US 10,503,082 B2 · Optical reticle load port

Abstract

An apparatus configured to load or unload a mask pod includes a first load port supporter and a second load port supporter spaced apart from the first load port supporter. Each of the first load port supporter and the second load port supporter includes at least portions of an L-shaped rectangular prism. The first load port supporter and the second load port supporter are disposed diagonally around a rectangular area, where first inner sidewalls of the first load port supporter and second inner sidewalls of the second load port supporter delimit boundaries of the rectangular area, and where a first width of the rectangular area is equal to a second width of the mask pod, and a first length of the rectangular area is equal to a second length of the mask pod.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus configured to load or unload a mask pod, the apparatus comprising:

a first load port supporter;
a second load port supporter spaced apart from the first load port supporter, wherein each of the first load port supporter and the second load port supporter comprises at least portions of an L-shaped rectangular prism, wherein the first load port supporter and the second load port supporter are disposed diagonally around a rectangular area, wherein first inner sidewalls of the first load port supporter and second inner sidewalls of the second load port supporter delimit boundaries of the rectangular area, and wherein a first width of the rectangular area is equal to a second width of the mask pod, and a first length of the rectangular area is equal to a second length of the mask pod;
and
a load port, wherein the first load port supporter and the second load port supporter are attached to a first upper corner of the load port and a second upper corner of the load port, respectively, wherein the first upper corner and the second upper corner are two diagonal corners of the load port.

1 more element

A load port for loading and unloading a mask pod, the load port comprising:

a first load port supporter having a shape of a first L-shaped rectangular prism;
and
a second load port supporter having a shape of a second L-shaped rectangular prism, wherein in a plan view, a first inner sidewall of the first load port supporter, a second inner sidewall of the first load port supporter, a first inner sidewall of the second load port supporter, and a second inner sidewall of the second load port supporter define four different sides of a rectangle, wherein a dimension of the rectangle is the same as a dimension of the mask pod;
and
optical sensors and locking devices embedded in the load port.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical reticle load port

Life of this patent

Optical reticle load port

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20