The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 10, 2004
Filed:
May. 30, 2002
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Hsin Chu, TW;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B65B 1/04 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B65B 1/04 ;
Abstract
A system and method for evacuating potential wafer-corroding and contaminating residual process gases from the interior of a semiconductor wafer pod before, after or both before and after a process is performed on the wafers. The residual process gases are first evacuated from the wafer pod, which is next charged with a fresh supply of inert gas. The system is adapted to evacuate and charge the wafer pod as the wafer pod typically rests on a load port of a SMIF prior to transfer of the pod to another destination in the semiconductor fabrication facility, prior to internalization of the wafers into a processing tool, or both.