Fixing kit for precision substrate housing container

Abstract

Provided is a fixing kit for a precision substrate housing container, the fixing kit being easy to handle and making it possible for the precision substrate housing container to be fixed and unfixed in association with the opening / closing of a door set.　The kit is to be used when a precision substrate housing container 1 is housed in a semiconductor wafer housing container 10 for transport and comprises an adapter tray 20 that is housed in the body 11 of the semiconductor wafer housing container 10 and is for mounting the precision substrate housing container 1, a left / right pair of clamp mechanisms 30 that have respective clamp pieces 32 that are rotated to fix the precision substrate housing container 1 at a front part of the adapter tray 20, and an associative operation mechanism 40 that is installed on a door set 16 that opens / closes a front surface of the body 11 of the semiconductor wafer housing container 10. The associative operation mechanism 40 rotates the clamp pieces 32 of the left / right pair of clamp mechanisms 30 in response to the door set 16 opening / closing the body 11 of the semiconductor wafer housing container 10, thereby causing the clamp pieces 32 to contact or withdraw from the precision substrate housing container 1.

Description

Fixing kit for precision substrate storage container

[0001] The present invention relates to a precision substrate container fixing kit used when a precision substrate container such as a reticle container is housed in a semiconductor wafer container and transported.

[0002] Semiconductor wafer storage containers called FOUPs are used in semiconductor factories to store and transport 300 mm semiconductor wafers, storing multiple 300 mm semiconductor wafers, but in recent years there has been a demand for them to store photomask storage containers or reticle storage containers instead of semiconductor wafers.This is because photomasks and reticles are used in the front-end processes of semiconductor manufacturing, and it would be extremely efficient if precision substrate storage containers such as photomask storage containers or reticle storage containers could be stored in semiconductor wafer storage containers and transported while being suspended by an automatic transport device such as an OHT.

[0003] However, because semiconductor wafers such as silicon wafers and precision substrate storage containers differ in size and shape, it is difficult to safely store precision substrate storage containers in semiconductor wafer storage containers. In light of this, methods for safely and reliably storing precision substrate storage containers in semiconductor wafer storage containers have been studied and proposed (see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). For example, (1) a method in which the precision substrate storage container is mounted on a circular adapter and secured with multiple fasteners, and the adapter is stored in the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, and (2) a method in which a required number of precision substrate storage containers are stored in a shelf-shaped storage jig, and the storage jig is stored in the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container have been studied and proposed.

[0004] Patent No. 5959302 Patent No. 5916508 Patent No. 7257418

[0005] Although both methods (1) and (2) are expected to be effective, they require the precision substrate storage container to be mounted on the adapter, the multiple fixtures to be operated in sequence to secure the precision substrate storage container, the adapter to be housed in the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, and then the door set to be press-fitted into the open front of the body, which makes it impossible to reduce the number of work steps and may prevent improvements in work efficiency. Also, in the case of method (2), the storage jig becomes large, which may cause problems in handling.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container that can fix and release the precision substrate storage container in conjunction with the opening and closing of a door set, and that is easy to handle.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is used when storing and transporting a precision substrate storage container in a semiconductor wafer storage container, and includes an adapter tray that carries the precision substrate storage container and is stored in the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, a clamping mechanism that rotates a clamp piece at the front of the adapter tray to secure the precision substrate storage container, and an interlocking operation mechanism that is attached to a door set that opens and closes the front of the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, and is characterized in that the interlocking operation mechanism rotates the clamp piece of the clamping mechanism in response to the opening and closing of the door set relative to the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, causing the clamp piece to approach and move away from the precision substrate storage container.

[0008] The adapter tray may be formed in a planar, generally frame-like shape that can be fitted to the flange of the precision substrate storage container, and the adapter may be formed with endless support pieces that can support the flange of the precision substrate storage container.

[0009] The clamp mechanism includes a fixed base attached to the front of the adapter tray and a rotatable clamp piece supported by the fixed base, the clamp piece being formed in a generally J-shape, with a generally L-shaped crank portion formed on the long side of the clamp piece that engages with the front of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container, and an inclined upright portion formed on the short side of the clamp piece; the interlocking operation mechanism includes a plurality of protruding pieces attached to the rear surface of the door set of the semiconductor wafer storage container so as to face each other and extend toward the body, a first operating rod bridged between the plurality of protruding pieces, and a second operating rod bridged between the plurality of protruding pieces and interposed at an interval between the rear surface of the door set and the first operating rod; When the door set is fitted and attached to the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, it is preferable that the first operating rod presses the long side of the clamp piece toward the rear of the body, the first and second operating rods clamp the inclined upright portion of the clamp piece at a distance from each other, and the second operating rod presses the short side of the clamp piece toward the rear of the body to engage the crank portion of the clamp piece with the front of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container.When the door set is removed from the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, it is preferable that the first operating rod presses the short side of the clamp piece toward the door set to pull the crank portion of the clamp piece away from the front of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container, the first operating rod presses the inclined upright portion of the clamp piece toward the door set, and the clamp piece rotates to retract the inclined upright portion of the clamp piece from between the first and second operating rods.

[0010] The clamp mechanism has a fixed base formed in a generally U-shape that holds the clamp pieces so that they can rotate freely, and this fixed base can be provided with a posture control unit that directs the crank parts of the clamp pieces diagonally upward and forward.The interlocking operation mechanism also has first and second operating rods that are generally circular in cross section, and the second operating rod can be positioned lower than the first operating rod.

[0011] Here, the precision substrate storage container in the claims includes a photomask storage container, a reticle storage container, or the like, whose lower portion protrudes as a flange portion. This precision substrate storage container may be a single-pod type or a multi-pod type. Furthermore, the semiconductor wafer storage container is preferably a FOUP type, but an unused FOSB type used for transportation may also be acceptable if no problems arise. The clamping mechanism may be singular or multiple. Furthermore, the term "approximately J-shaped" includes not only a J-shape but also similar shapes (such as an approximately L-shape) that do not result in any difference in the effects of the present invention. The term "approximately L-shaped" includes not only an L-shape but also similar shapes (such as a J-shape or an inverted R-shape) that do not result in any difference in the effects of the present invention.

[0012] The term "approximately U-shaped" includes not only a U-shape but also similar shapes (such as an inverted C-shape, a groove shape, and a lip groove shape) that do not result in any difference in the effects of the present invention. Furthermore, the up-down, front-rear, left-right directions of the fixing kit for precision substrate storage containers according to the present invention are directions based on the drawings and can be appropriately changed as needed. Furthermore, while the subject of the present invention is a fixing kit for precision substrate storage containers, if the configuration for another use is the same as the configuration of the present invention and can be converted into a fixing kit for precision substrate storage containers, and the effects of the present invention are achieved, the configuration for the other use falls within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to fix and release a precision substrate storage container in conjunction with the opening and closing of a door set, and it is also possible to provide an easy-to-use fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 2, the clamp piece is formed in a generally J-shape, and a generally L-shaped crank portion is formed on the long side of the clamp piece to engage with the front flange portion of the precision substrate storage container, and an inclined upright portion is formed on the short side of the clamp piece, so that the precision substrate storage container can be fixed and released with a simple configuration. In particular, because the inclined upright portion extends from the short side of the clamp piece, this inclined upright portion can be reliably brought into contact with the first operating rod, allowing the clamp piece to be rotated appropriately. Furthermore, the fixing and releasing of the precision substrate storage container can be linked with the attachment and detachment of the door set while simplifying the configuration of the interlocking operation mechanism.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 3, the fixed base is formed in a generally U-shape that clamps the clamp pieces, thereby ensuring stable posture when the clamp pieces rotate. Furthermore, even if the crank portions of the clamp pieces clamp the front flange of the precision substrate storage container after the door set is removed, the clamp pieces are free to rotate, so the crank portions can be easily removed from the front flange of the precision substrate storage container by operating the clamp pieces. Furthermore, the fixed base's posture control unit contacts the first operating rod of the interlocking operating mechanism with the clamp pieces of the clamp mechanism in a forward-inclined position rather than a vertically upright position, thereby enabling the clamp pieces to be pressed backward and reliably rotated. Additionally, it is possible to prevent the first operating rod from contacting the short sides or inclined upright portions of the clamp pieces and preventing the door set from being incompletely fitted.

[0016] According to the invention of claim 4, the first and second operating rods of the interlocking operating mechanism are not generally polygonal in cross section but generally circular in cross section with no corners or steps on their peripheries, which allows the clamp pieces to move smoothly toward and away from the peripheries of the first and second operating rods. Also, since the second operating rod is positioned lower than the first operating rod, it is possible to prevent the inclined upright portions of the clamp pieces from coming into contact with the second operating rod and interfering with the rotation of the clamp pieces.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing the relationship between a precision substrate storage container, a body of a semiconductor wafer storage container, and an adapter tray in an embodiment of a fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing the relationship between a door set of a semiconductor wafer storage container and an interlocking operation mechanism in an embodiment of a fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container according to the present invention; Fig. 3 is a perspective explanatory view schematically showing the relationship between an adapter tray and a clamp mechanism in an embodiment of a fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view schematically showing the interlocking operation mechanism in an embodiment of a fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container according to the present invention; 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of the fixing operation of the clamp mechanism in an embodiment of the fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container according to the present invention, in which (a) is a side view showing the state in which the interlocking operating mechanism of the door set approaches the clamp mechanism of the adapter tray, (b) is a side view showing the state in which the first operating rod of the interlocking operating mechanism presses the long side of the clamp piece toward the rear of the body, (c) is a side view showing the state in which the clamp piece rotates to point the crank portion upward and raise the inclined standing portion, (d) is a side view showing the state in which the clamp piece rotates to cause the inclined standing portion to enter between the first and second operating rods of the interlocking operating mechanism, (e) is a side view showing the state in which the second operating rod of the interlocking operating mechanism further presses the short side of the clamp piece toward the rear of the body to rotate the clamp piece, and (f) is a side view showing the state in which the crank portion of the clamp piece is engaged with the front upper surface of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the release operation of the clamp mechanism in an embodiment of the fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container according to the present invention, in which (a) is a side explanatory view showing the state in which the door set begins to be pulled out from the front of the body, (b) is a side explanatory view showing the state in which the first operating rod of the interlocking operating mechanism presses the short side of the clamp piece toward the door set, (c) is a side explanatory view showing the state in which the clamp piece rotates to pull the crank portion upward from the front of the lower part of the precision substrate storage container, (d) is a side explanatory view showing the state in which the first operating rod presses the inclined upright portion of the clamp piece toward the door set, (e) is a side explanatory view showing the state in which the clamp piece further rotates to point the crank portion upward, and (f) is a side explanatory view showing the state in which the clamp piece rotates to retract the inclined upright portion from between the first and second operating rods.1 is a side view of a precision substrate storage container fixing kit according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a first operating rod accidentally comes into contact with a short side or the like of a clamp piece. 2 is a side view of a precision substrate storage container fixing kit according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a clamp piece of a clamp mechanism is freely rotatable.

[0018] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 , the fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container in this embodiment is a set used when storing a precision substrate storage container 1 in a semiconductor wafer storage container 10 and transporting it, and includes an adapter tray 20 that carries the precision substrate storage container 1 and is stored in the body 11 of the semiconductor wafer storage container 10, a pair of left and right clamping mechanisms 30 that rotate clamp pieces 32 at the front of the adapter tray 20 to fix the precision substrate storage container 1, and an interlocking operation mechanism 40 for the clamping mechanisms 30 that is attached to the door set 16 of the semiconductor wafer storage container 10, and contributes to the achievement of Goal 9 of the SDGs adopted at the United Nations Summit.

[0019] 1 and 3, the precision substrate storage container 1 is a pod weighing approximately 5 kg, with a lid fitted over the open top of the main body for storing precision substrates, and with the front, rear, left, and right flanges 2 at the bottom extending outward in the width direction. Specifically, it is at least one of a SEMI-compliant photomask storage container for storing photomasks, which are precision substrates, and a SEMI-compliant reticle storage container for storing reticles, which are precision substrates. These containers may be tall or short.

[0020] 1, 2, 7, 8, etc., the semiconductor wafer storage container 10 is configured as a FOUP type used in mini-environment semiconductor factories, and includes a body 11 capable of storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers in an aligned manner, and a door set 16 that is detachably fitted to the open front of the body 11. The body 11 is molded into a front-open box with an open front from a molding material containing a predetermined resin, and on both sides inside the body 11, a pair of left and right support teeth 12 that are originally intended to horizontally support semiconductor wafers of φ300 mm are provided opposite each other, and these left and right support teeth 12 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction.

[0021] A bottom plate 13, which may be substantially Y-shaped, triangular, polygonal, or the like, is mounted horizontally on the underside of the bottom plate of the body 11, and a plurality of positioning fixtures are attached to this bottom plate 13, each of which fits from above onto a positioning pin of a semiconductor processing device (not shown) to position the semiconductor wafer storage container 10 with high precision. A robotic flange 14, which is substantially rectangular in plan view, is detachably attached as an option to the approximate center of the ceiling of the body 11, and this robotic flange 14 is suspended by an automatic transport device such as an OHT (overhead hitch) in a factory (not shown). Removably attached gripping handles 15 are optional on the outer surfaces of both sides of the body 11.

[0022] The door set 16 comprises a door body 17 having a generally rectangular front surface that is detachably press-fitted into the open front surface of the body 11, and a pair of left and right door covers 18 that cover both sides of the open front surface of the door body 17, with a locking mechanism 19 interposed between both sides of the open front surface of the door body 17 and the pair of left and right door covers 18 to prevent them from falling off. A front retainer (not shown) that holds the front peripheral edge of a semiconductor wafer horizontally with an elastic piece is detachably attached to a recessed central part of the back surface of the door body 17 that faces the back surface of the body 11, but this front retainer is removed and unused when the interlocking operation mechanism 40 is used.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1, 3, 5, 6, etc., the adapter tray 20 is molded into a flat, rectangular, approximately frame-shaped plate from a molding material containing a specified resin, in order to position the precision substrate storage container 1 in the X and Y directions and to reduce its weight, and is supported by a pair of support teeth 12 on the left and right of the body 11 in place of the semiconductor wafers.

[0024] The specified resin for the molding material is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate (PC) resin, cycloolefin polymer (COP) resin, cycloolefin copolymer (COC) resin, polypropylene (PP) resin, polyetherimide (PEI) resin, polyether ketone (PEK) resin, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) resin, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin, polyacetal (POM) resin, and liquid crystal polymer, as well as alloys thereof.

[0025] The central hollow portion 21 of the adapter tray 20 is formed into a rectangular shape in plan view and is sized in accordance with SEMI standards so that it can fit loosely with a small gap or tightly and without a gap into the flange portion 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1. Furthermore, on the back surface of the adapter tray 20, support pieces 22 with an L-shaped cross section located below the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion 21 are provided in the shape of an endless frame in plan view, and these support pieces 22 function to support the underside 4 of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container 1. On both sides of the adapter tray 20, elongated mounting pieces extending in the front-to-rear direction of the adapter tray 20 are formed to protrude, and each mounting piece is supported and mounted on the support teeth 12 of the body 11.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc., a pair of left and right clamp mechanisms 30 are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval on the front surface of the adapter tray 20. Each clamp mechanism 30 includes a fixed base 31 attached near the center of the front surface of the adapter tray 20 and a stepped clamp piece 32 pivotally supported by the fixed base 31 and freely rotatable in the vertical direction, and these are molded from the same molding material as the adapter tray 20. The fixed base 31 is formed, for example, by bending the front surface into a generally U-shape that holds the clamp piece 32 from the left and right via a gap, and a posture control unit that tilts the clamp piece 32 downward and forward is formed on an inclined surface on the inner surface, such as the inner bottom surface (see Figure 3).

[0027] The clamp piece 32 is formed, for example, in a generally J-shape that swings up and down, and has a pin inserted horizontally near the boundary between the long side 33 and the short side 35. This pin is axially mounted so as to be freely rotatable between both sides of the fixed base 31. The end of the long side 33 of the clamp piece 32 is integrally formed with a crank portion 34 that engages with the front upper surface 3 of the flange portion 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1 to position and fix it, and the end of the short side 35 is integrally formed with an inclined upright portion 36 that is inclined and faces toward the back surface of the door set 16. In consideration of test results, the crank portion 34 is bent into a generally L-shape to ensure reliable engagement, and faces diagonally upward and forward when the posture control unit tilts the clamp piece 32 forward to maintain the basic posture (see FIG. 3).

[0028] As shown in Figures 2, 4 to 6, the interlocking operation mechanism 40 comprises a pair of left and right vertical mounting bars 41 that are detachably attached to the center of the back surface of the door body 17 that constitutes the door set 16, a pair of left and right protruding pieces 42 that extend horizontally from the pair of left and right vertical mounting bars 41 toward the body 11, a first operating rod 44 that is horizontally installed between the tips of the pair of left and right protruding pieces 42 to improve rigidity, and a second operating rod 45 that is horizontally installed between the pair of left and right protruding pieces 42 and is interposed at a distance between the center of the back surface of the door body 17 and the first operating rod 44, these are molded from the same molding material as the adapter tray 20, and function to operate the clamp mechanism 30 in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door set 16.

[0029] A plurality of insertion grooves 43 for the first and second operating rods 44, 45 are cut out vertically on the opposing surfaces of the pair of protruding pieces 42. The first operating rod 44 is formed as a cylindrical rod with a circular cross section that extends horizontally and is installed slightly above the second operating rod 45. In contrast, the second operating rod 45 is also formed as a cylindrical rod with a circular cross section that extends horizontally and is installed slightly below the first operating rod 44, which not only improves the rigidity of the interlocking operating mechanism 40 but also prevents the second operating rod 45 from colliding with the inclined upright portion 36 of the clamp piece 32 and interfering with the rotation of the clamp piece 32.

[0030] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the door set 16 is fitted and attached to the body 11 of the semiconductor wafer storage container 10, this type of interlocking operation mechanism 40 functions as follows: the first operating rod 44 presses the long side 33 of the clamp piece 32 toward the rear of the body 11 to rotate it, the first and second operating rods 44 and 45 clamp the inclined upright portion 36 of the clamp piece 32 at a distance from each other, and then the second operating rod 45 presses the short side 35 of the clamp piece 32 toward the rear of the body 11 to rotate it, thereby engaging the crank portion 34 of the clamp piece 32 with the front of the flange portion 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1.

[0031] In contrast, when the door set 16 is pulled out and removed from the body 11 of the semiconductor wafer storage container 10, the first operating rod 44 presses the short side 35 of the clamp piece 32 toward the door set 16 to rotate it, and then the first operating rod 44 functions to press the inclined upright portion 36 of the clamp piece 32 toward the door set 16 to rotate it.

[0032] In the above configuration, when a tall precision substrate storage container 1 is stored in the semiconductor wafer storage container 10 and transported, first, the adapter tray 20 is inserted horizontally between the multiple support teeth 12 at the bottom inside the empty body 11, and a pair of mounting pieces of this adapter tray 20 is supported horizontally by a pair of left and right support teeth 12, and the precision substrate storage container 1 is inserted inside the body 11, and then the peripheral edge of the underside 4 of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container 1 is directly supported by the support pieces 22 of the adapter tray 20 to position it.

[0033] Next, the door set 16 is press-fitted into the open front of the body 11. The door set 16 may be press-fitted manually or automatically using an opener. When the door set 16 begins to be press-fitted, the interlocking operation mechanism 40 of the door set 16 approaches the clamp mechanism 30 of the adapter tray 20 (see FIG. 5( a)), and the first operating rod 44 presses the long side 33 of the clamp piece 32 toward the rear of the body 11 (see FIG. 5( b)). The clamp piece 32 then rotates, directing the crank portion 34 upward and raising the inclined upright portion 36 (see FIG. 5( c)). At this time, because the clamp piece 32 is waiting in a slightly downward and forward tilted position rather than in a vertically upright position, the first operating rod 44 can be reliably brought into contact with the long side 33 of the clamp piece 32, causing the clamp piece 32 to rotate.

[0034] Next, when the door set 16 is gradually pressed in deeper and fitted, the clamp piece 32 rotates, causing the rising inclined upright portion 36 to enter between the first and second operating rods 44, 45 of the interlocking operating mechanism 40 (see FIG. 5(d)), and the second operating rod 45 presses the short side 35 of the clamp piece 32 further toward the rear of the body 11 (see FIG. 5(e)), rotating the clamp piece 32, and this rotation causes the crank portion 34 of the clamp piece 32 to engage with the front upper surface 3 of the flange portion 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1 (see FIG. 5(f)). This engagement positions and fixes the precision substrate storage container 1 in the Z direction without any rattle, allowing the precision substrate storage container 1 to be stored in the semiconductor wafer storage container 10 and transported.

[0035] Next, when removing the door set 16 of the semiconductor wafer storage container 10 to take out the precision substrate storage container 1, first the engaged door set 16 is pulled out from the front of the body 11. The door set 16 may be pulled out manually or automatically using an opener. When the door set 16 begins to be pulled out (see FIG. 6(a)), the interlocking operation mechanism 40 of the door set 16 moves away from the clamp mechanism 30 of the adapter tray 20, the first operating rod 44 presses the short side 35 of the clamp piece 32 toward the door set 16 (see FIG. 6(b)), and the clamp piece 32 rotates to pull the crank portion 34 upward away from the front upper surface 3 of the flange portion 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1 (see FIG. 6(c)).

[0036] Next, as the door set 16 continues to be pulled out and the interlocking operating mechanism 40 is moved away from the clamp mechanism 30 of the adapter tray 20, the first operating rod 44 presses the inclined upright portion 36 of the clamp piece 32 toward the door set 16 (see Figure 6(d)), the clamp piece 32 rotates and points the crank portion 34 upward (see Figure 6(e)), and the clamp piece 32 rotates and lowers the inclined upright portion 36 from between the first and second operating rods 44 and 45 (see Figure 6(f)).

[0037] At this time, the inclined upright portion 36 extends at an angle from the short side of the clamp piece 32, so that the first operating rod 44 can be reliably brought into contact with the inclined upright portion 36 and rotated. As the inclined upright portion 36 descends, the clamp piece 32 retreats completely from between the first and second operating rods 44, 45, so that the door set 16 of the semiconductor wafer storage container 10 can be removed and the precision substrate storage container 1 can be taken out.

[0038] According to the above configuration, the fastening and unfastening of the precision substrate storage container 1 is linked with the attachment and detachment of the door set 16, which is expected to reduce the number of work steps, improve work efficiency, and contribute to process automation. Furthermore, the adapter tray 20 and the clamping mechanism 30 are not large shelves or the like, so they do not require large size, eliminating the risk of handling problems. Furthermore, the adapter tray 20 is a hollow frame with a reduced weight, which is expected to reduce the weight, eliminating the risk of the support teeth 12 of the body 11 being cracked or damaged. Furthermore, the lightweight adapter tray 20 also eliminates the risk of interfering with the transport of an automatic transport device that suspends the semiconductor wafer storage container 10.

[0039] Furthermore, because the clamp piece 32 waits in a slightly forward tilted position, it is possible to prevent the first operating rod 44 from contacting the short side 35 or the tilted upright portion 36 of the clamp piece 32, and to prevent the door set 16 from being incompletely fitted (see FIG. 7). Even if the crank portion 34 of the clamp piece 32 engages with the front upper surface 3 of the flange portion 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1 after the door set 16 is removed, the clamp piece 32 rotates freely, so that the crank portion 34 of the clamp piece 32 can be easily pulled away from the front upper surface 3 of the flange portion 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1 (see FIG. 8), allowing the precision substrate storage container 1 to be easily removed. Furthermore, because the support piece 22 of the adapter tray 20 has an L-shaped cross section and extends vertically, it is possible to load the precision substrate storage container 1 in a stable position regardless of the height of the precision substrate storage container 1.

[0040] The body 11 and door set 16 of the semiconductor wafer storage container 10 in the above embodiment can be molded from the same molding material as the adapter tray 20. In addition to a predetermined resin, the molding material of the adapter tray 20 may contain conductive materials such as carbon fiber, carbon powder, carbon nanotubes, and conductive polymers, as well as various antistatic agents such as anionic, cationic, and nonionic agents, as needed. A detachable spacer for adjusting the fixed height may be interposed between the flange 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1 and the adapter tray 20.

[0041] Furthermore, while the adapter tray 20 in the above embodiment has a substantially square frame shape in plan view, it may also have a substantially polygonal frame shape in plan view, or a plate shape without a hollow portion 21. The outer peripheral surface of the adapter tray 20 may have multiple corners or steps, or may be curved. Furthermore, the support pieces 22 of the adapter tray 20 may be endless frame-shaped, or may have multiple pieces. For example, support pieces 22 with a plate-like cross section may be formed protruding only from the lower front and lower rear portions of the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion 21 of the adapter tray 20. Furthermore, when the adapter tray 20 is a plate without a hollow portion 21, a plurality of positioning surrounding pieces for the precision substrate storage container 1 may be formed in an array on the surface of the adapter tray 20.

[0042] Furthermore, a fastener having an inverted L-shaped cross section can be screwed near the center of the rear surface of the adapter tray 20 to engage with the rear upper surface 3 of the flange 2 of the precision substrate storage container 1. In this case, if a recessed groove (also called a clearance) is formed in the rear surface of the support piece 22 so as to face the rear peripheral edge of the lower surface 4 of the flange of the precision substrate storage container 1, the precision substrate storage container 1 can be smoothly loaded after tilting its rear portion downward by utilizing this recessed groove. Furthermore, the fixing base 31 of the clamping mechanism 30 can be integrally molded on the front surface of the adapter tray 20, or can be detachably attached. Furthermore, all of the technologies described in this specification are subject to the acquisition of rights through amendments, divisional applications, etc.

[0043] The fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container according to the present invention is used in the field of semiconductor manufacturing and the like.

[0044] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 precision substrate storage container 2 flange portion 3 upper surface 10 semiconductor wafer storage container 11 body 12 support teeth 16 door set 17 door main body 18 door cover 20 adapter tray 21 hollow portion 22 support piece 30 clamp mechanism 31 fixed base 32 clamp piece 33 long side 34 crank portion 35 short side 36 inclined upright portion 40 interlocking operation mechanism 42 protruding piece 44 first operation rod 45 second operation rod

Claims

1. A precision substrate storage container fixing kit used when a precision substrate storage container is stored in a semiconductor wafer storage container and transported, comprising: an adapter tray which holds the precision substrate storage container and is stored in the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container; a clamping mechanism which rotates a clamp piece at the front of the adapter tray to fix the precision substrate storage container; and an interlocking operation mechanism which is attached to a door set which opens and closes the front of the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, wherein the interlocking operation mechanism rotates the clamp piece of the clamping mechanism in response to the opening and closing of the door set relative to the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, thereby causing the clamp piece to approach and move away from the precision substrate storage container.

2. The clamp mechanism includes a fixed base attached to the front of the adapter tray and a rotatable clamp piece supported by the fixed base, the clamp piece being formed into an approximately J-shape, the long side of the clamp piece being formed with an approximately L-shaped crank portion that engages with the front of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container, and the short side of the clamp piece being formed with an inclined upright portion; the interlocking operation mechanism includes a plurality of protruding pieces attached to the rear of the door set of the semiconductor wafer storage container and extending toward the body, a first operating rod installed between the plurality of protruding pieces, and a second operating rod installed between the plurality of protruding pieces and interposed at an interval between the rear of the door set and the first operating rod, and when the door set is fitted and attached to the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, the first operating rod has the function of pressing the long side of the clamp piece toward the rear of the body, the first and second operating rods have the function of clamping the inclined upright portion of the clamp piece at an interval, and the second operating rod has the function of clamping the short side of the clamp piece. a first operating rod pressing the short side of the clamp piece toward the rear of the body to engage the crank portion of the clamp piece with the front of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container, and when the door set is removed from the body of the semiconductor wafer storage container, a first operating rod pressing the short side of the clamp piece toward the door set to pull the crank portion of the clamp piece away from the front of the flange portion of the precision substrate storage container, a first operating rod pressing the inclined upright portion of the clamp piece toward the door set, and a clamp piece rotating to retract the inclined upright portion of the clamp piece from between the first and second operating rods.

3. A fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container as described in claim 2, in which the fixed base of the clamping mechanism is formed into an approximately U-shape that clamps and holds the clamp piece so that it can rotate freely, and this fixed base is formed with a posture control device that directs the crank portion of the clamp piece diagonally upward and forward.

4. A fixing kit for a precision substrate storage container as claimed in claim 2, in which the first and second operating rods of the interlocking operating mechanism are each formed to have a substantially circular cross section, and the second operating rod is positioned lower than the first operating rod.

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