Patent ID: 9524893
Filing Date: 2016-12-20
CPC Classification: B65B,H01L

Claim Text:
1. An inactive gas introducing facility comprising: an introducing device disposed in a support portion for supporting a container for accommodating a substrate and configured for introducing inactive gas to the inside of the container through a gas feed opening of the container while allowing gas present inside the container to be discharged to an outside through a gas discharge opening of the container wherein the support portion is a storage section of a storage shelf for storing the container; and a controller for controlling operation of the introducing device; wherein the introducing device is capable of varying the feed rate of the inactive gas; wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the introducing device to adjust the feed rate to an initial target feed rate which is predetermined, and subsequently to adjust the feed rate to a steady-state target feed rate which is predetermined and is less than the initial target feed rate, when supplying the inactive gas to the container supported by the support portion, and is configured to control operation of the introducing device to progressively increase the feed rate to the initial target feed rate when adjusting the feed rate to the initial target feed rate, and wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the introducing device so as to supply the inactive gas for a predetermined pre-storage feed period at a predetermined nozzle cleaning target feed rate in response to the controller receiving, before the container is supported by the support portion, a signal indicating that the container has been carried into a carry-in-and-out conveyor of the storage shelf.