Substrate-storing container

Abstract

A substrate storing container has a container body for accommodating substrates; and a door that is detachably fitted to an opening of the container body with a gasket interposed therebetween. The container body and door are separately formed of molding material containing synthetic resin having a water absorption of 0.1% or lower and outgassing in a total amount of 15 ppm or lower when measured after a 24 hour heating at 80 deg. C. by the dynamic headspace technique. The synthetic resin in the molding material is at least one kind selected from cycloolefin polymer, liquid crystal polymer, polyetheretherketone, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, and an alloy resin of cycloolefin polymer, liquid crystal polymer, polyetheretherketone, polybutylene terephthalate, or polyethylene terephthalate.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Technical Field[0002]The present invention relates to a substrate storing container for use in storing, preserving, carrying and shipping substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass masks and the like.[0003]2. Background Art[0004]Though not illustrated, a conventional substrate storing container includes a front open box type container body for accommodating a plurality of semiconductor wafers in alignment and a door that is detachably fitted to the open front of the container body with a sealing gasket interposed therebetween, and is mounted on a door opening and closing apparatus or the like attached to a semiconductor processing machine.[0005]A semiconductor wafer is formed with predetermined circuit patterns and cut by dicing into multiple semiconductor chips. The container body and door are separately injection-molded of predetermined molding material including synthetic resin. Arrayed vertically on both sides in the interior part of the container body are...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an improved substrate storing container that reduces the risk of corrosion and contamination during semiconductor chip processing. The container is made of a high purity polycarbonate body and a door that is detachably fitted to the opening of the container body with a gasket interposed therebetween. The molding material used in the container and door has a low water absorption and low moisture permeability, which prevents the deformation of the container body and the reduction of the sealing performance of the opening. The substrate storing container can maintain the effect of air purging for a long period of time and is cost-effective.

Problems solved by technology

The conventional substrate storing container is configured as above, and its container body is formed of a high purity polycarbonate, but there is still the fear that when the minimum line width in processing semiconductor chips is 45 nm or lower, copper interconnection is corroded due to hydroscopic properties of polycarbonate and / or basic organic matter resulting from hydrolysis of organic matter is deposited on semiconductor wafers at the stages of copper interconnection processing and an aluminum vapor deposition process for semiconductor wafers, resultantly lowering production yield.

However, since polycarbonate has a water absorption of 0.25%, which is rather high, this method can only maintain a low humidity state due to air purging, in less than some tens of minutes so that a lasting effect cannot be expected.

However, this method uses a large amount of expensive inert gas or dry gas, hence increasing costs.

At this time, the contact part such a supporting piece of the container body that is put in contact with the semiconductor wafer may deform, or the part of the container body that is low in heat resistance may be deformed due to built-up heat in the substrate storing container, giving rise to a fear of reducing the sealing performance of the front of the container body.

As a result, occurrence of a situation in which expected effect from purging of air inside the substrate storing container with an inert gas or dry air cannot be obtained is expected.

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