Reversible semiconductor container and semiconductor container orientation changing system

Abstract

The present invention provides a semiconductor container with a changeable orientation and a semiconductor container orientation changing system. [Solution] A reorientable semiconductor container applicable to an unequal-sided rectangular reticle pod, comprising a pod body and a reorientation mechanism provided at the bottom of the pod body, comprising a rotating base 1321, a connecting column 1323, and a bearing 1325. The reorientation mechanism cooperates with the drive unit 5 of the load port when the pod body is placed on the load port 7. The reorientation mechanism rotates the pod body from a first direction to a second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the drive unit. The semiconductor container reorientation system rotates the unequal-sided rectangular reticle pod from a first direction to a second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the drive unit, by the reorientation mechanism cooperating with the drive unit.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor container, and in particular, to a reorientable semiconductor container and a semiconductor container reorientation system that receives said semiconductor container. [[Background Art]]

[0002] As the size of reticles has been expanded from 6×6 inches to 6×12 inches, large non-equal-sided rectangular reticle SMIF pods having long sides and short sides have been developed to accommodate such enlarged non-equal-sided rectangular reticles. In response to the expansion of the sizes of reticles and reticle pods into non-equal-sided rectangular shapes, it is also necessary to replan and adjust the conveying devices and conveying procedures for said reticle SMIF pods. For example, when a reticle pod is conveyed to a manufacturing apparatus (e.g., an exposure apparatus) by an overhead hoist transport (OHT) system, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod cannot be loaded into the exposure apparatus unless it is placed in a specific orientation based on constraints of existing apparatuses or process requirements. Specifically, before the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod is loaded into the exposure apparatus, it needs to be placed on a load-port with its short side facing the exposure apparatus side. However, the load port of existing loading apparatuses is not provided with a reorientation function, so the reticle pod can only be loaded into the exposure apparatus in a specific orientation. For this reason, it is necessary to provide an additional automatic mechanism inside the exposure apparatus for changing the orientation of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod, which increases the complexity and occupied space of the exposure apparatus. [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0003] In view of the aforementioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a reorientable reticle pod applicable to non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pods. A reorientation mechanism is provided at the bottom of the reticle pod. The reorientation function is realized by rotating the reticle pod via a driving unit, which can solve the problem of mismatch in the long-side / short-side direction of the reticle between the overhead hoist transport system and the interior of the apparatus.

[0004] Specifically, the present invention provides a reorientable semiconductor container applicable to an asymmetric rectangular reticle pod. The reorientable semiconductor container comprises a pod body and a reorientation mechanism provided at the bottom of the pod body. The reorientation mechanism is configured to cooperate with the drive unit of the load port when the pod body is placed on the load port. The reorientation mechanism rotates the pod body from a first direction to a second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the drive unit.

[0005] According to the aforementioned concept, the orientation changing mechanism includes a rotating platform, and the drive unit is positioned at or near the load-in position of the load port, so that when the pod body is placed at the load-in position, it comes into contact with the drive unit, and its orientation is rotated according to the movement stroke associated with the transfer of the pod body.

[0006] According to the aforementioned concept, the pod body comprises an outer pod that houses an inner pod, the inner pod is used to house an asymmetric rectangular reticle, the outer pod is equipped with a door, the door is provided with the orientation changing mechanism, and when the outer pod is rotated in cooperation with the drive unit of the load port, the inner pod housed within the outer pod rotates integrally with the orientation changing mechanism, thereby changing its orientation.

[0007] According to the aforementioned concept, the pod body comprises an outer pod housing an inner pod, the inner pod comprises a base, the base is equipped with the orientation changing mechanism, and when the base rotates in cooperation with the drive unit of the load port, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle housed in the inner pod rotates integrally with the orientation changing mechanism, thereby changing its orientation.

[0008] According to the aforementioned concept, the rotating platform is rotatably connected to the bottom of the pod body via bearings.

[0009] According to the aforementioned concept, the bottom of the pod body is provided with at least one pair of positioning grooves that engage with at least one pair of positioning pins provided in the load port.

[0010] According to the aforementioned concept, the rotation angle from the first direction to the second direction is 90 degrees or more.

[0011] According to the aforementioned concept, the orientation changing mechanism comprises a gear plate, the drive unit is a rack, the gear plate meshes with the rack, and rotates the pod body from the first direction to the second direction according to the drive stroke provided by the rack.

[0012] The present invention also provides a semiconductor container orientation changing system applicable to an irregular rectangular reticle pod. The semiconductor container orientation changing system comprises a transfer path configured to receive the irregular rectangular reticle pod from a load port, an orientation changing mechanism provided at the bottom of the irregular rectangular reticle pod, and a drive unit provided on the load port or on the transfer path. The orientation changing mechanism cooperates with the drive unit to rotate the irregular rectangular reticle pod from a first direction to a second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the drive unit.

[0013] According to the aforementioned concept, the system further comprises an elevator base for transporting the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pods on the load port.

[0014] According to the aforementioned concept, the orientation changing mechanism includes a rotating platform, and the drive unit is positioned at the load-in position of the load port. When the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod is placed at the load-in position, it comes into contact with the drive unit, and its orientation is rotated according to the movement stroke associated with the transfer of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod.

[0015] According to the aforementioned concept, the orientation changing mechanism includes a rotating platform, the drive unit is located on the load-in track, the load-in track leads to the exposure apparatus, and when the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod or the rotating platform comes into contact with the drive unit, the orientation is rotated according to the movement stroke associated with the transfer of the reticle pod.

[0016] According to the aforementioned concept, the rotation angle from the first direction to the second direction is 90 degrees or more.

[0017] According to the aforementioned concept, the orientation changing mechanism comprises a connecting column and a rotating disc coupled to the connecting column, the connecting column being connected to the bottom of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod, and the connecting column being used to rotate the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod by contacting the drive unit.

[0018] According to the aforementioned concept, the orientation changing mechanism comprises a gear plate, the drive unit is a rack, the gear plate meshes with the rack, and rotates the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod from the first direction to the second direction according to the drive stroke provided by the rack. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded view of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod of the present invention. [Figure 3A-C] This is a schematic diagram of the rotation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the door of an irregular rectangular reticle pod according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A-C] This is a schematic diagram of the rotation process according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the door of an irregular rectangular reticle pod according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A-D]It is a schematic diagram of the step where the semiconductor container orientation changing system of the present invention is unloaded at the load port and moves to the track. [Figure 8A-D] It is a schematic diagram of the step where the semiconductor container orientation changing system of the present invention changes orientation on the transfer path. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0020] The "pod body" in the present invention refers to all containers for housing reticles, and is not limited to single pods, dual pods, outer pods, inner pods, and the like.

[0021] The "load port" in the present invention refers to all devices for transferring the pod body from a first environment to a second environment within the system, and includes cases where transfer is performed from an atmospheric environment to a low-pressure environment. The load port can be provided with a driving device for moving the pod, such as a vertical elevator or a lateral conveying conveyor. Depending on the configuration, the driving device of the "load port" may extend into the system, and the extended portion can also be regarded as a part of the load port.

[0022] The "drive stroke" in the present invention refers to the process in which a stationary driving part comes into contact with a moving pod body, and interaction such as dynamic contact occurs between the two during this process. Here, although the driving part appears to be stationary relative to the moving pod body, this does not mean that the driving part itself is absolutely stationary.

[0023] In the present invention, the "load-in position" refers to the position that serves as the starting point when the pod main body is about to enter the "load-in track", and this position may be located within the load port, within the system chamber connected to the load port, or between the load port and the system chamber. The "load-in track" in the present invention refers to the overall route for conveying the pod main body within the system chamber, and includes, for example, a lateral conveyance conveyor heading to an exposure chamber, a vertical elevator, and the like.

[0024] In the present invention, the "exclusion region" refers to a region provided at the bottom of the pod main body, which does not mutually interfere with the operation of other mechanisms (for example, dynamic coupling grooves and dynamic coupling pins) provided at the bottom of the pod main body.

[0025] In the present invention, the "rotating table" and the "rotating disk", as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, refer to components of two different embodiments of the orientation changing mechanism. In particular, the "rotating table" and the "rotating disk" are each rotatably coupled to the bottom of the pod main body by different methods.

[0026] The reorientable semiconductor container of the present invention comprises a pod main body, and an orientation changing mechanism 132 (details of which will be described later) provided at the bottom of the pod main body. The orientation changing mechanism 132 is configured to cooperate with the driving unit 5 when the pod main body is placed on the load port. The orientation changing mechanism 132 rotates the pod main body from a first direction to a second direction in accordance with a drive stroke provided by the driving unit 5.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, there are respectively shown a perspective view and an exploded view of a non-equilateral rectangular reticle pod of the present invention. The present invention provides a reorientable semiconductor container applicable to a non-equilateral rectangular reticle pod 100.

[0028] The non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 comprises an outer pod 10 and an inner pod 20 housed within the outer pod 10. The outer pod 10 includes a door 13 and an outer lid 11, which engage with each other to form a space for housing the inner pod 20. The outer lid 11 is provided with a handle 113 for easy gripping and transport. The inner pod 20 includes a base 23 and an upper lid 21, which engage with each other to form a space for housing the reticle R. The non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 has a long side and a short side.

[0029] In the present invention, the orientation changing mechanism 132 can be provided at the bottom of the outer pod 10 and / or the inner pod 20, and can be placed, for example, on the door 13 and / or the base 23. The following illustration shows an example in which the orientation changing mechanism 132 is provided on the door 13, but this does not limit the orientation changing mechanism 132 to being installed only on the door 13.

[0030] Referring next to Figures 3A to 3C, these are schematic diagrams showing the rotation process of a reversible semiconductor container according to an embodiment of the present invention. During the movement process associated with the transfer of the semiconductor container, a drive unit 5 positioned at or near the transfer position of the load port 7 provides a drive stroke to the semiconductor container, causing it to rotate. In this embodiment, during the process of the reversible semiconductor container moving from the load port 7 to the chamber 9, the drive unit 5 contacts the semiconductor container, causing it to rotate from a first direction to a second direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the load port 7 is configured to support the semiconductor container so that its long side faces the opening of the load port 7 and the chamber 9. In other embodiments, the load port 7 may be configured so that the semiconductor container's short side faces the opening of the load port 7 and the chamber 9.

[0031] Referring to Figure 4, a cross-sectional view of a door 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. A direction-changing mechanism 132 is provided at the bottom of the door 13. Specifically, the door 13 comprises a seat body 131 and a direction-changing mechanism 132. A housing groove 1311 is formed at the bottom of the seat body 131, and the direction-changing mechanism 132 is positioned within the housing groove 1311 to avoid interference with mechanical parts.

[0032] The orientation changing mechanism 132 is rotatably connected to the seat 131. The orientation changing mechanism 132 comprises a rotating base 1321, a connecting column 1323, and a bearing 1325. The connecting column 1323 is connected above the rotating base 1321 and is connected and fixed to the rotating base 1321. The orientation changing mechanism 132 further comprises a bearing 1325, and the rotating base 1321 is rotatably connected to the seat 131 via the bearing 1325. Specifically, the bearing 1325 is fitted into the connecting column 1323 and positioned between the connecting column 1323 and the seat 131, thereby enabling the rotating base 1321 to rotate relative to the seat 131. The connecting column 1323 and the rotating base 1321 may be formed integrally, or they may be constructed by connecting and fixing multiple members. In another embodiment, the orientation changing mechanism 132 may include a reduction mechanism to prevent excessive orientation changes between the seat 131 and the turntable 1321. In yet another embodiment, the bearing 1325 is configured to provide minimum unit rotation amounts such as 5 degrees or 15 degrees, allowing control of the resolution of the rotation.

[0033] The bottom of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is provided with at least one pair of positioning grooves 1327 for engaging with at least one pair of positioning pins provided in the load port. In this embodiment, the positioning grooves 1327 are provided at the bottom of the rotating base 1321 to facilitate engagement with the positioning pins and to improve the stability when the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is placed or moved.

[0034] Referring again to Figures 3A to 3C, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is oriented from a first direction to a second direction during the transport process through the cooperation of the drive unit 5 and the orientation changing mechanism 132. First, referring to Figure 3A, the state in which the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is positioned in the load port 7 is shown. The non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 can be placed on a mounting table (not shown), and the positioning groove 1327 is positioned by positioning pins (not shown) provided in the load port 7, so that the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is stably placed or transported. At this time, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is positioned in the first direction, with its long side facing the opening of the load port 7.

[0035] Next, referring to Figure 3B, in the process of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moving from the load port 7 to the chamber 9, the drive unit 5 located in or near the load port 7 provides a drive stroke, causing the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 to rotate in accordance with the movement stroke associated with the transfer. Specifically, when the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moves from the load port 7 to the chamber 9, the positioning groove 1327 formed in the turntable 1321 engages with and is fixed to the positioning pin on the load port 7, so when the drive unit 5 contacts the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100, the turntable 1321 rotates relative to the seat 131. The rotation angle at this time is 90 degrees or more. In this embodiment, the drive unit 5 is configured to contact the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 as it moves along a horizontal line, thereby applying a horizontal force. This horizontal force forms a moment with respect to the rotation axis, causing the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 to rotate. The drive unit 5 may also contact any part of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100, such as the outer pod 10 or the inner pod 20.

[0036] Finally, referring to Figure 3C, as the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moves further toward the chamber 9, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 continues to contact the drive unit 5 in proportion to the movement stroke associated with the transfer, and is rotated until the short side of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 faces the opening of the load port 7 in a second direction. That is, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 completes its orientation change operation from the first direction to the second direction, allowing for smooth subsequent loading into the machine and preventing a decrease in manufacturing process efficiency. Preferably, the drive unit 5 is configured to limit the rotation range of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 during the process of contacting the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100, thereby preventing excessive orientation changes of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100. For example, the drive unit 5 may have a guide surface. In other embodiments, at least one or more drive units 5 may be provided, for example, a first drive unit may be responsible for rotating the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100, and a second drive unit may be configured to prevent excessive changes in the orientation of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100.

[0037] Next, referring to Figures 5A to 5C, the rotation process of a reversible semiconductor container according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. This embodiment is consistent with the previously described embodiment in that, in accordance with the movement stroke associated with the transfer of the semiconductor container, the drive unit 5, located at or near the transfer position of the load port 7, provides a drive stroke to the semiconductor container, thereby changing the orientation of the semiconductor container. The difference is that in this embodiment, during the process in which the reversible semiconductor container moves from the load port 7 to the chamber 9, the drive unit 5 contacts the orientation changing mechanism of the semiconductor container, causing the semiconductor container to rotate from a first direction to a second direction.

[0038] Referring to Figure 6, a cross-sectional view of a door 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. A direction-changing mechanism 132 is provided at the bottom of the door 13. Specifically, the door 13 comprises a seat 131 and a direction-changing mechanism 132. A storage groove 1311 is formed at the bottom of the seat 131, and the direction-changing mechanism 132 is rotatably connected to the seat 131 by being positioned within the storage tank 1311.

[0039] The orientation changing mechanism 132 comprises a rotating disc 1321 and a connecting column 1323 coupled to the rotating disc 1321. The connecting column 1323 extends downward from the center of the housing groove 1311 of the seat body 131 and passes through the rotating disc 1321, allowing the connecting column 1323 to contact the drive unit 5 and rotate the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100. The orientation changing mechanism 132 further comprises a bearing 1325, which is fitted onto the connecting column 1323 and positioned between the connecting column 1323 and the rotating disc 1321, thereby allowing the rotating disc 1321 to rotate relative to the seat body 131. A gear plate 13231 for cooperating with the drive unit 5 is provided at the end of the connecting column 1323 away from the seat body 131. The connecting column 1323 and the seat body 131 may be formed as a single unit, or they may be constructed by connecting and fixing multiple members.

[0040] The bottom of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is provided with at least one pair of positioning grooves 1327 for engaging with at least one pair of positioning pins provided in the load port. The gear plate 13231 is located in the exclusion area of ​​the positioning grooves 1327 to avoid interference with other structures. In this embodiment, the positioning grooves 1327 are located at the bottom of the turntable 1321 to facilitate engagement with the positioning pins and to improve the stability when the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is placed or moved.

[0041] Referring again to Figures 5A to 5C, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is oriented from a first direction to a second direction during the transport process through the cooperation of the drive unit 5 and the orientation changing mechanism 132. First, referring to Figure 5A, the state in which the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is positioned in the load port 7 is shown. The non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 can be placed on a mounting table (not shown), and the positioning groove 1327 is positioned by positioning pins (not shown) provided in the load port 7, so that the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is stably placed or transported. At this time, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is positioned in the first direction, with its long side facing the opening of the load port 7.

[0042] Next, referring to Figure 5B, in the process of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moving from the load port 7 to the chamber 9, the drive unit 5 located in or near the load port 7 provides a drive stroke, causing the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 to rotate in accordance with the movement stroke associated with the transfer. Specifically, when the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moves from the load port 7 to the chamber 9, the positioning groove 1327 formed in the rotating disc 1321 engages with and is fixed to the positioning pin on the load port 7, so when the drive unit 5 contacts the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100, the seat body 131 rotates relative to the rotating disc 1321. In this embodiment, the drive unit 5 is a rack, and the gear plate 13231 meshes with the rack, causing the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 to rotate from the first direction to the second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the rack. The rotation angle at this time is 90 degrees or more.

[0043] Finally, referring to Figure 5C, as the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moves further toward the chamber 9, the drive unit 5 is not in contact with the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 at this point. The non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moves according to the movement stroke associated with the transfer, and is eventually positioned in a second direction where its short side faces the opening of the load port 7. This completes the orientation change operation of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100, allowing for smooth loading into the machine and preventing a decrease in the efficiency of the manufacturing process.

[0044] The present invention also provides a semiconductor container orientation changing system applicable to an irregular rectangular reticle pod 100. The semiconductor container orientation changing system comprises a transfer path configured to receive the irregular rectangular reticle pod 100 from a load port 7, an orientation changing mechanism 132 provided at the bottom of the irregular rectangular reticle pod 100, and a drive unit 5 provided on the load port 7 or on the transfer path. The orientation changing mechanism 132 cooperates with the drive unit 5 to rotate the irregular rectangular reticle pod 100 from a first direction to a second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the drive unit 5.

[0045] Specifically, referring to Figures 7A to 7D, a series of steps are shown in which the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 according to the present invention is unloaded at the load port 7 and moved toward the track. First, referring to Figure 7A, when the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is transported to the load port 7, the reticle pod 100 is placed on the load-port base 71. At this time, the outer cover 11 is held in place.

[0046] Referring to Figures 7B and 7C, the load port base 71 descends, removing the outer cover 11 of the reticle pod, and the inner pod 20 and door 13 descend together with the load port base 71 and enter the lifting module. Subsequently, the door 13 comes into contact with the elevator base 73, and the load port base 71 descends further and retracts, so that the door 13 is placed on the elevator base 73.

[0047] Referring to Figure 7D, the elevator base 73 supports the inner pod 20 and door 13, at which point the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 is positioned in a first direction with its longer side facing the opening of the load port. Subsequently, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 enters the machine chamber 8 via the track.

[0048] Next, referring to Figures 8A to 8D, the orientation change step of the semiconductor container orientation change system of the present invention on the transfer path is shown. First, referring to Figure 8A, which is a top view of Figure 7D, the elevator base 73 moves in the +Y direction from inside the load port 7 with the inner pod 20 and door 13 on it to reach the machine's chamber 8, and then the transport proceeds in the +X direction.

[0049] Referring to Figures 8B and 8C, as the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moves in the +X direction, the drive unit 5 positioned on the transfer path cooperates with the orientation change mechanism 132 to perform an orientation change operation. The orientation change mechanism 132 is provided at the bottom of the door 13. When the drive unit 5 contacts the orientation change mechanism 132, the seat body 131 is rotated relative to the turntable 1321. In this embodiment, using the configuration shown in Figure 6 as an example, the drive unit 5 is a rack, and the orientation change mechanism comprises a gear plate 13231. The gear plate 13231 rotates the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 from a first direction to a second direction according to the drive stroke provided by the rack.

[0050] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the drive unit 5 is placed on the transfer path, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The drive unit 5 may be placed at the transfer position of the load port 7, or it may be provided in its vicinity. In this case, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 can change its orientation during the process of moving in the +Y direction.

[0051] Finally, referring to Figure 8D, after the orientation change mechanism 132 disengages from contact with the drive unit 5, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod 100 moves according to the movement stroke associated with the transfer, and is eventually positioned in a second direction where its short side faces the opening of the exposure apparatus (not shown) that it is entering. This completes the orientation change.

[0052] Although the illustration of the semiconductor container orientation changing system in this embodiment illustrates the configuration shown in Figure 6, it is not limited to this and can be similarly applied to the configuration shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, although this embodiment shows an example in which the orientation changing mechanism 132 is provided on the door 13, it is not limited to this and may be provided on the base 23 of the inner pod 20. For example, in the semiconductor container orientation changing system of this embodiment, the orientation changing mechanism 132 may be provided on the base 23 of the inner pod 20, and as shown in Figures 3A to 3C, the orientation of the inner pod 20 may be changed by the drive unit 5 contacting the inner pod 20 and providing a drive stroke.

[0053] According to the orientation-changeable semiconductor container and semiconductor container orientation-changing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the pod body can change orientation according to the movement stroke associated with transfer, eliminating the need to transport it separately to a specific orientation-changing machine. This eliminates the problem of transport failure that occurs when transporting between different machines and does not reduce the efficiency of the manufacturing process. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 5 Drive Unit 7 Load Ports 8. Chamber of the machine 9 chambers 10 outer pods 11 Outer lid 13 doors 20 inner pods 21 Top lid 23 base 71 Load port base 73 Elevator Base 100 non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pods 113 Handle 131 Seat 132 Direction change mechanism 1311 Storage groove 1321 Rotating platform 1322 Storage groove 1323 Connecting column 1325 Bearing 1327 Positioning groove 13231 Gear Plate R Reticle

Claims

1. A reversible semiconductor container applicable to an asymmetric rectangular reticle pod, The pod body and The pod body is provided with a direction-changing mechanism located at its bottom, The orientation changing mechanism is configured to cooperate with the drive unit of the load port when the pod body is placed on the load port, and rotates the pod body from a first direction to a second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the drive unit. A semiconductor container with a changeable orientation.

2. The orientation-changing mechanism comprises a rotating platform, and the drive unit is positioned at or near the load-in position of the load port, so that when the pod body is placed at the load-in position, it comes into contact with the drive unit, and its orientation is rotated according to the movement stroke associated with the transfer of the pod body, as described in claim 1.

3. The pod body comprises an outer pod housing an inner pod, the inner pod is used to house an asymmetric rectangular reticle, the outer pod is provided with a door, the door is provided with the orientation changing mechanism, and when the outer pod is rotated in cooperation with the drive unit of the load port, the inner pod housed in the outer pod rotates integrally with the outer pod relative to the orientation changing mechanism, thereby changing its orientation, as described in claim 1.

4. The pod body comprises an outer pod housing an inner pod, the inner pod comprises a base, the base is provided with the orientation changing mechanism, and when the base rotates in cooperation with the drive unit of the load port, the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle housed in the inner pod rotates integrally with respect to the orientation changing mechanism, thereby changing its orientation, as described in claim 1.

5. The reversible semiconductor container according to claim 2, wherein the rotating platform is rotatably connected to the bottom of the pod body via a bearing.

6. The directional semiconductor container according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the pod body is provided with at least one set of positioning grooves that engage with at least one set of positioning pins provided in the load port.

7. The orientation-changeable semiconductor container according to claim 1, wherein the rotation angle from the first direction to the second direction is 90 degrees or more.

8. The orientation-changing mechanism comprises a gear plate, the drive unit is a rack, the gear plate meshes with the rack, and rotates the pod body from the first direction to the second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the rack, as described in claim 1.

9. A semiconductor container orientation changing system applicable to an asymmetric rectangular reticle pod, A transfer path configured to transfer the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod from the load port, An orientation changing mechanism provided at the bottom of the aforementioned non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod, The system comprises a drive unit provided on the load port or the transfer path, The orientation changing mechanism cooperates with the drive unit to rotate the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod from a first direction to a second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the drive unit. Semiconductor container orientation changing system.

10. The semiconductor container orientation changing system according to claim 9, further comprising an elevator base for transporting the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod on the load port.

11. The semiconductor container orientation changing system according to claim 9, wherein the orientation changing mechanism comprises a rotating platform, and the drive unit is positioned at the load-in position of the load port, so that when the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod is placed at the load-in position, it comes into contact with the drive unit, and its orientation is rotated according to the movement stroke associated with the transfer of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod.

12. The semiconductor container orientation changing system according to claim 9, wherein the orientation changing mechanism comprises a rotating platform, the drive unit is located on the load-in track, the load-in track leads to an exposure apparatus, and when the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod or the rotating platform comes into contact with the drive unit, the orientation is rotated in accordance with the movement stroke associated with the transfer of the reticle pod.

13. The semiconductor container orientation changing system according to claim 9, wherein the rotation angle from the first direction to the second direction is 90 degrees or more.

14. The orientation changing mechanism comprises a connecting column and a rotating disc coupled to the connecting column, the connecting column being connected to the bottom of the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod, and the connecting column being used to rotate the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod by contacting the drive unit, as described in claim 9.

15. The semiconductor container orientation changing system according to claim 9, wherein the orientation changing mechanism comprises a gear plate, the drive unit is a rack, the gear plate meshes with the rack, and rotates the non-equal-sided rectangular reticle pod from the first direction to the second direction in accordance with the drive stroke provided by the rack.

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