Apparatus for Charging Dry Air or Nitrogen Gas into a Container for Storing Semiconductor Wafers and an Apparatus for Thereby Removing Static Electricity from the Wafers

Abstract

An apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas into a container for storing semiconductor wafers can remove chemical gas and moisture from the container, and then prevent acid from being generated at the surfaces of the wafers. The apparatus A for charging dry air or nitrogen gas into a container 1 for storing semiconductor wafers 9 is connected to an opening 8 a, acting as an intake, and to an opening 8 b, acting as an exhaust, wherein the container 1 comprises a plurality of openings 8 disposed at the bottom plate of the container 1, the apparatus comprising: PTFE filters 7 disposed at the plurality of openings 8 a, 8 b, a portion 11 for providing the dry air or nitrogen gas to the container 1, and a portion 12 for exhausting the used dry air or nitrogen gas from the container 1 after removing chemical gas and moisture from the container, and then preventing acid from being generated at the surfaces of the wafers 9.

1 . An apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas into a container for storing semiconductor wafers, wherein the container comprises a plurality of openings disposed at the bottom plate of the container, and wherein the apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas is connected to the opening for an intake and to the opening for an exhaust, the apparatus comprising:
 PTFE filters disposed at the plurality of openings,   a portion for providing the dry air or nitrogen gas to charge the dry air or nitrogen gas into the container, and   a portion for exhausting the used dry air or nitrogen gas to discharge the used dry air or nitrogen gas from the container after removing chemical gas and moisture from the container, and then preventing acid from being generated at the surfaces of the wafers by the dry air or nitrogen gas charged into the container,   wherein the portion for providing the dry air or nitrogen gas is connected to a hollow vessel that has a nozzle for providing it and is disposed at the side of the intake of the container, and the nozzle for providing it is hermetically fixed to the opening for the intake,   wherein the portion for exhausting the used dry air or nitrogen gas is connected to a hollow vessel that has an exhaust nozzle and an exhaust port for discharging the used dry air or nitrogen gas and is disposed at the side of the exhaust port of the container, and the exhaust nozzle is hermetically fixed to the opening for the exhaust,   wherein the dry air or nitrogen gas that is provided to the hollow vessel disposed at the side of the intake of the container is filtered by removing dust by means of the PTFE filter and flows into the container, and then removes chemical gas and moisture from the container, and prevents acid from being generated at the surfaces of the wafers, and   wherein the used dry air or nitrogen gas is discharged into the hollow vessel disposed at the side of the exhaust through the PTFE filter disposed at the opening for the exhaust, and then is exhausted through the exhaust port of the hollow vessel disposed at the side of the exhaust.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas of  claim 1 , further comprising a buffering tank disposed on the pathway for providing the dry air or nitrogen gas of the portion for providing the dry air or nitrogen gas. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas of  claim 2 , wherein the buffering tank of the apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas comprises a hollow vessel. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas of  claim 2 , wherein the buffering tank of the apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas further comprises a filter or a plurality of filters disposed at predetermined intervals in the buffering tank. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas of  claim 2 , wherein the buffering tank of the apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas further comprises a perforated plate or a plurality of perforated plates disposed at predetermined intervals in the buffering tank. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for removing static electricity by using the apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas into a container for storing semiconductor wafers, wherein the container comprises a plurality of openings disposed at the bottom plate of the container, and wherein the apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas is connected to the opening for an intake and to the opening for an exhaust, the apparatus for removing static electricity comprising:
 PTFE filters disposed at the plurality of openings,   a portion for providing the ionized dry air or nitrogen gas to charge the ionized dry air or nitrogen gas into the container, and   a portion for exhausting the used ionized dry air or nitrogen gas to discharge the used ionized dry air or nitrogen gas from the container after removing chemical gas, moisture, and static electricity from the container, and then preventing acid from being generated at the surfaces of the wafers by the ionized dry air or nitrogen gas charged into the container,   wherein the portion for providing the dry ionized air or nitrogen gas is connected to a hollow vessel that has a nozzle for providing it and is disposed at the side of the intake of the container, and the nozzle for providing it is hermetically fixed to the opening for the intake, the hollow vessel being further connected to an ion generator that ionizes the dry air or nitrogen gas,   wherein the portion for exhausting the used ionized dry air or nitrogen gas is connected to a hollow vessel that has an exhaust nozzle and an exhaust port for discharging the used ionized dry air or nitrogen gas and is disposed at the side of the exhaust port of the container, and the exhaust nozzle is hermetically fixed to the opening for the exhaust,   wherein the dry air or nitrogen gas that is provided to the hollow vessel disposed at the side of the intake of the container becomes ionized dry air or nitrogen by ionization, and is filtered by removing dust by means of the PTFE filter while the ions are maintained and flow into the container, and then removes the chemical gas, the moisture, and the static electricity from the container, and prevents acid from being generated at the surfaces of the wafers, and   wherein the used ionized dry air or nitrogen gas is discharged into the hollow vessel disposed at the side of the exhaust port through the PTFE filter disposed at the opening for the exhaust, and then is exhausted through the exhaust port of the hollow vessel disposed at the side of the exhaust port.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus for removing the static electricity of  claim 6 , further comprising a buffering tank disposed on the pathway for providing the ionized dry air or nitrogen gas of the portion for providing the ionized dry air or nitrogen gas. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for removing static electricity of  claim 7 , wherein the buffering tank of the apparatus for removing static electricity comprises a hollow vessel. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas of  claim 7 , wherein the buffering tank of the apparatus for removing static electricity further comprises a filter or a plurality of filters disposed at predetermined intervals in the hollow vessel. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for charging dry air or nitrogen gas of  claim 7 , wherein the buffering tank of the apparatus for removing static electricity further comprises a perforated plate or a plurality of perforated plates disposed at predetermined intervals in the hollow vessel.