Timothy Donn Brooks, 53Mesquite, TX

5628121, May 13, 1997

Dec 1, 1995

8/566075

Ray G. Brooks - Irving TX
Timothy W. Brooks - Irving TX

Convey, Inc. - Euless TX

F26B 1900

34 61

An apparatus and method for maintaining sensitive articles such as IC wafers or the like contaminant-free including a base member having a removable cover defining a sealed unit having an interior in which a plurality of sensitive articles are supported and through which a particle-free ionizing gas from a source on a wheeled table is continuously passed, the sealed unit being movable from a storage position on the table to an access position on associated processing without interruption of the ionized gas flow and at which the cover is removed and the supported articles continuously bathed with a particle-free, ionized gas to permit the articles to be sequentially moved to a fabricating position in the processing equipment and back to the access position while being continuously bathed with a particle-free ionized gas for subsequent assembly of the cover and base member and return of the sealed unit to the storage position.

5351415, Oct 4, 1994

May 18, 1992

7/884411

Ray G. Brooks - Irving TX
Timothy W. Brooks - Irving TX
C. James Corris - Elkmont AL

Convey, Inc. - Irving TX

F26B 700

34389

A method, system and apparatus for maintaining articles to be processed clean, having an airtight transportable container with an inlet valve for admitting ionized gas and an outlet valve for venting gas, a purger with an interface to the container inlet valve and a vacuum pick-up and ionized gas spray wand is disclosed. A purger rack for storing multiple containers is also disclosed.

5815947, Oct 6, 1998

Feb 20, 1997

8/803257

Ray G. Brooks - Irving TX
Timothy W. Brooks - Irving TX

Convey, Inc. - Euless TX

F26B 700

34389

Sensitive articles, such as IC wafers can be maintained in a contamination-free condition. A base member is provided for supporting one or more of the sensitive articles. A cover is provided for sealing engagement with a base member so as form a sealed unit. The sealed unit has an interior. The sealed unit is positioned at a storage position. A particle-free ionized gas is passed though the interior to bathe the articles supported therein with the gas at the storage position. The sealed unit is moved with the articles to an access position on associated processing equipment. The cover is removed from the base to expose the articles. The exposed articles are bathed continuously at the access position with a particle-free ionized gas. The articles are moved sequentially between the access position and a processing position on the associated processing equipment. The articles are bathed with a particle-free ionized gas during the moving steps.

5724748, Mar 10, 1998

Jul 24, 1996

8/685697

Ray G. Brooks - Irving TX
Timothy W. Brooks - Irving TX
Stephen L. Fowler - Moore SC

F26B 1900

34 90

A package for storing contaminant-sensitive articles in a contaminant-free environment featuring a pair of polymeric material circular half-sections having a bottom wall and a side wall. The half sections are arranged for overlying ans sliding engagement from a spaced-apart, open position into a stop position with the side walls in a telescoping relationship to form a closed enclosure having an interior for accommodating one or more contaminant-sensitive articles, Other features include: sealing means operatively associated with at least one of the side walls for sealing the enclosure interior in the stop position, resilient clamping means or latch mechanism on the half-sections for yieldingly urging the half-sections into the stop position against the sealing means to seal the enclosure interior, means for drawing a vacuum on the enclosure, and means on the enclosure for introducing a purging ionizing gas into the sealed enclosure interior to move the half-sections out of the stop position against the clamping means to thereby relieve excessive gas pressure in the enclosure interior.