JPH039547A - Semiconductor substrate storing container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the wafer pick-up direction to be arbitrarily set up simply by resting a cassette by a method wherein a pair of cylindrical protrusions to be a rotary holding axes for tilting a storing container by the dead weight thereof is provided on the symmetrical positions on both side surfaces of a storing guide part. CONSTITUTION:A pair of cylindrical protrusions (cassette holders 5) is provided on both side surfaces of a wafer storing guide part 1 while the segment connecting the pair of cassette holders 5 is drawn in the position not passing through the minimum region containing all centers of gravity of the whole cassette realizable during the cassette application. When a cassette to be rested is lowered as it is held by the cassette holders 5 firstly held on fixed cassette rests 6, the cassette is turned on the axis of the segment connecting the pair of cassette holders 5. At this time, the cassette is held by the other movable cassette rests 7 so that the turning of the cassette may be stopped as soon as the wafer pick-up direction makes an arbitrary angle with the horizontal surface so as to be stabilized as it is. Through these procedures, the wafer pick-up direction can be arbitrarily set up simply by resting the cassette.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a container (hereinafter referred to as a cassette) for storing a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of cassette includes a pair of opposing wafer storage guide sections 1 having wafer storage grooves 2 for storing wafers 10, and a wafer storage guide section 1, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. The wafer support section 3 supports the wafer storage guide 1 at its lower part, and a reinforcing column 4 supports the opposing wafer storage guide 1. The wafer removal direction 11 was the direction of the wafer storage groove 2.

Also, as shown in the explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 10 and 11, the wafer 1
0 could only be placed either perpendicularly (FIG. 10) or parallel (FIG. 11) to the cassette installation surface 12.

The wafer storage groove of the cassette has enough width to allow the wafers to be taken in and out, so if the cassette is transported with the wafers vertical, the wafers will swing in the grooves and be damaged. Furthermore, when the wafer is transported horizontally, the wafer may come out of the cassette. To solve this problem, a method has been adopted in which the cassette is placed on an inclined support stand.

Furthermore, when processing wafers in a manufacturing device or the like, it is often necessary to take out the wafers from the cassettes. At this time, since the wafers are taken out vertically or horizontally, it is necessary to change the orientation of the cassette. To do this, the posture can be changed by either lifting the cassette, changing its orientation, and placing it again, or by using a mechanism that changes the orientation of the support stand itself.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional cassette described above has a disadvantage in that the angle of the wafer removal direction with respect to the horizontal plane is uniquely determined by the inclination of the support base and cannot be set arbitrarily.

Another drawback is that a new mechanical mechanism is required to change the way the cassette is placed.

As a result, a disadvantage arises in that the cassettes often need to be transferred.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides a semiconductor substrate storage container in which storage guide portions having grooves on the inner surface for storing semiconductor substrates are disposed facing each other, and when the semiconductor substrate storage container is tilted by its own weight in order to change the storage posture of the semiconductor substrate. In the semiconductor substrate storage container, at least one pair of cylindrical convex portions serving as rotation support shafts are provided at symmetrical positions on the outer surfaces of the storage guide portions.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and a pair of cylindrical convex portions (cassette support portions 5) are provided on the external side surfaces of the opposing wafer storage guide portions 1. The line segment connecting the cassette support portions 5 is located at such a position that it does not pass through the minimum area that includes the entire center of gravity of the entire cassette, which may occur when the cassette is used.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are side views showing the operation procedure for installing the cassette of this embodiment. When placing a cassette, first the cassette support part 5 is supported by a fixed cassette holder 6. If the cassette continues to descend, the center of gravity of the cassette will not be on the line segment connecting the cassette supports 5, so the cassette will rotate about the line segment connecting the pair of cassette supports 5. The movable cassette holder supports the cassette on the stand 7 so as to stop the rotation of the cassette when the horizontal plane and the wafer removal direction reach an arbitrary angle, and is movable to keep the cassette stable.

In addition, as shown in the side view of another operating procedure in FIG.
By moving , it is possible to arbitrarily change the angle of the extraction direction with respect to the horizontal plane.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, in which cylindrical convex portions (
A pair of cassette support parts 5 and 8) are provided, and the line segment connecting each pair of cassette support parts does not pass through the minimum area that includes the entire center of gravity of the entire cassette that may occur when the cassette is used. There are a total of two pairs of symmetrical cassette support parts similar to those in the first embodiment.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are side views showing the operation procedure for installing the cassette of this embodiment. When placing the cassette, first place the lower pair of cassette supports 5 on the fixed cassette holder on the stand 6.
I support it. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment, with the cassette holder having the role of the stand 7 and the movable cassette holder having the holder 9.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the cassette showing another operating procedure. By moving the table 9 of the cassette holder, the wafer take-out angle with respect to the horizontal plane after being supported can be arbitrarily changed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention makes it possible to arbitrarily set the wafer take-out direction simply by placing a cassette and to respond to requests for changes in the wafer take-out direction, thereby reducing the vibration during wafer transport. This has the effect of facilitating prevention and loading of wafers into manufacturing equipment, and at the same time, reducing cassette transfer operations.

In addition, the mechanism for moving the cassette holder up and down or moving it is as simple as tilting the cassette.
There is no need to make the manufacturing equipment a complicated structure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG.
4 is a side view showing the operating procedure, FIG. 5 is a side view of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a side view showing the operating procedure. 7 and 8 are side views showing the operating procedure, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a conventional cassette, and FIGS. 10 and 11 are explanatory views showing wafer removal. ■...Wafer storage guide part, 2...Wafer storage groove, 3...Wafer holder part, 4...
...Reinforcement pillar, 5...Cassette support part, 6.
...Fixed cassette holder is stand, 7...Movable cassette holder is stand, 8...Cassette support part, 9...
...Movable cassette holder is stand, 10...Wafer 11...Wafer removal direction, 12...
- Installation surface.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A rotation support shaft for tilting the semiconductor substrate storage container due to its own weight in order to change the storage posture of the semiconductor substrate in a semiconductor substrate storage container in which storage guide portions each having a groove on an inner surface thereof for storing a semiconductor substrate are arranged opposite to each other. A semiconductor substrate storage container characterized in that at least one pair of cylindrical convex portions are provided at symmetrical positions on the outer surfaces of both storage guide portions.