LAMINARIZATION MECHANISM IN APPARATUS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To create laminar air flow in a small semiconductor manufacturing apparatus without using a HEPA filter.SOLUTION: A cleaning room 210 in an apparatus front chamber 120 which loads and unloads semiconductor wafers to a processing chamber 110 includes an upper punching plate 254 having a plurality of through-holes 1101 for making air supplied from an air supply valve 251 flow therethrough and a lower punching plate 255 having a plurality of through-holes 1102 for making air exhausted from an exhaust valve 253 flow therethrough. Overall height of the apparatus can be reduced because air purified by an external filter is moved in laminar flow through the upper punching plate 254 and the lower punching plate 255 and there is no need to set a HEPA filter in the cleaning room 210 for purification of air and creation of laminar air flow.