JP5441797B2 - Retainer and substrate storage container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a retainer and a substrate storage container used for storing, storing, transporting, transporting, etc., a substrate made of a semiconductor wafer, a glass wafer, or the like.

  Although not shown, the conventional substrate storage container includes a container main body for arranging and storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers in an up-and-down manner, and a lid that opens and closes the front surface of the container main body. A front retainer for holding a plurality of semiconductor wafers is mounted on the back surface (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The container body is formed in a front open box having a front opening and functions to horizontally store a semiconductor wafer having a thickness defined by the SEMI standard. The front retainer includes a retainer body that is mounted on the back surface of the lid and faces the semiconductor wafer, and the retainer body has a plurality of elastic holding pieces that hold the front peripheral edges of the plurality of semiconductor wafers with holding grooves. An array is formed. Each elastic holding piece is formed in a wire having elasticity, and a holding groove is cut out at a tip portion thereof. The holding groove is adjusted to a dimension corresponding to the standard thickness of the semiconductor wafer from the viewpoint of preventing the rotation of the semiconductor wafer.

  The substrate storage container having such a configuration is positioned and mounted on a load port device of a processing apparatus installed in a local clean environment in a semiconductor component production process, and after the lid is removed from the container body, The semiconductor wafer stored in the container body is taken in and out, and various processing and processing are sequentially performed.

  By the way, in a semiconductor production factory, after accepting a semiconductor wafer having a standard thickness, various processes are performed in order to form an electronic circuit on the surface of the semiconductor wafer within the production process. Generally, a semiconductor wafer having substantially the same dimensions is used until an electronic circuit is formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, and the back surface of the semiconductor wafer is back-ground and thinned to correspond to the thickness of the semiconductor component. A semiconductor component is produced by cutting a thin semiconductor wafer into pieces. In this case, a semiconductor component can be produced using a substrate storage container having a front retainer of the same specification.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-320028 JP 2006-332261 A

  However, when producing special semiconductor parts, a semiconductor wafer with a laminated structure is formed by attaching another semiconductor wafer to a semiconductor wafer that is being processed, and the semiconductor wafer with this laminated structure is supplied to the next process. A method may be adopted.

  In this case, the thickness of the laminated semiconductor wafer is increased by attaching another semiconductor wafer, so if the conventional front retainer is used to hold the laminated semiconductor wafer, the center of the semiconductor wafer in the thickness direction will shift. Become. As a result, a semiconductor wafer having a laminated structure cannot be appropriately held, and there is a problem that the semiconductor wafer rotates or is displaced.

  As a means to solve such problems, a method of using a dedicated front retainer that can hold a semiconductor wafer having a laminated structure can be considered. However, if this is done, a standard normal front retainer and a dedicated front retainer are produced. It must be exchanged according to the method, and there is a risk of complicating and complicating the work. In addition, since a dedicated front retainer must be prepared in advance, the number of parts increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides a retainer and a substrate storage container that can hold a plurality of substrates having different thicknesses and can prevent complicated and complicated operations and an increase in the number of components. The purpose is to do.

In the present invention, in order to solve the above problem, a retainer capable of holding the first and second substrates having different thicknesses,
The first substrate is a semiconductor wafer, and the second substrate is a laminated semiconductor wafer in which a plurality of substrates are bonded,
A retainer body facing the first and second substrates, a first elastic holding piece provided on the retainer body and holding the peripheral edge of the first substrate by a holding groove, and a retainer body provided with a second And a second elastic holding piece for holding the peripheral edge of the substrate by the holding groove, the holding groove of the second elastic holding piece is formed wider than the holding groove of the first elastic holding piece, and the second elasticity The center position of the holding groove of the holding piece is formed to be higher than the center position of the holding groove of the first elastic holding piece .

The length of the second elastic holding piece can be made shorter than the length of the first elastic holding piece.
The holding groove of the first elastic holding piece is formed in a substantially V-shaped cross section, the holding groove of the second elastic holding piece is formed in a substantially trapezoidal cross section, and the holding groove of the second elastic holding piece is the second When holding the peripheral edge of the second substrate, the peripheral edge of the second substrate can be guided in the holding groove of the first elastic holding piece.

  In addition, the retainer body is constructed by installing a pair of horizontal beams between a pair of vertical beams facing each other with a space therebetween, and by linking a pair of horizontal beams with a space between them and a connecting beam between them. It is possible to form and provide a first elastic holding piece on the vertical beam and a second elastic holding piece on the connecting beam.

  In addition, the retainer body is formed by installing a pair of horizontal beams between a pair of vertical beams facing each other with a space therebetween, and by causing the pair of horizontal beams to face each other with a space therebetween. It is possible to alternately provide a plurality of first and second elastic holding pieces and to impart flexibility in the height direction to the plurality of first and second elastic holding pieces.

Further, in the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a container main body capable of storing the first and second substrates having different thicknesses vertically and stored substantially horizontally, and a lid for opening and closing the opening of the container main body, With
The retainer according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is attached to opposing surfaces of the lid that face the first and second substrates.

Here, the first and second substrates having different thicknesses in the claims include semiconductor wafers of at least φ200 , 300 , and 450 mm. The retainer main body of the retainer may be a plate or a frame. The first and second elastic holding pieces are not particularly limited. The first elastic holding piece includes a first elastic piece extending from the vertical rail toward the first and second substrates, and is opposed to the first elastic piece and the peripheral edge of the first and second semiconductor wafers. Preferably, a holding block is formed, and a holding groove is cut out in the holding block.

  The second elastic holding piece includes a second elastic piece extending from the connecting beam or the vertical beam to the first and second substrate directions, and the second elastic piece includes a peripheral edge of the first and second semiconductor wafers. It is preferable that a holding block facing the portion is formed, and a holding groove is cut out in the holding block. These holding grooves of the first and second elastic holding pieces preferably have different center positions in the height direction. Furthermore, the container body may be transparent, opaque, or translucent.

  According to the present invention, when the peripheral portions of the first and second substrates approach the retainer, the first elastic holding piece brings the holding grooves into contact with the peripheral portions of the first and second substrates, and the holding grooves The peripheral edge portions of the first and second substrates are guided to the valley portion. The second elastic holding piece makes the holding groove approach the peripheral edge portions of the first and second substrates, and makes the holding groove face the peripheral edge portions of the first and second substrates with a gap.

  When the peripheral portion of the first and second substrates and the retainer further approach each other, the first elastic holding piece causes the holding groove to position and hold the peripheral portion of the first substrate in the vicinity of the valley portion of the holding groove. Guide and contact the peripheral edge of the second substrate. The second elastic holding piece guides the peripheral edge portions of the first and second substrates to the valley portions of the holding grooves, and positions and holds the peripheral edge portion of the second substrate.

According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately hold a plurality of substrates having different thicknesses, and to effectively prevent complicated and complicated operations and an increase in the number of parts. Also, since the first substrate is a semiconductor wafer and the second substrate is a laminated semiconductor wafer in which a plurality of substrates are bonded, the peripheral edge of the laminated semiconductor wafer is appropriately held in the holding groove of the second elastic holding piece. be able to. Therefore, the center of the laminated semiconductor wafer in the thickness direction is hardly displaced, and the laminated semiconductor wafer can be effectively prevented from rotating or being displaced. Moreover, since it is not necessary to use a dedicated retainer capable of holding the laminated semiconductor wafer, it is possible to save the trouble of replacing the dedicated retainer according to the production method.

In addition, the shape and width of the holding grooves of the first and second elastic holding pieces are different, and the holding groove of the second elastic holding piece is wide, so that the front peripheral edge of the laminated semiconductor wafer is properly and stably placed in this holding groove. Can be held. Therefore, the center of the laminated semiconductor wafer in the thickness direction is not shifted, and the laminated semiconductor wafer is effectively prevented from rotating or misaligned to generate particles and contaminating the first and second semiconductor wafers. can do.

  Also, if the length of the second elastic holding piece is made shorter than the length of the first elastic holding piece, the holding force of the second elastic holding piece can be increased. Even if it is thicker than the first substrate, the second substrate can be appropriately held.

  In addition, when the retainer body is installed with a pair of horizontal beams between a pair of vertical beams facing each other with a gap therebetween, and with a pair of horizontal beams facing each other with a gap between them, a connecting beam is installed between them. The strength and rigidity of the retainer body can be improved. Further, if the first elastic holding piece is provided on the vertical beam and the second elastic holding piece is provided on the connecting beam, the first and second elastic holding pieces can be arranged at different locations.

  In addition, the retainer body is formed by installing a pair of horizontal beams between a pair of vertical beams facing each other with a space therebetween, and by causing the pair of horizontal beams to face each other with a space therebetween. If a plurality of first and second elastic holding pieces are alternately arranged, the connecting bar can be omitted and the structure of the retainer body can be simplified. Furthermore, even if the holding grooves of the first and second elastic holding pieces are displaced in the height direction, the first and second elastic holding pieces can be bent in the height direction to follow the displaced positions. Therefore, stable holding of the first and second substrates having different thicknesses can be expected.

It is an exploded perspective explanatory view showing typically an embodiment of a retainer and a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. It is front explanatory drawing which shows typically the front retainer in embodiment of the retainer which concerns on this invention. It is an expansion front explanatory view showing typically the front retainer lower part in the embodiment of the retainer concerning the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. It is a section explanatory view showing typically the positional relation of the holding groove of the 1st and 2nd elastic holding piece in the embodiment of the retainer concerning the present invention. It is a section explanatory view showing typically the state where a lid body adjoined and opposed to the front of a container main part in an embodiment of a retainer and a substrate storage container concerning the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the first semiconductor wafer is held by the holding blocks of the first and second elastic holding pieces in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is an explanatory cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the second semiconductor wafer is held by the holding blocks of the first and second elastic holding pieces in FIG. 6. It is a section explanatory view showing typically the state where the lid was press-fitted in the front of the container body in the embodiment of the retainer and the substrate storage container according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the first semiconductor wafer is held by the holding blocks of the first and second elastic holding pieces in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the second semiconductor wafer is held by the holding blocks of the first and second elastic holding pieces in FIG. 9. It is a section explanatory view showing typically the state where the lid pressed in the front of the container main part in the embodiment of the retainer and substrate storage container concerning the present invention was locked by the locking mechanism. FIG. 13 is an explanatory cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the first semiconductor wafer is held by the holding blocks of the first and second elastic holding pieces in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is an explanatory cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the second semiconductor wafer is held by the holding blocks of the first and second elastic holding pieces in FIG. 12. It is an expansion front explanatory view showing typically the upper part of the front retainer in the 2nd embodiment of the retainer concerning the present invention. It is a section explanatory view showing typically the section of the 1st and 2nd elastic maintenance piece in a 2nd embodiment of a retainer concerning the present invention. It is sectional explanatory drawing which shows typically the other cross section of the 1st, 2nd elastic holding piece in 2nd Embodiment of the retainer which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 14, the substrate storage container in the present embodiment includes a plurality of first and second semiconductor wafers having different thicknesses. A container body 1 that stores W1 and W2 in an aligned manner and a detachable lid body 20 that opens and closes an open front surface 2 of the container body 1 is provided, and the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 of the lid body 20 are provided. A front retainer 40 capable of elastically holding the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 is mounted on the back surface 23 facing W2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 are made of, for example, a silicon wafer, and the first semiconductor wafer W1 is a semiconductor wafer having a standard thickness of φ300 mm. The first semiconductor wafer W1 is formed to a thickness of 775 μm in the case of the φ300 mm type. On the other hand, the second semiconductor wafer W2 is a φ300 mm laminated semiconductor wafer in which another first semiconductor wafer W1 is bonded to the thin first semiconductor wafer W1 that is being processed and laminated. The thickness is about twice that of the semiconductor wafer W1.

  The container body 1 and the lid body 20 are each formed by combining a plurality of parts by injection molding a plurality of parts from a molding material containing a predetermined resin. Examples of the predetermined resin of the molding material include polycarbonate, polyether ether ketone, polyether imide, polybutylene terephthalate, polyacetal, liquid crystal polymer, and cyclic olefin resin that are excellent in mechanical properties and heat resistance. Carbon, carbon fiber, metal fiber, carbon nanotube, conductive polymer, antistatic agent, flame retardant or the like is selectively added to the predetermined resin as necessary.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the container body 1 is formed in a front open box type having an opening in the front surface 2, and is positioned on the load port device of the processing apparatus with the opened horizontally long front surface 2 facing in the horizontal horizontal direction. Or is washed with a cleaning solution in a cleaning tank. A pair of left and right support pieces 4 for horizontally supporting the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 are provided on both inner sides of the container body 1, that is, on the inner surfaces of both side walls 3, and the pair of support pieces. 4 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction of the container body 1.

  Each support piece 4 is curved, for example, in a plane semi-circular arc shape, and functions to position and horizontally support the peripheral edges of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2. A plurality of positioning tools for positioning the substrate storage container, specifically, the container main body 1 with high accuracy, are arranged on both sides of the front portion and the rear center of the bottom plate 5 of the container main body 1.

  A bottom plate 6 that exposes a plurality of positioning tools is horizontally screwed to the bottom plate 5 of the container body 1. The bottom plate 6 is provided with a plurality of identification holes, and a detachable information identification pad is selectively inserted into the plurality of identification holes, so that the type of the substrate storage container and the first and second semiconductors The number of wafers W1 and W2 and the like are identified by a processing apparatus or the like.

  The top plate 7 of the container main body 1 is horizontally mounted with a transport top flange 8 gripped by a factory ceiling transport mechanism, and a finger or the like can interfere with the outer surfaces of the side walls 3 of the container main body 1. A grip portion 9 that can be mounted is mounted. In addition, a plurality of locking holes 10 for the lid 20 are formed in the inner peripheral edge of the front surface 2 of the container body 1 at intervals. A rear retainer and a rear support for holding the rear periphery of the semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 are selectively formed as necessary.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the lid 20 includes a horizontally long casing 21 that fits in the open front surface 2 of the container body 1, a surface plate 25 that covers the open front face of the casing 21, and these casings. A locking mechanism 27 interposed between the body 21 and the surface plate 25 is provided, and is attached and detached by a lid opening / closing device of the load port device. The casing 21 of the lid body 20 is basically formed in a shallow cross-sectional plate shape having a frame-shaped peripheral wall, and through holes 22 for the locking mechanism 27 are formed on both upper and lower sides of the peripheral wall. The through holes 22 are opposed to the locking holes 10 of the container body 1.

  A frame-shaped fitting groove is formed in the peripheral portion of the back surface 23 of the housing 21, and a gasket 24 that is pressed into the front surface 2 of the container body 1 is tightly fitted in the fitting groove. The gasket 24 has a frame shape that can be elastically deformed using, for example, fluoro rubber, silicone rubber, various thermoplastic elastomers (for example, olefin-based, polyester-based, polystyrene-based, etc.) having excellent heat resistance, weather resistance, and the like as molding materials. Molded.

  The surface plate 25 is formed in a horizontally long flat plate corresponding to the open front of the housing 21, and operation ports 26 for the locking mechanism 27 are formed in the left and right sides, respectively, and the lid opening / closing device of the load port device An operation key is inserted after being installed in the. The locking mechanism 27 slides up and down as the pair of left and right rotating plates 28 are rotated by operating keys of the lid opening / closing device penetrating the operation opening 26 of the surface plate 25 and each rotating plate 28 rotates. A plurality of slide plates 29 and a plurality of locking claws 30 that protrude from the through holes 22 of the housing 21 and are locked to the locking holes 10 of the container body 1 as the slide plates 29 slide are configured. .

  The front retainer 40 is molded from a predetermined molding material such as polyether ether ketone, polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene naphthalate, polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 and the like, the front retainer 40 is detachably mounted on the housing rear surface 23 of the lid 20 so as to face the plurality of first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2. A retainer body 41, a plurality of first elastic holding pieces 46 provided on the retainer body 41 and horizontally holding the front peripheral edge of the first semiconductor wafer W1 by the holding grooves 49, and the retainer body 41 are provided. A plurality of second elastic holding pieces 50 that hold the front peripheral edge of the second semiconductor wafer W2 horizontally with the holding grooves 53 are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 4, and 6, the retainer main body 41 has horizontal bars 43 that are horizontally installed between upper and lower ends of a pair of left and right vertical bars 42 that face each other at intervals. A connecting rail 44 for securing rigidity extending in the vertical direction is provided between the center portions of the pair of upper and lower opposed horizontal rails 43, and each vertical rail 42 is bent in the thickness direction of the lid body 20. The first elastic holding pieces 46 are integrally formed one above the other at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of second elastic holding pieces 50 that are bent in the thickness direction of the lid 20 are respectively formed on both sides of the connecting bar 44. They are integrally formed side by side at a predetermined interval.

  The plurality of vertical bars 42 and the horizontal bars 43 are each formed in a substantially rectangular cross section, and at least the vertical bars 42 are integrally formed with a plurality of attachment pieces 45 with respect to the housing rear surface 23 of the lid 20 at intervals. The Further, the first and second elastic holding pieces 46 and 50 are formed shorter than the first elastic holding piece 46 from the viewpoint of increasing the holding force of the second elastic holding piece 50, and the first and second semiconductors Deforms following the height position of the wafers W1 and W2.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6, each first elastic holding piece 46 is in the form of a plate while being inclined from the vertical beam 42 toward the first and second semiconductor wafers W 1 and W 2 and the connecting beam 44. The first elastic piece 47 extending in the direction is provided, and a holding block 48 that is opposed to the front peripheral edge of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 is integrally formed at the tip of the first elastic piece 47. A holding groove 49 having a substantially V-shaped cross section is cut out in the holding block 48.

  The holding groove 49 having a substantially V-shaped cross section sandwiches the front peripheral edge of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 with a pair of opposed slopes, and is thin in the narrow sharp valley portion 49a. It functions to position and hold the front edge of the front and rear.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6, each second elastic holding piece 50 is a plate inclined from the side surface of the connecting bar 44 toward the first and second semiconductor wafers W 1 and W 2 and the vertical bar 42. A second elastic piece 51 extending in the form of a piece is provided, and a holding block 52 is formed integrally with the front edge of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 at the tip of the second elastic piece 51. A holding groove 53 having a substantially trapezoidal cross section is cut out in the holding block 52.

  The holding groove 53 having a substantially trapezoidal cross section sandwiches the front peripheral edges of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 with a pair of opposed slopes, and is wider and flatter than the holding groove 49 of the first elastic holding piece 46. It functions to loosely fit the front peripheral edge of the first semiconductor wafer W1 to the trough 53a and to position and hold the front peripheral edge of the thick second semiconductor wafer W2.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the holding grooves 49 and 53 of the first and second elastic holding pieces 46 and 50 have a second elastic holding piece 50 that is more than the center position of the holding groove 49 of the first elastic holding piece 46. The center position of the holding groove 53 is set to be slightly higher.

  In the above configuration, when the lid 20 is fitted to the open front surface 2 of the container body 1 in which the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 are aligned and stored, and closed in a sealed state, as shown in FIG. First, the lid 20 is opposed to the front surface 2 of the container body 1 in the proximity of the lid opening / closing device of the load port device, and the front retainer 40 is disposed on the front peripheral edges of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2. Approaches.

  At this time, the first elastic holding piece 46 is brought into sliding contact with the inclined surface of the holding groove 49 approaching the front peripheral edge of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2, and contacts the deepest valley portion 49a of the holding groove 49. The front periphery of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 is guided (see FIG. 7). On the other hand, the second elastic holding piece 50 makes the holding groove 53 close to the front peripheral edges of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2, but does not make sliding contact, and makes the holding groove 53 the first and second. The semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 are opposed to each other with a slight gap on the front periphery (see FIG. 8).

  When the lid 20 is close to and faces the open front 2 of the container body 1, the lid 20 is press-fitted into the open front 2 of the container main body 1 by the lid opening / closing device of the load port device. The front retainer 40 further approaches the front peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafers W1 and W2, and the first and second elastic holding pieces 46 and 50 are brought into contact with the container body 1 as the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 are pressed. Are respectively deformed in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 9).

  At this time, the first elastic holding piece 46 is positioned in the vertical direction by bringing the front peripheral edge of the first semiconductor wafer W1 into contact with the sharp valley portion 49a of the holding groove 49, and at the same time, the valley portion 49a of the holding groove 49. The front periphery of the second semiconductor wafer W2 is guided and brought into contact with the vicinity (see FIG. 10). The second elastic holding piece 50 is in sliding contact with the inclined surface of the holding groove 53 approaching the front peripheral edges of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2, and the deepest flat valley portion 53a of the holding groove 53 is formed. Next, the front peripheral edges of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 are guided, and the front peripheral edges of the second semiconductor wafer W2 are positioned in the vertical direction (see FIG. 11).

  When the lid 20 is press-fitted by the lid opening / closing device, the locking mechanism 27 of the lid 20 is operated to lock the lid opening / closing device, so that the lid 20 is fitted to the front surface 2 of the container body 1 and sealed. (See FIG. 12).

  At this time, the first elastic holding piece 46 is positioned with high accuracy in the vertical direction by tightly fitting the front peripheral edge of the first semiconductor wafer W1 to the valley portion 49a of the holding groove 49, and at the same time, the valley of the holding groove 49. The front periphery of the second semiconductor wafer W2 is brought into contact with the vicinity of the portion (see FIG. 13). The second elastic holding piece 50 brings the front peripheral edge of the first semiconductor wafer W1 into contact with the flat valley portion 53a of the holding groove 53 and closely fits the front peripheral edge of the second semiconductor wafer W2. Thus, it is positioned with high accuracy in the vertical direction (see FIG. 14).

  According to the above configuration, the shape and width of the holding grooves 49 and 53 of the first and second elastic holding pieces 46 and 50 are different, and the valley portion 53a of the holding groove 53 of the second elastic holding piece 50 is wide and flat. The front periphery of the second semiconductor wafer W2 having the laminated structure can be appropriately and stably held in the valley portion 53a of the holding groove 53. Therefore, the center of the second semiconductor wafer W2 in the thickness direction is not shifted, and the second semiconductor wafer W2 is rotated or displaced to generate particles, and the first and second semiconductor wafers W1,. It is possible to effectively prevent W2 from being contaminated.

  In addition, since there is no need to use a dedicated front retainer 40 capable of holding the second semiconductor wafer W2 or a substrate storage container having a different specification, a standard normal front retainer 40 and a dedicated front retainer 40 are produced. The trouble of exchanging according to the system can be saved reliably. Therefore, there is no risk of complicating or complicating the work, and a reduction in the number of parts can be greatly expected.

  Next, FIGS. 15 to 17 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the retainer main body 41 is placed between the upper and lower ends of a pair of left and right vertical bars 42 facing each other at intervals. In addition, a pair of upper and lower horizontal rails 43 are horizontally installed, and a plurality of first and second elastic holding pieces 46 and 50 are formed in a staggered manner in the vertical direction of each vertical rail 42, specifically, The connecting bars 44 are omitted by alternately arranging every other stage.

  The first and second elastic holding pieces 46 and 50 are formed to have the same length, and are deformed following the height positions of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2. Each first elastic holding piece 46 includes a first elastic piece 47 that extends in the form of a plate piece from the vertical crosspiece 42 in the direction of another vertical crosspiece 42 adjacent to the first elastic holding piece 46. A holding block 48 facing the center of the front peripheral edge of the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 is integrally formed, and the most advanced portion extending from the tip of the first elastic piece 47 is the housing back surface 23 of the lid 20. The receiving portion 54 is supported by the receiving portion 54 and functions to maintain the holding force of the first elastic piece 47 constant.

  The first elastic piece 47 of the first elastic holding piece 46 is formed in an elongated shape, and is formed in a substantially rectangular or elliptical cross section so as to be thick in the thickness direction (height direction) as shown in FIGS. Function to bend in the height direction. The receiving portion 54 is appropriately formed with an inclined surface when it is desired to self-align the position of the first elastic holding piece 46 in the height direction.

  Each second elastic holding piece 50 includes a second elastic piece 51 extending in the form of a plate piece from the side surface of the connecting bar 44 toward the vertical bar 42, and the first elastic piece 51 has first, A holding block 52 that is opposed to the center of the front peripheral edge of the second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 is integrally formed, and the most advanced portion that extends from the tip of the second elastic piece 51 is fixed to the housing rear surface 23 of the lid 20. The receiving portion 54 is supported, and the receiving portion 54 functions to maintain the holding force of the second elastic piece 51 constant.

  The second elastic piece 51 of the second elastic holding piece 50 is formed in an elongated shape, and is formed in a substantially rectangular or elliptical cross section so as to be thick in the thickness direction (height direction) as shown in FIGS. Function to bend in the height direction. In addition, an inclined surface is appropriately formed on the receiving portion 54 when it is desired to self-align the position of the second elastic holding piece 50 in the height direction. The other parts are substantially the same as those in the above embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  Also in this embodiment, the same effect as the above embodiment can be expected, and the first and second elastic holding pieces 46 can be obtained by holding the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 having different thicknesses. Even if the 50 holding grooves 49 and 53 are shifted in the height direction, the first and second elastic holding pieces 46 and 50 can be bent in the height direction so as to follow the shifted positions. Obviously, the first and second semiconductor wafers W1 and W2 can be stably held.

  In the above-described embodiment, the positioning tools are disposed on both the front side and the rear center of the bottom plate 5 of the container body 1. However, the positioning tools are disposed on the front side and the rear center of the bottom plate 6, respectively. Also good. In the above embodiment, the second elastic holding piece 50 is shorter than the first elastic holding piece 46 from the viewpoint of increasing the holding force, but the thickness, width, etc. of the second elastic holding piece 50 are changed. The holding force may be increased.

1 Container body 2 Front (opening)
20 Lid 21 Housing 23 Back 25 Front Plate 27 Locking Mechanism 23 Back 40 Front Retainer (Retainer)
41 Retainer main body 42 Vertical beam 43 Horizontal beam 44 Connecting beam 46 First elastic holding piece 47 First elastic piece 48 Holding block 49 Holding groove 49a Valley 50 Second elastic holding piece 51 Second elastic piece 52 Holding block 53 holding groove 53a valley W1 first semiconductor wafer (first substrate)
W2 Second semiconductor wafer (second substrate)

Claims (6)

A retainer capable of holding first and second substrates having different thicknesses,
The first substrate is a semiconductor wafer, and the second substrate is a laminated semiconductor wafer in which a plurality of substrates are bonded,
A retainer body facing the first and second substrates, a first elastic holding piece provided on the retainer body and holding the peripheral edge of the first substrate by a holding groove, and a retainer body provided with a second And a second elastic holding piece for holding the peripheral edge of the substrate by the holding groove, the holding groove of the second elastic holding piece is formed wider than the holding groove of the first elastic holding piece, and the second elasticity A retainer formed so that a center position of a holding groove of a holding piece is higher than a center position of a holding groove of a first elastic holding piece . The retainer according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the second elastic holding piece is shorter than the length of the first elastic holding piece. The holding groove of the first elastic holding piece is formed in a substantially V-shaped cross section, the holding groove of the second elastic holding piece is formed in a substantially trapezoidal cross section, and the holding groove of the second elastic holding piece is the second substrate The retainer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the peripheral edge of the second substrate is guided to the holding groove of the first elastic holding piece when holding the peripheral edge of the first substrate. The retainer body is formed by installing a pair of horizontal beams between a pair of vertical beams facing each other with a space therebetween, and setting a pair of horizontal beams facing each other with a space between them and a connecting beam between them. The retainer according to claim 1, 2, or 3 , wherein the first elastic holding piece is provided on the vertical beam and the second elastic holding piece is provided on the connecting beam. The retainer body is formed by installing a pair of horizontal rails between a pair of vertical rails facing each other at an interval, and opposing the pair of horizontal rails at an interval. first, it provided side by side second elastic holding pieces alternately, the plurality of first retainer of claim 1, wherein the second elastic holding pieces in the height direction of flexibility so as to impart respectively. A substrate storage container comprising a container body capable of storing first and second substrates having different thicknesses vertically and stored substantially horizontally, and a lid for opening and closing the opening of the container body,
A substrate storage container, wherein the retainer according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is attached to opposing surfaces of the lid that oppose the first and second substrates.

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