Insert for a container, container and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

This invention provides an insert for a container, a container, and a method for manufacturing the same, which eliminates the risk of substrate contamination caused by foreign matter such as gates and chips, and improves moldability and quality. The insert 4, formed by injection molding from a molding material containing a predetermined resin, constitutes part of a main body 1 that aligns and houses multiple semiconductor wafers. It includes: a pair of left and right sidewalls 5, each forming part of a side wall 3 of the main body 1 with an open front 2; and a plurality of support teeth 20 arranged vertically along the opposing inner surfaces of the left and right sidewalls 5, supporting the periphery of the semiconductor wafers. A plurality of gate marks 30, recessed along the thickness direction of the sidewalls 5, are formed on the inner surface 10 of the rear end of each sidewall 5. The main body completely covers the recessed gate marks 30 with the molding material, thus also covering any remaining gates and chips in the gate marks 30, preventing them from being exposed inside or outside the main body 1.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a container insert used in the manufacture of containers composed of FOSBs, etc., a container, and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, substrate storage containers, known as FOSBs, were used in the shipping and transport of semiconductor wafers, such as... Figure 5 As shown in the middle section, it comprises: a main body 1 that houses multiple semiconductor wafers (not shown) arranged vertically; and a freely detachable door assembly (not shown) that is pressed into and fitted into the open front side 2 of the main body 1 (see Patent Document 1). The main body 1 is formed as a front-opening box with the front side 2 open, and on the inner surfaces of the side walls 3, a pair of support teeth 20A for supporting the semiconductor wafers are provided opposite to each other, the pair of support teeth 20A being arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction.

[0003] The main body 1 requires impact resistance, weather resistance, and transparency. For the multiple support teeth 20A, from the viewpoint of supporting the semiconductor wafer with high precision and cleanliness, dimensional stability and wear resistance are required. Therefore, in manufacturing a multifunctional main body 1, from the viewpoint of ensuring multifunctionality, the following embedding molding method is adopted: Multiple support teeth 20A are arranged on the sidewall plate 5A... Figure 6 An insert 4A is formed separately and is embedded as part of the side wall 3 of the main body 1.

[0004] In manufacturing the aforementioned main body 1, firstly, a pair of inserts 4A, on the inner surface of the side wall panel 5A, having multiple support teeth 20A arranged thereon, are formed from a predetermined molding material. Each insert 4A is made of a molding material containing a resin that contributes to dimensional stability and wear resistance (see [link to molding material]). Figure 7 , Figure 8 (The arrow) Injection molding, multiple gates on the rear end face 11A of the sidewall panel 5A are cut off, leaving multiple large gate marks 30A of the same size on the end face 11A. When cutting the gates, in order not to damage the end face 11A of the rear end 9A of the insert 4A, the gates are cut off with a slight residue.

[0005] Next, after molding a pair of inserts 4A, the pair of inserts 4A are inserted into the prepared molding die for the main body 1 with a gap between them. The molding die is closed and filled with molding material for the main body containing a predetermined resin, thereby injection molding the transparent main body 1 with the front 2 open.

[0006] The molding material used for the main body contains resin that contributes to impact resistance, weather resistance, transparency, etc., and flows in the cavity of the molding die to form most of the main body 1. In the case of forming the remaining part of the side wall 3 of the main body 1, the rear part of the side wall 3 is welded to the narrow end face 11A with gate mark 30A at the rear end 9A of the insert 4A with the same thickness (see...). Figure 9 If the main body 1 is injection molded, the mold is cooled and opened, and the main body 1 is demolded and removed, then the main body 1 can be manufactured.

[0007] Prior art literature Patent documents [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-068839. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve In the past, the main body 1 was manufactured as described above. The rear part of the side wall 3 was welded to the small end face 11A of the rear end 9A of the insert 4A with the same thickness in a butt joint state. As a result, there is a risk that the gate and chips remaining in the insert 4A will be exposed from the butt joint portion inside the main body 1. The exposed gate and chips will become particles and cause semiconductor wafer contamination.

[0009] As methods to mitigate this risk, examples include (1) reducing the size of the gate of the insert 4A, and (2) cutting off the gate of the insert 4A without residue. However, in case (1), reducing the size of the gate deteriorates the flowability of the molding material, creating a significant problem that greatly hinders the molding of the insert 4A. In addition, in case (2), there is a risk of accidentally damaging the end face 11A of the rear end 9A of the insert 4A, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the insert 4A.

[0010] The present invention was made in view of the above, and its object is to provide an insert for a container, a container, and a method for manufacturing the same, which can eliminate the risk of substrate contamination caused by foreign matter such as gates and chips, and can improve moldability and quality.

[0011] Methods for solving problems In this invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a component comprising a part of a container for housing a substrate, formed by molding a molding material containing a predetermined resin, is characterized in that... It includes: a sidewall panel that forms part of the sidewall of a container with a front opening; and a support piece formed on the inner surface of the sidewall panel, supporting a base plate, and having a gate mark recessed along the thickness direction of the sidewall panel at either the front or rear portion of the sidewall panel.

[0012] Furthermore, preferably, the sidewall panel comprises: a front portion integral with the front sidewall of the container; a central portion connected to the rear of the front portion; and a rear portion connected to the rear of the central portion and integral with the rear sidewall of the container, wherein at least one of the inner surfaces of the front and rear portions has a larger area than the end face. Multiple support plates are arranged at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction of the side wall plate, forming a general plate shape extending along the front-back direction of the container. A gate mark is formed by recessing a large area on the inner surface of at least one of the front and rear parts of the side panel.

[0013] Alternatively, the rear portion of the sidewall panel can be inclined inwards towards the width direction of the container, and a flat rear end portion integral with the rear portion of the sidewall panel of the container can be connected behind this rear portion, and the inner surface of this rear end portion can have a larger area than the end face of the rear end portion. An anti-pop-out step for the substrate is formed on the outer surface of the front part of the support sheet. A gate mark is formed by a recess on the inner surface of the rear end of the side panel.

[0014] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is characterized in that a front-opening box for storing a substrate is formed from a container molding material containing a predetermined resin, and the container inserts described in technical solution 1 or 2 are respectively included on the two side walls.

[0015] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is characterized in that the container inserts described in multiple technical solutions 1 or 2 are inserted into the container molding mold at intervals, the molding mold is closed and filled with a container molding material containing a predetermined resin, thereby using the container molding material to cover the gate marks of the container inserts and molding the front-opening container.

[0016] Here, the resins specified as molding materials in the claims include, for example, polycarbonate polymer alloy resins. Furthermore, the substrates include at least semiconductor wafers with a diameter of 300mm or 450mm, glass substrates, mask substrates, etc. The containers include at least FOSB-type shipping containers and FOUP-type in-process containers. These containers can be molded from container molding materials containing polycarbonate resins, for example, into transparent or translucent forms.

[0017] Gate marks are formed in at least one recess on the inner or outer surface of the front and rear portions of the sidewall panel, but preferably in a necessary number on the inner surface of the rear or rear end portion of the sidewall panel. Furthermore, the vertical, horizontal, and back-and-forth directions of the container insert according to this invention are based on the accompanying drawings and can be appropriately modified as needed. While the object of this invention is a container insert, if its configuration is identical to that of this invention and can be applied to a container insert to achieve the same effects, then such other configurations fall within the scope of this invention.

[0018] According to the present invention, when a container is manufactured by insert molding using a container insert, the container molding material forms most of the container, and when forming the remaining part of the container side wall, the recessed gate mark and foreign matter of the gate mark of the container insert are covered and fused together.

[0019] Invention Effects According to the present invention, it has the effect of eliminating the risk of substrate contamination caused by foreign matter such as gates and chips. Furthermore, it has the effect of improving the formability and quality of the container.

[0020] According to the invention described in technical solution 2, a gate mark is formed by recessing at least one of the relatively large inner surfaces of the front and rear portions of the side wall panel, thus allowing the gate size to be freely set regardless of the thickness of the insert. Furthermore, when multiple support plates are arranged along the vertical direction of the side wall panel, multiple substrates can be supported in an aligned state inside the container.

[0021] According to the invention described in technical solution 3, the rear end of the sidewall panel is flat, thus facilitating the formation of gate marks. Furthermore, the gate marks are formed by a relatively large recess on the inner surface of the rear end of the sidewall panel, allowing the gate size to be freely set regardless of the thickness of the insert. Additionally, if an anti-pop-out step for the substrate is formed on the outer surface of the front part of the support plate, it can prevent the substrate from popping out towards the front of the container and from shifting its position.

[0022] According to the invention described in technical solution 4, the risk of foreign matter with gate marks being exposed inside the container and becoming a cause of substrate contamination can be eliminated.

[0023] According to the invention described in technical solution 5, the molded material for the container covers the recessed gate mark of the container insert, so that the gate and foreign matter such as chips remaining in the gate mark are also covered, which can prevent foreign matter from being exposed inside or outside the container. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a perspective illustration showing an embodiment of the container insert and container according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a perspective illustration schematically showing an embodiment of the container insert according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional diagram illustrating the main parts of the container insert and container embodiments according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a top view illustrating a second embodiment of the container insert and container according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional illustration showing the main body of a conventional substrate storage container.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a pair of conventional inserts in three dimensions.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a top view illustration that schematically shows the relationship between the conventional insert and the gate.

[0031] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Front view illustration.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional illustration showing the state in which the remaining sidewall of the conventional main body is welded together with the rear end face of the insert. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The container insert of this embodiment is as follows: Figures 1-3 As shown, an insert 4, formed from a molding material containing a predetermined resin, is a part of a main body 1 that aligns and houses multiple semiconductor wafers. It includes: a pair of left and right sidewalls 5, which form part of the two sidewalls 3 of the main body 1 with an open front 2; and a plurality of support teeth 20, which are arranged and formed on the opposing inner surfaces of the pair of left and right sidewalls 5 to support the semiconductor wafers. A plurality of gate marks 30 recessed along the thickness direction of the sidewalls 5 are formed at the rear end 9, which is part of the rear part 8 of each sidewall 5, thereby contributing to the achievement of the SDGs 9 adopted by the United Nations Summit.

[0034] Subject 1 Figure 1As shown, a front-opening box, which is mostly transparent, is formed. A freely detachable door assembly (not shown) is pressed into and fitted into the front panel 2, which is roughly rectangularly open in the main view, thus forming a substrate storage container called FOSB. On the opposing inner surfaces of the two side walls 3 of the main body 1, a pair of left and right support teeth 20 are provided to horizontally support the periphery of the two sides of the semiconductor wafer. The pair of left and right support teeth 20 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. A portion of the two side walls 3 and a plurality of support teeth 20 are formed by molding an insert 4.

[0035] At approximately the center of the ceiling of the main body 1, a top-view rectangular robotic flange (not shown) is optionally and detachably mounted, and is supported by a ceiling conveying mechanism (not shown). Additionally, on the outer surfaces of the two side walls 3 of the main body 1, gripping operating handles (not shown) are optionally and detachably mounted.

[0036] The side wall plate 5 of the insert 4, as Figure 2 As shown, the plate is formed as a longitudinally elongated plate, comprising: a short front portion 6, which slopes outward in the width direction of the main body 1 and is integrated with the front portion of the side wall of the main body 1; a long central portion 7, which is generally straight in plan view, and is connected to the rear of the front portion 6; and a long rear portion 8, which is connected to the rear of the central portion 7 and slopes inward in the width direction of the main body 1. A short rear end portion 9, which is integrated with the rear portion of the side wall of the main body 1, is connected to the rear of the rear portion 8 and is sandwiched between the top and bottom plates of the main body 1. The rear end portion 9 of the side wall plate 5 is formed as a flat, longitudinally elongated plate that is generally straight in plan view, from the viewpoint of facilitating the formation of the gate mark 30. The inner surface 10 has a larger area than the end face 11 and is adjacent to the rear of the plurality of support teeth 20.

[0037] Multiple support teeth 20 Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the support teeth 20 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the inner surface of the sidewall plate 5 in the vertical direction, and gaps for semiconductor wafer insertion are formed between the adjacent support teeth 20 in the vertical direction. Each support tooth 20 is formed into a plate shape that curves from the inner surface of the central portion 7 of the sidewall plate 5 to the inner surface of the rear portion 8 and extends approximately horizontally along the front-rear direction of the main body 1, so as to function in supporting and mounting the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer on the surface 21. On the outer side of the front portion of the surface 21 of the support tooth 20, the anti-ejection step portion 22 that prevents the semiconductor wafer from being ejected forward is formed with a wall thickness that is approximately triangular when viewed from above.

[0038] Multiple gate marks, 30 Figure 2As shown, recesses are formed at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction of the inner surface 10 of the rear end 9 of the side wall plate 5, and each gate mark 30 is formed as a thin, approximately semi-circular shape, which is attached to the rear part of the side wall 3 during the molding of the main body 1. The gate marks 30 are formed from the inner surface 10 of the rear end 9 of the side wall plate 5, in other words, from the surface facing the interior of the main body 1 to the opposite side surface, because it can expand the flow profile of the gate.

[0039] The gate mark 30 is approximately semi-circular because common parts can be used for the mold, thus allowing for a simple configuration to form the gate mark 30. On the circumference of the gate mark 30, protrusions such as claws are formed as needed to reinforce the connection with the rear part of the sidewall 3, extending inward in a radial direction.

[0040] In the above configuration, when manufacturing the main body 1, firstly, a mold for the insert 4 is prepared, the mold is closed, and a molding material in a molten state containing a predetermined resin is filled (see...). Figure 2 (The arrow), thereby forming a pair of inserts 4 with multiple support teeth 20 arranged on the inner surface of the side wall plate 5. The mold used for the inserts 4 changes the position of the gate so that multiple gate marks 30 can be formed in the recess of the inner surface 10 of the rear end 9 of the side wall plate.

[0041] The resin used as the molding material is not limited in any way, but examples include polycarbonate polymer alloy resins with excellent dimensional stability and wear resistance. Furthermore, each insert 4 is injection molded to a neutral color such as white, and the gates on the inner surface 10 of the rear end 9 are cut off with pliers or the like, leaving multiple gate marks 30 on the inner surface 10. When cutting off the gates, it is preferable to cut off only a small amount of the gate without damaging the inner surface 10 of the rear end of the insert 4.

[0042] Next, after molding a pair of inserts 4, the pair of inserts 4 are inserted into the prepared molding mold for the main body 1 at intervals. The molding mold is closed and filled with the main body molding material in a molten state containing a predetermined resin, thereby injection molding the transparent main body 1 with the front 2 open.

[0043] The resin used as the molding material for the main body is not limited in any way, but polycarbonate resins with excellent properties such as impact resistance, weather resistance, and transparency can be used. This molding material flows within the cavity of the molding die to form most of the main body 1. In the case of forming the remaining portion of the sidewall 3 of the main body 1, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the front part of the sidewall 3 is fused to the front part 6 of the sidewall plate 5, and the rear part of the sidewall 3 is fused to the rear end 9 of the sidewall plate 5, and the fusion is such that the rear part of the sidewall 3 completely covers the gate mark 30 of the insert 4.

[0044] If the main body 1 is injection molded in this way, the molding material for the main body is further filled into the molding die and pressure is maintained, the molding die is cooled and opened, and the main body 1 is demolded and removed, then a multifunctional main body 1 can be manufactured.

[0045] According to the above configuration, the main body is fused together to completely cover the recessed gate mark 30 of the insert 4 with molding material. Therefore, the gate and chips remaining in the gate mark 30 are also covered, and the gate and chips will not be exposed inside or outside the main body 1. Thus, the risk of the gate and chips remaining in the gate mark 30 being exposed inside the main body 1 and becoming particles that cause contamination of the semiconductor wafer can be effectively eliminated.

[0046] Furthermore, since it is not necessary to reduce the size of the gate of the insert 4, the flowability of the molding material will not deteriorate, effectively preventing any obstruction to the moldability of the insert 4. Additionally, since it is not necessary to completely cut off the gate of the insert 4, there is no risk of accidentally damaging the rear end 9 of the insert 4, and the quality of the insert 4 can be expected to be significantly improved. Moreover, since the gate mark 30 is formed by recessing it on the large inner surface 10 of the rear end 9 rather than the narrow end face 11 of the rear end 9 of the sidewall plate, the gate size can be freely set regardless of the thickness of the insert 4.

[0047] then, Figure 4 The second embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which the shapes of the left and right pair of sidewall plates 5 and the plurality of support teeth 20 of the insert 4 are respectively changed to be straightened, and a plurality of gate marks 30 recessed along the thickness direction of the sidewall plate 5 are formed at the rear part 8 of each sidewall plate 5.

[0048] Side wall panel 5 Figure 4 As shown, the side wall plate 5 is formed into a longitudinally elongated plate and is integrally sandwiched between the top and bottom plates of the main body 1: a front portion 6, which is integral with the front portion of the side wall of the main body 1; a long central portion 7, which is connected to the rear of the front portion 6; and a rear portion 8, which is connected to the rear of the central portion 7 and integral with the rear portion of the side wall of the main body 1. The front portion 6 of the side wall plate 5 is formed into a flat, longitudinally elongated plate that is generally straight when viewed from above, and the inner surface has a larger area than the end face. In addition, in order to facilitate the formation of the gate mark 30, the rear portion 8 of the side wall plate 5 is formed into a flat, longitudinally elongated plate that is generally straight when viewed from above, and the inner surface 10 has a larger area than the end face 11.

[0049] Multiple support teeth 20 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the inner surface of the sidewall plate 5 in the vertical direction. Between adjacent support teeth 20 in the vertical direction, gaps for semiconductor wafer insertion are formed. Each support tooth 20 is formed into a plate shape that extends substantially horizontally in the front-back direction of the main body 1, and supports the semiconductor wafer on the surface 21.

[0050] Multiple gate marks 30 are recessed at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction of the inner surface 10 of the rear part 8 of the side wall plate. Each gate mark 30 is formed as a thin, approximately semi-circular shape and is attached to the rear part of the side wall 3 during the molding of the main body 1. The other parts are the same as in the above embodiment, and therefore the description is omitted.

[0051] In this embodiment, the same effects as in the above-described embodiments can be expected. Furthermore, by reducing the bending and twisting portions of the sidewall plate 5 and the support teeth 20, a simplification of the configuration of the sidewall plate 5 and the support teeth 20 can obviously be expected. In addition, the rear end portion 9, which has a different shape from the rear portion 8 of the sidewall plate 5, can be omitted, thereby simplifying the configuration of the mold for the insert 4.

[0052] Furthermore, the resin used as the main body 1 or insert 4 in the above embodiments can also be thermoplastic resins such as cyclic olefin polymers, polyetherimide resins, polyetherketone resins, polyetheretherketone resins, polyoxymethylene resins, polybutylene terephthalate resins, liquid crystal polymers, and alloys thereof. Various antistatic agents, such as conductive substances composed of carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, conductive polymers, anionic, cationic, and nonionic agents, can also be added to these resins as needed. Additionally, ultraviolet absorbers, glass fibers or carbon fibers that improve rigidity can be added as needed.

[0053] Furthermore, the front portion 6, central portion 7, rear portion 8, or rear end portion 9 of the side wall panel 5 in the above embodiment can also be lengthened or shortened, or bent or folded as needed. Additionally, in the above embodiment, a plurality of gate marks 30 are formed on the inner surface 10 of the rear portion 8 or rear end portion 9 of the side wall panel 5, but if it does not cause particular obstruction, a plurality of gate marks 30 can also be formed on the outer surface of the exposed rear portion 8 or rear end portion 9.

[0054] Furthermore, barring any particular issues, multiple gate marks 30 recessed along the thickness direction of the sidewall panel 5 can be formed on any of the inner or outer surfaces having an area larger than the end face of the front portion 6 of each sidewall panel 5. The number of gate marks 30 can also be increased or decreased to one, two, four, etc. Additionally, the gate marks 30 can be formed in a generally semi-elliptical, generally rectangular, or polygonal shape. Therefore, all the technologies described in this specification can become the subject of patent rights through modifications or divisional applications.

[0055] Industrial availability The container insert, container, and manufacturing method of the present invention are used in fields such as semiconductors or precision instruments.

[0056] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1: Main body (container) 3: Sidewall 4: Embedded objects (embedded objects for containers) 5: Side wall panels 6: Front 7: Central Department 8: Rear 9: Rear end 10: Inner surface 11: End face 20: Support teeth (support plates) 21: Surface 22: Anti-balloon step section 30: Gate marks.

Claims

1. A container insert, which is a container insert formed from a molding material containing a predetermined resin to constitute part of a container housing a substrate, characterized in that, It includes: a sidewall panel that forms part of the sidewall of a container with a front opening; and a support piece formed on the inner surface of the sidewall panel, supporting a base plate, and having a gate mark recessed along the thickness direction of the sidewall panel at either the front or rear portion of the sidewall panel.

2. The container insert according to claim 1, wherein, The sidewall panel includes: a front portion integral with the front sidewall of the container; a central portion connected to the rear of the front portion; and a rear portion connected to the rear of the central portion and integral with the rear sidewall of the container, wherein at least one of the inner surfaces of the front and rear portions has a larger area than the end face. Multiple support plates are arranged at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction of the side wall plate, forming a general plate shape extending along the front-back direction of the container. Gate marks are recesses formed on at least one large-area inner surface of the front and rear of the sidewall panel.

3. The container insert according to claim 2, wherein, The rear portion of the sidewall panel is inclined inwards towards the width direction of the container, and a flat rear end portion integral with the rear portion of the sidewall panel is connected behind this rear portion. Furthermore, the inner surface of this rear end portion has a larger area than the end face of the rear end portion. An anti-pop-out step for the substrate is formed on the outer surface of the front part of the support sheet. A gate mark is formed by a recess on the inner surface of the rear end of the side panel.

4. A container, characterized in that, A front-opening box is formed from a container molding material containing a predetermined resin to accommodate a substrate, and includes container inserts as described in claim 1 or 2 on each of its two side walls.

5. A method for manufacturing a container, characterized in that, The container inserts of claims 1 or 2 are spaced apart and inserted into a container molding die. The molding die is closed and filled with a container molding material containing a predetermined resin, thereby forming a front-opening container by covering the gate marks of the container inserts with the container molding material.

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