Supporting device

Abstract

The invention provides a supporting device which is suitable for being arranged in a semiconductor container, and the supporting device comprises a body which is provided with an upper surface and a lower surface which are opposite to each other; the bearing body is arranged on the upper surface of the body, and the bearing body comprises a common bearing part, a first bearing part and a second bearing part; wherein the supporting body is configured on the common supporting part and the first supporting part or the common supporting part and the second supporting part according to the design form of a semiconductor substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an assembly for a semiconductor container, and more particularly to a support device that can be assembled in a semiconductor container to support a semiconductor substrate. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing and transportation process, semiconductor containers are generally used to store and place semiconductor substrates such as wafers, photomasks, PCBs, or glass substrates. With the development of semiconductor manufacturing processes, the requirements for manufacturing efficiency, yield, and cost are becoming increasingly stringent. How to improve the structure of semiconductor containers, enhance their efficiency, and / or reduce vibration of semiconductor substrates during transportation to improve process yield and reduce overall costs has become an increasingly important issue.

[0003] Existing semiconductor containers typically include a container body, a lid, and a support device. The container body has a space for accommodating a semiconductor substrate. The lid is located at the external opening of the container body's space and can be opened to cover the opening, thereby sealing the space containing the semiconductor substrate. The support device is located inside the container body's space and is used to support the semiconductor substrate.

[0004] For top-opening semiconductor containers, such as top-opening carriers, the support device is usually called a tray. Each tray can be used to carry a semiconductor substrate and is placed inside the container body through an opening at the top of the container body. Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, existing trays can only support and restrain semiconductor substrates of a single size. When semiconductor substrates of different sizes need to be processed, trays of corresponding sizes must be designed and manufactured separately, which not only increases the overall manufacturing cost, but also creates a space burden for storage and management.

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor felt that it was not perfect, so he devoted his mind to research and overcoming it, and has successfully developed a support device that can universally support semiconductor substrates of different sizes.

[0007] The use of the quantifiers "a" or "an" for the elements and components described throughout this invention is for convenience and to provide the general meaning of the scope of the invention; in this invention, it should be interpreted as including one or at least one, and the concept of a single also includes the case of a plural, unless it clearly means otherwise.

[0008] The terms "combination," "integration," or "assembly" used throughout this invention mainly include those that can be separated without damaging the components after connection, or those that make the components inseparable after connection. These terms can be selected by those with ordinary knowledge in the art based on the material of the components to be connected or the assembly requirements.

[0009] To achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a support device suitable for placement within a semiconductor container. The support device includes: a body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other; and a carrier disposed on the upper surface of the body. The carrier includes a common carrier portion, a first carrier portion, and a second carrier portion. The carrier is disposed between the common carrier portion and the first carrier portion, or between the common carrier portion and the second carrier portion, according to the design of a semiconductor substrate.

[0010] In the aforementioned support device, the first support portion and the second support portion can be located on adjacent sides to support different semiconductor substrate shapes, sizes, thicknesses, or any combination thereof.

[0011] In the aforementioned support device, the upper surfaces of the first support portion and the second support portion can be lower than the upper surface of the body to define a recess, which is suitable for the semiconductor substrate to rest on the recess.

[0012] In the aforementioned support device, the support body may have at least one support rib, which connects the common support part with the first support part, the common support part with the second support part, or connects the common support part, the first support part with the second support part, or a combination thereof.

[0013] In the aforementioned support device, the main body and / or the carrier are provided with a plurality of elastic members to abut against a surface of an exclusion region of the semiconductor substrate.

[0014] In the aforementioned support device, each elastic element can extend outward from the lower surface of the body to form an elastic buffer height.

[0015] In the aforementioned support device, the upper surface and the lower surface of the body can be connected by multiple slots, and each elastic element can extend from one side wall of each slot toward the lower surface of the body to form an elastic buffer height.

[0016] In the aforementioned support device, the upper and lower surfaces of the body can communicate with each other and have multiple mounting holes, and each elastic element can be inserted into each mounting hole.

[0017] In the aforementioned support device, the elastic member may include a head, a neck, and an abutment portion connected together. The head may be fastened to the upper surface of the body, the neck may be engaged in the mounting hole, and the abutment portion may protrude from the lower surface of the body to abut against the semiconductor substrate on the next layer of the support device.

[0018] In the aforementioned support device, the abutment portion can extend outward from below the neck at an angle to form a multi-point abutment portion.

[0019] Accordingly, the support device of the present invention can improve versatility by providing several types of support parts on the carrier to support semiconductor substrates of different sizes. Therefore, the support device of the present invention can effectively reduce overall manufacturing costs and significantly reduce storage space requirements, and eliminates the need for detailed management of each type of support device, thereby simplifying and improving management efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2A This is a top view of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the distribution range of the common support portion of the carrier is indicated by grayscale fill.

[0022] Figure 2B This is a top view of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the distribution range of the first support portion of the carrier is indicated by grayscale fill.

[0023] Figure 2C This is a top view of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the distribution range of the second support portion of the carrier is indicated by grayscale fill.

[0024] Figure 3A This is a top view of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the case of supporting a semiconductor substrate of a first size.

[0025] Figure 3B This is a top view of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the case of supporting a semiconductor substrate of a second size.

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of area A, showing the situation where a semiconductor substrate is supported.

[0027] Figure 5 For along Figure 2A A cross-sectional view along the BB line.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a partially enlarged perspective view of the support device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a partially enlarged perspective view of the support device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Top view of the structure.

[0031] Figure 9 For along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the CC line.

[0032] Figure Labels 1 body 11 Upper surface 12 Lower Surface 13 grooves 14 mounting holes 141 inner convex part 2. Support body 2a Shared load-bearing section 2b First Bearing Section 2c Second Bearing Section 21 contact surfaces 22 sidewalls 23 load-bearing ribs 3 elastic elements 31 heads 32 neck 33 contact part P-semiconductor substrate H elastic buffer height Detailed Implementation To fully understand the purpose, features, and effects of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: Please refer to Figure 1 Figure 3 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the support device of the present invention. The support device of the present invention is suitable for placement within a semiconductor container and for supporting a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor container may be, for example, a wafer transfer container, photomask transfer container, substrate transfer container, or other component carrier loading equipment or processing device in semiconductor manufacturing processes; the present invention does not limit this to any particular type.

[0033] The support device in this embodiment is applicable to top-opening semiconductor containers, such as top-opening carriers. The semiconductor container has an upper opening, and its interior has a bottom wall opposite the upper opening. The upper opening and bottom wall can be defined to be opposite each other in the Z direction, specifically upwards and downwards. The length and width directions of the semiconductor container are the X and Y directions, respectively. Of course, this invention is also applicable to front-opening semiconductor containers, such as front-packing upholstery carriers (FOUPs), and is not limited to any particular type of semiconductor container.

[0034] In detail, the support device of this embodiment includes a body 1 and a carrier 2. The body 1 has an upper surface 11 and a lower surface 12 facing each other, with the upper surface 11 facing the opening of the semiconductor container. The carrier 2 is disposed on the upper surface 11 of the body 1, and the carrier 2 includes at least a common carrier portion 2a, a first carrier portion 2b, and a second carrier portion 2c. Figure 2A The diagram shows the shared bearing part 2a filled with grayscale. Figure 2B A schematic diagram showing the first supporting part 2b filled with grayscale. Figure 2C The diagram shows the second supporting part 2c, which is filled with grayscale.

[0035] The carrier 2 is designed according to the semiconductor substrate, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 3A As shown, the semiconductor substrate P is disposed on the common support portion 2a and the first support portion 2b; or as shown in the figure. Figure 2A , Figure 2C and Figure 3B As shown, a semiconductor substrate P is disposed on a common support portion 2a and a second support portion 2c. The first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c have different areas and partially overlap. As the common support portion 2a, the common support portion 2a plus the partially overlapping first support portion 2b and second support portion 2c constitute a design suitable for different shapes, sizes, thicknesses, or any combination thereof of the semiconductor substrate P. The first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c can each form a recessed shape of different sizes relative to the upper surface 11 of the body 1 to define the limiting function of semiconductor substrates P of different sizes, thereby allowing for the support of semiconductor substrates P of different sizes.

[0036] Therefore, compared to existing trays that can only be used for semiconductor substrates of a single size, the support device of this embodiment has better versatility. That is, the support device of this embodiment can be used to support a single semiconductor substrate P with a first size, such as... Figure 3A The area enclosed by a line connecting two points, or the area that supports a single semiconductor substrate P with a second dimension, such as... Figure 3BThe area is outlined by a dashed line. Therefore, the support device in this embodiment can effectively reduce the overall manufacturing cost and significantly reduce the storage space requirement. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for detailed management of each type of support device, thereby simplifying and improving management efficiency.

[0037] In addition, please refer to the following: Figure 2B , 2C and Figure 4 In one embodiment of the present invention, the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c may be located on adjacent sides to support different semiconductor substrate shapes, sizes, thicknesses or any combination thereof.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper surfaces of the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c are lower than the upper surface 11 of the body 1, each defining a recess suitable for the semiconductor substrate P to rest against the recess. In other words, both the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c are recessed in the upper surface 11, and each forms at least one contact surface 21 and several sidewalls 22. The contact surface 21 is suitable for the lower surface of the semiconductor substrate P to abut, and the sidewalls 22 are suitable for abutting against the peripheral side of the semiconductor substrate P. In this way, two opposite outer edges of the semiconductor substrate P can respectively face two opposite sides of the body 1, and the two adjacent sidewalls 22 together restrict the semiconductor substrate P from sliding within the first support portion 2b or the second support portion 2c.

[0039] Please also refer to Figure 1 As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in one embodiment of the present invention, the support body 2 may have at least one support rib 23. The support rib 23 connects the common support portion 2a and the first support portion 2b, the common support portion 2a and the second support portion 2c, or connects the common support portion 2a, the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c, or a combination thereof. Thus, the support rib 23 can be used to enhance the structural stability of the body 1, and can also be used to assist in supporting the semiconductor substrate P.

[0040] On the other hand, in one embodiment of the present invention, either the first support portion 2b or the second support portion 2c can be divided into two parts, and the two parts are symmetrically adjacent to two opposite sides of the body 1 at the midpoint of the body 1 in the X or Y direction. The first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c can be provided on adjacent sides of the body 1; or the contact surfaces 21 of the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c can be provided on the same side of the body 1 with a height difference, so that a semiconductor substrate P with a first size can be placed on the lower layer, or a semiconductor substrate P with a second size can be placed on the upper layer, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

[0041] exist Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, the contact surfaces 21 of the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c located on adjacent sides do not have a height difference feature, and the contact surfaces 21 of the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c may extend together or not be connected. Figure 6 Other embodiments shown reveal that the contact surfaces 21 of the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c located on adjacent sides also have a height difference feature. Therefore, the configuration of the first support portion 2b and the second support portion 2c in this invention can be changed according to different usage or design requirements, and is not limited to the configurations shown in the respective embodiment drawings.

[0042] In addition, please refer to Figure 3 to Figure 5 In one embodiment of the present invention, the support device further includes a plurality of elastic elements 3, which are disposed on the body 1 and / or the carrier 2. When multiple support devices are stacked, the plurality of elastic elements 3 of the upper support device can abut against the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate P supported by the lower support device. The upper surface of the semiconductor substrate P typically forms an exclusion zone near its outer edge, and the plurality of elastic elements 3 are preferably abutted against the exclusion zone of the semiconductor substrate P.

[0043] Each elastic element 3 can extend outward from the lower surface 12 of the body 1 to form an elastic buffer height H. That is, at least part of the elastic element 3 will protrude from the lower surface 12 of the body 1, and when no force is applied, the elastic buffer height H can be formed between the free end of the elastic element 3 and the lower surface 12 of the body 1 in the Z direction.

[0044] For example, the elastic element 3 can be in the form of a spring sheet, with one end connected to the lower surface 12 of the body 1 and extending at an angle. Alternatively, in one embodiment of the present invention, the body 1 can be provided with a plurality of slots 13, each slot 13 connecting the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12; each slot 13 corresponds to a aforementioned elastic element 3, and the elastic element 3 extends downward at an angle from one side wall of the corresponding slot 13, so that the free end of the elastic element 3 can pass through the corresponding slot 13 and protrude from the lower surface 12 of the body 1. The design of the slots 13 can reduce interference in the mechanism and increase the elastic buffer stroke.

[0045] In this invention, some of the elastic elements 3 are distributed approximately on the contact surface 21, so that the multiple elastic elements 3 of the upper support device can abut against the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate P carried by the lower support device; the present invention does not limit the number and distribution position of the multiple elastic elements 3.

[0046] Accordingly, the free ends of the multiple elastic elements 3 of each support device elastically abut against the semiconductor substrate P carried by the next layer of support device, so that the stacked support devices can be supported and prevent damage to the semiconductor substrate P. Furthermore, the multiple elastic elements 3 can limit the vertical displacement of each layer of semiconductor substrate P, thereby avoiding the situation of chip jumping due to vibration during transportation, effectively reducing dust generation from friction and reducing the risk of collision damage to the semiconductor substrate P.

[0047] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, each elastic element 3 is preferably integrally formed and connected to the body 1. Thus, this embodiment can reduce the number of components required for the assembly of the support device, and also reduce dust that may be generated between components due to assembly or vibration.

[0048] In other embodiments, each elastic element 3 may also be assembled and combined with the body 1, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in Figures 7 to 9 In the disclosed embodiments, the body 1 may be provided with a plurality of mounting holes 14, each mounting hole 14 connecting the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12 of the body 1; each mounting hole 14 allows a aforementioned elastic member 3 to be inserted for assembly.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic member 3 may include a head 31, a neck 32 and an abutment portion 33 connected together. The head 31 is fastened to the upper surface 11 of the body 1, the neck 32 is engaged in the mounting hole 14, and the abutment portion 33 protrudes from the lower surface 12 of the body 1.

[0050] The head 31 can be an assembly or a pressing part during operation. The maximum width of the neck 32 in the XY section is smaller than that of the mounting hole 14, while the head 31 is slightly larger than that of the mounting hole 14. The abutment part 33 can extend downward and outward from the neck 32 to form a multi-point abutment part; that is, the abutment part 33 can include multiple downward and outwardly extending pieces, so that the multiple pieces can jointly form an outwardly expanding shape.

[0051] Accordingly, the elastic member 3 can be assembled downwards from the corresponding mounting hole 14, so that the head 31 slightly deforms elastically to pass through the mounting hole 14 and is held outside the mounting hole 14 by the head 31, while the neck 32 abuts against the inner wall of the mounting hole 14. When the abutting part 33 passes through the mounting hole 14 to the lower surface 12 of the body 1, the abutting part 33 will elastically unfold so that its diameter is wider than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 14, thus limiting it to the body 1 and / or the carrier 2, so that it can be used to elastically abut against the semiconductor substrate P on the next layer of support device, which can also achieve the effect of limiting the vertical displacement of each layer of semiconductor substrate P; and this embodiment also allows for quick assembly and disassembly of the elastic member 3. According to different sizes of semiconductor substrate P, suitable elastic members 3 can be assembled on the body 1 and / or carrier 2 of the support device, thereby ensuring that the elastic member 3 can firmly abut against the adjacent layer of semiconductor substrate P.

[0052] In addition, in order to make each elastic element 3 more securely attached to the corresponding mounting hole 14, at least one inner protrusion 141 can be provided on the inner wall of the mounting hole 14, so that the XY section of the mounting hole 14 has a partially protruding shape, and the neck 32 extends into the inner protrusion 141 to achieve the effect of assisting in supporting and positioning the head 31.

[0053] The aforementioned elastic element 3 is an integral sheet or an assembled elastic element, which is only the preferred embodiment. The invention is limited to this design structure. As long as an elastic element is provided in the body 1 and / or the carrier 2, it falls within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0054] The present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that all variations and substitutions equivalent to these embodiments should be considered within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the claims, and the appended claims should be interpreted in the broadest sense to include all modifications, similar arrangements, and processes.

Claims

1. A support device suitable for placement within a semiconductor container, characterized in that, The support device includes: A body having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other; and A carrier is disposed on the upper surface of the body, the carrier including a common carrier part, a first carrier part and a second carrier part; The carrier is configured in the common carrier portion and the first carrier portion, or the common carrier portion and the second carrier portion, according to the design of a semiconductor substrate.

2. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first support portion and the second support portion are located on adjacent sides and are used to support different designs of the semiconductor substrate in terms of shape, size, thickness or any combination thereof.

3. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper surfaces of the first support portion and the second support portion are lower than the upper surface of the body to define a recess, which is suitable for the semiconductor substrate to rest on the recess.

4. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support body has at least one support rib, which connects the common support part to the first support part, the common support part to the second support part, or connects the common support part, the first support part to the second support part, or a combination thereof.

5. The support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The body and / or the carrier are provided with a plurality of elastic members for supporting a surface of an exclusion region of the semiconductor substrate.

6. The support device according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the elastic elements extends outward from the lower surface of the body to form an elastic buffer height.

7. The support device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper and lower surfaces of the body are connected by a plurality of slots, and each elastic element extends from one side wall of each slot toward the lower surface of the body to form an elastic buffer height.

8. The support device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper and lower surfaces of the body are connected by a plurality of mounting holes, and each elastic element is inserted into each mounting hole.

9. The support device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The elastic member includes a head, a neck and an abutment portion connected together. The head is fastened to the upper surface of the body, the neck is engaged in the mounting hole, and the abutment portion protrudes from the lower surface of the body to abut against the semiconductor substrate on the next layer of the support device.

10. The support device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The abutment extends downwards and outwards from the neck to form a multi-point abutment.

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