JP4030280B2 - Substrate storage container and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate storage container for storing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a mask glass and used for transportation, transportation between processes, and storage, and a method for manufacturing the same.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a substrate storage container or cassette that is used for transporting a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a mask glass is formed of a single material. However, the formation of a single material cannot satisfy all requirements. For example, the substrate support provided in the container body of the substrate storage container and other parts of the container body require different material characteristics. Has been. In this case, in the substrate support portion, a material having good wear resistance, chemical resistance, or heat resistance that minimizes contamination to the substrate is desired, while in other parts of the container body, rigidity, Materials for improving performance such as weight reduction or cost reduction are desired.
[0003]
In other words, in the substrate storage container, a region to be given a specific function (hereinafter referred to as a functional region) is formed of a material different from that of other portions, thereby improving performance. In order to improve the performance of such a conventional substrate storage container from the viewpoint of material, a method of forming a substrate support portion which is a functional region and other portions of the container main body from members using different materials is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-12673. Proposed in the gazette.
[0004]
As a method of forming the container main body or lid of the substrate storage container from two different materials, a two-color molding method in which different materials are continuously injected into the same mold, and a part formed by separate members Is inserted into a mold at the time of molding other members and filled with different materials to integrate them.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the conventional two-color molding method performs two injection moldings with one mold, for example, a mechanism for sliding the core of the mold is necessary, or there are two fittings with the core before and after sliding. There is a problem that the mold structure is complicated and expensive, such as requiring a cavity.
[0006]
In addition, the injection molding machine needs to have two cylinders and a mold slide mechanism that can be filled with different materials, or a molding machine dedicated to two-color molding that can mount two molds. There was a problem that expensive equipment was necessary.
[0007]
In the two-color molding method, the first material is filled in the mold and solidified sufficiently, and then the second material is filled. Compared to molding with a normal single material, In addition to a long molding cycle and high capital investment, there is a problem in that the cost of the product increases.
[0008]
Moreover, in the said conventional insert molding method, when another member is inserted and integrated in the molding die of a 2nd material, the support groove part 60 used as another member shown to Fig.10 (a) is on one end side. As shown in FIG. 10 (b), it has a concavo-convex surface serving as a support groove and the other end side is a flat asymmetric shape. Since it cannot be accurately inserted into the mold when molding, or because the cooling rate is different from the part that does not insert the support groove part 60 when integrally molding with the second material, the shrinkage amount is also different. There is a problem that deformation such as warping is likely to occur without residual strain and residual stress being relaxed.
[0009]
Further, in recent years, the substrate has been greatly increased in diameter. For example, in the case of insert molding of a large container that accommodates 25 semiconductor wafers having a diameter of 300 mm, there is a large adverse effect such as dimensional variation and deformation, and accurate molding. There was a problem that was difficult. As a method for solving the above problems, the shelf portion of the support member shown in FIG. 11A is formed as individual shelf pieces 70, and these shelf pieces 70 are combined in the container body 71 to form a shelf portion. A method of integrating 70 by inserting it into a mold is conceivable.
[0010]
However, in the above-mentioned method, different resin joints appear for each shelf piece of the support part, hindering the resin flow during molding, and the weld line appears clearly on the surface without sufficient injection pressure, or a short shot. And the dent 72 is likely to be formed on the surface of the support part, and particles may accumulate in the dent during cleaning or during long-term use, and may adversely affect the substrate. Since much labor is required to assemble and insert the shelf pieces into the mold, there is a problem that productivity is remarkably lowered.
[0011]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, has a simple mold structure, can form the functional region of the substrate storage container from a resin different from the container main body or the lid body, and has a dimensional accuracy. An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive substrate storage container and a method for manufacturing the same, in which there are few irregularities in the portion, and contaminants do not accumulate in the insert portion on the surface of the shelf piece that is the substrate support portion during use.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the invention of claim 1 is a container main body having an opening at one end and a supporting part for supporting a substrate on an inner surface, and a lid for closing the opening. DOO wherein the forming at least one functional area is provided in the container the member as a separate member made of a first resin, integrated board housing comprising a a said further member second made of resin said container body A container,
The separate member is a support member formed of a horizontal shelf portion that is formed at regular intervals and supports a substrate, and the support member connects the horizontal shelf portions to each other and is exposed as an inner surface of the container body The connecting member is formed with a thickness 10 to 75% thinner than the thickness of the container body, and the support member is placed on the opposite side of the connecting portion protruding from the horizontal shelf. The substrate storage container is characterized in that a protrusion is formed to be held inside. Incidentally, the connecting portion has a surface of the other end of the ledge portion you are exposed as the inner surface of the container body.
[0013]
The invention according to claim 2 is the substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein the separate member has two positioning projections .
[0014]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided at least one end of a container body having an opening and a support section for supporting a substrate on an inner surface, and a lid for closing the opening, and provided at least in the container body. One functional region is formed as a separate member made of a first resin, and the separate member is integrated with the container main body made of a second resin.
The separate member is a support member formed of a horizontal shelf portion that is formed at regular intervals and supports a substrate, and the support member connects the horizontal shelf portions to each other and is exposed as an inner surface of the container body The connecting member is formed with a thickness 10 to 75% thinner than the thickness of the container body, and the support member is placed on the opposite side of the connecting portion protruding from the horizontal shelf. A protrusion for holding in the container body, the protrusion is brought into contact with the inner wall surface of the container body molding die, the separate member is inserted into the container body molding die, and the container body is first It is formed from 2nd resin different from this resin, It is integrated with the said functional area | region, It is a manufacturing method of the substrate storage container characterized by the above-mentioned .
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the opening of the substrate storage container shown in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG.
[0016]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a substrate storage container 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an opening at one end, and a container main body 12 that stores a substrate 11 therein, and an opening of the container main body 12 is closed. And the lid body 13 to be operated. Supporting portions 14 that support the substrate 11 in the horizontal direction are formed on the opposing side walls that are the inner side surfaces of the container body 12 at regular intervals in the vertical direction, and support the substrate 11 in the horizontal state.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, one or a plurality of rear retainers 15 for holding the substrate 11 are provided on the end wall on the back side facing the opening of the container body 12 as needed. The rear retainer 15 is formed in a rod shape or a plate shape, and the connection portion with the substrate 11 has a groove having a V-shaped cross section or a U-shaped cross section, and is formed integrally with the container body 12 or an elastic material as a separate member. Formed from and attached. The rear retainer 15 serves as a stopper when the substrate 11 is stored in the container main body 12, or supports the substrate 11 upright in the vertical direction when the opening of the container main body 12 is directed upward. Useful.
[0018]
In addition, on the bottom surface of the container body 12, a V-shaped groove shape or a U-shaped groove-shaped positioning for positioning when the substrate 11 is loaded into the substrate storage container 10 or mounted on a load port for unloading. The members 16 are provided at least at three locations that are Y-shaped integrally with the container body 12 or via the bottom plate 17.
[0019]
Furthermore, a robotic flange 18 for automatically transporting the substrate storage container 10, a rail, or a manual handle 19 for manual gripping is attached to the side surface of the container body 12 or the outer wall of the top surface as necessary.
[0020]
On the other hand, the lid body 13 has locking means that can lock the container body 12 and the lid body 13, for example, locking clamps 20 in at least two places, and is provided at the periphery of the opening of the container body 12. It is attached so as to engage with the lid locking portion 21. A front retainer 22 that holds the substrate 11 is provided on the inner surface of the lid 13 that faces the opening of the container body 12.
[0021]
The front retainer 22 includes a rectangular frame body portion 22a and a contact portion 22b provided so as to protrude inward of the container body 12 for contact with the substrate 11. At least the contact portion 22b is formed of an elastic material. The contact portion 22b is provided with a groove 22c having a V-shaped cross section or a U-shaped cross section, and the frame body portion 22a is fixed and held by engagement means provided on the inner surface of the lid body 13.
[0022]
Furthermore, a sealing member 23 formed endlessly is attached to the side wall of the lid 13 facing the peripheral wall of the opening of the container body 12 so that the opening of the container body 12 can be sealed. Close.
[0023]
The substrate storage container 10 is formed of a support member 40 that supports at least one functional region, for example, the substrate 11 shown in FIG. 6, as a separate member from the container body 12, and a container body made of a material different from the support member 40. This is integrated with the container body 12 at the time of molding 12.
[0024]
The functional area includes a support portion 14 that horizontally supports the substrate 11, a front retainer 22 that is attached to the lid 13 and holds the substrate 11, a support member such as a rear retainer 15 provided on the back side of the container body 12, and a container body. 12 is a positioning member 16 provided on the bottom surface of the container 12, various conveying means attached to the outer wall of the container body 12, and the like.
[0025]
The container body 12 is preferably formed of a transparent material so that the substrate 11 accommodated therein can be visually observed. On the other hand, the support member has good wear resistance so as not to generate wear powder upon contact with the substrate 11, has static dissipative properties with little adhesion of dust due to static electricity, and is compatible with the container body 12. It is preferable to form with a good material.
[0026]
The material for molding the container body 12 includes a thermoplastic resin such as polycarbonate, cyclic olefin resin, polybutylene terephthalate, etc. The material of the support member formed as a separate member from the container body 12 is the material of the container body 12 Polybutylene terephthalate resin, fluororesin, etc., which are different from the above, are added to polycarbonate resin, polyether ether ketone resin with improved wear resistance, or conductive materials such as carbon filler and carbon black and antistatic materials are added to these resins Alternatively, there is a resin to which antistatic performance is imparted by alloying the thermoplastic resin.
[0027]
Hereinafter, the container main body side closed by the lid 13 will be described as being constituted by the container main body 12 and a support member 40 which is a separate member.
[0028]
Next, the integration of the support member 40 and the container body 12 as an example of the functional area will be described. 5 is a front view of the support portion 14 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a side view of the support member 40 formed as a separate member, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD shown in FIG. 5 showing the planar shape of the support member 40.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 8, the support member 40 is a plate-like member that connects a plurality of horizontal shelves 30 having a flat portion that horizontally supports the substrate 11 and the horizontal shelves 30 in the vicinity of one end thereof. It consists of the connection part 31.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 8, the support member 40 has a horizontal shelf 30 that is a curved horizontal support along the shape of the substrate 11, and prevents the substrate 11 from popping out on the opening side of the container body 12. A stopper 32 is provided on the outer side of the outer periphery of the substrate 11 to be placed along the shape of the substrate 11 at a height similar to the thickness of the substrate 11 and about 0.7 mm.
[0031]
The wall thickness 33 of the container body 12 integrated with the support member 40 is set to 3.5 mm to 5 mm. On the other hand, the thickness of the connection portion 31 is thinner than the thickness of the wall portion 33, and is set to 0.4 mm to 3 mm, which is in the range of 10 to 75% of this value when the average thickness of the wall portion 33 is 4 mm. Preferably, the thickness is set to 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm, which is 20 to 50% of the wall thickness of the wall 33. More preferably, it is set to 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm which is in a range of 25 to 37.5% of the wall thickness of the wall portion 33. When the thickness of the connecting portion 31 exceeds 75% of the thickness of the wall portion 33, the support member 40 is easily deformed as shown in FIG. If it is less than 10% of the wall thickness, the rigidity is lost, and it is not preferable because the position cannot be regulated with high precision when inserted into the mold, making automation difficult. Further, the plate-like connecting portion can be provided with reinforcing ribs or partial thick portions on the side of the connecting surface with the container body within a range not exceeding the above-described thickness range.
[0032]
Next, an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a substrate storage container according to the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the supporting member 40 formed as a separate member having the shape shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 is provided with positioning protrusions 41 for positioning in the width direction and the height direction at appropriate intervals. And inserted into a mold for forming a container body. A fitting groove that fits with the positioning protrusion 41 is formed in an insert portion of a support member 40 of a mold (hereinafter referred to as a mold) that forms the container body 12, and the fitting groove and the positioning protrusion 41 are formed. And the support member 40 is accurately inserted into a predetermined position in the mold.
[0033]
A portion in the vicinity of one end of the horizontal shelf 30 opposite to the side that supports the substrate 11 with respect to the connection portion 31 is formed on a protrusion 30 a that is shaped to be sandwiched between the fixed mold 50 and the movable mold 51. Preferably, the support member 40 is sandwiched between the two opposing molds when the container body mold is clamped by the protrusions 30a, so that the support member 40 is firmly held in the cavity 52 for forming the container body. Therefore, it is prevented from moving by resin pressure or the like.
[0034]
The positioning projection 41 can be provided at an arbitrary position. For example, the support member 40 may be provided at two locations near the upper end and near the lower end, substantially parallel to the side surface, or at two locations near the upper end and near the lower end on the diagonal line of the support member 40. Moreover, it is also possible to position using the inclined surface of an insert member, etc., without providing the positioning protrusion 41. FIG.
[0035]
As described above, after the support member 40 made of a material different from the container body 12 is inserted into the mold and the mold clamping is completed, the container body forming cavity 52 which is a cavity (space part) of the mold. Then, the molten resin for forming the container body 12 is filled to form the container body 12, and the support member 40 inserted into the mold is integrated with the container body 12. In addition, the support member 40 is melt | dissolved by the heat | fever of the molten resin with which the support member 40 and the container main body 12 are filled later, and it integrates by heat sealing | fusion.
[0036]
In the integral molding, after molding, the surface of the connecting portion 31 that supports the substrate 11 is exposed as the inner surface of the container body 12.
[0037]
Not only the support member 40 and the container main body 12 are integrated, but also other functional members such as the front retainer 22, the rear retainer 15, and the positioning member 16 are formed as separate members made of a material different from the container main body 12. And can be used to integrate with the container body 12 or the lid body 13.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the support portion of the substrate storage container is configured as a member made of a material different from the container main body, and the thin plate-like connection portion integrated with the container main body is provided. During molding, it can be held in the mold easily, accurately and stably, and the shape is maintained by the plate-like connecting part with little deformation, so that the support part after molding is less deformed and can be integrated accurately. .
In addition, it is possible to select materials for each part with an emphasis on performance, and a high-performance substrate storage container can be provided.
Furthermore, since the joint part with the other part of the substrate storage container in the functional area formed as a separate member with a material different from that of the container main body or the lid is a single plate-like piece, it is continuous by the resin that is in contact during the integral molding. Therefore, a depression such as a weld is less likely to occur after molding, and particles do not accumulate in the depression of the joint during use or cleaning, and become a source of contamination of the substrate.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
3 is a front view of the opening of the substrate storage container shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the support portion shown in FIG. 1;
6 is a side view of a support member that is integrated with a container main body that constitutes the support portion of FIG. 1;
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC shown in FIG.
8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD shown in FIG.
9 is a cross-sectional view showing a clamping state of a container body forming mold in which the support member shown in FIG. 6 is integrated with the container body.
10A and 10B show a conventional support member, in which FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing deformation caused by integral molding with a container body.
11A and 11B show another conventional support member, in which FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view showing a portion integrated with a container body, and FIG. 11B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Board | substrate storage container 11 Board | substrate 12 Container main body 13 Cover body 14 Support part 15 Rear retainer 16 Positioning member 17 Bottom plate 18 Robotic flange 19 Manual handle 20 Locking clamp 21 Cover body locking part 22 Front retainer 22a Frame body part 22b Contact part 22c Groove 23 Seal member 30 Horizontal shelf portion 31 Connection portion 32 Stopper 33 Wall portion 40 Support member 41 Positioning member 50 Fixed die 51 Moving die 52 Container body forming cavity 60 Support groove portion 61 Container body 70 Shelf piece 71 Container body 72 Dimple

Claims (3)

At least a container body having one end into the opening and the inner side surface and a support portion for supporting the substrate, and a lid for closing said opening, at least one is provided to the container the body function area first formed as a separate member made of resin, a substrate storage container comprising integral with the container the body comprising the said another member from the second resin,
The separate member is a support member formed of a horizontal shelf portion that is formed at regular intervals and supports a substrate, and the support member connects the horizontal shelf portions to each other and is exposed as an inner surface of the container body The connecting member is formed with a thickness of 10 to 75% thinner than the thickness of the container body, and the support member is placed on the opposite side of the connecting portion from which the horizontal shelf protrudes. A substrate storage container having a protrusion for holding in the inside . It said another member is a substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein that you have been positioning projection is formed at two places. A container main body having an opening at at least one end and a support for supporting the substrate on an inner surface; and a lid for closing the opening; and at least one functional region provided in the container main body is a first resin Formed as a separate member, wherein the separate member is integrated with the container body made of the second resin, and a method for manufacturing a substrate storage container,
The separate member is a support member formed of a horizontal shelf portion that is formed at regular intervals and supports a substrate, and the support member connects the horizontal shelf portions to each other and is exposed as an inner surface of the container body The connecting member is formed with a thickness of 10 to 75% thinner than the thickness of the container body, and the support member is placed on the opposite side of the connecting portion from which the horizontal shelf protrudes. A protrusion for holding in the container body, the protrusion is brought into contact with the inner wall surface of the container body molding die, the separate member is inserted into the container body molding die, and the container body is first A method for manufacturing a substrate storage container, wherein the substrate storage container is formed of a second resin different from the above resin and integrated with the functional region .

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