JP2024038598A - Substrate housing container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate housing container capable of suppressing lifting and falling off of a reticle housing container mounted on an adapter in a container body, and preventing damage to a reticle in the reticle housing container.

SOLUTION: A FOUP includes a container body 1 capable of storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers vertically, a lid fitted to the open front of the container body 1, and an adapter 40 that mounts a reticle storage container stored in the container body 1, a pair of support pieces 2 capable of supporting the semiconductor wafers horizontally is installed on both sides of the interior of the container body 1, the plurality of pairs of support pieces 2 is arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction, the adapter 40 is formed in a disc supported by the pair of support pieces 2 of the container body 1, a plurality of positioning bars 43 that positions the reticle storage container is arranged on a mounting surface 41 of the adapter 40, and a part of the plurality of positioning bars 43 rotatably supports a clamp 50 that locks and fixes the reticle storage container.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate storage container capable of storing not only semiconductor wafers but also reticle storage containers.

In the lithography process of semiconductor manufacturing lines, multiple reticles are used to form electronic circuits on semiconductor wafers, but the number of reticles that can be transported at one time is different between semiconductor wafers and reticles, and the number of reticles that can be transported at one time is different. Since it is necessary to transport a plurality of reticles many times in order to form an electronic circuit, this may impede the improvement of semiconductor wafer transport efficiency. In addition, the substrate storage container for semiconductor wafers and the storage container for reticles are different in size and transport form, and require separate transport lines, so multiple transport lines must be installed, and equipment and Problems arise in terms of cost, space occupancy, etc.

In order to solve these problems, conventionally, although not shown, a reticle storage container for reticles is stored in the container body of a substrate storage container for semiconductor wafers via a dedicated adapter, and one type of substrate storage container is used. Techniques have been proposed in which transport is carried out using the following methods (see Patent Documents 1, 2, 3, and 4).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-58192 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-3723 JP2013-239507A JP2013-239643A

When a reticle storage container is stored in a substrate storage container for semiconductor wafers via a dedicated adapter, it is possible to improve the efficiency of transporting semiconductor wafers and to solve problems such as equipment, cost, and space occupancy.
However, if the reticle storage container is simply mounted on the adapter, the reticle storage container may float up from the adapter, become misaligned, or fall off, and as a result, the reticle within the reticle storage container may be damaged.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is a substrate storage container that is capable of suppressing lifting and falling off of a reticle storage container mounted on an adapter within a container body, and eliminating the risk of damage to the reticle in the reticle storage container. is intended to provide.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes a container body that can store a plurality of semiconductor wafers vertically side by side, a lid body that is removably fitted to the open front of the container body, and and an adapter for mounting a reticle storage container,
A pair of support pieces capable of supporting a semiconductor wafer substantially horizontally is provided on both sides of the interior of the container body, and a plurality of the pair of support pieces are arranged vertically at predetermined intervals,
The adapter is formed into a shape that is supported by a pair of support pieces in the container main body, and a plurality of positioning members for positioning the reticle storage container are arranged on the mounting surface of the adapter on which the reticle storage container is mounted. The present invention is characterized in that a clamp member that locks onto the reticle storage container is attached to at least one of the surface and the positioning member.

In addition, on the mounting surface on which the reticle storage container of the adapter is mounted, a plurality of positioning members surrounding the reticle storage container and close to the front, rear, left, and right sides of the peripheral edge are arranged at predetermined intervals, and the adapter and the plurality of positioning members , and the clamp member can be molded from a molding material containing a resin and a conductive filler.
Further, among the plurality of positioning members, at least one of a front positioning member close to the front peripheral edge of the reticle housing container and a side positioning member close to the side peripheral edge of the reticle housing container is attached to the front positioning member of the reticle housing container. A clamp member that is engaged with the peripheral edge from above can be rotatably supported.

Further, among the plurality of positioning members, the rear positioning member that is close to the rear peripheral edge of the reticle storage container is formed to have a substantially inverted L-shape in cross section, and the rear positioning member is arranged in an upright position that faces the rear peripheral edge of the reticle storage container from the lateral direction. and a locking covering portion that is detachably attached to the upright portion and locks onto the rear peripheral edge of the reticle storage container from above.

Here, the semiconductor wafer in the claims includes silicon wafers having at least φ300 mm and φ450 mm. Further, at least a portion of the container body and the lid may be transparent, opaque, or translucent. A stopper for a semiconductor wafer or an adapter can be formed on at least the front part of the surface of the support piece in the container body. Further, the reticle storage container may be in the shape of a planar polygonal box that accommodates a 5- to 7-inch reticle, or may be in the form of a cassette.

The adapter can be appropriately formed into a planar shape such as circular, elliptical, rectangular, polygonal, or square. Further, a required number of clamp members can be attached to the mounting surface of the adapter, the positioning member, or the mounting surface and the positioning member of the adapter. The term "rotation" of the clamp member includes rotation and rocking. The "approximately inverted L-shaped cross section" of the rear positioning member includes both an inverted L-shaped cross section and a similar shape that can be recognized as an approximately inverted L-shaped cross section (for example, an inverted J-shaped cross section, an inverted Γ-shaped cross section, etc.) . Furthermore, although the substrate storage container is mainly a FOUP for semiconductor factories, it may also be a FOSB for shipping and transportation.

According to the present invention, when storing the reticle storage container in the container body of the substrate storage container via the adapter, first, the adapter is prepared and the reticle storage container is fitted between the plurality of positioning members on the mounting surface. position. After fitting and positioning the reticle storage container, lock the clamp member of the adapter to the reticle storage container to prevent the reticle storage container from floating up, store the adapter inside the container body, and connect the two opposite sides of the adapter to the opposite sides of the container body. If the reticle storage container is supported by the supporting piece and the lid is fitted to the open front of the container body, the reticle storage container can be stored in the container body via the adapter, and the reticle storage container can be safely stored or transported. be able to.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the reticle storage container mounted on the adapter in the container body from floating up or falling off, and to eliminate the possibility that the reticle in the reticle storage container will be damaged.

According to the second aspect of the invention, at least one of the adapter, the plurality of positioning members, and the clamp member is molded from a molding material containing resin and a conductive filler, thereby imparting conductivity and preventing electrostatic damage to the reticle. be able to.
According to the third aspect of the invention, since the clamp member is locked to at least one of the front peripheral part and the peripheral side part of the reticle storage container mounted on the mounting surface of the adapter, the reticle storage container is lifted from the adapter. It can effectively prevent displacement or falling off.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the rear positioning member is not an integral part, but is composed of a disassemblyable upright portion and a locking covering portion, so that assembly of the rear positioning member is facilitated. In addition, since the rear peripheral edge of the reticle storage container mounted on the mounting surface of the adapter is positioned and locked by the rear positioning member, it is possible to suppress the reticle storage container from shifting in the front-rear direction of the adapter. It is possible to prevent the rear part of the reticle storage container from lifting up, shifting its position, or falling off.

1 is an overall perspective view schematically showing an embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view schematically showing a plurality of adapters housed in a container body in an embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing a reticle storage container mounted on an adapter in an embodiment of the substrate storage container according to the present invention. 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams schematically showing a reticle storage container in an embodiment of the substrate storage container according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a side view. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a working state in which a reticle storage container is mounted on an adapter in an embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the main parts schematically showing a rear positioning bar of an adapter in an embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the relationship between an adapter, a plurality of positioning bars, and a plurality of clamps in an embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part schematically showing a state in which a clamp is locked to a peripheral edge of a reticle storage container in an embodiment of a substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing the relationship between the container body and the adapter in the second embodiment of the substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing the relationship between the container body and the adapter in a third embodiment of the substrate storage container according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. A semiconductor factory comprising: a lid body 10 fitted to the open front side of the container body 1; and an adapter 40 for mounting a reticle storage container, the required number of which is stored in the container body 1 instead of semiconductor wafers W. A plurality of positioning bars 43 for positioning the reticle storage container 30 are arranged on the mounting surface 41 on which the reticle storage container 30 of the adapter 40 is mounted, and the plurality of positioning bars 43 are provided with a plurality of positioning bars 43 for positioning the reticle storage container 30. By supporting the clamp 50 that can be locked to the Contribute to the achievement of Goal 9 of the Possible Development Goals.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of semiconductor wafers W are, for example, round silicon wafers with a diameter of 300 mm, and 25 semiconductor wafers W are arranged and stored vertically inside the container body 1, and each semiconductor wafer W is supported horizontally. Ru.

The container body 1 and the lid 10 are each formed by injection molding a plurality of parts using a molding material containing a predetermined resin, and are constructed by combining these plurality of parts. Examples of the resin of this molding material include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyetherimide, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polybutylene terephthalate, polyacetal, and liquid crystal polymer, and alloys thereof. Appropriate amounts of carbon black, carbon fibers, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, conductive polymers, metal fibers, metal oxides, etc. are added to the thermoplastic resin in order to impart conductivity.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the container body 1 is formed into a tall front open box with a horizontally long front opening, and the semiconductor wafers W are formed on both sides of the interior, in other words, on the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls. A pair of support pieces 2 that horizontally support the peripheral edge side portion from below are provided opposite each other, and a plurality of the pair of support pieces 2 are arranged vertically at predetermined intervals. This container body 1 is formed to a size that can accommodate, for example, 25 semiconductor wafers W in a vertically aligned manner. Further, each support piece 2 is formed, for example, as a flat shelf plate extending in the front-rear direction of the container body 1, and the semiconductor wafers W stored therein are displaced in the front direction at least in the front part of the front and rear parts of the surface. A raised stopper 3 is integrally formed to prevent this.

A bottom plate 4 is selectively attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate of the container body 1, and a robotic flange 5 with a rectangular plane, which is a conveyor for automatic conveyance, is detachably attached to the center of the ceiling of the container body 1. After this robotic flange 5 is gripped and suspended by a ceiling transport device of a semiconductor factory, it is transported through a semiconductor manufacturing line. Further, on the inner back surface of the container body 1, a plurality of rear supports are arranged in parallel, which can hold the rear peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer W in an emergency. The front peripheral edge of the container body 1 is bent outward in the width direction to bulge, and locking holes 6 for the lid 10 are recessed on both upper and lower sides of the inner surface of the front peripheral edge. be done.

Operation handles 7 for manual operation are detachably attached to the outer surfaces of both side walls of the container body 1, and conveyor rails 8, which are automatic conveyors, are detachably attached to the lower part of each side wall as necessary. oriented horizontally in the front-back direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lid body 10 includes a lid body 11 with a generally dish-shaped cross section that is removably fitted to the front of the container body 1, and a cover plate 14 that covers the open surface of the lid body 11. A locking mechanism 16 is built in between the lid body 11 and the cover plate 14. The lid main body 11 is formed into a horizontally elongated substantially rectangular shape, and a front retainer 12 that elastically holds the front peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer W with an elastic piece is detachably attached to the center of the back surface. In addition, a frame-shaped gasket that presses against the inner periphery of the front surface of the container body 1 is fitted into the peripheral wall of the lid body 11, and a locking mechanism 16 is provided on both upper and lower sides of the peripheral wall of the lid body 11. Recessed and retracted holes 13 are drilled through each of them.

The cover plate 14 is formed as a transparent, translucent, or opaque plate, and operation holes 15 for the locking mechanism 16 are perforated on both sides, and each operation hole 15 is used for the lid opening/closing device. A rotatable operation key penetrates from the outside.

As shown in FIG. 1, the locking mechanism 16 includes a pair of left and right rotating plates 17 that are rotatably operated by an operation key of the lid opening/closing device that passes through the operation hole 15 of the cover plate 14, and A plurality of slide bars 19 are connected and pivoted to the tip of each slide bar 19, and the slide bars 19 are connected and pivoted to the tip of each slide bar 19, and are fitted and locked into the lock hole 6 of the container body 1 by passing through the recess hole 13 in the peripheral wall of the lid body. It is configured to include a plurality of locking claws 20 that are retractable.

The locking mechanism 16 is molded from the same molding material as the container body 1 and the lid 10. The plurality of rotating plates 17 and slide bars 19 are pivoted or supported via support ribs provided in the lid body 11, and are inserted into a pair of circular arc slots 18 near the periphery of each rotating plate 17. The end portions of the slide bars 19 are loosely fitted through pins. Further, each locking pawl 20 is bent to have a substantially L-shaped cross section, for example, and a friction reducing roller is rotatably supported at the free end.

In such a substrate storage container, a plurality of semiconductor wafers W are sequentially stored in a container body 1, and a lid 10 is press-fitted to the front of the container body 1 by a lid opening/closing device. The front retainer 12 holds the front peripheral edge of the wafer W, and the locking mechanism 16 is operated by the lid opening/closing device to firmly fix the lid 10. When the lid body 10 is firmly fixed, the robotic flange 5 of the container body 1 is suspended from the ceiling transport device of the semiconductor factory, and transported to the next processing step, where each semiconductor wafer W is processed and processed. These steps are performed sequentially, and an electronic circuit is formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer W.

Although the reticle storage container 30 is not particularly limited, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the reticle storage container 30 includes, for example, a flat rectangular bottom plate 31 that stores one 6-inch reticle and is mounted on the adapter 40. This is a reticle SMIF pod (RSP) that includes a top cover 32 having a substantially rectangular planar shape that is detachably fitted to a bottom plate 31 from above via a seal gasket. The bottom plate 31 and top lid 32 of the reticle storage container 30 are made of a predetermined molding material containing a conductive material such as carbon (for example, polycarbonate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyacetal resin, etc.) from the viewpoint of preventing damage to the reticle due to static electricity. They are molded using various synthetic resins such as resin and polyetheretherketone resin.

The bottom plate 31 includes an upper plate and a lower plate that are substantially rectangular in plan and face each other, and a gap is defined between the upper plate and the lower plate, and a locking mechanism is built into this gap. . On the upper surface of the upper plate, a pair of supporting members that horizontally support the peripheral edge of one reticle are laid at intervals, and each supporting member is formed into a rail. is equipped with an elastically deformable flat frame-shaped seal gasket.

The upper lid 32 is formed, for example, into a transparent or translucent substantially hat-shaped cross section, and when fitted with the bottom plate 31, a flange that protrudes horizontally outward in the width direction presses and deforms the seal gasket to ensure sealing performance. A pair of holding members that contact and hold the upper surface periphery of the reticle are provided on the inner ceiling of the upper lid 32 at intervals, and each holding member is formed into a rail, for example, and faces the support member from above. .

The flange that protrudes outward in the width direction of the upper lid 32 has a peripheral edge 33 whose tip is bent short downward and faces the circumferential surface of the bottom plate 31, and the inner surface of this tip is connected to the tip of the retractable bar of the locking mechanism. The lock grooves to be fitted are respectively formed as recesses. Furthermore, a conveying flange 34 that is gripped by a conveying device or the like is attached to the outer ceiling of the upper lid 32.

Examples of products of the reticle storage container 30 include RSP-150, RSP-200 [manufactured by Dainichi Corporation: product name], reticle case [manufactured by Nagase Engineering Co., Ltd.: product name], and reticle cassette [manufactured by Sanyo Materials Co., Ltd.]. :Product name] etc.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 to 8, the adapter 40 is formed into a substantially plate shape supported by a pair of support pieces 2 in the container body 1, and is a flat plate on which the reticle storage container 30 is mounted. A plurality of positioning bars 43 are arranged on the upper mounting surface 41 and surround most of the reticle container 30 except for the four corners. A plurality of clamps 50 are rotatably supported. This adapter 40 is basically molded from a predetermined molding material into a disc having a thickness and size that can be inserted between adjacent support pieces 2 of the container body 1. A front portion 42 located on the front side of the container is cut out linearly in the left-right direction from the viewpoint of indicating the positional direction, and both side portions are supported horizontally by a pair of support pieces 2 of the container body 1.

Examples of the predetermined molding material for the adapter 40 include lightweight polypropylene resin, polycarbonate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyacetal resin, polyether ether ketone resin, etc., which have excellent chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, impact resistance, and versatility. Examples include various synthetic resins, thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester, polystyrene, and polyolefin. This molding material preferably contains an appropriate amount of carbon black, carbon fiber, carbon nanofiber, carbon nanotube, conductive polymer, metal fiber, metal oxide, etc. in order to impart conductivity and prevent electrostatic damage to the reticle. is added.

The adapter 40 is formed to have approximately the same size as, for example, the semiconductor wafer W, and has a plurality of positioning bars 43 near the peripheral edge of the mounting surface 41 that are positioned close to the upper lid peripheral edge 33 of the reticle storage container 30 from the front, back, left, and right. The positioning bars 43 are screwed at intervals so as to define a mounting area 49 that is rectangular in plan, and each positioning bar 43 is formed in a substantially semicircular shape in plan. The plurality of positioning bars 43 are molded with the same molding material as the adapter 40, and this molding material contains an appropriate amount of carbon black, carbon fiber, carbon nanofiber, etc. in order to impart conductivity and prevent electrostatic damage to the reticle. Carbon nanotubes, conductive polymers, metal fibers, metal oxides, etc. are preferably added.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 7, the plurality of positioning bars 43 include a front positioning bar 44 that is positioned close to the front peripheral edge of the upper lid 32 of the reticle storage container 30, and a front positioning bar 44 that is positioned close to the front peripheral edge of the upper lid 32 of the reticle storage container 30. 32, and a pair of left and right side positioning bars 48, which are positioned close to both sides of the periphery of the reticle storage container 30. A rear positioning bar 45 is bent into a generally inverted L-shape with a slightly taller cross section.

Among the plurality of positioning bars 43, the rear positioning bar 45 has a block shape that faces and approaches the peripheral rear part of the top cover 32 from the lateral direction, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, from the viewpoint of facilitating manufacturing and assembly work. an upright portion 46, and an L-shaped locking covering portion that is approximately semicircular in plane and is removably screwed onto the upright portion 46 via a plurality of fasteners such as screws, and is locked from above to the rear portion of the periphery of the top cover 32. It is divided into 47 parts and performs a locking function as well as a positioning function.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 8, the plurality of (three in this embodiment) clamps 50 each have a bolt 52 at the center of a front positioning bar 44 and a pair of side positioning bars 48. It is supported through and rotates horizontally and laterally. Each clamp 50 is formed into a substantially inverted L-shape using the same molding material as the adapter 40 and the positioning bar 43, and is raised in the Z direction by locking a long piece to the upper lid peripheral portion 33 of the reticle storage container 30 from above. This function functions to prevent the reticle storage container 30 from occurring and to release the locking of the long piece to enable the reticle storage container 30 to be removed.

The molding material of the clamp 50 preferably contains an appropriate amount of carbon black, carbon fiber, carbon nanofiber, carbon nanotube, conductive polymer, metal fiber, metal oxide, etc. from the viewpoint of preventing electrostatic damage to the reticle. Ru. The bolt 52 is made of, but not limited to, a high-performance polyetheretherketone resin that has excellent heat resistance and mechanical properties, and is screwed into the short cylindrical portion 51 of the clamp 50 from above. .

In the above configuration, when storing the reticle storage container 30 containing reticles in the container body 1 of the substrate storage container via the adapter 40, first prepare the adapter 40 and attach the long pieces of the plurality of clamps 50. The positioning bar 43 is directed in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 5), and the rear part of the inclined reticle storage container 30 is brought into contact with the mounting surface 41 of the adapter 40, and the reticle storage container 30 is slid backward and the peripheral rear part of the upper lid 32 is touched. is locked to the locking covering part 47 of the rear positioning bar 45, and the reticle storage container 30 is fitted into the mounting area 49 between the front positioning bar 44, the rear positioning bar 45, and the pair of side positioning bars 48. position.

After the reticle storage container 30 is fitted and mounted, the long pieces of each clamp 50 are rotated toward the center of the adapter 40 (see FIG. 8), and the long pieces of the clamps 50 are attached to the peripheral edge 33 of the reticle storage container 30. The reticle storage container 30 is locked to prevent it from floating up in the Z direction (see FIG. 3), and the plurality of adapters 40 are sequentially stored in the empty container body 1, and both sides of the adapters 40 are connected to the opposite sides of the container body 1. After stabilizing the position and posture of the adapter 40 by supporting each of them on the support pieces 2, the lid 10 is press-fitted into the open front of the container body 1, and the reticle storage container 30 is attached to the container body 1. 40 and can be safely stored. At this time, it is preferable to leave a space between the adapters 40 so that the reticle storage container 30 does not collide with the lower surface of the adapter 40.

According to the above configuration, not only is the reticle storage container 30 stably mounted on the mounting surface 41 of the adapter 40, but also the plurality of clamps 50 are respectively locked to the peripheral edge 33 of the reticle storage container 30, so that even if the substrate storage Even if the containers collide and an external force is applied, it is possible to effectively prevent the reticle storage container 30 from lifting up from the adapter 40, shifting in the Z direction, shaking, or falling off. Therefore, it is highly expected that damage to the reticle within the reticle storage container 30 will be prevented. Further, since the adapter 40, the plurality of positioning bars 43, and the plurality of clamps 50 are each molded from a molding material containing resin and conductive filler, electrostatic damage to the reticle can be prevented by imparting conductivity.

Further, the upright portion 46 of the rear positioning bar 45 is positioned close to the rear peripheral edge of the reticle storage container 30 mounted on the mounting surface 41 of the adapter 40, and the locking covering portion 47 of the rear positioning bar 45 is locked. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the reticle storage container 30 from shifting in the front-rear direction of the adapter 40, and to prevent the rear part of the reticle storage container 30 from lifting up from the adapter 40, shifting its position, shaking, or falling off. It is possible to prevent this. Further, since the rear positioning bar 45 is constructed by assembling the separate upright portion 46 and the locking covering portion 47, the rear positioning bar 45 having a complicated shape can be easily assembled and used.

Next, FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a horizontally rotatable clamp 50 is supported at the center of the front positioning bar 44 via a bolt 52. I try to let them do it. The other parts are the same as those in the above embodiment, so the explanation will be omitted.
In this embodiment, the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be expected, and since the clamps 50 of each side positioning bar 48 are omitted, it is obvious that a significant reduction in the number of parts can be expected.

Next, FIG. 10 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this case, a pair of left and right clamps 50, which are rotatable in the horizontal and lateral directions, are supported on the front positioning bar 44 via bolts 52, respectively. I try to let them do it. The other parts are the same as those in the above embodiment, so the explanation will be omitted.
In this embodiment, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be expected, and since the clamps 50 of each side positioning bar 48 are omitted, a reduction in the number of parts can be expected. Further, since a pair of clamps 50 are used, even if one clamp 50 comes off, the other clamp 50 can reliably prevent the reticle storage container 30 from shifting, rattling, falling off, etc.

Note that in the above embodiment, the adapter 40, the plurality of positioning bars 43, and the plurality of clamps 50 are molded with a molding material containing resin and a conductive filler, but at least one of these can be molded with a molding material containing a resin and a conductive filler. You may do so. Further, cutouts close to the stopper 3 of the support piece 2 are formed on the periphery of both sides of the lower surface of the adapter 40 so that the thickness is thinner than other parts, and each cutout is formed in the stopper 3 of the support piece 2. The adapter 40 may be brought into contact with each other to prevent the adapter 40 from shifting or shaking in the front-rear direction, particularly in the front direction.

Alternatively, a plurality of mounting holes for a plurality of positioning bars 50 may be bored in the radial direction of the adapter 40, and the positioning bars 50 may be selectively screwed into the plurality of mounting holes depending on the size of the reticle storage container 30. . Further, in the above embodiment, the clamp 50 is supported by at least the front positioning bar 44 of the front positioning bar 44 of the adapter 40 and the pair of side positioning bars 48, but only the pair of side positioning bars 48 is required. Several clamps 50 may be rotatably supported. Furthermore, a plurality of clamps 50 can be rotatably supported on the mounting surface 41 of the adapter 40 unless this poses any particular problem.

Further, by forming a necessary number of unevenness in an array on the mounting surface 41 of the adapter 40, it is possible to form a gap between the mounting surface 41 of the adapter 40 and the bottom surface of the reticle storage container 30, thereby making it possible to easily attach and remove the reticle storage container 30. Further, a shallow-bottomed storage hole for the reticle storage container 30 or the like can be selectively bored in the mounting surface 41 of the adapter 40. In addition, the upright surface of the locking cover 47 of the rear positioning bar 45 facing the reticle storage container 30 is tilted to increase the upward tilt angle of the reticle storage container 30, thereby making it possible to smoothly remove the reticle storage container 30. It is possible to do so. Further, each positioning bar 43 may be provided with flexibility or springiness so as to be brought into close contact with the peripheral edge 33 of the reticle container 30 to prevent the reticle container 30 from shifting or falling off.

The substrate storage container according to the present invention can be used in the field of handling semiconductors and reticles.

1 Container body 2 Support piece 5 Robotic flange 8 Transport rail 10 Lid body 11 Lid body 14 Cover plate 16 Locking mechanism 30 Reticle storage container 31 Bottom plate 32 Upper lid 33 Peripheral part 40 Adapter 41 Mounting surface 43 Positioning bar (positioning member)
44 Front positioning bar (positioning member, front positioning member)
45 Rear positioning bar (positioning member, rear positioning member)
46 Standing part 47 Locking covering part 48 Side positioning bar (positioning member, side positioning member)
49 Mounting area 50 Clamp (clamp member)
W semiconductor wafer

Claims (4)

A container body capable of accommodating a plurality of semiconductor wafers arranged vertically, a lid body removably fitted to the open front of the container body, and an adapter for mounting a reticle storage container stored in the container body. A substrate storage container comprising:
A pair of support pieces capable of supporting a semiconductor wafer substantially horizontally is provided on both sides of the interior of the container body, and a plurality of the pair of support pieces are arranged vertically at predetermined intervals,
The adapter is formed into a shape that is supported by a pair of support pieces in the container main body, and a plurality of positioning members for positioning the reticle storage container are arranged on the mounting surface of the adapter on which the reticle storage container is mounted. A substrate storage container characterized in that a clamp member that locks onto a reticle storage container is attached to at least one of the surface and the positioning member. On the mounting surface on which the reticle storage container of the adapter is mounted, a plurality of positioning members surrounding the reticle storage container and close to the front, rear, left, and right sides of the peripheral edge thereof are arranged at predetermined intervals, and the adapter, the plurality of positioning members, and The substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the clamp members is molded from a molding material containing resin and a conductive filler. Among the plurality of positioning members, at least one of the front positioning member that is close to the front side of the periphery of the reticle storage container and the side positioning member that is close to the side of the periphery of the reticle storage container is attached to the periphery of the reticle storage container. 3. The substrate storage container according to claim 2, further comprising a clamp member which is rotatably supported by the clamp member which is engaged from above. Among the plurality of positioning members, a rear positioning member that is close to the rear peripheral edge of the reticle storage container is formed to have a substantially inverted L-shape in cross section, and this rear positioning member is formed with an upright portion that faces the rear peripheral edge of the reticle storage container from the lateral direction. 4. The substrate storage container according to claim 2, wherein the substrate storage container is divided into a locking covering portion which is detachably attached to the upright portion and locks onto the rear peripheral edge of the reticle storage container from above.

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