Abstract: A wafer storing, closed container for use in a clean room of a semiconductor manufacturing system is provided with an attached inert gas tank so as to eliminate the need to convey the container to an inert gas purge station to supplement the inert gas supply in the container due to leakage. A gas passageway is formed in a body of the container in such a manner that one end thereof is open inside the container. The other end is open outside the container. The portable inert gas tank is detachably connected to the other end of the gas passageway so as to automatically supplement the container with the inert gas.

Abstract: A wafer keeping apparatus includes a closed wafer keeping space, and an arrangement for circulating an inert gas through a filter and then through the wafer keeping space. In one embodiment, several wafer keeping shelves are each provided within the space, and the inert gas is supplied through a respective filter to flow across each shelf. In another embodiment, a plurality of wafer keeping spaces are each accessible through a respective door which forms an airtight seal when it is closed, and respective filters are provided on opposite sides of the space, the inert gas being supplied to the space through one filter and exiting the space through the other filter. In a further embodiment, several of the wafer keeping spaces are provided at angularly and vertically spaced locations in a rotatable stocker body provided within a casing, and several vertically spaced doors are provided on the casing to provide access to respective wafer keeping spaces in the stocker body.

Abstract: A method of sealing electric parts mounted in a bare state on an electric wiring board uses a liquid sealing resin as a printing ink and a screen serving as screen printing means and having apertures in the same pattern as the electric parts mounted on the board. The lower end of a peripheral wall of the screen defining each of the apertures is substantially brought into line-to-line contact with the surface of the board for screen printing. The screen has a recess formed on the rear side of the line contact portion thereof and surrounding the contact portion. These features prevent the printing ink from adhering to the rear side of the screen and the collapse of the sealing resin layer that would occur if the ink adheres to the screen rear sides.