JP2009283537A - Substrate-ousing container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate-housing container which houses a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm or larger, and is able to properly support the semiconductor wafer, even if it is bent by a large amount. <P>SOLUTION: The substrate-housing container includes a container body 10, which is a front-open box that houses a semiconductor wafer 1 having a diameter of 450 mm, and a lid which is fitted in an open front-face portion of the container body 10. Support pieces 15 for the semiconductor wafer 1 are disposed on both the internal sides of the container body 10 which are to face each other, and a support pin 17 is attached by post-attachment to a cutout 16 of each of the support pieces 15, with the support pin being in contact with the internal area 3, excluding the periphery 2 of the back face of the semiconductor wafer 1. Contacting walls 18 for the semiconductor wafer 1, situated at the rear of the support pieces 15, are formed respectively at the rear of internal both sides of the container body 10, and contact portions 19 of the butting walls, that come into contact with the periphery 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1, serve as a contact area 20, in which a plurality of irregularities 21 are formed into an array form, to hold the periphery 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 in the contact area 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate storage container for storing a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm or more.

For thin and round semiconductor wafers, φ200mm and 300mm are the mainstream. However, development of φ450mm has been studied from the viewpoint of obtaining a large number of IC chips, and accordingly, substrate storage containers for φ450mm have been discussed all over the world. And standardization are progressing. The substrate storage container for storing the φ450 mm semiconductor wafer is formed into a front open box in which the front portion of the container body is opened in accordance with the type (see Patent Documents 1 and 2) that stores the φ300 mm semiconductor wafer. A plurality of support pieces for semiconductor wafers are provided on both sides of the interior.
JP 2002-347061 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-112304

  By the way, a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm can obtain a larger number of IC chips than a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 300 mm. However, as the semiconductor manufacturing process proceeds, the semiconductor wafer has a feature that it is easily bent in a large and irregular direction. Therefore, a substrate support container for storing a φ450 mm semiconductor wafer has a new support mechanism that is separate from the support piece in order to reliably support the semiconductor wafer even if the φ450 mm semiconductor wafer is greatly bent in the vertical direction. It is desirable to be installed in

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides a substrate storage container that can appropriately support a semiconductor wafer even when the semiconductor wafer is greatly bent when storing a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm or more. It is an object.

In the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a container main body for storing a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm or more is configured as a front open box having an open front portion,
A plurality of projections and depressions for holding the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer are formed side by side in a contact region in contact with the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer inside the container body.

  In addition, it is preferable to attach the elastic piece which contacts the peripheral edge rear end of a semiconductor wafer to the inner back surface of a container main body, and to urge a semiconductor wafer to the front part direction of a container main body with this elastic piece.

Also, support pieces for the semiconductor wafer are provided on both sides inside the container body, and a notch is formed in each support piece, and the notch is supported in contact with the inner region excluding the peripheral edge of the back surface of the semiconductor wafer. After attaching the pin,
It is preferable to provide a contact portion for contacting the semiconductor wafer by providing abutting walls for the semiconductor wafer positioned at the rear of the support piece on both rear sides of the inside of the container body.

  Here, the required number of semiconductor wafers is stored in the container main body in the claims. The container body is configured to be transparent, translucent, or opaque as required. Further, the container body and the support piece are generally integrally molded using a molding material containing a resin. The elastic piece is mainly a leaf spring, but may be a resin or rubber retainer.

  According to the present invention, when a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm or more is accommodated in the container body, the peripheral portion is supported by the unevenness of the contact area. That is, the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer is fitted into a concave / convex concave portion, is in strong contact, or is sandwiched between a plurality of convex portions.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of projections and depressions for holding the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer are formed side by side in the contact area in contact with the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer inside the container body, so that a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm or more is stored. At this time, even if the semiconductor wafer is greatly bent, the semiconductor wafer can be appropriately supported.

  In addition, an elastic piece that contacts the rear end of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer is attached to the inner back surface of the container body, and if the semiconductor wafer is biased toward the front portion of the container body by this elastic piece, the semiconductor wafer can be taken out. Since the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer is hardly caught by the plurality of irregularities, the semiconductor wafer can be smoothly taken out from the container body.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The substrate storage container in this embodiment is a front for storing a semiconductor wafer 1 having a diameter of 450 mm as shown in FIGS. An open box container body 10 and a lid body 30 fitted to the open front portion of the container body 10 are provided, and support pieces 15 for the semiconductor wafer 1 are provided on both sides of the container body 10 to face each other. Support pins 17 that come into contact with the inner region 3 excluding the peripheral edge 2 on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 are retrofitted to the notches 16 of the respective support pieces 15, and the protrusions for the semiconductor wafer 1 are located behind both sides inside the container body 10. A contact wall 18 is provided and the contact portion 19 is used as a contact region 20, and a plurality of irregularities 21 for holding the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 are formed in the contact region 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 9, the semiconductor wafer 1 is made of, for example, a thin (for example, 925 μm) round φ450 mm silicon type, and a planar semi-circular notch for alignment and identification is selected at the peripheral portion 2. Formed. The semiconductor wafer 1 is horizontally inserted into the container body 10 and stored or taken out by a dedicated robot (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 to 8, the container body 10 is formed by injecting a molding material containing a predetermined resin into a molding die so that 25 semiconductor wafers 1 are moved up and down. It is injection-molded into a front open box type that is arranged and stored side by side, and a lid 30 of the same shape is detachably fitted to the open front portion through an endless gasket. It is detachably fitted to.

  Examples of the predetermined resin of the molding material for molding the container body 10 include polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, polybutylene terephthalate and the like which are excellent in mechanical properties, heat resistance, dimensional stability, and the like. Necessary carbon, carbon fiber, metal fiber, carbon nanotube, antistatic agent, flame retardant and the like are selectively added to these resins.

  As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, a plurality of leaf springs 12 elastically contacting the rear end of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1 are arranged in the vertical direction through rod-shaped attachment pieces 13 at the center of the inner back surface of the container body 10. The plurality of flexible leaf springs 12 that are mounted function to prevent problems such as chipping and cracking due to direct contact of the semiconductor wafer 1 with the container body 10.

  Each leaf spring 12 is formed in an elongated line extending in the horizontal direction from the mounting piece 13 oriented in the vertical direction, and a holding portion 14 that holds the rear end of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1 is integrally formed at the front end portion. When the lid body 30 is fitted to the container body 10, it bends and contacts the inner back surface of the container body 10, and when the lid body 30 is removed from the container body 10, it returns to the original state. Thus, the semiconductor wafer 1 functions to be elastically biased forward of the front portion of the container body 10.

  As shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, a pair of support pieces 15 facing from the lower side to the side of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1 are horizontally opposed to the inside of the container body 10, specifically, the opposite inner sides. A plurality of the pair of support pieces 15 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction of the container body 10. As shown in the figure, each support piece 15 is formed in a flat plate shape whose inside is curved in a substantially semicircular arc shape, and a notch 16 such as a plane semicircular shape or a semi-elliptical shape is formed in the front and rear portions inside. Each is notched.

  In each notch 16, support pins 17 that make point contact from below on the inner region 3 excluding the peripheral edge 2 on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 are integrated later by a predetermined method, for example, an ultrasonic fusion method or a caulking method. Is done. As shown in FIG. 9, each support pin 17 is formed of a molding material made of, for example, polyether ether ketone, and is formed into a short pin shape with a rounded upper portion or a substantially bowl-shaped cross section. The upper part of the region 3 makes point contact and functions to support the semiconductor wafer 1 horizontally.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the abutting walls 18 for the semiconductor wafer 1 located behind the support pieces 15 are integrally formed on the rear sides of both sides of the container main body 10, and taper in a plan view of each abutting wall 18. Is formed at the contact portion 19 that contacts the side of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1. In the contact portion 19, a plurality of projections and depressions 21 that support the side of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1 are arranged in an up-down direction at intervals, and the plurality of projections and depressions 21 are formed on the semiconductor regardless of the bending of the semiconductor wafer 1. The side edge of the wafer 1 is securely held by frictional force, and the rattling of the semiconductor wafer 1 in the vertical direction is effectively regulated.

  As shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of concave and convex portions 22 and convex portions 23 are alternately arranged in the plurality of concave and convex portions 21, and these 22 and 23 are arranged in parallel in, for example, a vertical row, a rectangular array, a staggered shape, The semiconductor wafer 1 functions to be inserted into, pressed against, or sandwiched at the side of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1. The convex portion 23 sandwiching the concave portion 22 from above and below is formed in a block shape, a truncated cone shape, a truncated pyramid shape, a hemispherical shape, a semi-elliptical spherical shape, and has a size of about 0.05 to 0.3 mm.

  A plurality of positioning tools 24 having a substantially V-shaped cross section are disposed on the bottom surface of the container body 10 at intervals, and the plurality of positioning tools 24 are fitted from above to positioning pins of a semiconductor processing apparatus (not shown). 10 is positioned.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the lid 30 includes a housing 31 that is detachably fitted to the opened front portion of the container body 10, and a surface that covers the opened surface of the housing 31. A front retainer 33 is provided in the central portion of the housing 31 to contact and hold the front end of the peripheral edge of the stored semiconductor wafer 1. An elastically deformable gasket that is pressed into the front portion of the container main body 10 is fitted to the peripheral portion or the rear peripheral portion of the casing 31.

  According to the above configuration, the unevenness 21 further supports the peripheral side of the semiconductor wafer 1 supported by the plurality of support pins 17 by frictional force, so that the semiconductor wafer 1 is continuously supported at any location. Even if the semiconductor wafer 1 bends irregularly greatly in the vertical direction, the semiconductor wafer 1 can be reliably supported. Further, when the lid 30 is removed from the container body 10, the leaf spring 12 protrudes the semiconductor wafer 1 in front of the front portion of the container body 10, so that the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 remains locked to the unevenness 21. The state does not continue, and the semiconductor wafer 1 can be taken out by the robot without any trouble.

  In addition, since the support pins 17 are integrated with the support piece 15, the plurality of support pins 17 can be appropriately brought into contact with the inner region 3 on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 1, and the standardization / standardization of the substrate storage container for φ450 mm is possible. Can meet the requirements. Further, since the support piece 15 and the support pin 17 are not integrally molded, but the support pin 17 is provided on the molded support piece 15 later, the degree of freedom in molding the container body 10 and the support piece 15 is improved. However, there is no hindrance to these integral moldings.

  Further, the retrofit of the support pins 17 greatly increases the degree of freedom in selecting the material of the support pins 17, and the height of the support pins 17 can be adjusted individually and easily to facilitate the work of the robot. Become. Furthermore, since the abutting walls 18 are respectively positioned behind the left and right support pieces 15, it is possible to suppress and prevent rattling and displacement in the front-rear direction of the semiconductor wafer 1 with a simple configuration.

  Although the semiconductor wafer 1 having a diameter of 450 mm is shown in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the semiconductor wafer 1 having a size exceeding φ450 mm may be used. Further, a plurality of screw holes for conveyance may be drilled in the ceiling of the container body 10 or a flange for conveyance may be detachably attached. In addition, although the support piece 15 having a substantially semicircular arc shape on the inside is shown, the support piece 15 may be formed in a substantially cloud-shaped ruler shape or the like in plan view.

  Further, abutting walls 18 for the semiconductor wafer 1 are provided on both sides of the inner back surface of the container main body 10, and contact portions 19 that come into contact with the semiconductor wafer 1 are defined as contact regions 20. It is also possible to form a plurality of concaves and convexes 21 that hold the peripheral edge 2. Further, if necessary, the contact area 20 other than the contact portion 19 of the abutting wall 18 can be used. Further, the lid body 30 can incorporate an externally operable locking mechanism for locking the lid body 30 fitted to the container body 10.

It is a whole perspective explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is side explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the board | substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is back explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the board | substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is bottom explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is a section explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a section top view showing typically a container main part in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the container main body in embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the relationship between the semiconductor wafer and support pin in embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is principal part expansion explanatory drawing which shows typically the relationship between the semiconductor wafer and unevenness | corrugation in embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Semiconductor wafer 2 Peripheral part 3 Inner area | region 10 Container main body 12 Leaf spring (elastic piece)
15 support piece 16 notch 17 support pin 18 abutting wall 19 contact part 20 contact region 21 uneven part 22 concave part 23 convex part 30 lid 33 front retainer

Claims (3)

A substrate storage container in which a container main body for storing a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm or more is configured as a front open box having an opening in a front portion,
A substrate storage container characterized in that a plurality of projections and depressions for holding a peripheral edge of a semiconductor wafer are arranged side by side in a contact region in contact with the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer inside the container main body.   The substrate storage according to claim 1, wherein an elastic piece contacting the rear end of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer is attached to the inner back surface of the container body, and the semiconductor wafer is biased toward the front portion of the container body by the elastic piece. container. Semiconductor wafer support pieces are provided on both sides of the inside of the container body, and notches are formed in each support piece, and support pins that are in contact with the inner region excluding the peripheral edge of the back surface of the semiconductor wafer are formed in the notches. Retrofit,
3. A substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an abutting wall for a semiconductor wafer located behind the support piece is provided behind both sides of the inside of the container body, and a contact portion that contacts the semiconductor wafer is used as a contact area. .

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