Substrate storage container

Abstract

This substrate storage container 1 comprises a container body 2, a lid body 3, and a lid body–side substrate support part 7. The lid body–side substrate support part 7 has a pair of supported parts 71, leg parts 72 that are connected to the supported parts 71, and substrate reception parts 73 that are provided to the leg parts 72. The leg parts 72 extend in a straight line at an incline so as to approach the inside D33 in the lateral direction D3 toward the front side D11. The leg parts 72 are a leg part pair 72U that includes one leg part 72(72A) that is connected to one supported part 71(71A) and another leg part 72(72B) that is connected to the other supported part 71(71B) and not connected to the one supported part 71(71A). One substrate reception part 73A and the other substrate reception part 73B are separated in the lateral direction D3, and reception surfaces 76 of the substrate reception parts 73 are flat surfaces that spread along a reference plane P1 that is orthogonal to the front-rear direction D1. The leg parts 72 extend in a straight line at an angle θ of 30–60 degrees to the reference plane P1.

Description

Substrate storage container

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate storage container, and more particularly to a substrate storage container that stores a plurality of substrates such as semiconductor wafers in a parallel arrangement.

[0002] A known substrate storage container for storing substrates such as semiconductor wafers is configured to include a container body and a lid. The container body has a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening formed at one end on the front side and a closed other end on the rear side. A substrate storage space is formed within the container body. The substrate storage space is surrounded by the wall portion and can store multiple substrates. The container body has a rear substrate support portion at the rear side of the substrate storage space.

[0003] The lid is detachable from the container body opening and closes the container body opening when attached to the container body opening. A lid-side substrate support portion (also called a "front retainer") is disposed and attached to the inside of the lid, facing the substrate storage space of the container body when attached to the container body opening. The lid-side substrate support portion cooperates with the rear-side substrate support portion of the container body to support multiple substrates when the lid is attached to the container body opening.

[0004] The cover-side substrate support portion has, for example, a vertical frame portion extending in the up-down direction, legs connected to the vertical frame portion, and a substrate receiving portion provided on the legs. The substrate receiving portion is a portion that abuts against and receives the substrate when supporting the substrate.

[0005] International Publication No. 2023 / 026485

[0006] In the substrate support part on the lid side, particularly in substrate storage containers used for transportation, it is necessary to increase the substrate holding force (pressing force on the substrate) to prevent the substrate from coming off the substrate receiving part or cracking due to impact during use (such as during transportation.) However, increasing the holding force raises concerns about the generation of particles due to wear on the substrate support part on the lid side.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a substrate storage container that can achieve an appropriate substrate holding force in the lid-side substrate support part, which is neither too strong nor too weak, and can suppress the generation of particles due to wear of the lid-side substrate support part.

[0008] The present invention provides a container body having a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening formed at one end on the front side and the other end on the rear side closed, 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; and a lid body-side substrate support portion that is disposed in a portion of the lid body that faces the substrate storage space when the container body opening is closed by the lid body and can support edges of the plurality of substrates when the container body opening is closed by the lid body, wherein the direction in which the substrates are arranged side by side is referred to as the up-down direction and the direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is referred to as the lateral direction, and the lid body-side substrate support portion is supported by the lid body. the substrate storage container has a pair of supported parts in a horizontal direction, legs connected to the supported parts, and substrate receiving parts provided on the legs, the legs extend linearly and are inclined so as to approach the inside in the horizontal direction as they move toward the front, the legs form a leg pair with one leg connected to one of the supported parts and the other leg connected to the other supported part but not connected to one of the supported parts, the one substrate receiving part provided on one of the legs and the other substrate receiving part provided on the other leg are spaced apart in the horizontal direction, the receiving surface of the substrate receiving part extends in a vertical plane along a reference plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, and the angle at which the legs extend linearly with respect to the reference plane is 30 to 60 degrees.

[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable that the receiving surface of one of the board receiving portions provided on one of the legs and the receiving surface of the other of the board receiving portions provided on the other of the legs are separated laterally by at least 20 mm.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that the height of the receiving surface in the vertical direction is 2 mm or more.

[0011] The substrate storage container is preferably used for transportation.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the angle at which the leg extends linearly with respect to the reference plane is between 40 degrees and 50 degrees.

[0013] According to the present invention, a substrate storage container can be provided in which the substrate support portion on the lid side has an appropriate substrate holding force that is neither too strong nor too weak, thereby suppressing the generation of particles due to wear of the substrate support portion on the lid side.

[0014] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of substrates W are stored in a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a lid body 3 and a lid body side substrate support portion 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the inside. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lid body side substrate support portion 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the inside (support side). FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged rear view of a lid body side substrate support portion 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged right side view (viewed in the left direction D31) of a lid body side substrate support portion 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] A substrate storage container 1 according to this 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 storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a lid 3 and a lid-side substrate support portion 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the inside. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lid-side substrate support portion 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the inside (support side). FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged rear view of a lid-side substrate support portion 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged right side view (viewed in the left direction D31) of a lid-side substrate support portion 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] For ease of explanation, the direction from the container body 2 (described later) toward the lid 3 (the direction from the upper right to the lower left in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the front direction D11, and the opposite direction is defined as the rear direction D12. These are collectively defined as the front-rear direction D1. Furthermore, the direction from the lower wall 24 (described later) toward the upper wall 23 (the upward direction in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the upward direction D21, and the opposite direction is defined as the downward direction D22. These are collectively defined as the up-down direction D2. The up-down direction D2 is also the direction in which the substrates W are arranged side by side. Furthermore, the direction from the second side wall 26 (described later) toward the first side wall 25 (the 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. These are collectively defined as the left-right direction D3 or lateral direction D3. The lateral direction D3 is also a direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction D1 and the up-down direction D2. "Direction" is sometimes called "side."

[0017] The substrates W (shown by the dashed line in 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 295 to 300 mm.

[0018] 1 and 2, the substrate storage container 1 is used as an in-process container for storing substrates W made of silicon wafers as described above and transporting them in processes within a factory, or as a shipping container (transport container) for transporting the substrates by land, air, sea, etc. The substrate storage container 1 of the present invention is preferably used as a shipping container (transport container).

[0019] The substrate storage container 1 comprises a container body 2 and a lid 3. As shown in Fig. 1, a side substrate support portion 5 and a rear substrate support portion 6 are attached to the container body 2. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, a lid-side substrate support portion 7, also called a front retainer, is attached to the lid 3.

[0020] The container body 2 has a container body opening 21 formed at one end on the front side D11 and a cylindrical wall portion 20 that is closed at the other end on the rear side D12. A substrate storage space 27 is formed within the container body 2. The substrate storage space 27 is surrounded by the wall portion 20. Side substrate support portions 5 and a rear substrate support portion 6 are arranged 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 can store a plurality of substrates W.

[0021] The side substrate support portions 5, 5 are provided on the wall portion 20 in pairs in the left-right direction D3 within the substrate storage space 27. In FIG. 1, the side substrate support portion 5 on the right side D32 is hidden by the second side wall 26. When the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid 3, the side substrate support 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 with a predetermined distance apart from each other. At the rear side of the side substrate support portion 5, a rear-side substrate support portion 6 is provided and molded integrally with the side substrate support portion 5.

[0022] The rear substrate support portion 6 is provided on the wall portion 20 so as to form a pair with the lid body side substrate support portion 7 described later within the substrate storage space 27. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid body 3, the rear side substrate support portion 6 can support the rear portions of the edges of the substrates W by abutting against the edges of the substrates W.

[0023] The lid 3 is detachable from the opening periphery 28 that forms the container body opening 21, and is capable of closing the container body opening 21. The lid-side substrate support part 7 is attached to a part of the lid 3 that faces the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The lid-side substrate support part 7 is arranged inside the substrate storage space 27 so as to form a pair with the rear-side substrate support part 6.

[0024] When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the lid body side substrate support parts 7 are able to support the front parts of the edges of the plurality of substrates W by abutting against the edges of the plurality of substrates W. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the lid body side substrate support parts 7 cooperate with the rear side substrate support parts 6 to support the plurality of substrates W, thereby holding adjacent substrates W in a parallel arrangement with a predetermined distance between them.

[0025] The substrate storage container 1 is made of a resin such as a plastic material. 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] The first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 face each other in the left-right direction D3, and the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24 face each other in the up-down direction D2. 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 form an opening periphery 28 that defines the container body opening 21, which has a substantially rectangular shape.

[0028] 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 thereby. The container body opening 21 formed in the opening periphery 28 is surrounded by the walls 20 and communicates with the substrate storage space 27 formed inside the container body 2. A maximum of 25 substrates W can be stored in the substrate storage space 27.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 1, ribs 235 are formed integrally with the upper wall 23 on the outer surface of the upper wall 23. The ribs 235 increase the rigidity of the container body 2. A top flange 236 is fixed to the center of the upper wall 23. The top flange 236 is a member that is hung on and suspended from the substrate storage container 1 when the substrate storage container 1 is suspended in an AMHS (automated wafer transport system), PGV (wafer substrate transport vehicle), or the like.

[0031] The side substrate support parts 5 are attached to the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively (in FIG. 1, the side substrate support part 5 on the right side D32 is hidden by the second side wall 26), and are provided in pairs in the left-right direction D3 on the container body 2 within the substrate storage space 27. Specifically, the side substrate support parts 5 have plate parts 51.

[0032] The plate portions 51 have a generally arcuate plate shape. A total of 50 plate portions 51 are provided, 25 on each of the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, in the up-down direction D2. Adjacent plate portions 51 are spaced apart in the up-down direction D2 at intervals of 7 mm to 20 mm, preferably 10 mm to 12 mm, and are arranged in a parallel positional relationship.

[0033] The 25 plate portions 51 provided on the first side wall 25 and the 25 plate portions 51 provided on the second side wall 26 are positioned opposite each other in the left-right direction D3. Protrusions are provided on the upper surfaces of the plate portions 51. The substrate W supported by the plate portions 51 comes into contact only with the protruding ends of the protrusions, and does not come into contact with the plate portions 51 at their surfaces.

[0034] The lateral substrate support portion 5 configured in this manner is capable of supporting the edges of multiple substrates W while keeping adjacent substrates W spaced apart at a predetermined distance and parallel to each other.

[0035] The rear substrate support portions 6 are integrally formed with the rear ends of the plate portions 51 of the side substrate support portions 5. The number of rear substrate support portions 6, specifically 25, is provided, corresponding to each substrate W that can be stored in the substrate storage space 27. The rear substrate support portions 6 arranged on the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 are positioned in a paired relationship with the lid body side substrate support portions 7, which will be described later, in the front-to-rear direction D1. When a substrate W is stored in the substrate storage space 27 and the lid body 3 is closed, the rear substrate support portions 6 clamp and support the edge of the substrate W.

[0036] 1 and 2, 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 in a positional relationship in which it is surrounded by the opening periphery 28.

[0037] The lid 3 has an inner plate-shaped portion 301 having a substantially rectangular plate shape, an outer plate-shaped portion 302 having a substantially rectangular plate shape, and a peripheral wall portion 303. The rear side D12 surface of the inner plate-shaped portion 301 forms the inner surface of the lid, and when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, it forms the substrate storage space 27 together with the inner surface of the container body 2. The peripheral wall portion 303 is provided on the peripheral edge of the inner plate-shaped portion 301 and extends in the forward direction D11 (a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the lid of the inner plate-shaped portion 301) along the peripheral edge so as to go around the peripheral edge. The inner plate-shaped portion 301 and the peripheral wall portion 303 are connected by being integrally molded from, for example, polycarbonate. Note that the inner plate-shaped portion 301 and the peripheral wall portion 303 are not limited to being made of polycarbonate.

[0038] 1 and other figures, an outer plate-shaped portion 302 is disposed at the extending end of the peripheral wall portion 303 in the forward direction D11. The outer plate-shaped portion 302 is fixed to the inner plate-shaped portion 301 with the peripheral edge of the outer plate-shaped portion 302 surrounded by the peripheral wall portion 303. The surface of the outer plate-shaped portion 302 on the front side D11 forms the outer surface of the lid.

[0039] The lid 3 is provided with a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism is provided near both the left and right ends of the lid 3 and includes two upper latch portions 32A, 32A that can protrude in an upward direction D21 from the top edge of the lid 3 and two lower latch portions 32B, 32B that can protrude in a downward direction D22 from the bottom edge of the lid 3. An operating portion 33 is provided on the outer surface of the lid 3. By operating the operating portion 33 from the front side of the lid 3, the upper latch portions 32A and the lower latch portions 32B can be made to protrude from the top and bottom edges of the lid 3, or can be made not to protrude from the top and bottom edges. The upper latch portions 32A, 32A protrude in the upward direction D21 from the upper edge of the lid body 3 and engage with the latch engagement recesses 231A, 231B of the container body 2, and the lower latch portions 32B, 32B protrude in the downward direction D22 from the lower edge of the lid body 3 and engage with the latch engagement recesses 241A, 241B of the container body 2, thereby fixing the lid body 3 to the opening peripheral portion 28 of the container body 2.

[0040] A retainer storage recess 305 is formed on the inside of the lid 3, recessed outward (in the forward direction D11) from the board storage space 27. The lid-side board support part 7 is attached and fixed to the retainer storage recess 305. The retainer storage recess 305 has a pair of side walls 306, 306 in the left-right direction D3 and a bottom surface 307 (the inner surface in the forward direction D11).

[0041] The lid-side restricting portions 37 are provided on each of a pair of side walls 306, 306 in the left-right direction D3 and protrude inward D33 in the horizontal direction D3. A plurality of lid-side restricting portions 37 are provided on the side walls 306 of the retainer housing recess 305, spaced apart in the up-down direction D2. When the lid-side board support portion 7 is attached to the lid 3, the lid-side restricting portions 37 face the vertical frame portions 71 of the lid-side board support portion 7 in the up-down direction D2 and restrict movement of the lid-side board support portion 7 toward the board housing space 27 (rear side D12).

[0042] A rectangular annular sealing member 4 is attached to the inner surface of the lid 3, on the surface facing the surface of a step (sealing surface 281) formed immediately in the rear direction D12 of the opening peripheral edge 28 when the lid 3 is closing the container body opening 21, i.e., on the periphery of the inner plate-like portion 301, so as to go around the outer periphery of the lid 3. The sealing member 4 is arranged so as to go around the peripheral wall portion 303 of the lid 3. The sealing member 4 is made of various thermoplastic elastomers such as elastically deformable polyesters and polyolefins, fluororubber, silicone rubber, etc.

[0043] When the lid 3 is attached to the opening periphery 28, the sealing member 4 is sandwiched between the sealing surface 281 of the container body 2 and the inner surface of the lid 3 and elastically deforms. That is, with the sealing member 4 interposed between the lid 3 and the container body 2, the lid 3 can close the container body opening 21 while the lid 3 and the opening periphery 28 are spaced apart without coming into contact with each other. When the lid 3 is removed from the opening periphery 28, the substrate W can be inserted into and removed from the substrate storage space 27 within the container body 2.

[0044] [Details of Lid and Front Retainer] The lid 3 and the lid-side board support portion 7 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lid-side board support portion 7, also known as a front retainer, is attached and fixed in a stored state in the retainer storage recess 305 inside the lid 3. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the lid-side board support portion 7 includes a pair of vertical frame portions 71 (supported portions) extending in the up-down direction D2, a pair of legs 72 connected to each of the pair of vertical frame portions 71, a board receiving portion 73 provided on the legs 72, a horizontal frame portion 74 extending in the left-right direction D3, and a knob portion 75. These are integrally molded from resin and connected to each other.

[0045] The cover-side substrate support portion 7 is basically symmetrical. Therefore, only one of the left and right sides will be described, and the description of the other side will be omitted. In such cases, the description of one side applies to the description of the other side. The left-right direction D3 is the left-right direction when the cover 3 and the cover-side substrate support portion 7 are arranged in the orientation shown in Figure 1. When viewed from inside the cover 3 as in Figures 2, 4, 5, etc., the left and right appear reversed in the drawings.

[0046] The vertical frame portions 71 (71A, 71B) are provided as a pair in the left-right direction D3 so as to extend parallel to each other along the up-down direction D2 (a predetermined direction), and are supported by the lid body 3. The supported portions do not have to be vertical frame portions, and are not limited as long as they are a pair of portions in the left-right direction D3 that are supported by the lid body 3. The direction in which the supported portions extend does not have to be the up-down direction D2, and the supported portions do not have to be continuous (they do not have to be frame-shaped).

[0047] The leg 72 (72A) on the left direction D31 side extends from the vertical frame portion 71 (71A) on the left direction D31 side toward the rear right in an overall view. The board receiving portion 73 (73A) on the left direction D31 side is connected to the end portion on the right direction D32 side, which is the tip of the leg 72 (72A) on the left direction D31 side. On the other hand, the leg 72 (72B) on the right direction D32 side extends from the vertical frame portion 71 on the right direction D32 side toward the rear left. The board receiving portion 73 (73B) on the right direction D32 side is connected to the end portion on the left direction D31 side, which is the tip of the leg 72 (72B) on the right direction D32 side. Therefore, the board receiving portion 73 is disposed at a predetermined distance in the rear direction D12 from the inner surface of the lid body 3.

[0048] The leg portions 72 are each configured as a leg pair 72U, with one leg portion 72 (72A) connected to one vertical frame portion 71 (71A) and the other leg portion 72 (72B) connected to the other vertical frame portion 71 (71B) but not connected to the one leg portion 72 (72A). The number of leg pairs 72U is the same as the number of substrates W stored in the substrate storage container 1.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 6, the leg portions 72 extend linearly and are inclined toward the inner side D33 in the horizontal direction D3 as they move toward the front side D11. Note that the horizontal frame portions 74 are not shown in Fig. 6. In detail, the leg portions 72 extend linearly from the vertical frame portions 71, and are inclined toward the inner side D33 in the horizontal direction D3 as they move toward the front side D11. They then bend and terminate near the end portions, where they are connected to the board receiving portion 73. Note that the length of the bend in the leg portions 72 is minimized, and the leg portions 72 extend linearly in an overall view.

[0050] The substrate receiving portion 73 is a portion that comes into contact with and receives the substrate W when supporting the substrate W. As shown in Figures 6 and 7 , the substrate receiving portion 73 includes a receiving surface 76, an upper inclined surface 731, and a lower inclined surface 732.

[0051] One board receiving portion 73 (73A) provided on one leg portion 72 (72A) and the other board receiving portion 73 (73B) provided on the other leg portion 72 (72B) are spaced apart in the horizontal direction (D3). The inner end portion 77 (77A) of one board receiving portion 73 (73A) and the inner end portion 77 (77B) of the other board receiving portion 73 (73B) face each other at the same position in the front-to-back direction D1 and the up-down direction D2. The receiving surface 76A of one board receiving portion 73A provided on one leg portion 72A and the receiving surface 76B of the other board receiving portion 73B provided on the other leg portion 72B are spaced apart in the horizontal direction by, for example, 20 mm or more (distance w76 = 20 mm or more). The distance w76 is preferably 30 to 60 mm, and more preferably 40 to 50 mm.

[0052] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a pair of horizontal frame portions 74 are provided in the up-down direction D2. The pair of horizontal frame portions 74 connect the pair of vertical frame portions 71 on both outer sides in the direction in which the leg pairs 72U are aligned (the up-down direction D2). The horizontal frame portion 74 on the up-down direction D21 side connects the upper ends of the pair of vertical frame portions 71 in the left-right direction D3, and the horizontal frame portion 74 on the down-down direction D22 side connects the lower ends of the pair of vertical frame portions 71 in the left-right direction D3. In this embodiment, the horizontal frame portion 74 is bent so as to overlap the leg portions 72 when viewed in the up-down direction D2 (except between the inner end 77 (77A) of one board receiving portion 73 (73A) and the inner end 77 (77B) of the other board receiving portion 73 (73B)). However, this is not limited thereto, and the horizontal frame portion 74 may extend parallel to the leg portions 72 in the left-right direction D3.

[0053] Returning to the description of the leg portion 72, the leg portion 72 is configured to be easily elastically deformed, particularly since it is cantilevered. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the board receiving portion 73 in a direction approaching the inner surface of the lid 3 (forward direction D11), the leg portion 72 is able to displace the board receiving portion 73 by elastically deforming in response to the external force.

[0054] In the present invention, a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction D1 is referred to as the "reference plane P1." As shown in FIG. 6 , the angle θ at which the leg portions 72 extend linearly relative to the reference plane P1 is 30 to 60 degrees. If the angle θ is less than 30 degrees, it is difficult to generate a sufficiently large holding force for the substrate W (pressing force against the substrate W). If the angle θ exceeds 60 degrees, the holding force for the substrate W (pressing force against the substrate W) is too large. If the angle θ at which the leg portions 72 extend linearly is 30 to 60 degrees, an appropriate holding force for the substrate W that is neither too strong nor too weak is realized. The angle θ is preferably 40 to 50 degrees.

[0055] The receiving surface 76 of the substrate receiving portion 73 is the surface against which the substrate W actually abuts when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, and is the surface that receives the substrate W in the front-to-rear direction D1. The receiving surface 76 extends in a vertical plane along a reference plane P1 that is perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction D1. The direction in which the receiving surface 76 extends is preferably parallel to the reference plane P1, but it is sufficient if it is along the reference plane P1. "Along the reference plane P1" means, for example, that the inclination angle with respect to the reference plane P1 is, for example, 3 degrees or less, and preferably 1 degree or less.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the height h76 of the receiving surface 76 in the vertical direction D2 is, for example, 2 mm or more, preferably 3 to 10 mm, and more preferably 3 to 7 mm.

[0057] 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 are surfaces against which the substrate W does not actually come into contact when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3 (in a proper state). The upper inclined surface 731 and the lower inclined surface 732 guide the substrate W to the receiving surface 76 during the process of closing the container body opening 21 with the lid 3, and also function as surfaces to prevent the substrate W from coming off the receiving surface 76 of the substrate receiving portion 73 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3.

[0058] The knobs 75 are portions that are gripped when handling the lid-side substrate support portion 7, and are provided on the outer portions in the left-right direction D3 of the pair of vertical frame portions 71. The knobs 75 protrude in the rear direction D12, and a plurality of knobs 75 are provided spaced apart in the up-down direction D2.

[0059] The lid-side substrate support portion 7 is preferably mainly made of a thermoplastic resin. Examples of the main constituent materials include PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PEE polyphenylene ether, PEEK (polyether ether ketone), and COP (cycloolefin polymer). In the case of PBT, it is preferable that the amount of Sn (tin) added during polymerization is reduced. In the case of PC, it is preferable that the amount of outgassing is reduced. In the case of COP, it is preferable that CF (carbon filler), specifically CF (carbon fiber), CP (carbon powder), or CNT (carbon nanotube) is added.

[0060] According to the substrate storing container 1 according to this embodiment having the above configuration, the following effects can be obtained.

[0061] The substrate storage container 1 of this embodiment comprises a container body 2 having a cylindrical wall 20 with a container body opening 21 formed at one end on the front side D11 and the other end on the rear side D12 closed, the inner surface of the wall 20 forming a substrate storage 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; and a lid-side substrate support portion 7 that is located on a part of the lid 3 that faces the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3 and can support edges of the plurality of substrates W when the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. If the direction in which the substrates W are arranged side by side is referred to as the up-down direction D2 and the direction orthogonal to both the front-rear direction D1 and the up-down direction D2 is referred to as the horizontal direction D3, the lid-side substrate support portion 7 has a pair of supported portions (vertical frame portions) 71 and a supported portion (vertical frame portion) 72 in the horizontal direction D3 supported by the lid 3. The leg portion 72 extends linearly and is inclined so as to approach an inner side D33 in the lateral direction D3 as it approaches the front side D11. The leg portion 72 includes one leg portion 72, 72A connected to one supported portion (vertical frame portion) 71, 71A, and the other leg portion 72, 72B connected to the other supported portion (vertical frame portion) 71, 71B but not connected to the one supported portion (vertical frame portion) 71, 71A. 72B form a leg pair 72U, one board receiving portion 73, 73A provided on one leg 72, 72A and the other board receiving portion 73, 73B provided on the other leg 72, 72B are spaced apart in the lateral direction D3, the receiving surface 76 of the board receiving portion 73 extends in a straight plane along a reference plane P1 perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction D1, and the angle θ at which the leg 72 extends linearly relative to the reference plane P1 is 30 to 60 degrees, in this substrate storage container 1.

[0062] In the substrate storage container 1 of this embodiment, one leg 72, 72A connected to one supported portion (vertical frame portion) 71, 71A and the other leg 72, 72B connected to the other supported portion (vertical frame portion) 71, 71B but not connected to the one supported portion (vertical frame portion) 71, 71A constitute a leg pair 72U, and the leg 72 extends linearly, inclined so as to approach the inner side D33 in the lateral direction D3 as it moves toward the front side D11. One board receiving portion 73, 73A provided on leg 72A and the other board receiving portion 73, 73B provided on the other leg 72, 72B are spaced apart in the lateral direction D3, the receiving surface 76 of board receiving portion 73 extends in a straight plane along a reference plane P1 perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction D1, and the angle θ at which leg 72 extends linearly relative to reference plane P1 is 30 to 60 degrees.The reason for this synergistic effect cannot be generalized, but may be, for example, as follows.

[0063] Because the legs 72 extend linearly relative to the reference plane P1, the holding force for the substrate W increases in proportion to the elastic modulus of the material of the legs 72, and a certain level of holding force can be obtained even for substrates with different diameters. Furthermore, because the receiving surface 76 of the substrate receiving portion 73 extends in a vertical plane along the reference plane P1 perpendicular to the front-rear direction D1, the holding force for the substrate is unlikely to change even if the thickness of the substrate W varies within the receiving surface 76. Meanwhile, the leg pair 72U is configured, and one substrate receiving portion 73, 73A provided on one leg 72, 72A and the other substrate receiving portion 73, 73B provided on the other leg 72, 72B are spaced apart in the lateral direction D3. This appropriately reduces the holding force, and when the substrate W receives an impact, the legs 72 flexibly deform, causing the substrate receiving portion 73 to displace sufficiently, thereby absorbing the impact. This reduces particle generation. Furthermore, the legs 72 extend linearly and inclined so as to approach the inside D33 in the lateral direction D3 as they move toward the front side D11, so that when the substrate W receives a large impact that pushes it toward the front side D11, a holding force is obtained that prevents the substrate W from coming into contact with the inner surface of the lid body 3.

[0064] Due to these synergistic effects, the substrate storage container 1 of this embodiment can achieve an appropriate substrate holding force that is neither too strong nor too weak in the lid-side substrate support parts 7. Furthermore, the generation of particles due to wear of the lid-side substrate support parts 7 can be suppressed.

[0065] Furthermore, in substrate storage containers for transport, the stress (repulsive force) of the holding force for substrates W when the lid is closed can prevent the latch function of the lid 3 from opening and closing smoothly, which can result in opening and closing errors of the load port for transporting substrates stored in the substrate storage container to a processing device. In contrast, when the substrate storage container of the present invention is applied to a transport container, an appropriate amount of substrate holding force that is neither too strong nor too weak can be achieved, thereby reducing opening and closing errors of the load port.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications are possible within the technical scope defined in the claims.

[0067] Furthermore, the shapes of the container body and lid body, and the number and dimensions of substrates W that can be stored in the container body are not limited to the shapes of the container body 2 and lid body 3, and the number and dimensions of substrates W that can be stored in the container body 2 in this embodiment.

[0068] The rear substrate support portion may be configured as a separate body from the container body 2 and the side substrate support portions 5, or may be configured as an integral part of the container body 2.

[0069] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate storage container 2 Container body 20 Wall 21 Container body opening 27 Substrate storage space 3 Lid 7 Lid side substrate support portion D1 Front-rear direction D11 Front side D12 Rear side D2 Up-down direction D3 Horizontal direction, left-right direction D33 Inside of horizontal direction W Substrate 71, 71A, 71B Supported portion (vertical frame portion) 72, 72A, 72B Leg 72U Leg pair 73, 73A, 73B Substrate receiving portion 76, 76A, 76B Receiving surface h76 Height w76 Spacing P1 Reference plane θ Angle

Claims

1. A container body having a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening formed at one end on the front side and the other end on the rear side closed, wherein the inner surface of the wall portion forms 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 is capable of closing the container body opening; and a lid body side substrate support portion that is located on a portion of the lid body that faces the substrate storage space when the container body opening is closed by the lid body and is capable of supporting edges of the plurality of substrates when the container body opening is closed by the lid body, wherein the direction in which the substrates are arranged is referred to as the up-down direction and the direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is referred to as the lateral direction, the lid body side substrate support portion has a pair of supported portions in the lateral direction that are supported by the lid body, legs connected to the supported portions, and substrate receiving portions provided on the legs, and the legs extend linearly and are inclined so as to approach the inside in the lateral direction as they move toward the front side, The legs form a leg pair with one leg connected to one of the supported parts and the other leg connected to the other supported part but not connected to the other supported part, one of the board receiving parts provided on one of the legs and the other board receiving part provided on the other leg are spaced apart in the horizontal direction, the receiving surface of the board receiving part extends in a straight plane along a reference plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, and the angle at which the legs extend in a straight line with respect to the reference plane is 30 to 60 degrees.

2. A substrate storage container as described in claim 1, wherein the receiving surface of one of the substrate receiving portions provided on one of the legs and the receiving surface of the other of the substrate receiving portions provided on the other of the legs are separated laterally by at least 20 mm.

3. A substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving surface has a vertical height of 2 mm or more.

4. A substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the substrate storage container is used for transportation.

5. A substrate storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the angle at which the leg extends linearly with respect to the reference plane is 40 to 50 degrees.

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