Semifab Incorporated

Other

Robert B Eglinton

Glenn A Roberson, Jr

Gregory K Mundt

Robert M Genco

Wayland Comer

Stuart Vernon Allen

Donald J Zytka

Peter G Madden

The system and method for molecular contamination control permits purging a SMIF pod to desired levels of relative humidity, oxygen, or particulates. The SMIF pod includes an inlet port including a check valve and filter assembly for supplying a clean, dry gaseous working fluid to maintain low levels of moisture, oxygen, and particulate content around materials contained in the SMIF pod. The SMIF pod outlet port, which also includes a check valve and filter assembly, is connected with an evacuation system. Flow of purge gas inside the SMIF pod can be directed with one or more nozzle towers to encourage laminar flow inside the pod, and one or more outlet towers., having a function similar to that of the inlet tower, may also be provided. The purge gas can be dried by exposure to a desiccant, heated to temperatures between about 100&deg; C. and about 120&deg; C., and can be tested for baseline constituent levels prior to or after introduction into a SMIF pod. Multiple SMIF pods can also be purged by a single contamination control base unit.

Molecular contamination control system

The system and method for molecular contamination control permits purging a SMIF pod to desired levels of relative humidity, oxygen, or particulates. The SMIF pod includes an inlet port including a check valve and filter assembly for supplying a clean, dry gaseous working fluid to maintain low levels of moisture, oxygen, and particulate content around materials contained in the SMIF pod. The SMIF pod outlet port, which also includes a check valve and filter assembly, is connected with an evacuation system. Flow of purge gas inside the SMIF pod can be directed with one or more nozzle towers to encourage laminar flow inside the pod, and one or more outlet towers,, having a function similar to that of the inlet tower, may also be provided. The purge gas can be dried by exposure to a desiccant, heated to temperatures between about 100&deg; C. and about 120&deg; C., and can be tested for baseline constituent levels prior to or after introduction into a SMIF pod. Multiple SMIF pods can also be purged by a single contamination control base unit.

The system and method for molecular contamination control permits purging a SMIF pod to desired levels of relative humidity, oxygen, or particulates. The SMIF pod includes an inlet port including a check valve and filter assembly for supplying a clean, dry gaseous working fluid to maintain low levels of moisture, oxygen, and particulate content around materials contained in the SMIF pod. The SMIF pod outlet port, which also includes a check valve and filter assembly, is connected with an evacuation system. Flow of purge gas inside the SMIF pod can be directed with one or more nozzle towers to encourage laminar flow inside the pod, and one or more outlet towers, having a function similar to that of the inlet tower, may also be provided. The purge gas can be dried by exposure to a desiccant, heated to temperatures between about 100.degree. C. and about 120.degree. C., and can be tested for baseline constituent levels prior to or after introduction into a SMIF pod. Multiple SMIF pods can also be purged by a single contamination control base unit.

The humidifier for controlling humidity in a semi-conductor manufacturing environment provides a trickle water refill level control system for maintaining an accurate flow of refill water into the humidifier water tank. A water supply provides a substantially constant rate of flow of water to a conduit connected between the humidifier tank inlet port and the water overflow tank inlet port, to allow the excess water supplied to the humidifier water tank to flow to the overflow tank. The overflow tank has a float level control allowing for operation of the steam generating humidifier at higher steam pressures, and increased stability of the steam generation rate. A pressure equalization line is also connected between an upper portion of the humidifier water tank and an upper air reservoir of the water overflow tank for equalizing pressure between the humidifier water tank and the water overflow tank.

Humidifier for control of semi-conductor manufacturing environments

A minienvironment provides a cleanroom-type environment by maintaining an ultra-filtered clean-air material handling area to minimize or eliminate the exposure of materials to harmful microcontaminants. The minienvironment includes an air flow generator assembly for directing air external to the minienvironment through a filter assembly into a material handling area. A diffuser redirects this filtered air flow over the material handling area in more than one direction to minimize or eliminate the exposure of any surfaces of materials in the handling area to harmful microcontaminants. The resulting continual outward flow of ultra-filtered air over this handling area prevents harmful microcontaminants in the air external to the minienvironment from directly entering the handling area and flushes out any harmful microcontaminants generated within the handling area. Furthermore, a worker may use an opening defined in the minienvironment to handle the materials in the handling area while viewing the handling area through a window panel. The minienvironment may also be easily linked and configured to form an assembly line for product manufacture and assembly where materials may be passed from one handling area to another.

Minienvironment for material handling

A device for drying articles such as semiconductor wafers comprising a vacuum process chamber for holding articles to be dried; a vapor generator substantially isolated from the process chamber for supplying a substance such as isopropyl alcohol in vapor form to the process chamber; a heater for heating the walls of the process chamber to discourage the substance vapor from condensing on the inside walls of the process chamber. The device can also be used for rinsing and cleansing articles prior to drying.

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Carmel, CA, United States of America

Robert B Eglinton