KR200492425Y1 - Wafer shipper microenvironment with purge capability - Google Patents

Abstract

Wafer carrier with purge setting. The container has an enclosure portion having an open side and a bottom, and a door for hermetically closing the open side or bottom. One of the door and container portions includes an opening formed in the enclosure to provide a fluid passage from the interior to the exterior region of the wafer carrier. The opening may include a module receiving structure defining a fluid passage. The sealing member is included for insertion into the module receiving structure. The sealing member has a body portion, the body portion having a support flange positioned near the lower portion of the body portion, a circumferential groove within the outer surface of the body portion, and an O-ring positioned at least partially within the circumferential groove. Include.

Description

Wafer carrier microenvironment with purge performance {WAFER SHIPPER MICROENVIRONMENT WITH PURGE CAPABILITY}

The present disclosure relates to a substrate container comprising a wafer enclosure, and more particularly to a front open transport container for wafers.

Generally, carriers are used to transport and/or store batches of silicon wafers prior to, during and after processing. Some manufacturing facilities are designed and developed for 450mm wafers, but the most common current wafer size is 300mm. Typically, wafers are transported between facilities while in a shipping container known as forward open transport boxes (FOSBs). In this transport container, wafers are horizontally loaded into the container and placed on a shelf. A door is provided to lift the wafer from the shelf and suspend it between the front and rear wafer restraints. Thereafter, the container is rotated 90 degrees with the front door facing up, and the wafer is placed vertically between the shelves. Thereafter, the FOSB with the wafer is boxed and transported to a facility for processing the wafer. In a processing facility, wafers can be transferred into other process transport vessels known as forward open unified pods (FOUPs). The FOUP has a front latching door and holds wafers horizontally to seat on shelves. Typically, the shelf has a structure to minimize contact with the wafer. The wafer is removed from the FOUP for processing to convert the wafer into an integrated circuit chip. Such processing involves multiple steps in which wafers are processed at various processing stations, and between processing steps, wafers are received in a FOUP or other process transport container and stored and transported within the facility. The FOUP is typically transported with the wafer by an overhead conveyor gripping a robotic flange attached to the top wall of such a container.

Due to the sensitive nature of the wafer and because of its susceptibility to damage caused by contamination or breakage by particles or chemicals, the wafer is a transport box containing FOSBs, a process containing FOUPs, and the entire transport and handling life of the wafer within the transport vessel. It is important to be adequately protected through. There is a commonality between transport containers such as FOSBs and process transport containers such as FOUPs, but they are also fundamentally different. With regard to transport between facilities, FOSB must provide enhanced protection from impact accidents such as drops, especially when wafers are arranged in a vertical plane during transport. Therefore, extreme care must be taken to position the wafer without contacting the wafer between the shelves during transport and to properly support the periphery of the wafer. See, for example, US Patent Nos. 6,267,245 and US Patent Publication Nos. 2013/299384 and 2015/083639, which are incorporated herein by reference, except for the claims and expression definitions contained therein.

During such processing of semiconductor wafers, the presence or occurrence of particulates presents a very serious contamination problem. Pollution is regarded as the single largest cause of yield loss in the semiconductor industry. As the size of integrated circuits continues to decrease, the size of those who can contaminate the integrated circuit has also become smaller, making minimization of contamination even more important. Particulate contaminants can be caused by wear such as rubbing or scratching of wafers, carrier covers or enclosures, storage racks, other carriers, or processing equipment and carriers. In addition, particulates such as dust can be introduced into the enclosure through openings or joints within the cover and/or enclosure. In addition, certain gaseous contaminants can generate mist on the wafer, which is also a problem. Thus, an important function of wafer containers in processing facilities such as FOUPs, however, is to protect the wafers inside from contamination. Such processing transport vessels typically have gas purging capabilities to minimize the possibility of any mist growth and to keep the interior very clean. Such purging capabilities are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 9,054,144, 8,783,463 and 8,727,125, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety except for the claims and expression definitions contained therein. Fluid conduits for facilitating the introduction and/or discharge of gases such as nitrogen or other purged gases have conventionally been designed in the bottom wall of the portion of the vessel opposite the door, for example. The substrate container was further equipped with various elastomeric grommets in the fluid conduit. These grommets include bores having a length sufficient to contain one or more various actuating components that are positioned between the exterior and the interior volume of the substrate container and inserted therein. Such grommets are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,727,125, which is owned by the owner of the present application and is incorporated by reference except for the claims and expression definitions contained therein.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a front open wafer carrier having an enclosure portion having an open side and a bottom and a door for sealingly closing the open side or open bottom. In one or more embodiments, the wafer carrier includes a plurality of wafer support shelves within the enclosure portion and a wafer cushion positioned inside the front door. In one or more embodiments, upon closing the door, the wafer cushion raises the wafer to a transport position spaced from the support shelf. The door engages the enclosure portion to form a continuous enclosure that isolates the wafer from the surrounding atmosphere. The container has an opening for providing a fluid passage from the interior of the enclosure portion to the exterior region. The opening includes a receiving structure defining a fluid passageway with a cylindrical wall having an inwardly facing surface. In one or more embodiments, the sealing member is positioned within the receiving structure in an airtight engagement. The outer surface of the sealing member forms a generally hermetic seal against the inner surface of the inwardly facing wall surface receiving structure, closing the fluid passage.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, in operation, the sealing member maintains a seal against the receiving structure to prevent unwanted chemicals or particulates from entering the interior of the wafer carrier. Thus, any fluid flow between the inside and outside of the wafer carrier is limited based on the insertion or removal of the sealing member.

During manufacture, modularization is possible by using the uniform size of the opening portions in various wafer carriers and the uniform size of the sealing member. Thus, for the production line of various wafer carriers having more than one access structure, the wafer carrier may initially be provided with a sealing member, allowing a fully sealed microenvironment within the container, but also removing the sealing member. And the configuration of the wafer carrier for various processing requirements by interchange with other operating components. For example, the sealing member may be replaced by a purge valve/grommet as disclosed in US Pat. No. 8,727,125, or by a suitable component to provide a purge port, sensor or other component in the wafer carrier.

The above [design content] is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure.

The drawings included herein are incorporated into and form a part of this detailed description. The drawings show embodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the disclosure.
1 is a partially exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a wafer carrier in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
2 is a bottom plan view of an exemplary wafer carrier section including one or more sealing members, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
3A is a perspective view of a sealing member, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
3B shows a bottom perspective view of a sealing member, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
4 shows an exploded view of a sealing member and an exemplary wafer carrier section, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
5 illustrates a sealing member inserted into a module receiving structure of an exemplary wafer carrier section, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
6A illustrates a sealing member inserted into an opening of an exemplary wafer carrier section including a connector lock, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
6B and 6C illustrate perspective views of connector locks, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
7 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary wafer carrier including a sealing member inserted into an opening, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
8 shows a flow diagram of a method of upgrading a wafer carrier with one or more operating components, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified in various modifications and alternative forms, specific details thereof are shown as examples in the drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that the present invention does not limit the present disclosure to the specific embodiments described. Conversely, the present invention covers all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

1 shows an exemplary wafer carrier 100, such as, for example, a front open transport box (FOSB). In various embodiments, the wafer carrier 100 includes an enclosure portion 108, a door 104 and a wafer shelf 102 positioned within the enclosure portion 108. The door 104 is configured to sealably couple with the enclosure 108 to form a microenvironment within the interior 112 of the enclosure portion 108 that is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere. As shown in FIG. 1, wafer shelf 102 includes a plurality of elements 116 capable of holding and positioning a plurality of wafers or wafers within enclosure portion 108. In general, element 116 holds and positions wafers to minimize contact between adjacent wafers. Thus, element 116 may reduce potential damage to wafers supported by wafer shelf 102 during processing and/or transportation.

Additionally, the enclosure portion 108 includes one or more openings 122 within the bottom wall 120 of the enclosure portion. In various embodiments, the opening is formed by the module receiving structure 109. As shown in more detail in FIGS. 4 and 8, each of the module receiving structures 109 includes a cylindrical wall extending downward from the bottom wall 120, and the fluid into the interior 112 of the enclosure portion 108. Forming a passage In one or more embodiments, opening(s) 122 provide a location for placement of various operating components and/or modules, such as purge valves/grommets, as described above. In the illustrated embodiment, sealing members 124 are positioned on each of the module receiving structures 109 to seal each fluid passage of the individual module receiving structures 109. In various embodiments, the opening 122 and the corresponding receiving structure 109 are positioned within the bottom wall 120 such that the carrier 100 engages a standard loading port interface.

In one or more embodiments, door 104 includes a respirator port 105. The respirator port 105 may be provided with a filter or other component to allow gas flow between the interior and exterior of the enclosure portion 108. Thus, the respirator port 105 can be used to balance the pressure within the enclosure portion 108 to aid in the removal of the door 104. In certain embodiments, the respirator port 105 is provided with a sealing member 124, such as when a purge port or other component is provided to balance pressure in the opening 122 and the receiving structure 109. It could be.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, wafer carrier 100 is a FOSB designed to accommodate 450 mm wafers. In certain embodiments, the wafer carrier 100 is designed to accommodate wafers of different sizes. For example, in some embodiments, the wafer carrier 100 may be for receiving a 300 mm or larger wafer. Although the FOSB is shown in FIG. 1, in various embodiments the wafer carrier 100 may be another type of front open wafer container, such as a FOUP. In some embodiments, the wafer carrier 100 is a bottom open wafer container.

The structure of the wafer carrier is disclosed in US Patent No. 6,428,729 granted, for example, to Bhatt et al. and entitled "Composite Wafer Carrier", which is entirely covered except for the claims and expression definitions contained therein. In addition, a wafer container having a front opening having a door latched onto the front opening is all owned by the owner of the present application, except for the claims and expression definitions contained therein Are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,354,601, 5,788,082 and 6,010,008, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIG. 2 includes a bottom portion 120 of the exemplary wafer carrier 100 shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the bottom portion 120 is a kinematic coupling plate that is coupled to the bottom wall of the enclosure portion. In certain embodiments, the bottom portion 120 may be a non-removable and non-openable wall section, a front door, a bottom door, or other section of a wafer carrier.

A bottom portion 120 comprising openings 122, 123, 125, 126 is shown with sealing member 124 positioned within openings 122, 123, 125, 126. Each of the openings 122, 123, 125, 126 forms a module receiving structure within the wafer carrier section 120, which forms a fluid passage for fluid to enter/exit with respect to the wafer carrier. 2 shows an embodiment in which section 120 includes four openings 122, 123, 125, 126, but with less than four or more than four access structures located within section 120. Embodiments having are contemplated and such embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, openings 122, 123, 125 and/or 126 are positioned to align with the docking configuration on a standard loading port interface.

As shown in Figure 2, the sealing member 124 is accommodated in each of the openings 122, 123, 125, 126, the opening to prevent the flow of fluid into or out of the wafer carrier. Seals wealth effectively. As further shown, in various embodiments, the module receiving structure 109 formed by each of the openings 122, 123, 125, and 126 forms a fluid passage. In a specific embodiment, each of the body of the sealing member 124 has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the internal configuration of the openings 122, 123, 125, 126 and has a size for force fitting, so that it will be accommodated by the module receiving structure. When the sealing member creates an airtight seal against the inner surface of the module receiving structure to substantially block the fluid passage of each of the openings 122, 123, 125, 126. For those skilled in the art, the cross-sectional shape and size of the openings 122, 123, 125, 126 will depend on the various sizes and designs for the openings and state openings in the wafer carrier, as well as the operating pressure of the particular wafer carrier. You will understand what can be affected by.

Further, in one or more embodiments, each of the openings 122, 123, 125, 126 includes a connector lock 127. As further shown in FIGS. 6A and 7, the connector lock 127 is operably coupled with the module receiving structure to secure the components inserted into the openings 122, 123, 125, 126 in place. It may be inserted into each of the openings 122, 123, 125, and 126 so as to be. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the connector lock 127 fixes the sealing member 124 in position within the openings 122, 123, 125, 126, respectively. In addition, the connector lock 127 allows quick access to the sealing member 124 for cleaning, replacing or reconfiguring the wafer carrier. For example, while each of the openings 122, 123, 125, 126 is shown as having a sealing member 124, in various embodiments, one or more of the openings 122, 123, 125, 126 are within the wafer carrier. It can be configured as an inlet or outlet port for introducing or removing purge gas. For example, in some embodiments, depending on the requirements of the semiconductor process, the user may add the sealing member 124 to various operating components for purging additional clean dry air (XCDA®) gas or nitrogen gas or as shown in U.S. Patent No. 8,727,125. And is compatible with various operating components as described above.

3A and 3B show an exemplary sealing member 124. The sealing member 124 according to one or more embodiments has a generally cylindrical body 128. In addition, as shown in Figures 3a and 3b, the cylindrical body 128 is tapered, narrowing from the relatively wider lower portion 129 of the cylindrical body 128 to the relatively narrower upper portion 130 The branch has a diameter. However, in various embodiments, the sealing member 124 may be configured to have any suitable shape, such that the sealing member 124 generally matches the size and/or shape of the various openings in the wafer carrier.

In some embodiments, the body 128 includes a sealing configuration in the form of a circumferential groove 136 positioned along the outside of the upper portion 130 of the cylindrical body 128, and the ring-shaped O-ring 131 is It is located in the circumferential groove 136. The sealing member 124 also includes a support flange 132 located along the outside of the lower portion 129 of the cylindrical body. As further described below, the support flange 132 interacts with the module receiving structure positioned within the opening of the wafer carrier to support the sealing member in place when inserted into the opening. The sealing member 124 further includes a flat top surface 133 arranged perpendicular to the central axis 134. The upper surface 133 is substantially solid and acts as a plug member, sealing the upper region of the opening when the sealing member 124 is inserted into the wafer carrier.

The sealing member 124 may be sized and dimensioned so that the sealing member forms an airtight seal between the wall of the module receiving structure and the outer surface of the sealing member when received in the module receiving structure to effectively seal the opening. In one or more embodiments, the sealing member 124 has an axial height 135 of about 0.3 cm to about 2.5 cm. In certain embodiments, the sealing member 124 may have an axial height 135 of about 1 cm to about 2 cm. Further, embodiments of the sealing member of the present disclosure may have a diameter of about 0.6 cm to about 3.8 cm, while in other embodiments the sealing member may have a diameter of about 2 cm to about 30 cm. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional ranges of diameter and axial height 135 of the sealing member are contemplated and are within the scope of the present disclosure.

Cylindrical body 128, support flange 132, O-ring 131 and other components of sealing member 124 of the present disclosure are any material suitable for use in semiconductor processing applications including polymers and elastomers. It can be composed of. In some embodiments, body 128 may be formed from rubber, silicone, or other elastomers or polymers having the required sealing properties. In some embodiments, at least the cylindrical body and flange may be composed of a fluoroelastomer. An example of a fluoroelastomer is sold by Chemours Company FC, LLC under the trade name Viton®. Further, in some embodiments, the elastomeric sealing member may have a fluoropolymer or other inert polymer coated on the surface of the sealing member to isolate the elastomeric substrate from the interior of the wafer carrier. In general, the polymer or fluoropolymer coating should have some flexibility so that the sealing properties of the elastomeric sealing member body are maintained.

4-7 illustrate various stages of assembly of the sealing member 124 and wafer carrier, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

4 is a bottom perspective view of the sealing member 124 and the opening 122 of the bottom wall 120. As described above, the opening 122 forms the module receiving structure 144. In one or more embodiments, the module receiving structure includes a cylindrical body 146 extending from the wafer carrier to form a fluid passageway 148 into the inner region 152 of the wafer carrier. In one or more embodiments, cylindrical body 146 includes protrusions 145 or protrusions positioned on outer surface 147. The sealing member 124 is oriented over and axially aligned with the fluid passageway 148 with the upper portion 130 oriented to the opening 122 for insertion into the module receiving structure 144.

In FIG. 5, the sealing member 124 has been inserted into the module receiving structure 144. In various embodiments, when the sealing member 124 is fully inserted into the module receiving structure, the support flange 132 is fastened on the module receiving structure 144, which causes the sealing member 124 to be inserted into the fluid passageway 148. It indicates that it has been fully and properly inserted.

6A and 7, following the insertion of the sealing member 124, the connector lock 127 was inserted into the opening 122 and locked in place. 6B and 6C are perspective views of the connector lock 127. The function of the connector lock 127 is to fix the bottom wall 120 to the container using partial rotation without using screws. For example, in some embodiments, the connector lock secures to the bottom wall 120 with less than 180 degrees of rotation, and in certain embodiments about 90 degrees of rotation.

In one or more embodiments, the connector lock 127 includes a substantially cylindrical body 204 having a flanged end 208 and a non-flanged end 212, the flange 216 of the flanged end 208. ) Has an upper or outward facing surface 220 and a lower or inward facing surface 224. Cylindrical body 204 defines an inner through port 228. The connector lock 127 may also include an arcuate arm 232 formed near the non-flanged end 212 of the cylindrical body 204. The arcuate arm 232 defines a tangential slot 236 accessible from the non-flanged end 212. In one embodiment, the upper or outward tab 240 extends radially from the cylindrical body 204 and the lower or inward tab 244 extends radially from the arcuate arm 232, the tabs being tangential slots. It is located on both sides of 236. The connector lock 127 may further include a boss 248 on the cylindrical body 204. In the illustrated embodiment, the boss 192 is substantially diametrically opposed to the tangential slot 186. 6A, the connector lock 127 is inserted into the opening 122 and rotated in the direction 250, so that the protrusion 145 of the module receiving structure 144 is a connector to provide a bayonet-type connection. It cooperates with the tangential slot 236 of the lock 127.

Further description of the operative engagement with the module receiving structure 144 and the insertion and securing of the connector lock 127 into the opening 122 is incorporated herein by reference, except for the claims and expression definitions contained therein. And is disclosed in US Patent Publication No. 2015/0041353 to Adams et al. owned by the owner of the present application.

7, the sealing member 124 is inserted upwardly into the module receiving structure 144, and when fully inserted, the support flange 132 is relative to the module receiving structure 144 to stop the insertion of the module 124. It is concluded. In various embodiments, when fully inserted, the top surface 133 is positioned to be substantially flush with the inner surface 160 of the wafer carrier. Further, when inserted, the generally tapered cylindrical body 128 conforms to the tapered shape of the module receiving structure 144, and the O-ring 131 is the module receiving structure 144 when positioned within the groove 136. To form an airtight seal for the inside of it. Accordingly, the sealing member 124 prevents passage of fluid or particulates from entering or exiting the wafer carrier through the fluid passage of the opening 122.

The connector lock 127 is inserted and fixed into the opening 122. As a result, the sealing member 124 is positioned between the connector lock 127 and the interior of the wafer carrier. The connector lock includes a flange portion 164 extending inward to the lower portion 129 of the sealing member 124. The flange portion 164 is positioned adjacent to the support flange 144 to hold the sealing member in place as the support flange is interposed directly between the module receiving structure 144 and the flange portion of the connector lock 127 do.

Referring to FIG. 8, a flow diagram of a method 300 for upgrading a wafer carrier, in accordance with one or more embodiments, is shown. The method 300 includes receiving at operation 304 a wafer carrier including one or more sealing members disposed within a module receiving structure to container assembly. In various embodiments, the wafer carrier is the same or substantially similar to the wafer carrier 100 shown in FIG. 1.

At operation 308, method 300 includes determining a desired shape for the wafer carrier. As noted above, in various embodiments, the wafer carrier uses a uniformly sized opening/module receiving structure within the enclosure portion. Thus, for a production line of various wafer carriers having more than one module receiving structure, the wafer carrier may initially have a sealing member in each of the module receiving structures, allowing a completely sealed microenvironment within the container, but This makes it possible to construct a wafer carrier with a variety of operating components.

In one or more embodiments, the wafer carrier may be configured to have one or more operating components based on the desired configuration determined from various processing requirements for the wafer/wafer to be inserted into the container. For example, based on anticipated processing, transport or other requirements, the wafer transporter may be equipped with purge valves, sensors or other operating components required for those requirements.

Thus, in operation 312, at least one of the sealing members is removed from the module receiving structure of the wafer carrier, and in operation 316, at least one actuating component selected based on the required wafer carrier shape is inserted into the module receiving structure. , Upgrade the wafer carrier. The removal of the sealing member and insertion of the actuating component has been described above, which is illustrated in US Patent Publication No. 2015/0041353.

Although descriptions of various embodiments of the present disclosure have been provided for illustrative purposes, it is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to the described embodiments. Many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are selected to describe the principles of the embodiments, actual applications, or technical improvements to technologies found in the market, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand the embodiments described herein. .

Claims (19)

It is a wafer carrier that can be set to purge,
An enclosure portion having an open side or a bottom, and a door for hermetically sealing the open side or bottom,
One of the door and container parts,
An opening formed in the enclosure to provide a fluid passage from the inside of the wafer carrier to the outside zone, and comprising a module receiving structure,
A sealing member for insertion into the opening, having a body portion having a shape corresponding to the inner surface of the opening,
The body part,
A support flange positioned near a lower portion of the body portion, extending outwardly from an outer surface of the body portion, and configured to interact with the module receiving structure;
A circumferential groove positioned near the upper portion of the body portion on the outer surface of the body portion;
A substantially flat upper surface arranged substantially perpendicular to the central axis through the body portion,
An O-ring positioned at least partially within the circumferential groove,
When fully inserted into the module receiving structure, the support flange contacts the module receiving structure, stopping insertion and positioning the upper surface to be substantially flush with the inside of the wafer carrier, and the O-ring Forming an airtight seal with respect to the inside of the module receiving structure to seal the opening, preventing passage of fluid through the fluid passage,
Further comprising a connector lock configured to operably engage the module receiving structure to lock the sealing member within the opening,
When the sealing member is fully inserted into the module receiving structure, the connector lock is operably engaged with the module receiving structure, so that between the connector lock and the module receiving structure to fix the sealing member within the module receiving structure. Interposing the support flange,
Wafer carrier with purge setting. The wafer carrier according to claim 1, wherein the module receiving structure is a cylindrical structure, and the body part is a cylindrical body part having a cylindrical outer surface configured to engage a cylindrical inner surface of the module receiving structure. The wafer carrier of claim 2, wherein the cylindrical body portion has a tapered shape extending from a lower portion to a tapered upper portion. delete delete delete The container according to claim 1, wherein the container portion further comprises a plurality of openings, at least one of the openings of the plurality of openings comprises a sealing member, and the other opening of the plurality of openings comprises an actuating component for purging the wafer carrier. A wafer carrier that can be set to purge, including. The wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening is one of a plurality of openings formed within an enclosure, and the plurality of openings are positioned to correspond to a standard loading port interface. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein the opening is formed on a bottom of the enclosure portion, and the wafer carrier further comprises a kinematic bonding plate attached to the bottom. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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