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US 4,927,438 AGranted
Horizontal laminar air flow work station
AssigneeVarian Associates, Inc.
InventorsEric L. Mears, Robert E. Jennings
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A load chamber of a load lock is provided with a vertical air curtain which isolates the load chamber from the general clean room environment. Horizontal air flows generated in the load chamber bathe wafers held horizontally in the chamber with filtered air. These horizontal air flows are captured by the air curtain and recirculated to filters which provide horizontal and vertical air flows in the load chamber. If desired, the vertical and horizontal flows may be driven by the air supply mechanism of the clean room itself.
Claims9
A load station for semiconductor wafers comprising:
- a chamber having an opening;
- means for supporting at least one cassette for holding semiconductor wafers oriented horizontally in said chamber,
- channel means comprising;
- first channel means for directing a horizontal flow of air into said chamber toward a cassette supported by said means for supporting and toward said opening and
- second channel means for directing a first stream of air to flow vertically
- downward into said chamber;
- and
- means for generating a second stream of air forming an air curtain having a velocity greater than the velocity of said first stream of air, said means for generating being capable of producing a downward velocity in said curtain of air sufficient to prevent said horizontal flow from penetrating said curtain of air so that the interior of said chamber is isolated from the environment external to said chamber opening;
- said channel means including air return slot means in said chamber for receiving air from said horizontal flow, said first stream and said second stream.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.