JP5435584B2 - Substrate storage container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate storage container, and more particularly to a substrate storage container in which a precision substrate made of a semiconductor wafer, mask glass, or the like is stored and transported, and is positioned and fixed to a processing apparatus that processes and processes the precision substrate. .

  This type of substrate storage container is referred to as a so-called front open box type, and a container main body that can store a precision substrate (hereinafter referred to as a substrate) through an opening formed on the front surface, and a lid that closes the opening of the container main body. The thing with the body is known. A part of the inner peripheral surface of the container body is provided with a plurality of support grooves arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, and each substrate is supported by each of the support grooves and is coaxially aligned in the container body. It is designed to be stored.

  Further, such a substrate storage container is transported by various automatic machines in place of a transport method by an operator in a semiconductor device manufacturing process. Thereby, contamination of each substrate in the substrate storage container can be prevented and efficient work can be realized.

For example, in the factory, OHT (Overhead Hoist
A so-called ceiling transport can be carried out by gripping a robotic flange attached to the top surface of the substrate storage container by a transport mechanism.

In addition to the OHT method, the substrate storage container is lifted using a pair of bottom rails attached to the bottom of the substrate storage container and side fork lift flanges attached to the left and right outer surfaces of the substrate storage container. , AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) system, PGV (Person
Guided Vehicle) method is adopted.

  The configuration of the substrate storage container having such a configuration is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 below.

JP 2000-306988

  In such a substrate storage container, in a factory, a plurality of substrate storage containers are transported in different forms for various processes and for various specifications. For this reason, the worker may need to recognize the process and the type of specification in each substrate storage container.

  In this case, a method of distinguishing the substrate storage container by color-coding a manual handle or the like attached to the substrate storage container, and the substrate storage container by attaching a card case or the like to the back side of the substrate storage container, for example. A method for distinguishing between them is conceivable.

  However, when a manual handle or the like is color-coded, since the material is selected according to the performance (use) of the substrate storage container, there is a disadvantage that the color of coloring is limited depending on the material. In order to eliminate this inconvenience, a complicated configuration cannot be avoided. Further, when a card case or the like is attached, there is a problem that the card case can be seen only from the back side of the substrate storage container, for example, and the substrate storage container cannot be identified depending on the position of the operator.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a substrate storage container configured so that the substrate storage container can be easily distinguished even when viewed from different directions, despite a simple configuration. There is to do.

  In the present invention, the identification plate can be viewed from different directions by disposing the identification plate on a ridge line portion which is a boundary portion between adjacent outer wall surfaces of the container main body.

The present invention is grasped by the configuration shown below.
(1) A substrate storage container according to the present invention is a substrate storage container having a container main body that has an opening and stores a substrate through the opening, and a lid that closes the opening of the container main body. The first identification plate colored on the ridge line portion between the first outer wall surface and the second outer wall surface adjacent to the first outer wall surface is extended to the first outer wall surface side and the second outer wall surface side. It has a width and is detachably attached.
(2) In the substrate storage container according to the present invention, in the configuration of (1), the first outer wall surface is left and right side wall surfaces when the container body is viewed from the opening side, and the second outer wall surface Is a back side wall surface.

(3) The substrate storage container of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of (2), the first identification plate extends and is attached to the top wall side of the container body.
(4) In the substrate storage container of the present invention, in the configuration of (1), the ridge portion of the container body to which the first identification plate is attached is R-processed, and the identification plate is curved along the R-processed surface. It is characterized by being formed.
(5) The substrate storage container of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of (1), the first identification plate is formed with a locking piece that is locked to a locking portion formed on the container body. And
(6) The substrate storage container of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of (1), a second identification plate is detachably attached to the outer wall surface of the lid.
(7) The substrate storage container of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of (6), the second identification plate is formed with a protruding piece that is locked to the lid.

  According to the substrate storage container of the present invention, the substrate storage container can be easily distinguished even when viewed from different directions, despite the simple configuration.

It is the perspective view which looked at the board | substrate storage container (with the identification plate attached) of this invention from the upper back side. It is the figure which expanded and showed the part of the round frame A of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the identification plate by the board | substrate storage container drawn corresponding to FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the back surface of an identification plate. It is the perspective view which looked at the substrate storage container of the present invention from the upper front side. It is a top view which shows the identification plate (2nd identification plate) attached to the cover body of a substrate storage container. It is sectional drawing which shows the state at the time of attaching the 2nd identification plate to the cover body of a substrate storage container. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of the board | substrate storage container of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same number is assigned to the same element throughout the description of the embodiment.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a substrate storage container 100 called a front open box type, for example, and is a perspective view seen from the upper back side. A substrate storage container 100 shown in FIG. 1 can store a large substrate made of a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm, for example.

  In FIG. 1, a substrate storage container 100 is first composed of a container body 3 and a lid body 4 that closes an opening (not shown) formed in front of the container body 3.

  A plurality of substrates (not shown) are accommodated in the container body 4 through the openings. Each substrate is arranged in a horizontal state with a certain interval in the height direction. For this reason, a pair of support portions (not shown) for supporting the peripheral edge of each substrate by the groove portions are attached to the inner left and right inner surfaces as viewed from the opening side of the container body 4.

  The lid 4 is disposed so as to close the opening of the container body 3 after the substrate is stored in the container body 3, and the key is placed in the pair of key holes 4 </ b> A and 4 </ b> B (see FIG. 5) formed on the surface. The container body 3 is locked by being inserted and rotated. The lid 4 has a pair of locking mechanisms (not shown) built in, and these locking mechanisms are locked to a part of the periphery of the opening of the container body 3 in conjunction with the operation of each key. Is provided and configured. Further, a sealing gasket (not shown) is provided at a location where the lid 4 comes into contact with the container body 3, and when the container body 3 and the lid 4 are locked, the container body 3 is sealed by the gasket. And the lid 4 are kept airtight.

  In addition, a front retainer (not shown) is provided on the back surface of the lid body 4, and the front retainer is configured to include an elastic piece that holds the substrate by individually contacting the front periphery of each substrate. Yes. The positions of the substrates are regulated between the front retainer and the wall surface (stopper) of the support part that regulates the peripheral edge on the back side.

  A robotic flange 7 is attached to the top wall UW of the container body 3 as shown in FIG. The robotic flange 7 is gripped by a transport mechanism installed in the factory so that the substrate storage container 100 can be transported to the ceiling. A positioning V-groove 7 a for positioning with the transport mechanism is formed around the robotic flange 7.

  Side forklift flanges 5 extending from the opening (lid 4) side to the back side are attached to the left and right side wall surfaces SW1 and SW2 viewed from the opening (lid 4) side of the container body 2. The side forklift flange 5 is gripped by a transport mechanism installed in the factory so that the substrate storage container 100 can be lifted. A positioning V-groove 6 is formed around the side forklift flange 5 for positioning with the transport mechanism.

  Although not clearly shown in FIG. 1, a bottom plate 10 is attached to the bottom surface of the container body 3. The bottom plate 10 is guided to a processing device or the like for processing the substrate by a transport mechanism installed in the factory, and can be positioned and arranged on the processing device or the like. Thereby, the back surface of the bottom plate 10 is provided with, for example, a conveyor rail, an identification hole, a fixing through hole, and a positioning mechanism.

  And in this Embodiment 1, the ridgeline part used as the boundary of side wall surface SW1 and back wall surface BW of the container main body 3 is comprised as a curved surface by which R process was carried out, for example. Further, an identification plate 1A is detachably attached to a ridge line portion between the side wall surface SW1 and the back wall surface BW. The identification plate 1A is colored in a predetermined color, and the process of the substrate storage container 100 and the type of specification can be distinguished by recognizing this color. 1 A of identification plates are comprised from the board | plate material which has an edge on each of the ceiling wall surface UW side and bottom face side of the container main body 3, and becomes the shape curved along the R process surface of the said ridgeline part. Further, the identification plate 1A has a width extending to each side of the side wall surface SW1 and the back wall surface BW. Thereby, even when the worker views the substrate storage container 100 from the side wall surface SW1 side or from the back wall surface BW side, the identification plate 1A can be viewed.

  Similarly, the ridge line part which becomes the boundary between the side wall surface SW2 of the container body 3 and the back wall surface BW is also configured as, for example, a curved surface subjected to R processing. Furthermore, the identification plate 1B is also detachably attached to the ridge line portions of the side wall surface SW2 and the back wall surface BW. The identification plate 1 </ b> B is made of a plate material having end sides on the top wall UW side and the bottom surface side of the container main body 3, and has a shape curved along the R processing surface of the ridge line portion. Further, the identification plate 1B has a width extending to each side of the side wall surface SW2 and the back wall surface BW. Thereby, even when the worker views the substrate storage container 100 from the side wall surface SW2 side or from the back wall surface BW side, the identification plate 1B can be viewed.

  The identification plates 1A and 1B (which may be referred to as a first identification plate with respect to an identification plate 1C described later) are detachably attached to the container body 3 as described above. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the identification plates 1A and 1B are removed from the container body 3 in the substrate storage container 100 drawn corresponding to FIG. In FIG. 3, for example, four locking portions 12 are formed in the vicinity of the attachment positions of the identification plates 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B of the container body 3. For example, two locking portions 12 are provided on the side wall surface SW1 side and two on the back wall surface BW side in the vicinity of the attachment position of the identification plate 1A.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the identification plate 1A removed from the substrate storage container 100 as viewed from the back surface (surface facing the container body 3). In FIG. 4, the identification plate 1 </ b> A is provided with a locking piece 16 on the side in the longitudinal direction. These locking pieces 16 are formed at locations corresponding to the locking portions 12, respectively, and are formed to engage with the locking portions 12. Detailed configurations of the locking portion 12 and the locking piece 16 will be described later with reference to FIG. Further, on the back surface of the identification plate 1A, for example, three support ribs 15a arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction are formed, and these support ribs 15a are used when the identification plate 1A is attached to the container body 3. It fits into a long hole 15b (see FIG. 3) formed on the main body 3 side.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the portion of the round frame A in FIG. 1, and shows an engaged state between the locking piece 16 of the identification plate 1 </ b> A and the locking portion 12 of the container body 3. In FIG. 2, the locking piece 16 of the identification plate 1A is formed so as to protrude from the side of the identification plate 1A. Further, the locking piece 16 is formed so as to increase in height from the distal end to the base end side with respect to the identification plate 1A (an inclined surface is formed on the surface side), and the height in the vicinity of the identification plate 1A. It has a stepped portion (detent portion) that rapidly decreases.

  That is, the locking piece 16 is formed in a wedge shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the locking portion 12 of the container body 3 is formed as a rib having a through hole into which the locking piece 16 of the identification plate 1A is inserted. When the locking piece 16 is inserted into the through hole of the locking portion 12 from the tip, the stepped portion (detent portion) formed on the locking piece 16 is brought into contact with the side wall of the locking portion 12. The locking piece 16 is configured so as not to easily come off the locking portion 12. When removing the identification plate 1A from the container main body 3, the tip of the locking piece 16 protruding from the locking portion 12 may be slightly pressed toward the container main body 3 side. This is because the contact between the step of the locking piece 16 and the side wall of the locking portion 12 is released. By adopting such an attachment structure of the identification plates 1A and 1B to the container body 3, the attachment and detachment of the identification plates 1A and 1B to the container body 3 can be facilitated, and there is an effect that attachment without rattling can be achieved.

The identification plates 1A and 1B can be made of, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as polycarbonate, polypropylene, polybutene terephthalate, polyether ether ketone, polyacetal, cycloolefin polymer, or polyetherimide. These thermoplastic resins can be formed by coloring the identification plate for each of a plurality of colors by adding various colorants. By attaching the colored identification plates 1A and 1B to the substrate storage container 100, the process of the substrate storage container 100 or the type of specification can be easily distinguished by identifying the color.
(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing another embodiment 3 of the substrate storage container of the present invention, and is a perspective view of the substrate storage container 100 as viewed from the upper front side.

  5, for example, as shown in the first embodiment, the substrate storage container 100 is disposed on the ridge line portion of the side wall surface SW1 and the back wall surface BW of the container body 3, and on the ridge line portion of the side wall surface SW2 and the back wall surface BW. The identification plate 1A and the identification plate 1B are detachably attached, respectively.

  Then, for example, a rectangular recess 23 is formed in a substantially central part of the surface (outer wall surface) of the lid 4, and an identification plate 1 </ b> C (a second identification plate with respect to the identification plates 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B) Is stored). The identification plate 1C is formed, for example, in the same color as the identification plate 1A and the identification plate 1B. For example, the identification plate 1C is made of the same material as the identification plate 1A and the identification plate 1B.

  In this case, the worker can not only identify the identification plate 1C when the substrate storage container 100 is viewed not only from each side of the side wall surfaces SW1 and SW2 and the back wall surface BW but also from the front surface (lid body 4) side. It can be visually confirmed, and the process or specification type of the substrate storage container 100 can be easily distinguished by identifying the color of the identification plate 1C. When the substrate storage container 100 is stored in a storage rack or the like, the substrate storage container 100 is normally stored with the lid 4 side facing forward. In this case, the worker can easily confirm the identification plate 1C attached to the substrate storage container 100 from the front side, and can easily distinguish the substrate storage container 100.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the identification plate 1 </ b> C taken out from the substrate storage container 100. The identification plate 1C has, for example, a rectangular shape having a long side in the horizontal direction. Each of the short sides has, for example, two protruding pieces 27, and each protruding piece 27 has a through hole 28 formed therein. .

  7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. The identification plate 1 </ b> C is housed in the recess 23 of the lid body 4, and the protruding piece 27 is positioned on the back side of the lid body 4 through the hole 22 formed in the side wall surface of the recess 23. Yes. A cylindrical projection 24 that can be fitted into the through hole 28 of the protruding piece 27 is formed on the back side of the lid 4. The cylindrical protrusion 24 is formed with a relatively small height.

The discriminating plate 1C made of flexibility is housed in the concave portion 23 of the lid body 4 while being bent so that the cylindrical projection 24 is fitted into the through hole 28 of the protruding piece 27 so that it does not easily come off. Become. When the identification plate 1C is removed from the lid body 4, the identification plate 1C may be removed while being curved. Thereby, the engagement piece 26 of the identification plate 1 </ b> C is released from the fitting with the cylindrical protrusion 24.
(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment 3 of the substrate storage container of the present invention, and is a diagram drawn in association with FIG.

  In FIG. 8, the difference from the case of FIG. 1 is that, in each of the identification plates 1A and 1B, an extending portion 1Q is provided that extends the end on the top wall UW side to the top wall UW. . Accordingly, even when the worker views the substrate storage container 100 from the top wall UW side, the coloring of the identification plates 1A and 1B can be easily grasped.

  In FIG. 8, each of the identification plates 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B is configured by a plurality of divided plates with respect to the length direction of the ridge line portion of the container body 3. Thereby, reduction of the material of identification plate 1A, 1B etc. can be aimed at. Further, different colors may be colored on the plurality of divided plates, and the process and specifications of the substrate storage container 100 may be distinguished according to the combination of the colors. When the identification plate 1A or 1B is divided into a plurality of parts along the same ridge line portion of the container body 3 as described above, the identification plate 1A or 1B is not extended to the top wall UW. However, it goes without saying that it is applicable.

Furthermore, the identification plates 1A and 1B do not need to be configured as a plate having a large length extending from one end to the other end of the ridge line portion, and are configured as a plate having a small length in a part in the length direction of the ridge line portion You may make it do.
(Embodiment 4)
In the embodiment described above, the identification plate 1A or 1B is attached to the ridge line portion between the back wall surface BW of the container body 3 and the side wall surfaces SW1 and SW2. However, it is not limited to this, You may make it attach to another ridgeline part. That is, it may be configured to be attached at a ridge line portion between the side wall surfaces SW1 and SW2 and the top wall surface UW or a ridge line portion between the side wall surfaces SW1 and SW2 and the bottom surface.
(Embodiment 5)
In the embodiment described above, a substrate storage container capable of storing a large substrate made of a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm, for example, has been described. However, it is needless to say that the size of the semiconductor wafer is not limited. Further, the substrate is not limited to a semiconductor wafer, and it is needless to say that it may be another substrate such as a mask glass.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, it cannot be overemphasized that the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiments. Further, it is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

100 ... Substrate storage container, 1A, 1B ... Identification plate, 1Q ... Extension part (extension part of identification plate), 3 ... Container body, 4 ... Cover body, 4A, 4B ... Key hole, 5 ... Side forklift flange, 6 ... V-groove for positioning, 7 ... Robotech flange, 7a ... V-groove for positioning, 12 ... Locking portion, 15a ... Support rib, 15b ... Long hole, 16 ... ... locking piece, 10 ... bottom plate, 15A ... bearing rib, 15B ... long hole, 22 ... hole, 23 ... recess, 24 ... cylindrical projection, 27 ... projecting piece, 28 ... through hole , UW: Top wall surface, SW1, SW2: Side wall surface, BW: Back wall surface.

Claims (4)

A substrate storage container having a container body that has an opening and stores a substrate through the opening, and a lid that closes the opening of the container body,
The ridge line portion between the first outer wall surface that is the left and right side wall surfaces when the container body is viewed from the opening side and the second outer wall surface that is the back side wall surface adjacent to the first outer wall surface is R-processed ,
Bending the first identification plate colored attached to the ridge along the R processing surface of the ridge portion so as to have a first outer wall surface and said the extended width to the second outer wall surface The shape was made
The first identification plate has locking pieces formed to protrude from the side on both sides along the ridge line portion of the first identification plate,
The first outer wall surface and the second outer wall surface are formed with ribs having through holes into which the locking pieces are inserted in order to detachably attach the first identification plate to the ridge line portion,
A plurality of said 1st identification plates are attached to the said ridgeline part so that attachment or detachment is possible, The board | substrate storage container characterized by the above-mentioned . The first identification plate, the substrate storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that mounted is extended on the top wall surface of the container body. Substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second identification plate is detachably attached to the outer wall surface of the lid. The substrate storage container according to claim 3 , wherein the second identification plate is formed with a protruding piece that is locked to the lid.

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