Air-sampling carrier, apparatus and method for analyzing air in a semiconductor process tool

An air-sampling carrier for collecting an air sample from one or more unit process tools used in semiconductor fabricating facilities comprising:

• a container having an inner space;
• a door mounted at a front wall of the container;
• a discharging pipe, which is formed on an outer surface of the container and is connected to an inner space of the container, for discharging the sampled air out of the container;
• and
• at least one inlet tube, which is formed on the outer surface of the container and connected to the inner space of the container, for introducing purge gas into the inner space from outside the container.

A method of analyzing air in semiconductor fabricating facilities comprising:

• transporting an air-sampling carrier by means of an unmanned carrying apparatus to a respective unit process tool in which the air is to be sampled;
• sampling the air in the respective unit process tool by introducing the air into an inner carrier of the air-sampling carrier after opening a door of the air-sampling carrier;
• transporting the air-sampling carrier to an air analyzer by means of the unmanned carrying apparatus;
• connecting a sample port line and a purge gas supplying tube of the air analyzer to the air-sampling carrier;
• analyzing a pollution level of the sampled air after introducing the sampled air and purge gas into the air analyzer through the sample port line while injecting the purge gas into an inner space of the air-sampling carrier through the purge gas supplying line;
• and
• providing the inner space of the air-sampling carrier with a purge gas having a pollution level of zero through the purge gas supplying line after disconnecting the sample port line from the air-sampling carrier when the analyzing is finished.