Wafer container

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer container, which comprises a shell, at least one perforated pipe and an airflow guide piece, and is characterized in that the shell is provided with an accommodating space; the at least one perforated pipe is arranged in the accommodating space of the shell and is used for supplying gas to the accommodating space; and the airflow guide piece is arranged around the at least one perforated pipe so as to guide the gas supplied by the at least one perforated pipe to the accommodating space. The phenomenon that airflow generates turbulent flow in the inner space of the wafer container can be solved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application date of the original application is August 17, 2022; the application number is 202210988874.7; the name of the invention is: Gas diffusion device and wafer container including a gas diffusion device. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a gas diffusion device, and in particular to a wafer container equipped with the gas diffusion device for filling a specific gas. Background Art

[0003] Dry gas or inert gas is generally used to fill the wafer container to reduce the humidity in the wafer container to below 10%. During the opening process of the wafer container, the pressure difference forces the outside air to be introduced into the containing space in the container, causing the humidity to rise suddenly. In addition, particles may be entrained by the outside air and attached to the surface of the wafer. Therefore, dry gas or inert gas must be continuously filled into the wafer container to resist the outside air introduced when the container is opened.

[0004] However, the gas diffuser installed in the wafer container is limited by the internal area of the wafer container, and the position of the through hole opened at the bottom for inflation is fixed, so the existing inflation technology is to install the air intake module on the through hole of the wafer container for inflation, and the outlet path of the air intake module from the air inlet through the porous tube (diffusion tower) is configured in a non-straight way, that is, the central axis of the air intake module is offset to the central axis of the porous tube, and the bending structure design is used to achieve the purpose of inflation and solve the problem of limited space in the wafer container. Such an offset or misaligned configuration strategy requires the gas to enter the porous tube from the air intake module through a bending path, resulting in increased flow time and poor fluency due to detours during the gas flow process, and then the problem of poor purge efficiency occurs. In addition, as the demand for diffusion gas flow increases, although increasing the size of the porous tube is a solution, it still faces the problem of limited space in the wafer container. The existing porous tube (diffusion tower) structure is designed as a circular tube. This circular tube can exhaust gas at 360 degrees, which will cause turbulence in the wafer container space. In addition, the porous tube with increased radial size may interfere with the wafer.

[0005] This offset air intake module and porous tube also have the disadvantage of being difficult to install. The downstream end of the bending path, that is, the bottom of the porous tube, is prone to bending or damage during installation, affecting the airflow quality. The existing porous tube is made of a single material, and the connection structure between the porous tube and the air intake module is prone to cracking or poor sealing during assembly, causing particles to adhere to the wafer surface. Furthermore, if Figure 1As shown, a pair of diffuser assemblies are generally arranged in the wafer container 10, both of which have their own air intake modules 11 and porous tubes 12, and the air intake module 11 has a check valve 13. The air-filling disk 14 can be connected to the air intake module 11 at the bottom of the wafer container 10 and supply gas. When the performance of one of the check valves 13 deteriorates or fails, there will be a drop in the air intake airflow of the two diffuser assemblies, resulting in uneven airflow entering the container or insufficient total flow. In addition, the wafer may be placed in the wafer container 10 under high temperature during the semiconductor manufacturing process, which will cause the internal space of the wafer container 10 to heat up, and even affect the performance of the components assembled in the wafer container 10.

[0006] In view of this, it is necessary for technical personnel in this field to develop an improved gas diffusion device to solve the problems of poor airflow quality caused by the existing non-straight-through structure, fragile structure of the porous tube connection, inconsistent inflation performance, and performance impairment caused by high temperature inside the wafer container, which are all problems that need to be urgently solved. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a wafer container which can solve the problem of airflow turbulence in the inner space of the wafer container.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned invention object, the present application proposes a wafer container, wherein the wafer container comprises:

[0009] A housing having a containing space;

[0010] At least one porous tube is disposed in the accommodating space of the shell, and the porous tube is used to supply gas to the accommodating space; and

[0011] An airflow guide is arranged around at least one of the porous tubes to guide the gas supplied by at least one of the porous tubes to the accommodating space. Compared with the prior art, the wafer container proposed in the present application has the following characteristics and advantages: the wafer container proposed in the present application has a porous tube arranged in the accommodating space of the shell, and the porous tube supplies gas to the accommodating space; an airflow guide is arranged around the porous tube, and the airflow guide guides the gas supplied by the porous tube to the accommodating space. Through the use of the airflow guide in combination with the porous tube, in addition to achieving the purpose of controlling the direction of the airflow, it also solves the problem that the existing round tube structure causes turbulence in the internal space of the wafer container due to 360-degree air outlet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following drawings and descriptions. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to actual size; the emphasis is on illustrating the structure and principle.

[0013] Figure 1 Schematically shows a conventional wafer container being filled with gas via a pair of diffusion components.

[0014] Figure 2 Shows an exploded view of the first embodiment of the wafer container of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 Is a front view of the first embodiment of the wafer container of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 Is an internal top view of the first embodiment of the wafer container of the present invention

[0017] Figure 5 Is Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A.

[0018] Figure 6 Is Figure 5 A partially enlarged view showing the first embodiment of the gas diffusion device of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 7 Shows the second embodiment of the gas diffusion device of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 8A And Figure 8B Shows different variations of the shape of the porous tube.

[0021] Figure 9A And Figure 9B Shows the relationship between different porous tube shapes and the intake module.

[0022] Figure 10A And Figure 10B Shows different embodiments of the porous tube (coaxial).

[0023] Figure 11A And Figure 11B Shows different embodiments of the porous tube (non-coaxial).

[0024] Figure 12A And Figure 12B Shows the third embodiment of the gas diffusion device of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 13A And Figure 13B Schematically shows variations of the porous tube and the baffle.

[0026] Figure 14A And Figure 14B Schematically shows another variation of the porous tube and the baffle.

[0027] Figure 15A And Figure 15B Schematically shows other variations of the porous tube and the baffle.

[0028] Figure 16Schematic variation example of the combination of a porous tube and a baffle.

[0029] Figure 17 Show the second embodiment of the wafer container of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 18 Show the exploded view of the cassette of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 19 Show the cross-sectional view of the cassette of the present invention disposed in the wafer container.

[0032] Figure 20 Show the enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the cassette of the present invention disposed in the wafer container.

[0033] Figures 21A to 21D Respectively show the schematic diagrams of the embodiments disposed between the porous tube and the cassette.

[0034] Figure 22 Show another embodiment of the porous tube of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 23A and Figure 23B Show the variation example of the slot holes of the porous tube.

[0036] Figure 24A and Figure 24B Show another variation example of the slot holes of the porous tube.

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals

[0038] 10: Wafer container

[0039] 11: Intake module

[0040] 12: Porous tube

[0041] 13: Check valve

[0042] 14: Inflatable disk

[0043] 20, 20’: Wafer container

[0044] 201: Bottom

[0045] 202: Top

[0046] 203: Inner wall

[0047] 204: Annular side wall

[0048] 205: Coupling structure

[0049] 206: Through channel

[0050] 21: Housing

[0051] 22: Door

[0052] 23: Opening

[0053] 24: Support part

[0054] 25: Intake module

[0055] 251: Elastic sleeve

[0056] 252: Check valve

[0057] 253: Filter membrane

[0058] 254: Buffer air chamber

[0059] 255: Sealing ring

[0060] 26: Exhaust module

[0061] 27, 27’: Porous tube

[0062] 271, 271’: Open end

[0063] 272, 272’: Longitudinal space

[0064] 273: Collar

[0065] 274: Baffle

[0066] 275: Collar

[0067] 29: Chassis

[0068] 60: Shoulder

[0069] 70: Tower

[0070] 71: Top cover

[0071] 72: Open end

[0072] 80: Back plate

[0073] 81, 81’: Flank

[0074] 83: Arc-shaped back plate

[0075] 84: Arc-shaped back plate

[0076] 90: Air box

[0077] 91: Bottom

[0078] 92: Side wall

[0079] 93: Narrow and long groove

[0080] 94: Positioning mechanism

[0081] 95: Sealing ring

[0082] 96: Annular side wall

[0083] 97: Buffer air chamber

[0084] 98: Intake channel

[0085] 827A, 827B: Porous tube

[0086] 925A to 925E: Intake module

[0087] 927A to 927E: Porous tube

[0088] 9205A to 9205E: Coupling structure

[0089] 1027A to 1027D: Porous tube

[0090] 1327A to 1327C: Porous tube

[0091] 2227: Porous tube

[0092] 2300: Slot hole

[0093] 2400: Slot hole

[0094] W: Wafer

[0095] C, C’, C”: Central axis

[0096] X: Minor axis

[0097] Y: Major axis

[0098] d, D: Lateral length

[0099] θ, θ1, θ2: Included angle Detailed implementation manners

[0100] The present invention will be more fully described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and specific exemplary embodiments will be shown by way of illustration. However, the claims of the present invention may be embodied in many different forms, and thus the construction of the claims covered or claimed is not limited to any exemplary embodiments disclosed in this specification; the exemplary embodiments are only for illustration. Similarly, the present invention aims to provide a reasonably broad scope for the claims covered or claimed. In addition, for example, the claims may be embodied as a method, a device or a system.

[0101] The term "an embodiment" used in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same specific embodiment, and the "other (some / certain) embodiments" used in this specification do not necessarily refer to different specific embodiments. The purpose is, for example, that the claimed liquid includes a combination of all or part of the exemplary embodiments.

[0102] Please also refer to Figures 2 to 5 . Figure 2An exploded view of a first embodiment of a wafer container 20 of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a wafer container 20 of the present invention (without a door). Figure 4 FIG. 1 is an internal top view of a first embodiment of a wafer container 20 of the present invention (containing wafers W). Figure 5 Based on Figure 4 The wafer container 20 comprises a shell 21 and a door 22, wherein the shell 21 has a storage space for accommodating wafers. The door 22 is detachably coupled to the opening 23 at the front end of the shell 21 to serve as an opening and closing storage space. A pair of support portions 24 are respectively arranged in the storage space of the shell 21, located on the inner side walls opposite to each other of the shell 21, and the size and area of the support portions 24 are sufficient to support and stack a plurality of wafers. The air inlet module 25 is detachably assembled at the bottom of the wafer container 20, and is close to the rear end of the wafer container 20. The air outlet module 26 is detachably assembled at the bottom of the wafer container 20, and is close to the front end of the wafer container 20. In the present embodiment, the number of the air inlet module 25 and the air outlet module 26 are respectively taken as two, and the number of use can be adjusted according to the actual operation. The bottom end of the porous tube 27 or the diffusion tower (gas tower) is detachably assembled at the rear end of the wafer container 20 and is fluidically connected to the air inlet module 25. The top end of the porous tube 27 can be positioned inside the housing 21 via a positioning member (omitted and not shown). Figure 2 Not shown, an airflow guide or a baffle may be provided between the porous tube 27 and the rear end of the housing 21, as will be described later. Figures 12A to 12B The bottom of the housing 21 is detachably connected to a chassis 29 .

[0103] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the porous tube 27 is located in the rear end of the wafer container 20, and extends vertically from the bottom 201 to the top 202 of the wafer container 20. The height of the porous tube 27 extends to cover as much as possible the stacking height of the maximum number of wafers W that can be accommodated in the storage space of the wafer container 20; or at least greater than the upper surface of the wafer W at the highest position. The air outlet of the porous tube 27 is basically arranged at the horizontal height between the wafers and blows in the direction of the opening 23. The present invention adopts a straight-through configuration, so there is still a space between the wafer and the inner wall 203 of the wafer container 20. This space is not only enough to accommodate the porous tube 27, but also the porous tube 27 can adjust the structural design according to actual needs, so it has a variety of different variations and applications, as described in detail below.

[0104] Figure 6 for Figure 5Partial enlarged view (such as the dashed box) showing the first embodiment of the gas diffusion device of the present invention. Schematic diagram of the intake module 25 and the porous tube 27 installed on the housing 21 of the wafer container 20. The intake module 25 includes an elastic sleeve 251 and a check valve 252. The elastic sleeve 251 has an intake passage penetrating through both ends thereof, and the check valve 252 is stably accommodated in the intake passage. A filter membrane 253 is disposed between the elastic sleeve 251 and the bottom 201 of the housing 21 to provide intake filtration. To prevent the filter membrane 253 from deforming or rupturing due to excessive intake pressure, the inner wall of the elastic sleeve 251 near the bottom 201 has a larger diameter, so a buffer air chamber 254 is formed between the intake passage and the filter membrane 253. Before passing through the filter membrane 253, the gas is laterally dispersed in the buffer air chamber 254 to reduce the pressure exerted on the filter membrane 253. At least one annular sidewall 204 extending downward is formed on the bottom 201 of the housing 21, defining an installation space for accommodating the intake module 25. The outer diameter of the elastic sleeve 251 may be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the annular sidewall 204, and a sealing ring may be provided between the elastic sleeve 251 and the annular sidewall 204, whereby the elastic sleeve 251 can be stably accommodated in the installation space of the annular sidewall 204. A plurality of flanges are formed on the outer side of the elastic sleeve 251, but in other embodiments, the outer surface of the elastic sleeve 251 may also be a flat surface.

[0105] The chassis 29 can hold the intake module 25 in the installation space of the annular sidewall 204. When the chassis 29 is assembled to the bottom 201 of the housing 21, a part of the chassis 29 abuts against the bottom end of the elastic sleeve 251, so that the elastic sleeve 251 is clamped between the bottom 201 and the chassis 29. As Figure 1 shown, the inflatable disk surface 14 can abut against the bottom of the chassis 29 and apply fluid (such as gas) pressure to the check valve 252 in the elastic sleeve 251, thereby opening the check valve 252, so that the gas can enter the intake passage of the elastic sleeve 251 through the check valve 252. In the embodiment, the chassis 29 includes an operable locking member for locking or releasing the elastic sleeve 251. A filter membrane 253 can be disposed in the intake passage of the elastic sleeve 251 to filter particles, effectively preventing particles from entering the accommodation space of the wafer container 20. The chassis 29 is usually placed at the load port of the device and can be selected from a self-lubricating material, which is basically a composite material containing at least two materials, so that the friction coefficient of the whole or part of the chassis 29 is lower than the friction coefficient of the contact interface of the load port, facilitating the displacement of the chassis 29 on the interface of the load port.

[0106] At least one coupling structure 205 is provided at the bottom 201 of the wafer container 20. For example, the coupling structure 205 extends upward from the inner side surface of the bottom 201 of the housing 21, and the structure of the coupling structure 205 can be designed as a columnar nozzle, which has a through-channel 206 passing through the bottom 201 and the accommodation space. The coupling structure 205 is used to connect the porous tube 27, and the porous tube 27 has a longitudinal space 272, and the longitudinal space 272 has a closed end and an open end 271. The outer diameter of the coupling structure 205 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the porous tube 27, so that the open end 271 at the bottom end of the porous tube 27 can be sleeved on the coupling structure 205, and gas can enter the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 through the through-channel 206.

[0107] Next, the inflation method of the present invention using the direct-through method is described. The coupling structure 205 defines a through-channel 206 having a central axis C. It should be noted that the central axis of the gas intake is coaxial with the central axis C of the coupling structure 205, and the central axis of the intake module 25 is also coaxial with the intake central axis. The intake module 25 supplies gas in a single intake direction into the buffer chamber 254 through the intake channel. As Figure 6 shown, in the first embodiment of the gas diffusion device, the intake channel, the buffer chamber 254, the through-channel 206, and the accommodation space are connected to each other. Since the porous tube 27 is installed on the coupling structure 205 of the wafer container 20, the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 communicates with the buffer chamber 254, and the open end 271 of the porous tube 27 has a central axis, and the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 has a central axis. When the central axis C of the coupling structure 205, the central axis of the open end of the porous tube 27, and the intake central axis are coaxial, the intake module 25 supplies gas in a single intake direction into the buffer chamber 254, and then the buffer chamber 254 provides gas to pass through the open end 271 and the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 in sequence until it enters the accommodation space. Such a direct-through configuration can ensure that the air flow basically enters the porous tube 27 from the intake module 25 in a straight path, and the gas is directly purged to the wafers in the accommodation space with the shortest path, which can not only improve the purging efficiency, but also effectively reduce the problem of the internal humidity rising when the door 22 is opened from the housing 21. In other words, the present invention can solve many disadvantages such as the lengthening of the air flow path caused by the existing bent structure design, the poor purging efficiency of the gas in the accommodation space, and the resulting humidity rise.

[0108] Furthermore, the present invention further includes at least one set of collar 273, which is used to connect to the inner opening end 271 of the porous tube 27. The collar 273 has a buffering and protecting effect, and the material of the collar 273 is softer than that of the porous tube 27. When the opening end 271 of the porous tube 27 is assembled to the corresponding coupling structure 205 on the bottom 201 of the wafer container 20, the collar 273 can avoid the stress connection between the opening end 271 and the coupling structure 205, which may cause the problem of rupture of the opening end 271 or the entire porous tube 27. The collar 273 of the present invention can be an independent component, or the collar 273 and the porous tube 27 can be sintered or bonded into one body. The porous tube 27 and the collar 273 are made of heat-resistant materials, and the heat-resistant materials are selected from the group consisting of PEEK, HTPC, FKM, PPS, PPO, chlorinated polyether, POB, TORLON, EP, PF, PEI, PI, LCP, and combinations of at least two of the above.

[0109] Figure 7 Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the gas diffusion device of the present invention. The main difference from the first embodiment of the gas diffusion device is that as the demand for the diffusion gas flow rate increases, without changing the accommodation space area of the existing wafer container, the present invention utilizes the space between the wafer and the inner wall 203 of the wafer container 20 to maximize the space utilization rate and designs a porous tube 27' structure that can increase the gas flow rate. The size of the porous tube 27' is increased, and the increased part extends towards the inner wall 203 of the housing 21. Under the structural design that the central axis of the gas inlet and the central axis C of the coupling structure 205 are coaxial, due to the increase in the size of the porous tube 27' extending towards the inner wall 203 of the housing 21, the central axis of the opening end 271 of the porous tube 27' and the central axis C' of the longitudinal space 272' are not coaxial. That is to say, the central axis C' of the longitudinal space 272' of the porous tube 27' is offset from the central axis C of the coupling structure 205, the central axis of the opening end 271 of the porous tube 27', and the gas inlet central axis.

[0110] It should be understood that although the central axis C of the coupling structure 205 and the central axis C' of the longitudinal space 272' of the porous tube 27' in the second embodiment are not coaxial, the central axis C of the coupling structure 205, the central axis of the opening end 271' of the porous tube 27', and the gas inlet central axis are still coaxial. Therefore, the gas supply module 25 supplies gas in a single inlet direction through the inlet channel into the buffer gas chamber 254. Then, the buffer gas chamber 254 provides the gas to sequentially pass through the opening end 271' of the porous tube 27' and the longitudinal space 272' until it enters the accommodation space. The air flow basically still purges the wafer in the accommodation space with the shortest path (direct through method), and the size of the porous tube 27' is increased, the gas flow rate is increased, and at the same time, the purging efficiency is also improved.

[0111] Figure 8A and Figure 8BIt is a partial top view inside the wafer container, showing different variation examples of the shapes of the porous tubes 827A and 827B. To avoid interfering with the edge of the wafer W, the shapes of the porous tubes 827A and 827B are elongated, having a major axis and a minor axis, and the minor axis is usually the main direction of gas diffusion and can point towards the center of the wafer. Figure 8B The porous tube 827B has a longer extension in the major axis direction, enabling the porous tube to provide a relatively wide coverage of gas diffusion.

[0112] Figure 9A and Figure 9B It presents the relationship between different porous tube shapes, coupling structures, and intake modules from a top view perspective.

[0113] Figure 9A The porous tubes 927A and 927B, the coupling structures 9205A and 9205B, and the intake modules 925A and 925B are coaxial. The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the longitudinal space of the porous tubes 927A and 927B is an elongated shape with a minor axis X and a major axis Y, and the horizontal cross-section of the through channels of the coupling structures 9205A and 9205B is circular. However, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the longitudinal space of the porous tubes 927A and 927B and the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the through channels of the coupling structures 9205A and 9205B are both elongated shapes. In this embodiment, the porous tubes are not limited to being elongated, and the shape and structure can be adjusted according to actual application requirements to change the gas flow direction and increase the area for purging the wafers in the accommodation space. For example, the major axis Y of the porous tube 927A has a larger cross-sectional area than the major axis Y of the porous tube 927B, so the gas outlet area is also larger.

[0114] Please also refer to Figure 7 、 Figure 9B The central axes of the open ends of the porous tubes 927C, 927D, and 927E are offset from the coupling structures 9205C, 9205D, and 9205E and the intake modules 925C, 925D, and 925E. Among them, the horizontal cross-sectional shapes of the longitudinal spaces of the porous tubes 927C, 927D, and 927E can be the elongated shape, a circle with a diameter, and an ellipse respectively, and the horizontal cross-sectional shapes of the through channels of the coupling structures 9205C, 9205D, and 9205E can be the elongated shape and a circle respectively. And the central axes of the coupling structures 9205C, 9205D, and 9205E are all located in the longitudinal spaces of the porous tubes 927C, 927D, and 927E. In this embodiment, to increase the area for purging the wafers in the accommodation space, for example, as the cross-sectional area of the minor axis X of the porous tubes 927C, 927D, and 927E increases, the gas outlet area also increases relatively; to avoid interfering with the wafers due to the increased cross-sectional area, the cross-sectional area of the minor axis X of the porous tubes 927C, 927D, and 927E extends towards the inner wall 203 of the housing 21.

[0115] Considering some limitations of injection molding,Figure 10A and Figure 10B show different embodiments of a (coaxial) porous tube. Figure 10A is an assembly and exploded view of a porous tube 1027A, which has a tower 70 extending longitudinally, a top cover 71, and an open end 72. The top cover 71 serves as a closed end, and it and the open end 72 are respectively detachably connected to the top and bottom ends of the tower 70 to define a longitudinal space. Figure 10A The area of the presented longitudinal space is larger than the opening space area of the open end 72. Figure 10B The tower 70, top cover 71, and open end 72 of the porous tube 1027B are integrally formed, so the area of the longitudinal space is larger than the opening space area of the open end 72. These two porous tubes 1027A and 1027B can have different gas diffusion performances, and the central axis of the longitudinal space and the central axis of the open end 72 are coaxial.

[0116] Figure 11A and Figure 11B show different embodiments of a (non - coaxial) porous tube. The porous tubes 1027C and 1027D have the characteristic that the longitudinal space is offset from the central axis of the open end 72. As Figure 11A , the porous tube 1027C can be an integrally formed component, and the area of the longitudinal space of the tower 70 of the porous tube 1027C is larger than the opening space of the open end 72. Again, as Figure 11B , the tower 70 and top cover 71 of the porous tube 1027D are detachable, the tower 70 and the open end 72 are integrally formed, and the area of the longitudinal space of the tower 70 is larger than the opening space area of the open end 72.

[0117] Figure 12A and Figure 12B show the third embodiment of the gas diffusion device of the present invention. Figure 12A The cross - sectional side view of shows that an air flow guiding member, namely a baffle 274, is provided between the porous tube 27 and the inner wall 203. The baffle 274 extends longitudinally along the porous tube 27 and has the same or slightly higher extension height. Figure 12B shows that the horizontal cross - sectional shape of the baffle 274 is defined by at least one arc to shield a part of the periphery of the porous tube 27. In the example where the porous tube 27 is configured for radial diffusion, the baffle 274 guides and rebounds the gas back to the wafer area, avoiding excessive meaningless gas flow inside the housing. The present invention is not limited to the structural form of the baffle 274, and the structural angle and shape of the baffle 274 can be adjusted according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of controlling the air flow direction.

[0118] Figure 13A and Figure 13BSchematic diagram of the variation examples of the porous tube and the baffle. Taking the long and narrow porous tube 1327A as an example, the baffle is formed by a back plate 80 and two side wings 81, 81'. The transverse length d of the porous tube 1327A is less than the transverse length D of the baffle. The included angle between the side wing 81 and the back plate 80 is θ1, and the included angle between the side wing 81' and the back plate 80 is θ2. Figure 13A It shows that the included angles θ1, θ2 and the shapes of the two side wings 81, 81' are the same, so the air flow direction is controlled in the same way. Figure 13B It shows that the shapes of the two side wings 81, 81' are the same, but the included angles θ1, θ2 are different, so the air flow directions are controlled differently, and the air flow diffusion direction of the included angle θ2 is greater than that of the included angle θ1. It should be understood that the included angle and shape of the side wing can determine the performance of gas diffusion.

[0119] Figure 14A and Figure 14B Schematic diagram of another variation example of the porous tube and the baffle. Taking the oval porous tube 1327B as an example, the baffle is a curved back plate 83. The transverse length d of the porous tube 1327B is less than the transverse length D of the baffle. The curved back plate 83 can define an included angle θ from the vertex to both side ends. When the included angle θ is different from the extension length D at both side ends, the air flow direction is controlled differently. Figure 14A It shows that the included angles θ and the arcs on both sides of the curved back plate 83 are the same, that is, the air flow direction is controlled in the same way. Figure 14B It shows that the extension lengths D at both sides and the included angles θ1, θ2 are different, so the air flow directions are controlled differently, and the air flow diffusion direction of the included angle θ1 is greater than that of the included angle θ2.

[0120] Figure 15A and Figure 15B Schematic diagram of other variation examples of the porous tube and the baffle. Taking the circular porous tube 1327C as an example, the baffle is a curved back plate 84. The transverse length d of the porous tube 1327C is less than the transverse length D of the baffle. The curved back plate 84 can define an included angle θ from the vertex to both side ends. Figure 15A It shows that the included angles θ and the arcs on both sides of the curved back plate 84 are the same, that is, the air flow direction is controlled in the same way. Figure 15B It shows that the extension lengths D at both sides and the included angles θ1, θ2 are different, so the air flow directions are controlled differently, and the air flow diffusion direction of the included angle θ2 is greater than that of the included angle θ1.

[0121] From the above variation examples, it can be seen that the baffle can be symmetrically or asymmetrically configured relative to the porous tube. In the asymmetric configuration, the degree of asymmetry can be determined by the included angle θ, or it can be achieved by misaligning the baffle and the porous tube. The included angle θ can be from 0 degrees to 90 degrees, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The application of the baffle in combination with the porous tube not only meets the requirement of controlling the air flow direction, but also solves the problem that the internal space of the wafer container 20 generates a turbulent flow phenomenon due to the 360-degree air outlet of the existing circular tube structure.

[0122] Figure 16 Illustrative examples of the variations in the combination of a circular perforated tube, an oval perforated tube, and an elongated perforated tube with baffles. These baffles are shaped to match the outer surfaces of these perforated tubes, i.e., the baffles can be attached to the outer surfaces of these perforated tubes to form a seamless connection. In the case where the perforated tube is for radiative diffusion, some of the diffusion holes are blocked by the baffles, forcing the gas to diffuse out from the unblocked parts, thereby increasing the flow rate in all directions. In other embodiments, the perforated tube can also be formed with some diffusion holes to achieve the same purpose.

[0123] Figure 17 Shows a second embodiment of the wafer container 20' of the present invention, which has the same component symbols and the same description as the first embodiment of the wafer container 20, and will not be described in detail here. Only the differences will be described. The wafer container 20' in the second embodiment includes an air chamber 90, which is detachably connected to the bottom of the housing 21. The air chamber 90 can provide at least two air inlet channels before the gas enters the internal space of the wafer container 20', and has the functions of gas buffer margin and common gas diffusion flow space, which will be described in detail later. When the chassis 29 is assembled to the bottom of the housing 21, the air chamber 90 is maintained between the bottom of the housing 21 and the chassis 29. In fact, the bottom of the housing 21 has an inclination, as Figure 5 shown, the bottom 201 gradually rises from the front end to the rear end. Therefore, there is enough space between the rear end of the chassis 29 and the rear end of the bottom 201 of the housing 21 to arrange the air chamber 90, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0124] Please refer to Figure 18 and Figure 19 , Figure 18 which shows an exploded view of the air chamber 90 disposed at the bottom 201 of the wafer container 20'. Figure 19 Shows a sectional view of the air chamber 90 of the present invention disposed in the wafer container 20'. The air chamber 90 is composed of a bottom 91, a side wall 92 extending from the bottom 91, and the bottom 201 of the housing 21. The bottom 91 and the side wall 92 basically form an elongated outer shell of the air chamber 90. An elongated groove 93 is formed on the outer surface of the bottom 201 of the housing 21 for receiving the elongated outer shell formed by the bottom 91 and the side wall 92. A buffer air chamber 97 is defined between the elongated groove 93 and the elongated outer shell. Please refer to Figure 20 , which shows a partially enlarged sectional view of the air chamber 90 of the present invention disposed in the wafer container 20'. A coupling structure 205 and its through-channel 206 are formed on the inner surface of the bottom 201 of the housing 21. The coupling structure 205 is located on the opposite sides of the elongated groove 93. The elongated groove 93 communicates with the accommodation space of the wafer container 20' through the through-channels 206 of the respective coupling structures 205. One or more positioning mechanisms 94 can be provided in the elongated groove 93 for positioning the received elongated outer shell. An elongated sealing ring 95 is disposed at the contact interface between the side wall 92 and the elongated groove 93 to achieve an annular sealing function.

[0125] On the lower surface of the bottom 91 of the gas box 90, a plurality of annular side walls 96 also extend. Without changing the number and positions of the nozzles on the existing wafer container 20' and the transfer device (load port) used in combination, in this embodiment, a pair of annular side walls 96 is taken as an example. Each annular side wall 96 defines an installation space for loading an air intake module 25. The installation space can be a cylindrical space to match the structural pattern of the air intake module 25. An air intake channel 98 is formed on the bottom 91 of the gas box 90, and the air intake channel 98 communicates with the installation space.

[0126] The air intake module 25 includes an elastic sleeve 251, a check valve 252, a filter membrane 253, and a sealing ring 255. A sealing ring 255 can be provided between the air intake module 25 and the annular side wall 96 to form a seal and prevent the gas box 90 from leaking air. In addition, the long and narrow outer shell of the gas box 90 can be fixed to the bottom 201 of the housing 21 through known connection means, such as screwing connection or any form of connection means, which fall within the scope of the patent protection of the present invention.

[0127] As can be seen from the above, a buffer air chamber 97 is defined between the long and narrow groove 93 and the long and narrow outer shell. The buffer air chamber 97 has a long and narrow space, so its range covers the two air intake channels 98 formed on the bottom 91 of the gas box 90, functioning as a common buffer space for the two air intake channels. In this embodiment, two coupling structures 205 and two porous tubes 27 corresponding to the corresponding number are configured for the two air intake channels as an example. Of course, the quantity design can be adjusted according to actual application requirements, and the present invention is not limited to the quantity configuration implementation pattern. The air intake channel 98 of the buffer air chamber 97 is in fluid communication with the air duct of the air intake module 25. Each coupling structure 205 defines a through channel 206 having a central axis, which is in fluid communication with the porous tube 27. The through channel 206 allows a gas to enter the longitudinal space of the porous tube 27, and the gas will finally be purged from the longitudinal space into the accommodation space.

[0128] Continuing from the above description, the air intake module 25 supplies gas in a single intake direction to enter the buffer air chamber 97 through the air intake channel 98, and the buffer air chamber 97 can balance the air pressures of the two air intake modules 25. In other words, when there is a difference in the intake pressures of the two air intake modules 25, the gas can diffuse in the long and narrow space of the buffer air chamber 97 to balance the air pressure. Therefore, the buffer air chamber 97 provides the gas with balanced air pressure to enter the accommodation space of the wafer container 20' through the through channel 206 of each coupling structure 205 and the porous tube 27. At this time, the gas diffusion performance of the porous tube 27 is consistent. At the same time, the present invention also solves many problems in the prior art, such as the total diffuser causing a drop in the intake air flow, resulting in uneven air flow or insufficient total flow entering the container interior.

[0129] To further illustrate the advantages of the structural design of the present invention, the bottom end (i.e., the open end) of the porous tube 27 can be sleeved to the coupling structure 205 via a set of rings 273 (i.e., the second set of rings). In addition, another set of rings 275 (i.e., the first set of rings) can be provided and disposed inside the open end of the porous tube 27. The materials of the set of rings 273 and 275 are softer than the material of the porous tube 27. By means of the protection components of the double set of rings 273 and 275, not only can the open end of the porous tube 27 be prevented from cracking due to excessive stress during sleeving, but also the airtight effect between the porous tube 27 and the coupling structure 205 can be improved. In addition to the combined type, the set of rings 275 can also be attached to the open end of the porous tube 27 by sintering or bonding means to achieve the purpose of protecting the open end. The above-mentioned intake module 25, coupling structure 205, porous tube 27, set of rings 273 and 275, air box 90 and / or other components included in the wafer container 20' are made of a combination of one or more heat-resistant materials. Preferably, the heat-resistant materials are selected from the group consisting of PEEK, HTPC, FKM, PPS, PPO, chlorinated polyether, POB, TORLON, EP, PF, PEI, PI, LCP, and combinations of at least two of the above.

[0130] The second embodiment of the wafer container 20' is further used to illustrate various variant embodiments. Please refer to Figure 18 and Figures 21A to 21D which respectively show schematic diagrams of embodiments of the configuration between the porous tube and the air box. Figure 21A It shows that the intake direction is the same central axis C. The coupling structure 205 is extended from the bottom 201 of the wafer container 20'. The open end 271 of the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 has a central axis, and the longitudinal space 272 has a central axis. The central axis of the through-channel 206, the central axis of the open end 271 of the porous tube 27, the central axis of the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27, and the intake central axis of the intake module 25 are all coaxial and presented by the central axis C. The intake direction of the gas directly enters the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 along the same central axis C (i.e., the shortest path) and purges into the accommodation space of the wafer container 20'.

[0131] Figure 21BThe displayed intake direction is not along the same central axis. Due to the two intake channels 98 formed by the bottom 91 of the air box 90, which functions as a common buffer space for the two intake channels, even if the intake direction is not along the same central axis, it still belongs to the technical feature of direct intake direction, and there will be no problems such as increased flow-through time and poor fluidity caused by gas winding during the gas traveling process. The central axis of the through-channel 206, the central axis of the open end 271 of the porous tube 27, and the central axis of the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 are coaxial and presented as the central axis C'. The intake central axis of the intake module 25 is presented as the central axis C. The position of the gas passing through the central axis C is offset from the central axis C'. Although in the offset configuration, the gas does not enter the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 in a straight line from the intake module 25, before the gas enters the porous tube 27, it has already diffused in the buffer chamber 97 and formed a relatively stable air pressure, which ensures the consistency of the gas diffusion performance of each porous tube 27.

[0132] In another embodiment, the intake direction is not along the same central axis, as Figure 21C shown. As the demand for increasing the diffusion gas flow rate arises, a porous tube 27 with an increased gas flow rate is designed. The size of the porous tube 27 is increased, and the increased part extends towards the inner wall 203 of the housing 21. The intake central axis of the intake module 25 is presented as the central axis C. The central axis of the through-channel 206 and the central axis of the open end 271 of the porous tube 27 are coaxial and presented as the central axis C'. The central axis of the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 is presented as the central axis C". Due to the two intake channels 98 formed by the bottom 91 of the air box 90, which functions as a common buffer space for the two intake channels, even if the central axis C, the central axis C', and the central axis C" are all in an offset state, not only will the gas traveling path not be increased, but the gas flow rate can also be increased to improve the purging efficiency.

[0133] In another embodiment, the intake direction is not along the same central axis, as Figure 21D shown. The size of the porous tube 27 is increased, and the increased part extends towards the inner wall 203 of the housing 21. The central axis of the through-channel 206 and the central axis of the open end 271 of the porous tube 27 are coaxial and presented as the central axis C. The central axis of the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27 is presented as the central axis C". The position of the gas passing through the central axis C is offset from the central axis C". Although in the offset configuration, before the gas enters the longitudinal space 272 of the porous tube 27, it has already diffused in the buffer chamber 97 and formed a relatively stable air pressure, which not only ensures the consistency of the gas diffusion performance of each porous tube 27, but also increases the gas flow rate to improve the purging efficiency of the porous tube 27 into the accommodation space of the wafer container 20'.

[0134] Figure 22Shows another embodiment of the porous tube 2227 of the present invention and the longitudinal cross-sectional shape in the direction of the parallel major axis Y. The open end of the porous tube 2227 is detachably connected to the collar 275, such that the collar 275 is attached to the inner side of the open end. As shown in the longitudinal cross-section in the figure, there is a shoulder 60 on the inner side of the open end for engaging the collar 275. The hardness of the collar 275 can be lower than that of the porous tube 2227 to protect the structure of the open end. The collar 275 can have a taper to facilitate entry into the open end. Alternatively, the collar 275 can be attached to the inner side of the open end by specific means, such as heat sintering. Thereby, the strengthened open end can be sleeved onto the coupling structure 205 to prevent the open end from cracking.

[0135] Figure 23A and Figure 23B Shows a variation of the diffusion holes (slot holes) of the porous tube. Figure 23B Schematically shows that the longitudinal space of the porous tube has a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape. The slot holes 2300 are divergent spaces from the inside to the outside. Figure 23B Schematically shows that the outside of the slot holes 2300 has a tapered space, and the slot holes 2300 are all arranged between adjacent upper and lower wafers W, allowing the diffusion gas flow (as indicated by the arrow) to flow smoothly between the wafers.

[0136] Figure 24A and Figure 24B Shows another variation of the diffusion holes (slot holes) of the porous tube. Figure 24A Schematically shows that the longitudinal space of the porous tube has an elongated horizontal cross-sectional shape. The slot holes 2400 are divergent spaces from the inside to the outside. Figure 24B Schematically shows that the outside of the slot holes 2400 has a concave space formed by a curved surface, and the slot holes 2400 are all arranged between adjacent upper and lower wafers W, allowing the diffusion gas flow (as indicated by the arrow) to flow smoothly between the wafers.

[0137] In summary, in order to solve the problem that the high temperature caused by the manufacturing process during the loading process of the existing wafers raises the temperature of the internal space of the wafer container and affects the performance of the overall wafer container and all its components, the materials of the wafer container and all its components used are heat-resistant materials. That is to say, all the components disclosed in the present invention fall within the scope of patent protection.

[0138] Although certain details have been used to describe the foregoing present invention for the sake of clear understanding, the applicant will understand that specific changes and modifications can be implemented within the scope of the patent application. Therefore, the above embodiments are only for illustration and are not restrictive, and the present invention is not limited to the details described herein, but can be modified within the scope of the additional patent application and equivalents.

Claims

1. A wafer container, characterized in that, The wafer container includes: a housing having an accommodating space; at least one porous tube disposed in the accommodating space of the housing for supplying gas to the accommodating space; and an air flow guiding member disposed around at least one of the porous tubes for guiding the gas supplied by at least one of the porous tubes to the accommodating space.

2. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein A gap is formed between the air flow guiding member and at least one of the porous tubes.

3. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein The air flow guiding member is attached to a surface of at least one of the porous tubes to shield a part of at least one of the porous tubes.

4. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein, The air flow guiding member includes a back plate, a first side wing, and a second side wing. The back plate and the first side wing define a first included angle, and the back plate and the second side wing define a second included angle.

5. The wafer container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal cross-section of at least one of the porous tubes has a length, and the horizontal cross-section of the air flow guiding member has another length. The another length of at least one of the porous tubes is less than the length of the air flow guiding member.

6. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein The air flow guiding member is an arc-shaped baffle.

7. The wafer container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air flow guiding member is asymmetrically disposed relative to at least one of the porous tubes.

8. The wafer container according to claim 7, wherein The air flow guiding member includes a back plate, a first side wing, and a second side wing. The back plate and the first side wing define a first included angle, and the back plate and the second side wing define a second included angle. The first included angle and the second included angle are not equal, so that the air flow guiding member is asymmetrically disposed relative to at least one of the porous tubes.

9. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the porous tubes is disposed close to an inner wall of the housing, and the air flow guiding member is between at least one of the porous tubes and the inner wall of the housing.

10. The wafer container according to claim 1, wherein, The air flow guiding member extends along the longitudinal direction of the porous tube.

11. The wafer container according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the porous tubes is a circular porous tube, an elliptical porous tube, or a long and narrow porous tube, and the air flow guiding member matches the outer surface of at least one of the porous tubes.

12. The wafer container according to claim 11, wherein, The air flow guiding member is attached to the outer surface of at least one of the porous tubes to form a seamless connection, so that a part of at least one of the porous tubes is shielded and the gas is forced to diffuse out from the unshielded part.

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