IP Library Granted Patent US 7,925,390
Granted Patent B2
US 7,925,390 · App. 11/882,063 · Granted Apr 12, 2011

Mini environment apparatus, inspection apparatus, manufacturing apparatus and cleaning method of space

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,925,390
App. No.
11/882,063
Granted
Apr 12, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

An outer dust collecting filter covers a casing an intake port and an outer fan flows air from an external environment into the casing via the outer dust collecting filter. A clean chamber has an intake port within the casing, an inner dust collecting filter for covering the intake port, and an inner fan for flowing the air within the casing. A control unit controls fan rotating speeds so that a measured pressure within the casing becomes higher at a set value than a measured pressure in the external environment, and a measured pressure within the clean chamber becomes higher at a set value than the measured pressure within the casing.

Claims (14)

1. An inspection apparatus for detecting a defect on a substrate, comprising:

a first casing having a first fan-filter-unit;

a second casing having a second fan-filter-unit, the second casing is smaller than the first casing and being adjacent to the first casing;

a clean chamber which is defined by a part of wall of the first casing and the second casing;

a shutter arranged on the wall of the first casing to communicate with the clean chamber;

a third casing having a third fan-filter-unit and surrounding the second casing;

a pod for accommodating the substrate;

a carrier apparatus for carrying the substrate from the pod to the clean chamber and being arranged in the first casing;

an optical type inspection apparatus for inspecting a defect on the substrate and being arranged in the clean chamber;

a first pressure measuring unit for measuring a first pressure in an external environment;

a second pressure measuring unit for measuring a second pressure within the first casing;

a third pressure measuring unit for measuring a third pressure within the clean chamber;

a fourth pressure measuring unit for measuring a fourth pressure within the third casing; and

a control unit for controlling the first, second and third fan-filter-units based on the first, second and third pressures.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Mar 30, 2020
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052259/0227 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2007
From: JINGU, TAKAHIRO; MIYAZAKI, YUSUKE; ZAMA, KAZUHIRO
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 020060/0618 →