Patent ID: 9536765
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A load port unit used to detach a lid from a pod containing a content to allow the content to be taken out from the pod and transferred into a mini environment, comprising: a closing plate constituting a wall that partitions the mini environment from an external space; an opening portion provided in the closing plate; a door capable of opening/closing the opening portion, locking/unlocking the lid on the pod, and attaching/detaching the lid to/from the pod; a door driving mechanism that drives the door; an inert gas nozzle that supplies inert gas into the pod; and an air inlet unit that sucks surplus gas from the mini-environment and the pod, wherein an air inlet opening of an air inlet passage that is formed by the air inlet unit and opens to the mini environment and through which the surplus gas passes opens over an area extending between an upper end of the door driving mechanism and a lower edge of an opening of the pod and wider than the width of the opening of the pod, and wherein the load port unit is attached to a mini environment where a fan filter unit (FFU) is located to generate a down flow flowing from an upper part of the mini environment to a lower part of the mini environment.