Semiconductor container opening/closing apparatus and semiconductor device manufacturing method

Abstract

A method is provided of manufacturing semiconductor devices formed on a semiconductor wafer, including placing the wafer in a semiconductor container and conveying the container to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. An opening of the container is opposed to an opening of the apparatus such that an opener of the apparatus holds a lid of the opening the container. A key of the opener is inserted to a latch groove of the lid, and the key is rotated to contact a latch of the lid. The openings are connected such that a velocity differential pressure ratio obtained by dividing the maximum velocity when the opener holding the lid horizontally moves away from the opening of the container, by the differential pressure between the inside pressure and the outside pressure of the apparatus, is set to be 0.06 ((m/s)/Pa) or less, and then the wafer is processed.

1 . A method of manufacturing a plurality of semiconductor devices formed on a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
 accommodating the semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor container;   conveying the semiconductor container to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus;   opposing an opening of the semiconductor container to an opening of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in proximity to each other in such a manner that an opener of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus holds a lid of the opening of the semiconductor container;   moving down the opener holding the lid of the semiconductor container by an opener elevator mechanism so that the opener and the opener elevator mechanism are located inside a cover having an opening and an exhaust fan provided at a lower end portion of the cover;   processing the semiconductor wafer accommodated in the semiconductor container.   
     
     
         2 . A method of manufacturing a plurality of semiconductor devices formed on a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
 placing a semiconductor container accommodating a semiconductor wafer on a stage;   connecting an opening of the semiconductor container and an opening of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus;   holding a lid of said semiconductor container by an opener;   opening the lid in a direction vertical to an opening surface of the container by the opener so as to connect the opening of the semiconductor container and the opening of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus while both of the openings are opened;   moving down the opener holding the lid of the semiconductor container by an opener elevator mechanism so that the opener and the opener elevator mechanism are located inside a cover having an opening provided at a lower end portion of the cover;   processing the semiconductor wafer accommodated in the semiconductor container.   
     
     
         3 . A method of manufacturing a plurality of semiconductor devices formed on a semiconductor wafer according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein an exhaust fan is provided at a lower end portion of the cover.