A storage device for storing wafer cassettes for use with a batch furnace
AssigneeASM IP Holding B.V.
InventorAdriaan Garssen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A storage device for use with at least one batch furnace for batch treatment of wafers supported in a wafer boat is disclosed. The storage device comprises a cassette storage carousel for storing a plurality of wafer cassettes on rotatable platform stages. A carousel housing bounds a mini-environment chamber in which the platform stages are accommodated. A gas recirculation circuit of the storage device subsequently comprises a gas inlet channel, a gas inlet filter, the mini-environment chamber, a plurality of gas outlet openings in a bottom wall of the carousel housing, a plenum housing bounding a plenum chamber, a plenum chamber outlet, a gas circulation pump connecting the plenum chamber outlet to an inlet end of the gas inlet duct.
Claims16
A storage device for storing wafer cassettes, the storage device comprising:
- a cassette storage carousel for storing a plurality of wafer cassettes constructed and arranged to accommodate a plurality of wafers;
- wherein the cassette storage carousel comprises:
- a carousel housing with at least one opening configured for transferring the wafer cassettes or wafers to and from the cassette storage carousel;
- at least one platform stage which is connected to a central support which is mounted rotatably around a vertical axis within the carousel housing for accommodating the wafer cassettes;
- a drive assembly that is operatively connected to the central support for rotating the central support with the at least one platform stage;
- a mini-environment chamber which is bounded by the carousel housing and in which the platform stages are accommodated;
- a gas recirculation circuit subsequently comprising:
- a gas inlet channel which extends in a vertical direction and is bounded by the central support which is embodied as a central gas inlet duct which is rotatable around the vertical axis, wherein the gas inlet duct has a plurality of gas inlet openings that provide a fluid connection between the gas inlet channel and the mini-environment chamber and which are distributed over the height and the circumference of the gas inlet duct so that, in use, a radially outwardly directed inflow of gas into the mini-environment chamber is provided;
- the mini-environment chamber;
- a plurality of gas outlet openings which are provided in a bottom wall of the carousel housing a plenum housing bounding a plenum chamber extending under the bottom wall so that the plurality of gas outlet openings provide a fluid connection between the mini-environment chamber and the plenum chamber;
- a plenum chamber outlet;
- a gas circulation pump having a gas circulation pump inlet which is connected via a pump inlet duct to the plenum chamber outlet and having a gas circulation pump outlet which is connected via a pump outlet duct to an inlet end of the rotatable gas inlet duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.