SEALED STANDARD INTERFACE APPARATUS

摘要

The present invention is an apparatus for maintaining articles, such as semiconductor wafers clean. The wafers or other articles to be processed are placed in a box having first and second regions for making first and second seals. A box door seals the articles into the box. The box has a second region for making the second seal and has a third region for making a third seal. The box is used to transport the wafers to a port in the canopy of the processing equipment. The port is adapted for receiving the box and box door and for transferring the box door and the contents of the box into a region beneath the canopy. The canopy has a first region for making the first seal with the box. Also, the canopy has a fourth region surrounding the port for making a fourth seal. A port door is provided for closing the canopy port when no box is present. The port door has a second region for making the second seal with the box and has a fourth region for making the fourth seal with the canopy. A box door latch is provided for latching the box door to the box whereby the second seal is made and released in the second region between the box door and the box by operation of the box door latch. A box latch is provided for latching the box to the canopy whereby the first seal is made or released in the first region between the box and the canopy by the operation of the box latch.