JP5268858B2 - Substrate storage container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate-housing container capable of suppressing deflections, deformations, and dimensional errors in attaching of a support body, by improving the degrees of freedom for the shape of support teeth, allowing retrofitting of the support body on a sidewall of a container body for aligning with precision. <P>SOLUTION: In the substrate-housing container, a separate support body 40 for a semiconductor wafer is attached on both sidewalls 6 of a container body 1 that houses a semiconductor wafer; a plurality of bearing ribs 7 for supporting the support body 40 are arrayed and formed on the inside surface of both sidewalls 6 of the container body 1; and a hooking part 10 for the support body 40 is arranged in front of or at the rear of the plurality of bearing ribs 7; and each support body 40 includes a fitting plate 41, that overlaps with the inside surface of the sidewall 6 of the container body 1 and a plurality of support teeth 43 which are arranged and formed at the fitting plate 41 and support the side edge of the semiconductor wafer in a horizontal manner. At the rear surface of the fitting plate 41, a plurality of alignment openings 42 are opened for alignment by inserting the bearing rib 7 in the support teeth 43, and an engaging part 47 which engages with the hooking part 10 is arranged, at either the fitting plate 41 or the support teeth 43. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate storage container in which a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is stored, stored, transported, transported, and the like.

In recent years, from the viewpoint of mass production of semiconductor chips, semiconductor wafers have been developed and manufactured with large diameter types of φ300mm and φ450mm that are thin and easy to bend. A box-type substrate storage container is used.
Although not shown, this type of substrate storage container includes a container body that can store a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a lid that opens and closes the front surface of the container body. A support for horizontally supporting the semiconductor wafer is disposed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  Each support is formed by integrally forming a wide range of support teeth that horizontally support the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer on the inner wall of the side wall of the container body, or formed separately from the container body. Mounted on the inner surface of the side wall, the side edge of the semiconductor wafer is horizontally supported by support teeth. The support teeth are curved so as to be along the peripheral edge of the side of the semiconductor wafer, and the front part protrudes inward from the inner surface of the side wall of the container body to restrict the deflection of the semiconductor wafer due to its own weight.

JP 2003-68839 A JP 2005-509304 A

  Since the conventional substrate storage container is configured as described above, when the support teeth of the support body are integrally formed over a wide area on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body, the shape is limited due to the structure of the mold. There is a problem that it becomes difficult to form the semiconductor wafer into a shape that prevents the bending of the semiconductor wafer. On the other hand, when a separate support is disposed on the inner wall of the container body, the degree of freedom in forming the support teeth is increased, but the separate support is warped and deformed, There is a problem in that it is not easy to attach a support to the inner wall of the side wall of the container body and position it with high accuracy, and it is easy to cause a dimensional error during installation.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and can improve the degree of freedom of the shape of the support teeth, can be positioned with high accuracy by retrofitting the support to the side wall of the container body, and warps, deforms, and attaches the support. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate storage container that can suppress dimensional errors during the process.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a container body of a front open box that can store a plurality of substrates, and a separate support member that supports the substrate is attached to the side wall of the container body. And
A plurality of support ribs for supporting the support body are arranged in the vertical direction on the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body, and a locking portion for the support body is provided on the front and rear portions of the support rib,
The support body includes a mounting plate that overlaps the inner wall of the side wall of the container body, and a plurality of support teeth that are arranged in the vertical direction on the surface of the mounting plate and can support the peripheral edge of the substrate substantially horizontally. A plurality of positioning openings for positioning the support ribs in the support teeth are provided on the back surface of the support teeth, and an engagement portion that engages with the locking portion of the container body is provided on either the mounting plate or the support teeth. It is characterized by that.

  The support rib of the container body is divided into a front support rib positioned in front of the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body and a rear support rib positioned in the rear of the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body. The front support teeth that fit into the front support ribs and the rear support teeth that fit into the rear support ribs can be formed separately.

The locking portion of the container body includes a first locking groove formed at the front end portion of the front support rib, a second locking groove formed at the rear end portion of the front support rib, and a rear portion. A third locking groove formed at the rear end of the support rib,
The engagement portion of the support is formed on one of the attachment plate and the support teeth, and engages with the first locking groove of the container body, and either the attachment plate or the support teeth. A second engagement piece formed on one side and engaged with the second locking groove of the container body, and formed on one of the mounting plate and the support teeth and engaged with the third locking groove of the container body. And a mating third engaging piece.

  Here, the substrate in the claims includes at least φ300 or 450 mm semiconductor wafer, mask glass, glass substrate, and the like. The container body may be transparent, opaque, or translucent. As long as the locking portion for the support is located at the front and rear portions of the support rib, it may be provided directly at the end of the support rib or may be provided on the side wall of the container body.

  According to the present invention, when attaching a separate support to the container main body, the support attachment plate is stacked on the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body, and the support teeth of the support are positioned on the plurality of support ribs of the container main body. If the engaging portion of the support body is attached to the locking portion of the container body, the support body can be attached in the container body. At this time, the support ribs and the support teeth are fitted with each other, and the rigidity thereof is improved.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that the degree of freedom of the shape of the support teeth can be improved, and the support can be retrofitted to the side wall of the container body and positioned with high accuracy. In addition, there is an effect that warpage and deformation of the support, and further dimensional errors at the time of attachment can be suppressed.

  Further, the support rib of the container body is divided into a front support rib positioned in front of the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body and a rear support rib positioned in the rear of the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body. If the front support teeth that fit with the front support ribs and the rear support teeth that fit with the rear support ribs are formed separately, the front support ribs and the rear support ribs, and the front support teeth Since a gap can be formed between the rear supporting teeth, the amount of molding can be reduced. Therefore, the support ribs and the support teeth can be molded with high accuracy, and the molding material can be reduced.

  Further, the locking portion of the container main body includes a first locking groove formed at the front end portion of the front support rib, a second locking groove formed at the rear end portion of the front support rib, and a rear portion. A third locking groove formed at the rear end portion of the support rib, and the engaging portion of the support is formed on either the mounting plate or the support teeth to form the first locking of the container body A first engagement piece that engages with the groove, a second engagement piece that is formed on one of the attachment plate and the support teeth and engages with the second locking groove of the container body, and the attachment plate Since it forms from any one of support teeth and it forms from the 3rd engagement piece which engages with the 3rd latching groove | channel of a container main body, the fixing location of the support body with respect to the side wall of a container main body becomes multiple. Therefore, it can be expected that the support is firmly fixed.

It is an exploded perspective explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically a lid and a locking mechanism in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically a side wall of a container main part in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a section perspective explanatory view showing typically a container main part and a front part of a support in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a section perspective explanatory view showing typically a side wall and a support of a container main part in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a section explanatory view showing typically a container main part in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the support body in embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is a section explanatory view showing typically a container main part and a support in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, a substrate storage container in the present embodiment includes a container body 1 for storing a plurality of thin semiconductor wafers W, The container body 1 is provided with a lid 20 that opens and closes the front of the container body 1, and a pair of left and right support bodies 40 that support the stored semiconductor wafer W are retrofitted into the container body 1. A plurality of support ribs 7 for the support body 40 are formed on both side walls 6, and locking portions 10 for the support body 40 are arranged on the front and rear portions of the plurality of support ribs 7. A mounting plate 41 that overlaps the side wall 6 of the container body 1 and a plurality of support teeth 43 that are formed on the mounting plate 41 and can support the semiconductor wafer W are formed. Multiple positions to position 7 With drilling determined port 42, so as to dispose the engaging portion 47 for engagement portion 10 of the container body 1.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the semiconductor wafer W is made of, for example, a silicon wafer which is easily bent and is sliced to φ300 mm. Is taken out.

  The container body 1 and the lid body 20 are each formed by combining a plurality of parts by injection molding a plurality of parts from a molding material containing a predetermined resin. Examples of the predetermined resin in the molding material include polycarbonate, cycloolefin, liquid crystal polymer, polyetheretherketone, polyetherimide, and cyclic olefin resin that are excellent in mechanical properties and heat resistance. Carbon, carbon fiber, metal fiber, carbon nanotube, conductive polymer, antistatic agent, flame retardant or the like is selectively added to the predetermined resin as necessary.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 7, and 9, the container body 1 is molded into an opaque front open box type with a front opening made of a molding material, and the horizontally long front faced in the horizontal horizontal direction. In a state, it is positioned and mounted on a semiconductor processing device or a gas replacement device, or is transported or transported between processes. The bottom plate 2 and the top plate 3 of the container body 1 are formed in a substantially hexagonal shape in which the rear part is shorter than the front part and the rear sides of both side parts are inclined toward the rear part. A positioning tool for positioning the substrate storage container, specifically, the container body 1 is screwed to the center.

  A bottom plate 4 that exposes a plurality of positioning tools is horizontally screwed to the bottom plate 2 of the container body 1, and a plurality of identification holes are formed in the rear portion of the bottom plate 4. By selectively inserting a detachable information identification pad, the type of the substrate storage container, the number of semiconductor wafers W, and the like are identified. In addition, a transport top flange 5 that is gripped by a factory ceiling transport mechanism is screwed to the center of the top plate 3 of the container body 1.

  Each side wall 6 of the container body 1 is formed in a substantially straight plate shape according to the shape of the bottom plate 2 and the top plate 3, and the rear portion is inclined so as to follow the short rear portion of the bottom plate 2 and the top plate 3. A plurality of support ribs 7 are arranged on the inner surface at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction, and a locking portion 10 for fixing the support body 40 is arranged on the front and rear portions of the plurality of support ribs 7. Established. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 7, the plurality of support ribs 7 include a plurality of front support ribs 8 positioned in front of the inner surface of the side wall 6 of the container body 1, and the inclination of the inner surface of the side wall 6 of the container body 1. It is divided into a plurality of rear bearing ribs 9 positioned rearward.

  The front support rib 8 and the rear support rib 9 are arranged at the same height, with the rear support rib 9 being arranged at a predetermined interval behind the front support rib 8. The front support ribs 8 and the rear support ribs 9 are respectively formed to be elongated plates extending in the front-rear direction of the container body 1, and the rear end portions of the rear support ribs 9 are notched obliquely.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 7, the locking portion 10 for the support body 40 includes a first locking groove 11 cut out at the front end portion of each front support rib 8, and each front support. A second locking groove 12 cut out at the rear end portion of the rib 8 and a vertically recessed recess formed on the rear side of each side wall 6 of the container main body 1 and located near the inclined rear end portion of the plurality of rear support ribs 9. The third locking groove 13 is provided.

  A rim flange 14 that fits with the lid 20 is bulged outwardly at the front peripheral edge of the container body 1 that is open. Locking holes 15 for the lid 20 are formed in both the upper and lower sides of the inner peripheral surface of the rim flange 14.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the lid 20 includes a horizontally long case 22 that is detachably fitted into an open rim flange 14 of the container body 1 via a lip type gasket 21, and the case 22. The surface plate 23 that covers the opened surface (front surface) and the locking mechanism 30 interposed between the housing 22 and the surface plate 23 are configured. The housing 22 is basically formed in a shallow, substantially cross-sectional dish shape having a frame-shaped peripheral wall, and a central portion is formed so as to protrude from the back side to the front side in a substantially box shape. An installation space for the locking mechanism 30 is partitioned and formed with a plurality of screw bosses between the left and right side portions of the peripheral wall and the peripheral wall.

  Through holes 24 for the locking claws 34 of the locking mechanism 30 are respectively drilled in the upper and lower side portions of the peripheral wall of the housing 22, and each through hole 24 faces the locking hole 15 of the rim flange 14. A front retainer 25 that elastically holds the front periphery of the semiconductor wafer W is detachably attached to the center of the rear surface of the housing 22. The front retainer 25 includes a vertically long frame body 26, and a plurality of elastic pieces 27 are arranged vertically between a plurality of vertical crosspieces of the frame body 26, and each elastic piece 27 includes a semiconductor. A small holding block 28 for holding the front peripheral edge of the wafer W by the V-groove is integrally formed.

  The surface plate 23 is formed in a horizontally long flat plate so as to correspond to the opened surface of the housing 22, and a plurality of mounting holes are drilled on both the left and right sides together with an operation port 29 for the locking mechanism 30. The fastening screws penetrating the plurality of mounting holes are screwed into the screw bosses of the housing 22, whereby the positioning screws are positioned and fixed on the surface of the housing 22.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the locking mechanism 30 includes a pair of left and right rotating plates 31 that are rotated by operating pins of the lid opening / closing device that penetrates the operating port 29 of the surface plate 23, and the rotation of each rotating plate 31. A plurality of slide plates 33 that slide vertically, and a plurality of locking claws 34 that protrude from the inside of the housing 22 as the slide plates 33 slide and lock into the locking holes 15 of the rim flange 14. It is prepared for.

  Each rotary plate 31 is formed in a disk having a substantially convex cross section, and an access recess facing the operation port 29 of the surface plate 23 is formed in the protruding center portion, and the rotation plate 31 rotates on the side of the surface of the housing 22. It is pivotally supported. A pair of semicircular arc-shaped grooves 32 are perforated on the peripheral edge of the rotary plate 31 at intervals, and the end portions of the slide plate 33 are slidably inserted into and supported by the grooves 32 via pins. In addition, a locking claw 34 pivotally supported in the vicinity of the through hole 24 is rotatably coupled to the distal end portion of the slide plate 33 via a pin.

  Each support 40 is injection-molded with a molding material containing a predetermined resin such as polybutylene terephthalate, polyetheretherketone, or fluororesin. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the support 40 includes a flexible mounting plate 41 that is detachably mounted on the inner surface of the side wall 6 of the container body 1 and a predetermined vertical direction on the surface of the mounting plate 41. A plurality of support teeth 43 that are arranged at a pitch and horizontally support the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer W are formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 6, and 9, the mounting plate 41 is formed with an inclined rear portion so as to overlap the inner surface of the side wall 6 of the container body 1 without any gap. A plurality of positioning holes 42 for positioning the support ribs 7 in the upper and lower holes 43 are vertically perforated, and engaging portions that engage with the locking portions 10 of the container body 1 at the plurality of positioning holes 42 and the rear part. 47 are arranged, and each positioning port 42 is formed in a horizontally long shape communicating with the inside of the support teeth 43.

  The plurality of support teeth 43 are arranged in the vertical direction of the front portion of the front surface of the mounting plate 41 and are fitted to the front support ribs 8 and the positioning ports 42 through the hollow front support teeth 44 and the mounting plate 41. The rear support ribs 9 are arranged in the vertical direction of the rear surface of the front surface and divided into hollow rear support teeth 45 fitted through the positioning ports 42, and the same number as the plurality of support ribs 7 is formed.

  The front support teeth 44 and the rear support teeth 45 are arranged so that the rear support teeth 45 are arranged at a predetermined interval behind the front support teeth 44 and are tapered together at the same height. The front support teeth 44 project long inward of the container body 1, and a thick stopper 46 that contacts the peripheral edge of the side of the semiconductor wafer W and restricts the protrusion is integrally laminated on the surface. .

  The engaging portion 47 of the support 40 is formed so as to protrude from the bulging periphery of the positioning port 42 located in front of the mounting plate 41 and detachably engages with the first locking groove 11 of the container body 1. A first engaging piece 48 and a second protruding groove formed on the peripheral edge of the positioning port 42 located in front of the mounting plate 41 so as to be detachably engaged with the second locking groove 12 of the container body 1. It is provided with an engagement piece 49 and a third engagement piece 50 that is formed to project vertically at the rear end of the mounting plate 41 and detachably engage with the third locking groove 13 of the container body 1. Is done.

  In the above configuration, when the support body 40 is mounted in the container body 1, the mounting plate 41 of the support body 40 is stacked on the inner surface of the side wall 6 of the container body 1, and the front support rib 8 and the rear support rib of the container body 1 are overlapped. 9, the front support teeth 44 and the rear support teeth 45 of the support body 40 are respectively inserted with high accuracy and supported by the first, second, and third locking grooves 11, 12, and 13 of the container body 1. When the first, second, and third engagement pieces 48, 49, and 50 of the body 40 are respectively engaged, the support body 40 can be firmly attached in the container main body 1.

  At this time, the front support ribs 8 and the front support teeth 44, and the rear support ribs 9 and the rear support teeth 45 are fitted and integrated to improve their strength and rigidity. Even if the support teeth 43 protrude from the plate 41 by 40 mm or more inward in the container main body 1, the support teeth 43 can be prevented from bending in the vertical direction and the semiconductor wafer W can be supported with high accuracy.

  According to the above configuration, instead of integrally forming the plurality of support teeth 43 on the inner surface of the side wall 6 of the container body 1 over a wide range, the support body 40 is formed separately from the container body 1 and attached later. The shape of the support 40 and its support teeth 43 due to the structure can be excluded from being greatly restricted, and the semiconductor wafer W can be formed into a shape that effectively prevents the bending. Further, the support teeth 43 with high accuracy can be obtained, and the semiconductor wafer W can be inserted and taken out by a dedicated robot.

  In addition, since the front support ribs 44 and the rear support teeth 45 of the support body 40 are placed on the front support ribs 8 and the rear support ribs 9 of the container body 1 and positioned and fitted, they are supported on the inner surface of the side wall 6 of the container body 1. It is indeed easy to retrofit the body 40 and position it with high accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to suppress and prevent a dimensional error from occurring when the support 40 is warped, deformed, or attached. Moreover, since the support body 40 is made detachable, improvement in reusability and recyclability can be greatly expected. Furthermore, since the attachment plate 41 of the support body 40 is provided with flexibility, it is easy to fit the support teeth 43 of the support body 40 so as to follow the support ribs 7 of the container body 1.

  Note that the first engagement piece 48 of the above embodiment may be formed so as to protrude from the inner peripheral edge of the positioning port 42 as long as it engages with the first locking groove 11 of the container body 1. You may project and form in the periphery. Further, the second engagement piece 49 may be formed so as to protrude from the inner peripheral edge of the positioning port 42 or protrude from the outer peripheral edge as long as it engages with the second locking groove 12 of the container body 1. It may be formed. Further, the second engagement piece 49 may be formed so as to protrude from the inner peripheral edge of the positioning port 42 located rearward as long as it engages with the second locking groove 12 of the container body 1. It can also project from the periphery.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container body 6 Side wall 7 Supporting rib 8 Front part supporting rib 9 Rear part supporting rib 10 Locking part 11 First locking groove 12 Second locking groove 13 Third locking groove 14 Rim flange 20 Lid 30 Locking Mechanism 40 Support body 41 Mounting plate 42 Positioning port 43 Support tooth 44 Front support tooth 45 Rear support tooth 47 Engagement portion 48 First engagement piece 49 Second engagement piece 50 Third engagement piece W Semiconductor wafer (substrate)

Claims (3)

A substrate storage container provided with a container body of a front open box capable of storing a plurality of substrates, and a separate support for supporting the substrate attached to the side wall of the container body,
A plurality of support ribs for supporting the support body are arranged in the vertical direction on the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body, and a locking portion for the support body is provided on the front and rear portions of the support rib,
The support body includes a mounting plate that overlaps the inner wall of the side wall of the container body, and a plurality of support teeth that are arranged in the vertical direction on the surface of the mounting plate and can support the peripheral edge of the substrate substantially horizontally. A plurality of positioning openings for positioning the support ribs in the support teeth are provided on the back surface of the support teeth, and an engagement portion that engages with the locking portion of the container body is provided on either the mounting plate or the support teeth. A substrate storage container characterized by the above.   The support rib of the container main body is divided into a front support rib positioned in front of the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body and a rear support rib positioned in the rear of the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body. 2. The substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein the substrate support container is divided into a front support tooth that fits with the part support rib and a rear support tooth that fits with the rear support rib. The locking portion of the container body includes a first locking groove formed at the front end portion of the front support rib, a second locking groove formed at the rear end portion of the front support rib, and a rear support rib. A third locking groove formed at the rear end of the
The engagement portion of the support is formed on one of the attachment plate and the support teeth, and engages with the first locking groove of the container body, and either the attachment plate or the support teeth. A second engagement piece formed on one side and engaged with the second locking groove of the container body, and formed on one of the mounting plate and the support teeth and engaged with the third locking groove of the container body. The substrate storage container according to claim 2, further comprising a third engaging piece to be joined.

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