Method of transferring a substrate

Abstract

A method of controlling contamination in a substrate transfer chamber that is disposed between a load port for supporting a container to receive a plurality of substrates and a substrate process module for processing the substrates includes supplying a purge gas into the substrate transfer chamber to purge an interior of the substrate transfer chamber, circulating the purge gas supplied into the substrate transfer chamber through a gas circular pipe, removing particles and airborne molecular contaminants from the purge gas being circulated, and resupplying the circulated purge gas into the substrate transfer chamber.

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
   
   
       23 . A method of controlling contamination in a substrate transfer chamber that is disposed between a load port for supporting a container to receive a plurality of substrates and a substrate process module for processing the substrates, the method comprising: 
 supplying a purge gas into the substrate transfer chamber to purge an interior of the substrate transfer chamber;    circulating the purge gas supplied into the substrate transfer chamber through a gas circular pipe;    removing particles and airborne molecular contaminants from the purge gas being circulated; and    resupplying the circulated purge gas into the substrate transfer chamber.    
   
   
       24 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising adjusting a flow rate of the purge gas being supplied into the substrate transfer chamber.  
   
   
       25 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the purge gas comprises an inert gas.  
   
   
       26 . The method as claimed in  claim 25 , further comprising purifying the inert gas before supplying the inert gas into the substrate transfer chamber.  
   
   
       27 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the purge gas comprises air.  
   
   
       28 . The method as claimed in  claim 27 , further comprising removing impurities from the air before supplying the air into the substrate transfer chamber.  
   
   
       29 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the purge gas is forcibly circulated by a pump installed in the as circular pipe.  
   
   
       30 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising controlling a flow rate of the purge gas being circulated through the gas circular pipe.  
   
   
       31 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising exhausting a purge gas being circulated in accordance with a pressure in the gas circular pipe.  
   
   
       32 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the airborne molecular contaminants comprise moisture and organic contaminants.  
   
   
       33 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the container comprises a front opening unified pod (FOUP).  
   
   
       34 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the purge gas is supplied through a distribution panel having a plurality of holes into the substrate transfer chamber.  
   
   
       35 . The method as claimed in  claim 34 , further comprising removing particles contained in the purge gas being supplied through the holes of the distribution panel.  
   
   
       36 . The method as claimed in  claim 34 , further comprising ionizing the purge gas being supplied through the holes of the distribution panel to remove static electricity from the substrates.  
   
   
       37 . The method as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the purge gas is purifies air.  
   
   
       38 . The method as claimed in  claim 37 , further comprising: 
 removing organic contaminants contained in the purge gas being supplied into the substrate transfer chamber using a photo catalyst filter; and    applying ultraviolet rays onto the photo catalyst filter.    
   
   
       39 . The method as claimed in  claim 38 , further comprising removing ozone contained in the purge gas being supplied into the substrate transfer chamber.  
   
   
       40 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 measuring a differential pressure between an internal pressure and an external pressure of the substrate transfer chamber;    comparing the measured differential pressure with a predetermined differential pressure; and    adjusting a flow rate of the purge gas being supplied into the substrate transfer chamber and a flow rate of the purge gas being circulated through the gas circular pipe in accordance with a comparison result.    
   
   
       41 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising simultaneously opening a door of the container and a door of the substrate transfer chamber.