Substrate Storage Container Air Replacement Unit Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate storage containers face inefficiencies in air replacement with purge gas due to unstable tower nozzles and air stagnation issues when the door is open, leading to uneven humidity distribution, especially when used with EFEM systems.
Innovation Solution
A substrate storage container design featuring an air replacement unit with a housing member and covering member, where the housing member is supported by the container main body to prevent instability, and the covering member has blow holes to direct purge gas efficiently across the container, preventing air collisions and stagnation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the tower nozzle is optionally connected to the air feed valve and simply fixed in the rear part of the bottom plate, then the device complexity is reduced, but the stability of the air replacement unit deteriorates causing inefficient air replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The air replacement unit is divided into separate components: a housing member that is fixed to the container and a covering member that can be detached. This segmentation allows the housing to provide stable structural support while the covering member with blow holes can be optimized for gas distribution, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and reliable air replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing member is preliminarily fixed to the container main body before operation, establishing a stable base. The covering member is then attached to complete the air replacement unit. This preliminary action ensures structural stability is established before the air replacement process begins, preventing the instability issues seen in conventional designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the door unit is removed from the front of the container main body to perform air replacement during semiconductor wafer processing, then the adaptability to EFEM systems is improved, but air stagnation occurs leading to uneven humidity distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The covering member is designed with blow holes at specific locations to create localized gas flow patterns. The blow holes are positioned to direct purge gas toward the front of the container, creating targeted air replacement zones that prevent stagnation in the front area while maintaining adaptability to EFEM systems with the door open.
Solution Approach 2:
The air replacement unit acts as an intermediary device between the air feed valve and the container interior. It mediates the gas flow by distributing purge gas through the covering member's blow holes, creating a flow pattern that prevents stagnation and ensures uniform humidity distribution even when the door is open during EFEM operations.
3Productivity
If purge gas is supplied at high pressure to efficiently replace air, then the productivity of air replacement is improved, but the tower nozzle becomes unstable due to vibration and acceleration
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the air replacement unit into a fixed housing member and a separate covering member, the design allows the housing to absorb vibrations from high-pressure gas supply while the covering member remains stable in position. This segmentation enables high-pressure operation without the instability that plagues conventional integrated designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing member is preliminarily secured to the container main body before high-pressure purge gas is supplied. This preliminary fixation establishes a stable foundation that can withstand the vibrations and accelerations caused by high-pressure gas flow, maintaining both productivity and stability simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design ensures efficient air replacement within the container, maintaining uniform humidity levels and preventing static electricity buildup, thus protecting semiconductor wafers from contamination and environmental pollution.
Implementation Method 1
an air feed valve for supplying a substrate protecting gas for semiconductor wafers W from an outside of the container main body to an inside of the container main body
Implementation Method 2
an air replacement unit that blows out the substrate protecting gas supplied through the air feed valve into the inside of the container main body
Implementation Method 3
a fan filter unit (FFU) 82, which blows a large quantity of clean air down toward the floor
Data Source
AI summary
The substrate storage container includes a container main body, an air feed valve, and an air replacement unit. The container main body is formed in a front open box form with the air feed valve attached to the rear of the bottom plate. The air replacement unit includes a housing and a cover that covers the open front of the housing. The bottom of the housing is connected to the air feed valve so as to flow the purge gas while the housing is supported at the upper portion thereof by a rear wall of the container main body. Either the housing or the cover is formed with a plurality of blow holes for blowing the purge gas toward the front of the container main body.