JP2014110377A - Cassette for wafer frame - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cassette for a wafer frame capable of transporting a large-diameter semiconductor wafer and a wafer frame with safety, and of contributing to improvement in assemblability and workability.SOLUTION: A cassette for a wafer frame comprises: a cassette 10 housing a wafer frame of a semiconductor wafer; and plurality of shelf boards 20 provided at both side parts of the cassette 10 so as to be opposed to each other, and that can support the wafer frame by shelf pieces 22. The cassette 10 is divided into a lower frame body 30 and an upper frame body 40. The lower frame body 30 is formed in a substantially U-shape in a vertical cross section, and in the vicinity of an upper end of both side parts 31 thereof, a plurality of first engaging pieces 32 are juxtaposed with a predetermined gap in a front and rear direction. The upper frame body 40 is formed in a substantially inverted U-shape in a vertical cross section, and in the vicinity of a lower end of both side parts 41 thereof, a plurality of second engaging pieces 42 are juxtaposed with a predetermined gap in a front and rear direction. When the lower frame body 30 and the upper frame body 40 are assembled, the second engaging piece 42 is engaged between the plurality of first engaging pieces 32, and a held flange 48 is held between the first and second engaging pieces 32 and 42.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wafer frame cassette used for storing, storing, transporting, etc., a wafer frame on which a semiconductor wafer is mounted.

  In recent years, semiconductor wafers have been made thinner and thinner, but if they are ground to a thickness of 100 μm or less in the back grinding process, they become thin and brittle, which causes various processing and handling problems. There is a case. In view of this point, the semiconductor wafer is mounted on a hollow wafer frame called a dicing frame and is subjected to various processing processes with increased strength. A cassette is used.

  A conventional wafer frame cassette is not shown, but a front open box cassette for storing a plurality of wafer frames on which large-diameter semiconductor wafers are mounted, and a pair of left and right shelf plates provided opposite to the left and right sides of the cassette. The wafer frame is horizontally supported by the pair of left and right shelf plates (see Patent Document 1). The cassette is configured in a front open box structure having a front opening by combining a number of plates and bars having excellent rigidity in the vertical and horizontal directions and screwing them together with a number of fasteners. Such a cassette stores a plurality of wafer frames side by side in a vertical direction at a predetermined pitch.

JP 2012-119437 A

  Conventional cassettes for wafer frames are configured as described above, and can store and transport large-diameter thin semiconductor wafers and wafer frames in an optimum state, but many cassettes and Since it is necessary to combine the bars vertically and horizontally, there is a possibility that it is not always possible to meet the demand for improved assemblability and workability.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is possible to safely transport a large-diameter semiconductor wafer or wafer frame, and to provide a wafer frame cassette capable of improving assembly and workability. It is aimed.

In the present invention, in order to solve the above-described problem, a cassette having a front open box structure for storing a wafer frame on which a semiconductor wafer can be mounted is provided opposite to both sides of the cassette. Including a plurality of shelf members that can be supported by
Divide the cassette into a lower frame and an upper frame that can be assembled and assembled,
The lower frame body is formed in a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section with a front opening, and a plurality of first engaging pieces for assembly are placed in the front-rear direction of the cassette in the vicinity of the free ends on both sides of the lower frame body. Set each side, project each first meshing piece outward of the cassette,
The upper frame is formed into a substantially inverted U-shaped longitudinal section with an opening in the front, and a plurality of second engaging pieces for assembly are placed in the front-rear direction of the cassette in the vicinity of the free ends on both sides of the upper frame. Are arranged side by side, and project each second engagement piece outward from the cassette,
When assembling the lower frame body and the upper frame body together, the second meshing piece of the upper frame body is fitted into the gap between the plurality of first meshing pieces of the lower frame body. A sandwiched member extending in the front-rear direction of the cassette is sandwiched between the meshing pieces.

In addition, including a pop-out prevention mechanism for restricting the front of the cassette of the wafer frame supported by the shelf pieces of the plurality of shelf members,
The pop-out prevention mechanism includes a slide member that is attached to a side portion of the cassette so as to be movable up and down, a restriction piece for a wafer frame that is provided on the slide member and is positioned in front of the shelf member, and a spring that elastically biases the slide member If the operation part is not operated, the restriction piece is positioned in front of the wafer frame supported by the shelf piece of the shelf member and operated. When the part is operated and the slide member is raised or lowered, the restricting piece located in front of the wafer frame can be moved upward or downward.

In addition, an opening is provided at least on the back, among the bottom, top, back, and both sides of the cassette, so that the wafer frame can be projected forward, and the lower and upper frames of the cassette are processed by sheet metal respectively. Can be configured.
The plurality of shelf members include a first shelf member positioned behind the inner side surface of the cassette and a second shelf member positioned in front of the inner side surface of the cassette. It is also possible to align the height of the shelf pieces, interpose the slide member of the pop-out prevention mechanism between the first and second shelf members, and position the regulating piece of the pop-out prevention mechanism in front of the first shelf member.

  Here, the semiconductor wafer in the claims includes a large-diameter type of at least φ300 mm or 450 mm. The number of semiconductor wafers and wafer frames can be increased or decreased as necessary. The wafer frame may be made of metal or resin. This wafer frame is housed in a cassette with or without a semiconductor wafer mounted thereon.

  An opening is partially provided in the upper part of the cassette, and a transparent, opaque and translucent protective plate covering the opening can be attached to the upper part of the cassette. A transfer flange can be attached to the top of the cassette. In addition, the vicinity of the side free ends of the lower frame and the upper frame includes at least the side free ends and the vicinity thereof. Furthermore, the pop-out prevention mechanism can be installed on one side or both sides of the cassette as necessary. Examples of the spring member of the pop-out prevention mechanism include a plurality of coil springs, plate springs, torsion springs, and the like.

  According to the present invention, when assembling the cassette of the wafer frame cassette, the lower frame body and the upper frame body are fitted together, and the second frame of the upper frame body is inserted into the gap between the plurality of first meshing pieces of the lower frame body. If a meshing piece is inserted and a clamped member is sandwiched and fixed between the plurality of first and second meshing pieces, a cassette having at least a front opening can be assembled.

  According to the present invention, even when a semiconductor wafer has a large diameter and is thin, the semiconductor wafer and the wafer frame can be safely stored and transported in an optimum state. Further, since the number of parts of the cassette is small, there is an effect that the assembling property and workability of the cassette can be improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the restricting piece of the pop-out prevention mechanism prevents the wafer frame from jumping forward of the cassette, the wafer frame is dropped from the cassette when the cassette is transported, etc. Damage can be prevented.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the opening of the back surface portion of the cassette enables the wafer frame to protrude forward of the cassette, it is not necessary to grasp and take out the wafer frame by a dedicated robot. In addition, since the lower frame body and the upper frame body are each processed by sheet metal processing, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated mold, and processing can be performed in combination with general-purpose molds or at low cost by laser processing or the like. In addition, since a dedicated mold can be omitted, it is possible to flexibly cope with a change in the design of the cassette.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since the shelf piece of the second shelf member guides the wafer frame in the front-rear direction of the cassette, it is expected that the wafer frame can be easily stored and taken out. Furthermore, part of the pop-out prevention mechanism can be sandwiched and held between the first and second shelf members, so that it is possible to effectively prevent positional deviation and backlash of the pop-out prevention mechanism.

It is a whole perspective view showing typically an embodiment of a cassette for wafer frames concerning the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is side explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is a plane explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a cassette for wafer frames concerning the present invention. It is bottom explanatory drawing which shows typically embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is bottom explanatory drawing which shows typically the lower frame body in embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the lower frame in embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is side surface explanatory drawing which shows typically the lower frame body in embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is a plane explanatory view showing typically the upper frame in the embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames concerning the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the upper frame in embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is side explanatory drawing which shows typically the upper frame in embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is a plane explanatory view showing typically a clamped flange in an embodiment of a cassette for wafer frames concerning the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the to-be-clamped flange in embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the protrusion prevention mechanism in embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention. It is side surface explanatory drawing which shows typically the protrusion prevention mechanism in embodiment of the cassette for wafer frames which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 15, a wafer frame cassette in this embodiment is a wafer frame on which a semiconductor wafer having a large diameter can be mounted. 1, a plurality of cassettes 10 that can accommodate a plurality of shelf plates 20, a plurality of shelf plates 20 that are provided on both left and right sides of the cassette 10 and that can horizontally support the wafer frame 1, and a wafer frame that is supported by the plurality of shelf plates 20 1 and a pair of left and right pop-out preventing mechanisms 60 for preventing the pop-up of one, and the cassette 10 is divided into a lower frame body 30 and an upper frame body 40, and the lower frame body 30 and the upper frame body that are divided into two vertically. 40 is assembled to assemble the cassette 10.

  Although not shown, the semiconductor wafer is made of, for example, a silicon wafer having a diameter of 450 mm, and a circuit pattern is formed on at least the front and back surfaces, and the back surface is back-ground in the back grinding process. In some cases).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the wafer frame 1 is injection-molded into a large-diameter flat ring-shaped flat plate using a molding material containing a predetermined resin (for example, polycarbonate), and the flat back surface. A pressure sensitive adhesive sheet covering the hollow from below is detachably adhered, and a semiconductor wafer accommodated in the hollow is detachably adhered to the surface of the pressure sensitive adhesive sheet. The wafer frame 1 has a front portion, a rear portion, and both side portions of the outer peripheral surface cut linearly, and positioning notches 2 are formed on both sides of the front portion.

  After mounting a semiconductor wafer with an adhesive sheet, the wafer frame 1 is gripped by a dedicated robot (not shown), inserted into the cassette 10 from the front, and horizontally stored and supported, or taken out.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the cassette 10 has a front open box structure having at least a front opening, and is formed in a substantially polygonal flat surface in which both sides of the back surface are inclined in the front-rear direction. Sheets) of wafer frames 1 are stored side by side in a vertical direction at a predetermined pitch.

  The cassette 10 has a plurality of openings 15 that contribute to weight reduction and the like at the bottom 11, top 12, back 13, and both sides 14, respectively, and the lower frame 30 and the upper frame 40 are each processed by sheet metal ( sheet metal). As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, support retainers 16 for the wafer frame 1 are screwed in the vicinity of the boundary between the center and both sides of the inner surface of the back surface of the cassette 10.

  Each support retainer 16 is formed into an elongated vertical bar by a molding material containing a predetermined resin (for example, polytetrafluoroethylene and polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, or the like). A plurality of support protrusions 17 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction on the front surface of the support retainer 16 oriented in the front direction of the cassette 10, and the rear part of the wafer frame 1 is supported by each support protrusion 17. The support protrusion 17 is formed in a trapezoidal shape, a rectangle, or the like having a tapered cross-sectional shape as necessary.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the plurality of shelf plates 20 are a pair of left and right first shelf plates 21 that are screwed to the rear of the inner surfaces of both sides of the cassette 10 and face each other, and inner surfaces of both sides of the cassette 10. And a pair of left and right second shelf plates 21A that are screwed in front of each other and face each other, and a pop-out prevention mechanism 60 is interposed in the gap between the adjacent first and second shelf plates 21 and 21A.

  Each first shelf 21 is formed into a substantially flat plate by a molding material containing a predetermined resin (for example, polytetrafluoroethylene and polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone, etc.), and a plurality of shelf pieces 22 are arranged in the vertical direction on the opposing surface. The side portions of the wafer frame 1 are supported horizontally on each shelf piece 22.

  Each of the second shelf plates 21A is also formed into a substantially flat plate using the same molding material as that of the first shelf plate 21, and a plurality of shelf pieces 22 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction on the opposing surface. 22 horizontally supports the side of the wafer frame 1 and guides the wafer frame 1 in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10. The shelf pieces 22 of the first and second shelf boards 21 and 21A are formed in a trapezoidal shape, a rectangular shape, or the like having a tapered cross-sectional shape as necessary, and the heights in the vertical direction are aligned and aligned. On the lower surface of each shelf piece 22, a trapezoidal pressing portion that contacts the surface of the wafer frame 1 is selectively protruded.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the lower frame body 30 is bent and formed into a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section opened in the front by a lightweight aluminum plate having excellent workability, corrosion resistance, etc., and is formed at the upper ends of both side portions 31. A plurality of first engaging pieces 32 for assembly are arranged side by side with a predetermined gap 33 in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10, and each first engaging piece 32 is formed in an elongated flat rectangular shape, and is outside the cassette 10. Projects horizontally in the direction.

  The bottom part 34 of the lower frame 30 is formed with a horizontally long opening in the left and right lateral direction from the viewpoint of weight reduction and the like, and a horizontally long opening 15 is formed in a part of the center in the left and right direction. A plurality of openings 15 are formed side by side. At the center of the bottom 34 of the lower frame 30 and the rear of the bottom 34, mounting holes 35 are formed so as to draw a substantially Y shape in plan view, and resin positioning tools 36 are screwed into the mounting holes 35, respectively. Worn. The plurality of positioning tools 36 function to position the cassette 10 with high accuracy by being fitted from above to positioning pins on a table of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (not shown).

  In each side portion 31 of the lower frame body 30, a plurality of openings 15 that contribute to weight reduction and the like are formed side by side in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10, and the plurality of openings 15 are formed on the inner sides of the first and second shelf plates 21 and 21 </ b> A. Coated. In addition, a mounting hole 37 for the pop-out prevention mechanism 60 is formed in a rectangular shape below each side portion 31 of the lower frame body 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the upper frame body 40 is bent and formed into a substantially inverted U-shaped longitudinal section opened in the front by an aluminum plate or the like, for example, and a plurality of second frames for assembly are formed at the lower ends of both side portions 41. The meshing pieces 42 are arranged side by side with a predetermined gap 43 in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10. The upper frame body 40 is formed taller than the lower frame body 30 from the viewpoint of appropriately accommodating the plurality of wafer frames 1.

  The upper part 44 of the upper frame body 40 is formed with a horizontally long opening in the left and right lateral direction, and a horizontally long opening 15 is formed in the left and right lateral direction at a rear portion in order to reduce weight and the like. A plurality of openings 15 are formed side by side. A colored transparent protective plate 45 for the wafer frame 1 is screwed to the upper portion 44 of the upper frame body 40 as required, or a factory (not shown) is disposed at the center and rear of the upper frame body 40. The transfer flange 46 held by the ceiling robot is selectively screwed.

  Each side portion 41 of the upper frame body 40 is formed with a plurality of openings 15 arranged in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10 for weight reduction and the like, and the plurality of openings 15 are formed in the first and second shelf plates 21 and 21A. Covered from the inside. A mounting hole 47 for the pop-out prevention mechanism 60 is formed in a rectangular shape above each side portion 41 of the upper frame body 40, and the mounting hole 47 is positioned above the mounting hole 37 of the lower frame body 30.

  The plurality of second meshing pieces 42 are arranged in a plane substantially comb-tooth shape, and a predetermined gap 43 between the adjacent second meshing pieces 42 and the second meshing pieces 42 is large enough to fit the first meshing piece 32. It is divided into two. Each second engagement piece 42 is formed in an elongated flat rectangular shape that can be fitted in the gap 33 between the first engagement pieces 32, and protrudes horizontally outward from the cassette 10 and the upper frame body 40.

  When the lower frame body 30 and the upper frame body 40 are assembled by being fitted together, the upper frame is formed in the gap 33 between the plurality of first meshing pieces 32 arranged in a substantially comb-tooth shape on the lower frame body 30. The plurality of second meshing pieces 42 of the body 40 are fitted to mesh the plurality of first and second meshing pieces 32 and 42 in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10, and the plurality of first meshing pieces 32 are the second meshing pieces 42. And a plurality of second meshing pieces 42 are located below the first meshing pieces 32 and between the top and bottom of the first and second meshing pieces 32 and 42 in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10. An extending sandwiched flange 48 is horizontally sandwiched and screwed.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the sandwiched flange 48 is formed as an elongated plate having a substantially convex cross section, and a plurality of screw holes 49 are formed in the longitudinal direction of the inner surface facing the outer surface of the side portion 14 of the cassette 10. The screw which penetrated the side part 14 from the inside of the cassette 10 is screwed in each screw hole 49. A cutout 50 for alignment with the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is formed in a planar triangle on the outer side of the sandwiched flange 48.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, each pop-out prevention mechanism 60 is arranged in parallel at a predetermined pitch on the surface of the slide plate 61, which is supported on the inner surface of the side portion 14 of the cassette 10 so as to be movable up and down. The plurality of regulating pieces 64 for the wafer frame 1 positioned in front of the first shelf plate 21 and the plurality of coil springs 65 for biasing the slide plate 61 are configured.

  The slide plate 61 is vertically fitted into and supported by a pair of upper and lower mounting holes 37 and 47 of the cassette 10 via a rail guide 62, and is interposed between the first and second shelf plates 21 and 21A. The slide plate 61 is bent at an operation portion 63 having at least a lower end portion projecting downward through the through hole 18 of the bottom portion 11 of the cassette 10 and contacting a table or the like of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The rail guide 62 is mounted in the mounting holes 37 and 47 of the cassette 10 from the outside.

  The plurality of restricting pieces 64 are arranged according to the pitch of the plurality of shelf pieces 22 of the first and second shelf boards 21 and 21A. Each restricting piece 64 is not particularly limited, but is suitably formed in, for example, a tapered trapezoid or a rectangle. Further, the plurality of coil springs 65 are respectively inserted into the lower portion and the upper portion or the upper end portion of the slide plate 61, and function to elastically bias the slide plate 61 downward.

  Such a pop-out prevention mechanism 60 is configured such that when the wafer frame cassette is conveyed, the operation unit 63 of the slide plate 61 does not contact the table of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and the operation unit 63 is not pressed, the coil spring 65 is The slide plate 61 is elastically biased downward without being compressed, and the restriction piece 64 is positioned in front of the wafer frame 1 supported by the shelf piece 22 of the first shelf board 21 so that the restriction piece 64 can collide. The jumping of the frame 1 to the front of the cassette 10 is effectively restricted.

  On the other hand, when the operation part 63 of the slide plate 61 comes into contact with the table or the like of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the operation part 63 is pressed, the coil spring 65 is compressed to raise the slide plate 61, and the wafer frame 1. The restricting piece 64 positioned in front of the wafer rises, and the restricting piece 64 avoids a collision with the wafer frame 1 and enables the wafer frame 1 to be taken out forward of the cassette 10.

  In the above configuration, when assembling the wafer frame cassette, first, the prepared lower frame body 30 and the upper frame body 40 are fitted, and the second engagement piece 42 is inserted into the gap 33 between the plurality of first engagement pieces 32. The plurality of first and second engaging pieces 32 and 42 are engaged in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10. When the plurality of first and second meshing pieces 32 and 42 are thus meshed, the sandwiched flange 48 is horizontally sandwiched between the upper and lower sides of the plurality of first and second meshing pieces 32 and 42, and The cassette 10 is firmly assembled by sequentially inserting screws into the plurality of screw holes 49 from the inside of the cassette 10.

  Next, a pop-out prevention mechanism 60 is disposed on each side of the assembled cassette 10, and the first and second shelf plates 21 and 21A are screwed to the inner surfaces of both sides of the cassette 10, respectively. 21 and the pair of left and right second shelf plates 21 </ b> A are opposed to each other, and the heights of the shelf pieces 22 of the first and second shelf plates 21 and 21 </ b> A and the regulation piece 64 of the pop-out prevention mechanism 60 are adjusted. Then, support retainers 16 are screwed in the vicinity of the boundary between the center and both sides of the inner surface of the back surface of the cassette 10, and the height of the support projections 17 of each support retainer 16 and the shelves of the first and second shelf plates 21 and 21A. If the height of the piece 22 is adjusted, a wafer frame cassette can be assembled.

  According to the above configuration, the cassette 10 is not assembled by combining a large number of plates and bars vertically and horizontally, but the lower frame body 30 and the upper frame body 40 are assembled and assembled, so that the number of parts can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the assembling property, workability, and assembling accuracy of the cassette 10 can be remarkably improved. Further, since the lower frame body 30 and the upper frame body 40 of the cassette 10 are not made of resin but made of aluminum which is superior in strength to resin, the semiconductor wafer can be used even when the semiconductor wafer has a large diameter and is thin and the wafer frame 1 is heavy. And the wafer frame 1 can be safely stored and transported in an optimum state.

  Further, since the opening 15 on the back surface of the cassette 10 allows the wafer frame 1 to protrude forward of the cassette 10, the wafer frame 1 does not necessarily have to be grasped and taken out by a dedicated robot. In addition, since the lower frame body 30 and the upper frame body 40 are each processed by sheet metal processing, there is no need to generate a dedicated mold, and processing is performed in combination with general-purpose molds, or by laser processing or the like, with low cost and short delivery time. can do. In addition, since a dedicated mold is not required, it is possible to cope with design changes and the like very flexibly.

  Further, since the shelf piece 22 of the second shelf plate 21A guides the wafer frame 1 while positioning it in the front-rear direction of the cassette 10, it is highly expected that the wafer frame 1 can be easily stored and taken out. Further, since the restricting piece 64 of the pop-out preventing mechanism 60 restricts the positional displacement and pop-out of the wafer frame 1 forward of the cassette 10, the wafer frame 1 is dropped from the cassette 10 when the wafer frame cassette is transported, and an expensive semiconductor wafer is used. Can be effectively prevented from being broken or damaged.

  Furthermore, since the pop-out prevention mechanism 60 can be partially sandwiched between the first and second shelf plates 21 and 21A, it is possible to effectively prevent positional deviation and rattling of the pop-out prevention mechanism 60. By preventing the displacement and backlash, the pop-out prevention mechanism 60 can be fixed firmly and with high accuracy.

  In the above embodiment, the cassette 10 is formed in a substantially planar polygon having both sides of the back surface inclined, but may be formed in a substantially rectangular flat shape in which both sides of the back surface are not inclined. In the above embodiment, the plurality of openings 15 are formed in the bottom 11, top 12, back 13, and both sides 14 of the cassette 10, respectively. However, the bottom 11, top 12, and both sides of the cassette 10 are formed as necessary. The 13 openings 15 may be omitted. In the above embodiment, the second shelf plate 21A is screwed in front of the inner surfaces of the both side portions of the cassette 10. However, the second shelf plate 21A may be omitted if there is no particular problem.

  Further, the lower end portion of the slide plate 61 may be formed in the operation portion 63, but the upper end portion of the slide plate 61 is protruded from the upper portion of the cassette 10 to the outside, and the protruded upper end portion is formed in the operation portion 63. May be. Further, the slide plate 61 is lowered to lower the restricting piece 64 positioned in front of the wafer frame 1 so that the wafer frame 1 can be taken out forward of the cassette 10. Further, the coil spring 65 is inserted only in the lower part or the upper part of the slide plate 61, or a necessary number of coil springs 65 are stretched between the slide plate 61 and the cassette 10 or the rail guide 62, and the slide plate 61 is moved downward. It can also be repressed.

  The cassette for wafer frames according to the present invention is used in the field of semiconductor manufacturing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wafer frame 10 Cassette 11 Bottom part 12 Upper part 13 Back part 14 Side part 15 Opening 20 Shelf board 21 First shelf board 21A Second shelf board 22 Shelf piece 30 Lower frame 31 Side part 32 First meshing piece 33 Gap 34 Bottom part 40 Upper frame body 41 Side portion 42 Second engagement piece 43 Clearance 44 Upper portion 48 Clamped flange (clamped member)
60 pop-out prevention mechanism 61 slide plate (slide member)
64 Restriction piece 65 Coil spring (spring member)

Claims (4)

A cassette having a front open box structure for storing a wafer frame on which semiconductor wafers can be mounted, and a plurality of shelf members provided opposite to both sides of the cassette and capable of supporting the wafer frame substantially horizontally by shelf pieces. A cassette for a wafer frame,
Divide the cassette into a lower frame and an upper frame that can be assembled and assembled,
The lower frame body is formed in a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section with a front opening, and a plurality of first engaging pieces for assembly are placed in the front-rear direction of the cassette in the vicinity of the free ends on both sides of the lower frame body. Set each side, project each first meshing piece outward of the cassette,
The upper frame is formed into a substantially inverted U-shaped longitudinal section with an opening in the front, and a plurality of second engaging pieces for assembly are placed in the front-rear direction of the cassette in the vicinity of the free ends on both sides of the upper frame. Are arranged side by side, and project each second engagement piece outward from the cassette,
When assembling the lower frame body and the upper frame body together, the second meshing piece of the upper frame body is fitted into the gap between the plurality of first meshing pieces of the lower frame body. A wafer frame cassette characterized in that a sandwiched member extending in the front-rear direction of the cassette is sandwiched between the engaging pieces. Including a pop-out prevention mechanism for restricting the front of the wafer frame cassette supported by the shelf pieces of the plurality of shelf members,
The pop-out prevention mechanism includes a slide member that is attached to a side portion of the cassette so as to be movable up and down, a restriction piece for a wafer frame that is provided on the slide member and is positioned in front of the shelf member, and a spring that elastically biases the slide member If the operation part is not operated, the restriction piece is positioned in front of the wafer frame supported by the shelf piece of the shelf member and operated. 2. The wafer frame cassette according to claim 1, wherein when the slide member is moved up or down as the part is operated, the restricting piece located in front of the wafer frame is moved upward or downward.   Of the bottom, top, back, and both sides of the cassette, an opening is provided at least on the back to enable the wafer frame to protrude forward, and the lower and upper frames of the cassette are each formed by sheet metal processing. The cassette for a wafer frame according to claim 1 or 2.   The plurality of shelf members include a first shelf member positioned behind the inner side surface of the cassette and a second shelf member positioned in front of the inner side surface of the cassette, and the shelves of the first and second shelf members. The height of the pieces is aligned, a slide member of the pop-out prevention mechanism is interposed between the first and second shelf members, and the restriction piece of the pop-out prevention mechanism is positioned in front of the first shelf member. Or the cassette for wafer frames of 3.

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