A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid.

Abstract

To provide a substrate container having a gas diffusion device for allowing a fluid to enter, in which the gas diffusion device is stably mounted on housing means.SOLUTION: A substrate container 100 includes: housing means 10 including a housing body 1, and at least one holding assembly; and at least one gas diffusion device 20. The housing body 1 has a connecting wall 12 and defines a housing space 14 with a front opening 141. The holding assembly is arranged on the connecting wall 12 of the housing body 1 so as to be located in the housing space 14, and the holding assembly has two side arms. The gas diffusion device 20 disposed in the housing space 14 has a holding frame, and the holding frame has a frame body held by each side arm and a connecting part connected to a gas entrance hole. Each gas diffusion device 20 is stably mounted on the housing means 10 by each side arm, each frame bodies, each connection part, and each gas entry hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for accommodating substrates, and in particular to a substrate container having a gas diffusion device that allows fluid to enter therein. [Background Art]

[0002] Substrates used in semiconductor manufacturing processes (for example, discs obtained by thinly slicing a columnar ingot made of single-crystal silicon with highly controlled composition, commonly called wafers) need to be placed in a high-cleanliness environment. Therefore, in addition to having impact resistance, they need to be transported while stored in a substrate container that can protect them from external atmospheric pollution. Examples of such substrate containers include those described in Patent Document 1, for instance.

[0003] In the recent semiconductor industry, in order to maintain the cleanliness of substrates and prevent contamination by particles, moisture and other impurities in the air, there are some arrangements where a plurality of gas diffusion devices are installed on the housing body of a substrate container as described in the above patent documents. Such a gas diffusion device is used to uniformly introduce clean dry air, that is, clean dry air (CDA), into the housing, and replace the air inside the housing with clean dry air. The housing body has a bottom portion for installing each gas diffusion device, and a plurality of annular side walls extending downward from the bottom portion and respectively adjacent to each gas diffusion device. Each annular side wall defines a chamber together with a gas introduction module for CDA to enter, and this chamber communicates with the outside through the gas introduction module and also communicates with the inside of the corresponding gas diffusion device. Further, a pedestal for holding the gas introduction module in the installation space is attached to the bottom of the housing body. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2021-15951 Specification [Brief Summary of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, there are problems with mounting each gas diffusion device inside the main enclosure, such as instability and rattling, inconvenience in installation / removal, and the risk of it detaching from the main enclosure during operation. Furthermore, with current technology, the number of parts required to attach each gas introduction module is very large, making installation difficult, and the airtightness after the CDA enters the chamber is unstable, leading to problems with component failure. In addition, the method of mounting the annular side wall of the main enclosure between the gas introduction module and the base increases the overall thickness and volume of the substrate container, making it bulky. Moreover, since the base needs to work in cooperation with each gas introduction module, the base is bulky and requires a lot of manufacturing material, thus increasing the manufacturing cost of the substrate container.

[0006] In view of the above problems, one object of the present invention is to provide a substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid that can improve at least one drawback of the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention comprises a housing means and at least one gas diffusion device, The housing means comprises a housing body and at least one retaining assembly, the housing body having a housing top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a connecting wall connected between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall, the housing body having a housing space and at least one gas inlet hole, the housing space having a front opening, the retaining assembly being positioned on the connecting wall of the housing body so as to be located within the housing space, and the retaining assembly having two side arms, The present invention provides a substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, wherein the at least one gas diffusion device is arranged in the containment space and has a holding frame, the holding frame having a frame body that is held by being sandwiched between each of the side arms and a connecting portion that connects to the gas inlet hole.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention comprises a housing means and at least one gas diffusion device. The housing means comprises a housing body and at least one retaining assembly, the housing body having a housing top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a connecting wall connected between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall, the housing body having a housing space and at least one gas inlet hole, the housing space having a front opening, the retaining assembly being positioned in the housing body so as to be located within the housing space, and the retaining assembly having a first engaging member, The present invention provides a substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, wherein the at least one gas diffusion device is arranged in the containment space and has a retaining frame, the retaining frame having a connecting portion connected to the gas inlet hole and at least one second engaging member that engages with the first engaging member.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention comprises a housing body, at least one outer cover, and at least one gas introduction valve module. The housing body has a housing top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a connecting wall connected between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall, and a housing space is formed in the housing body, and the housing space has a front opening. The bottom wall of the housing has at least one recessed groove that is recessed inward, and at least one gas entry hole that communicates with the recessed groove. The at least one outer cover is connected to the bottom wall of the housing so as to define a chamber that communicates with the gas inlet hole together with the bottom wall of the housing, and a gas inlet hole communicating with the chamber is formed therein. The substrate container is provided having a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid, wherein the at least one gas introduction valve module is arranged on the outer lid and corresponds to the gas introduction hole, and operates as a gas diffusion device for introducing gas into the chamber via the gas introduction hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In the substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid according to the present invention, the correspondence between each side arm of the housing means's holding assembly and the frame body of the gas diffusion device's holding frame, and the correspondence between the gas entry hole of the housing means and the connection part of the holding frame, ensures that the gas diffusion device is stably mounted on the housing means, and improves the convenience of mounting and removing the gas diffusion device. In addition, the correspondence between the first engaging member of the housing means's holding assembly and the second engaging member of the gas diffusion device's holding frame, and the correspondence between the gas entry hole of the housing means and the connection part of the holding frame 3, ensures that the gas diffusion device is stably mounted on the housing means, and improves the convenience of mounting and removing the gas diffusion device. Furthermore, since each recessed groove, each gas inlet, each outer cover, each gas introduction hole, each gas introduction valve module, and each chamber can be located within the bottom wall of the housing, the complexity of installation is reduced, the stability of airtightness is improved and the service life is extended. In addition, since each chamber is defined without the need for a bottom plate (not shown), the volume of the substrate container can be reduced and the manufacturing cost of the substrate container can be saved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing the fluid of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting relationship between the two gas diffusion devices and the housing means in the first embodiment. [Figure 3]This is a partially exploded perspective view showing how one of the two gas introduction valve modules, four of the eight screws, and one of the two outer covers and their two sealing rings are attached to the bottom wall of the housing body of the housing means in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is another exploded perspective view showing the two recessed grooves and two gas entry holes formed in the bottom wall of the housing in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a partially exploded perspective view showing the mounting relationship between the housing body, the retaining assembly, the retaining frame, and the porous tube in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a partially exploded perspective view showing the mounting relationship between the retaining frame and the fixed retaining frame in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of one gas diffusion device in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting relationship between the porous tube and the retaining frame of the gas diffusion device in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a partially exploded perspective view showing the mounting relationship between the connection portion, the elastic seal ring, and one gas entry hole of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing how the two elastic contact members of the retaining frame in the first embodiment contact the top wall of the housing body, and how the two second engaging members of the gas diffuser engage with the first engaging members of the retaining assembly. [Figure 11] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a partially exploded perspective view showing that each outer cover of the first embodiment has a ring-shaped tightening rib. [Figure 13] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing how one gas introduction valve module in the first embodiment is mounted on the corresponding outer cover, and how the outer cover and the corresponding seal ring are mounted on the bottom wall of the housing. [Figure 14]It is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of one gas introduction valve module in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the first embodiment. [Figure 16] It is an exploded perspective view of the gas diffusion device in the second embodiment of the substrate container having the gas diffusion device for allowing fluid to enter according to the present invention. [Figure 17] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the third embodiment of the substrate container having the gas diffusion device for allowing fluid to enter according to the present invention. [Figure 18] It is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the third embodiment. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be noted that in the following description, elements that perform the same role and function are denoted by the same reference numerals even if they do not have exactly the same configuration.

[0013] A first embodiment of the substrate container (substrate container having a gas diffusion device for allowing fluid to enter) 100 of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. As illustrated, the substrate container 100 is a front opening unified pod (abbreviated as FOUP). The substrate container 100 includes a housing means 10, two gas diffusion devices 20, two seal rings 4, two outer lids 6, a plurality of screws 7, and two gas introduction valve modules 8.

[0014] The housing means 10 has a housing body 1 and two holding assemblies 2. The housing body 1 is: a housing top wall 11, a housing bottom wall 13, and a connecting wall 12 connected between the housing top wall 11 and the housing bottom wall 13. The housing top wall 11, the housing bottom wall 13 and the connecting wall 12 together define an accommodation space 14. Two gas inlet holes 139 are formed through the housing bottom wall 13. The accommodation space 14 has a front opening 141.

[0015] As shown in Figure 4, the housing bottom wall 13 has two recessed grooves 132 formed to be recessed inward, and two gas entry holes 139 are formed in the housing bottom wall 13, each communicating with a recessed groove 132. More specifically, the housing bottom wall 13 has an outer wall surface 131, two recessed wall bodies 134 connected to the outer wall surface 131, and two inner wall bodies 135 connected to the ends of each recessed wall body 134 opposite to the outer wall surface 131 and spaced apart from the outer wall surface 131. Each inner wall body 135 has a corresponding gas entry hole 139. Each recessed wall body 134, together with the corresponding inner wall body 135, defines a corresponding recessed groove 132.

[0016] Each recessed wall 134 has an annular shoulder surface 136 and an annular peripheral surface 137 connected between the outer wall surface 131 and the annular shoulder surface 136. Multiple screw holes 138 are formed in each annular shoulder surface 136.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the housing body 1 is a single, integrally formed part, created as a single component from plastic material by methods such as injection molding. That is, the housing top wall 11, the connecting wall 12, and the housing bottom wall 13 (including the outer wall surface 131, each recessed wall body 134, and each inner wall body 135) are formed to be integrally formed.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2, 5, and 6, each retaining assembly 2 is positioned on the connecting wall 12 of the housing body 1 so as to be located within the housing space 14. Each retaining assembly 2 has a connecting frame 21 and a fixed retaining frame 22. In this first embodiment, the connecting frame 21 and the housing body 1 are manufactured as a single part by a method such as injection molding. An annular groove 211 is formed in the connecting frame 21. The fixed retaining frame 22 has two side arms 23, a first engaging member 24 located between the two side arms 23, and a back frame body 25 connected to each side arm 23 and the first engaging member 24. The back frame body 25 has a back plate 251 and an annular peripheral wall 252. The back plate 251 is connected between each side arm 23 and the first engaging member 24. The annular circumferential wall 252 is formed to protrude from the back surface of the back plate 251 so as to fit into the annular groove 211, and the annular circumferential wall 252 of the back frame body 25 is fixedly connected to the connecting frame 21, for example by ultrasonic welding. In some other embodiments, each annular circumferential wall 252 can be mounted so as to fit into a corresponding annular groove 211 so as to be removable, thereby enabling the removable mounting of the fixed retaining frame 22 to the corresponding connecting frame 21.

[0019] Each side arm 23 has a side arm member 231 connected to the back plate 251 and a front hook member 232 formed to protrude from the front end of the side arm member 231. The first engaging member 24 has a connecting plate 240, an extension arm 241, and an engaging arm 242. The connecting plate 240 is integrally formed on the front surface of the back plate 251 so as to be flush with the front end of the back plate 251. The extension arm 241 further protrudes from the front end of the connecting plate 240. The engaging arm 242 is connected to the front end of the extension arm 241 and protrudes from both sides of the extension arm 241. The connecting plate 240, the extension arm 241, and the engaging arm 242 of the first engaging member 24 together define two grooves 243 located on the rear side of the engaging arm 242 and spaced apart to the left and right. The engaging arm 242 has a front slope 244.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1, 7, and 8, each gas diffusion device 20 is positioned in the containment space 14 and each has a retaining frame 3, an elastic sealing ring 321, and a porous tube 5.

[0021] As shown in Figures 5, 6, 8, and 9, the retaining frame 3 is manufactured as a single part by a method such as injection molding. The retaining frame 3 includes a frame body 31 used to be held by each side arm 23, a connecting portion 32 used to connect to the corresponding gas entry hole 139, two second engaging members 33 used to engage with the corresponding first engaging member 24 and spaced apart from each other, two elastic contact members 34, a limiting projection 35, and two engaging hooks 36.

[0022] The frame body 31 includes a frame member 310, a frame bottom wall 311 connected to the lower end of the frame member 310, and a frame top wall 312 located on the opposite side of the frame bottom wall 311 and connected to the upper end of the frame member 310. The connecting portion 32 extends downward from the lower surface of the frame bottom wall 311 and is inserted into the surrounding wall of the corresponding gas entry hole 139.

[0023] Each second engaging member 33 has an arm portion 331 used to abut against the upper end of the corresponding engaging arm 242, and a rear hook member 332 formed to protrude from the rear end of the arm portion 331. The rear hook member 332 is fitted into the corresponding groove 243 and used to engage the corresponding engaging arm 242. The rear hook member 332 has a rear slope 333 used to contact the corresponding front slope 244.

[0024] As shown in Figures 6, 8, and 10, each elastic contact member 34 is positioned on the frame top wall 312 with space between them and contacts the housing top wall 11 of the housing body 1. Each elastic contact member 34 has a projection contact arm 341 that extends upward from the frame top wall 312, and a part formed at the upper end of the projection contact arm 341 that contacts the housing top wall 11 of the housing body 1. bullet It has a contact arm 342 and bullet The contact arm 342 includes a spring arm segment 343 extending laterally from the upper end of the projection contact arm 341, and a contact segment 344 extending upward from the upper end of the spring arm segment 343 and contacting the housing top wall 11 of the housing body 1.

[0025] The limiting projection 35 extends upward from the upper surface of the frame bottom wall 311. Each engaging hook 36 is positioned on the frame top wall 312 with space between them. The frame top wall 312 of the frame body 31 has a front edge 315. The frame top wall 312 has two gaps 316 located on either side of each engaging hook 36, recessed inward from the front edge 315 at the position of each engaging hook 36, thereby allowing the engaging hooks 36 to connect to the frame top wall 312 elastically and to engage the porous tube 5. The configuration of each gap 316 allows the engaging hooks 36 to connect elastically to the frame top wall 312 without protruding from it. This prevents the engaging hooks 36 from obstructing the movement path of the corresponding elastic contact member 34 when it is deformed under pressure.

[0026] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, the elastic seal ring 321 is an O-shaped ring made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone. The elastic seal ring 321 is fitted onto the connection portion 32 of the retaining frame 3 and is held in place by being sandwiched between the housing bottom wall 13 of the housing body 1 and the frame bottom wall 311 of the frame body 31. As a result, a good airtight seal is maintained between the housing bottom wall 13 and the retaining frame 3, preventing gas leakage.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, each seal ring 4 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone and is formed into a ring-shaped plate. Each seal ring 4 is placed in the corresponding recessed groove 132 and abuts against the corresponding annular shoulder surface 136. Each seal ring 4 has a plurality of through holes 41 that communicate with each screw hole 138.

[0028] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the porous tube 5 is positioned between the frame bottom wall 311 and the frame top wall 312 of the frame body 31. The porous tube 5 is stably fixed to the retaining frame 3 by engaging with the limiting projection 35 of the retaining frame 3 and by engaging with each of the engagement hooks 36. When a user wants to attach the porous tube 5 to the retaining frame 3, they first engage the porous tube 5 with the limiting projection 35 at an angle. Then, they bend each of the engagement hooks 36 upward to deform them and accumulate restoring force. Next, they rotate the porous tube 5 toward the frame member 310, moving the porous tube 5 below the frame top wall 312. Finally, when they release each of the engagement hooks 36, the accumulated elastic restoring force causes each of the engagement hooks 36 to return to their original position and automatically engage with the tip of the porous tube 5, completing the attachment of the porous tube 5. When a user attempts to remove the porous tube 5 from the corresponding retaining frame 3, they simply push each engaging hook 36 upward, causing each hook 36 to detach from the porous tube 5. Then, the upper end of the porous tube 5 can be rotated forward to detach it from the frame top wall 312. Finally, the porous tube 5 is moved upward to separate it from the restricting projection 35, completing the removal of the porous tube 5. This improves the convenience of installing and removing the porous tube 5.

[0029] The angle between the surface formed by the front edges of each front hook member 232 of each side arm 23 connecting to each other and the surface of the connecting wall 12 that connects to the connecting frame 21 is a specific angle, which causes the gas diffusion device 20 to face the center of the containment space 14. More specifically, the specific angle is 0° to 45°, preferably 5° to 30°, and most preferably 7° to 20°. Because the angle between the surface formed by the front edges of each front hook member 232 connecting to each other and the surface of the connecting wall 12 that connects to the connecting frame 21 is within the range of 7° to 20°, the frame body 31 held between each side arm 23 rotates 7° to 20° toward the center of the containment space 14 from the surface of the connecting wall 12 that connects to the connecting frame 21. By directing the diffusion surface of the porous tube 5 engaged with the holding frame 3 toward the center of the containment space 14, the clean dry gas (clean dry air, abbreviated as CDA) can be uniformly diffused into the containment space 14.

[0030] Furthermore, the connecting portion 32 can extend upward from the housing bottom wall 13 of the housing body 1, and can also be an enclosing wall that is inserted into an air hole (not shown) in the frame bottom wall 311 of the frame body 31, surrounding and defining the gas entry hole 139. As long as the CDA can enter the corresponding porous tube 5 via the connecting portion 32, the position to which the connecting portion 32 is connected is not limited to the configuration described in this embodiment.

[0031] As shown in Figures 4, 12, and 13, each outer cover 6 is connected to the housing bottom wall 13 and at least a portion of it is fitted into a corresponding recessed groove 132. Each outer cover 6 together with the housing bottom wall 13 defines a chamber 133 that communicates with a corresponding gas inlet hole 139, and each outer cover 6 has a gas introduction hole 61 that communicates with the corresponding chamber 133. More specifically, each outer cover 6 is surrounded by an annular peripheral surface 137 of a corresponding recessed wall body 134 and is separated from a corresponding inner wall body 135. Each outer cover 6 has a cap plate 62 and a ring-shaped tightening rib 63. The cap plate 62 has a plate body 621 and a tube body 622 formed on the plate body 621. The plate body 621 has an inner cap surface 623 and an outer cap surface 624 on the side opposite to the inner cap surface 623. The tube body 622 has a peripheral wall 625 that connects to the plate body 621 and protrudes from the inner cap surface 623 and the outer cap surface 624, and an end wall 626 that connects to the inner end of the peripheral wall 625 and is located inside the inner cap surface 623. A screw hole 627 is formed in the peripheral wall 625. A gas introduction hole 61 communicating with the screw hole 627 is formed in the end wall 626. Because the position of the gas introduction hole 61 projected perpendicularly onto the inner wall body 135 is offset from the position of the gas entry hole 139, the gas introduction hole 61 is positioned offset from the gas entry hole 139. Multiple through holes 628 are formed in the plate body 621 extending between the inner cap surface 623 and the outer cap surface 624, so that each through hole 628 communicates with each of the through holes 41.

[0032] Each ring-shaped clamping rib 63 is formed to protrude from the inner cap surface 623 of the corresponding cap plate 62 and surrounds the gas introduction hole 61. The ring-shaped clamping rib 63 contacts the corresponding seal ring 4 in a way that compresses it. As a result, each outer cover 6 and the corresponding annular shoulder surface 136 hold the corresponding seal ring 4 together.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, each screw 7 passes through the corresponding through hole 628 of the corresponding outer cover 6 and the corresponding through hole 41 of the corresponding seal ring 4 and is screwed into the corresponding screw hole 138, thereby fixing the outer cover 6 and the seal ring 4 to the annular shoulder surface 136 of the housing bottom wall 13. Each outer cover 6 is pressed against the corresponding seal ring 4 by the ring-shaped tightening rib 63, so that a good airtight seal is maintained between each outer cover 6 and the corresponding annular shoulder surface 136, preventing the CDA in the chamber 133 from leaking out through the gap between the housing bottom wall 13 and the outer cover 6. The sealing effect is achieved by screwing the corresponding outer cover 6 and the corresponding seal ring 4 to the corresponding annular shoulder surface 136 with the screws 7, thus reducing the complexity of attaching each outer cover 6.

[0034] Furthermore, the method of fixing each outer cover 6 to the housing bottom wall 13 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, it is also possible to connect each outer cover 6 to the housing bottom wall 13 using ultrasonic welding technology, in which case it is not necessary to use each screw 7 and each sealing ring 4.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 and 13, the housing bottom wall 13 is recessed to form a recessed groove 132, and at least a portion of the outer cover 6 is fitted into the recessed groove 132. This configuration allows the overall thickness of the outer cover 6 when it is attached to the housing bottom wall 13 to be reduced. Specifically, in this embodiment, the outer cap surface 624 of each outer cover 6 is flush with the outer wall surface 131 of the housing bottom wall 13, thereby effectively reducing the overall thickness of the outer cover 6 when it is attached to the housing bottom wall 13.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4 and 13, each porous tube 5 is located within the containment space 14. Each porous tube 5 has a connecting portion 32 that is inserted into and connected to the corresponding gas inlet hole 139. Each porous tube 5 communicates between the containment space 14 and the corresponding chamber 133.

[0037] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, each gas introduction valve module 8 is positioned on the corresponding outer cover 6 and corresponds to a gas introduction hole 61. It operates as a gas diffusion device that introduces gas into the corresponding chamber 133 via the gas introduction hole 61. More specifically, each gas introduction valve module 8 includes a check valve 82, a middle communication pipe member 81 that is screw-connected to a screw hole 627 of the corresponding outer cover 6, and a base 83 mounted on the middle communication pipe member 81. The check valve 82 is mounted inside the base 83. An elastic material is used for the base 83, but it is not limited to an elastic material. A corresponding connection hole 831 is formed in the base 83. The corresponding connection hole 831 is connected to a CDA supply device (not shown; for example, Sinfonia Technology's FOUP-compatible load port SELOP-7-N series) that supplies CDA, and the CDA supplied by the CDA supply device flows into the chamber 133 via the check valve 82, the middle communication pipe member 81, and the gas introduction hole 61. The position projected perpendicularly onto the inner wall body 135 of the gas introduction hole 61 of each outer cover 6 is offset from the position of the gas entry hole 139, so that the CDA diffuses uniformly into each chamber 133 before entering each porous tube 5, thereby stabilizing the flow into the porous tube 5. Each porous tube 5 can uniformly deliver the CDA into the containment space 14, so that the CDA diffuses uniformly into the containment space 14.

[0038] As shown in Figures 6, 9, 10, and 11, when a user attempts to attach each gas diffusion device 20 to the housing means 10, they first insert the connection portion 32 into which the elastic seal ring 321 is fitted diagonally into the corresponding gas inlet hole 139. Then, they rotate the gas diffusion device 20 toward the fixed retaining frame 22 of the corresponding retaining assembly 2. The front inclined surface 244 of each engaging arm 242 is positioned to press against the rear inclined surface 333 of the corresponding second engaging member 33, causing the corresponding arm portion 331 to bend and deform, thereby engaging the rear hook member 332 with the engaging arm 242. When the front inclined surface 244 of each engaging arm 242 contacts the rear inclined surface 333 of the corresponding second engaging member 33, the force exerted by the front inclined surface 244 on the rear inclined surface 333 causes the arm portion 331 to bend upward and accumulate an elastic restoring force. When the rear hook member 332 of each second engaging member 33 moves over the engaging arm 242 and comes into contact with the corresponding groove 243, the elastic restoring force accumulated in the arm portion 331 returns the rear hook member 332 to its original position. This causes the arm portion 331 to contact the tip of the engaging arm 242, and the rear hook member 332 to fit into the corresponding groove 243 and engage with the corresponding engaging arm 242. As a result, each second engaging member 33 becomes engaged with the corresponding first engaging member 24.

[0039] In this case, the engaging arm 242 is pressed against the frame member 310 of the frame body 31, preventing the gas diffuser 20 from moving backward. Since the frame member 310 side of the frame body 31 is pressed against the side arm member 231 of each side arm 23, each side arm member 231 of each side arm 23 sandwiches the frame member 310 and prevents the gas diffuser 20 from swinging from side to side. The front hook member 232 of each side arm 23 engages with the front end of the frame member 310 of the frame body 31, preventing the gas diffuser 20 from moving forward. Since the contact segment 344 of each elastic contact member 34 contacts the lower surface of the housing top wall 11 of the housing body 1 and is pressed by the housing top wall 11, the spring arm segment 343 bends downward against the projection contact arm 341 and deforms, accumulating elastic restoring force. As a result, the elastic restoring force from the contact segments 344 of each elastic contact member 34 is applied to the bottom surface of the housing top wall 11, causing the frame bottom wall 311 of the frame body 31 to press the elastic seal ring 321 against the housing bottom wall 13 of the housing body 1. The frame bottom wall 311, together with the housing bottom wall 13, tightly grips and holds the elastic seal ring 321, resulting in a good airtight seal. In this way, the effect of stably mounting each gas diffusion device 20 to the housing means 10 is obtained.

[0040] When a user attempts to remove each gas diffusion device 20, they first push the front hook member 232 of the corresponding side arm 23 outward to separate it from the frame member 310 of the frame body 31. Then, they push each rear hook member 332 upward with the frame member 310 to separate it from each groove 243. At this time, the retaining frame 3 is removed from the housing means 10. Finally, the porous tube 5 is removed from the retaining frame 3 as described above. This improves the convenience of attaching and detaching the gas diffusion devices 20.

[0041] When the substrate container 100 is used, the user connects the CDA supply device to each gas introduction valve module 8 and starts the CDA supply device. The CDA supply device continuously delivers CDA from each gas introduction valve module 8 to each chamber 133. The CDA flows uniformly within each chamber 133, passes through each connection part 32, and stably enters each porous tube 5. It then diffuses uniformly into the containment space 14 via each porous tube 5, effectively functioning as a gas diffusion device.

[0042] As shown in Figure 15, in some other embodiments of this first embodiment, the check valve 82 is installed inside the middle communication pipe member 81.

[0043] In some other embodiments of the first embodiment, each recessed wall 134 does not have an annular shoulder surface 136 and an annular peripheral surface 137, and the recessed wall 134 is recessed from the outer wall surface 131 and connects directly to the inner wall 135. Each cap plate 62 has a contact top wall (not shown) that protrudes from the peripheral portion of the inner cap surface 623 to the corresponding inner wall 135, each through hole 628 penetrates from the outer cap surface 624 through the plate body 621 and the contact top wall, and each screw 7 is long enough to be screwed from the outer cap surface 624 into each screw hole 138. The position of the gas introduction hole 61 projected perpendicularly onto the inner wall 135 is offset from the position of the gas entry hole 139.

[0044] As shown in Figure 16, the second embodiment of the substrate container 100 of the present invention has an overall structure that is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, but the differences are as follows: Each gas diffusion device 20 has a front filter 51 and a rear filter 52. The frame body 31 of the retaining frame 3 has a front case 313 and a rear case 314 connected to the rear side of the front case 313. Multiple front outlets 317 are formed in the front case 313. Multiple rear outlets 318 are formed in the rear case 314. The front filter 51 is positioned inside the corresponding front case 313 to correspond to each front outlet 317. The rear filter 52 is positioned inside the corresponding rear case 314 to correspond to each rear outlet 318. The front case 313, together with the rear case 314, defines the frame bottom wall 311 and the frame top wall 312.

[0045] As shown in Figure 17, the third embodiment of the substrate container 100 of the present invention has an overall structure that is almost the same as the first embodiment, but the differences are that a part of the cap plate 62 of each outer lid 6 protrudes outside the outer wall surface 131 of the housing bottom wall 13, the outer cap surface 624 of each outer lid 6 and the outer wall surface 131 of the housing bottom wall 13 are not flush, and each screw 7 has a length such that it is screwed into each screw hole 138 from the outer cap surface 624.

[0046] As shown in Figure 18, in some other embodiments of this third embodiment, the check valve 82 is installed inside the middle communication pipe member 81.

[0047] In some other embodiments of this third embodiment, each recessed wall 134 does not have an annular shoulder surface 136 and an annular peripheral surface 137, and the recessed wall 134 is recessed from the outer wall surface 131 and connects directly to the inner wall 135. Each plate body 621 is connected directly to the periphery of the corresponding recessed groove 132 of the outer wall surface 131, and the outer cover 6 is held together with the outer wall surface 131, sandwiching the corresponding seal ring 4, and each screw hole 138 is formed at a location corresponding to the through hole 628 of the outer wall surface 131. More specifically, the plate body 621 and ring-shaped tightening rib 63 of the outer cover 6 are held together with the outer wall surface 131, sandwiching the corresponding seal ring 4.

[0048] In some other embodiments of this third embodiment, each recessed wall 134 does not have an annular shoulder surface 136 and an annular peripheral surface 137, and the recessed wall 134 is recessed from the outer wall surface 131 and connects directly to the inner wall 135. Each cap plate 62 has a contact top wall (not shown) that protrudes from the peripheral portion of the inner cap surface 623 to the corresponding inner wall 135, and each through hole 628 penetrates the plate body 621 and the contact top wall from the outer cap surface 624. The position of the gas introduction hole 61 projected perpendicularly onto the inner wall 135 is offset from the position of the gas entry hole 139.

[0049] It should be emphasized once again that the method of fixing each outer cover 6 and housing bottom wall 13 of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it is also possible to integrally connect each outer cover 6 and housing bottom wall 13 by methods such as ultrasonic welding, and in such embodiments, it is not necessary to have each screw 7 and each seal ring 4.

[0050] In summary, the correspondence between each side arm 23 of the holding assembly 2 of the housing means 10 and the frame body 31 of the holding frame 3 of the gas diffusion device 20, and the correspondence between the gas inlet hole 139 of the housing means 10 and the connection portion 32 of the holding frame 3, ensures that the gas diffusion device 20 is stably mounted on the housing means 10, and also improves the convenience of mounting and removing the gas diffusion device 20, thus reliably achieving the objectives of the present invention. In addition, the correspondence between the first engaging member 24 of the holding assembly 2 of the housing means 10 and the second engaging member 33 of the holding frame 3 of the gas diffusion device 20, and the correspondence between the gas inlet hole 139 of the housing means 10 and the connection portion 32 of the holding frame 3, ensures that the gas diffusion device 20 is stably mounted on the housing means 10, and also improves the convenience of mounting and removing the gas diffusion device 20. Furthermore, since each recessed groove 132, each gas inlet hole 139, each outer cover 6, each gas introduction hole 61, each gas introduction valve module 8, and each chamber 133 can be located within the housing bottom wall 13, the complexity of installation is reduced, the stability of airtightness is improved and the service life is extended. In addition, since each chamber 133 is defined without the need to place a bottom plate (not shown), the volume of the substrate container 100 can be reduced and the manufacturing cost of the substrate container 100 can be saved.

[0051] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from its essence. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 100 substrate containers 10 Housing means 1. Main unit 11 Top wall of the cabinet 12 connecting walls 13. Bottom wall of the enclosure 131 Exterior wall surface 132 Recessed groove 133 Chambers 134 Recessed Wall 135 Inner wall 136 Surface of the annular shoulder 137 Circumferential surface of annular ring 138 screw holes 139 Gas inlet hole 14 Containment space 141 Front opening 2. Retaining Assembly 21 Connection Frames 211 Annular groove 22 Fixed holding frame 23 Sidearm 231 Side arm component 232 Front hook component 24 First engaging member 240 Connection Plate 241 Extension Arm 242 Engaging Arm 243 Groove 244 Front slope 25 Back frame body 251 Backplate 252 Circular Circumferential Wall 20 Gas Diffusion Device 3. Holding frame 31 Frame Body 310 Frame members 311 Frame bottom wall 312 Frame Top Wall 313 Front Case 314 Rear Case 315 Front edge 316 Gap 317 Front exhaust port 318 Rear outlet 32 Connection part 321 Elastic seal ring 33 Second engaging member 331 Arm section 332 Rear hook component 333 Rear slope 34 Elastic contact member 341 Protruding contact arm 342 bullet Sexual contact arm 343 Spring Arm Segment 344 Contact Segment 35 Restrictive protrusion 36 Engaging Hook 4 sealing rings 41 Passing hole 5. Porous tubes 51 Front filter 52 Rear filter 6 Outer lid 61 Gas inlet 62 Cap Plates 621 Plate Body 622 Tube Body 623 Inner cap surface 624 Outer cap surface 625 Surrounding wall 626 End wall 627 Screw holes 628 Through hole 63 Ring-shaped tightening ribs 7 screws 8. Gas introduction valve module 81 Middle connecting pipe member 82 Check valve 83 Pedestal 831 Compatible connection port

Claims

1. comprising housing means and at least one gas diffusion device, The housing means comprises a housing body and at least one retaining assembly, the housing body having a housing top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a connecting wall connected between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall, the housing body having a housing space and at least one gas entry hole, the housing space having a front opening, the retaining assembly being positioned on the connecting wall of the housing body so as to be located within the housing space, and the retaining assembly having two side arms, The at least one gas diffusion device is arranged in the containment space and has a holding frame, the holding frame having a frame body that is held by each of the side arms and a connecting portion that connects to the gas inlet hole, A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, wherein the retaining assembly has a first engaging member located between each of the side arms, and the retaining frame has at least one second engaging member that engages with the first engaging member.

2. A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid according to claim 1, wherein the first engaging member has an engaging arm that presses the frame body, and the first engaging member has at least one groove formed on the rear side of the engaging arm, and the second engaging member has an arm portion that abuts the top end of the engaging arm and a rear hook member formed to protrude from the rear end of the arm portion, the rear hook member being fitted into the groove and engaged with the engaging arm.

3. The engaging arm has a front slope, and the rear hook member has a rear slope used to contact the front slope. A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid, as described in claim 2, wherein the front slope is configured to bend and deform the arm portion by pushing the rear slope, causing the rear hook member to engage with the engaging arm.

4. comprising housing means and at least one gas diffusion device, The housing means comprises a housing body and at least one retaining assembly, the housing body having a housing top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a connecting wall connected between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall, the housing body having a housing space and at least one gas entry hole, the housing space having a front opening, the retaining assembly being positioned on the connecting wall of the housing body so as to be located within the housing space, and the retaining assembly having two side arms, The at least one gas diffusion device is arranged in the containment space and has a holding frame, the holding frame having a frame body that is held by each of the side arms and a connecting portion that connects to the gas inlet hole, A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid, wherein each side arm has a side arm member that presses against one side of the frame body and a front hook member that is positioned to protrude from the front end of the side arm member and engages with the frame body.

5. comprising housing means and at least one gas diffusion device, The housing means comprises a housing body and at least one retaining assembly, the housing body having a housing top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a connecting wall connected between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall, the housing body having a housing space and at least one gas entry hole, the housing space having a front opening, the retaining assembly being positioned on the connecting wall of the housing body so as to be located within the housing space, and the retaining assembly having two side arms, The at least one gas diffusion device is arranged in the containment space and has a holding frame, the holding frame having a frame body that is held by each of the side arms and a connecting portion that connects to the gas inlet hole, The frame body has a frame bottom wall and a frame top wall on the side opposite to the frame bottom wall, and the connecting portion extends upward from the frame bottom wall of the housing body and is inserted into the surrounding wall of the frame bottom wall of the frame body, and has a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid into the substrate container.

6. A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, as described in claim 5, wherein the gas diffusion device further comprises an elastic seal ring that is fitted into the surrounding wall and held in place by the housing body and the frame bottom wall of the frame body.

7. comprising housing means and at least one gas diffusion device, The housing means comprises a housing body and at least one retaining assembly, the housing body having a housing top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a connecting wall connected between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall, the housing body having a housing space and at least one gas entry hole, the housing space having a front opening, the retaining assembly being positioned on the connecting wall of the housing body so as to be located within the housing space, and the retaining assembly having two side arms, The at least one gas diffusion device is arranged in the containment space and has a holding frame, the holding frame having a frame body that is held by each of the side arms and a connecting portion that connects to the gas inlet hole, The frame body has a frame bottom wall and a frame top wall on the side opposite to the frame bottom wall, and the retaining frame further has at least one elastic contact member positioned on the frame top wall so as to abut against the housing body, The elastic contact member comprises a projection contact arm extending upward from the frame top wall of the frame body, and an elastic contact arm formed at the upper end of the projection contact arm so as to contact the housing body, and is a substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid.

8. A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid according to claim 7, wherein the elastic contact arm comprises a spring arm segment extending laterally from the upper end of the projection contact arm, and a contact segment extending upward from the upper end of the spring arm segment and contacting the housing body.

9. comprising housing means and at least one gas diffusion device, The housing means comprises a housing body and at least one retaining assembly, the housing body having a housing top wall, a housing bottom wall, and a connecting wall connected between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall, the housing body having a housing space and at least one gas entry hole, the housing space having a front opening, the retaining assembly being positioned on the connecting wall of the housing body so as to be located within the housing space, and the retaining assembly having two side arms, The at least one gas diffusion device is arranged in the containment space and has a holding frame, the holding frame having a frame body that is held by each of the side arms and a connecting portion that connects to the gas inlet hole, The frame body has a frame bottom wall and a frame top wall on the side opposite to the frame bottom wall, and the connecting portion extends so as to project downward from the frame bottom wall of the frame body and is arranged to be inserted into the surrounding wall of the gas entry hole. The retaining frame further has a limiting projection that extends upward from the frame bottom wall of the frame body, and the gas diffusion device further has a porous tube disposed between the frame bottom wall and the frame top wall of the frame body, the porous tube engaging with the limiting projection, the substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing fluid.

10. A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, as described in claim 5, wherein the retaining frame further has a limiting projection that extends upward from the frame bottom wall of the frame body, and the gas diffusion device further has a porous tube disposed between the frame bottom wall and the frame top wall of the frame body, the porous tube engaging with the limiting projection.

11. A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, according to claim 9, wherein the retaining frame further has engaging hooks disposed on the top wall of the frame body, and the porous tube is engaged with the engaging hooks.

12. A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, according to claim 10, wherein the retaining frame further has engaging hooks disposed on the top wall of the frame body, and the porous tube is engaged with the engaging hooks.

13. A substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, as described in claim 8, wherein the retaining frame is a single integrally formed part.

14. The substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, wherein the retaining frame is a single integrally formed part, as described in claim 9.

15. The substrate container having a gas diffusion device for introducing a fluid, as described in claim 10, wherein the retaining frame is a single integrally formed part.

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