the conduit and the nozzle.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The nozzle includes a nozzle body having a threaded surface, The system includes a threaded fitting engaging the threaded surface, and The nozzle is vertically movable by rotating the threaded fitting relative to the nozzle body threaded surface.

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control system includes a pressurized fluid that engages the nozzle to control the vertical position of the nozzle.

5. The system of claim 1 , comprising two nozzles, the two nozzles comprising a first nozzle extending vertically from the pedestal surface and movable vertically relative to the pedestal surface, and a second nozzle extending vertically from the pedestal surface and movable vertically relative to the pedestal surface, wherein at least one of the nozzles is an input nozzle adapted to enable gas to flow from a gas source into a substrate container. 6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the control system comprises an adjustment member for vertically moving the first nozzle and the second nozzle, the adjustment member being adapted to vertically move the nozzles.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the control system comprises an adjustment member for vertically moving the first nozzle and the second nozzle, the adjustment member being adapted to vertically move the first nozzle and the second nozzle together.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the control system comprises an adjustment member for vertically moving the first nozzle and the second nozzle, the adjustment member being adapted to vertically move the first nozzle and independently move the second nozzle.

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a substrate container supported by the substrate container support, the substrate container comprising an inlet port, the inlet port comprising a surface that engages the nozzle to form a seal between the nozzle and the inlet port.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pedestal comprises a plurality of alignment pins extending vertically therefrom, wherein each alignment pin contacts an alignment surface of the substrate container to align the substrate container with the pedestal.

11. The system of claim 9 or 10, wherein the control system is adapted to move the nozzle to a vertical position determined by a maximum fluid pressure, at which the nozzle forms a seal with the fluid passageway.

12. A method of moving a gaseous fluid relative to an interior of a substrate container supported by a substrate container support system, the substrate container support system comprising: a base having a horizontal base surface; a nozzle extending vertically from the base surface, the nozzle being movable vertically relative to the base surface; a pressure sensor adapted to measure the pressure of the fluid passing through the nozzle; as well as a control system comprising a hardware processor and memory, the control system configured to adjust the vertical position of the nozzle based on the fluid pressure, a substrate container supported by the base, the substrate container including an inlet port, the inlet port including a surface that engages the nozzle to form a seal between the nozzle and the inlet port, The method includes moving the nozzle to a vertical position determined by the fluid pressure where the nozzle forms a desired seal with the inlet port.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming a fluid-tight seal comprises: moving the nozzle vertically so that the nozzle engages a fluid passage surface, passing a fluid through the nozzle, measuring the fluid pressure within the nozzle, and The vertical position of the nozzle is adjusted to produce a desired fluid pressure.

14. The method of any one of claims 12-13, wherein forming the fluid-tight seal comprises: moving the nozzle vertically so that the nozzle engages the inlet port, measuring the maximum pressure within the nozzle, and The purging step is performed while maintaining the vertical position of the nozzle having the maximum pressure.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The base includes a plurality of alignment pins extending vertically from the base, each alignment pin having a tip at an end thereof, and each tip contacts a bottom surface of the substrate container to support the substrate container.

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