GASEOUS LOCK FOR ENTRANCE AND EXIT OF TUNNEL IN WHICH TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING OF WAFERS TAKE PLACE UNDER DOUBLE FLOATING CONDITION

摘要

The transport and processing installation (10), which provides the transfer of successive wafers (12) under floating condition through a tunnel passage (14), comprises an inlet chamber block (16), an outlet chamber block (18), and a tunnel passage (14). Gaseous medium for successively transferring wafers under floating condition is introduced into the inlet chamber block through a supply channel perpendicular to the tunnel passage, and discharged through a discharge channel arranged near the supply channel. The tunnel passage between the blocks allows the wafers to be transferred from the inlet chamber block to the outlet chamber block.