Pod and method of cleaning it

An apparatus for processing substrates stored in a pod including a pod body having an opening for taking in and out the substrate and a cover for closing the opening of the pod body, comprising:

• a pod reception chamber;
• a pod processing chamber;
• a substrate processing chamber;
• means for transferring the pod and substrates between the chambers;
• substrate taking means in the pod reception chamber, for taking the substrates out of the pod;
• cleaning means in the pod processing chamber, for cleaning the inside of the pod;
• and
• substrate processing means in the substrate processing chamber, for processing the substrate, wherein
• the cover has an outlet;
• and
• the cleaning means has closing means for tightly closing the opening of the pod body with the cover, introducing means for introducing a washing liquid into the pod through the inlet, and discharging means for discharging the washing liquid from the pod through the outlet.

An apparatus for processing substrates stored in a pod including a pod body having an opening for taking in and out the substrate and a cover for closing the opening of the pod body, comprising:

• a pod reception chamber;
• a pod processing chamber;
• a substrate processing chamber;
• means for transferring the pod and substrates between the chambers;
• substrate taking means in the pod reception chamber, for taking the substrates out of the pod;
• cleaning means in the pod processing chamber, for cleaning the inside of the pod;
• and
• substrate processing means in the substrate processing chamber, for processing the substrate, wherein
• the cover has an outlet;
• and
• the cleaning means has evacuating means for evacuating the pod through the outlet.

An apparatus for processing substrates stored in a pod including a pod body having an opening for taking in and out the substrate and a cover for closing the opening of the pod body, comprising:

• a pod reception chamber;
• a pod processing chamber;
• a substrate processing chamber;
• means for transferring the pod and substrates between the chambers;
• substrate taking means in the pod reception chamber, for taking the substrates out of the pod;
• cleaning means in the pod processing chamber, for cleaning the inside of the pod;
• and
• substrate processing means in the substrate processing chamber, for processing the substrate, wherein
• the cleaning means has:
• a table on which the pod body is set to tightly close the inside of the pod body;
• an inlet and an outlet formed on the table, the inlet introducing fluid into the pod body, the outlet discharging fluid from the pod body;
• introducing means for introducing a washing liquid into the pod body through inlet;
• and
• discharging means for discharging the washing liquid from the pod body through the outlet.