Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Didier Cruz

Jacques Daval

Jean-Pierre Lazzari

Claude Doche

Francois Torrecillas

The invention permits the transfer between two containers of an object without the latter being in contact with the atmosphere around the containers. The system comprises two doors (12, 22) joined tightly to one another in such a way that the outer faces (13, 23) of these doors are positioned facing one another during opening, e.g. by winding the same around a drum (21). These doors are constituted by two flexible curtains sliding in lateral carriages. The system is particularly applicable to the production of semiconductor wafers or slices in an ultraclean atmosphere.

System of doors between two mobile containers, particularly two

The blowing ramp formed by the blowing elements makes it possible to maintain under an ultra-clean atmosphere the planar services of objects during their transportion or conveying, whilst using a limited air flow; the blowing elements are mainly constituted by a plate 2 having a central orifice 6 facing which is located a pipe 4 supplied with ultra-clean air; the process consists of placing the surface (11) of the object (10) at a distance (d) of approximately 1 mm from the blowing surface (7). The flow of air between these two surfaces is easily regulated in such a way as to be laminar, thus providing protection against ambient particulate contamination, which application may be applied to the conveying of silicon wafers.

Process for protecting surfaces against ambient particulate

An apparatus is provided for placing and removing flat wafers such as those used in integrated circuits in a cassette. The apparatus includes a track having a mobile part at one end thereof. The track may be horizontally inserted under one of the flat articles and the mobile part raised to contact and raise the respective article. In this way, the track can be removed from the cassette retaining the article. After the article has been appropriately processed, it can be reinserted into the cassette by moving the track back into the cassette and lowering the mobile part thereof. The flat article will then be retained on lateral supports in the cassette.

Apparatus for loading an unloading flat articles with respect to a

An apparatus which makes it possible to store or place flat articles (20) in a storage cassette (18) with the aid of an intermediate cassette (60), so that it is possible to temporarily store in the latter certain flat articles (20). The apparatus includes a gripping device (50) having a number of tracks (2) corresponding to the number of racks of the storage cassette (18). It also includes an intermediate cassette (60), whereof each rack is placed so as to correspond with the tracks (2) of the gripping device. In order to insert or remove a flat article (20) with respect to the storage cassete (18), it is possible to remove certain flat articles (21) from the gripping device (50) which might cause a hindrance during the penetration of the tracks (2) into the storage cassette (18). A pneumatic raising device is responsible for the handling of the flat articles on the tracks (2). Specific application to the handling of silicon wafers used in the manufacture of integrated circuits.

Apparatus for placing or storing flat articles in a cassette with

The blowing door permits the passage of an object (6) from the interior of a first container (5) to a second container (4) without the respective atmospheres of the interior of these two containers being polluted. The blowing door (2) comprises a pressurized fluid inlet (17), an inner chamber (15) and at least one of its faces is ventilated by means of filter (14) placed between the face (11) and the inner chamber (15). During the opening of the door (2), the face (11) in contact with the external atmosphere is then ventilated, so that polluting particles are not brought into the containers (4, 5) during the closure of the door (2). Application to the treatment of silicon wafers or chips to be used in microelectronics.

Growing community of inventors

Grenoble, France

Didier Cruz