JPH0729841U - Wafer storage container - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To improve the design of the open / close lid without lowering the open / close handling of the open / close lid of the wafer storage container.
Prevents plastic deformation and improves formability. A tongue-shaped locking member 4 is provided on a side surface of the container body 2, and an elastic hook 6 having an engaging hole for inserting and locking the locking member 4 is provided on a side wall of the lid 3. A wafer storage container projectingly arranged at a lower end edge, wherein the elastic hook 6 is formed by continuously dividing the elastic hook 6 on the extension lines of both sides by providing slits 7 and 7 above the lower end edge of the side wall of the lid body to the lid body. By doing so, the bending force of the elastic hook for locking is not changed, making it easier to open and close, and the elastic hook does not locally bend and deformation does not remain easily. You can make it easier.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a wafer container for safely transporting, storing, and handling semiconductor-related wafers, mask original plates, and precision substrates such as photomasks.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 In general, precision substrate wafers made by slicing a semiconductor single crystal columnar into a thin plate are often transported and stored in large quantities for users to make integrated circuits for various electronic devices, and are expensive and thin. In order to protect semiconductor wafers that are fragile and fragile and extremely dislike of contamination from damage and contamination, it is necessary to safely arrange and store a large number of wafers in a sealed container for transportation. Conventionally, in this shipping container, each wafer is placed in an outer box to be housed in an orderly array at regular intervals so as not to come into contact with or collide with each other in a container body having an opening / closing lid. It is elastically held by a storage groove formed in the inner box, that is, the carrier, buffers the vibration during transportation, and helps to prevent the generation of fine dust particles caused by the damage of the wafer and the frictional contact of the wafer. The container body and the opening / closing lid are provided with a business trip edge on the outer peripheral side to prevent warpage and deformation, and the engaging groove structure of both is provided with a hook that elastically bends to the lid and the lid. The hook is located on the side of the container body when it is fitted into the main body, and the locking member that protrudes from the side of the container body prevents the lid from coming off. The lid can be removed from the locking member (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-129836).

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in this type of conventional container, as shown in FIG. 7, in order to insert and remove the lid a, the hook b formed on the lid a is operated inward or outward, that is, opening / closing at the time of fitting. For this reason, the bending force of the hook b is required. Therefore, the thickness that can withstand the bending force and the bending width c of the hook that can apply the bending force including that thickness are required. Since the flexure width and the flexure width cannot be made large, it is important to make the travel width d and the flexure width c of the hook as small as possible. However, if the deflection width of the hook is simply reduced, it will be compact in design, but a large force is required to bend the hook b, and when the lid body and the container body are fitted, the hook is required. Is difficult to open, and when it is opened, a local bending force is applied, and deformation due to repeated use is likely to remain, resulting in a decrease in opening and closing properties. However, the problem with thin hooks is that they are weak in strength and cause problems during transportation, resulting in unreliability and difficulty in molding. The present invention is intended to eliminate these various drawbacks of the related art, and enables stable and reliable support of wafers, greatly improving the handleability function of attaching and detaching the container body and lid, and opening and closing the lid. The purpose is to improve the body design, prevent plastic deformation, and simplify the wafer storage processing operation.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The present invention comprises a container body into which a case-shaped carrier capable of accommodating a large number of wafers in parallel at regular intervals is fitted in and out, and a lid body removably fitted in the container body. A wafer storage container in which a tongue-shaped locking member is provided on the side surface of the container body and an elastic hook having an engaging hole for inserting and locking the locking member is provided so as to project from the lower edge of the side wall of the lid. The elastic hook is formed into an elastic hook having a predetermined bending width by providing a slit above the lower end edge of the lid side wall on the extension lines of both sides of the elastic hook, and continuously dividing the elastic hook into the lid. .

[0005]

[Action]

 The wafer can be safely held by the cushioning material support frame when the lid is put on the wafer storage groove of the carrier put in the container body, but when the lid is put on, the elastic hook that is projected and deployed on the side wall edge of the lid Slides while contacting the locking member of the container body while flexing outward, and the locking member is inserted and locked in the engagement hole and closed at the same time as the cushioning material support frame in the container body is pressed. Then, the stored wafer is carried. On the other hand, when opening the lid, if the lower end of the elastic hook with slits on both sides is bent outward without a large force, the bent engaging hole of the elastic hook will be easily disengaged from the locking member of the container body. The body can be detached from the container body, and the wafers stored in parallel can be operated in and out, and the elastic hook can obtain the necessary deflection width without making it thin, and it can be bent repeatedly even if it is not used locally. It can be used safely without any deformation remaining on the elastic hook.

[0006]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the examples of FIGS. 1 to 6. A container body 2 in which a case-shaped carrier 1 capable of accommodating a large number of wafers W arranged in parallel at a fixed interval is provided, and the container body 2 is provided. And a lid 3 that is removably fitted on the container body 2. To engage the container body 2 and the lid body 3, a tongue-shaped locking member 4 is projected on the side surface of the container body 2. In addition, an elastic hook 6 having an engaging hole 5 for inserting and locking the locking member 4 is integrally projectingly provided on the lower end edge of the side wall of the lid body, and the side wall of the lid body is extended on both sides of the elastic hook 6. Slits 7 and 7 are provided above the lower end edge of the lid body to continuously partition the lid body 3, and the elastic hook 6 having a predetermined bending width is provided in the wafer storage container.

As the elastic hooks 6, a pair of elastic hooks 6 is formed upward from the lower end edge of the outer peripheral side wall 3 ₁ that is engaged from the lid body 3 that is fitted in correspondence with the outer peripheral side wall 2 ₁ that is traveling from the container body 2. Slits 7 and 7 of both sides form a side edge and have a predetermined flexure width. A pair of engaging holes 5 and 5 are provided on both sides, and the free ends move inward and outward. The elastic hook 6 is bent so that the elastic hook 6 can be easily opened. Further, a pair of the locking members 4 and 4 are reinforced by ribs 9 and are projected at a distance from each other in a grip concave portion 8 into which an elastic hook 6 provided in the container body 2 is fitted.

The container body 2 is provided with a wafer cushioning material support frame 10 having a pressing piece 11 which is fitted on the inner surface of the lid 3 and presses the upper edge of the wafer W, and also the container. A ring-shaped seal member 12 is provided at the peripheral edge of the fitting between the main body 2 and the lid body 3 to ensure the hermeticity and to help prevent dust and water. The carrier 1 is formed of a synthetic resin-based elastic material and is fitted into the bottom surface of the container body 2 so that it can be fitted and held with a space between the carrier body 2 and the upper outer peripheral edge. Then, a flange is provided so that the container body 2 can be easily put into and taken out of the container body 2 and handled, and V-grooves for accommodating a large number of wafers W in parallel at regular intervals are arranged on both inner sides. Further, the container body 2 and the lid body 3 are tough structures having ribs in place so as to cope with changes in internal and external pressures, and the production thereof is made of polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene whose contents can be seen through. It is preferable to use a synthetic resin material having high composition, which is made of plastic such as PBT resin.

[0009]

[Effect of device]

 The present invention comprises a container body into which a case-shaped carrier capable of accommodating a large number of wafers in parallel at regular intervals is fitted in and out, and a lid body removably fitted in the container body. A wafer storage container in which a tongue-shaped locking member is provided on the side surface of the container body and an elastic hook having an engaging hole for inserting and locking the locking member is provided so as to project from the lower edge of the side wall of the lid. Since the elastic hooks are formed on the extension lines of both sides of the lid body so that a slit is provided above the lower end edge of the lid side wall and above the lid body, the elastic hooks are continuously divided and formed on both sides when the lid is opened from the container body. When the lower end of the elastic hook with a slit is bent outward without a large force, the bent engaging hole of the elastic hook easily disengages from the locking member of the container body, and the lid can be removed from the container body. In / out operation of wafers stored in parallel Since the elastic hook can obtain the required deflection width without making it thin, it can be safely used without being locally deformed even if it is repeatedly used, and the elastic hook can be used safely and needs to be thin. Since it is not present, it can be easily molded, the opening and closing of the lid to the container body can be handled easily, the container can be made smaller and the size can be reduced, the design of the opening and closing lid can be improved, and plastic deformation is prevented and formability is improved. For the sake of improvement, the upper edge of the wafer is always supported accurately through the lid, and the wafer is stored in the storage groove inside the container during insertion and during transportation or storage after insertion. It does not come off, does not rattle, and withstands vibrations, there is no risk of generation of fine powder or damage due to contact with other parts, and steady rest ensures stable loading in the container. It is a function.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention in a separated state.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the example of FIG. 1 in a separated state.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the assembled and used state of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially cut side view of FIG.

5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detailed view taken along the line BB of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a lid locking member of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Carrier 2 Container Main Body 3 Lid 4 Locking Member 5 Engagement Hole 6 Elastic Hook 7 Slit 8 Grip Recess 9 Holding Piece 10 Wafer Cushion Support Frame W Wafer

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A container main body into which a case-shaped carrier capable of accommodating a large number of wafers in parallel at regular intervals is fitted in and out, and a lid body removably fitted in the container main body, A wafer storage container in which a tongue-shaped locking member is provided on a side surface of the container body, and an elastic hook having an engaging hole for fitting and locking the locking member is provided so as to project from a lower end edge of a side wall of a lid. A wafer storage container, characterized in that the elastic hook is formed so as to be continuously partitioned on the lid by providing a slit above the lid lower side edge on the extension lines of both sides thereof and above the lid.