Reticle container with directed purge flow
AssigneeEntegris, Inc.
InventorsRuss V. Raschke, Brian Wiseman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reticle container includes an outer pod and an inner pod, the inner pod configured to contain a reticle. The outer pod includes a pod door including a purge port, and a pod dome including one or more channels configured to receive a purge gas from the purge port and direct the purge gas to particular locations within the outer pod. The channels can direct the purge gas to one or more filters of the inner pod. The channels can direct the purge gas such that there is a pressure differential between the pressure at a first filter and the pressure at the second filter. The inner pod can include deflectors or channels to further direct the purge flow through the inner pod to purge the area surrounding the reticle.
Claims20
A method of purging a reticle pod having an inner pod contained within an outer pod, the inner pod comprising a plurality of filters and the outer pod comprising one or more purge inlets, the method comprising:
- providing a purge gas to at least one of the one or more purge inlets on the outer pod;
- and
- directing the purge gas from at least one of the one or more purge inlets to at least one filter of the plurality of filters of the inner pod such that a first pressure at a first filter of the plurality of filters is greater than a second pressure at a second filter of the plurality of filters,
- wherein the purge gas enters the inner pod at the first filter and exits the inner pod at the second filter.
An inner pod for a reticle container, the inner pod comprising:
- a cover and a baseplate configured to accommodate a reticle therebetween, wherein:
- a first filter is provided on one of the cover or the baseplate,
- a second filter is provided on one of the cover or the baseplate, and
- one or more flow-directing features are provided on an inner surface of at least one of the cover or the baseplate, the one or more flow-directing features configured to direct flow of a purge gas within the inner pod between the first filter and the second filter.
A reticle pod, comprising:
- an inner pod comprising:
- a cover and a baseplate configured to accommodate a reticle therebetween, wherein:
- a first filter is provided on one of the cover or the baseplate,
- a second filter is provided on one of the cover or the baseplate, and
- one or more flow-directing features are provided on an inner surface of at least one of the cover or the baseplate, the one or more flow-directing features configured to direct flow of a purge gas within the inner pod between the first filter and the second filter;
- and
- an outer pod configured to accommodate the inner pod, the outer pod including one or more purge inlets and one or more channels configured to direct flow from the one or more purge inlets to the first filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.