Patent ID: 8776841

Claim:
A reticle handling system comprising: a storage housing defining an enclosed interior environment with open space; a plurality of reticle pods for use therein; a gas delivery system that can be fluidly coupled to a purge gas source; the storage housing comprising a plurality of reticle storage receptacles in the enclosed interior environment, each reticle storage receptacle comprising a shelf or portion of a shelf for receiving one of the plurality of reticle pods, each said shelf or portion of the shelf having an upper side and a purge outlet oriented upwardly at said upper side, each said shelf or portion of the shelf having a lower side with open space of the enclosed interior environment therebelow, each said shelf or portion of the shelf having a void where each said shelf or portion of the shelf does not extend; wherein each reticle pod comprises an enclosure with structure for holding a reticle, each reticle pod having a door and shell, the shell having a bottom opening and the door sealingly engages the shell at the bottom opening, each reticle pod may be closed with the door latched to the shell and each reticle pod being openable by unlatching the door, the door having a purge inlet and a purge outlet ; each reticle storage receptacle having the purge outlet connected to the gas delivery system for connecting with the purge inlet of one of said reticle pods in place at said storage receptacle with said reticle pod being closed when on said storage receptacle; each shelf or portion of the shelf of each reticle storage receptacle having the void positioned such when a reticle pod is seated thereon, the purge outlet of the reticle pod is positioned over the void allowing discharge of the purge outlet of the reticle pod seated thereon through the void, past the shelf or portion of the shelf, and into the open space of the enclosed interior environment below the respective shelf or portion of the shelf of the storage housing while the reticle pod is closed and seated on the receptacle.