Wafer cassette and frame thereof

Abstract

A wafer cassette and a frame thereof are disclosed, the wafer cassette is suitable for loading a plurality of substrates and covering a door body, and the wafer cassette comprises a shell and a frame, and the shell is recessed to form an accommodating space. The frame is arranged on the shell and suitable for installation of the door body and comprises a frame body and at least one abutting piece. The frame defines an opening which enables the containing space to be communicated with the external environment and is used for containing the door body. The frame body is used for being installed on the shell and used for blocking the door body, and at least one corner part is formed on the frame body. The abutting piece is detachably assembled on the corner part and used for abutting against the door body. By detachably assembling the abutting pieces on the corresponding corner parts, when the abutting pieces are damaged due to collision, the abutting pieces can be quickly replaced, so that the conveying safety of the base plate is guaranteed, the replacement cost is reduced, and the conveying cost is further reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a frame, in particular to a frame with a collision-resistant structure and a wafer box with the frame. Background Art

[0002] Substrates used in semiconductor manufacturing processes (e.g., semiconductor crystal discs, often referred to as wafers) must be kept in a high-purity environment. Therefore, the wafer cassettes used to transport or store the substrates must not only protect the substrates from external air contamination but also possess sufficient structural strength to prevent damage from collisions.

[0003] In today's semiconductor industry, wafer cassettes are often manufactured using injection molding to ensure they are resistant to weight and impact, while also protecting them from contamination by airborne particles, moisture, and other impurities. These cassettes contain a housing that can hold multiple substrates. A frame in front of the housing accommodates a door that seals the housing, preventing particles, moisture, and other impurities from entering the housing. The door also secures the substrates within the housing, preventing them from slipping out through a port connecting the housing to the exterior.

[0004] However, wafer cassettes are often subject to collisions and even drop during transport. The frame is most likely to collide with other cassettes, walls, or floors, causing cracks or even shattering of the frame and door. Besides the potential for substrate damage from the impact, the cracked frame and door can also produce debris that falls onto the substrates, impacting their quality and, in severe cases, damaging them. Furthermore, cracked frames require replacement, increasing shipping costs.

[0005] Therefore, how to ensure the safety of substrate transportation, protect substrates from the impact of impurities, and reduce transportation costs have become important issues. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for overcoming at least one of the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0007] Dotted frame.

[0008] The present invention is a frame suitable for being mounted on a housing and for mounting a door, and comprises a frame and at least one abutment member. The frame is mounted on the housing and is used to stop the door, and the frame is formed with at least one corner portion. The at least one abutment member is detachably assembled to the corner portion and is used to abut the door.

[0009] The frame of the present invention comprises four corner portions spaced apart from each other, and the frame comprises four abutting members which are detachably assembled on the corner portions.

[0010] In the frame of the present invention, each of the abutting members comprises a joining plate joined to the corresponding corner portion, and a plurality of abutting blocks protruding from the joining plate and used for abutting against the door body.

[0011] The frame described in the present invention comprises a flat plate body, a vertical plate body, and a curved plate body. The flat plate body extends in the left-right direction and has a flat inner plate surface. The vertical plate body extends in the up-down direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and has a vertical inner plate surface. The curved plate body is integrally connected between the flat plate body and the vertical plate body. The abutment blocks are respectively integrally protruded on the flat inner plate surface and the vertical inner plate surface.

[0012] In the frame described in the present invention, each of the abutment blocks extends in a front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and has an abutment slope for abutting against the door body, and the abutment slope extends obliquely from front to back and away from the joining plate.

[0013] In the frame of the present invention, each corner portion is a retaining groove, and each abutting member has a connecting plate for being engaged with the corresponding corner portion.

[0014] The frame described in the present invention has a connecting plate having a flat plate body, a vertical plate body, and a curved plate body. The flat plate body extends in the left-right direction, and the flat plate body is formed with a first slot for the frame body to engage with. The vertical plate body extends in the up-down direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, and the vertical plate body is formed with a second slot for the frame body to engage with. The curved plate body is integrally connected between the flat plate body and the vertical plate body.

[0015] The frame described in the utility model has four side panels spaced apart from each other, wherein two of the side panels are spaced apart along the left-right direction, and the other two side panels are spaced apart along the up-down direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, and the first card slot and the second card slot are each for the corresponding side panel to engage with.

[0016] The frame of the utility model further comprises a front plate portion and a rear plate portion.

[0017] The front plate portion and the rear plate portion are spaced apart along a front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. The rear plate portion is used to stop the door body. The front plate portion, the rear plate portion and the two adjacent side plate portions jointly define the corresponding corner portion.

[0018] The frame described in the present invention also includes a plurality of screws, the connecting plate is formed with a lock hole, the rear plate is formed with a through hole corresponding to the lock hole, and each of the screws is passed through the corresponding through hole and screwed into the corresponding lock hole.

[0019] In the frame of the present invention, the frame body is made of metal material, and the abutting piece is made of plastic material.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a wafer box that can overcome at least one disadvantage of the prior art.

[0021] The present invention is suitable for use with a door body, and comprises a housing and a frame as described above. The housing is recessed to form a receiving space. The frame body is mounted on the housing, and the frame defines an opening that connects the receiving space to the external environment and is used to accommodate the door body.

[0022] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the at least one abutment member can be detachably assembled in the corresponding corner portion (holding groove). When the abutment member is damaged by a collision, the abutment member can be quickly replaced to ensure the safety of the substrate transportation and reduce the replacement cost, thereby reducing the transportation cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional diagram of an embodiment of the wafer box of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view illustrating the assembly relationship between a housing, a frame, and a door of the embodiment;

[0025] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the frame of this embodiment;

[0026] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the frame of the embodiment, illustrating the assembly relationship between the frame including a frame body, a front plate portion, a side plate portion, a rear plate portion, and four abutment members of the frame body;

[0027] Figure 5 is a front view of the frame of the embodiment, illustrating that the rear panel has a first protrusion and a plurality of second protrusions;

[0028] Figure 6 is an incomplete exploded perspective view of the frame of the embodiment, illustrating the relative relationship between one of the abutting members and a corresponding corner portion;

[0029] Figure 7 This is an incomplete exploded perspective view of the frame of this embodiment, illustrating one of the BCPI-240345 pages 4 / 7.

[0030] The assembly relationship between the connector and the frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , is an embodiment of the wafer box 100 of the present invention, suitable for loading multiple substrates 92 and providing a door body 91 for closing.

[0033] For the convenience of subsequent description, the wafer box of the present invention is defined as a left-right direction X, a vertical direction Y perpendicular to the left-right direction X, and a front-back direction Z perpendicular to the left-right direction X and the vertical direction Y. Figure 1 The left and right direction X is the direction indicated by the arrow as right, and the opposite direction as left. Figure 1 The up and down direction Y is the direction indicated by the arrow as up, and the opposite direction as down. Figure 1 The front-to-back direction Z is the direction indicated by the arrow as the front, and the reverse direction as the rear.

[0034] Each of the substrates 92 is, for example, a semiconductor crystal circular piece, also referred to as a wafer, but not limited thereto. Each of the substrates 92 is also, for example, a silicon wafer, a gallium nitride wafer, or a silicon carbide wafer, but not limited thereto.

[0035] In this embodiment, the door 91 is made of plastic, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The door 91 is used to cover the wafer box 100 to prevent the substrate 92 from sliding out and to prevent external impurities from entering the wafer box 100.

[0036] The wafer pod 100 is a front opening unified pod (FOUP) and includes a housing 1 and a frame 2 disposed on the housing 1 .

[0037] The housing 1 is recessed to form a receiving space 3 suitable for placing the substrate 92 .

[0038] See Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 The frame 2 is disposed on the housing 1 and is suitable for mounting the door 91. The frame 2 includes a frame body 4, four abutment members 5, and a plurality of screws 6. The frame 2 defines an opening 7 that connects the accommodating space 3 with the external environment and is used to accommodate the door 91. In this embodiment, the frame 2 is fixedly connected to the front end of the housing 1 by welding, for example. In other embodiments, the frame 2 can also be integrally formed with the housing 1, and the manner in which the frame 2 is disposed on the housing 1 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0039] The frame 4 is made of metal and is mounted on the housing 1 to block the door 91. The metal construction enhances its impact resistance and prevents the generation of debris when impacted, enhancing the safety of transporting the substrate 92 and protecting the substrate 92 from debris. The frame 4 comprises a front panel 41, a rear panel 42, four spaced-apart side panels 43, and four spaced-apart corner panels 44.

[0040] BCPI-240345 Page 5 / 7

[0041] The front plate portion 41 and the rear plate portion 42 are spaced apart along the front-to-back direction Z. The rear plate portion 42 is used to stop the door body 91. The side plate portions 43 are connected between the front plate portion 41 and the rear plate portion 42 and are spaced apart from each other. Two of the side plate portions 43 are spaced apart along the left-right direction X. The other two side plate portions 43 are spaced apart along the up-down direction Y. The front plate portion 41, the rear plate portion 42 and the two adjacent side plate portions 43 jointly define the corresponding corner portions 44. Each corner portion 44 is a retaining groove. The range enclosed by the front plate portion 41 in a plane perpendicular to the front-to-back direction Z is larger than the door body 91, so that an operator can align the door body 91 through the front plate portion 41 to place the door body 91 along the front plate portion 41 into the opening 7.

[0042] See Figure 2 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5The rear panel portion 42 includes an upper panel section 421, a lower panel section 422 opposite to and spaced apart from the upper panel section 421, a right panel section 423 connected between the right end of the upper panel section 421 and the right end of the lower panel section 422, a left panel section 424 connected between the left end of the upper panel section 421 and the left end of the lower panel section 422 and spaced apart from the right panel section 423, a first protrusion 425 projecting downward from the bottom end of the upper panel section 421, and a plurality of second protrusions 426 projecting leftward from the right panel section 423 and rightward from the left panel section 424 and spaced apart from each other. The first protrusion 425 is located at the center of the upper panel section 421 in the left-right direction X. For example, four second protrusions 426 are provided. Two of the second tabs 426 are connected to the right plate section 423 at intervals and are located near the center of the right plate section 423 in the vertical direction Y. The other two of the second tabs 426 are connected to the left plate section 424 at intervals and are located near the center of the left plate section 424 in the vertical direction Y. The upper plate section 421 is connected to the top edge of the housing 1, and the first tab 425 is connected to a recess in the top edge of the housing 1. The lower plate section 422 is connected to the bottom edge of the housing 1. The right plate section 423 is connected to the right side of the housing 1, and the second tab 426 connected to the right plate section 423 is connected to two recesses on the right side of the housing 1. The left plate section 424 is connected to the left side of the housing 1, and the second tab 426 connected to the left plate section 424 is connected to two recesses on the left side of the housing 1. The rear plate portion 42 is used to block the door 91, allowing it to be placed in the opening 7 without entering the accommodating space 3. The first protrusion 425 and the second protrusion 426 are used to match the appearance of the shell 1 so that the frame 4 can be completely fitted with the shell 1, making it convenient to weld the frame 4 to the shell 1 or to facilitate the frame 4 and the shell 1 to be integrally formed, thereby reducing the difficulty of assembling or manufacturing the shell 1 and the frame 4.

[0043] See Figure 4 and Figure 6 The rear plate portion 42 has two through holes 427 formed therein corresponding to each of the corner portions 44. Specifically, the upper plate section 421 has two through holes 427 formed therein corresponding to one of the adjacent corner portions 44, and the upper plate section 421 has another two through holes 427 formed therein corresponding to the other adjacent corner portion 44. The lower plate section 422 has two through holes 427 formed therein corresponding to one of the adjacent corner portions 44, and the lower plate section 422 has two through holes 427 formed therein corresponding to the other adjacent corner portion 44.

[0044] See Figure 2 and Figure 4The side plate portion 43 can limit the upward, downward, leftward and rightward movement directions of the door body 91, and when the frame 2 is hit, it prevents the door body 91 from separating from the frame 2 along a plane perpendicular to the front-to-back direction Z.

[0045] See Figure 2 、 Figure 4 and Figure 6 The abutting members 5 are detachably assembled to the corner portions 44 (i.e., the retaining grooves). The abutting members 5 are made of plastic and are used to abut the door body 91. Each abutting member 5 has a connecting plate 51 connected to the corresponding corner portion 44, and two abutting blocks 52 protruding from the connecting plate 51 for abutting the door body 91.

[0046] When the door 91 is closed over the wafer cassette 100, it is placed within the opening 7 and abuts against the abutment 5. Since the door 91 is made of plastic, if the abutment 5 is made of a non-plastic material (e.g., metal) and the door 91 abuts against the abutment 5, when the wafer cassette 100 is shaken or slightly vibrated during transportation, for example, the door 91 and the abutment 5 will rub against each other due to their different materials, causing wear and tear. This in turn creates gaps and fine impurities. These fine impurities, airborne particles, moisture, or other impurities can easily enter the accommodating space 3 through the gaps created by the wear and tear between the door 91 and the abutment 5, thereby affecting the quality of the substrate 92. Therefore, the abutment 5 is made of plastic, which effectively reduces the wear and tear caused by the friction between the abutment 5 and the door 91, thereby protecting the substrate 92 from impurities.

[0047] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 , each of the connecting plates 51 is used to be embedded in the corresponding corner portion 44. Each of the connecting plates 51 has a flat plate body 53, a vertical plate body 54, and a curved plate body 55. The flat plate body 53 extends along the left-right direction X and has a flat inner plate surface 531. The flat plate body 53 is formed with a first card groove 532 for engaging with the frame body 4, and is formed with two lock holes 56. Each of the lock holes 56 is used to communicate with the corresponding through hole 427. The vertical plate body 54 extends along the up-down direction Y and has a vertical inner plate surface 541. The vertical plate body 54 is formed with a second card groove 542 for engaging with the BCPI-240345 Page 7 / 7 frame body 4. The curved plate body 55 is integrally connected between the flat plate body 53 and the vertical plate body 54.

[0048] The first and second slots 532 and 542 are each engaged with the corresponding side panel portion 43. Each screw 6 is passed through the corresponding through hole 427 and screwed into the corresponding locking hole 56 to secure each abutting member 5 to the frame 4 so that the abutting member 5 can be securely and detachably mounted on the corresponding corner portion 44.

[0049] See Figure 2 and Figure 7 The abutting blocks 52 of each abutting member 5 are integrally protruded from the flat inner plate surface 531 and the vertical inner plate surface 541. Each abutting block 52 extends along the front-to-back direction Z and has an abutting inclined surface 57 for abutting against the door body 91. The abutting inclined surface 57 extends obliquely from the front to the rear and away from the connecting plate 51.

[0050] Specifically, each abutment block 52 gradually protrudes from front to back, away from the flat inner panel 531 or the vertical inner panel 541, to form an abutment slope 57. This allows the door 91 to move along the abutment slope 57 when inserted into the opening 7 and be guided by the abutment slope 57. This allows the door 91 to be positioned and locked at the rear end of the abutment slope 57, abutting against a position on the rear panel 42. This improves the ease and stability of door 91 assembly, as well as the sealing between the door 91 and the wafer cassette 100, thereby protecting the substrates 92 from impurities and maintaining their quality.

[0051] In summary, each of the abutment members 5 can be detachably assembled to the corresponding corner portion 44. When one of the abutment members 5 is damaged by a collision, the frame 2 can continue to be used by quickly replacing another abutment member 5 without replacing the entire frame 2, thereby ensuring the transportation safety of the substrate 92 and reducing replacement costs, thereby reducing transportation costs, and thus indeed achieving the purpose of this utility model.

[0052] However, the above is only an embodiment of the present invention and should not be used to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims and description of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A frame suitable for being set on a housing and for mounting a door; characterized by: The framework includes: a frame body, used for being mounted on the housing and for blocking the door body, the frame body being formed with at least one corner portion; and At least one abutting member is detachably assembled on the corner portion and is used for abutting against the door body.

2. The frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame body includes four corner portions spaced apart from each other, and the frame includes four abutting pieces which are detachably assembled on the corner portions.

3. The frame according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the abutting members comprises a joining plate joined to the corresponding corner portion, and a plurality of abutting blocks protruding from the joining plate and used for abutting against the door body.

4. The frame according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting plate has a flat plate body, a vertical plate body, and a curved plate body. The flat plate body extends in the left-right direction and has a flat inner plate surface. The vertical plate body extends in the up-down direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and has a vertical inner plate surface. The curved plate body is integrally connected between the flat plate body and the vertical plate body. The abutment blocks are respectively integrally protruded on the flat inner plate surface and the vertical inner plate surface.

5. The frame according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each of the abutting blocks extends along a front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and has an abutting inclined surface for abutting against the door body, wherein the abutting inclined surface extends obliquely from the front to the rear and in a direction away from the joining plate.

6. The frame according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the corner portions is a retaining groove, and each of the abutting members has a joining plate for being engaged with the corresponding corner portion.

7. The frame according to claim 6, characterized in that: The connecting plate includes a flat plate body, a vertical plate body, and a curved plate body. The flat plate body extends in the left-right direction, and is formed with a first slot for the frame body to engage with. The vertical plate body extends in the up-down direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, and is formed with a second slot for the frame body to engage with. The curved plate body is integrally connected between the flat plate body and the vertical plate body.

8. The frame according to claim 7, characterized in that: The frame has four side panels spaced apart from each other, wherein two of the side panels are spaced apart along the left-right direction, and the other two side panels are spaced apart along the up-down direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, and the first card slot and the second card slot are each for the corresponding side panel to engage with.

9. The frame according to claim 8, characterized in that: The frame also has a front plate portion and a rear plate portion, the front plate portion and the rear plate portion are spaced apart along a front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, the rear plate portion is used to block the door body, and the front plate portion, the rear plate portion and the two adjacent side plate portions jointly define the corresponding corner portion.

10. The frame according to claim 9, characterized in that: The frame further includes a plurality of screws. The joining plate is formed with a locking hole. The rear plate is formed with a through hole corresponding to the locking hole. Each of the screws is passed through the corresponding through hole and screwed into the corresponding locking hole.

11. The frame according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The frame is made of metal material, and the abutment member is made of plastic material.

12. A wafer box suitable for door closing; characterized by: The wafer box comprises: The housing is recessed to form a receiving space; and The frame according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the frame body of the frame is mounted on the shell, and the frame defines an opening that connects the accommodating space with the external environment and is used to accommodate the door body.

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