Semiconductor wafer handling container

Abstract

A semiconductor wafer transport container (1) comprises: a container body (10) having an opening (11) at one end and a loading portion (12) at the other end facing the opening (11) and overlapping and accommodating wafers; and a cover (20) blocking the opening (11). The container body (10) comprises: a plurality of arc-shaped main body side walls (14) vertically arranged on the loading portion (12) and dividing a receiving portion (13) for accommodating wafers; and an auxiliary wall portion (14a) vertically arranged at both end edges of the main body side wall portion (14) folded back toward the back side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a semiconductor wafer transport container. Background Art

[0002] As a semiconductor wafer transport container that accommodates and transports semiconductor wafers, there is a wafer storage container disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0003] The wafer storage container disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed of a synthetic resin material. In the wafer storage container, a storage portion is provided on the container body, and the storage portion includes a plurality of roughly cylindrical main body side wall portions. In the storage portion, cushioning materials and the like are arranged at the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer. Wafers and interlayer sheets (synthetic resin sheets, dust-free paper, or synthetic resin molded products, etc.) are alternately inserted between the upper and lower cushioning materials to accommodate the wafers. The wafer storage container is structured such that a cover body covers the container body, and the cover body includes a roughly cylindrical cover body side wall portion. When the cover body covers the container body, the container body and the cover body are held by a holding mechanism, and the wafers are accommodated in a closed state. The wafer storage container is transported in this closed state.

[0004] [Prior art literature]

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-174177. Summary of the invention

[0007] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In a synthetic resin wafer storage container, a storage portion of a container body for storing wafers has a plurality of arc-shaped main body side walls erected on the bottom surface, and is substantially cylindrical. The main body side walls of the storage portion are formed in accordance with the outer diameter of the wafer.

[0009] However, during resin molding, the main body side wall portion tends to shrink in a manner that it tilts inward (center side) as it moves away from the bottom surface portion of the container body toward the opening portion due to shrinkage after molding. Since the main body side wall portion tilts inward, there is a concern that the main body side wall portion may come into contact with the wafer when the wafer is accommodated in the accommodating portion or when the wafer is taken out, and there is also a concern that the wafer may be damaged.

[0010] In order to prevent the contact between the main body side wall and the wafer, the inner diameter of the receiving portion can be designed to be larger in advance considering the contraction of the main body side wall. However, in this way, a gap is generated between the wafer and the main body side wall, especially at the bottom of the container body. Therefore, the horizontal movement of the wafer cannot be prevented, which may cause damage to the wafer.

[0011] The present invention is made in view of the problems of the related background technology, and an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer transport container that can reliably prevent the horizontal movement of the wafer and does not damage the wafer when it is stored in or taken out of the storage part.

[0012] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0013] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the semiconductor wafer transport container related to the present invention comprises: a container body, which has an opening at one end and a loading portion at the other end that is opposite to the opening and overlaps with the wafer; and a cover body that blocks the opening; the semiconductor wafer transport container is characterized in that the container body comprises: a plurality of arc-shaped main body side wall portions that are uprightly arranged on the loading portion and divide the receiving portion for receiving the wafer; and an auxiliary wall portion that is uprightly arranged at the two end edges of the main body side wall portion and is folded back toward the back side.

[0014] Preferably, in the container body, the auxiliary wall portion serves as one guide portion; the cover body is formed with another guide portion, and the other guide portion guides along the one guide portion and maintains the container body and the cover body in a concentric state.

[0015] [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a semiconductor wafer transport container which can reliably prevent horizontal movement of wafers and does not damage wafers when they are stored in or taken out of a storage portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 (a) is a schematic perspective view of a container body of one embodiment of a semiconductor wafer transport container according to the present invention. Figure 1 (b) in the Figure 1 This is an enlarged stereoscopic view of the central portion on the right side in (a).

[0018] Figure 2 (a) is a rear view of the locking member according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 (b) is a cross-sectional view of a locking member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 (a) is a schematic perspective view of a cover body according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state in which the cover body is turned upside down. Figure 3 (b) in the Figure 3 This is an enlarged stereoscopic view of the central portion on the right side in (a).

[0020] Figure 4 One embodiment of the present invention is related to Figure 3A partially enlarged stereoscopic view of the corner portion shown in (a).

[0021] Figure 5 (a) is a front view of the locking hole portion of the cover body according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 (b) is a central cross-sectional view of the locking hole portion of the cover body according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 (a) is an explanatory diagram of a guidance start state related to the operation of the guidance member according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 (b) is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the guide member according to one embodiment of the present invention after the guide is completed.

[0023] Figure 7 (a) is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view related to the operation of the pressing member according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 (b) is a partial vertical cross-sectional view related to the operation of the pressing member according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 (a) is a schematic perspective view showing a cover body according to an embodiment of the present invention with a portion thereof cut away. Figure 8 (b) in the Figure 8 This is an enlarged stereoscopic view of the central portion on the right side in (a).

[0025] Fig. 9 It is a schematic perspective view of an exploded state according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the semiconductor wafer transport container of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0027] A semiconductor wafer transport container (hereinafter referred to as a wafer transport container) 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows Figure 1 (a) to Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , the container body 10 and the cover 20 are provided. The container body 10 and the cover 20 are respectively formed of synthetic resin materials. Unless otherwise specified, the components of the container body 10 and the components of the cover 20 are respectively formed integrally.

[0028] The container body 10 has an opening 11 at one end and a mounting portion 12 at the other end facing the opening 11. In the mounting portion 12, semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers) W are stacked and accommodated.

[0029] The cover 20 covers the opening 11 of the container body 10 in a manner that blocks the opening 11 of the container body 10. Figure 1 (a) and Figure 3As shown in (a) and the like, the wafer transport container 1 includes a holding mechanism 30 that fits and holds the container body 10 and the lid 20 so that they can be opened and closed.

[0030] The holding mechanism 30 has at least two parts: a locking member 32 provided on the container body 10 and having a locking claw 31; and a locking hole 33 provided on the cover 20 and for the locking claw 31 to lock. The wafer transport container 1 has four cover side walls 21 in a shape obtained by cutting off a cylinder at a local angle. A guide member 40 is provided on each of the cover side walls 21. In addition, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, two cutouts 21 b are formed on both sides of the guide member 40 .

[0031] When the cover 20 is fitted to the container body 10, the guide member 40 guides the cover 20 by keeping the container body 10 and the cover 20 in a concentric state while contacting the locking member 32. In other words, when the cover 20 is covered on the container body 10, the guide member 40 guides the cover 20 by aligning the central axis of the container body 10 with the central axis of the cover 20.

[0032] Thus, when the cover 20 is initially placed on the container body 10, the guide members 40 of the cover side wall 21 are in contact with the locking members 32 provided on the container body 10 at least at two locations to guide the cover 20 while maintaining a concentric state. Thus, the cover 20 can be placed without damaging the wafer W accommodated by the cover side wall 21 (see FIG. 2 ). Figure 6 (a), (b), etc.)

[0033] In this embodiment, the case where the opening portion 11 of the container body 10 opens upward and the wafers W are horizontally overlapped and accommodated on the mounting portion 12 is described as an example. In addition, after the wafers W are overlapped and accommodated in the wafer transport container 1 and covered with the cover 20, the wafers W can be transported regardless of the state (for example, the direction of the wafer W is horizontal or vertical, etc.).

[0034] The container body 10 includes a mounting portion 12 as a bottom portion. Figure 1 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the mounting portion 12 is a substantially square quadrilateral with four arc-shaped corners. The wafer W is stacked and accommodated on the upper surface of the mounting portion 12. The outer shape of the mounting portion 12 is not limited to a substantially square shape, and may be other shapes.

[0035] The mounting portion 12 is formed by being erected in such a manner that the main body side wall portion 14 protrudes upward, and the main body side wall portion 14 divides the storage portion 13 for the wafer W. The main body side wall portion 14 is formed into a plurality of arcs that constitute a part of the cylindrical shape in accordance with the shape of the wafer W, for example, into four arcs. The main body side wall portion 14 is formed into a roughly cylindrical shape with a spacing D along the circumference, and is formed integrally with the mounting portion 12. As a result, the upper end portion of the main body side wall portion 14 becomes the opening portion 11 of the container body 10, and the roughly cylindrical space divided by the main body side wall portion 14 becomes the storage portion 13 for the wafer W.

[0036] The inner diameter of the substantially cylindrical shape of the main body side wall portion 14 is formed to a size that does not hinder the storage or removal of the wafer W. The size (diameter) of the wafer W in the storage portion 13 is larger than, for example, 5 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, 12 inches, etc. (for example, the diameter is about 1 mm to 2 mm). The intervals D of the main body side wall portion 14 are set at four locations at equal intervals, for example, to serve as insertion ports for the robot arm when the wafer W is removed.

[0037] like Figure 1 (a), (b) and Figure 7 As shown in (a) and (b) in the figure, the main body side wall portion 14 has an auxiliary wall portion 14a, which is folded back toward the back side at both end edges of the arc shape and is vertically arranged on the mounting portion 12. The auxiliary wall portion 14a is formed into an L shape by two planar wall surfaces continuous with the end edges of the main body side wall portion 14. The arc-shaped main body side wall portion 14 and the L-shaped auxiliary wall portion 14a form a roughly U shape. The auxiliary wall portion 14a is formed by a wall surface 14b and a wall surface 14c. The wall surface 14b is parallel to the center line of the center of the interval D passing through the arc-shaped main body side wall portion 14. The wall surface 14c and the wall surface 14b are folded back orthogonally and are parallel to the outer shape of the container body 10.

[0038] In the auxiliary wall portions 14a facing each other across the distance D of the main body side wall portion 14, the wall surfaces 14b face each other in parallel. Furthermore, the wall surfaces 14c of the facing auxiliary wall portions 14a are arranged on a straight line parallel to the outer shape of the container body 10.

[0039] The auxiliary wall portion 14a functions as a reinforcing wall during cooling after resin molding to prevent the shrinkage deformation of the end edge of the main body side wall portion 14 from tilting inward (center side). The auxiliary wall portion 14a interacts with the ribs 14d at four locations on the back of the main body side wall portion 14 to prevent deformation. In particular, the auxiliary wall portion 14a is formed into an L-shape by having a wall surface 14b that functions in the same manner as the ribs 14d orthogonal to the back of the main body side wall portion 14 and a wall surface 14c parallel to the outer shape. Thus, the main body side wall portion 14 is reinforced by the wall surface 14b in the radial direction corresponding to the rib 14d and the wall surface 14c in the substantially tangential direction orthogonal to the wall surface 14b. Therefore, the shrinkage deformation of the end edge of the auxiliary wall portion 14a is prevented, and tilting inward can be more reliably prevented. Moreover, in addition to the guide component 40, the auxiliary wall portion 14a also functions as a concentric guide 60. The details will be described later together with the guide component 40.

[0040] like Figure 1 (a), (b) and Figure 2 As shown in (a) and (b) in FIG. 1 , the container body 10 and the cover body 20 (see Figure 3 The arc-shaped mating surface 15 between (a)) is formed on the outer periphery of the lower end of the main body side wall portion 14 in a manner protruding upward. A linear mating surface 16 is formed at four intervals D of the main body side wall portion 14 on the outer periphery of the mounting portion 12 separated by a step portion. The linear mating surface 16 and the arc-shaped mating surface 15 surround the accommodating portion 13 in a roughly annular shape. The mating surfaces 16 on three of the four linear mating surfaces 16 are divided into two due to the recess formed in the central portion. Moreover, a surface 16a continuous with the linear mating surface 16 is formed in the direction in which the linear mating surface 16 extends. The linear mating surface 16 and the surface 16a are roughly around the slightly inner side of the outer shape of the container body 10.

[0041] When the cover 20 is covered on the container body 10, the inner side surface of the cover side wall portion 21 divided into four parts in the cover 20 contacts the arc-shaped fitting surface 15 of the container body 10. At the same time, the four straight cover outer wall portions 22 of the cover 20 contact the straight fitting surface 16 of the container body 10. By the fitting of the cover side wall portion 21 and the arc-shaped fitting surface 15 and the fitting of the cover outer wall portion 22 and the straight fitting surface 16, the concentric state of the container body 10 and the cover 20 can be maintained at the stage of covering.

[0042] Like upside down Figure 3 (a), (b) and Figure 4 and the usual Figure 5 As shown in (a) and (b), the cover 20 blocks the opening 11 of the container body 10 (see Figure 1The cover body 20 is formed in the following shape: the four corners of the approximately square shape having the same shape as the mounting portion 12 are arc-shaped. The cover body 20 includes a cover body top surface portion 23 that blocks the top surface. The cover body side wall portion 21 divided into four parts corresponding to the main body side wall portion 14 of the container body 10 is formed in an arc-shaped manner at the four corners of the cover body top surface portion 23 in a manner protruding downward. In the cover body 20, the cover body outer wall portion 22 is formed on the outside between the arc-shaped cover body side wall portions 21 to protrude downward. Both ends of the cover body outer wall portion 22 are connected to the cover body side wall portion 21 on the outside of the cover body side wall portion 21. As a result, the cover body side wall portion 21 and the cover body outer wall portion 22 are connected around the entire circumference of the cover body 20.

[0043] When the cover 20 is placed on the container body 10, as described above, the inner side surfaces of the four cover side walls 21 of the cover 20 come into contact with the arc-shaped fitting surface 15 of the container body 10. At the same time, the inner side surface of the linear cover outer wall 22 of the cover 20 comes into contact with the linear fitting surface 16 of the container body 10. Thus, the container body 10 and the cover 20 are fitted together while surrounding the storage portion 13.

[0044] As described above, the holding mechanism 30 includes at least two locations: the locking member 32 formed in the container body 10 , and the locking hole 33 formed in the cover body 20 .

[0045] like Figure 1 (a) and Figure 2 As shown in (a) and (b) in the figure, in the container body 10, locking parts 32 are formed at four locations on the outer side of the main body side wall part 14 at the four corners of the mounting part 12. The locking parts 32 are formed integrally with the mounting part 12 and protrude upward (to the side of the opening part 11 at one end) from the mounting part 12. In other words, the locking parts 32 are formed in a manner extending from the other end of the container body 10 to one end. A locking claw part 31 is provided at one end of the locking part 32. The locking part 32 has a length such that the locking claw part 31 does not protrude from the uppermost part of the cover body 20 when the cover body 20 is covered on the container body 10. Moreover, the front end part of the locking claw part 31 is slightly higher than the uppermost part of the opening part 11. Figure 2 In (b), the front end portion of the locking claw portion 31 is higher than the uppermost portion of the opening 11 by an arbitrary height difference H.

[0046] like Figure 3 (a) and Figure 4 As shown, in the cover body 20 , locking holes 33 are formed at four of the four corners of the cover body top surface portion 23 corresponding to the arrangement of the locking members 32 of the container body 10 .

[0047] like Figure 5As shown in (b) in the figure, the locking hole 33 is formed in the recess 24 formed on the upper surface of the cover top surface 23. The locking surface 34 of the locking hole 33 for the locking claw 31 to be locked makes it easy to push the locking claw 31 back when the central part is recessed to release the locked state.

[0048] When the cover 20 is covered on the container body 10, the locking claw 31 on the container body 10 side passes over the locking hole 33 on the cover 20 side. Then, the lower end horizontal surface of the locking claw 31 is locked on the locking surface 34. In this locked state, the container body 10 and the cover 20 are fitted and kept in a concentric state.

[0049] On the other hand, the locked holding state can be released reliably and easily by pushing the locking member 32 back from the center side to the outside by utilizing the depression in the center portion of the locking surface 34 of the cover body 20 .

[0050] The holding mechanism 30 may be provided at least at two locations, for example, at two diagonal locations, as long as the container body 10 and the lid body 20 can be held in a locked state.

[0051] like Figure 3 (a), (b) and Figure 7 As shown in (a) and (b) in the figure, the cover 20 has pressing parts 25 at least at two locations that become the outer side of the wafer W, for example, at four locations corresponding to the interval D of the main body side wall portion 14 of the container body 10. The pressing part 25 is a flat plate-shaped part that hits the outer side of the wafer W and presses the wafer W.

[0052] The pressing member 25 protrudes downward (opposite to the opening 11) from the inner side of the cover top surface 23, and is disposed between two adjacent cover side walls 21. The pressing member 25 is formed to be swingable around a swing shaft 26 at the base end.

[0053] The outer surface of the pressing part 25 is planar and the inner surface is circular. Therefore, the two ends of the pressing part 25 in the width direction become thick-walled parts 25a that are thicker than the central part. In contrast, in the swing shaft part 26, the inner surface is formed into a planar shape corresponding to the plate thickness of the central part. Therefore, the swing shaft part 26 is thinner than the pressing part 25. As a result, the swing shaft part 26 becomes a hinge structure that makes it easy to swing the pressing part 25 around the swing shaft part 26. The position of the swing shaft part 26 is set to a position corresponding to the inner side surface of the pressing part 25 (the surface on the center side of the wafer W) and the outer diameter of the wafer W to be accommodated in an overlapping manner. Moreover, the inner surface of the front end of the pressing part 25 is planar or tapered planar so as to be suitable for connecting with the vertical surface 17b in the guide groove 17 of the container body 10.

[0054] A pressing surface material 27 is provided on the inner side surface of the pressing component 25; the pressing surface material 27 presses the outer periphery of the wafer W with its surface, and is, for example, formed integrally with the pressing component 25. In addition, the pressing surface material 27 may be a separate component from the pressing component 25, or may be formed and installed with other materials. Therefore, the pressing surface material 27 only needs to be able to reliably press the outer periphery of the wafer W with its surface.

[0055] like Figure 1 (a), (b) and Figure 7 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , the container body 10 is provided with a guide groove 17, and the guide groove 17 guides the pressing member 25 to a position for pressing the outer periphery of the wafer W. The guide groove 17 is formed at four locations of the interval D of the main body side wall portion 14 of the mounting portion 12. The guide groove 17 causes the pressing member 25 provided on the cover body top surface portion 23 of the cover body 20 to swing at the swing shaft portion 26 at the base end. Thus, the guide groove 17 guides the front end portion of the pressing member 25 to move from the outside of the mounting portion 12 to the inside (center side).

[0056] The guide groove 17 is formed in a straight line parallel to each side of the quadrilateral of the mounting portion 12 as the bottom portion. The guide groove 17 is formed in a substantially V-shaped cross-sectional shape that is recessed from the surface of the mounting portion 12. The guide groove 17 includes an inclined surface 17a that is higher on the outer side of the container body 10 and lower on the center side, and a vertical surface 17b that is continuous with the center side of the inclined surface 17a.

[0057] In addition, if Figure 1 (a), (b) and Figure 2 As shown in (a) and (b) of the figure, the container body 10 may also form concave-convex parts or ribs on other parts as needed in addition to the ribs 14d of the mounting part 12 and the main body side wall part 14. The concave-convex parts or ribs are used to strengthen or improve the rigidity of the processing in other steps.

[0058] The protruding length of the pressing member 25 is specified as follows in order to guide the pressing member 25 by the guide groove 17. More specifically, in each process of covering the container body 10 with the cover body 20, the protruding length of the pressing member 25 is specified as follows. Figure 7 (b) in the figure shows the state in which the cover 20 completely covers the container body 10. At the beginning of the covering, the front end (lower end) of the pressing member 25 of the cover 20 is located in the guide groove 17 of the container body 10. Then, as the cover 20 is covered, the pressing member 25 is guided along the inclined surface 17a by the guide groove 17. Then, at the completion of the complete covering (see Figure 7 In (b)), the inner side surface of the pressing member 25 is in contact with the vertical surface 17b of the guide groove 17.

[0059] That is, when the cover 20 covers and is locked to the container body 10 , the front end of the pressing member 25 is located at the bottom of the guide groove 17 and cannot return to the outside via the inclined surface 17 a .

[0060] As described above, when the cover 20 is covered and locked to the container body 10, the pressing members 25 at four locations are held at positions corresponding to the outer diameters of the wafers W. Thus, since the pressing surface materials 27 of the pressing members 25 at four locations can press the outer circumferences of the stacked wafers W, horizontal movement of the wafers W can be reliably prevented.

[0061] The pressing member 25 is located between the cover top surface 23 and the guide groove 17 recessed in the mounting portion 12, the cover top surface 23 serving as the top surface of the cover 20, and the mounting portion 12 serving as the bottom surface of the container body 10. Thus, the outer circumference of all wafers W stacked on the mounting portion 12 can be pressed by the surface, and even the wafer W at the bottom layer can be reliably pressed.

[0062] Furthermore, the pressing member 25 does not exist in the container body 10 with the lid 20 removed. Thus, the wafer W can be accommodated in the container body 10 as before with the gap D of the body side wall 14 open without being hindered by the pressing member 25.

[0063] In addition, if Figure 3 (a) to Figure 5 As shown in (b), the cover body 20 may be provided with concave-convex parts or ribs as needed on the cover body side wall 21, the cover body outer wall 22, the cover body top face 23 and other parts. The concave-convex parts or ribs are used to enhance or improve the rigidity of the processing in other steps.

[0064] The upper pressing part 28 is formed integrally with the lid top surface 23 and is used to press the wafers W accommodated in the mounting part 12 of the container body 10 vertically. As before, the upper pressing part 28 presses the stacked wafers W vertically between the mounting part 12 and the upper pressing part 28.

[0065] like Figure 3 (a) and Figure 4 As shown, in the wafer transport container 1, the guide member 40 is provided at least at two locations. When the guide member 40 covers the cover 20 on the container body 10, the wafer W accommodated in the accommodation portion 13 is prevented from being damaged. The guide member 40 guides the cover 20 while maintaining a concentric state in which the central axis of the container body 10 is aligned with the central axis of the cover 20. In the example shown in the figure, the guide member 40 is provided at four locations at the four corners of the cover 20.

[0066] The guide member 40 guides the container body 10 while contacting the locking members 32 provided at four locations of the container body 10 and keeping the container body 10 and the cover body 20 in a concentric state (see Figure 3 (a) in the figure and 6 (a) in the figure, etc.). Each guide component 40 is composed of a rib-shaped guide portion 41. The guide portion 41 is formed in parallel in a manner that the two guide portions 41 are spaced apart from the outer side surface of the cover body side wall portion 21 and protrude outward. The guide portion 41 is an inclined surface with a small protrusion on the opening side of the front end (the upper end side in the example of the inverted state) and a large protrusion on the side of the cover body top surface 23 at the base end. The guide portion 41 is a guide surface of the locking hole portion 33 formed from the opening side of the front end to the recess 24 of the cover body top surface 23 at the base end. Since the guide portion 41 of the cover body 20 contacts the inclined surface of the upper end of the locking claw portion 31 of the container body 10 (high on the outside and low toward the center), a concentric state is maintained.

[0067] Thus, from the start to the end of covering with the cover 20, the locking claw 31 of the locking member 32 of the container body 10 contacts the guide 41 of the guide member 40 of the cover 20. As a result, the container body 10 and the cover 20 are kept in a concentric state, and the cover 20 is guided until it is held by the holding mechanism 30. In addition, by forming the inclined surface of the guide 41 with a lower opening side and a higher cover top surface 23 side, the demolding property from the mold during molding can be improved.

[0068] In the wafer transport container 1, the cover 20 has two rib-shaped guide portions 41, and the two rib-shaped guide portions 41 constitute the guide member 40. Therefore, when the cover 20 begins to cover the container body 10, the front ends of the two guide portions 41 respectively abut against the upper surfaces of the locking claws 31 of the locking member 32 of the container body 10 at four locations.

[0069] In this state, the cover 20 is pressed in while the inclined surface of the guide 41 contacts the inclined surface of the locking claw 31. Thus, the offset of the cover 20 relative to the central axis of the container body 10 is corrected by the inclined surfaces of the guide 41 and the locking claw 31, and the cover 20 is in a concentric state.

[0070] Furthermore, when the guide portions 41 of the cover 20 at four locations are brought into contact with the locking claws 31 of the locking members 32 at four locations and pressed in, the cover 20 is covered in a state concentric with the container body 10. When the covering is completed, the locking claws 31 are locked in the locking holes 33 of the cover 20, and the cover 20 and the container body 10 are fitted in a concentric state, and are held by the holding mechanism 30.

[0071] In the wafer transport container 1 , two guide portions 41 are formed as the guide member 40 on the outer side of the cover side wall portion 21 , but the guide member 40 may be formed of one guide portion 41 by increasing the width of the guide portion 41 .

[0072] Furthermore, the guide member 40 may be formed by removing the cover body side wall portion 21 between the two guide portions 41, and forming the front end side of the guide portion 41 into a guide portion 41 with a U-shaped cross section continuous on the wall surface, and protruding outward from the cover body side wall portion 21. In other words, the guide member 40 can contact the locking member 32 of the container body 10 and cover the cover body 20 in a concentric state.

[0073] In the wafer transport container 1 , when the lid 20 covers the container body 10 , the concentric state is ensured, so that the lid side wall portion 21 of the lid 20 is prevented from abutting against the wafer W accommodated in the container body 10 and damaging the wafer W.

[0074] Furthermore, in the case where the wafer transport container 1 covers the container body 10 with the cover 20, the locking member 32 is higher than the main body side wall portion 14 of the container body 10. Therefore, the guide portion 41 of the guide member 40 first abuts against the locking claw portion 31 of the locking member 32. Thus, it is possible to further reliably prevent the wafer W in the storage portion 13 from being damaged when the cover 20 is started.

[0075] The cover 20 is provided with a pressing member 25 for pressing the outer side of the wafer W with its surface. The pressing member 25 is guided by the guide groove 17 from a state of opening to the outside to a state of closing at a predetermined position. The guided pressing member 25 can reliably press the wafer W and maintain the concentric state of the container body 10 and the cover 20.

[0076] Furthermore, by adopting the above-described structure, it is possible to prevent the pressing member 25 from damaging the wafer W. Thus, in the wafer transport container 1, even if an operator manually covers the cover 20 without using an automated device such as a robot arm, the central axes of the container body 10 and the cover 20 will not shift. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the concentric state of the container body 10 and the cover 20 can be reliably maintained.

[0077] like Figure 1 (a), (b), Figure 7 (a) and Figure 8 As shown in (a) and (b) in the figure, the wafer transport container 1 further uses the auxiliary wall portions 14a at both end edges of the main body side wall portion 14 of the container body 10 as guides 60. The guide 60 uses the auxiliary wall portion 14a as a guide portion 61 on one side and provides a guide portion 62 on the other side on the cover body 20, thereby serving as a guide when the cover body 20 is covered on the container body 10.

[0078] In the container body 10, the wall surface 14c facing the auxiliary wall portion 14a across the distance D and substantially parallel to the radial outer shape constitutes one guide portion 61. That is, the guide portion 61 uses the L-shaped wall surface 14c and the open end edge of the wall surface 14c.

[0079] In the cover 20, as Figure 3 As shown in (a) and (b), the connecting wall surface 21a of the arc-shaped divided cover body side wall portion 21 and the inner wall surface 22a of the cover body outer wall portion 22 constitute the guide portion 62 on the other side. The connecting wall surface 21a connects the end edge portion of the arc-shaped divided cover body side wall portion 21 to the cover body outer wall portion 22 and is roughly parallel to the radial direction. The interval between the two adjacent and opposite connecting wall surfaces 21a of the guide portion 62 corresponds to the interval D between the wall surface 14c of the auxiliary wall portion 14a of the guide portion 61 so as to be able to contact and fit together. Moreover, the inner wall surface 22a of the guide portion 62 sets the width of the wall surface 14b so as to be able to contact and fit together in a concentric state with the wall surface 14c parallel to the outer shape of the container body 10, and adjusts the position from the outer shape.

[0080] Furthermore, the guide parts 61 of one side of the container body 10 and the guide parts 62 of the other side of the cover body 20 constituting the guide 60 are provided in pairs at four locations. Therefore, a total of eight guide parts 61 and guide parts 62 are provided. The positions of the total of eight guide parts 61 and guide parts 62 are set so that the central axes of the container body 10 and the cover body 20 can be kept in a concentric state.

[0081] The guide parts 41 of the guide member 40 and the locking claws 31 of the locking member 32 disposed at the four corners of the wafer transport container 1 guide the container body 10 and the cover body 20 so that the concentric state is limited to the orthogonal diagonal direction. In addition, the guide 60 can also guide along the direction of each side (two orthogonal directions) at the center of each side. Since the guide 60 is provided, the concentric state of the container body 10 and the cover body 20 can be maintained more reliably. As a result, the wafer transport container 1 can prevent the cover body side wall 21 of the cover body 20 from being damaged by contact with the wafer W accommodated therein and can smoothly cover the cover body 20.

[0082] The auxiliary wall 14a prevents both end edges of the main body side wall 14 of the container body 10 from falling inward. The auxiliary wall 14a can prevent the main body side wall 14 from falling and contacting the wafer W, so that the wafer can be stored and transported without being damaged.

[0083] In the wafer transport container 1, the container body 10 and the cover 20 are preferably formed of conductive plastic. As the conductive plastic, plastics to which conductive fillers are added or plastics treated with polymer alloys can be cited. As the conductive filler, carbon black, graphite carbon, graphite, carbon fiber, metal powder, metal fiber, powder of metal oxide, metal-coated inorganic fine powder, organic fine powder or fiber, etc. can be cited.

[0084] In this wafer transport container 1, as Fig. 9As shown, the storage part 13 on the mounting part 12 surrounded by the four main body side wall parts 14 of the container body 10 is provided with an annular spacer 51 as a buffer material at the bottom layer. Wafers W and interlayer sheets 52 are alternately overlapped on the annular spacer 51, and the annular spacer 51 as a buffer material is arranged and stored at the top layer. When the wafer W is stored in the storage part 13, the two end edges of the main body side wall part 14 are prevented from falling inward, so that the wafer W can be stored without being damaged by contact.

[0085] After a predetermined number of wafers W are stacked and stored in the container body 10, the cover 20 is started. When the cover 20 is started to cover the container body 10, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown in (a) in FIG. 1 , at four locations (four corners) of the wafer transport container 1 , the front ends of the two guide portions 41 respectively abut against the upper surfaces of the locking claw portions 31 of the locking member 32 of the container body 10 .

[0086] If the cover 20 is pressed in while the inclined surfaces are in contact with each other in this state, the offset of the center axis of the cover 20 relative to the container body 10 is corrected by the inclined surfaces of the guide portion 41 and the locking claw portion 31, and the cover 20 is in a concentric state. Furthermore, the offset of the center axis of the cover 20 relative to the container body 10 is corrected by the guide portions 61 and 62 of the guide 60, and the cover 20 is in a concentric state. As a result, the cover 20 is guided in the orthogonal diagonal direction and the orthogonal left-right and front-back directions, and the concentric state is maintained.

[0087] Then, when the guide portions 41 of the cover 20 at four locations are pressed in contact with the inner surface of the locking member 32 at four locations and the locking claws 31, the cover 20 is covered in a concentric state with the container body 10. When the covering is completed, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , the locking claw portion 31 is locked to the locking hole portion 33 of the cover body 20. Thus, the concentric state of the cover body 20 and the container body 10 is maintained.

[0088] Moreover, if the cover body 20 is covered on the container body 10 until the front end of the cover body outer wall portion 22 of the cover body 20 is in contact with the linear mating surface 16, the front end portion of the pressing part 25 of the cover body 20 will be located above the guide groove 17 of the container body 10.

[0089] When the cover 20 is placed on the container body 10, the front end of the pressing member 25 is guided by the inclined surface 17a of the guide groove 17 of the container body 10 and moves from the outside to the center. At this time, the pressing member 25 swings around the swing shaft 26 at the base end.

[0090] Moreover, when the cover 20 completely covers the container body 10, Figure 7As shown in (b) in FIG. 1 , the pressing member 25 is in contact with the vertical surface 17b on the center side of the guide groove 17. At this time, the inner side surface of the pressing member 25 is in contact with the outer diameter of the wafer W. Thus, the pressing surface materials 27 of the pressing member 25 at four locations press the outer periphery of the overlapped wafers W to prevent horizontal movement.

[0091] In this wafer transport container 1, even if the cover 20 is covered with the wafer W accommodated in the container body 10, the central axes of the container body 10 and the cover 20 are in a concentric state and do not deviate under the guidance of the guide member 40 and the guide 60. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cover side wall portion 21 or the pressing member 25 of the cover 20 from hitting the wafer W and causing damage. In addition, the overlapped wafers W are pressed by the upper surface of the mounting portion 12 of the container body 10 and the upper pressing portion 28 of the cover top surface portion 23 of the cover 20, and the movement in the up-down direction is also suppressed.

[0092] Furthermore, when the cover 20 completely covers the container body 10, the cover side wall 21 and the cover outer wall 22 of the cover 20 contact the arc-shaped fitting surface 15 and the linear fitting surface 16 of the container body 10. Thus, the container body 10 and the cover 20 are fitted around the receiving portion 13.

[0093] In this way, after the wafers W are stacked and accommodated in the container body 10 and covered with the cover 20, the wafers W accommodated in the accommodation portion 13 are pressed in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Therefore, even if the wafer transport container 1 is transported in any direction, the wafers W do not move. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the interlayer sheets that are in direct contact with the wafers W from friction, damage or cracks, etc., and contamination of the wafers W by dust or chemical components.

[0094] A wafer transport container 1 related to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a container body 10, having an opening portion 11 at one end and a mounting portion 12 at the other end that is opposite to the opening portion 11 and overlaps and accommodates the wafer W; and a cover body 20 that blocks the opening portion 11; the container body 10 comprises: a plurality of arc-shaped main body side wall portions 14 that are uprightly arranged on the mounting portion 12 and divide the accommodating portion 13 for accommodating the wafer W; and an auxiliary wall portion 14a that is uprightly arranged at both end edges of the main body side wall portion 14 and is folded back toward the back side.

[0095] According to the related structure, the auxiliary wall portion 14a can prevent the two end edges of the main body side wall portion 14 erected on the mounting portion 12 of the container body 10 from falling inward due to shrinkage deformation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wafer W accommodated in the accommodation portion 13 from contacting the main body side wall portion 14 and being damaged when being accommodated or taken out.

[0096] In the wafer transport container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary wall portion 14 a of the container body 10 serves as one guide portion 61 . The cover 20 is formed with the other guide portion 62 that guides along the one guide portion 61 .

[0097] In the container body 10, the auxiliary wall portions 14a at both end edges of the main body side wall portion 14 serve as one guide portion 61. In addition to the guide portion 61, the container body 10 and the cover 20 can be guided while maintaining the concentric state by the guide portion 62 formed on the other side of the cover 20. Therefore, when the cover 20 is covered on the container body 10 or removed, it is possible to prevent the cover 20 from contacting the wafer W.

[0098] Therefore, the guide portions 61 and 62 can more reliably prevent the wafer W from being damaged.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the main body side wall portion 14 is provided at four locations is described as an example, but it is sufficient as long as it is provided at least at two locations at diagonal positions. In other words, it is sufficient as long as the receiving portion 13 can be divided and the wafer W can be reliably received. Moreover, the width (length along the outer shape) of the wall surface 14c parallel to the outer shape of the auxiliary wall portion 14a provided at both end edges of the main body side wall portion 14 is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient as long as it is appropriately set. For example, in the case of the guide 60, it is sufficient as long as it is set in a manner that matches the shape and size of the cover body 20.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the pressing members 25 are provided at four locations, but they may be provided at least at two diagonal locations. For example, by providing the pressing members 25 at three or more locations, the wafer W can be reliably pressed.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the pressing member 25 is provided as a flat plate at one location. Alternatively, the pressing member 25 at one location may be divided into a structure in which a plurality of flat plate-shaped pressing members are swung separately. In this way, the wafer W can be reliably pressed by each divided pressing member 25 .

[0102] The present invention can have various embodiments and variations without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, the embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is represented by the claims rather than the embodiments. Moreover, various variations made within the meaning of the claims and equivalent inventions are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0103] [Industrial Utilization Possibility]

[0104] The wafer housing container of the present invention is suitable for use as a wafer housing container for semiconductor wafers, for example.

[0105] Explanation of symbols

[0106] In the figure:

[0107] 1: Semiconductor wafer handling container

[0108] 10: Container body

[0109] 11: Opening

[0110] 12: Carrying part

[0111] 13: Containment

[0112] 14: Main body side wall

[0113] 14a: Auxiliary wall portion (guide)

[0114] 14b: wall

[0115] 14c: Wall surface (guide portion)

[0116] 14d: Rib

[0117] 15: Arc-shaped mating surface

[0118] 16: Linear mating surface

[0119] 16a: Noodles

[0120] 17: Guide groove

[0121] 17a: Inclined surface

[0122] 17b: Vertical plane

[0123] 20: Cover

[0124] 21: Cover side wall

[0125] 21a: Connecting wall

[0126] 21b: Incision

[0127] 22: Outer wall of cover

[0128] 22a: Inner wall surface (guide portion)

[0129] 23: Top of cover

[0130] 24: concave part

[0131] 25 Press the parts

[0132] 25a Thick wall part

[0133] 26: Swing shaft

[0134] 27: Press the surface material

[0135] 28: Upper pressing part

[0136] 30: Maintaining the organization

[0137] 31: locking claw

[0138] 32: Locking parts

[0139] 33: Locking hole

[0140] 34: Stop surface

[0141] 40: Guide component

[0142] 41: Rib

[0143] 51: Ring spacer

[0144] 52: Interlayer sheet

[0145] 60: Guide

[0146] 61: Guidance Department

[0147] 62: Guidance Department

[0148] D: Interval

[0149] W: Wafer

Claims

1. A semiconductor wafer transport container, comprising: A container body having an opening at one end and a mounting portion at the other end facing the opening and accommodating the wafers in an overlapping manner; and A cover body, blocking the opening; The semiconductor wafer transport container is characterized in that: The container body comprises: A plurality of arc-shaped main body side wall portions are vertically disposed on the mounting portion and divide a receiving portion for receiving the wafer; and An L-shaped auxiliary wall portion is vertically arranged by folding back toward the back side at both end edges of the main body side wall portion; In the container body: The auxiliary wall portion includes a wall surface on one side and a wall surface on the other side; The wall surface on one side is parallel to a center line of the container body passing through the center of a gap between the arc-shaped body side wall portions, the gap being defined by adjacent body side wall portions in the body side wall portions; The wall surface of the other side is orthogonal to the wall surface of the one side and is folded back and parallel to the outer shape of the container body; The end edge of the main body side wall portion has a U-shape defined by the main body side wall portion and the auxiliary wall portion; The other wall surface and the open end edge of the other wall surface constitute one guide portion; The cover body has: A circular arc-shaped divided cover side wall portion; A straight outer wall portion of the cover body, serving as four sides of the cover body; and A connecting wall surface respectively connecting the end edge of the side wall portion of the cover body and the inner wall surface of the outer wall portion of the cover body; In the cover body: The connecting wall surface and the inner wall surface constitute the other guide portion; The other guide portion guides along the one guide portion and maintains the container body and the cover body in a concentric state.

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