JP2012004199A - Substrate storage container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate storage container capable of safely supporting even a thin substrate that is likely to warp, preventing propagation of impact, etc. to the substrate, and enabling stable manufacturing and cost reduction.SOLUTION: A substrate storage container comprises a container body 1 for a semiconductor wafer and a support body 50 for the semiconductor wafer attached to the container body 1. A mounting projection 4 is formed on a top plate 8 and on a bottom plate 3 of the container body 1. A side part of a back wall 12 of the container body 1 is formed into a curved projection 13, and an engagement projection is formed on its surface. The support body 50 comprises: a front column 51 facing the inner front side of a side wall 22 of the container body 1; a rear column 54 facing the curved projection 13; an intermediate column positioned between the front column 51 and the rear column 54; and support pieces 62 for the semiconductor wafer arranged across these columns. A positioning interference piece 52 which interferes with the mounting projection 4 is formed on the front column 51, and a positioning engagement groove to be fitted to the engagement projection is formed on the rear column 54. Gaps 63 are defined between the plurality of support pieces 62, and each support piece 62 is divided into a front support piece 64 and a rear support piece 65.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate storage container used when a substrate made of a semiconductor wafer or the like is stored, stored, transported, transported, or the like.

  Although not shown, the conventional substrate storage container includes a container main body for storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a detachable lid that opens and closes the front of the container main body. A plurality of paired left and right support pieces for horizontally supporting the wafer are arranged in the vertical direction (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The semiconductor wafer is made of a silicon wafer having a diameter of 300 mm. In recent years, from the viewpoint of increasing the chip size and improving the productivity, the adoption of a silicon wafer having a diameter of 450 mm that is easy to bend has begun to be studied. Moreover, the container main body is formed in the front open box by the material excellent in high rigidity, transparency, electroconductivity, etc. The pair of support pieces are arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction of the container main body, and each support piece is formed on an elongated rigid plate along the side edge of the semiconductor wafer.

  By the way, a plurality of support pieces are required to have not only the performance required for the container body but also wear resistance, heat resistance, etc. because of the contact support of the semiconductor wafer. It is necessary to be formed of a material having In view of this point, the conventional container body and the plurality of support pieces are often formed by a predetermined method using a molding material that exhibits different performance.

  As a method in this case, (1) a method in which a plurality of previously formed support pieces are inserted into a mold at the time of molding a container body, and the container body and the plurality of support pieces are integrated; For example, a plurality of support pieces are separately molded, and the support pieces are later combined with a complicated mounting structure formed on the container body.

  However, in the case of the method (1), although the container body and the plurality of support pieces can be integrally formed, the molding material for the container body and the molding material for the support piece are melted and joined at the time of molding. As a result, a great problem arises that the molding material to be selected is restricted. In the case of the method (2), a plurality of support pieces can be mounted on both sides of the container body, and the molding material to be selected is not restricted. This may cause problems in dimensioning with the support piece and maintaining dimensional accuracy.

JP 2003-68839 A WO2009 / 157321

  The conventional substrate storage container is configured as described above, and the support piece is simply formed on an elongated rigid plate. Therefore, when storing a thin, flexible φ450 mm silicon wafer, the semiconductor wafer can be safely supported. There is a problem that it is difficult to do. In addition, the conventional substrate storage container is such that the container main body and the rigid support piece are simply formed integrally, or the rigid support pieces are simply retrofitted on both sides of the container main body. There is a problem that shock and vibration are easily propagated to the wafer, and the semiconductor wafer is easily damaged or broken.

  Furthermore, it is not easy to mold the mounting structure for the support piece on the container body at the time of molding the container body. If the mounting structure is to be molded, the molding of the container body becomes unstable or the mold structure is There is a risk that it becomes very complicated and the manufacturing cost increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and can safely support a thin and flexible substrate, prevents the shock and vibration from propagating from the container body to the substrate during transportation and the like, and stabilizes the manufacture of the container body. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate storage container capable of reducing the manufacturing cost and manufacturing cost.

In the present invention, in order to solve the above problems, a container main body for storing the substrate, and a support body that is attached to the inner side of the container main body and supports the substrate,
The container body is configured as a front open box whose front is open, and the top plate and the bottom plate are each provided with mounting projections for the support,
The support body is a front strut that faces the front side of the inner wall of the container body, a rear strut that is attached to face the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the container body, an intermediate strut positioned between the front strut and the rear strut, A support piece that is installed between the front support, the rear support, and the intermediate support and supports the substrate substantially horizontally. Positioning interference pieces that interfere with the mounting protrusions of the container body are provided on the upper and lower portions of the front support. A plurality of support pieces are arranged in the vertical direction of the front support column, the rear support column, and the intermediate support column, and a space is defined between the adjacent support pieces and the support pieces. It is characterized by being divided into a front support piece laid between the intermediate post and the rear support piece laid between the rear post and the intermediate post.

The lid includes a detachable lid that opens and closes the opened front of the container body. The lid can be provided with a locking mechanism and an elastic retainer that holds the front periphery of the substrate.
In addition, a protrusion is formed by indenting the back wall side portion of the container body inward, and a fitting protrusion for the support is formed on the surface thereof, and the rear column of the support is attached to the back wall of the container body. A positioning fitting groove that fits into the fitting protrusion of the protruding portion can be formed in the rear column so as to face the protruding portion.

  In addition, an air supply valve for supplying gas to the inside from the outside of the container main body and an exhaust valve for exhausting gas from the inside of the container main body to the outside are respectively attached to the bottom plate of the container main body, and the air supply valve is attached to the rear surface of the container main body. The surrounding piece which rectifies | straightens the gas of an air supply valve can be provided in the rear support piece of a support body located between a wall and a side wall, and a support body toward the side wall direction of a container main body.

Further, it is possible to provide an outlet for allowing the gas of the air supply valve to flow out in the direction of the substrate between the rear column of the support, the rear support piece, or between the rear column and the rear support piece.
In addition, a fitting piece for the support is formed on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body so as to face the front of the container body, and a protrusion that contacts the surface of the protrusion is formed on the rear column of the support to support the rear part. The piece can form a fitting block that fits into the fitting piece of the container body.

Also, on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body, rail ribs for positioning the support in the front-rear direction are formed, and the height is gradually lowered from the front surface of the container body toward the rear wall direction. It is possible to form a retaining stopper for the support that interferes with the front strut of the support, and to hold the front strut of the support between the retaining stopper and the rail rib.

  In addition, opposing portions of the protruding surface of the container body and the rear column of the support are formed on a flat surface, and a fitting protrusion is formed on the flat surface of the protruding portion and extends in the vertical direction. The positioning fitting groove of the support body is formed on the flat surface of the rear column and is fitted to the positioning rib of the protrusion, and intersects with this positioning groove. It is also possible to form a crossing groove that is formed in such a manner as to fit into the crossing rib of the protrusion.

In addition, the front surface of the rear support column of the support is tilted in the width direction of the container body, and a holding groove for holding the rear periphery of the substrate is formed on the front surface, thereby forming a regulation surface for regulating the storage position of the substrate. Also good.
Further, a contact ridge that supports the side edge of the substrate substantially horizontally is formed on the front support piece of the support, and a step ridge that restricts the protrusion of the substrate forward is provided in front of the contact ridge. The contact ridges may be formed in the rear support piece so as to be positioned in front of the restricting surface of the rear column and to support the side edge of the substrate substantially horizontally.

Furthermore, a container body that stores the substrate, and a support body that is attached to the inner side of the container body and supports the substrate,
The container body is configured as a front open box with an open front, and rail ribs that position the support in the front-rear direction are formed on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body so that the height is directed from the front of the container body toward the rear wall. Accordingly, it is gradually lowered, and a stopper for the support is formed on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body.
The support body includes a front column that faces the front side of the inner wall of the container body and is held between the rail rib and the stopper, a rear column that is mounted to face the inner wall of the container body, and these front column and rear unit. An intermediate strut positioned between the support struts, the front struts, the rear struts, and a support piece that is laid between the intermediate struts and supports the substrate substantially horizontally. The support pieces are front struts and rear struts. And a plurality of upper and lower intermediate struts arranged in the vertical direction, and a space is defined between the adjacent support pieces, and each support piece is erected between the front strut and the intermediate strut. You may divide | segment into a support piece and the rear part support piece constructed between the back part support | pillar and the intermediate support | pillar.

  Here, the substrate in the claims includes at least a φ300 mm or φ450 mm semiconductor wafer, a mask glass, a liquid crystal substrate, and the like. The container body may be transparent, opaque, or translucent. The peripheral wall of the container body includes at least a side wall and a back wall. A retainer capable of holding the rear periphery of the substrate can be provided on the back wall of the container body. Furthermore, a notch that interferes with the stopper of the container body can be formed in the front support column of the support.

  According to the present invention, when a separate support is built in and attached to the container main body, the rear column of the support is fixed to the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the container main body, for example, the rear wall or the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body. If the front side of the support body is bent on the inner surface of the side wall of the main body and the positioning interference piece of the front column is interference-supported by the mounting projection, the support body can be attached to the container main body.

  Since a gap is formed between a plurality of support pieces of the support body, and each support piece is divided and divided into a front support piece and a rear support piece, so that the elasticity of the support body is improved as a whole, Even if the substrate is thin and easily bent, the substrate can be safely supported. In addition, even if an impact or vibration is applied to the container body during transportation of the substrate storage container, the support absorbs and reduces the impact and vibration, so that the impact and vibration are prevented from propagating from the container body to the substrate. be able to. In addition, since the support protrusions for the support are simple in structure, the support structure for the support piece can be easily formed integrally with the container body when the container body is formed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to safely support a thin and flexible substrate, and it is possible to prevent the impact and vibration from propagating from the container body to the substrate during transportation, and to stabilize the production of the container body and reduce the production cost. There is an effect that reduction can be achieved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the protrusion and the fitting protrusion are formed together on the back wall of the container main body, it is necessary to provide a mounting structure for the rear column of the support on the inner surface of the side wall of the container main body. There is no.
Moreover, according to the invention of Claim 3, the gas in a container main body and external gas can be efficiently substituted in a short time.

According to the invention described in claim 4, since the outlet of the support improves the gas flowability, the gas supplied from the air supply valve into the container main body is near the rear support column and the rear support piece. Can be prevented from staying in the area.
Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, it is possible to position the front support column of the support body with high accuracy and firmly fix it.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a support body, a support piece thereof, and a support piece can be obtained by fitting the positioning rib and the crossing rib of the fitting protrusion with the positioning groove and the crossing groove of the positioning fitting groove. It becomes possible to position the substrate supported by the substrate with high accuracy.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, it is possible to prevent excessive insertion and storage of the substrate with respect to the container body.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the side edge of the substrate can be contacted and supported only by the contact ridge, the contact area of the front support piece and the rear support piece with respect to the substrate can be reduced and contact can be made. It can be expected to prevent the generation of wear and dust. Furthermore, the stepped protruding portion of the front support piece can prevent the substrate from jumping out from the front of the container body.

It is a whole perspective explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the back of the lid in the embodiment of the substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a partial perspective explanatory view showing typically a part of a container main part in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a fragmentary perspective explanatory view showing typically a part of a container main part and a support in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a fragmentary perspective explanatory view showing typically the attachment structure of the support to the container main part in the embodiment of the substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a cross-sectional top view which shows typically the container main body and support body in embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically a fitting projection in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the support in the embodiment of the substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a perspective explanatory view showing typically the outer surface side of a support in an embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the positioning fitting groove | channel in embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional top view which shows typically the curve protrusion of the container main body in the embodiment of the substrate storage container which concerns on this invention, and the rear part of a support body. It is a section top view showing typically a 2nd embodiment of a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is a partial section top view showing typically a 3rd 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 11, a substrate storage container in the present embodiment includes a container body 1 for storing semiconductor wafers as a plurality of substrates, and A lid 30 fitted in a sealed state on the front surface 2 of the container body 1 and a pair of left and right supports 50 disposed on both sides of the container body 1 to support a plurality of semiconductor wafers. The container body 1 and the pair of supports 50 are separately molded so that each support 50 has an elastic structure as a whole.

  Although not shown, each semiconductor wafer is made of, for example, a silicon wafer of φ300 mm or φ450 mm, and is horizontally inserted into the container body 1 by a dedicated robot (not shown) or taken out from the container body 1 in a horizontal state.

  The container main body 1 and the lid body 30 are each formed by injection molding using a molding material containing a predetermined resin or a combination of a plurality of molded parts. Examples of the predetermined resin of the molding material include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyetherimide, polyether ketone, polybutylene terephthalate, polyether ether ketone, and liquid crystal polymer, and alloys thereof.

  Conductive agents such as carbon black, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, metal fibers, metal oxides, and conductive polymers, and various antistatic agents such as anions, cations, and nonionics are selectively added to these molding material resins. Is done. It is also possible to add benzotriazole-based, salicylate-based, cyanoacrylate-based, oxalic acid anilide-based, hindered amine-based UV absorbers, or glass fibers or carbon fibers that improve rigidity.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 6, the container body 1 is formed into a front open box type in which the front surface 2 is opened horizontally, and the container body 1 is formed on both sides of the front portion and the center of the rear portion of the bottom plate 3. Positioning tools for positioning 1 are respectively disposed, mounted on a lid opening / closing device attached to the semiconductor processing apparatus via the positioning tool in a state in which the opened front surface 2 is oriented in the horizontal and horizontal direction, or a washing tank It is cleaned with a cleaning solution.

  On the both sides of the front part of the inner surface of the bottom plate 3 of the container main body 1, mounting protrusions 4 for the support body 50 adjacent to the side wall 22 that is the peripheral wall of the container main body 1 are erected. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, each mounting projection 4 includes a pair of rib plates 5 arranged in the horizontal direction, and a narrow gap 6 for clamping is defined between the pair of rib plates 5. Each rib plate 5 is formed in a horizontally long rectangle. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a flat separate bottom plate 7 is horizontally screwed on the outer surface of the bottom plate 3 via a screw tool, and a plurality of positioning tools are respectively exposed downward from the bottom plate 7. .

  Although not shown in the drawing, the mounting projections 4 for the support 50 adjacent to the side wall 22 of the container main body 1 are provided on both sides of the front surface of the top plate 8 of the container main body 1. It faces the mounting protrusion 4. Each mounting projection 4 includes a pair of rib plates 5 arranged in the horizontal direction, and a narrow gap 6 for clamping is defined between the pair of rib plates 5 so that each rib plate 5 has a horizontally long rectangle. It is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a transport top flange 9 is detachably mounted at a substantially central portion of the outer surface of the top plate 8, and this top flange 9 is gripped by a ceiling transport mechanism in a factory.

  A rim flange 10 that protrudes outward is bulged and formed on the peripheral edge of the front surface 2 of the container body 1 via a holding rib, and a detachable lid 30 is press-fitted into the rim flange 10 by a lid opening / closing device. Mated. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, locking holes 11 for the lid 30 are formed on both upper and lower sides of the inner peripheral surface of the rim flange 10, in other words, on both upper and lower sides of the inner peripheral surface of the front surface 2 of the container body 1. Are perforated.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6, both side portions of the back wall 12 that is the peripheral wall of the container body 1 are recessed in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape inward of the container body 1 from the viewpoint of securing rigidity, thereby supporting the support 50. The curved protrusions 13 having a substantially U-shaped cross section opposed to the rear part are formed, and the opposed parts facing the rear part of the support 50 on the surface of each curved projection part 13 are formed on the vertically long flat surface 14. 14 is formed with a fitting projection 15 for the support 50.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 7, the fitting protrusion 15 is formed on the flat surface 14 of the curved protrusion 13 so as to extend in the vertical direction of the container body 1, and the positioning rib 16. Short cross ribs 17 integrally formed perpendicularly to the substantially central portion of the support member 50 and function to position the support body 50 in the XZ direction. The positioning ribs 16 and the intersecting ribs 17 that define the crosses are inclined at the side surfaces 18 from the viewpoint of improving the fitting accuracy with the support body 50 and gradually taper toward the front of the container body 1.

  A pair of left and right rear retainers 19 capable of holding the rear periphery of the semiconductor wafer are disposed as necessary near the center of the inner surface of the back wall 12 of the container body 1 as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6. . The rear retainer 19 includes an elongated vertical rear bar 20 provided on the inner surface of the back wall 12 of the container body 1.

  The rear bar 20 is formed with a plurality of holding pins 21 arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. When each holding pin 21 is in a normal support state of the substrate storage container, the rear bar 20 is horizontally moved forward so as not to contact the semiconductor wafer. Protrusively. The holding pins 21 come into contact with the rear periphery of the semiconductor wafer when the substrate storage container is dropped or the like and is largely displaced, thereby restricting the positional deviation and preventing the semiconductor wafer from being damaged.

  As shown in FIG. 3, rail ribs 23 having a rectangular cross section extending horizontally in the front-rear direction of the container body 1 are integrally formed in the vicinity of the center of the inner surface of the both side walls 22 of the container body 1. It functions to support the front part of the body 50 and position it in the front-rear direction. The rail rib 23 is adjusted so that the front end portion 23a located on the front surface 2 side of the container body 1 is inclined and gradually becomes lower from the front surface 2 of the container body 1 toward the rear wall 12.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the tip end portion 23 a of the rail rib 23 protrudes at an acute angle so as to protrude from the side wall 22 of the container body 1 to the front surface 2 side. Such a rail rib 23 clamps the front part of the support body 50 between the retaining stoppers 24 described later.

  As shown in the figure, a plurality of retaining stoppers 24 positioned in front of the rail ribs 23 are formed at intervals in the vertical direction on the front surface of the inner surface of each side wall 22 of the container body 1. It is bent and formed into an elongated L-shaped section extending in the vertical direction. The retaining stopper 24 interferes with and supports the front portion of the support body 50, and sandwiches the front portion of the support body 50 between the protruding sharp end portion 23 a of the rail rib 23, thereby supporting the support body 50. Is prevented from jumping out from the front surface 2 of the container body 1 or being displaced in the YZ direction.

  A grip portion provided with a handle is detachably attached to a substantially central portion of the outer surface of each side wall 22 of the container body 1. In addition to being gripped, this grip portion functions to reinforce the container body 1 and prevent deformation.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid 30 has a hollow lid body 31 that is press-fitted into the rim flange 10 of the container body 1 and a surface that covers the front surface of the lid body 31 that is open. A plate 40, a locking mechanism 42 interposed between the lid body 31 and the surface plate 40, and a sealing gasket 45 for sealing and sealing interposed between the rim flange 10 of the container body 1 and the lid body 31. It is configured with.

  The lid body 31 is basically formed in a substantially dish-shaped cross section with a shallow bottom, and a plurality of reinforcing and mounting ribs are disposed inside, and on the back surface, which is the facing surface facing the semiconductor wafer, A front retainer 32 that elastically holds the front edge of the semiconductor wafer is mounted.

  The front retainer 32 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of left and right columns 33 fixed to both sides of the back surface of the lid body 31, and the center of the back surface of the lid body 31 from each column 33. A plurality of first elastic pieces 34 that are bent and extended in line with each other, a pair of left and right intermediate struts 35 connected to the tip portions of the plurality of first elastic pieces 34, and a pair of intermediate struts 35 And a plurality of second elastic pieces 36 that are horizontally installed and connected to each other.

  In the front retainer 32, a pair of support columns 33 overlaps a part of the locking mechanism 42, and the front peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer is formed in a substantially V-shaped cross section or a substantially Y shape on each of the first and second elastic pieces 34 and 36. The first and second holding blocks 37 and 38 that are held by the letter-shaped holding grooves are integrally formed, and the intermediate struts 35 are fixed to the back surface of the lid body 31 so that the first and second elastic pieces 34. 36 is divided and the bending of the second elastic piece 36 is restricted.

  A frame-shaped fitting groove is formed in the rear peripheral edge of the lid body 31, and the seal gasket 45 is tightly fitted in the fitting groove. In addition, on both the upper and lower sides of the peripheral wall of the lid main body 31, the intrusion holes 39 for the locking mechanism 42 facing the locking holes 11 of the container main body 1 are respectively drilled.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the surface plate 40 is formed in a horizontally long front rectangle corresponding to the open front of the lid body 31, and operation holes 41 for the locking mechanism 42 are formed in both side portions, respectively. The hole 41 is penetrated by the operation key of the lid opening / closing device.

  The locking mechanism 42 is operated by an operation key of a lid opening / closing device that is rotatably supported on both sides in the lid main body 31 and penetrates the operation hole 41 of the surface plate 40, as partially shown in FIG. A pair of left and right rotation plates 43, a plurality of slide plates 44 that slide in the vertical direction in the lid body 31 as each rotation plate 43 rotates, and an exit hole 39 in the lid body 31 as each slide plate 44 slides. A plurality of swingable locking claws that appear and disappear are configured.

  In the locking mechanism 42, a plurality of slide plates 44 indirectly face the support pillars 33 and the first elastic pieces 34 of the front retainer 32 via the lid body 31, and each locking claw has a distal end portion of the slide plate 44 and the lid body 31. Are pivotally supported by the lug hole 39.

  In such a locking mechanism 42, after the lid 30 is fitted to the rim flange 10 of the container body 1, each rotation plate 43 is operated to slide the slide plate 44 in the direction of the peripheral wall of the lid body 31. When the nail protrudes from the intrusion hole 39 and fits and locks into the locking hole 11 of the container body 1, the lid body 30 is firmly locked to prevent dropping.

  The seal gasket 45 has a frame shape that can be elastically deformed by using, as a molding material, fluorine rubber, silicone rubber, various thermoplastic elastomers (for example, olefin-based, polyester-based, polystyrene-based, etc.) that are excellent in heat resistance and weather resistance, for example. When the lid body 30 is molded and fitted into the rim flange 10 of the container body 1, it comes into pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the rim flange 10.

  Each support 50 contains polyacetal, polyethylene, polybutylene terephthalate, polyether ether ketone, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene naphthalate, polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, and a thermoplastic resin to which a sliding agent is added. Molded with molding material.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, 8, 9, and the like, each support 50 is in contact with the front surface of the inner surface of the side wall 22 of the container body 1 so as to face the front end 23 a of the rail rib 23 and the plurality of retaining stoppers 24. Is positioned between the front column 51 sandwiched between the front column 51, the rear column 54 facing the curved protrusion 13 of the container body 1, and the front column 51 and the rear column 54. Intermediate struts 61 that are in contact with each other, and a plurality of support pieces 62 that are horizontally installed between the front struts 51, the rear struts 54, and the intermediate struts 61 and support the rear side edge of the semiconductor wafer substantially horizontally. It is prepared for.

  Positioning interference pieces 52 that interfere with the mounting projections 4 of the container body 1 are formed on the upper and lower ends of the front support column 51 of the support 50 so that each positioning interference piece 52 extends in the front-rear direction of the container body 1. The positioning interference piece 52 is sandwiched in the gap 6 between the pair of rib plates 5 of the mounting projection 4 so that the distance between the side wall 22 of the container body 1 and the front column 51 is increased. While being regulated, the front column 51 is positioned and fixed.

  A longitudinal notch 53 is vertically arranged on the front end surface of the front support column 51, and the stopper 50 of the container body 1 is fitted to each notch 53. And rattling are prevented.

  The rear column 54 is oriented in the vertical direction of the container body 1 in the same manner as the front column 51 and the intermediate column 61, and the front surface thereof is formed on the regulation surface 55, and the positioning fitting groove 58 is formed on the rear surface. The positioning fitting groove 58 is tightly fitted to the fitting protrusion 15 of the curved protrusion 13. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, 8, and 11, the regulation surface 55 of the rear column 54 is inclined such that the front surface of the rear column 54 is inclined in the left-right width direction of the container body 1, V-grooves 56 that hold the periphery are formed by being cut out in the vertical direction and function to regulate the insertion position of the semiconductor wafer with respect to the container body 1.

  A rear surface of the rear column 54 facing the flat surface 14 of the curved protrusion 13 is formed as a vertically long flat surface 57, and a positioning fitting groove 58 is formed integrally with the flat surface 57. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 to 11, the positioning fitting groove 58 is formed in an elongated positioning groove 59 that is recessed in the vertical direction of the flat surface 57 and closely fits to the positioning rib 16 of the curved protrusion 13. The positioning groove 59 is formed so as to be orthogonal to the substantially central portion of the positioning groove 59 and includes a short crossing groove 60 that fits closely to the crossing rib 17 of the curved protrusion 13. The inner surfaces of the positioning grooves 59 and the intersecting grooves 60 that define the crosses are formed to be inclined in the same manner as the fitting protrusions 15 of the curved protrusions 13 from the viewpoint of improving the fitting accuracy.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, 8, and 9, the plurality of support pieces 62 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction of the front column 51, the rear column 54, and the intermediate column 61. A gap 63 is defined between the adjacent support piece 62 and the support piece 62, and the gap 63 absorbs / relaxes shock and vibration on the semiconductor wafer.

  Each support piece 62 is horizontally curved and installed between the front support column 51 and the intermediate support column 61 and is bent horizontally between the front support column 64 and the rear support column 54 and the intermediate support column 61. The front support piece 64 and the rear support piece 65 that are divided in front and rear are divided into the front support piece 65 and the rear support piece 65 that are arranged in the front and rear. By attaching elasticity to the support piece 64 and the rear support piece 65, the attachment work of the support body 50 is facilitated. In particular, the operation of sandwiching the front column 51 of the support 50 between the front end 23a of the rail rib 23 and the plurality of retaining stoppers 24 is facilitated.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, each front support piece 64 is basically formed in an elongated flat plate piece, and is a flat contact that supports the side periphery of the semiconductor wafer substantially horizontally on the front surface. A raised portion 67 is formed, and in front of the contact raised portion 67, a step raised portion 68 that is in contact with the front side peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer and restricts the forward protrusion is higher than the contact raised portion 67. It is formed.

  The plurality of rear support pieces 65 are opposed to the inner surface of the side wall 22 of the container body 1 through a gap, and a vertically long surrounding piece 69 that contacts the inner surface of the side wall 22 of the container body 1 is integrally formed on the opposed outer surface side. (See FIGS. 6, 9, and 11). Each rear support piece 65 is basically formed in an elongated flat plate piece, and a contact ridge 70 located in front of the regulation surface 55 of the rear column 54 is formed flat on the rear surface. A contact ridge 70 supports the side edge of the semiconductor wafer substantially horizontally.

  Thus, only the contact ridges 67 and 70 of the front support piece 64 and the rear support piece 65 contact and support the side periphery of the semiconductor wafer, so that the front support piece 64 and the rear support piece 65 are in contact with the semiconductor wafer. Can be greatly reduced, and the generation of particles can be suppressed.

  In the above configuration, when mounting the separate support body 50 in the molded container body 1, first, the positioning fitting grooves 58 of the support body 50 are fitted into the fitting protrusions 15 of the curved protrusions 13. In combination, the surrounding piece 69 of the support 50 is brought into contact with the inner surface of each side wall 22 of the container body 1 so as to be brought into contact therewith. At this time, although the fitting protrusion 15 and the positioning fitting groove 58 are fitted to some extent, they are not completely tightly fitted, and the flat surface 14 of the curved protrusion 13 and the flat surface 57 of the rear column 54 do not contact each other. It will be in a non-contact state (refer FIG. 11).

  When the surrounding piece 69 of the support body 50 is brought into contact with the side wall 22 of the container body 1, the front side of each support body 50 is bent toward the inner surface of the side wall 22 of the container body 1, and the front column 51 is connected to the tip of the rail rib 23. The portion 23 a and the plurality of retaining stoppers 24 are tightly clamped, and the retaining stoppers 24 are fitted to the plurality of notches 53 of the front column 51 so as to interfere with each other. The support 50 is positioned and fixed in the XYZ directions by sandwiching the positioning interference piece 52 of the front column 51. At this time, the rail rib 23 appropriately regulates the distance from the support body 50.

  Next, the semiconductor wafer is horizontally supported by the support pieces 62 of the pair of left and right support bodies 50, and the lid body 30 is press-fitted into the rim flange 10 of the container body 1 so as to be fitted to the front peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer. The first and second holding blocks 37 and 38 of the front retainer 32 are pressed and held to push the semiconductor wafer in the rear part direction of the support body 50 and to the rear peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer on the inclined regulating surface 55 of the rear column 54. The positioning of the semiconductor wafer is brought into contact with the stepped ridge 68 of the front support piece 64.

  Then, the fitting protrusion 15 of the curved protrusion 13 and the positioning fitting groove 58 of the support 50 are completely tightly fitted, and the flat surface 14 of the curved protrusion 13 and the flat surface 57 of the rear column 54 are pressed without a gap. Then, since the support body 50 is positioned and fixed in the XZ direction, the support body 50 can be built into the container body 1 and firmly attached. By moving the semiconductor wafer in the rear direction of the support 50, the fitting protrusion 15 and the positioning fitting groove 58 are completely tightly fitted. It is possible to effectively prevent the 15 from being deformed or damaged.

  According to the above configuration, the gap 63 is defined between the plurality of support pieces 62 of the support 50, and the gap 66 is formed between the front support piece 64 and the rear support piece 65 of each support piece 62. Since 65 is divided and the elasticity of the support body 50 is remarkably improved to form an elastic structure as a whole, the semiconductor wafer can be safely supported even when the semiconductor wafer is a thin silicon wafer having a diameter of 450 mm that is easily bent.

  Further, even if an impact or vibration is applied to the container main body 1 when the substrate storage container is transported or dropped, the impact or vibration is absorbed or mitigated by the support 50, so that the impact or vibration is applied from the container main body 1 to the semiconductor wafer. Propagation can be greatly suppressed. Therefore, the prevention and damage of the semiconductor wafer can be greatly expected. Further, since the holding pin 21 of the rear bar 20 regulates the position of the semiconductor wafer in an emergency, it is possible to effectively prevent the semiconductor wafer from being detached from the holding groove of the front retainer 32.

  Further, since the mounting protrusion 4, the fitting protrusion 15, the rail rib 23, and the retaining stopper 24 for the support body 50 have a relatively simple structure, the mounting structure for the support piece 62 is provided on the container body 1 when the container body 1 is molded. It becomes possible to form a single piece easily. Therefore, the container body 1 can be stably molded, and the structure of the mold can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced. Further, by dividing each support piece 62 into a front support piece 64 and a rear support piece 65, warping and deformation during molding can be prevented, so that stress can be relieved and the support 50 can be made with high accuracy. It becomes possible to mold.

  Furthermore, since both side portions of the back wall 12 of the container body 1 are recessed inward to form the curved protrusion 13 having a substantially U-shaped cross section, the rigidity of the support 50 mounting portion against the holding force of the semiconductor wafer is improved. Deformation can be prevented. Furthermore, since the flat surface 14 of the curved protrusion 13 and the flat surface 57 of the rear column 54 are brought into contact with each other to prevent an excessive close fit between the fitting protrusion 15 and the positioning fitting groove 58, the fitting protrusion 15 Therefore, it is highly possible to prevent damage due to excessive close fitting of the positioning fitting groove 58.

  Next, FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this case, a pair of right and left air supply valves 80 and an exhaust valve 81 for gas replacement are respectively provided on the bottom plate 3 of the container body 1. The air supply valve 80 is mounted and positioned in the space 82 surrounded by the curved protrusion 13 and the side wall 22 of the container body 1 and the surrounding piece 69 of the support body 50, and the air supply is performed by the surrounding piece 69 of the support body 50. The gas in the valve 80 is controlled and rectified.

  The pair of air supply valves 80 are respectively mounted on both sides of the rear portion of the bottom plate 3 of the container body 1 and function to supply various inert gases (see arrows in FIG. 12) from the outside to the inside of the container body 1. The pair of exhaust valves 81 are mounted on both sides of the front portion of the bottom plate 3 of the container main body 1 and exhaust air (see the arrow in FIG. 12) from the inside of the container main body 1 to the outside.

  Each support 50 is formed with an outlet 83 for allowing the inert gas of the air supply valve 80 to flow in the direction of the semiconductor wafer between the rear column 54 and the plurality of rear support pieces 65, and the rear part adjacent in the vertical direction. A gap 63 between the support piece 65 and the rear support piece 65 forms an inert gas ventilation port, and the outflow port 83 and the ventilation port smoothly circulate the inert gas and prevent its retention. The outflow port 83 is formed, for example, by notching a groove in at least one of the front and back surfaces of the rear support piece 65.

  In the above configuration, when each air supply valve 80 supplies an inert gas to the inside of the container main body 1, the inert gas indicated by the arrow flows from the space 82 of the container main body 1 to the surrounding piece 69 while being guided to the surrounding piece 69. It flows in and fills in the direction of the semiconductor wafer via the outlet 83 and the vent, and contacts each semiconductor wafer to prevent its oxidation. When the inert gas fills the container body 1 in this way, the air filled in the container body 1 flows out in the direction of the exhaust valve 81 in a short time and efficiently exhausts from the exhaust valve 81 to the outside of the container body 1. Is done. The other parts are substantially the same as those in the above embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  Also in this embodiment, the same effect as the above embodiment can be expected, and the inert gas is prevented from staying in the semiconductor wafer by the outflow port 83 and the ventilation port, so that the inert gas is effective in the container body 1. It is obvious that the semiconductor wafer can be effectively filled to effectively prevent the oxidation of the semiconductor wafer.

  Next, FIG. 13 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the fitting pieces 84 for the support body 50 are respectively placed on the rear side of the both side walls 22 of the container body 1. The front end of the support body 50 is spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the side wall 22 of the container body 1, and the flat surface 57 of the rear column 54 of each support 50 is formed on the flat surface 14 of the curved protrusion 13. The projecting piece 85 that contacts is extended and formed on the outer surface side of the plurality of rear support pieces 65, and a fitting block 86 that fits the tip of the fitting piece 84 of the container body 1 is formed. 15, the positioning fitting groove 58 and the surrounding piece 69 are omitted.

The surface of the curved protrusion 13 may be the flat surface 14 facing the flat surface 57 of the rear column 54, or may be a concave surface for positioning that is fitted into the protrusion 85 of the rear column 54. The other parts are substantially the same as those in the above embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.
Also in this embodiment, the same effect as the above embodiment can be expected, and even when the fitting protrusion 15 cannot be formed on the flat surface 14 of the curved protrusion 13, the support 50 is easily mounted. Obviously you can.

  In the above embodiment, the rear retainer 19 is disposed on the rear wall 12 of the container body 1. However, the rear retainer 19 may be integrally formed on the inner surface of the rear wall 12 of the container body 1, or the inner surface of the rear wall 12 of the container body 1. Alternatively, a separate rear retainer 19 may be retrofitted. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the plate-shaped positioning interference pieces 52 are formed to protrude at both the upper and lower end portions of the front support column 51. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the positioning interference pieces 52 such as a columnar shape protrude. It may be formed.

  When the positioning interference piece 52 of the front column 51 is cylindrical, the insertion side of the gap 6 between the pair of rib plates 5 is formed narrower than the cylindrical positioning interference piece 52, and the columnar A substantially arc-shaped groove capable of holding the positioning interference piece 52 or a split pin-shaped rib opposed to the V-groove can be provided.

  The support piece 62 may be completely divided into a front support piece 64 and a rear support piece 65. However, if elasticity can be imparted to these, the front support piece 64 and the rear support piece 65 are provided. You may connect with the thin filament part etc. between the both ends which oppose. Furthermore, an outlet 83 for allowing the inert gas of the air supply valve 80 to flow out into the container body 1 may be formed at the rear portion of each support 50 and the rear support piece 65. Although this outflow port 83 is not specifically limited, For example, it can also form by drilling of a required number of through-holes, or the process of a groove | channel.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container body 2 Front 3 Bottom plate 4 Mounting protrusion 5 Rib plate 6 Gap 8 Top plate 10 Rim flange 12 Back wall (peripheral wall)
13 Curved protrusion (protrusion)
14 Flat surface 15 Fitting protrusion 16 Positioning rib 17 Crossing rib 18 Side surface 19 Rear retainer 22 Side wall (peripheral wall)
23 Rail rib 24 Retaining stopper 30 Lid 32 Front retainer 42 Locking mechanism 50 Support 51 Front strut 52 Positioning interference piece 53 Notch 54 Rear strut 55 Restricting surface 56 V groove 57 Flat surface 58 Positioning fitting groove 59 Positioning groove 60 Crossing groove 61 Intermediate strut 62 Support piece 63 Cavity 64 Front support piece 65 Rear support piece 67 Contact raised portion 68 Step raised portion 69 Surrounding piece 70 Contact raised portion 80 Air supply valve 81 Exhaust valve 83 Outlet port 84 Fitting piece 85 Projection One piece 86 mating block

Claims (8)

A substrate storage container comprising a container main body for storing a substrate, and a support body that is attached to the inner side of the container main body and supports the substrate,
The container body is configured as a front open box whose front is open, and the top plate and the bottom plate are each provided with mounting projections for the support,
The support body is a front strut that faces the front side of the inner wall of the container body, a rear strut that is attached to face the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the container body, an intermediate strut positioned between the front strut and the rear strut, A support piece that is installed between the front support, the rear support, and the intermediate support and supports the substrate substantially horizontally. Positioning interference pieces that interfere with the mounting protrusions of the container body are provided on the upper and lower portions of the front support. A plurality of support pieces are arranged in the vertical direction of the front support column, the rear support column, and the intermediate support column, and a space is defined between the adjacent support pieces and the support pieces. A substrate storage container characterized by being divided into a front support piece laid between the intermediate post and the rear support piece and a rear support piece laid between the rear post and the intermediate post.   A protrusion is formed by indenting the back wall side portion of the container body inward, and a fitting protrusion for the support is formed on the surface thereof, and the rear column of the support is connected to the protrusion of the back wall of the container body. The substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein a positioning fitting groove that fits into the fitting protrusion of the protrusion is formed in the rear column.   An air supply valve that supplies gas from the outside of the container body to the inside and an exhaust valve that exhausts gas from the inside of the container body to the outside are attached to the bottom plate of the container body, and the air supply valve is attached to the back wall of the container body. The substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein an enclosure piece that is positioned between the side wall and the support and rectifies the gas of the air supply valve is provided on the rear support piece of the support toward the side wall of the container body. .   The substrate storage container according to claim 3, wherein an outlet for allowing the gas of the air supply valve to flow out toward the substrate is provided between the rear support column of the support, the rear support piece, or between the rear support column and the rear support piece.   Rail ribs for positioning the support body in the front-rear direction are formed on the inner surface of the side wall of the container body, and the height is gradually lowered from the front surface of the container body toward the rear wall direction. 5. The substrate according to claim 1, wherein a retaining stopper for the support that interferes with the front strut is formed, and the front strut of the supporting body is sandwiched between the retaining stopper and the rail rib. Storage container.   Opposite portions of the protrusion surface of the container body and the rear column of the support are formed on a flat surface, and a fitting protrusion is formed on the flat surface of the protrusion and extends in the vertical direction. Crossing ribs formed by intersecting, positioning positioning grooves of the support body, positioning grooves that are formed on the flat surface of the rear column and fit into the positioning ribs of the protrusions, and intersecting the positioning grooves The substrate storage container according to claim 2, wherein the substrate storage container is formed from an intersecting groove that is formed and fits into the intersecting rib of the protrusion.   The front surface of the rear support column of the support is inclined in the width direction of the container body, and a holding groove for holding the rear periphery of the substrate is formed on the front surface, thereby forming a regulation surface for regulating the storage position of the substrate. The substrate storage container according to any one of 6 to 6.   A contact ridge is formed on the front support piece of the support so as to support the side edge of the substrate substantially horizontally, and a step ridge that restricts the protrusion of the substrate to the front is adjacent to the front of the contact ridge. 8. The substrate storage container according to claim 7, wherein a contact bulge portion is formed on the rear support piece so as to be positioned in front of the restricting surface of the rear column and to support the side edge of the substrate substantially horizontally.

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