Substrate storage container, and manufacturing method and disassembly method for substrate storage container

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a substrate storage container capable of easily fitting a male unit and a female unit, and having no clearance in a fitting area where the male unit and the female unit are fitted.SOLUTION: A substrate storage container 1 includes: a container body 10 having an opening on a front face and being capable of storing a substrate; a lid body 20 for closing the opening of the container body 10; and fitting areas Ma and Fa in which a male portion M and a female portion F are fitted. The method for manufacturing the substrate storage container includes an expansion step S1 for expanding the female portion F or a contraction step S11 for contracting the male portion M, and a fitting step S2 for fitting the male portion M and the female portion F.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate storage container capable of storing a plurality of substrates, and a method for manufacturing and disassembling the substrate storage container. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, substrate storage containers store substrates such as semiconductor wafers in their internal spaces, and are used for storage in warehouses, transport between semiconductor processing devices, and transportation between factories.

[0003] In the substrate storage containers disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a robotic flange is attached to the top surface of the container body, and a handle is attached to the side wall of the container body. The robotic flange and handle each have a male part, and the top surface and side wall of the container body are formed with female parts into which the male part fits. These female parts have groove-shaped fitting spaces into which the male part is inserted for fitting.

[0004] In such a structure in which a male part and a female part are attached and fixed by mating, the mating space formed in the female part is sometimes made slightly larger than the outer dimensions of the mating male part to facilitate assembly. However, in this case, the frictional force is insufficient, and the male part rattles slightly relative to the female part, which can cause dust to be generated by rubbing. On the other hand, if the mating space formed in the female part is the same as or slightly smaller than the outer dimensions of the mating male part, the tightening force is also added, which can cause excessive frictional force, making manual installation of parts including the male part difficult and causing dust to be generated by friction (rubbing). For this reason, attempts have been made to reduce the frictional force by enlarging only a portion of the mating area of the male part that mates with the female part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-129660 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2018 / 034101 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to maintain both ease of assembly and low dust generation, the male and female parts cannot be completely in contact with each other. In other words, a slight clearance is formed in the mating area where the male and female parts are mated. The presence of this clearance makes it easy for cleaning liquid (water) to remain after cleaning the substrate storage container, which deteriorates its drying properties. Furthermore, there is a risk that the residual liquid will adhere to the stored substrates when the substrate storage container is in use.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a substrate storage container and a method for manufacturing a substrate storage container that allows the male and female parts to be easily mated and does not have any clearance in the mating area where the male and female parts are mated. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for disassembling a substrate storage container that allows for easy separation of the mated male and female parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) One aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a substrate storage container comprising a container body having an opening on the front and capable of storing substrates, a lid body that closes the opening of the container body, and a mating area in which a male portion and a female portion are mated, the method including an expansion process for expanding the female portion or a contraction process for contracting the male portion, and a mating process for mating the male portion and the female portion. (2) In the above aspect (1), the expansion step may be a heating step of heating the female part. (3) In the above embodiment (2), the heating step may be performed at a temperature of 60° C. or less. (4) In the above aspect (1), the shrinking step may be a cooling step of cooling the male part. (5) In the above embodiment (4), the cooling step may involve cooling at a temperature of 0°C or lower. (6) In any one of the above aspects (1) to (5), in the expansion step or the step immediately preceding the contraction step, the outer fitting shape of the male part may be larger than or equal to the inner fitting shape of the female part. (7) Another aspect of the present invention is a substrate storage container comprising a container body having an opening on the front and capable of storing substrates, a lid body that closes the opening of the container body, and a mating area in which a male part and a female part are mated, and the entire mating area is tightly sealed with no gaps. (8) Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method for disassembling a substrate storage container having a container body with an opening on the front and capable of storing substrates, a lid body that closes the opening of the container body, and a mating area in which a male part and a female part are mated, the method including an expansion step for expanding the female part or a contraction step for contracting the male part, and a separation step for separating the male part and the female part. (9) In the above aspect (8), if the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the female portion is greater than the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the male portion, the expansion process may be a heating process in which the male portion and the female portion are heated, and if the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the female portion is less than the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the male portion, the contraction process may be a cooling process in which the male portion and the female portion are cooled. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container and a method for manufacturing a substrate storage container in which the male and female parts can be easily mated and there is no clearance in the mating area where the male and female parts are mated. It is also possible to provide a method for disassembling a substrate storage container that allows the mated male and female parts to be easily separated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded top view showing a substrate storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view showing a substrate storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the fitting state between the robotic flange or handle and the container body. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a method for manufacturing a substrate storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing the scalpel portion in a preparation step. [Figure 6B] 10A and 10B are simplified cross-sectional views showing the expanded state of the female part in a heating step. [Figure 6C] 10A and 10B are simplified diagrams showing the male and female parts inserted into each other in an insertion process. [Figure 6D] 10 is a simplified diagram showing the mating state of the male part and the female part in the resting step. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments of this specification, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals throughout.

[0012] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded top view showing a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a side view showing a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a fitting state between a robotic flange 40 or a handle 50 and a container body 10.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate storage container 1 comprises a container body 10 capable of storing multiple substrates, a lid body 20 that closes the opening of the container body 10, and an annular gasket 30 that is provided between the container body 10 and the lid body 20.

[0014] The container body 10 is a box-shaped body having an opening on the front and consisting of a top surface 11, a bottom surface 12, a left side wall 13, a right side wall 14, and a rear wall 15, and is a so-called front-open type.

[0015] Furthermore, the container body 10 has a substrate support 19 disposed on the inner surfaces of the left side wall 13 and the right side wall 14 for placing and positioning a substrate. The substrate support 19 has multiple grooves formed in the height direction, constituting so-called grooved teeth. The substrate support 19 may be made of the same material as the container body 10, but a different material may be used to improve cleanability and slidability.

[0016] Furthermore, a rear retainer (not shown) is disposed on the inner surface of the rear wall 15 of the container body 10. This rear retainer is additionally provided so that it can hold a substrate in combination with a front retainer, which will be described later, when the opening is closed by the lid 20. The substrate support 19 and rear retainer are provided in the container body 10 by fitting, but may also be provided integrally by insert molding.

[0017] In this way, each substrate is placed on two groove teeth at the same height on the left and right sides of the substrate support body 19, and is supported by the rear retainer and front retainer, and stored in the substrate storage container 1. Note that the substrate may also be supported on the rear wall 15 side of the substrate support body 19 without using a rear retainer. The substrate may be, for example, a silicon wafer, a quartz wafer, or a gallium arsenide wafer, and its diameter may be, for example, 300 mm or 450 mm, but is not limited to these.

[0018] Furthermore, container body 10 is additionally provided with an air supply unit 17 and an exhaust unit 18 on the inner surface of bottom surface 12, and a valve body is attached to the outer surface of bottom surface 12. These air supply unit 17 and exhaust unit 18 supply an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or dry air from air supply unit 17 to the inside of substrate storage container 1, the opening of which is closed by lid body 20, and exhaust the gas from exhaust unit 18 as needed, thereby replacing the gas inside substrate storage container 1, maintaining a low-humidity airtight state, and blowing away impurities on the substrates, thereby maintaining the cleanliness of the inside of substrate storage container 1. However, in addition to supplying gas from air supply unit 17, exhaust unit 18 may also be connected to a negative pressure (vacuum) generator to forcibly exhaust gas from exhaust unit 18.

[0019] It is preferable that the air supply section 17 and the exhaust section 18 are located at positions that are separated from the position where the substrate is projected onto the bottom surface 12, but the number and positions of the air supply sections 17 and the exhaust section 18 are not limited to those shown in the figure, and they may be located at the four corners of the bottom surface 12 of the container body 10, or may also be provided on the lid body 20. In addition, in the container body 10 of this embodiment, a bottom plate 16 having an apparatus positioning section that is used to position the substrate storage container 1 relative to the manufacturing apparatus is attached to the bottom surface 12.

[0020] Furthermore, the container body 10 has a first support rail 11a formed on the top surface 11 to which the robotic flange 40 is detachably attached (see FIG. 2).

[0021] The first support rails 11a are formed, for example, so as to protrude in an L-shape from the outer surface of the top surface 11 (see FIG. 4), with a pair of left and right first support rails 11a on the inside and outside configured to widen toward the rear wall 15, and further, two sets of left and right pairs of first support rails 11a are provided on the left and right sides of the top surface 11. Note that, on the side where the spacing between the pair of left and right first support rails 11a narrows (the opening side of the container body 10), a stopper 11b formed in an L-shape similar to the first support rails 11a is formed.

[0022] Furthermore, the container body 10 has second support rails 14a formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right walls 13 and 14, respectively, to which a handle 50 to be gripped by an operator is detachably attached (see FIG. 3).

[0023] This second support rail 14a is formed, for example, so as to protrude in an L-shape from the outer surface of the right side wall 14, and the pair of upper and lower second support rails 14a is configured to widen toward the rear wall 15. Note that on the side where the gap between the pair of upper and lower second support rails 14a narrows (the opening side of the container body 10), a stopper 14b formed in an L-shape similar to the second support rail 14a, and a latch 14c that engages with the handle 50 (the engaged portion of the handle 50) are formed.

[0024] Returning to Fig. 1, the lid 20 is attached to close the opening of the container body 10 and has a generally rectangular shape. The lid 20 has a locking mechanism (not shown) and can be locked and fixed by fitting a locking piece into a locking hole (not shown) formed in the container body 10. The lid 20 is also formed with an annular mounting groove 21 for mounting a gasket 30, which will be described later.

[0025] The cover 20 also has an elastic front retainer (not shown) in the center that holds the front periphery of the board horizontally, and is either detachably attached by fitting or formed as a single unit by insert molding. This front retainer, like the grooved teeth and rear retainer of the board support 19, is a part that comes into direct contact with the board, so it is advisable to use a material that is easy to clean and has good sliding properties.

[0026] Here, the container body 10 and the lid 20 described above can be formed from crystalline or amorphous synthetic resins such as polycarbonate (PC), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyetherimide (PEI), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyacetal (POM), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), cycloolefin polymer, etc. Carbon powder, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, etc. may be added to these resins to impart electrical conductivity.

[0027] The gasket 30 is placed between the container body 10 and the lid body 20, and when the lid body 20 is attached to the container body 10, it adheres tightly to the container body 10 and the lid body 20, ensuring the airtightness of the substrate storage container 1, reducing the intrusion of dust, moisture, etc. from the outside into the substrate storage container 1, and reducing the leakage of gas from the inside to the outside.

[0028] The gasket 30 is annular in shape corresponding to the front shape of the lid 20 (and the shape of the opening of the container body 10), and in this embodiment, is rectangular frame-shaped. Note that the annular gasket 30 may be in a circular (ring) shape before being attached to the lid 20.

[0029] The gasket 30 may be formed using an elastic material such as a thermoplastic elastomer made of a polyester-based elastomer, a polyolefin-based elastomer, a fluorine-based elastomer, a urethane-based elastomer, fluororubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone-based rubber, etc. Various additives may be added to these materials to impart other functions.

[0030] Next, the robotic flange 40 and the handle 50 will be described.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the robotic flange 40 is removably attached to the top surface 11 of the container body 10, and while attached to the container body 10, it can be grasped and transported, for example, by a ceiling transport device.

[0032] The robotic flange 40 includes a flange portion 41 that is gripped by the ceiling transport device, and a base portion 42 that is fitted and attached to the container body 10 .

[0033] The flange portion 41 is formed in a generally rectangular shape with chamfered corners when viewed from above. A recess is formed in the center of the flange portion 41 for sensing and positioning by the ceiling transport device.

[0034] The bases 42 are a pair of left and right plate-like members connected below the flanges 41 and extend horizontally. Each base 42 is trapezoidally shaped in a top view that narrows toward the opening of the container body 10, and is adapted to be fitted into a fitting space Fs formed by the inner and outer first support rails 11a (see FIG. 6A). Furthermore, the opening side of the base 42 abuts against the stopper 11b, thereby positioning (restricting) the front and rear, and is engaged and fixed by a latch (not shown).

[0035] In addition, the robotic flange 40 is formed from the same molding material as the container body 10 and the lid body 20 in order to securely hold the substrate storage container 1 containing the substrates, but it may be the same type as the container body 10 and the lid body 20 or a different type (for example, one with higher strength).

[0036] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the handle 50 includes a curved grip portion 51 and a base portion 52 that is fitted and attached to the container body 10.

[0037] Grip portion 51 is formed to extend obliquely from below rear wall 15 of container body 10 to above the opening in a side view. Grip portion 51 also has ribs and / or recesses on the front and back surfaces, and these ribs and recesses improve the feel when a worker grips it, prevent slippage, or improve formability.

[0038] The base 52 is a plate-like member that holds the grip portion 51 and extends vertically. In addition, the base 52 is formed in a trapezoidal shape that narrows toward the opening side of the container body 10 in a side view, and is adapted to fit into a fitting space Fs formed by the upper and lower second support rails 14a (see FIG. 6A). Furthermore, the opening side of the base 52 abuts against the stopper 14b, thereby positioning (restricting) the front and rear, and is engaged and fixed by the latch 14c.

[0039] Note that, from the viewpoint of securely holding the substrate storage container 1 storing the substrates, the handle 50 is formed from the same molding material as the container body 10 and the lid body 20, but the handle 50 may be the same type as the container body 10 and the lid body 20 or a different type (for example, one with higher strength). Also, the handles 50 attached to the left side wall 13 and the handles 50 attached to the right side wall 14 are formed to have symmetrical shapes.

[0040] Here, a first manufacturing method for the substrate storage container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in particular, an attachment method for attaching various parts such as the robotic flange 40 and the handle 50 to the container body 10 by fitting, will be described.

[0041] Fig. 5 is a flow diagram showing a manufacturing method of a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a simplified diagram showing the relationship between the outer shape of the male part M and the inner shape of the female part F in each step, with Fig. 6A showing the preparation step S0, Fig. 6B showing the heating step S1, Fig. 6C showing the insertion step S21, and Fig. 6D showing the leaving step S22. Note that in Fig. 6, the shape change of the female part F is a schematic representation and does not represent the actual shape change. Furthermore, the dashed line in Fig. 6B shows the female part F before expansion, the white arrow in Fig. 6B shows the expansion direction, and the white arrow in Fig. 6D shows the contraction direction.

[0042] As described above, the robotic flange 40 and the handle 50 slide and engage with and are fixed to the first support rail 11a and the second support rail 14a of the container body 10, so the base 42 of the robotic flange 40 and the base 52 of the handle 50 can be said to be the male part M of the engagement form, and the L-shaped first support rail 11a and the second support rail 14a can be said to be the female part F.

[0043] However, the fitting form is not limited to a form in which a plate-shaped portion (male portion M) is inserted into a pair of opposing groove-shaped portions (female portion F), as in the robotic flange 40 and the handle 50, but can also be a form in which a plate-shaped portion is inserted into a single slit-shaped groove, or a form in which a convex portion is fitted inside a through hole or recess, and the manufacturing method by fitting of this embodiment is not limited to these and can be applied to any fitting form using a male portion M and a female portion F.

[0044] First, before assembly (preparation process S0), the mating outer shape (mating area Ma) of the male part M of each component is formed in advance to be larger than or equal to the mating inner shape (mating area Fa or mating space Fs) of the female part F.

[0045] Next, in the expansion step S1, the female part F is heated to expand the fitting inner shape of the female part F (for this reason, hereinafter, the expansion step S1 will be referred to as the heating step S1).

[0046] In this heating step S1, various parts are heated to a temperature below the melting point or glass transition point of the material forming the male part M (for example, below 60°C, preferably below 50°C) using a thermo-hygrostat or a heat gun (hand dryer) that can heat the parts up to a maximum of approximately 150°C.

[0047] The next fitting step S2 is for fitting the male part M and the female part F together, and this fitting step S2 includes an insertion step S21 and a leaving step S22.

[0048] In the insertion step S21, the male part M is inserted into the fitting space Fs of the female part F manually or by an assembly robot.

[0049] Then, in the resting step S22, when the heated female part F dissipates heat and returns to room temperature, the female part F shrinks and returns to its original dimensions, the mating space Fs formed in the female part F is filled with the male part M, and all of the mating areas Ma and Fa of the two are tightly attached to each other with no gaps, and no clearance exists between them.

[0050] In this way, the male part M and the female part F can be fitted together, and the assembly (mounting) work can be easily performed.

[0051] Next, we will explain a second manufacturing method that is different from the first manufacturing method described above. In the first manufacturing method described above, the female part F is expanded to make it easier to fit, but in the second manufacturing method, the male part M is contracted in the contraction step S11 to make it easier to fit.

[0052] The preparation step S0 immediately before the shrinking step S11 and the fitting step S2 after the shrinking step S11 are similar to those in the first manufacturing method, and therefore some of the explanations will be omitted.

[0053] In the shrinking step S11, the male part M is cooled to shrink the fitting outer shape of the male part M (therefore, hereinafter, the shrinking step S11 will be referred to as the cooling step S11).

[0054] In this cooling step S11, various parts may be cooled to approximately -10°C to -20°C using a thermo-hygrostat or freezer capable of cooling them to approximately 0°C to -40°C, or a cooling nozzle that utilizes adiabatic expansion or the vortex effect.

[0055] In the insertion step S21 of the fitting step S2 after the contraction step S11, the male part M is inserted into the fitting space Fs of the female part F manually or by an assembly robot.

[0056] Then, in the next resting step S22, when the cooled male part M receives heat and returns to room temperature, the male part M expands and returns to its original dimensions, the mating space Fs formed in the female part F is filled with the male part M, and all of the mating areas Ma and Fa of the two are tightly attached to each other with no gaps, and there is no clearance between them.

[0057] If the shrinking step S11 is performed in the cooling step and the fitting step S2 is performed, condensation may occur depending on the surrounding environment when the temperature returns to room temperature after assembly. In this case, a step can be carried out to dry or remove the condensation by heating (warming) or blowing dry air or the like.

[0058] In this way, the second manufacturing method also allows the male part M and the female part F to be fitted together, and the assembly work can be easily performed.

[0059] In addition, in the first manufacturing method, the female part F may be expanded while the male part M is contracted, and in the second manufacturing method, the male part M may be contracted while the female part F is expanded.

[0060] The expansion step S1 and contraction step S11 described above may also be applied to the operation (disassembly operation) of removing a part including a male portion M from a part including a female portion F. In this case, the male portion M or the female portion F is heated or cooled, and then the male portion M and the female portion F are separated.

[0061] Here, among the materials mentioned above, the linear expansion coefficients (×10 -6 / °C) and the extent to which a 100 mm long member expands or contracts when heated or cooled, assuming 25°C as the normal temperature, is shown in Table 1 below.

[0062] [Table 1]

[0063] However, in reality, the shape of the part also has an effect, so for example, a part made of polycarbonate resin and having a female part F that is 106.38 mm long x 106.69 mm wide x 5.0 mm thick will become 106.64 mm long x 106.91 mm wide x 5.0 mm thick after heating to 50°C, resulting in a dimensional change of approximately 0.22 mm to 0.26 mm (0.2% to 0.25%) (Experimental Example 1).

[0064] Furthermore, for example, a part made of polycarbonate resin and having a male part M that is 119.90 mm long x 106.00 mm wide x 5.0 mm thick will, after being cooled to -20°C, become 119.68 mm long x 105.76 mm wide x 5.0 mm thick, resulting in a dimensional change of approximately 0.22 mm to 0.24 mm (0.2%) (Experimental Example 2).

[0065] Next, a sensory test was conducted on the ease of assembly by attaching and detaching the male part M to the female part using Experimental Examples 1 and 2. The results of the sensory test are shown in Table 2 below. The standard workability at room temperature was given a rating of "3," with higher ratings given for better workability. The mating performance of the male part M and female part F was such that a hammer was required for removal, and removal was performed immediately after installation.

[0066] [Table 2]

[0067] From these results, it can be said that workability was improved by heating or cooling the male part M in the expansion step S1 or contraction step S11. In particular, when removing (disassembling) the male part M from the female part F, the engagement could be easily released by hand without using a hammer.

[0068] In this way, even a dimensional change of about 0.2% due to the expansion step S1 or the contraction step S11 can improve the ease of assembly work for fitting the male part M and the female part F together.

[0069] As described above, the manufacturing method for a substrate storage container 1 of an embodiment of the present invention is a manufacturing method for a substrate storage container 1 that has a container body 10 with an opening on the front and capable of storing substrates, a lid body 20 that closes the opening of the container body 10, and mating areas Ma, Fa in which a male portion M and a female portion F are mated, and includes an expansion process S1 for expanding the female portion F or a contraction process S11 for contracting the male portion M, and a mating process S2 for mating the male portion M and the female portion F. This allows the male part M and the female part F to be easily mated. Also, the mating areas Ma and Fa where the male part M and the female part F are mated can be tightly fitted together without any gaps (no clearance exists). Therefore, cleaning liquid does not remain in the mating areas Ma and Fa.

[0070] The method for disassembling a substrate storage container 1 according to the embodiment includes a container body 10 having an opening on the front surface and capable of storing substrates, a lid 20 that closes the opening of the container body 10, and fitting areas Ma and Fa where a male portion M and a female portion F are fitted together, and includes an expansion step S1 for expanding the female portion F or a contraction step S11 for contracting the male portion M, and a separation step for separating the male portion M and the female portion F. This allows the male portion M and the female portion F to be easily separated.

[0071] The expansion step S1 of the embodiment is a heating step S1 for heating the female part F. As a result, by heating and expanding the female part F, the fitting space Fs can be enlarged.

[0072] In the heating step S1 of the embodiment, heating is performed at a temperature of 60°C or less. Because the temperature does not exceed the melting point or glass transition point of the material forming the female portion F and the male portion M, the mechanical performance and physical properties of the various parts do not change even when the temperature returns to room temperature.

[0073] The shrinking step S11 of the embodiment is a cooling step S11 for cooling the male part M. By doing so, the male part M is cooled and shrunk, so that it can be made smaller than the fitting space Fs of the female part F.

[0074] In the cooling step S11 of the embodiment, cooling is performed at a temperature of 0° C. or less, thereby allowing the male part M to shrink sufficiently.

[0075] In the manufacturing method of the substrate storage container 1 of the embodiment, in the step immediately before the expansion step S1 or the contraction step S11, the fitting outer diameter of the male part M is larger than or equal to the fitting inner diameter of the female part F. This allows for easy assembly even between various parts that are difficult to assemble at room temperature.

[0076] The substrate storage container 1 of the embodiment is a substrate storage container 1 that includes a container body 10 that has an opening on the front and can store substrates, a lid 20 that closes the opening of the container body 10, and mating areas Ma, Fa where a male part M and a female part F are mated, and the mating areas Ma, Fa are tightly fitted together with no gaps throughout, so that cleaning liquid does not remain in the mating areas Ma, Fa.

[0077] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as set forth in the claims.

[0078] (Variation) The substrate storage container 1 of the above embodiment may be for either a FOUP or a FOSB, and the diameter of the substrates to be stored is not limited to 300 mm or 450 mm.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the component including the male portion M may be the bottom plate 16 attached to the bottom surface 12 of the container body 10, a rear retainer attached to the rear wall 15, or a front retainer attached to the lid 20. Alternatively, the component may be an air intake component attached to the air intake section 17 and capable of supplying gas, an exhaust component attached to the exhaust section 18 and capable of discharging gas, or a plug component that disables some of the multiple air intake sections 17 and exhaust sections 18. Therefore, the female portion F may be formed on either the container body 10 or the lid 20. In addition, since the male portion M and the female portion F are fitted together in a complementary relationship, the male portion M may be formed on either the container body 10 or the lid 20. In this way, it is preferable that at least one of the male portion M and the female portion F is formed on the container body 10 or the lid 20.

[0080] Furthermore, the male part M and the female part F may be formed on a tag holding member or the like to which an IC tag or an RFID tag for identifying the substrate storage container 1 or the stored substrates is attached, in addition to the above.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the male part M and the female part F are formed from the same material, but they may be formed from different materials. For example, the material forming the female part F may have a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the material forming the male part M. In this case, even if the male part M and the female part F are heated simultaneously in the heating step S1, the female part F will have a larger thermal expansion coefficient and a larger amount of expansion, so the inner shape of the mating space Fs of the female part F can be made larger than the outer shape of the male part M (after expansion).

[0082] Alternatively, the material forming the female portion F may have a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the material forming the male portion M. In this case, even if the male portion M and the female portion F are cooled simultaneously in the cooling step S11, the male portion M has a larger thermal expansion coefficient and a larger amount of shrinkage, so the outer shape of the male portion M can be made smaller than the inner shape of the mating space Fs of the female portion F (after shrinkage). [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Substrate storage container 10 container body, 11 top surface, 11a first support rail, 11b stopper, 12 bottom surface, 13 left side wall, 14 right side wall, 14a second support rail, 14b stopper, 14c latch, 15 rear wall, 16 bottom plate, 17 air supply section, 18 exhaust section, 19 substrate support 20 lid, 21 mounting groove 30 gaskets 40 robotic flange, 41 flange portion, 42 base portion 50 handle, 51 grip, 52 base M male part, Ma mating area F female part, Fs mating space, Fa mating area

Claims

1. a container body having an opening on the front surface and capable of storing a substrate; a lid that closes the opening of the container body; A method for manufacturing a substrate storage container having a mating region where a male portion and a female portion are mated, an expansion step of expanding the female portion or a contraction step of contracting the male portion; a fitting step of fitting the male portion and the female portion together, the female portion is a pair of support rails formed to protrude in an L-shape from the outer surface of the container body, The male portion includes a plate-like portion that is slidably inserted into a pair of groove-like portions defined by the pair of support rails. A method for manufacturing a substrate storage container comprising:

2. The expansion step is a heating step of heating the female portion. The method for manufacturing a substrate storage container according to claim 1 .

3. The heating step is performed at a temperature of 60°C or less. The method for manufacturing a substrate storage container according to claim 2 .

4. The shrinking step is a cooling step of cooling the male portion. The method for manufacturing a substrate storage container according to claim 1 .

5. The cooling step is performed at a temperature of 0°C or lower. The method for manufacturing a substrate storage container according to claim 4 .

6. In the expansion step or the step immediately before the contraction step, the fitting outer diameter of the male part is larger than or equal to the fitting inner diameter of the female part. The method for manufacturing a substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a container body having an opening on the front surface and capable of storing a substrate; a lid that closes the opening of the container body; A substrate storage container having a mating area where a male part and a female part are mated, the female portion is a pair of support rails formed to protrude in an L-shape from the outer surface of the container body, the male portion includes a plate-like portion that is slidably inserted into a pair of groove-like portions defined by the pair of support rails, The fitting region is in close contact with the entire surface without any gaps. A substrate storage container characterized by the above.

8. a container body having an opening on the front surface and capable of storing a substrate; a lid that closes the opening of the container body; A method for disassembling a substrate storage container having a mating region where a male portion and a female portion are mated, comprising: an expansion step of expanding the female portion or a contraction step of contracting the male portion; a separation step of separating the male portion and the female portion, the female portion is a pair of support rails formed to protrude in an L-shape from the outer surface of the container body, The male portion includes a plate-like portion that is slidably inserted into a pair of groove-like portions defined by the pair of support rails. A method for disassembling a substrate storage container.

9. when the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the female portion is greater than the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the male portion, the expansion step is a heating step of heating the male portion and the female portion, When the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the female portion is smaller than the thermal expansion coefficient of the material forming the male portion, the contraction process is a cooling process of cooling the male portion and the female portion.

9. The method for disassembling a substrate storage container according to claim 8.

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