Drain device and method

Abstract

The present invention provides a drain device for a transporting box with an input/output opening which can be blocked by a box door and which contains substrate wafers stacked according to parallel planes. The drain device comprises a volume limited by a sealed wall divided into at least an upper part with a purging gas inlet orifice and a lower part with a purging gas outlet orifice, with the two parts being separated by a sealed partition, and a range of guides defining the openings arranged parallel to those of the wafers and connecting with the volume of the drain device to direct the purging gas towards the transporting box.

1 . Drain device for a transporting box with an input/output opening which a box door can block and which contains substrate wafers stacked based on parallel planes, comprising:
 a volume, limited by a sealed wall, divided into at least an upper part with a purging gas inlet orifice and a lower part with a purging gas outlet orifice, with a sealed partition separating the two parts, and   a main wall, intended to cooperate with the inpuVoutput opening of the transporting box, roughly perpendicular to the planes of the wafers and comprising a range of openings, the median plane of which is parallel to the planes of the wafers, with the openings connecting the volume of the drain device to the transporting box.   
   
   
       2 . Drain device according to  claim 1 , in which the dimensions of the openings in relation to the purging gas inlet orifice are such that the upper part of the drain device is in overpressure. 
   
   
       3 . Drain device according to  claim 2 , in which the number of openings is at least equal to the number of wafers contained in the transporting box. 
   
   
       4 . Drain device according to  claim 2 , in which the openings are rectangular slots with a length of the same order of magnitude as the diameter of the substrate wafers. 
   
   
       5 . Drain device according to  claim 2 , in which the openings consist of holes aligned over a distance of the same order of magnitude as the diameter of the substrate wafers. 
   
   
       6 . Drain device according to  claim 1 , in which the number of openings is at least equal to the number of wafers contained in the transporting box. 
   
   
       7 . Drain device according to  claim 1 , in which the openings are rectangular slots with a length of the same order of magnitude as the diameter of the substrate wafers. 
   
   
       8 . Drain device according to  claim 1 , in which the openings consist of holes aligned over a distance of the same order of magnitude as the diameter of the substrate wafers. 
   
   
       9 . Drain device according to  claim 1 , also comprising a range of guides inserted between the openings. 
   
   
       10 . Drain device according to  claim 9 , in which the number of guides is at least equal to the number of wafers contained in the transporting box and the guides are arranged in the planes of the wafers. 
   
   
       11 . Drain device according to  claim 10 , in which each guide is arranged in the same plane as the wafer to which it corresponds, with the end of each guide being concave, matching the form of the corresponding circular wafer. 
   
   
       12 . Drain device according to  claim 1 , also comprising means for a sealed connection to the input/output opening of the transporting box. 
   
   
       13 . Drain system of a transporting box, with an input/output opening which a box door can block and containing a stack of substrate wafers based on parallel planes, using a drain device for the transporting box; 
     wherein the drain device comprises a volume, limited by a sealed wall, divided into at least an upper part with a purging gas inlet orifice and a lower part with a purging gas outlet orifice, with a sealed partition separating the two parts, and a main wall, intended to cooperate with the input/output opening of the transporting box, roughly perpendicular to the planes of the wafers and comprising a range of openings, the median plane of which is parallel to the planes of the wafers, with the openings connecting the volume of the drain device to the transporting box; 
     wherein the drain system comprises a chamber with at least one connection orifice to a transporting box equipped with a chamber door, and comprising means of activating the box door to open and close the door of the transporting box and means of activating the drain device to connect it to the transporting box. 
   
   
       14 . Drain method for a transporting box with an input/output opening which a box door can block and which contains substrate wafers stacked according to parallel planes, using a drain device for the transporting box; 
     wherein the drain device comprises a volume, limited by a sealed wall, divided into at least an upper part with a purging gas inlet orifice and a lower part with a purging gas outlet orifice, with a sealed partition separating the two parts, and a main wall, intended to cooperate with the input/output opening of the transporting box, roughly perpendicular to the planes of the wafers and comprising a range of openings, the median plane of which is parallel to the planes of the wafers, with the openings connecting the volume of the drain device to the transporting box; 
     the drain method comprising:
 connecting the drain device to the input/output opening of the transporting box, 
 injecting a purging gas in the upper part of the volume of the drain device through the purging gas inlet orifice, 
 inserting the gas into the transporting box through openings, the median plane of which is parallel to the wafer planes and which connect with the upper part of the volume of the drain device, 
 collecting the gas through openings, the median plane of which is parallel to the wafer planes and which connect with the lower part of the volume of the drain device, 
 evacuating the gas through the purging gas outlet orifice in the lower part of the volume of the drain device. 
 
   
   
       15 . Drain method according to  claim 14 , including the injection of purging gas into the upper part of the drain device at a pressure greater than 2 bars.