Method and apparatus for transferring articles between two controlled environments
US5547328A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 1, 1994 |
| Grant date | Aug 20, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 1, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S414/14
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for transferring articles from a transportable container, for example, a SMIF pod, to a second container, for example, a processing station having a port which provides access to the interior region of the processing station. A non-contact seal or an isolation cover or skirt seals the port so that the interior region of the container can be purged of contaminants prior to exposing the interior environment of the processing station to the environment within the container. The purging of the container may be a multi-step process in which the container door is moved between several intermediate positions so that the container door itself is purged prior to the purging of the environment within the container.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.