JP2005064275A - Container package and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily associate various fitting components with a container package at optional positions of the container package without damaging the fitting components without use of a complicate lock mechanism and metallic die structure in a way of not catching water contents at cleaning. <P>SOLUTION: Either the container package or the fitting components are made of a laser beam transmission material, and the other is formed by using a material for absorbing laser beam, and laser beam is emitted to contact parts between the container package and the fitting components to melt the contacts for integration. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a storage container for storing a precision substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as a substrate) such as a mask glass made of a semiconductor wafer such as silicon or glass or quartz, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Conventionally, a storage container that stores a substrate and is used for transportation and storage of the substrate has a container body that has an opening at one end and stores the substrate in a horizontal state at regular intervals in the vertical direction, and an opening of the container body. There has been known a lid body that is closed and a seal member that is sandwiched between the container body and the lid body. In the container body of such a storage container, a pair of support portions for horizontally supporting the substrate are provided integrally with the container body at regular intervals on opposite side walls.
The container body can be stored without contaminating the substrate, the internal substrate storage state can be confirmed, and it can be safely stored without being damaged or deformed even if there is an impact or pressure fluctuation during transportation. It was made of a thermoplastic resin such as a polycarbonate resin, an acrylic resin, or a polypropylene resin that is translucent or transparent and has impact strength and flexural strength so that it can be held. As described above, the support portion formed integrally with the container body is mainly made of a material selected from the viewpoints of transparency and strength. However, with the recent miniaturization (0.13 μm or less) of the wiring pitch of electronic circuits formed on semiconductor components, there has been a demand for storage containers that are less contaminated with substrates. In particular, it has become important to prevent contamination of the substrate by selecting a material for the support portion that is in direct contact with the substrate.
Therefore, the support part provided in the container main body is formed separately from the container main body, and is formed of a material different from the container main body. There has been proposed a storage container that is integrally formed with a container body using a color molding method or an insert molding method.
JP-A-8-26380 (full text) JP 2000-12673 A (full text)

  As described above, when the container body and the support are formed from different materials and are attached to the container body, dimensional accuracy is likely to vary due to errors in the attachment work, and when the container body is washed and dried, There was a problem that water droplets were likely to accumulate in the part, and the removal work took time. In addition, when the container body and the support part made of different materials are integrated by two-color molding or insert molding, the container body and the material forming the support part are interfaced due to differences in melting point and compatibility of the materials used. However, there is a problem that the strength is poor without being sufficiently fused. In the case of molding different materials, there is a problem that a molding machine and a mold used for production become complicated and expensive.

  1st invention is a storage container which consists of a container main body which has a pair of support part which has an opening in one end, and accommodates a board | substrate in the opposing inner wall, and the cover body which has the said opening, Comprising: The said storage container Is formed from a laser light-transmitting material or a laser light-absorbing material, a mounting member attached to the storage container is formed from a laser light-absorbing material or a laser light-transmitting material, and the mounting member is laser-attached to the storage container. A storage container characterized by being welded by irradiation with light.

  A second invention is a storage container comprising a container body having an opening at one end and having a pair of support portions for housing a substrate on opposite inner walls, and a lid having the opening, wherein the container body The container is formed of a laser light transmitting material, the support portion is formed of a laser light absorbing material, and the support member is welded to the side wall of the container main body by irradiating laser light. is there.

  The third invention is a method of manufacturing a storage container comprising a container body having an opening at one end and storing a substrate, and a lid having the opening, wherein the storage container is made of a material that is transparent to laser light. Alternatively, the mounting member formed from a laser light absorbing material and attached to the storage container is formed from a laser light absorbing material or a laser light transmissive material, and the mounting member is positioned and fixed to the storage container. The method for manufacturing a storage container is characterized in that a laser beam is irradiated toward an interface where the storage container and the mounting member contact to weld and integrate the mounting member to the storage container.

Here, the substrate includes a silicon wafer, a glass wafer, a compound wafer, a mask glass, a quartz glass, a liquid crystal substrate, a recording medium substrate such as a hard disk, and the like for manufacturing semiconductor components.
The attachment member refers to a member that is attached to the inside or outside of the storage container using various locking mechanisms, or is integrally formed by welding, insert molding, or the like. For example, robotic flanges attached to the top of the container body, side rails and manual handles attached to the side walls, positioning members attached to the bottom of the container body, clamping members for fixing the container body, identification members and positioning members For identification plate holders (ID tag holders) that house bottom plates, ID transponders, barcodes, etc., pop-out prevention members attached to the opening of the container body, back stoppers or rear retainers attached to the back side, or lids It refers to a member such as a retainer for holding a substrate and a seal member to be attached.

  The attachment member formed as a separate member from the storage container so as to easily perform each function can be easily integrated by irradiating the storage container with laser, so that the work of attaching and removing the attachment member It becomes unnecessary. Even if the attachment member is made of a different material from the storage container, it can be easily integrated. In addition, since water droplets do not easily enter the gap between the attachment part and the storage container during cleaning, workability in the drying process after cleaning the storage container is improved. Thus, the storage container can have a simple structure, and the workability is improved, so that the cost can be reduced.

  For the purpose of providing a storage container with a simple structure and capable of attaching a high-performance attachment member at low cost, the attachment member formed as a part different from the storage container is welded to the storage container using laser light. Realized easily.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a storage container 1 of the present invention. The storage container 1 includes a container body 2 having an opening on the front surface and a lid 3 that can close the opening. The container main body 2 is attached with a pair of support portions that are laser-welded to the opposite side walls to accommodate the substrates in a horizontal state and aligned at predetermined intervals. A robotic handle 7 for automatically transporting the storage container 1 is attached to the top surface of the container body 2, and a positioning member having a V-groove 16 for positioning the storage container 1 on the processing apparatus on the bottom surface. A plurality of 14 are provided. A plurality of holes for locking the lid 3 are provided in the opening periphery of the front. Such a container body 2 is formed of a transparent material (laser light transmitting material) such as polycarbonate.

  The lid 3 is formed in a dimension that can be locked to the opening of the container body 2, and a sealing member for forming a seal with the container body 2 is provided on the peripheral edge of the side wall. The lid 3 is composed of a housing and a surface plate, and a pair of latch mechanisms for locking to the container body 2 is built in the housing. The latch mechanism includes a rotating plate and a connecting plate that meshes with the rotating plate and can move in a linear direction in conjunction with the rotating plate, and a locking portion that is fixed to the front end of the connecting plate and the back side of the surface plate. The locking portion is operated so as to be able to appear and retract from a through hole provided in the. Further, the operation of the latch mechanism is performed by locking and unlocking operations by inserting the operating member of the lid 3 opening / closing device into the through hole provided in the surface plate and rotating the rotating member.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pair of support members 4 includes a plate-like portion 5 to be welded to the container main body 2 and substrate support ribs 6 arranged at regular intervals in the vertical direction of the plate-like portion 5. Become. The substrate support rib 6 has a substantially horizontal flat upper surface, and the lower surface is slightly inclined so as to expand from the tip toward the plate-like base. The tip portion is formed by connecting the upper surface and the lower surface in an R shape and slightly curving along the shape of the substrate from the opening to the back side. A substrate is mounted horizontally on the upper surface of the support rib 6.

The laser irradiation device is disposed on the side of the container main body 2 and irradiates the contact portion between the container main body 2 and the support member 4 while continuously changing the position.
The above-described support member 4 can be formed of polyether ether ketone or butylene terephthalate which is imparted with conductivity by carbon fiber and absorbs laser light. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the support member 4, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the container body 2 showing a state in which the support member 4 is attached to the container body 2. The state which saw through the back surface of the supporting member 4 from the side surface outer side of the container main body 2 is represented. An endless continuous welding rib 9 is formed on the peripheral edge of the plate-like portion 5 of the support member 4, and a pair of fitting projections are provided on the flat portion.

  A pair of fitting bosses 10 that engage with the support member 4 are provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body 2, and the engagement protrusions of the support member 4 and the support member 4 can be positioned and temporarily fixed. A concave portion surrounding the welding rib 9 is formed at a position facing the welding rib 9 provided on the periphery of the plate-like portion 5, and the bottom surface of the concave portion and the rib upper surface of the support member 4 come into close contact with each other.

  FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic views of laser welding of the support member 4. As described above, the pressing member 13 that holds the support member 4 on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body 2 and presses the tip of the support rib 6 of the holding member. Is inserted between the pair of support ribs 6. The laser beam 12 is irradiated from the outside of the side surface of the container body 2 toward the welding rib 9 on the periphery of the plate portion of the support member 4. The laser beam 12 is condensed by a convex lens, passes through the container body 2 formed of a material that transmits the laser beam, and then is absorbed by the mating surface of the support member 4 formed of the material that absorbs the laser beam to generate heat. However, both materials are melted by this heat and the resins are welded together. At this time, the laser beam 12 passes through the container body 2 and is absorbed by the plate peripheral edge welding ribs 9 of the support member 4 made of a laser light-absorbing material containing carbon fiber, and the support member 4 and the container body. The interface with 2 is instantaneously welded. As shown in FIG. 6, the support member 4 can be airtightly fixed to the container main body 2 by performing the entire circumference of the back surface of the support member 4. The movement of the irradiation part of the laser beam 12 can be performed three-dimensionally by using an actuator controlled by a precisely programmed servo drive and an optical fiber cable for connection. For example, the movement position is programmed in advance. By attaching an irradiation part to the tip of the articulated robot and connecting it to the laser beam 12 transmitter with an optical fiber cable, irradiation and welding of the laser beam 12 can be performed freely and at high speed. Note that the wavelength of the laser can be selected from 808 nm or 940 nm, and the output is suitably changed according to the material and area to be welded. In order to increase the absorption of laser light, carbon black and glass fibers can be contained in addition to carbon fibers. Moreover, you may color in black, brown, etc. with concealment power.

  As described above, the support member 4 is fixed to the side wall of the container body 2 and integrated. In this way, the support member 4 integrated with the container body 2 is densely welded with no gap around the entire circumference of the plate-like portion 5 material, so that moisture can enter the gap even during cleaning. There is an effect that there is no. Moreover, since it is locally heated and welded, it can be integrated with higher accuracy than the case of two-color molding without causing deformation due to heat distortion.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the welding rib 9 is provided on the periphery of the plate-like portion 5 of the support member 4 is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and laser welding may be performed by simply abutting the flat surfaces. A recess may be formed in the container body 2 so as to surround the container. Further, the welding rib 9 may be provided on the container body 2 side, or a recess may be provided on the support member 4 side. The fitting member is not limited to the cylindrical rib and the cylindrical boss, but may be a polygonal boss or protrusion such as a triangle, a quadrangle, or a pentagon, and the cylindrical boss and the split pin member may be engaged with each other.

  Although the support member 4 is welded to the container body 2, the present invention is not limited thereto, and attachment members such as retainers 18 and 19, various handle parts 7, and a positioning member 14 that hold the substrate are integrated with the container body 2 and the lid 3. It is possible to obtain the same effect as described for welding the support member 4 to the container body 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the laser beam 12 may be irradiated by using laser irradiation devices arranged on both sides of the container body 2 at the same time on the left and right sides, or alternately on the left and right sides with one irradiation device. May be. In addition to the laser irradiation path shown in FIG. 6, various other methods can be used. Four irradiation devices that can move in the same direction are arranged at each corner, and four sides are welded simultaneously. Can also be done.

  FIGS. 7 and 8 show the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 shows the bottom of the container main body 2. This bottom serves as an interface with the processing apparatus. Positioning member 14, identification plate 15, fixing member 17, and the like are disposed. The positioning member 14 meshes with a positioning pin provided in the processing apparatus, has a groove 16 having a V-shaped cross section for positioning the container body 2, and is arranged in a triangular shape at three locations on the bottom surface of the container body 2. In the present invention, these positioning members 14 are formed of polycarbonate containing carbon fiber, and are welded by irradiating the bottom of the container body 2 made of polycarbonate resin with laser light 12. As shown in FIG. 8, the laser beam 12 irradiation unit 11 is inserted from the opening of the container body 2, and the positioning member 14 is heated and welded from the inside of the container body 2. Also in this case, the mold structure can be simplified, the mounting parts can be easily welded, and the accumulation of cleaning water during cleaning can be prevented. Similarly, the identification plate 15 and the fixing parts attached to the bottom surface can be integrated with the container body 2 by laser welding.

  FIGS. 9 and 10 show the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of the inside of the storage container 1, and the substrate is located on the back side facing the opening of the storage container 1. A pair of rear retainers 19 supported from the front is provided so as to face the front retainer 18 that is attached to the inner surface of the lid and contacts the outer peripheral portion of the substrate. The retainer 19 is provided with a holding groove 21 that contacts the outer periphery of the back side of the substrate. When the lid 3 is locked, the substrate is held by the holding grooves 20 and 21 of the front retainer 18 and the rear retainer 19. The support member 4 is lifted and held. In the present invention, these rear retainers 19 are formed of a carbon fiber-containing polyester elastomer, and are welded by irradiating the back surface of the container body 2 made of polycarbonate resin with laser light 12. As shown in FIG. 10, the laser light 12 irradiation unit 11 is moved from the outside of the back surface of the container body 2, and the rear retainer 19 is heat-welded to the inside of the container body 2. Also in this case, the mold structure can be simplified, and the attachment parts can be easily welded. The accumulation of washing water during washing can also be prevented.

  FIG. 11 shows a fourth embodiment in which an ID tag holder 22 for identifying the storage container 1 is integrated with the storage container 1. In this case, the storage container 1 is formed from a carbon fiber that absorbs the laser light 12 or a polycarbonate resin containing a colorant, the ID tag holder 22 is formed from a laser light transmissive material, and the ID tag holder 22 is attached to the outer wall of the storage container 1. The laser beam 12 is irradiated from the outside of the ID tag holder 22, and the interface between the two is welded and integrated. It is preferable to weld along the outer peripheral part of ID tag holder 22 like the previous embodiment. The ID tag holder 22 accommodates a transponder, an IC memory, an antenna component, a bar code label, or the like, and is formed in a cylindrical shape or a card shape. By using the attachment method of the present invention, the ID tag holder 22 can be attached to any position of the storage container 1 in accordance with the specification of the process using the ID tag holder 22. For welding, a temporary locking portion may be provided at the welded portion, or may be temporarily fixed with a transparent tape or the like. Then, it can integrate by irradiating the laser beam 12. Further, since spot welding is performed by the laser beam irradiation unit 11, the electronic components housed in the ID tag holder 22 are not damaged unlike when welding is performed using ultrasonic welding or the like.

  When the ID tag holder 22 is welded to the storage container 1 made of a transparent material such as a laser light transmitting polycarbonate resin that transmits the laser light 12, the ID tag holder 22 is made of a laser light absorbing material such as carbon fiber. It is possible to perform welding by irradiating the laser beam 12 from the opposite side surface of the storage container 1 to which the ID tag holder 22 is attached or from the inside of the storage container 1.

The perspective view showing the storage container of this invention. The front view showing opening of the storage container of this invention. Sectional drawing of the supporting member used for the storage container of this invention. The side view showing the state which made the storage container of this invention hold | maintain a supporting member. The fragmentary sectional view showing the state which welds a supporting member to the storage container of this invention. The front view showing the welding path | route of the supporting member used for the storage container of this invention. The bottom view of the storage container of this invention. The fragmentary sectional view showing the state which welds a positioning member to the bottom face of the storage container which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The horizontal sectional view of the storage container which is the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The fragmentary sectional view showing the state which welds a rear retainer to the back surface of the storage container of this invention. The side view showing the state which welds an ID tag holder to the back surface of the storage container which is the 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Storage container
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Container main body 3 Cover body 4 Support member 5 Plate-shaped part 6 Support rib 7 Robotic handle 8 Fitting rib 9 Outer peripheral rib 10 Fitting boss 11 Laser beam irradiation part 12 Laser beam 13 Welding fixing member 14 Positioning member 15 Identification plate 16 V-shaped groove 17 Fixing member 18 Front retainer 19 Rear retainer 20 Front retainer holding groove
21 Retainer holding groove 22 ID tag holder 23 Laser beam irradiation path W Substrate

Claims (5)

A storage container having an opening at one end and storing a precision substrate; and a lid for closing the opening; and forming the storage container from a laser light transmitting material or a laser light absorbing material, A storage container characterized in that an attachment member attached to the storage container is formed of a material that absorbs laser light from a laser light transmissive material, and the attachment member is welded to the storage container by irradiation with laser light. A storage container comprising a container body having an opening at one end and a pair of support portions for accommodating a precision substrate on opposite inner walls, and a lid having the opening, wherein the container body is transparent to laser light. A storage container, wherein the support portion is formed of a laser light-absorbing material, and the support member is welded to the side wall of the container main body by irradiation with laser light. The storage container according to claim 2, wherein the container body is formed from a polycarbonate resin, and the support member is formed from polybutylene terephthalate or polyetheretherketone. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein at least one endless continuous rib is formed in the laser beam irradiation portion of the attachment member. A method of manufacturing a storage container comprising a container body having an opening at one end and storing a substrate, and a lid having the opening, wherein the storage container is made of a laser light transmitting material or a laser light absorbing material. Forming a mounting member attached to the storage container from a laser light absorbing material or a laser light transmissive material, positioning and fixing the mounting member to the storage container, and the storage container and the mounting member A method of manufacturing a storage container, wherein the attachment member is welded and integrated with the storage container by irradiating a laser beam toward the contacting interface.

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