Patent ID: 7350544

Claim:
A device for controlling and reducing contamination of a stack of disjoint substrate wafers in a mini-environment pod having a leakproof peripheral wall provided with a closable access passage for introducing and withdrawing the stack wherein the device further comprises a purge station in combination with said pod, said purge station comprising: a leaktight purge compartment dimensioned to receive and contain the stack; a closable transfer passage and means for selective leaktight coupling of the closable access passage to the closable transfer passage; handler means for moving the stack between the mini-environment pod and the leaktight purge compartment; diffuser means adapted to diffuse a purge gas laterally towards edges of the disjoint substrate wafers in the stack parallel to main faces thereof; and collector means disposed to collect the diffused flow of purge gas remote from the diffuser means after passing between the disjoint substrate wafers of the stack, wherein said stack is purged inside said leaktight purge environment while the mini-environment pod is simultaneously purged.