FOUP airtightness detection device and method

Abstract

This invention provides a device and method for detecting the airtightness of a FOUP (Fountain-Up Unit). [Solution] The FOUP airtightness detection device and method according to the present invention includes the steps of: introducing a gas of a specific pressure into the chamber of the FOUP and guiding it to accumulate pressure, the chamber being formed by the coupling of the shell and door constituting the FOUP; then measuring the judgment factors of the gas accumulated in the chamber to detect the airtightness of the chamber; and when an abnormality in the airtightness of the chamber is detected, replacing the door with a standard door that eliminates the gas leak factor; detecting whether the cause of the gas leak that caused the abnormality in airtightness is due to the shell or the door, replacing them, and maintaining the airtightness of the FOUP.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to airtightness detection for FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods), and more specifically, relates to a FOUP gastightness detection device and a method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional FOUPs are used to transport stored items such as wafers, carriers, and panels, and perform required manufacturing process processing. In addition, according to the needs of the manufacturing process, the inside of a FOUP is often filled with a gas such as nitrogen (N2). Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the airtightness of the FOUP at a certain level to ensure the manufacturing process quality of the stored items placed inside.

[0003] Figure 1a shows that a conventional FOUP 10 is composed of a shell 11 with a chamber 13 disposed therein, and a door 12 locked to the shell 11. A sealing rubber strip 14 is provided around the four peripheries of the door 12, so that the chamber 13 can be sealed after the door 12 is locked to the shell 11. In an ideal state, it is possible to prevent gas from entering the chamber 13, or to prevent the gas inside the chamber 13 from leaking outside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in practice, the airtightness of the chamber 13 was prone to deterioration or damage to the sealing rubber strip 14. Furthermore, the structural configurations attached to the shell 11 and door 12 also had the problem of easily affecting the airtightness of the chamber 13.

[0006] More specifically, as shown in Figure 1a, the outer wall of the shell 11 has a plurality of screw holes 111 for screwing screws 15 into the inner wall of the chamber 13. Also, as shown in Figure 1b, the bottom of the shell 11 has a pair of exhaust valve ports 112 and a pair of gas inlet valve ports 113, as well as a plurality of screw holes 114 for screwing screws 16 into the inner wall of the chamber. The shell 11 and the chamber 13 need to be locked together by the screws 15 and 16 and the screw holes 111 and 114, and the functional assembly members are provided with at least an array of guide ribs 17 mounted on both sides of the inner wall of the chamber 13. When the screws 15 and 16 are screwed into the screw holes 111 and 114, a gas-stopping gasket (not shown) is generally provided to prevent gas from the chamber 13 from leaking out of the FOUP 10 through the screw holes 111 and 114.

[0007] Based on the conventional structural configuration of the FOUP described above, the present invention investigates the causes of poor airtightness (i.e., gas leakage) in the FOUP 10, and summarizes them below. 1. With respect to the shell 11, deterioration or damage to the one-way check valve assembly members installed inside the exhaust valve port 112 and the gas inlet valve port 113, deterioration or damage to the gas-stopping gaskets covering the screw holes 111 and 114, or cracks in the shell 11 can affect the airtightness of the FOUP 10. 2. With respect to the door 12, deterioration or damage to the sealing rubber strip 14, or deformation or cracking of the door 12, may affect the airtightness of the FOUP 10.

[0008] To overcome the aforementioned problems affecting the airtightness of the FOUP 10, the prior art (see, for example, Patent Document 1) is the closest prior art, and the said patent teaches a technique for detecting the airtightness of the FOUP 10. This includes a step used to detect the airtightness after gas is injected into the sealed chamber 13 of the FOUP 10 from the gas inlet valve port 113 of the FOUP 10, the exhaust valve port 112 of the FOUP 10 is blocked, and the shell 11 and door 12 of the FOUP 10 are closed to each other.

[0009] However, the prior art could only detect whether there was a gas leak in the FOUP 10 or whether the gas leak flow rate exceeded a predetermined level, and the patent could not determine the actual location of the gas leak in the FOUP 10. In other words, the patent could not determine whether the gas in the chamber 13 leaked out due to the aforementioned problem with either the shell 11 or the door 12. In the process of maintaining the yield of the FOUP 10 on the production line, manufacturers could not identify the location of the gas leak in the FOUP 10, and therefore could not perform maintenance or replacement (e.g., replacing the door or shell), and the cost burden of replacing old FOUP 10s with new ones increased. Therefore, improvement was strongly desired.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a FOUP airtightness detection device and method. This allows for the detection of the actual location where a gas leak has occurred in the FOUP 10 shown in Figures 1a and 1b, and whether the leak occurred in the shell 11 or the door 12, thereby facilitating maintenance or replacement of the shell 11 or door 12 where the gas leak occurred. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, a FOUP airtightness detection device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a pressurized gas loop, a gas sensor, and a standard door for eliminating gas leak factors. The pressurized gas loop is used to guide gas into the chamber through at least two of the valve ports and to form a closed circuit. The gas sensor is connected in series with the pressurized gas loop and is used to capture gas determination factors within the pressurized gas loop and to detect the airtightness of the chamber. The standard door is movably positioned within the detection device. When the gas sensor detects an abnormality in the airtightness of the chamber, the standard door replaces the door and identifies whether the cause of the gas leak that resulted in the airtightness abnormality is due to the shell or the door.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the valve port comprises at least one gas inlet valve port and at least one exhaust valve port, and the accumulating gas loop includes an intake duct. The intake duct is connected between the supply end and at least one of the gas inlet valve ports. The detection device further comprises at least one gas lock element for sealing at least one of the exhaust valve ports to form a closed circuit of the accumulating gas loop.

[0013] The accumulating gas loop includes an intake duct and an exhaust duct. The intake duct is connected between the supply end and at least one of the gas inlet valve ports, and the exhaust duct is connected between at least one of the exhaust valve ports and an exhaust port. The detection device further includes a gas lock element that seals the exhaust port, thereby creating a closed circuit for the accumulating gas loop.

[0014] In a preferred example of the present invention, the gas sensor is connected in series between the air supply end and at least one gas inlet valve port by the air intake duct. Alternatively, the gas sensor is connected in series between the exhaust port and at least one exhaust valve port by the exhaust duct, and the gas sensor is a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure value of the gas in the chamber. Alternatively, the gas sensor is connected in series between the air supply end and at least one gas inlet valve port by the air intake duct, and the gas sensor is a flow controller (or referred to as a flow detector) capable of detecting the flow rate of the gas in the chamber.

[0015] In a preferred example of the present invention, the intake duct is connected to at least one of the gas inlet valve ports by a sealing element, and the sealing element is driven by a first actuator to be airtightly connected to and connected to at least one of the gas inlet valve ports. The gas lock element is driven by a second actuator to seal the exhaust port.

[0016] In a preferred example of the present invention, both the standard door and the door are driven by at least one third actuator, and the standard door can replace the door.

[0017] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, another aspect of the present invention, a method for detecting the airtightness of a FOUP, includes the step of filling the chamber with gas at a specific pressure, allowing it to enter the chamber through at least one of the valve ports, pressurizing it to form a closed circuit, and then measuring a judgment factor of the gas pressurized in the chamber, which is used to detect the airtightness of the chamber. When an abnormality in the airtightness of the chamber is detected, the door is replaced with a standard door that eliminates the gas leak source, and the judgment factor obtained by measuring after gas pressurization is used to identify whether the cause of the gas leak that caused the abnormality in airtightness is due to the shell or the door.

[0018] According to the above described embodiments, compared with the prior art, the present invention can further determine whether the gas leakage position of the FOUP occurs at the door, the shell, or the assembly member thereof, facilitating the replacement of the door, the shell, or the assembly member thereof where gas leakage occurs. In this way, the airtight stability of the FOUP on the production line is improved, and when gas leakage is found, there is no need to replace the entire FOUP, thus avoiding unnecessary cost waste.

[0019] At least the following matters will become apparent from the descriptions of the specification and the drawings to be described later. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1a] It is a schematic exploded view showing a conventional FOUP, and shows that the FOUP is composed of a shell and a door locked to the shell. [Figure 1b] It is a bottom view showing the shell shown in FIG. 1a, and shows that at least two valve ports connected to the chamber are provided at the bottom of the shell. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the detection device of the present invention, and shows that a pressure-accumulating gas loop of the detection device is provided between the intake duct and the chamber to measure a determination coefficient for determining the quality of airtightness. [Figure 3] It is an operation diagram showing the establishment of the pressure-accumulating gas loop by the detection device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is an operation diagram of replacing the door of the FOUP with a standard door via the detection device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the detection device of the present invention, and shows that a pressure-accumulating gas loop of the detection device is provided between the intake duct, the chamber and the exhaust duct to measure a determination coefficient for determining the quality of airtightness. [Figure 6] It is an operation diagram showing the establishment of the pressure-accumulating gas loop by the detection device shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing the execution procedure of the detection method of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but these embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0022] First, an example of a specific embodiment of the detection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4.

[0023] The detection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used to detect the airtightness of the chamber 13 of the FOUP 10 (including the shell 11 and door 12) shown in Figures 1a and 1b (see Figures 2 to 4).

[0024] As can be seen in Figure 1a, the FOUP 10 comprises a shell 11 forming the chamber 13 and a door 12 for sealing the chamber 13, and the shell 11 has at least two valve ports capable of controlling the timing of ventilation between the chamber 13 and the outside. As can be seen in Figure 1b, the at least two valve ports include a pair of gas inlet valve ports 113 and a pair of exhaust valve ports 112. In practice, only one gas inlet valve port 113 and one exhaust valve port 112 are needed, and they do not need to be paired. The gas inlet valve port 113 is configured as an intake check valve that can be controlled in one direction to allow external gas to enter the chamber 13. The exhaust valve port 112 is configured as an exhaust check valve that can be controlled in one direction to discharge gas from the chamber 13 to the outside.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the detection device includes a platform 50 for placing the FOUP 10. The FOUP 10 is placed on the platform 50 in such a manner that the door 12 closes the opening 115 of the shell 11, thereby sealing the chamber 13. The platform 50 may be a platform located above a load port for loading and unloading the FOUP 10, or it may be a work platform for placing the FOUP 10. More specifically, the detection device may be directly placed inside the load port or work platform having the platform 50. The detection device includes a pressurized gas loop 20 formed by the platform 50, a gas sensor 23, and a standard door 40 for eliminating gas leak factors.

[0026] In the example shown in Figure 2, the accumulating gas loop 20 includes an intake duct 21 connected between an air supply end 60 and at least one of the gas inlet valve ports 113. The air supply end 60 may be a gas pump or a gas compressor. The intake duct 21 may be made of a flexible or rigid tubular member through which gas can be introduced, and is connected to a sealing element 22 and is electrically connected to at least one of the gas inlet valve ports. The sealing element 22 has a tubular cover shape, has a vent hole 220 in its center, and has a gas connection nozzle 221 at its upper end. The vent hole 220 is able to communicate between the intake duct 21 and the gas connection nozzle 221, and the sealing element 22 is positioned adjacent to the outside of at least one of the gas inlet valve ports 113 of the shell 11. The sealing element 22, via the gas connection nozzle 221, seals at least one of the gas inlet valve ports 113 of the shell 11 in a timely manner. The vent 220 guides the gas to push open the check valve in at least one of the gas inlet valve ports 113, thereby introducing the gas into the chamber 13. More specifically, the sealing element 22 is positioned upright on a linking arm 222, which is movably connected to a first actuator 223, which may be an air cylinder or another actuator capable of performing reciprocating linear motion.

[0027] In this manner, as shown in Figure 3, the sealing element 22 is drivable by the first actuator 223, hermetically sealing the gas inlet valve port 113 of the shell 11 in a timely manner, and the accumulating gas loop 20 is constructed as a closed circuit by the space of the intake duct 21 and the chamber 13, and the accumulating gas loop 20 guides gas of a specific pressure to enter the chamber 13 and accumulate pressure, as the sealing element 22 is in communication with at least one of the gas inlet valve ports 113. Furthermore, the sealing element 22 is drivable by the first actuator 223 to return to its original position, opening the gas inlet valve port 113 (see Figure 2).

[0028] In the example shown in Figure 2, the detection device further comprises at least one gas lock element 30, which consists of a plug body capable of blocking the passage of gas, and is used to seal at least one of the exhaust valve ports 112. The gas lock element 30 may be manually sealed to seal the exhaust valve port 112, or, as in the example shown in Figure 2, the gas lock element 30 may be driven by a second actuator 31 to seal at least one of the exhaust valve ports 113, thereby enabling the closed circuit to be actually constructed in the space of the intake duct 21 and the chamber 13. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the exhaust valve port 112 is forcibly sealed by at least one of the gas lock elements 30 before the gas pressure in the chamber 13 is measured, preventing the gas in the chamber 13 from accumulating to the specific pressure and preventing the gas introduced into the chamber 13 and pressurized from leaking to the outside through the exhaust valve port 112. Furthermore, the gas lock element 30 transmits power to the second actuator 31 to return it to its original position, thereby further opening the exhaust valve port 112 (see Figure 2).

[0029] In Figure 3, the dashed arrows indicate the gas flow path, and the solid arrows indicate the transmission direction of the first actuator 223 and the second actuator 31. Both the first actuator 223 and the second actuator 31 are manufactured as power cylinders, such as pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, or as push rods that can perform reciprocating motion by being driven by a worm bolt or motor.

[0030] In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, the gas sensor 23 consists of a pressure sensor 231 capable of detecting the pressure value of the gas in the chamber 13, or a flow controller 232 (or referred to as a flow detector) capable of detecting the gas flow rate in the chamber 13. In practice, the pressure sensor 231 and the flow controller 232 are both connected in series between the air supply end 60 and the sealing element 22 via the intake duct 21, and the accumulating gas loop 20 captures at least one of the gas pressure value and flow rate in the chamber 13 in a timely manner, which is used as a criterion for determining the airtightness of the FOUP 10 according to the present invention. The gas may be one of air, nitrogen, or ultra-clean compressed dry air (XCDA), all of which are gases to which the present invention can be applied.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the gas pipeline 20 has a particulate filter 24 and a pressure reducing device 25 sequentially connected in series between the intake end 60 and at least one of the gas sensors 23 via the intake duct 21. The particulate filter 24 is capable of filtering out particulate matter in the gas and is used to purify the gas introduced into the chamber 13. The pressure reducing device 25, together with the pressure sensor 231, can control the pressure of the gas injected into the chamber 13 to a specific pressure. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the pressure sensor 231 can detect the pressure of the gas in the process in which the intake end 60 continuously guides the gas to be injected into the chamber 13. If the gas pressure is higher than the specific pressure, the pressure reducing device 25 releases pressure in a timely manner to maintain the gas in the chamber 13 at a constant specific pressure.

[0032] The standard door 40 according to the present invention, which eliminates the gas leakage factors, refers to a door that, like the standard door 40 and the door 12, has the same airtight end face 41 and a sealing rubber strip 42 attached to the airtight end face 41, and is capable of sealing the opening 115 of the chamber 13 (see Figure 2), and the standard door 40 prevents gas from leaking out of the chamber 13 due to deterioration of the sealing rubber strip 42, deformation or damage to the door body, etc. More specifically, the standard door 40 is either a imitation door made of metal, non-metal, or plastic that mimics the shape and structure of the door, or a new door capable of eliminating gas leakage factors. More specifically, the door 12 is used in a production line where gas leakage factors cannot be eliminated, whereas the standard door 40 is not used in a production line and is a door that eliminates gas leakage factors that is pre-installed at the end of the equipment, thus differentiating the standard door 40 from the door 12.

[0033] In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, the standard door 40 is movably positioned within the detection device. When the gas sensor 23 detects an abnormality in the airtightness of the chamber 13, the standard door 40 replaces the door 12 (see Figure 4). This is used to identify whether the gas leak that caused the airtightness abnormality occurred in the shell 11 or the door 12 (details will be described later).

[0034] The aforementioned movable arrangement refers to a method in which the standard door 40 is manually placed inside the detection device, the standard door 40 is manually operated, the lock is manually released, the door 12 of the shell 11 is removed, the standard door 40 is manually locked to the shell 11, and the door 12 is replaced. The aforementioned movable arrangement may also refer to arranging the third actuator 121 and the fourth actuator 43 inside the detection device (see Figures 2 and 4).

[0035] In the example shown in Figure 4, the third actuator 121 is used to drive the door 12, which moves away from the opening 115 and unlocks from the shell 11. The fourth actuator 41 is used to drive the standard door 40, which automatically connects to the shell 11 and closes it, sealing the opening 115 of the chamber 13 and facilitating the measurement of the determination factor for the gas pressurized in the chamber 13. Specifically, the third actuator 121 and the fourth actuator 41 may be manufactured by an automated machine having the capability to move in one axis or multiple axes. In practice, both the standard door 40 and the door 12 can be driven only by the third actuator 121 having multi-axis movement capability to perform the operation of replacing the door 12 with the standard door 40 on the shell 11.

[0036] Next, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the detection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used to detect the airtightness of the chamber 13 of the FOUP 10 (including the shell 11 and door 12) shown in Figures 1a and 1b.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, this example differs from the first example shown in Figure 2 above in that, in addition to the space for the intake duct 21 and the chamber 13, the accumulating gas loop 20 further includes an exhaust duct 26 that communicates with the space for the chamber 13. More specifically, the exhaust duct 26 is connectable between at least one of the exhaust valve ports 112 and the exhaust port 261. One end of the exhaust duct 26 seals the exhaust valve port 112 as needed by another sealing element 27. The sealing element 27 is similarly positioned upright on the linking arm 272 and is driven by a fifth actuator 273 to seal the exhaust valve port 112 (see Figure 6). Similarly, the sealing element 27 has a central vent hole 270 and a gas connection nozzle 271 at its upper end that can seal the exhaust valve port 112. Thus, the structure of the sealing element 27 is substantially the same as that of the sealing element 22 located in the intake duct 25. When the gas pressurized in the chamber 13 pushes open the exhaust check valve in the exhaust valve port 112, the vent hole 270 of the sealing element 27 guides the gas into the exhaust duct 26.

[0038] In the example shown in Figure 5, the gas lock element 30 is used to seal the exhaust port 261 of the exhaust duct 26, forming a closed circuit for pressurizing gas between the intake duct 21, the chamber 13, and the exhaust duct 26. Specifically, the gas lock element 30 is constructed to seal the exhaust port 261 either by manually blocking it or by being driven by the second actuator 31 shown in Figure 5 (see Figure 6), thereby forming the closed circuit. The exhaust port 261 of the exhaust duct 26 is not absolutely necessary. In other words, the end of the exhaust duct 26 may be manufactured in a sealed manner to form the closed circuit, and it may not be necessary to implement the paired combination of the exhaust port 261 and the gas lock element 30, which also falls within the scope of application of the present invention.

[0039] Furthermore, the gas sensor 23 is connected in series between the exhaust port 261 and at least one of the exhaust valve ports 112 via the exhaust duct 26, and the gas sensor 23 is a pressure sensor 231 capable of detecting the gas pressure value in the chamber. In other words, the pressure sensor 231 may be placed in the exhaust duct 26 of the accumulating gas loop 20 (see example in Figure 5), in addition to being placed in the intake duct 21 of the accumulating gas loop 20 (see example in Figure 2), and all of these are within the applicable technical scope of the present invention. The accumulating gas loop 20 comprises the intake duct 21, the space of the chamber 13, and the exhaust duct 26 in that order. In addition, the placement techniques of the remaining doors 12, standard doors 40, etc. in the example shown in Figure 5 are all the same as in the example shown in Figure 2.

[0040] Incidentally, in the example shown in Figure 5, the intake duct 21 similarly includes the particulate filter 24, the pressure reducing device 25, and the flow controller 232, all of which are connected in series between the air supply end 60 and the flow controller 232. The gas sensor 23 may also be the flow controller 232.

[0041] Furthermore, based on the configuration technology of the detection device, the present invention implements a method for detecting the airtightness of a FOUP to determine whether the gas leak location of the FOUP 10 is in the shell 11 or the door 12. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the procedure for implementing the detection method of the present invention. It mainly comprises steps S10 to S70. Each of these will be described below.

[0042] <Step S10: Construct the accumulator gas loop as a closed circuit> Based on the examples shown in Figures 2 to 4, this step involves driving the sealing element 22 with the first actuator 223 shown in Figure 3 to airtightly seal the gas inlet valve port 113, and driving the gas lock element 30 with the second actuator 31 to block the exhaust valve port 112 of the shell 11, thereby creating a closed circuit in which the accumulating gas loop 20 does not leak gas to the outside, thus fulfilling the prerequisites for executing the following step S20.

[0043] <Step S20: Introduce the gas into the chamber and fill it to build up pressure.> In this step, the intake duct 21 of the pressurized gas loop 20 shown in Figure 3 guides gas at a specific pressure (e.g., 800 Pa) from the supply end 60 through the particulate filter 24, the pressure reducing device 25, the flow controller 232, the pressure sensor 231, and the vent hole 221 of the sealing element 22 in sequence, pushing open the intake check valve in the gas inlet valve port 113, allowing the gas at the specific pressure to enter the chamber 13 and be filled, rapidly accumulating in the chamber 13 to become the gas to be measured at 800 Pa or more, and then the following step S30 is executed.

[0044] <Step S30: Measure the gas judgment factors> As shown in Table 1, this step involves detecting the gas pressure value as the decision factor using the pressure sensor 231 of the pressurized gas loop 20 shown in Figure 3. As shown in Table 1, assuming that the specific pressure of the gas introduced into the FOUP 10 is 800 Pa, the measured and obtained gas pressure value will be in the range of 350 to 700 Pa, which will be used as the decision factor in the present invention, and the following step S40 will be executed. [Table 1]

[0045] <Step S40: Determine airtightness> As shown in the example in Table 1, the present invention assumes that the FOUP10 is a good product and that the gas leakage rate does not exceed 25% of the injected gas pressure of 800 Pa (i.e., the measured gas pressure is less than 600 Pa). Based on this, tests 1 to 3 below are performed. • Test 1: The column indicates that the measured and obtained gas pressure value is in the range of 600 to 700 Pa (i.e., >600 Pa), and it is determined that the airtightness is good when the door 12 closes the chamber 13 of the FOUP 10 composed of the shell 11. In other words, the door 12 eliminates serious gas leakage factors (including deterioration or damage of the sealing rubber strip, deformation of the door, etc.), and also eliminates serious gas leakage factors of the shell 11 (including deterioration or damage of the screw gasket, check valve assembly members in the intake / exhaust valve port, etc.). Therefore, once the airtightness detection is complete, it is no longer necessary to proceed with the door replacement operation in step S50 below. • Tests 2 and 3: The right column shows that the measured gas pressure values ​​obtained are in the range of 350 to 599 Pa (i.e., <600 Pa), and it is determined that gas leakage occurred in all cases when the chamber 13 of the FOUP 10, which is composed of the shell 11, was closed with the door 12 used in Tests 2 and 3, respectively. Therefore, the door replacement operation in step S50 below is performed for each test.

[0046] <Step S50: Replace the door with a standard door> This step involves replacing the door 12 on the shell 11 with the standard door 40 using at least one of the third actuator 121 and the fourth actuator 43 shown in Figure 4. This step also aims to determine whether the location of the airtightness defect in the FOUP 10 (referred to as the gas leak location) is in the shell 11 or the door 12.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the door 12 in the shell 11 is replaced with the standard door 40, and then steps S10 to S30 are performed again to recreate the specific gas pressure (e.g., 800 Pa) in the chamber 132 enclosed by the shell 11 and the standard door 40, and the acquired decision factor is measured.

[0048] <Step S60: Determine the location of the gas leak> As shown in Table 1, Test 2, shown in the right column, involved replacing door 12 with the standard door 40. The measured gas pressure values ​​obtained were in the range of 600-700 Pa (i.e., ≥600 Pa), indicating that after replacing the original door 12 with the standard door 40, the gas pressure in the chamber 13 changed from the original range of 350-599 Pa (i.e., 600 Pa, left column of Test 2) to a gas leak-free state with gas pressure values ​​in the range of 600-700 Pa (i.e., ≥600 Pa). This makes it possible to determine that the location of the serious gas leak is door 12. In other words, since door 12 is experiencing a serious gas leak due to deterioration or damage to the sealing rubber strip 14, or deformation of door 12, the following step S70 is performed.

[0049] Test 3: As shown in the right column, after replacing door 12 with standard door 40, the measured gas pressure values ​​maintained the range between 350 and 599 Pa (i.e., <600 Pa) as before the door replacement (i.e., the left column of Test 2), indicating that the location of the gas leak was the shell 11, not the door 12. In other words, the shell 11 is experiencing a serious gas leak due to deterioration or damage to the gasket in the screw hole, or the check valve in the gas inlet valve port 113, the exhaust valve port 112, or their assembly components, and therefore, step S70 below must be performed.

[0050] <Step S70: Replace or maintain the door or shell> This step employs manual or automated machinery, and if, after performing step S60, it is determined that the location of the gas leak is the door 12, this step replaces or updates the door 12, or maintains or updates the deteriorated or damaged sealing rubber strip 14 of the door 12, closes the door 12 to the shell 11, and restores good gas leak prevention. If it is determined that the location of the serious gas leak is the shell 11, this step replaces or updates the shell 11, closes the shell 11 to the door 12, and restores good gas leak prevention. Alternatively, after replacing or maintaining the door 12 or shell 11, steps S10 to S70 are repeated or duplicated to confirm that the FOUP 10 is airtight.

[0051] Furthermore, in the second example shown in Figures 5 and 6, the gas leakage flow rate (L / min) is used as a substitute for the gas pressure (Pa) as a judgment factor, and after generating the pressurized gas in the chamber 13, a specific acceptable leakage flow rate is assumed as a judgment criterion (substituting 25% of the gas leakage rate <800 Pa), and the test is performed by applying Table 1 and the steps described above to determine the gas leak location and ensure the yield of the airtightness of the FOUP 10.

[0052] As can be seen from this, the present invention further determines the location of the gas leak in the FOUP 10 by the above-described method. In contrast to the prior art (see, for example, Patent Document 1), in which the location of the gas leak in the FOUP cannot be determined by the taught technique, the present invention allows the contractor to accurately determine the location of the gas leak in the FOUP 10, replace the door 12, the shell 11, or its assembly component at the location where the gas leak in the FOUP 10 occurred, adopt the most economical method, and maintain the yield of airtightness of the FOUP 10 on the production line.

[0053] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The present invention may be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and it goes without saying that equivalents thereof are included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 FOUP 11 Shells 111 screw holes 112 Exhaust valve port 113 Gas inlet valve port 114 screw holes 115 Opening 12 doors 121 Third Actuator 13 Chambers 14. Seal rubber strip 15 screws 16 screws 17 Guide Ribs 20. Accumulator gas loop 21 Intake duct 22 Sealing elements 220 ventilation holes 221 Gas connection nozzle 222 Linking Arm 223 First Actuator 23 Gas Sensor 231 Pressure Sensor 232 Flow Controller 24 particulate filters 25 Pressure Reducing Device 26 Exhaust duct 261 Exhaust port 27 Sealing elements 270 ventilation holes 271 Gas connection nozzle 272 Linking Arm 273 Fifth Actuator 30 Gas lock element 31. Second Actuator 40 Standard Door 41 Airtight end face 42 sealing rubber strips 43. Fourth Actuator 50 platforms 60 Air supply end S10~S70 Step

Claims

1. An airtightness detection device for a FOUP used to detect the airtightness of a chamber within a FOUP, wherein the FOUP comprises a shell forming the chamber and a door for sealing the chamber, the shell has at least two valve ports capable of controlling the timing of ventilation between the chamber and the outside, and the detection device is A gas accumulator loop for allowing gas to enter the chamber through at least one of the valve ports and for guiding it to form a closed circuit, A gas sensor connected in series within the accumulating gas loop is used to capture the gas determination factors within the accumulating gas loop and to detect the airtightness of the chamber, A FOUP airtightness detection device comprising: a standard door for eliminating gas leak factors, which is movably positioned within the detection device, and which replaces the door with the standard door when the gas sensor detects that an abnormality has occurred in the airtightness of the chamber, thereby eliminating gas leak factors for identifying whether the cause of the gas leak that caused the abnormality in airtightness is due to the shell or the door.

2. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the valve ports comprise at least one gas inlet valve port and at least one exhaust valve port, the accumulating gas loop includes an intake duct, the intake duct is connected between an intake end and at least one of the gas inlet valve ports, and the detection device further comprises at least one gas lock element for sealing at least one of the exhaust valve ports to make the accumulating gas loop a closed circuit.

3. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 2, wherein the gas sensor is connected in series between the air supply end and at least one of the gas inlet valve ports by the air intake duct, and the gas sensor is a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure value of the gas in the chamber.

4. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 2, wherein the gas sensor is connected in series between the air supply end and at least one of the gas inlet valve ports by the air intake duct, and the gas sensor is a flow controller capable of detecting the flow rate of gas in the chamber.

5. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a particulate filter and a pressure reducing device connected in series between the intake duct and the gas sensor.

6. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 2, characterized in that the intake duct is connected to at least one of the gas inlet valve ports by a sealing element, the sealing element is driven by a first actuator to be airtightly connected to and connected to at least one of the gas inlet valve ports, and at least one of the gas lock elements is driven by a second actuator to seal at least one of the exhaust valve ports.

7. The FOUP airtightness detection device according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the valve ports each comprise at least one gas inlet valve port and at least one exhaust valve port, the accumulating gas loop comprises an intake duct and an exhaust duct, the intake duct is connected between an air supply end and at least one of the gas inlet valve ports, the exhaust duct is connected between at least one of the exhaust valve ports and an exhaust port, and the detection device further comprises a gas lock element that seals the exhaust port to form a closed circuit of the accumulating gas loop.

8. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 7, wherein the gas sensor is connected in series between the exhaust port and at least one of the exhaust valve ports by the exhaust duct, and the gas sensor is a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure value of the gas in the chamber.

9. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 8, further comprising a particulate filter connected in series between the intake end and the gas sensor, a pressure reducing device, and a flow controller, in the intake duct.

10. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 7, wherein the gas sensor is connected in series between the air supply end and at least one of the gas inlet valve ports by the air intake duct, and the gas sensor is a flow controller capable of detecting the flow rate of gas in the chamber.

11. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 10, characterized in that the intake duct further comprises a particulate filter and a pressure reducing device connected in series between the intake end and the gas sensor.

12. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising a pressure sensor connected in series between the exhaust port and at least one of the exhaust valve ports on the exhaust duct.

13. The airtightness detection device for a FOUP according to claim 1, characterized in that both the standard door and the door are driven by at least one third actuator, and the door can be replaced by the standard door.

14. A method for detecting the airtightness of a chamber within a FOUP, wherein the FOUP comprises a shell forming the chamber and a door for sealing the chamber, the shell having at least two valve ports capable of controlling the timing of ventilation between the chamber and the outside, and the detection method is: The process includes filling the chamber with gas at a specific pressure, allowing it to enter through at least one of the valve ports to build up pressure to form a closed circuit, and then measuring a determination factor of the gas built up in the chamber to be used to detect the airtightness of the chamber. A method for detecting the airtightness of a FOUP, characterized in that, upon detecting an abnormality in the airtightness of the chamber, the door is replaced with a standard door that eliminates the gas leak source, and the cause of the gas leak that caused the abnormality in airtightness is identified as being due to the shell or the door, based on the judgment factor obtained by measurement after gas accumulation.

15. The method for detecting the airtightness of a FOUP according to claim 14, characterized in that the judgment factor is the pressure value of the gas at the specific pressure accumulated in the chamber.

16. The method for detecting the airtightness of a FOUP according to claim 14, characterized in that the judgment factor is the leakage flow rate of gas at the specific pressure accumulated in the chamber.

17. The method for detecting the airtightness of a FOUP according to claim 14, characterized in that the gas is one of air, nitrogen, or ultra-clean compressed dry air.

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