Equipment storage for substrate processing apparatus
View Patent ↗A substrate processing apparatus has a frame and a load port connected to the frame and adapted to mate a substrate transport container to the frame. The apparatus has transportable storage that is adapted to be removably connected to the frame and fit beneath the load port. The storage may be an enclosure housing electrical, mechanical, or electromechanical devices of the substrate processing apparatus.
1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a load port connected to the frame and configured for mating a substrate transport container to the substrate processing apparatus; and
a transportable storage configured to be removably connected to the frame and fit beneath the load port, the transportable storage including a latch configured to removably connect the storage to the frame so that the transportable storage is be separable from the frame without disrupting communication between an internal environment of the substrate transport container located on the load port and an internal environment of the substrate processing apparatus;
wherein the transportable storage holds substrate processing apparatus components therein.
2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transportable storage has locating features for locating the storage in a predefined position relative to the frame.
3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transportable storage has locating features for locating the storage in a predefined position relative to the frame.
4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the transportable storage is self-supporting.
5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the transportable storage is movably supported on a support base.
6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the support base is a wheeled support base.
7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate processing apparatus components held in the transportable storage includes a power supply or a controller.
8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the storage is adapted to be moved away from the frame of the substrate processing apparatus to access an interior space of the storage.
9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the storage comprises removable sub-modules that are interchangeably mounted in the storage.