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US 9,868,140 B2Granted
Recirculation substrate container purging systems
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorLutz Rebstock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems to reduce the consumption of purge gas for semiconductor substrate containers. The recirculation purging system recycles purge gas back to substrate containers by filtering and purifying gas flow from substrate containers, receiving gas flow from load port, or including a recirculation tank.
Claims13
A recirculation purging system comprising:
- a load port;
- a purge gas flow input to the load port comprising at least one of a recirculated gas flow and a refresh gas flow,
- wherein the recirculated gas flow is configured to add a purified purge gas flow to the load port, and
- wherein the refresh gas flow is configured to add a fresh gas flow to the load port;
- a switch mechanism coupled to the purge gas flow input and being configured to provide one of both the recirculated gas flow and the refresh gas flow to the purge gas flow input;
- an exhaust purge gas flow output from the load port.
3 more elements
A recirculation purging system, comprising:
- a container;
- a sealable load port;
- wherein the recirculation purging system is activated when the container is placed on a support of the load port;
- a purge gas flow input to the load port comprising at least one of a recirculated gas flow and a refresh gas flow,
- wherein the recirculated gas flow is configured to add a purified purge gas flow to the load port, and
- wherein the refresh gas flow is configured to add a fresh gas flow to the load port;
- a switch mechanism coupled to the purge gas flow input and being configured to provide one of both the recirculated gas flow and the refresh gas flow to the purge gas flow input;
- at least one of a filter and a purifier configured to remove at least one of a particle contaminant, an organic contaminant, and a moisture contaminant from the recirculated gas flow;
- and
- an exhaust purge gas flow output from the load port.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.