Front open type substrate container

Abstract

The utility model provides a front open type substrate container, which is used for accommodating a plurality of substrates, each substrate is provided with one of a round shape or a square shape, the substrate container comprises a shell, a top plate, a bottom plate, a back plate and two side plates, wherein the top plate, the bottom plate, the rear back plate and the two side plates jointly define an internal space and a front opening; the door plate can close the front opening in an airtight manner relative to the rear back plate; the supporting module is provided with two side supporting frames and a back supporting frame, the two side supporting frames and the back supporting frame are arranged on the two side plates and the back plate respectively and used for jointly separating and supporting a plurality of substrates, and the width of the back plate corresponds to the front opening so that the substrates can be accommodated in the inner space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor substrate carrier technology, and more specifically to a front-opening substrate container structure, thereby forming an internal space with a rear plate whose width corresponds to its front opening, for accommodating a plurality of semiconductor substrates having one of a circular shape or a square shape. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor components are commonly found in modern electronic products. The line diameter of the circuit patterns in semiconductor components has evolved from the micrometer level to the nanometer level. The circuit patterns of semiconductor components are transferred onto the surface of the wafer through a lithography process. However, due to the aforementioned miniaturization of semiconductor components, defects (or contamination) in the circuit patterns during the manufacturing process can cause damage and defects in the semiconductor components. To maintain the quality of semiconductor components during the manufacturing process, semiconductor substrates (such as wafers or glass) are generally stored or transported in a substrate container. Examples include front-opening wafer assemblies (FOUPs) used in semiconductor manufacturing to carry circular wafers, and panel FOUPs used in panel-level fan-out packaging processes to carry square glass sheets. These containers are used to handle and support wafers and panels during the manufacturing process.

[0003] The aforementioned substrate containers typically support substrates of fixed size and shape, intended to accommodate a single type of wafer or panel, i.e., a single size and shape. However, due to advancements in semiconductor manufacturing processes, some processes no longer simply utilize typically circular substrates (such as wafers). For example, in fan-out wafer-level packaging processes, square glass with a rectangular shape is used. For wafer substrates and 300mm*300mm square glass, in the existing process, it is necessary to prepare wafer transfer boxes for accommodating wafer substrates and panel transfer boxes for square glass.

[0004] This inadvertently increases the cost of additional substrate containers required to process different types of round wafers and square glass, and also lacks the manufacturing flexibility to meet market demands. Therefore, how to solve the aforementioned problems is what industry players and users expect, and it is also the solution that this utility model seeks to explore.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings, the designer of this project believed that it was necessary to make corrections. Therefore, based on years of experience in related technologies and product design and manufacturing, and adhering to the concept of excellent design, the designer studied and improved the above-mentioned defects. After continuous efforts in trial production, a front-opening substrate container structure was finally successfully developed to overcome the troubles and inconveniences caused by the inability of existing substrate containers to accommodate one of the circular or square half-shaped substrates. Practical new type content

[0006] The main purpose of the present utility model is to provide a front opening wafer container, so as to accommodate multiple wafers, wherein each wafer has one of a circular shape or a square shape, so that each wafer can be accommodated in the wafer container to effectively limit wafers of different shapes from colliding and being damaged.

[0007] Another purpose of the present utility model is to provide a front opening wafer container that can increase the size of wafers applicable to the wafer container, improve the flexibility of the wafer container in the process, and reduce the number of wafer containers prepared to reduce the cost of manufacturing materials.

[0008] To achieve the above purpose, the present utility model provides a front opening wafer container for accommodating multiple wafers, each wafer having one of a circular shape or a square shape, the wafer container comprising:

[0009] a housing having a top plate, a bottom plate, a back plate, and two side plates, the top plate and the bottom plate being arranged on the upper and lower sides of the back plate, and the two side plates being arranged on the left and right sides of the back plate, wherein the top plate, the bottom plate, the back plate, and the two side plates collectively define an internal space and a front opening;

[0010] a door plate that can hermetically close the front opening relative to the back plate; and

[0011] a support module having two side support frames and a back support frame arranged on the two side plates and the back plate, respectively, for collectively spacing and supporting multiple wafers;

[0012] wherein a width of the back plate corresponds to the front opening, so that each wafer can be accommodated in the internal space.

[0013] In an embodiment of the front opening wafer container of the present utility model, the two side support frames and the back support frame have multiple vertical intervals and opposite horizontal straight rib rows relative to one side surface of the internal space, so that the horizontal straight rib rows at the same position in the two side support frames and the back support frame can collectively support a wafer in a horizontal manner.

[0014] In an embodiment of the front opening wafer container of the present utility model, each horizontal straight rib row can have a stepped recess corresponding to a circular-shaped wafer, so that each circular-shaped wafer can be limited between the stepped recesses of the horizontal straight rib rows at the same position in the two side support frames and the back support frame, and the stepped recesses of the horizontal straight rib rows at the same position in the two side support frames and the back support frame can collectively support each wafer having a circular shape in a horizontal manner, wherein the diameter of each wafer having a circular shape is equal to each wafer having a square shape.

[0015] In an embodiment of the front opening substrate container of the present application, the two side support frames and the back support frame have a plurality of vertical intervals and opposite horizontal straight rib arrays on one side surface of the internal space, so that the horizontal straight rib arrays at the same positions of the two side support frames and the back support frame can support the substrates with square shapes in a horizontal manner, and the middle sections of the horizontal straight rib arrays of the two side support frames and the back support frame can form small-diameter stepped recesses corresponding to the substrates with circular shapes, wherein the diameters of the substrates with circular shapes are smaller than the widths of the substrates with square shapes, so that the small-diameter stepped recesses of the horizontal straight rib arrays at the same positions of the two side support frames and the back support frame can support the substrates with circular shapes in a horizontal manner.

[0016] In an embodiment of the front opening substrate container of the present application, the horizontal straight rib arrays at the same positions can be integral or segmented.

[0017] In an embodiment of the front opening substrate container of the present application, the horizontal straight rib arrays can further horizontally protrude a wing portion, which can be used to increase the area for supporting the substrates.

[0018] In an embodiment of the front opening substrate container of the present application, the top surface of the horizontal straight rib arrays is provided with a plurality of support pads.

[0019] In an embodiment of the front opening substrate container of the present application, the horizontal straight rib arrays are vertically provided with a plurality of positioning pads on the top surface, so as to limit the positions of the substrates and reduce the contact area between the two side support frames, the back support frame and the edges of the substrates.

[0020] In an embodiment of the front opening substrate container of the present application, the top ends of the positioning pads are respectively formed with downward converging guide inclined edges, so as to guide the placement positions of the substrates.

[0021] In an embodiment of the front opening substrate container of the present application, the back support frame has an air chamber inside, and the bottom end of the back support frame is provided with at least one air guide mechanism communicating with the air chamber, for connecting at least one air valve member of the bottom plate of the housing of the substrate container, and the back support frame is provided with a plurality of air outlet slits corresponding to the upper surfaces of the substrates when the substrates are accommodated.

[0022] By the above design, the front opening type substrate container utilizes the two side support frames and the back support frame of the support module, which are respectively arranged on the two side plates and the back plate of the shell, the width of the back plate corresponds to the front opening of the shell, the two side support frames and the back support frame have the same position of the plurality of horizontal straight rib arrays, which are used for vertically and spacedly supporting the plurality of substrates in the internal space of the shell, and each substrate can be a circular substrate or a square substrate, so that the flexibility of the substrate container in the process is increased, the preparation quantity of the substrate container is reduced, and the manufacturing material cost is reduced.

[0023] Other objects of the present application and the technical means and implementation forms thereof will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reference to the attached drawings and the following description of the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0030] Figure 7 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0031] Figure 8 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0032] Figure 9 It is a schematic view of the appearance of the front opening type substrate container of the present application.

[0033] Figure 10 The horizontal straight rib row of the front opening type substrate container is located at Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional view of the 10-10 line in an embodiment.

[0034] Figure 11 A partial enlarged view of another embodiment of the horizontal straight rib row in the front opening type substrate container.

[0035] Figure 12 The horizontal straight rib row of the front opening type substrate container is located at Figure 11 A partial cross-sectional view of the 12-12 line in an embodiment.

[0036] Figure 13 A partial enlarged view of another embodiment of the horizontal straight rib row in the front opening type substrate container.

[0037] Figure 14 The horizontal straight rib row of the front opening type substrate container is located at Figure 13 A partial cross-sectional view of the 14-14 line in an embodiment.

[0038] Figure 15 A top view of the preferred embodiment of the front opening type substrate container accommodating a square substrate.

[0039] Figure 16 A top view of the preferred embodiment of the front opening type substrate container accommodating a circular substrate.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals: 100 - substrate; 100a - circular substrate; 100b - square substrate; 10 - shell; 11 - top plate; 12 - bottom plate; 13 - back plate; 14 - side plate; 15 - internal space; 16 - front opening; 17 - chuck; 20 - door plate; 21 - door body; 22 - inner surface; 23 - latching mechanism; 25 - substrate holder; 28 - elastic sheet; 30 - support module; 31 - side support frame; 35 - back support frame; 36 - air chamber; 37 - air guide mechanism; 38 - air valve; 39 - air outlet slit; 41 - horizontal straight rib row; 42 - gap; 43 - fin portion; 44 - stepped recess; 45 - support pad; 46 - positioning pad; 47 - guide inclined edge; 48 - small-diameter stepped recess. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The embodiments of the present application will be explained hereinafter by way of examples, which are not intended to limit the present application to any particular environment, application or special way of implementation as described in the examples. Therefore, the description of the examples is only for the purpose of illustrating the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. It should be noted that the elements not directly related to the present application have been omitted in the following examples and the drawings, and the dimensional relationship between the elements in the drawings is only for easy understanding and is not intended to limit the actual proportions.

[0042] The specific implementation of the front opening substrate container of the present application is described in detail in Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , which is used to accommodate a plurality of substrates 100, each of which can be any substrate used in semiconductor manufacturing. The substrate 100 embodiments described in the present application can include, but are not limited to, one of a circular substrate 100a having a circular shape or a square substrate 100b having a square shape. The substrate container can be referred to as a front opening wafer container (FOUP), and the substrate container includes a housing 10, a door plate 20 and a support module 30.

[0043] The housing 10 has a top plate 11, a bottom plate 12, a back plate 13 and two side plates 14. The top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12 are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the back plate 13, respectively, and the two side plates 14 are arranged on the left and right sides of the back plate, respectively. The top plate 11, the bottom plate 12, the back plate 13 and the two side plates 14 together define an internal space 15 and a front opening 16 of a size configured to receive a plurality of substrates 100 therein. For example, as shown in Figure 3 , the plurality of substrates 100 are arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns in the internal space 15. Figure 3position 25 in the interior space 15, and the plurality of substrates 100 can be removed from and inserted into the interior space 15 through the front opening 16, wherein a width of the back plate 13 corresponds to the front opening 16, so that each of the substrates 100 is suitable to be accommodated in the interior space 15, and an external top surface of the top plate 11 of the housing 10 can be selectively provided with a chuck 17 for mechanical gripping, the chuck 17 being in accordance with the Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) specification and suitable for an Overhead Hoist Transfer (OHT) chuck of an overhead traveling transport system (OHT), and the external side surfaces of the two side plates 14 of the housing 10 can be further selectively provided with a pair of side handles (not shown in the figure) for manually transporting the housing 10. According to some embodiments, the housing 10 and the back plate 13 of the substrate container can be a combined structure, wherein the housing 10 further has a rear opening (not shown in the figure) corresponding to the front opening 16, and the back plate 13 can be selectively attached to the housing 10 in a cover configuration and cover the rear opening.

[0044] The door plate 20 can hermetically close the front opening 16 relative to the back plate 13, and the door plate 20 comprises a door body 21, an inner surface 22, and a latching mechanism 23 for fixing the door plate 20 to the front opening 16 of the housing 10. When the door plate 20 is in a closed position as depicted in Figure 1 the inner surface 22 of the door plate 20 is positioned to face the interior space 15, and the inner surface 22 of the door plate 20 is provided with a substrate holder 25 having a plurality of elastic pieces 28 extending to the side of the substrate 100 and corresponding to all the accommodated substrates 100 in the interior space 15, wherein the plurality of elastic pieces 28 are shaped to match the design of each of the substrates 100 as circular substrates 100a or square substrates 100b, and each of the elastic pieces 28 is formed with a retaining groove (not shown in the figure) in contact with the substrate 100 and having a V-shaped or U-shaped cross section, to push and limit the substrate 100 pressed by the substrate holder 25 (as shown in Figure 13 , Figure 14 ), so that each of the substrates 100 is layered and stably limited in the interior space 15.

[0045] As Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the support module 30 has two side support frames 31 and a back support frame 35, which are respectively arranged on the two side plates 14 and the back plate 13 of the housing 10 corresponding to the side of the inner space 15, to jointly space and support a plurality of substrates 100, and the support module 30 supports each of the substrates 100 in a vertical stacking configuration, such as Figure 3 As shown, one substrate 100 is respectively supported at position 1, position 13 and position 25, wherein each of the substrates 100 is vertically spaced from each other and horizontally oriented substantially parallel to the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12, and the configuration allows each of the substrates 100 to be removed and inserted in a substantially horizontal manner through the front opening 16, and further details are described below in conjunction with Figures 4-14 The side support frame 31 and the back support frame 35 are described.

[0046] In Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The two side support frames 31 and the back support frame 35 respectively have a plurality of vertically spaced and opposite horizontal linear rib rows 41 on the side surface of the inner space 15, and each of the horizontal linear rib rows 41 in the same position of the two side support frames 31 and the back support frame 35 can be an integral sheet (as shown in the side support frame 31 of Figure 4 ) or a segmented sheet (as shown in the back support frame 35 of Figure 5 ), so that the horizontal linear rib rows 41 in the same horizontal position of the two side support frames 31 and the back support frame 35 can jointly support a substrate 100 in a horizontal manner (as shown in Figure 3 ), wherein the substrate 100 can be a general term of a circular substrate 100a or a square substrate 100b. As described in Figure 6 , each of the horizontal linear rib rows 41 of the two side support frames 31 and the back support frame 35 has a top surface 411 and a bottom surface 412, and the bottom surface 412 of any horizontal linear rib row 41 and the top surface 411 of the adjacent horizontal linear rib row 41 below define a gap 42 with a distance D, which enables each of the substrates 100 to be removed or inserted relative to the horizontal linear rib row 41 below. And the free end of each of the horizontal linear rib rows 41 of the two side support frames 31 and the back support frame 35 can further horizontally protrude a wing portion 43, and each of the wing portions 43 can be formed at the middle section of each of the horizontal linear rib rows 41, which can be used to increase the area of the circular substrate 100a among the substrates 100 supported (as shown in Figure 16 ).

[0047] The following Figures 7-14 describes the horizontal linear rib row 41 in an integral sheet, and the horizontal linear rib row 41 can further have different examples, such asFigure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, a stepped recess 44 corresponding to a circular substrate 100a can be formed in the middle section of each of the horizontal straight ribs 41, so that each circular substrate 100a can be restricted between the stepped recesses 44 of the horizontal straight ribs 41 at the same position on the two side support frames 31 and the back support frame 35.

[0048] However, each of these horizontal straight ribs 41 has other different embodiments, such as... Figure 9 , Figure 10 As described in the drawing, each of the horizontal straight ribs 41 and / or stepped recesses 44 has a plurality of support pads 45 on its top surface. Each support pad 45 may be a convex column or convex strip with an arc-shaped top (e.g. Figure 11 , Figure 12 As shown, the height of the support pad 45 located within the stepped recess 44 does not exceed the top surface of the horizontal straight rib 41, so that the circular substrate 100a supported by the support pad 45 within the stepped recess 44 can still be constrained between the stepped recesses 44 of the horizontal straight rib 41 at the same position on both sides of the support frame 31 and the back support frame 35. Furthermore... Figure 11 , Figure 12 As shown, each of the horizontal straight ribs 41 has a plurality of positioning pads 46 vertically provided on the top surface of the wing portion 43 at both ends and the middle section to restrict the position of each substrate 100, and at the same time reduce the contact area between the two side support frames 31 and the back support frame 35 and the outer edge of each substrate 100. The top of each positioning pad 46 is formed with a downwardly tapering guide edge 47 to guide the placement position of each substrate 100.

[0049] Furthermore, such as Figure 13 , Figure 14 As shown, the diameter W1 of each circular substrate 100a and the width W2 of each square substrate 100b in the substrate 100 can be different sizes. For example, the width W1 of the circular substrate 100a is... The width W2 of the corresponding shared square substrate 100b is 310mm*310mm, with Figure 13 , Figure 14 As described in the drawing, the two side support frames 31 are 310mm apart at their edges, with a width W2 between them, to cooperate with the back support frame 35 in accommodating a square substrate 100b with a relative width W2 (e.g., Figure 15 As shown, the horizontal straight ribs 41 of the two side support frames 31 and the rear support frame 35 are formed with a relative spacing W1 at the middle section and / or the wing portion 43 at the outer edge corresponding to the circular base plate 100a. A small-diameter stepped recess 48 allows the horizontal straight ribs 41 at the same position as the two side support frames 31 and the rear support frame 35 to jointly accommodate a circular substrate 100a with a relative width W1 (e.g., ...).Figure 16

[0050] The back support frame 35 can further have different instances, as shown in Figure 5 The back support frame 35 has a gas chamber 36 inside, and the bottom end of the back support frame 35 is provided with at least one gas guide mechanism 37 communicating with the gas chamber 36, for connecting at least one gas valve 38 of the bottom plate 12 of the shell 10 of the substrate container, to introduce clean gas into the gas chamber 37 of the back support frame 35. Furthermore, the back support frame 35 has a plurality of gas slit 39 corresponding to the horizontal straight rib row 41 for accommodating the substrate 100, corresponding to the upper surface of the substrate 100, to provide flowing clean gas to the surface of each substrate 100, to reduce the adhesion of particles to the surface of the substrate 100.

[0051] Through the above design, the front opening substrate container of the utility model utilizes the support module 30 with two side support frames 31 and a back support frame 35, which are respectively arranged on the two side plates 14 and the back plate 13 of the shell 10, and the width of the back plate corresponds to the front opening 16 of the shell 10, and the two side support frames 31 and the back support frame 35 have the same position of the plurality of horizontal straight rib rows 41, to vertically and spacedly support the plurality of substrates 100 in the internal space 15 of the shell 10, and each substrate 100 can be a circular substrate 100a and a square substrate 100b, which can increase the flexibility of the substrate container in the process, and reduce the number of substrate containers prepared, to reduce the manufacturing material cost.

[0052] The examples disclosed in the utility model should be considered as illustrative rather than limiting in all aspects.​

Claims

1. A front-opening substrate container for accommodating a plurality of substrates, each substrate having a circular or square shape, characterized in that, The substrate container comprises: a housing having a top plate, a bottom plate, a back plate and two side plates, the top plate and the bottom plate oppositely arranged on the upper and lower sides of the back plate, and the two side plates oppositely arranged on the left and right sides of the back plate, wherein the top plate, the bottom plate, the back plate and the two side plates collectively define an internal space and a front opening; a door plate capable of airtightly closing the front opening relative to the back plate; and a support module having two side support frames and a back support frame arranged on the two side plates and the back plate respectively, for collectively spacing and supporting a plurality of substrates; wherein a width of the back plate corresponds to the front opening, so that each of the substrates can be accommodated in the internal space.

2. The front opening shelf container of claim 1, wherein: The two side support frames and the back support frame have a plurality of vertically spaced and opposite horizontal linear rib arrays relative to a side surface of the internal space, so that the horizontal linear rib arrays in the same position of the two side support frames and the back support frame can collectively support one of the plurality of substrates in a horizontal manner.

3. The front opening shelf container of claim 2, wherein: A middle section of each of the horizontal linear rib arrays is formed with a stepped recess corresponding to a circular-shaped substrate, so that each of the circular-shaped substrates can be respectively limited between the stepped recesses of the horizontal linear rib arrays in the same position of the two side support frames and the back support frame, so that the stepped recesses of the horizontal linear rib arrays in the same position of the two side support frames and the back support frame can collectively support each of the circular-shaped substrates in a horizontal manner, wherein the diameter of each of the circular-shaped substrates is equal to that of each of the square-shaped substrates.

4. The front opening shelf container of claim 1, wherein: The two side support frames and the back support frame have a plurality of vertically spaced and opposite horizontal linear rib arrays relative to a side surface of the internal space, so that the horizontal linear rib arrays in the same position of the two side support frames and the back support frame can collectively support each of the square-shaped substrates in a horizontal manner, and a small-diameter stepped recess corresponding to each of the circular-shaped substrates is formed in a middle section of each of the horizontal linear rib arrays of the two side support frames and the back support frame, wherein the diameter of each of the circular-shaped substrates is smaller than the width of each of the square-shaped substrates, so that the small-diameter stepped recesses of the horizontal linear rib arrays in the same position of the two side support frames and the back support frame can collectively support each of the circular-shaped substrates in a horizontal manner.

5. The front opening platform container of claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein: The horizontal linear rib arrays in the same position are in one piece or in segmented pieces.

6. The front opening platform container of claim 2, 3, or 4, wherein: Each of the horizontal linear rib arrays horizontally protrudes a fin portion for increasing the area for supporting each of the substrates.

7. The front opening platform container of claim 5, wherein: A top surface of each of the horizontal linear rib arrays is provided with a plurality of support pads.

8. The front opening platform container of claim 5, wherein: A plurality of positioning pads are vertically arranged on the top surface of each of the horizontal linear rib arrays, for limiting the position of each of the substrates and reducing the contact area between the two side support frames, the back support frame and the edge of each of the substrates.

9. The front opening platform container of claim 8, wherein: A downward converging guide slope is formed at the top end of each of the positioning pads, for guiding the placement position of each of the substrates.

10. The front opening platform container of claims 2, 3, or 4, wherein: The back support frame has an air chamber inside, and at least one air guide mechanism communicating with the air chamber is arranged at the bottom end of the back support frame for connecting at least one air valve of the bottom plate of the housing of the substrate container, and a plurality of air outlet slits corresponding to the top surface of each of the substrates are arranged on the back support frame corresponding to each of the horizontal linear rib arrays when accommodating the substrates.

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