Substrate housing container and rear retainer

Abstract

A substrate housing container of the present invention comprises: a lid-side substrate support portion which is a part of a lid (3) and is disposed in a part opposite a substrate housing space (27) when a container body opening portion is closed by the lid (3), and which, when the container body opening portion is closed by the lid (3), is able to support the edges of a plurality of substrates (W); and a rear retainer (6). The rear retainer (6) comprises: a rear-side substrate support portion (63) which is disposed to be paired with the lid-side substrate support portion in the substrate housing space (27) and is capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates (W), and which, when the container body opening portion is closed by the lid (3), cooperates with the lid-side substrate support portion to support the plurality of substrates (W) with the edges of the plurality of substrates (W) arranged in parallel; a protruding wall portion (60) with an outer surface protruding toward the container body opening portion and an inner surface recessed toward the container body opening portion, the protruding wall portion (60) having the rear-side substrate support portion (63) provided on the protruding side of the protruding wall portion (60); and a circulation hole which, when the protruding side of the protruding wall portion (60) is facing downward, allows circulation of a liquid and / or a gas that is positioned on the inner surface side of the protruding wall portion (60).

Description

Substrate storage container and rear retainer

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate storage container and a rear retainer used when storing, preserving, transporting, and shipping substrates such as semiconductor wafers.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, substrate storage containers for storing and transporting substrates made of semiconductor wafers have been known that include a container body and a lid.

[0003] The container body has a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening formed at one end and a closed other end. A substrate storage space is formed within the container body. The substrate storage space is formed by being surrounded by the wall portion and is capable of storing multiple substrates. The lid body is detachable from the container body opening and is capable of closing the container body opening.

[0004] A front retainer is provided on a portion of the lid that faces the substrate storage space when the container body opening is closed. The front retainer is capable of supporting the edges of the multiple substrates when the container body opening is closed by the lid. A rear retainer is provided on the wall side of the substrate storage space of the container body, paired with the front retainer. The rear retainer is capable of supporting the edges of the multiple substrates. When the container body opening is closed by the lid, the rear retainer cooperates with the front retainer to support the multiple substrates, thereby holding the multiple substrates in a state where adjacent substrates are spaced apart at a predetermined interval and arranged side by side.

[0005] Patent No. 4459015

[0006] When cleaning a substrate storage container, cleaning may be performed with the rear retainer disposed on the back wall side of the substrate storage space of the container body (note that the rear retainer 6 may be disposed in a detachable manner or in a manner in which the container body and rear retainer are integrated by insert molding or the like). In such cases, there is a problem that the cleaning liquid (including water) present on the inner surface of the rear retainer (the surface facing the back wall of the container body) is difficult to remove from the inner surface of the rear retainer (it tends to remain). Another problem is poor air permeability (ventilation) between the inner and outer surfaces of the rear retainer. If the cleaning liquid is difficult to remove or the air permeability is poor, there is a concern that the inner surface of the rear retainer will not dry sufficiently after cleaning, necessitating measures such as extending the drying time. As a result, the drying process takes an unnecessarily long time, increasing production costs.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a substrate storage container and a rear retainer that can improve insufficient drying on the inner surface of the rear retainer after cleaning when the rear retainer is placed on the rear wall side of the substrate storage space of the container body and cleaned.

[0008] The present invention provides a substrate storage container comprising: a container body having a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening at one end and a closed other end, wherein a substrate storage space capable of storing a plurality of substrates and communicating with the container body opening is formed by the inner surface of the wall portion; a lid body that is detachable from the container body opening and can close the container body opening; a lid body-side substrate support portion that is a part of the lid body that is arranged in a portion that faces the substrate storage space when the container body opening is closed by the lid body and that can support edges of the plurality of substrates when the container body opening is closed by the lid body; and a rear retainer, wherein the rear retainer is configured to support the substrate storage space. the rear-side substrate support portion is arranged in a pair with the lid-side substrate support portion within the container body opening, is capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates, and cooperates with the lid-side substrate support portion to support the plurality of substrates with the edges of the plurality of substrates aligned side by side when the container body opening is closed by the lid; a protruding wall portion having an outer surface protruding toward the container body opening and an inner surface recessed toward the container body opening, the protruding wall portion having the rear-side substrate support portion provided on the protruding side of the protruding wall portion; and a circulation hole for circulating liquid and / or gas located on the inner surface side of the protruding wall portion when the protruding side of the protruding wall portion is facing downward.

[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable that, with the protruding side of the protruding wall portion facing downward, the communication hole extends in the vertical direction so as to penetrate through the rear-side substrate support portion.

[0010] It is also preferable that the rear retainer be fixed to the container body so that there is a gap between the rear retainer and the inner wall of the wall portion of the container body.

[0011] Furthermore, when the container body opening is facing sideways, it is preferable that the rear substrate support portion has a V-shaped groove having a lower inclined surface located on the lower side and an upper inclined surface located on the upper side, and when the container body opening is facing sideways, a convex rib portion is provided on the inner side of the lower inclined surface in the horizontal direction, protruding upward and extending from the container body opening toward the rear wall of the wall portion.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the rear retainer is arranged in a portion facing the substrate storage space when the container body opening is closed by the lid body, and further comprises an auxiliary groove having an opening wider than the thickness of the edge of the substrate so that the edge of the substrate can be inserted therein, the auxiliary groove having opposing groove forming surfaces, and the edges of the multiple substrates are inserted one by one when at least the container body opening is closed by the lid body, and the edges of the substrates are inserted into the auxiliary groove in a non-contact state where a space is formed between the edge of the substrate and the groove forming surface and the edge of the substrate is not in contact with the groove forming surface when the container body opening is closed by the lid body, and when the container body opening is turned sideways, the groove forming surface of the auxiliary groove is arranged between the V-shaped grooves of the rear substrate support portions adjacent in the vertical direction.

[0013] Furthermore, when the container body opening is facing sideways, it is preferable that a convex rib portion be provided on the inner lateral side of the groove forming surface located below the auxiliary groove, protruding upward and extending from the container body opening toward the rear wall of the wall portion.

[0014] The present invention also provides a rear retainer for a substrate storage container, the rear retainer comprising: a container body having a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening formed at one end and a closed other end, wherein an inner surface of the wall portion defines a substrate storage space capable of storing a plurality of substrates and communicating with the container body opening; a lid body that is detachable from the container body opening and capable of closing the container body opening; a lid body-side substrate support portion that is a part of the lid body that is arranged in a portion that faces the substrate storage space when the container body opening is closed by the lid body and that is capable of supporting edges of the plurality of substrates when the container body opening is closed by the lid body; and a rear retainer, wherein the rear retainer is a front the rear-side substrate support portion is arranged in the substrate storage space to form a pair with the lid-side substrate support portion, is capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates, and cooperates with the lid-side substrate support portion to support the plurality of substrates with the edges of the plurality of substrates aligned side by side when the container body opening is closed by the lid; a protruding wall portion whose outer surface protrudes toward the container body opening and whose inner surface is recessed toward the container body opening, and on whose protruding side the rear-side substrate support portion is provided; and a circulation hole for circulating liquid and / or gas located on the inner surface side of the protruding wall portion when the protruding side of the protruding wall portion is facing downward.

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container and a rear retainer that can improve insufficient drying on the inner surface of the rear retainer after cleaning when the rear retainer is placed on the rear wall side of the substrate storage space of the container body and cleaned.

[0016] 6A is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of substrates W are stored in a substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing a container body 2 of a substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6C is a perspective view showing a lid 3 of a substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6D is a plan cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the substrate storing container 1 and substrates W in a closed state. FIG. 6E is a perspective view showing a front retainer 7 of a substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6F is a partial front view showing the front retainer 7 of a substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6G is a partial cross-sectional view showing a lid-side substrate support portion 73 of the front retainer 7. FIG. 6H is a partial cross-sectional view showing a substrate edge auxiliary portion 75 of the front retainer 7. FIG. 6H is a perspective view showing a rear retainer 6 of a substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6G is a partial front view showing a rear retainer 6 of a substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. 6B is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the protruding wall portion 60 on the left side of FIG. 4; and FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG.

[0017] A substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of substrates W are stored in a substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a container body 2 of the substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a lid body 3 of the substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the substrate storing container 1 and the substrates W in a closed state.

[0018] For ease of explanation, the direction from the container body 2 (described below) to the lid 3 (direction from the upper right to the lower left in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the front direction D11 or front side D11, and the opposite direction is defined as the rear direction D12 or rear side D12, collectively defined as the front-to-rear direction D1. Furthermore, the direction from the lower wall 24 (described below) to the upper wall 23 (upward direction in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the upper direction D21 or upper side D21, and the opposite direction is defined as the lower direction D22 or lower side D22, collectively defined as the up-down direction D2. Furthermore, the direction from the second side wall 26 (described below) to the first side wall 25 (direction from the lower right to the upper left in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the left direction D31, and the opposite direction is defined as the right direction D32, collectively defined as the left-right direction D3 or lateral direction D3. Arrows indicating these directions are illustrated in some drawings.

[0019] The substrates W (see FIG. 1) stored in the substrate storage container 1 are disc-shaped silicon wafers, glass wafers, sapphire wafers, etc., and are thin wafers used in industry. In this embodiment, the substrates W are silicon wafers with a diameter of 300 mm.

[0020] 1 and 2, a substrate storage container 1 is used as a shipping container for storing substrates W made of silicon wafers as described above and transporting the substrates W by land, air, sea, or other transportation means, and comprises a container body 2 and a lid 3. The container body 2 comprises substrate support plate-like portions 5 as side substrate support portions, and a rear retainer 6. The lid 3 comprises a front retainer 7 (see FIGS. 3 to 5D) having a lid-side substrate support portion 73 and a substrate edge auxiliary portion 75.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1 etc., the container body 2 has a cylindrical wall portion 20 with a container body opening 21 formed at one end and a closed other end. A substrate storage space 27 is formed within the container body 2. The substrate storage space 27 is surrounded by the wall portion 20. As shown in Fig. 2, a substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 is disposed in the portion of the wall portion 20 that forms the substrate storage space 27. As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate storage space 27 is capable of storing a plurality of substrates W.

[0022] The substrate support plate-like portions 5 are provided on the wall portion 20 so as to form a pair within the substrate storage space 27. When the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid 3 (when the lid is open), the substrate support plate-like portions 5 abut against the edges of the plurality of substrates W, thereby supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates W while arranging adjacent substrates W in parallel and spaced apart at a predetermined interval. A rear retainer 6 is provided on a back wall 22 (described later) of the wall portion 20 of the container body 2.

[0023] 4, the rear retainer 6 (see FIG. 2, etc.) is provided on the wall 20 so as to form a pair with a front retainer 7, which will be described later, within the substrate storage space 27. The rear retainer 6 can support the rear portions of the edges of the substrates W by abutting against the edges of the substrates W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3 (when the lid is in a closed state).

[0024] The lid 3 is detachable from an opening periphery 28 (see FIG. 1, etc.) that forms the container body opening 21, and is capable of closing the container body opening 21. The front retainer 7 is provided on the lid 3 at a portion that faces the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The front retainer 7 is disposed inside the substrate storage space 27 so as to form a pair with the rear retainer 6.

[0025] 4, when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer 7 can support the front portions of the edges of the substrates W by abutting against the edges of the substrates W. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer 7 supports the substrates W in cooperation with the rear retainer 6, thereby holding adjacent substrates W in a parallel arrangement with a predetermined distance between them.

[0026] The substrate storage container 1 is made of a resin such as a plastic material, and examples of the resin material include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyetherimide, polyetherketone, polybutylene terephthalate, polyetheretherketone, and liquid crystal polymer, as well as alloys of these. To impart conductivity to these molding material resins, conductive materials such as carbon fiber, carbon powder, carbon nanotubes, and conductive polymers are selectively added. Glass fiber, carbon fiber, and the like can also be added to increase rigidity.

[0027] Each part will be described in detail below. As shown in Fig. 1, the wall 20 of the container body 2 has a rear wall 22, an upper wall 23, a lower wall 24, a first side wall 25, and a second side wall 26. The rear wall 22, the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26 are made of the above-mentioned materials and are integrally molded.

[0028] The first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 face each other, and the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24 face each other. The rear end of the upper wall 23, the rear end of the lower wall 24, the rear end of the first side wall 25, and the rear end of the second side wall 26 are all connected to the rear wall 22. The front end of the upper wall 23, the front end of the lower wall 24, the front end of the first side wall 25, and the front end of the second side wall 26 are positioned opposite the rear wall 22 and constitute an opening periphery 28 that forms the container body opening 21, which has a substantially rectangular shape.

[0029] The opening periphery 28 is provided at one end of the container body 2, and the rear wall 22 is located at the other end of the container body 2. The container body 2 has a box-like outer shape formed by the outer surfaces of the walls 20. The inner surfaces of the walls 20, i.e., the inner surfaces of the rear wall 22, the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26, form a substrate storage space 27 surrounded by these. The container body opening 21 formed in the opening periphery 28 is in communication with the substrate storage space 27 formed inside the container body 2 and surrounded by the walls 20. A maximum of 25 substrates W can be stored in the substrate storage space 27.

[0030] 1, latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, and 241B recessed outward from the board storage space 27 are formed in the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24 near the opening periphery 28. A total of four latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, and 241B are formed, one near each of the left and right ends of the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24.

[0031] 1, a top flange 236 is fixed to the center of upper wall 23. Top flange 236 is a member that is hung on and suspended from substrate storage container 1 when substrate storage container 1 is suspended in an AMHS (automated wafer handling system), PGV (wafer substrate transport vehicle), or the like.

[0032] The board support plate-shaped portions 5 are integrally formed with the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively, and are arranged in pairs in the left-right direction D3. Note that the board support plate-shaped portions 5 may be separate from the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26.

[0033] The substrate support plate-like portions 5 have a generally arc-shaped plate shape. 25 substrate support plate-like portions 5 are provided on each of the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 in the vertical direction D2, for a total of 50. Adjacent substrate support plate-like portions 5 are spaced apart from each other by 10 mm to 12 mm in the vertical direction D2 and are positioned parallel to each other. Above the uppermost substrate support plate-like portion 5, another plate-like member is positioned parallel to the substrate support plate-like portion 5. This member, positioned at the top, serves as a guide for the substrate W being inserted into the substrate storage space 27.

[0034] The 25 substrate support plate-like members 5 provided on the first side wall 25 and the 25 substrate support plate-like members 5 provided on the second side wall 26 are positioned opposite each other in the left-right direction D3. The 50 substrate support plate-like members 5 and the plate-like members that act as guides parallel to the substrate support plate-like members 5 are positioned parallel to the inner surface of the bottom wall 24. As shown in Figure 2 and other figures, convex portions are provided on the upper surfaces of the substrate support plate-like members 5. The substrates W supported by the substrate support plate-like members 5 come into contact only with the protruding ends of the convex portions and do not come into surface contact with the substrate support plate-like members 5.

[0035] The substrate support plate portion 5 is capable of supporting the edges of a plurality of substrates W while keeping adjacent substrates W among the plurality of substrates W spaced apart at a predetermined interval and parallel to each other.

[0036] The rear retainer 6 is an interior component that is fixed (attached) to the back wall 22 of the container body 2 and disposed within the board storage space 27. Details of the rear retainer 6 will be described later. Note that instead of attaching the rear retainer 6 to the container body 2, the rear retainer 6 and the container body 2 may be integrally formed by insert molding or the like, so that the rear retainer 6 is disposed on the back wall 22 side of the container body 2.

[0037] Next, the lid 3 and the front retainer 7 will be described in detail. Fig. 5A is a perspective view showing the front retainer 7 of the substrate storage container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5B is a partial front view showing the front retainer 7 of the substrate storage container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5C is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the lid side substrate support portion 73 of the front retainer 7. Fig. 5D is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the substrate edge auxiliary portion 75 of the front retainer 7.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the lid 3 has a generally rectangular shape that generally matches the shape of the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2. The lid 3 is detachable from the opening periphery 28 of the container body 2, and by attaching the lid 3 to the opening periphery 28, the lid 3 can close the container body opening 21. An annular sealing member 4 is attached to the inner surface of the lid 3 (the back surface of the lid 3 shown in FIG. 1). The sealing member 4 is made of various thermoplastic elastomers such as elastically deformable polyesters and polyolefins, fluororubber, silicone rubber, etc. The sealing member 4 is arranged so as to go around the outer periphery of the lid 3.

[0039] When the lid 3 is attached to the opening periphery 28, the seal member 4 is sandwiched between the opening periphery 28 and the inner surface of the lid 3 and elastically deforms, and the lid 3 hermetically closes the container body opening 21. When the lid 3 is removed from the opening periphery 28, the substrates W can be taken in and out of the substrate storage space 27 inside the container body 2.

[0040] The lid 3 has a lid main body that forms the outer shape of the lid 3, and the lid main body is provided with a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism is provided near both left and right ends of the lid main body, and as shown in Fig. 1, includes two upper latch portions 32A that can protrude in an upward direction D21 from the upper edge of the lid main body, and two lower latch portions 32B that can protrude in a downward direction D22 from the lower edge of the lid main body. The two upper latch portions 32A are located near both left and right ends of the upper edge of the lid main body, and the two lower latch portions 32B are located near both left and right ends of the lower edge of the lid main body.

[0041] An operating portion 33 is provided on the outer surface of the lid body. By operating the operating portion 33 from the front side of the lid body, the upper latch portion 32A and the lower latch portion 32B can be made to protrude from the upper and lower edges of the lid body, or can be made not to protrude from the upper and lower edges. The upper latch portion 32A protrudes in the upward direction D21 from the upper edge of the lid body and engages with the latch engagement recesses 231A and 231B of the container body 2, and the lower latch portion 32B protrudes in the downward direction D22 from the lower edge of the lid body and engages with the latch engagement recesses 241A and 241B of the container body 2, thereby fixing the lid 3 to the opening peripheral portion 28 of the container body 2.

[0042] 3, a recess 34 recessed outward (in the forward direction D11) from the board storage space 27 is formed inside the lid body constituting the lid 3. The front retainer 7 is fixed (attached) to the portion of the lid body inside the recess 34.

[0043] 3, 5A, and 5B, the front retainer 7 has a lid-side substrate support portion 73, a substrate edge auxiliary portion 75, legs 72, and a vertical frame 71. The lid-side substrate support portion 73 and the substrate edge auxiliary portion 75 corresponding to the same substrate W are connected via the legs 72.

[0044] Two lid-side substrate support portions 73 are arranged in pairs, spaced a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction D3. These pairs of lid-side substrate support portions 73 are arranged in parallel in the up-down direction D2, forming 25 pairs, and are supported by elastically deformable legs 72. The legs 72 extend outward in the horizontal direction D3 from each pair of lid-side substrate support portions 73 so as to be spaced apart from each other, and then bend in the forward direction D11. Vertical frames 71 extending parallel to the up-down direction D2 are integrally molded with the legs 72 at their outer ends in the horizontal direction D3. When a substrate W is stored in the substrate storage space 27 and the lid 3 is closed, the lid-side substrate support portions 73 clamp and support the edge of the substrate W by urging it toward the center of the substrate storage space 27 due to the elastic force of the legs 72.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5C, the cover-side substrate support portion 73 has an upper inclined surface 731 and a lower inclined surface 732 .

[0046] The upper inclined surface 731 abuts against the edge of the front (upper) surface of the substrate W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The lower inclined surface 732 abuts against the edge of the back (lower) surface of the substrate W. Specifically, the upper inclined surface 731 is configured as an inclined surface that extends at an angle so as to approach the center of the substrate storage space 27 in the front-to-rear direction D1 as it progresses upward in the direction D21. The lower inclined surface 732 is configured as an inclined surface that extends at an angle so as to move away from the center of the substrate storage space 27 in the front-to-rear direction D1 as it progresses upward in the direction D21. The upper inclined surface 731 and the lower inclined surface 732 form a V-shaped groove 74 that is a recessed groove that is recessed away from the center of the substrate storage space 27. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the edge of the front surface W1 of the substrate W and the edge of the back surface W2 of the substrate W abut against the upper inclined surface 731 and the lower inclined surface 732, respectively.

[0047] Two pairs of board edge auxiliary portions 75 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction D3. Twenty-five pairs of board edge auxiliary portions 75 are arranged in parallel in the up-down direction D2 and supported by the legs 72. In this embodiment, the board edge auxiliary portions 75 are arranged between the cover-side board support portions 73 and the vertical frame 71 in the left-right direction D3.

[0048] The substrate edge auxiliary portion 75 is disposed in a portion of the lid 3 that faces the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. As shown in Fig. 5D, the substrate edge auxiliary portion 75 is formed with a plurality of auxiliary grooves 76, each having an opening wider than the thickness of the edge of the substrate W so that the edge of the substrate W can be inserted therein. The groove forming surface that forms the auxiliary grooves 76 has a front surface facing portion 761, a back surface facing portion 762, and a bottom surface portion 763.

[0049] When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the edge of the substrate W is inserted into the auxiliary groove 76 in a non-contact state in which a space is formed between the edge of the substrate W and the groove forming surface of the auxiliary groove 76 (front surface facing surface portion 761, back surface facing surface portion 762, bottom surface portion 763), and the edge of the substrate W is not in contact with the groove forming surface.

[0050] The auxiliary groove 76 has a generally rectangular shape in cross section. The auxiliary groove 76 has opposing groove-forming surfaces (a front-facing surface portion 761 and a back-facing surface portion 762). The edges of the substrates W are inserted into the auxiliary groove 76 one by one when the container body opening 21 is closed by at least the lid 3. The auxiliary groove 76 is also positioned further outward in the circumferential direction DC from the edge of the substrate W than the lid-side substrate support portion 73, relative to the central axis J20 (see FIG. 4 ) of the cylindrical wall portion 20.

[0051] The front surface facing surface portion 761 is positioned substantially parallel to the front surface W1 of the substrate W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, and a portion of the front surface facing surface portion 761 faces the front surface W1 in the vertical direction D2 that is the direction connecting the front surface W1 and the back surface W2. The back surface facing surface portion 762 is positioned substantially parallel to the back surface W2 of the substrate W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, and a portion of the back surface facing surface portion 762 faces the back surface W2 in the vertical direction D2 that is the direction connecting the front surface W1 and the back surface W2. The bottom surface portion 763 forms the bottom of the auxiliary groove 76 and is connected to the front surface facing surface portion 761 and the back surface facing surface portion 762, respectively.

[0052] The front surface facing surface 761 and the back surface facing surface 762 are substantially vertical planes. The front surface facing surface 761 and the back surface facing surface 762 form a pair of slightly inclined surfaces such that the opening 764 of the auxiliary groove 76 becomes slightly wider as the opening approaches the bottom of the auxiliary groove 76. The angle θ71 between the front surface W1 of the substrate W and the front surface facing surface 761 and / or the angle θ72 between the back surface W2 and the back surface facing surface 762 is, for example, 30 degrees or less, and preferably 15 degrees or less.

[0053] The auxiliary grooves 76 have a depth H76 such that the edges of the substrates W are not inserted into the auxiliary grooves 76 when the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid 3 and the edges of the substrates W are supported by the substrate support plate-like portions 5, which are lateral substrate support portions, whereas the depth H76 allows the edges of the substrates W to be inserted into the auxiliary grooves 76 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The depth H76 of the auxiliary grooves 76 is, for example, 3.5 mm or more, preferably 4.5 mm or more, and more preferably 4.5 to 6.0 mm.

[0054] Next, the rear retainer 6 will be described in detail. Fig. 6A is a perspective view showing the rear retainer 6 of the substrate storage container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6B is a partial front view showing the rear retainer 6 of the substrate storage container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7A is a partial enlarged view of the periphery of the protruding wall portion 60 on the left side of Fig. 6A. Fig. 7B is a partial enlarged view of the periphery of the protruding wall portion 60 on the left side of Fig. 6B. Fig. 7C is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the rear-side substrate support portion 63 and substrate edge auxiliary portion 65 of the rear retainer 6. Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the periphery of the protruding wall portion 60 on the left side of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A shown in Fig. 6B.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 6A to 9, the rear retainer 6 has a protruding wall portion 60, a rear side board support portion 63, a board edge auxiliary portion 65, an inner frame 62, an outer frame 61, and a flow hole 67.

[0056] The protruding wall portion 60 is a wall portion whose outer surface 605 (see FIG. 8 ) protrudes toward the container body opening 21 (i.e., toward the front side D11) and whose inner surface 606 (see FIG. 8 ) is curved so as to be recessed toward the container body opening 21. The inner surface 606 is typically a surface on the side of the rear wall 22 of the container body 2 or a surface facing the rear wall 22 of the container body 2. The protruding wall portion 60 is an integral wall portion extending in the vertical direction D2. Two protruding wall portions 60 are arranged in pairs, spaced apart at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction D3. Twenty-five rear-side substrate support portions 63 are provided on the protruding side of the protruding wall portion 60 (i.e., the front side D11), lined up in the vertical direction D2. The rear-side substrate support portion 63 on the left side 31 and the rear-side substrate support portion 63 on the right side 32 are arranged in pairs, spaced apart at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction D3. The rear side board support portions 63 arranged in pairs in the left-right direction D3 are provided in 25 pairs in parallel in the up-down direction D2.

[0057] The protruding wall portion 60 includes an outer wall portion 601, an inner wall portion 602, and a front wall portion 603. The outer wall portion 601 is the outer wall portion of the protruding wall portion 60 in the lateral direction D3. The inner wall portion 602 is the inner wall portion of the protruding wall portion 60 in the lateral direction D3. The front wall portion 603 is a wall portion that connects the outer wall portion 601 and the inner wall portion 602, and is the wall portion on the front side D11 of the protruding wall portion 60. A rear-side board support portion 63 and a board edge auxiliary portion 65 are provided over almost the entire front side of the front wall portion 603.

[0058] In this embodiment, the outer wall portion 601, the inner wall portion 602, and the front wall portion 603 of the protruding wall portion 60 are all flat plate-shaped. The shape of the protruding wall portion 60 is not limited. For example, the protruding wall portion 60 may be substantially V-shaped in top view, with the front wall portion 603 substantially absent. The protruding wall portion 60 may also be curved plate-shaped instead of flat plate-shaped.

[0059] The inner frame 62 is a portion that connects and supports the rear-side board support portion 63 on the left side D31 and the rear-side board support portion 63 on the right side D32. The outer frames 61 are provided integrally with the protruding wall portion 60 on both outer sides in the lateral direction D3. The outer frames 61 engage with the wall portion 20 of the container body 2, thereby fixing (attaching) the rear retainer 6 to the container body 2.

[0060] When a substrate W is stored in the substrate storage space 27 and the lid 3 is closed, the rear substrate support portion 63 clamps and supports the edge of the edge of the substrate W. As shown in Figures 7A to 7C, the rear substrate support portion 63 has an upper inclined surface 631 and a lower inclined surface 632.

[0061] The upper inclined surface 631 abuts against the edge of the front surface (upper surface) of the substrate W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The lower inclined surface 632 abuts against the edge of the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate W. Specifically, the upper inclined surface 631 is configured as an inclined surface that extends at an angle so as to approach the center of the substrate storage space 27 in the front-to-rear direction D1 as it progresses upward in the direction D21. The lower inclined surface 632 is configured as an inclined surface that extends at an angle so as to move away from the center of the substrate storage space 27 in the front-to-rear direction D1 as it progresses upward in the direction D21.

[0062] When the container body opening 21 is oriented sideways, the rear substrate support portion 63 has a V-shaped groove 64 having a lower inclined surface 632 disposed on the lower side and an upper inclined surface 631 disposed on the upper side. The upper inclined surface 631 and the lower inclined surface 632 form the V-shaped groove 64, which is a recessed groove that is recessed so as to be spaced apart from the center of the substrate storage space 27. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the edges of the front surface W1 and the back surface W2 of the substrate W abut against the upper inclined surface 631 and the lower inclined surface 632, respectively.

[0063] An edge of the back surface W2 of the substrate W slides against the lower inclined surface 632. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the substrate W slides against the lower inclined surface 632 and rises up, and when the substrate W reaches the apex of the V-shaped groove 64, the V-shaped groove 64 supports the edge of the substrate W. Note that the V-shaped groove 64 only needs to be substantially V-shaped in overall view, and may additionally have a surface substantially parallel to the D1-D3 plane, a surface substantially parallel to the D2-D3 plane, or the like.

[0064] A circulation hole 67 is provided so as to penetrate the front wall portion 603 and the rear-side substrate support portion 63 of the protruding wall portion 60. The circulation hole 67 is a through-hole extending in the front-rear direction D1. The direction in which the circulation hole 67 extends is not limited. When the substrate storage container 1 is cleaned with the rear retainer 6 disposed on the rear wall 22 side of the substrate storage space 27 of the container body 2 and then dried in this state, the container body opening 21 of the container body 2 is generally faced downward in order to remove liquid (such as water) present in the substrate storage space 27 of the container body 2. In this case, the protruding side of the protruding wall portion 60 of the rear retainer 6 faces downward.

[0065] If the protruding wall portion 60 were not provided with the circulation hole 67, even if the protruding side of the protruding wall portion 60 of the rear retainer 6 were facing downward, liquid located on the inner surface 606 side of the protruding wall portion 60 would accumulate on the inner surface 606 side of the protruding wall portion 60 (and would be difficult to drain from the inner surface 606 side). The circulation hole 67 is a hole for draining liquid located on the inner surface 606 side of the protruding wall portion 60 when the protruding side of the protruding wall portion 60 is facing downward. When the protruding side of the protruding wall portion 60 is facing downward, the circulation hole 67 extends in the up-down direction D2 so as to penetrate the rear-side substrate support portion 63. Therefore, in this embodiment, some or all of the liquid located on the inner surface 606 side of the protruding wall portion 60 is drained through the circulation hole 67.

[0066] Furthermore, if the protruding wall portion 60 does not have the communication holes 67, the area of ​​communication between the inner surface 606 side and the outer surface 605 side of the protruding wall portion 60 is relatively small. Therefore, the inner surface 606 side of the protruding wall portion 60 is difficult to dry. The communication holes 67 are holes for increasing the area of ​​communication between the inner surface 606 side and the outer surface 605 side of the protruding wall portion 60, thereby improving breathability (ventilation). Therefore, in this embodiment, the inner surface 606 side of the protruding wall portion 60 is easy to dry.

[0067] In this embodiment, one through hole 67 is provided in one rear substrate support portion 63. The area of ​​one through hole 67 is, for example, 30.5 mm ２ or more, preferably 30.5 to 40 mm ２ is.

[0068] Two board edge auxiliary parts 65 are arranged in pairs at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction D3. The board edge auxiliary parts 65 are provided on the front side D11 of the rear board support part 63. The board edge auxiliary parts 65 arranged in pairs in the left-right direction D3 in this way are arranged in a row of 25 in the up-down direction D2, similar to the rear board support part 63.

[0069] 7A to 9, the rear substrate support portion 63 and the substrate edge auxiliary portion 65 are disposed in positions facing the front retainer 7 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The substrate edge auxiliary portion 65 is formed with a plurality of auxiliary grooves 66 having openings wider than the thickness of the edge of the substrate W so that the edge of the substrate W can be inserted therein. The groove forming surface forming the auxiliary grooves 66 has a front surface facing portion 661 and a back surface facing portion 662.

[0070] When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid body 3, a space is formed between the edge of the substrate W and the groove forming surface (front surface facing surface) 661 and the groove forming surface (back surface facing surface) 662 of the auxiliary groove 66, so that the edge of the substrate W is inserted into the auxiliary groove 66 in a non-contact state where it is not in contact with the groove forming surface.

[0071] The front surface facing surface 661 is positioned substantially parallel to the front surface W1 of the substrate W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, and a portion of the front surface facing surface 661 faces the front surface W1 in the vertical direction D2 that is the direction connecting the front surface W1 and the back surface W2. The back surface facing surface 662 is positioned substantially parallel to the back surface W2 of the substrate W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, and a portion of the back surface facing surface 662 faces the back surface W2 in the vertical direction D2 that is the direction connecting the front surface W1 and the back surface W2.

[0072] The front surface facing surface 661 and the back surface facing surface 662 are substantially vertical planes. The front surface facing surface 661 and the back surface facing surface 662 form a pair of slightly inclined surfaces such that the opening 664 of the auxiliary groove 76 widens slightly as it approaches the bottom (rear side D12) of the auxiliary groove 66. The angle θ61 between the front surface W1 of the substrate W and the front surface facing surface 661 and / or the angle θ62 between the back surface W2 and the back surface facing surface 662 is, for example, 30 degrees or less, and preferably 15 degrees or less.

[0073] The auxiliary grooves 66 have a depth H66 such that the edges of the substrates W are not inserted into the auxiliary grooves 66 when the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid 3 and the edges of the substrates W are supported by the substrate support plate-like portions 5, which are lateral substrate support portions, whereas the edges of the substrates W are inserted into the auxiliary grooves 66 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The depth H66 of the auxiliary grooves 66 is, for example, 8 to 10.5 mm, and preferably 8 to 20 mm. The depth H66 of the auxiliary grooves 66 is preferably longer than the depth H76 of the auxiliary grooves 76 of the front retainer 7, and more preferably 14 mm or more longer.

[0074] With the container body opening 21 facing sideways, the groove forming surfaces 661, 662 of the auxiliary groove 66 are disposed between the V-shaped grooves 64, 64 of the rear-side substrate support portion 63 adjacent to them in the up-down direction D2. In other words, the arrangement of the groove forming surface (front surface facing surface) 661, the V-shaped groove 64, and the groove forming surface (rear surface facing surface) 662 is repeated from top to bottom.

[0075] A convex rib portion 68 that protrudes in the upward direction D21 and extends from the container body opening 21 toward the rear wall 22 of the wall portion 20 (i.e., in the rear direction D12) is provided at least on the inside of the lower inclined surface 632 of the rear-side substrate support portion 63 in the lateral direction D3. In this embodiment, the convex rib portion 68 is provided across the surface-facing surface portion 661 of the auxiliary groove 66 of the substrate edge auxiliary portion 65, the lower inclined surface 632 of the rear-side substrate support portion 63, and the upper inclined surface 631 of the rear-side substrate support portion 63.

[0076] The ridge portion 68 protrudes in a direction away from the surface, and has a first ridge portion 681 , a second ridge portion 682 , and a third ridge portion 683 .

[0077] The first convex rib portion 681 is provided on the inner edge in the horizontal direction D3 of the back surface facing surface portion 662 of the auxiliary groove 66 of the substrate edge auxiliary portion 65. The first convex rib portion 681 is a convex rib portion that protrudes upward in the horizontal direction D21 on the inner side in the horizontal direction D3 of the back surface facing surface portion 662, which is the groove forming surface arranged on the lower side D22 of the auxiliary groove 66, and extends from the container body opening 21 toward the back wall 22 of the wall portion 20 when the container body opening 21 is facing sideways.

[0078] The second convex rib portion 682 is provided on the inner edge in the horizontal direction D3 of the lower inclined surface 632 of the rear-side substrate support portion 63. The second convex rib portion 682 is a convex rib portion that protrudes upward in the horizontal direction D21 on the inner side of the lower inclined surface 632 in the horizontal direction D3 and extends from the container body opening 21 toward the rear wall 22 of the wall portion 20 when the container body opening 21 is facing sideways.

[0079] The third convex rib portion 683 is provided on the inner edge portion in the horizontal direction D3 of the upper inclined surface 631 of the rear-side substrate support portion 63. The first convex rib portion 681, the second convex rib portion 682, and the third convex rib portion 683 are continuous. By providing the first convex rib portion 681, the second convex rib portion 682, and the third convex rib portion 683, the contact area between the substrate W and the substrate edge auxiliary portion 65 and the rear-side substrate support portion 63 can be reduced, thereby reducing sliding resistance.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 8 , the rear retainer 6 is fixed to the container body 2 so that a gap G6 is formed between the rear retainer 6 and the rear wall 22 of the wall portion 20 of the container body 2. In this embodiment, the rear side of the rear retainer 6 (the side facing the rear wall 22; rear side D12) is not flat, but has a gap-forming protrusion 621 that protrudes in the rear direction D12. The gap-forming protrusion 621 forms the gap G6 between the rear wall 22 of the container body 2 and the flat portion of the rear surface of the rear retainer 6. The size of the gap G6 is, for example, 4 mm or more, and preferably 4 to 6 mm. Note that the configuration for forming the gap G6 is not limited. For example, the gap G6 may be formed by a protrusion provided on the rear wall 22 of the container body 2.

[0081] Next, we will explain the operation of storing substrates W in the substrate storage space 27 and closing the container body opening 21 with the lid 3 in the substrate storage container 1 described above. First, as shown in Figure 1, the container body 2 is positioned so that the front-rear direction D1 and the left-right direction D3 are parallel to the horizontal plane. Next, multiple substrates W are placed on the plate-like substrate support portion 5 and the lower inclined surface 632 of the rear substrate support portion 63. At this time, the substrates W are not positioned in the V-shaped groove 74 of the lid-side substrate support portion 73 or the auxiliary groove 76 of the substrate edge auxiliary portion 75 (they do not overlap in plan view).

[0082] Next, the lid 3 is brought closer to the container body opening 21, and the lower inclined surface 732 of the front retainer 7 abuts against the edge of the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate W, and the upper inclined surface 731 of the front retainer 7 abuts against the edge of the front surface of the substrate W. Then, as the lid 3 is brought further closer to the container body opening 21, the substrate W is pressed in the rear direction D12 at its front by the lower inclined surface 732 and the upper inclined surface 731 of the front retainer 7, and is pressed in the front direction D11 at its rear by abutting against the rear substrate support portion 63, so that it is held sandwiched between the front direction D11 and the rear direction D12. The rear side (rear side D12) of the substrate W moves in the vertical direction D2, while the opening side (front direction D11 side) does not move in the vertical direction D2. At this time, the substrate W is positioned in the auxiliary groove 76 of the substrate edge auxiliary portion 75 (overlapping in plan view).

[0083] Thereafter, the substrate storage container 1 is rotated 90° so that the container body opening 21 faces vertically upward and is then transported, or it is not rotated 90° and is transported so that the container body opening 21 faces horizontally.

[0084] If an impact acts on the substrate storage container 1 from outside the substrate storage container 1 while the substrate storage container 1 is being transported with substrates W stored therein, the substrates W that have been in contact with the V-shaped grooves 74 of the lid-side substrate support portions 73 may be about to come off the V-shaped grooves 74. Even in such a case, the substrates W are not in contact with the auxiliary grooves 76 of the substrate edge auxiliary portions 75, and therefore are unlikely to come off the auxiliary grooves 76 of the substrate edge auxiliary portions 75. Similarly, if an impact acts on the substrate storage container 1 from outside the substrate storage container 1, the substrates W that have been in contact with the V-shaped grooves 64 of the rear-side substrate support portions 63 may be about to come off the V-shaped grooves 64. Even in such a case, the substrates W are not in contact with the auxiliary grooves 66 of the substrate edge auxiliary portions 65, and therefore are unlikely to come off the auxiliary grooves 66 of the substrate edge auxiliary portions 65. Therefore, the substrates W are prevented from coming off the lid-side substrate support portions 73 and / or the rear-side substrate support portions 63, i.e., the occurrence of cross slots is suppressed.

[0085] The substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment having the above configuration can provide the following effects: The substrate storing container 1 according to one embodiment includes a container body 2 having a cylindrical wall 20 with a container body opening 21 formed at one end and a closed other end, the inner surface of which forms a substrate storing space 27 capable of storing a plurality of substrates W and communicating with the container body opening 21, a lid 3 that is detachable from the container body opening 21 and can close the container body opening 21, a lid-side substrate support portion 73 that is located on a portion of the lid 3 that faces the substrate storing space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3 and that can support edges of the plurality of substrates W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, and a rear retainer 6. The rear retainer 6 is arranged in the substrate storage space 27 to form a pair with the lid body side substrate support portion 73, and is capable of supporting the edges of multiple substrates W.The rear retainer 6 is equipped with a rear side substrate support portion 63 that cooperates with the lid body side substrate support portion 73 to support the multiple substrates W with the edges of the multiple substrates W aligned side by side when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid body 3, a protruding wall portion 60 whose outer surface 605 protrudes toward the container body opening 21 and whose inner surface 606 is recessed toward the container body opening 21, and in which the rear side substrate support portion 63 is provided on the protruding side of the protruding wall portion 60, and a circulation hole 67 for circulating liquid and / or gas located on the side of the inner surface 606 of the protruding wall portion 60 when the protruding side of the protruding wall portion 60 is facing downward.

[0086] With the above configuration, liquid located on the inner surface 606 side of the protruding wall portion 60 moves through the flow holes 67 in the direction indicated by the arrow DF (see FIG. 8 ) and is easily discharged to the outer surface 605 side of the protruding wall portion 60. Furthermore, air permeability (ventilation) is high between the inner surface 606 side and the outer surface 605 side of the protruding wall portion 60 in the direction indicated by the arrow DG (see FIG. 8 ). Therefore, when the substrate storage container 1 is cleaned with the rear retainer 6 disposed on the back wall 22 side of the substrate storage space 27 of the container body 2, insufficient drying on the inner surface 606 side of the rear retainer can be improved after cleaning, eliminating the need to unnecessarily extend the time of the drying process and suppressing increases in production costs.

[0087] Furthermore, when the protruding side of the protruding wall portion 60 faces downward, the communication hole 67 extends in the vertical direction so as to penetrate through the rear-side substrate support portion 63 .

[0088] With the above configuration, the liquid located on the inner surface 606 side of the protruding wall portion 60 moves smoothly through the flow hole 67 straight down and is quickly discharged to the outer surface 605 side of the protruding wall portion 60.

[0089] Furthermore, the rear retainer 6 is fixed to the container body 2 so that a gap G6 is formed between the rear retainer 6 and the inner wall 22 of the wall portion 20 of the container body 2 .

[0090] With the above configuration, the liquid located between the rear retainer 6 and the inner wall 22 of the wall portion 20 of the container body 2 is less susceptible to capillary action and is more likely to flow out from (and less likely to remain in) the gap between the rear retainer 6 and the inner wall 22 of the wall portion 20 of the container body 2. In addition, the gap between the rear retainer 6 and the inner wall 22 of the wall portion 20 of the container body 2 is more likely to dry out.

[0091] Furthermore, when the container body opening 21 is oriented sideways, the rear substrate support portion 63 is provided with a V-shaped groove 64 having a lower inclined surface 632 arranged on the lower side D22 and an upper inclined surface 631 arranged on the upper side D21. When the container body opening 21 is oriented sideways, a second convex ridge portion 682 is provided on the inside of the lower inclined surface 632 in the lateral direction D3, protruding in the upward direction D21 and extending from the container body opening 21 toward the rear wall 22 of the wall portion 20.

[0092] This configuration reduces the contact area between the back surface W2 of the substrate W and the lower inclined surface 632 of the rear substrate support portion 63. Therefore, when the container body opening 21 is closed with the lid 3, the substrate W slides up against the lower inclined surface 632, and the edge of the substrate W is supported by the V-shaped groove 64. This reduces the sliding resistance between the back surface W2 of the substrate W and the lower inclined surface 632 of the rear substrate support portion 63. The second protruding ribs 682 are disposed on the inner side of the lower inclined surface 632 in the lateral direction D3 and are offset from the flow holes 67 in the lateral direction D3. Therefore, the second protruding ribs 682 do not obstruct the movement of the liquid that passes through and falls through the flow holes 67. Furthermore, the second protruding ribs 682 do not obstruct the freedom of mold separation during mold separation to form the flow holes 67.

[0093] The rear retainer 6 is further provided with an auxiliary groove 66, which is arranged in a portion facing the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, and has an opening 664 wider than the thickness of the edge of the substrate W so that the edge of the substrate W can be inserted therein. The auxiliary groove 66 has opposing groove-forming surfaces (a front-facing surface portion 661 and a back-facing surface portion 662), and the edges of the plurality of substrates W are inserted into the auxiliary groove 66 one by one when at least the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the edge of the substrate W is inserted into the auxiliary groove 66 in a non-contact state in which a space is formed between the edge of the substrate W and the groove forming surfaces 661, 662, and the edge of the substrate W is not in contact with the groove forming surfaces 661, 662, and when the container body opening 21 is turned sideways, the groove forming surfaces 661, 662 of the auxiliary groove 66 are positioned between the V-shaped grooves 64 of the rear substrate support part 63 adjacent to them in the vertical direction D2.

[0094] With the above configuration, even if an impact acts on the substrate storing container 1 from outside the substrate storing container 1 during transport of the substrate storing container 1 with substrates W stored therein, causing the substrates W that have been in contact with the rear-side substrate support parts 63 to come off the rear-side substrate support parts 63, the substrates W are not in contact with the auxiliary grooves 66 and are therefore unlikely to come off from the auxiliary grooves 66. This makes it possible to protect the substrates W from impacts acting on the substrate storing container 1 and also to prevent the substrates W from coming off the rear-side substrate support parts 63, i.e., prevent the occurrence of cross slots.

[0095] Furthermore, when the container body opening 21 is oriented sideways, a first convex rib portion 681 is provided on the inner side in the lateral direction D3 of the groove forming surface 662 arranged on the lower side D22 of the auxiliary groove 66, the first convex rib portion 681 protruding in the upward direction D21 and extending from the container body opening 21 toward the rear wall 22 of the wall portion 20.

[0096] The above configuration reduces the contact area between the back surface W2 of the substrate W and the groove forming surface 662 arranged on the lower side D22 of the auxiliary groove 66. Therefore, if the substrate W slides on the groove forming surface 662 arranged on the lower side D22, the sliding resistance between the back surface W2 of the substrate W and the groove forming surface 662 arranged on the lower side D22 can be reduced. The first convex rib portion 681 is arranged on the inner side of the groove forming surface 662 arranged on the lower side D22 in the lateral direction D3, and is arranged at a position offset from the flow hole 67 in the lateral direction D3. Therefore, the first convex rib portion 681 is unlikely to hinder the movement of liquid dropping through the flow hole 67. Furthermore, when the mold is split to form the flow hole 67, the first convex rib portion 681 is unlikely to hinder the degree of freedom of the mold splitting.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications are possible within the technical scope defined in the claims.

[0098] For example, the shapes of the container body and lid, and the number and dimensions of substrates W that can be stored in the container body are not limited to those of the container body 2 and lid 3 in this embodiment. That is, the configurations of the side substrate support portions (substrate support plate portions 5), front retainer 7, and rear retainer 6 are not limited to those in the embodiment. Furthermore, although the substrates W in this embodiment are silicon wafers with a diameter of 300 mm, they are not limited to this value.

[0099] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate storage container 2 Container body 3 Lid 5 Substrate support plate-shaped portion (lateral substrate support portion) 6 Rear retainer 21 Container body opening 22 Back wall 27 Substrate storage space 28 Opening periphery 60 Protruding wall portion 63 Back side substrate support portion 64 V-shaped groove 65 Substrate edge auxiliary portion 66 Auxiliary groove 67 Flow hole 68 Convex ridge portion 601 Outer wall portion 602 Inner wall portion 603 Front wall portion 605 Outer surface 606 Inner surface 631 Upper inclined surface 632 Lower inclined surface 661 Front surface facing surface portion (groove-forming surface) 662 Back surface facing surface portion (groove-forming surface) 664 Opening 681 First convex ridge portion 682 Second convex ridge portion 683 Third convex ridge portion 73 Lid side substrate support portion 75 Board edge auxiliary part 76 Auxiliary groove 761 Front facing surface part (groove forming surface) 762 Back facing surface part (groove forming surface) D1 Front and back direction D11 Front direction, front side D12 Back direction, rear side D2 Up and down direction D21 Upward direction, upper side D22 Downward direction, lower side D3 Left and right direction, lateral direction W Board

Claims

1. A container body having a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening formed at one end and the other end closed, and a substrate storage space capable of storing a plurality of substrates is formed by the inner surface of the wall portion and communicates with the container body opening; A lid that is detachable from the container body opening and can close the container body opening; A lid-side substrate support portion disposed at a portion of the lid that faces the substrate storage space when the container body opening is closed by the lid, and capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates when the container body opening is closed by the lid; A rear retainer, and a substrate storage container comprising: The rear retainer is: Disposed in the substrate storage space so as to be paired with the lid-side substrate support portion, capable of supporting the edges of the plurality of substrates, and when the container body opening is closed by the lid, in cooperation with the lid-side substrate support portion, in a state where the edges of the plurality of substrates are parallel, an inner-side substrate support portion that supports the plurality of substrates; A protruding wall portion in which the outer surface, which is the surface on the side of the container body opening, protrudes toward the container body opening and the inner surface, which is the opposite surface of the outer surface, is recessed toward the container body opening, and the inner-side substrate support portion is provided on the protruding side of the protruding wall portion; A substrate storage container comprising a circulation hole for circulating liquid located on the inner surface side of the protruding wall portion when the protruding side of the protruding wall portion is directed downward.

2. The substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein in a state where the protruding side of the protruding wall portion is directed downward, the circulation hole extends in the vertical direction so as to penetrate the inner-side substrate support portion.

3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear retainer is fixed to the container body so as to have a gap between the rear retainer and the inner wall of the wall portion of the container body.

4. In a state where the container body opening is oriented horizontally, the inner-side substrate support portion includes a V-shaped groove having a lower inclined surface disposed on the lower side and an upper inclined surface disposed on the upper side; The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in a state where the container body opening is oriented horizontally, a convex strip portion that protrudes upward and extends from the container body opening toward the inner wall of the wall portion is provided inside the lower inclined surface in the horizontal direction.

5. The retainer is disposed at a portion facing the substrate storage space when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body, and further includes an auxiliary groove having an opening wider than the thickness of the edge portion of the substrate so that the edge portion of the substrate can be inserted. The auxiliary groove has opposing groove-forming surfaces, and at least when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body, the edge portions of the plurality of substrates are inserted one by one. When the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body, a space is formed between the edge portion of the substrate and the groove-forming surface, and the edge portion of the substrate is inserted into the auxiliary groove in a non-contact state where the edge portion of the substrate does not contact the groove-forming surface. The substrate storage container according to claim 4, wherein in a state where the opening of the container body is oriented horizontally, the groove-forming surface of the auxiliary groove is disposed between the V-shaped grooves of the back-side substrate support portions adjacent in the vertical direction.

6. The substrate storage container according to claim 5, wherein in a state where the opening of the container body is oriented horizontally, a ridge portion that protrudes upward and extends from the opening of the container body toward the back wall of the wall portion is provided on the inner side in the horizontal direction of the groove-forming surface disposed below the auxiliary groove.

7. A container body having a cylindrical wall portion with an opening formed at one end and closed at the other end, and a substrate storage space that can accommodate a plurality of substrates and communicates with the opening of the container body is formed by the inner surface of the wall portion. A lid body that is detachable from the opening of the container body and can close the opening of the container body. A lid body-side substrate support portion that is disposed at a portion of the lid body facing the substrate storage space when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body, and can support the edge portions of the plurality of substrates when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body. A retainer in a substrate storage container including a retainer, The retainer is Disposed in the substrate storage space so as to be paired with the lid body-side substrate support portion, capable of supporting the edge portions of the plurality of substrates, and when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body, cooperating with the lid body-side substrate support portion to support the plurality of substrates in a state where the edge portions of the plurality of substrates are parallel. A protruding wall portion in which the outer surface, which is the surface on the side of the opening of the container body, protrudes toward the opening of the container body and the inner surface, which is the opposite surface of the outer surface, is recessed toward the opening of the container body, and the back substrate support portion is provided on the protruding side of the protruding wall portion. A rear retainer comprising: a circulation hole for circulating a liquid located on the inner surface side of the protruding wall portion when the protruding side of the protruding wall portion faces downward. **Claim 8** The rear retainer according to claim 7, wherein in a state where the protruding side of the protruding wall portion faces downward, the circulation hole extends in the vertical direction so as to penetrate the back substrate support portion. **Claim 9** The rear retainer according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the rear retainer is fixed to the container body so as to have a gap between the rear retainer and the back wall of the wall portion of the container body. **Claim 10** In a state where the opening of the container body faces sideways, the back substrate support portion includes a V-shaped groove having a lower inclined surface disposed on the lower side and an upper inclined surface disposed on the upper side. The rear retainer according to claim 7 or 8, wherein in a state where the opening of the container body faces sideways, a ridge portion that protrudes upward and extends from the opening of the container body toward the back wall of the wall portion is provided inside the lower inclined surface in the lateral direction. **Claim 11** The rear retainer is disposed at a portion facing the substrate storage space when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body, and further includes an auxiliary groove having an opening wider than the thickness of the edge of the substrate so that the edge of the substrate can be inserted. The auxiliary groove has opposing groove-forming surfaces, and at least when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body, the edges of the plurality of substrates are inserted one by one. The edge of the substrate is inserted into the auxiliary groove in a non-contact state where a space is formed between the edge of the substrate and the groove-forming surface and the edge of the substrate does not contact the groove-forming surface when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body. The rear retainer according to claim 10, wherein in a state where the opening of the container body faces sideways, the groove-forming surface of the auxiliary groove is disposed between the V-shaped grooves of the back substrate support portion adjacent in the vertical direction. **Claim 12** In a state where the opening of the container body is oriented horizontally, a rib portion that protrudes upward and extends from the opening of the container body toward the inner wall of the wall portion is provided on the inner side in the lateral direction on the groove forming surface disposed below the auxiliary groove. The retainer according to claim 11.