Abstract: A front opening wafer container has a container portion with a transparent shell and a door to close the open front. The container portion has a machine interface on the bottom of the shell, such as a kinematic coupling, and a receptacle at the top of the shell to receive an accessories, in particular a robotic lifting flange or an adaptor plate. The adaptor plate will ideally have a cooperating machine interface portions to allow stacking of the wafer carriers. The receptacle has, in preferred embodiments, sliding support guides with undercut portions for retention of the robotic lifting flange or the adaptor plate. The accessory will ideally have a detent positioned on the accessories to releaseably lock said accessory in place on the container portion.

Abstract: An new horizontal reactor hardware contains a reactor tube with an insulation block and a flange with exhaust outlets. The insulation block provides high temperature control which reduces condensation and process by-product buildup within the reactor tube. A cylindrical flange, which is connected to the end of the reactor tube, provides exhaust outlets integral with and extending from the flange. The exhaust outlets isolate metal components from the process environment. The flange is held in place at the end of the reactor tube by a clamp. The clamp presses the flange against the end of the reactor tube to form a seal at the junction between the reactor tube and the flange.