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Substrate housing and docking system
| Details |
Inventors: Babbs, Daniel A.; Shultz, Richard E.;
Assignee: Progressive System Technologies, Inc. (Austin, TX)
Primary Examiner: Gibson, Jr.; Robert W.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Stanford & Bennett, L.L.P.
A modular, transportable for storing substrates, such as semi-conductor wafers and masks, and for maintaining such substrates in a substantially clean environment. Substrates are supported within the housing by a plurality of combs which maintain the substrates in spaced relationship relative to each other. Access to the interior of the housing is permitted by a pivotal door assembly. A docking unit permits interface of the housing with a clean environment. Control circuitry provided in the docking unit detects the presence of a housing and loads/unloads the housing as directed by a host computer through a communication link. A memory device is preferably mounted to the housing for storing history and other information about the substrates within the housing. The host computer directs the control circuitry to retrieve the substrate information from the memory and relay the information to the host computer. During or after processing of the substrates, the host computer updates the memory as desired. In this manner, the host computer controls and tracks one or more docking units and associated substrate housings. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a modular, transportable housing for storing articles such as substrates, including semiconductor wafers, masks and flat panel displays, for example, and for maintaining such articles in a substantially clean environment.
Preferably, the substrates are supported within the housing by a plurality of combs which are mounted within the housing and which maintain the substrates in a spaced relationship relative to each other.
Access to the interior of the housing is permitted by a door assembly on the front of the housing.
Latches are preferably provided on the housing to keep the door assembly in a locked position until access is desired.
The door assembly preferably comprises a door pivotally mounted to the housing by a pair of tracks mounted on the top of the housing, thereby permitting relative movement of the housing and door.
A docking unit according to the present invention is located near or adjacent a mini environment allowing interface of the substrate housing to the mini environment.
The docking unit comprises a frame having a movable tray for receiving the substrate housing when the tray is in a retracted position.
In the preferred embodiment, the housing includes bearings for rollably engaging corresponding plates on the docking unit for horizontally guiding the housing onto the tray.
The tray is manipulated by a motor assembly for positioning the tray in a retracted, middle and an inserted position.
The docking unit further comprises a cam assembly for engaging the housing door latches when the tray is in the middle position and a port door assembly for simultaneously opening a port door on the docking unit and the housing door.
The port and housing doors rotate 90.
degree.
about a fixed common center of rotation (FCCR) at an upper front edge of the housing.
Thus, the door is placed in a stowed, horizontal position clearing a path between the housing and the mini environment.
The tray and housing are then moved to the inserted position to abut the docking unit bulkhead and permit access to the substrates from the mini environment
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Control Computers 
