JP2010182949A - Substrate storage container and substrate taking-out method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate storage container and a substrate taking-out method, capable of smoothing handling of a clamping hand by suppressing lateral wobbling or positional deviation of a substrate, and improving the workability in substrate taking-out operation. <P>SOLUTION: In the substrate storage container, the container body 10 for storing the semiconductor wafer 1 is formed in a front open box having an opening in the front, a lower supporting block 16 for vertically supporting the lower part of a circumferential edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 is provided on the inner bottom surface thereof, an upper restricting plate 21 opposing the upper part of the circumferential edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 from lateral right and left directions via a gap is provided on the upper part of the inside of the container body 10, and a rear supporting block 24 for vertically supporting the rear of the circumferential edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 is provided on the rear of the inside of the container body 10. When the container body 10 is inclined in the right and left directions, the upper restricting plate 21 supports the upper part of the circumferential edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate storage container used when a substrate represented by a semiconductor wafer is stored, stored, transported, transported, and the like, and a method for taking out the substrate.

  Conventional substrate storage containers for storing and transporting semiconductor wafers include a top open box type for vertically storing semiconductor wafers and a front open box type for horizontally storing semiconductor wafers (see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). Recently, in view of increasing the diameter of semiconductor wafers (for example, φ300 mm, φ450 mm, etc.) and thinning, the development of a front open box type that accommodates a semiconductor wafer vertically has been studied.

  Although not shown, the substrate storage container includes a container main body that arranges and stores a plurality of vertically erected semiconductor wafers in the left-right direction, and a detachable lid that opens and closes the open front of the container main body, The semiconductor wafer of the container body from which the lid is removed is vacuum-sucked by a back-side suction-type clamp hand, and then taken out in a vertically standing state. Support blocks for supporting the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer are respectively disposed on the inner lower side, upper inner side, and inner rear side of the container body.

JP 2000-159288 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-110777 JP 2008-140949 A

  However, if the support block is simply installed above the inside of the container main body of the substrate storage container, it is expected that it becomes difficult to pick up the semiconductor wafer upward by the clamp hand. As a method for solving such a situation, there is a method in which a support block is not installed above the inside of the container main body. However, in this case, the semiconductor wafer is liable to be laterally moved, the position becomes unstable, and the handling of the clamp hand is hindered. There is a possibility of coming.

  In addition, when a semiconductor wafer in the container body is brought into contact with a vacuum suction hand on the back surface and is vacuum-sucked to remove the semiconductor wafer from the container body, the lower and rear parts of the semiconductor wafer are supported and fixed to the support block. In order to prevent the clamp hand from coming into strong contact with a fragile semiconductor wafer and breaking it, the clamp hand must be controlled with extremely high accuracy. As a result, it is expected that the operation of taking out the semiconductor wafer is delayed or the workability is deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and can suppress the lateral shaking and displacement of the substrate to facilitate the handling of the clamp hand, and can improve the workability of the substrate removal operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate storage container and a method for taking out a substrate.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the substrate is stored in the container body, and the container body is formed in a front open box type having an open front, and the lower portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate is formed below the inside thereof. A lower support block is provided for vertical support, and an upper regulating plate is provided above the peripheral portion of the substrate via a gap above the inside of the container body. A rear support block that vertically supports the rear of the container is provided, and when the container main body is tilted in the left-right direction, the upper regulating plate supports the upper part of the peripheral edge of the substrate.

It should be noted that a detachable lid that opens and closes the front of the container body can be provided, and an elastic front retainer that holds the peripheral edge of the substrate can be provided on the surface of the lid that faces the substrate.
In addition, a locking mechanism for locking the lid fitted on the front surface of the container main body is provided, and this locking mechanism is provided in the container main body and penetrates the front peripheral edge of the container main body to be able to engage with the peripheral wall of the lid body. It is preferable to include an engaging claw and a spring member that engages the engaging claw with the peripheral wall of the lid.

  Further, of the lower support block and the rear support block, at least the facing surface facing the substrate of the lower support block is bent along the peripheral portion of the substrate, and the peripheral surface of the substrate is supported on the facing surface of the lower support block. Support grooves can be formed.

Further, in the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, there is provided a method for taking out a substrate from a container main body of the substrate storage container according to claim 1, 2, or 3 by a clamp hand,
The container body with the front opened is tilted in the left-right direction so that the upper regulating plate supports the upper part of the peripheral edge of the substrate. A clamp hand is inserted into the front of the container body opened to face the substrate. Is brought into contact with the substrate and sucked and held, the clamp hand is lifted to remove the substrate from the lower support block, and then the clamp hand is pulled out from the container body and retracted.

  Here, the substrate in the claims includes at least φ200 mm, 300 mm, and 450 mm type round semiconductor wafers, glass wafers, mask glass, liquid crystal glass, and storage disks. This board | substrate does not ask | require especially the amount of bending, or the number of one or more. Further, the container body and the lid may be transparent, opaque, or translucent. A transparent window for substrate observation, an IC tag for physical distribution management, and the like can be attached to the upper, rear and side portions of the container body.

  The upper regulating plate is made of a plate extending in the front-rear direction of the container body, and a facing surface facing the upper portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate is cut out in the thickness direction, and the upper portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate inclined to the facing surface is in contact with positioning. It is preferable. The upper restriction plate may be single or plural. The clamp hand is formed in, for example, a substantially U shape, a substantially Y shape, a polygonal shape, and the like, and can hold the substrate by reducing the pressure. Furthermore, the substrate storage container according to the present invention can be used for storing, storing, transporting, transporting, and the like of substrates.

  According to the present invention, when a substrate is taken out from the container main body of the substrate storage container by the clamp hand, first, the container main body storing the substrate is inclined in the left-right direction, and the upper part of the peripheral edge of the substrate inclined to the upper regulating plate is set. Support. When the upper restriction plate supports the upper peripheral edge of the substrate in this way, the clamp hand is inserted into the open front of the container body so as to face the substrate, and the clamp hand is brought into contact with the substrate and held by suction. When holding the clamp hand, the board can be tilted in the opposite direction that is not in contact with the upper regulating plate, so the clamp hand can be used with peace of mind, and the board may be damaged as the clamp hand is held. Few.

  Once the substrate is held by the clamp hand, the clamp hand is raised to avoid interference between the substrate and the lower support block, and the substrate can be easily taken out by pulling out the clamp hand from the front of the container body and retracting it. . At this time, since the substrate is merely brought into contact with the upper regulating plate, the substrate can be easily picked up by the clamp hand.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that the lateral movement or displacement of the substrate can be suppressed to facilitate the handling of the clamp hand, and the workability of the substrate removal operation can be improved.

  In addition, a removable lid body that opens and closes the front surface of the container body is provided, and an elastic front retainer that holds the peripheral edge of the substrate is provided on the opposite surface of the lid body that faces the substrate. Performance can be ensured, and displacement and backlash of the substrate stored in the container body can be suppressed.

  Further, of the lower support block and the rear support block, at least the facing surface facing the substrate of the lower support block is bent along the peripheral portion of the substrate, and the peripheral surface of the substrate is supported on the facing surface of the lower support block. If the support groove is formed, it is possible to appropriately support the substrate and prevent its displacement and backlash.

It is a whole perspective explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a partial section perspective explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a section explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the lower support block in the embodiment of the substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the container main body and the upper control board in embodiment of the board | substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the inclined container main body and upper control board in embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is a section perspective explanatory view showing typically the back support block in the embodiment of the substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically a lid and a front retainer in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is sectional explanatory drawing which shows typically the locking state of the locking mechanism in embodiment of the board | substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is sectional explanatory drawing which shows typically the unlocking state of the locking mechanism in embodiment of the board | substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing typically the container main body from which the lid in the embodiment of the substrate storage container and the substrate taking-out method concerning the present invention was removed. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the semiconductor wafer and clamp hand in embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention, and the taking-out method of a board | substrate.

  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 the present embodiment stores a plurality of semiconductor wafers 1 as shown in FIGS. The container body 10 includes a container body 10, a detachable lid body 40 that opens and closes the front surface of the container body 10, and a locking mechanism 60 that locks the lid body 40 fitted to the front surface of the container body 10. The semiconductor wafer 1 supported vertically from the inside is taken out by a back-side suction type clamp hand 70.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6, the semiconductor wafer 1 is made of, for example, a silicon wafer having a large deflection amount of φ450 mm sliced into a thin round disk, and the container body 10 has 25 or 26 wafers. Aligned and stored in a vertically standing state with the number of sheets. Such a semiconductor wafer 1 has a circuit pattern formed on the surface thereof at a semiconductor device factory, and is used for production of semiconductor chips.

  The container body 10 and the lid body 40 are each molded from a molding material containing a predetermined resin. Examples of the resin of the molding material include polycarbonate, polyether ether ketone, polyether imide, cyclic olefin resin, and alloy resins thereof having excellent 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 resin as necessary.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 11, the container body 10 is injection-molded into a transparent front open box type whose front is opened vertically with a predetermined molding material, and a lower support block 16 is mounted below the inside. In addition, a plurality of upper restriction plates 21 are mounted on the upper side of the interior, and a rear support block 24 is mounted on the rear side of the interior, and is mounted on a table 31 that can swing in the left-right direction of the semiconductor processing apparatus 30. Is done.

  The container body 10 includes a vertically long bottom plate 11 in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of positioning tools 12 having a substantially M-shaped cross section or a substantially concave cross-sectional shape are provided on both sides of the front portion and the rear center of the bottom surface of the bottom plate 11. The plurality of positioning tools 12 are directly and indirectly disposed, and the container main body 10 is positioned with high accuracy by removably fitting the positioning tools 12 to the positioning pins 32 protruding from the table 31 of the semiconductor processing apparatus 30 from above. The In this way, when the container body 10 is positioned with high accuracy and the lid body 40 is removed from the front surface of the container body 10, the table 31 of the semiconductor processing apparatus 30 swings to move the container body 10 in a predetermined direction in the left-right direction. Tilt at an angle θ (see FIG. 6).

  The front peripheral edge portion 13 of the container body 10 is bent and formed in a substantially Z-shaped cross section and bulges outward, and functions to restrict excessive fitting of the lid body 40. Slots 14 for the locking mechanism 60 are respectively drilled on both sides of the front peripheral portion 13. In addition, a rotating pin for changing the posture / orientation of the container body 10 and a handle for gripping operation are selectively mounted on the outer surfaces of both side walls of the container body 10.

  The lower support block 16, the plurality of upper restriction plates 21, and the rear support block 24 are each molded from a molding material containing a predetermined resin. Examples of the resin of the molding material include polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, cyclic olefin resin, polybutylene terephthalate, their alloy resins, and polyester thermoplastic resins. Carbon, carbon fiber, metal fiber, carbon nanotube, conductive polymer, antistatic agent, flame retardant or the like is selectively added to the resin.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the lower support block 16 is basically formed in a plate shape extending in the front-rear direction of the container body 10, and the rear portion 18 protrudes slightly higher than the front portion 17. It is attached to the center of the inner surface of the bottom plate 11 of the main body 10 via a mounting rib 19 and functions to support the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 vertically.

  The surface of the lower support block 16 facing the semiconductor wafer 1 is curved and formed in a semicircular arc shape in section so as to follow the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1, and this concave surface has a semicircular arc in the front-rear direction of the container body 10. A plurality of support grooves 20 that extend while curving into a shape are formed to be recessed in the left-right direction, and each support groove 20 vertically supports the lower portion of the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1. Each support groove 20 is formed in a substantially V-shaped cross section, and the front part is positioned on the front side of the container body 10 to have a low height (depth), and the rear part is positioned on the rear side of the container body 10. And the removal of the semiconductor wafer 1 is facilitated.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, the plurality of upper restricting plates 21 are juxtaposed on the inner surface of the top plate 22 of the container body 10 and arranged at a predetermined pitch in the left-right direction. Is formed in a thin plate extending in the front-rear direction of the container body 10, and the upper regulating plate 21 extends from the left and right lateral directions with a slight gap above the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 regardless of the presence or absence of the lid 40. opposite.

  The opposing surface 23 of the upper regulating plate 21 facing the upper edge of the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 is cut out flat in the thickness direction of the upper regulating plate 21, and the container body 10 is inclined in the left-right direction to When tilted in the same direction, it functions to contact and support the peripheral edge 2 of the tilted semiconductor wafer 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7, the rear support block 24 is basically formed in an elongated block shape, and is attached to the lower part of the inner surface of the back wall 25 of the container body 10 via a mounting rib 19 to be a semiconductor. The peripheral edge 2 of the wafer 1 is supported vertically. The surface of the rear support block 24 facing the semiconductor wafer 1 is formed obliquely and its lower part protrudes in the front direction of the container body 10, and a plurality of guide support grooves 26 are respectively formed in the left and right directions on the upper and lower parts of the surface. The guide support grooves 26 guide the lower rear portion of the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 to support it vertically, and restrict the insertion position of the semiconductor wafer 1.

  Each guide support groove 26 is formed to have a substantially V-shaped cross section for restricting the position of the semiconductor wafer 1 with an inclined surface 27 facing to each other, and the deepest trough portion 28 is formed on a flat surface wider than the thickness of the semiconductor wafer 1. In such a guide support groove 26, the opposed inclined surface 27 does not contact the semiconductor wafer 1, and the deepest valley portion 28 contacts the semiconductor wafer 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 8, and 11, the lid body 40 includes a vertically long casing 41 that is detachably fitted to the opened front surface of the container body 10, and an opening of the casing 41. A surface plate 50 that covers the surface is detachably vacuum-sucked to a liftable lid opening / closing device 51 in the vicinity of the semiconductor processing apparatus 30 and automatically attached to and removed from the front surface of the container body 10.

  The casing 41 is formed in a substantially dish-shaped cross section, and an endless gasket 42 that can be elastically deformed is fitted to the peripheral wall. The gasket 42 elastically contacts the stepped portion 15 in the front peripheral portion 13 of the container body 10. To ensure sealing performance. Engagement protrusions 43 for the locking mechanism 60 proximate to the slot 14 of the container body 10 are formed on both sides of the peripheral wall of the casing 41 in a protruding manner.

  The central portion of the facing surface 44 facing the semiconductor wafer 1 of the housing 41 is curved and recessed along the front of the peripheral portion 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1, and the rear support block 24 and the like are formed above and below the facing surface 44. An elastic front retainer 45 formed of the same molding material is disposed, and the pair of front retainers 45 elastically press and hold the upper and lower portions of the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 8, and 11, each front retainer 45 is disposed on the upper or lower portion of the facing surface 44 of the housing 41 and protrudes toward the back wall 25 of the container body 10. The rib 46 is configured to include a plurality of elastic pieces 47 that are obliquely stretched between the front end portion of the protruding rib 46 and the facing surface 44 of the housing 41 and are arranged in the left-right direction. Each elastic piece 47 is bent and formed in a substantially M shape having alternating crests and troughs, and holding parts 48 are integrally formed on a plurality of crests, and the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1 is formed on each holding part 48. A holding groove 49 having a substantially V-shaped cross section for holding the portion 2 vertically is formed as a recess.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 9, and 10, the locking mechanism 60 includes slide shafts 61 that are externally operated by the lid opening / closing device 51 on both sides near the front peripheral edge 13 of the container body 10. Engaging claws 62 are integrally formed on the peripheral surface of each slide shaft 61 so as to penetrate the slot 14 of the container body 10 from the outside and engage with the engaging protrusion 43 of the lid 40 from the front side. The engaging claws 62 are bent and formed in a substantially L shape. Each slide shaft 61 is formed to extend in the vertical direction and is slidable in the same direction, and is fitted with a coil spring 63 for elastic biasing. The coil spring 63 always slides downward to engage the engaging claw 62. It functions to engage with the engaging protrusion 43 of the lid 40.

  In such a locking mechanism 60, when the lid 40 is attached, the slide shaft 61 is slid downward by the coil spring 63 to engage the engagement claw 62 and the engagement protrusion 43 of the lid 40 (see FIG. 9). When the lid 40 is removed, the slide shaft 61 is slid upward to release the engagement between the engagement claw 62 and the engagement protrusion 43 of the lid 40 (see FIG. 10), and the lid 40 can be removed. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the clamp hand 70 includes, for example, a substantially Y-shaped clamp arm 71 that can hold the semiconductor wafer 1 vertically, and is rotatably attached to a dedicated robot (not shown). Move forward and backward. The clamp arm 71 is connected to an exhaust device such as a vacuum pump (not shown), and is held by vacuum suction on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 from the exhaust of air accompanying the drive of the exhaust device.

  In the above configuration, when the semiconductor wafer 1 supported vertically from the container body 10 of the substrate storage container is taken out by the clamp hand 70, first, the container body 10 is positioned on the positioning pins 32 of the table 31 of the semiconductor processing apparatus 30. After the lid body 40 is removed from the front surface of the container body 10 by the lid body opening / closing device 51 (see FIG. 11), the table 31 of the semiconductor processing apparatus 30 swings to tilt the container body 10 in the left-right direction.

  When the container body 10 is tilted, the upper part of the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 that has been separated from the opposed surface 23 of the upper regulating plate 21 is tilted and contacted and positioned and supported. It is possible to effectively eliminate the possibility that the handling of the clamp hand 70 will be hindered without laterally shifting or shifting in the horizontal direction. The inclination angle θ of the container main body 10 is 5 ° from the viewpoint of stabilizing the inclination support of the container main body 10 or inclining and supporting the upper surface of the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 in a certain direction on the opposing surface 23 of the upper regulating plate 21. Is preferably within.

  When the semiconductor processing apparatus 30 is provided with a holding mechanism when the container body 10 is tilted, the container body 10 can be tilted by 5 ° or more.

  When the container body 10 is inclined and the upper portion of the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 is supported by the upper regulating plate 21, the clamp arm 71 of the clamp hand 70 is inserted into the opened front surface of the container body 10 and the adjacent semiconductor wafer. 1 and 1, the clamp arm 71 faces and contacts the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 1, and is then vacuum-sucked and held on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 1.

  When holding the clamp hand 70, the semiconductor wafer 1 can swing in the opposite direction not in contact with the upper regulating plate 21, and play is ensured. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer 1 and the clamp hand 70 can be secured. There is no strong contact. Therefore, the clamp hand 70 can be inserted with peace of mind, and the semiconductor wafer 1 is not damaged as the clamp hand 70 is inserted and held.

  When the semiconductor wafer 1 is held by the clamp hand 70, the clamp hand 70 moves slightly upward to avoid interference between the semiconductor wafer 1 and the lower support block 16, and the clamp hand 70 is horizontal from the front of the container body 10. Then, the semiconductor wafer 1 is removed from the rear support block 24 and the clamp hand 70 is retracted, so that the vertically supported semiconductor wafer 1 can be taken out easily and reliably. At this time, the semiconductor wafer 1 is not sandwiched between the upper restricting plates 21 but is simply brought into contact with it, so that it is easily picked up by the clamp hand 70.

  After retreating, the clamp hand 70 rotates to change the posture of the semiconductor wafer 1 from a standing state to a horizontal state, and inserts the semiconductor wafer 1 into a container body (not shown) of the substrate storage container for the process. And store. Thereafter, the semiconductor wafer 1 is appropriately taken out from the in-process substrate storage container and subjected to various processing and processing.

  According to the above configuration, the semiconductor wafer 1 is positioned and brought into contact with the upper regulating plate 21 instead of being clamped or held, so that the semiconductor wafer 1 can be easily picked up by the clamp hand 70. Further, the upper restricting plate 21 can prevent the semiconductor wafer 1 from being laterally displaced and misaligned, and can eliminate the possibility of hindering the handling of the clamp hand 70. In addition, since the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 1 is regulated by the upper regulating plate 21 and the clamp hand 70 is clamped with reference to the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 1, the semiconductor wafer 1 can be handled without considering the thickness variation. it can.

  In addition, when the semiconductor wafer 1 is brought into contact with the clamp hand 70 and vacuum-sucked, it is possible to prevent the semiconductor wafer 1 from being inclined in the opposite direction where it is not in contact with the upper regulating plate 21 and applying a large stress. In view of preventing damage to the semiconductor wafer 1, it is not necessary to control the clamp hand 70 with extremely high accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to suppress and prevent delays in taking out the semiconductor wafer 1 and deterioration in workability.

  Further, since the semiconductor wafer 1 is supported not standing horizontally but in the container body 10, even if the semiconductor wafer 1 is a φ450 mm type having a large amount of deflection, the semiconductor wafer 1 is prevented from being bent due to its own weight, The space between the adjacent semiconductor wafers 1 and 1 can be narrowed, the container body 10 can be prevented from being enlarged, and the space for storage and transportation can be effectively used. Further, by changing the support posture of the semiconductor wafer 1, it is possible to prevent the semiconductor wafer 1 having a large deflection amount from being easily damaged by vibration.

  Further, since the semiconductor wafer 1 is not lifted by sliding the inclined surfaces on both sides inside the container body 10 by the pair of front retainers 45, the semiconductor wafer 1 is not removed from the container body 10 even if the lid 40 is removed. There is a great expectation that there is a possibility of being caught by frictional resistance in the middle of the 10 inclined surfaces and being displaced and hindering the removal or damage. Furthermore, since the locking mechanism 60 is attached to the vicinity of the front peripheral portion 13 of the container body 10 instead of the lid 40, the lid 40 can be formed thin, the lid 40 can be easily washed and dried, and the semiconductor wafer 1 Contamination can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the plurality of positioning tools 12 are disposed on the bottom plate 11 of the container body 10. However, a bottom plate is attached to the bottom plate 11 of the container body 10, and the plurality of positioning tools 12 are disposed on the bottom plate. May be. Further, the facing surface 23 of the upper restricting plate 21 is notched by being inclined in the thickness direction of the upper restricting plate 21, or by being bent, etc., thereby reducing the contact area of the semiconductor wafer 1 with the upper restricting plate 21. It is also possible to prevent contamination.

  Further, the rear support block 24 may be mounted not on the lower part of the inner surface of the back wall 25 of the container body 10 but on the center of the inner surface of the back wall 25 or the like. In this case, the rear support block 24 is shaped according to the lower support block 16, the opposing surface of the rear support block 24 facing the semiconductor wafer 1 is curved along the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1, and the rear support block 24 A support groove that supports the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer 1 may be formed on the facing surface. Alternatively, the positioning pin 32 of the semiconductor processing apparatus 30 may be moved up and down to incline the container body 10 in the left-right direction at a predetermined angle θ.

  In addition, the upper or lower portion of the peripheral edge 2 of the semiconductor wafer 1 can be elastically held by one front retainer 45 instead of the pair of front retainers 45. The holding portion 48 of the front retainer 45 can be increased or decreased as necessary. The holding groove 49 of the front retainer 45 can be formed to have a substantially U-shaped cross section or a substantially Y-shaped cross section.

  Further, the locking mechanism 60 is supported by the lid body 40 and is rotated from the outside, and a plurality of advancing and retracting bodies connected to the rotary body and advanced and retracted in the inner and outer directions of the lid body 40 with the rotation. An engaging claw provided on each forward / backward moving body and penetrating through the peripheral wall of the lid 40 and engaging with the front peripheral edge 13 of the container main body 10 can be used.

  The locking mechanism 60 is composed of a rotating body and an advance / retreat bar that is connected to the rotating body and moves forward and backward in the direction of the lid 40 along with the rotation. The locking mechanism 60 is built in the lid 40 so as to be operable from the outside. It is also possible to constitute a structure in which an engaging claw is engaged in the front peripheral edge portion 13 of the container body 10 using a latch mechanism or a rack and a pinion. Further, the locking mechanism 60 is detachably attached to the clamp part of the container body 10 rotatably supported by the plurality of clamp parts protruding from the outer periphery of the front peripheral part 13 of the container body 10 and the peripheral wall of the lid body 40. It is also possible to comprise from the clamp piece engaged with.

1 Semiconductor wafer (substrate)
2 peripheral edge 10 container main body 11 bottom plate 13 front peripheral edge 14 groove hole 16 lower support block 17 front 18 rear 20 support groove 21 upper restriction plate 22 top plate 23 facing surface 24 rear support block 25 rear wall 26 guide support groove 30 semiconductor Processing device 31 Table 40 Lid 41 Housing 43 Engaging projection 44 Opposing surface 45 Front retainer 46 Projecting rib 47 Elastic piece 48 Holding part 49 Holding groove 50 Surface plate 60 Locking mechanism 61 Slide shaft 62 Engaging claw 63 Coil spring (spring member) )
70 Clamp hand 71 Clamp arm

Claims (4)

  A substrate storage container for storing a substrate in a container body, wherein the container body is formed into a front open box type with an open front, and a lower support block for vertically supporting the lower part of the peripheral edge of the substrate is provided below the inside of the container body An upper regulating plate is provided above the peripheral part of the substrate, with a gap therebetween, above the peripheral part of the container body, and a rear support that vertically supports the rear part of the peripheral part of the substrate at the rear part inside the container main body. A substrate storage container, wherein a block is provided, and the upper regulating plate supports the upper part of the peripheral edge of the substrate when the container body is inclined in the left-right direction.   2. The substrate storage container according to claim 1, further comprising a detachable lid that opens and closes the front of the container body, and an elastic front retainer that holds the peripheral edge of the substrate is provided on a surface of the lid facing the substrate.   Of the lower support block and the rear support block, at least a facing surface facing the substrate of the lower support block is bent along the peripheral edge of the substrate, and a support groove for supporting the peripheral edge of the substrate is formed on the facing surface of the lower support block. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is formed. A method for taking out a substrate from a container main body of the substrate storage container according to claim 1, 2, or 3 with a clamp hand,
The container body with the front opened is tilted in the left-right direction so that the upper regulating plate supports the upper part of the peripheral edge of the substrate. A clamp hand is inserted into the front of the container body opened to face the substrate. A method of taking out a substrate, comprising: bringing the clamp hand into contact with the substrate, lifting the clamp hand, removing the substrate from the lower support block, and then pulling out the clamp hand from the container body and retracting.

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