Substrate container and method of dehumidifying substrate container

Abstract

A substrate container includes a container housing having an opening for storing a substrate therethrough and a cover sealingly covering the opening, a fan motor mounted in the container housing for producing a circulating path of air in contact with the substrate in the container housing, and a particle removing filter and a gaseous impurity trapping filter which are disposed in the a portion of the circulating path which extends toward the substrate. A dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying a space in the container housing comprises a solid polymer electrolyte film disposed in the circulating path and voltage applying means for applying a voltage to the solid polymer electrolyte film to decompose water in air flowing in the circulating path thereby to dehumidify a space in the container housing.

1 . A substrate container comprising: 
 a container housing having an opening for storing a substrate therethrough and a cover sealingly covering said opening;    a fan motor mounted in said container housing for producing a circulating path of gas in contact with the substrate in said container housing, wherein a substrate holder holds said substrate substantially parallel to said circulating path;    a particle removing filter and a gaseous impurity trapping filter which are disposed in a portion of said circulating path which extends toward said substrate; and    a dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying a space in said container housing, said dehumidifying unit comprising a solid polymer electrolyte film disposed in said circulating path.    
     
     
         2 . A substrate container comprising: 
 a container housing having an opening for storing a substrate therethrough and a cover sealingly covering said opening;    a fan motor mounted in said container housing for producing a circulating path of gas in contact with the substrate in said container housing, wherein a substrate holder holds said substrate substantially parallel to said circulating path; and    a dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying a space in said container housing, said dehumidifying unit comprising a solid polymer electrolyte film disposed in said circulating path.    
     
     
         3 . A substrate container comprising: 
 a container housing having an opening for storing a substrate therethrough and a cover sealingly covering said opening;    a dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying a space in said container housing, said dehumidifying unit comprising a solid polymer electrolyte film disposed in said circulating path; and    voltage applying means for applying a voltage to said solid polymer electrolyte film to decompose water contained in gas in a space in said container housing.    
     
     
         4 . A substrate container according to  claim 3 , wherein an area of polyeric solid electrolytic film per unit volume of said substrate container is at least 0.3 cm 2 /L and less than 10 cm 2 /L.  
     
     
         5 . A substrate container according to  claim 3 , wherein a ratio of an opening area of contact with said gas to an electrode area of said solid polymer electrolyte film is more than 50% and les than 99%.  
     
     
         6 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: 
 using a substrate container for storing or transporting substrates therein in fabrication process of said semiconductor device, said substrate container comprising: 
 a container housing having an opening for storing a substrate therethrough and a cover sealingly covering said opening; and  
 a dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying a space in said container housing, said dehumidifying unit comprising a solid polymer electrolyte film disposed in said space in said container housing; and  
 controlling a humidity in said space in said container housing by applying a voltage to said polymer electrolyte film to decompose water contained in gas in said space in said container housing.