Substrate storage container

Abstract

This substrate storage container comprises: a container body capable of storing a plurality of substrates vertically in multiple stages; a lid body that closes an opening in a front surface of the container body; a front retainer provided to the lid body; support bodies that are provided to left and right side surfaces of the container body and support the plurality of substrates in a state in which the opening of the container body is not closed by the lid body; and a support structure that is provided to the left and right side surfaces or a rear surface of the container body and holds the plurality of substrates with the front retainer in a state in which the opening of the container body is closed by the lid body. The front retainer has: a base part attached to the lid body; and a plurality of substrate pressing parts that are arranged in the vertical direction and each include a holding part that supports the substrate. The holding part includes a receiving rib that forms a gap with a lower surface of the substrate in a state in which the substrate is supported by the support body.

Description

Substrate storage container

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate storage container.

[0002] The substrate storage container includes a container body capable of storing substrates, and a lid body for closing the opening of the container body, and sandwiches (holds) a plurality of substrates (for example, 25 substrates) between a front retainer and a rear retainer having multi-stage substrate pressing portions in the vertical direction, and can store them in an airtight state. The position of the substrate when it is held between these is called the shipping position.

[0003] When the container body is not closed by the lid body, the substrate is supported by supports provided on the left and right side surfaces of the container body. The position of the substrate when it is supported by these supports is called the sit (SIT) position.

[0004] The substrate pressing portion of the front retainer has a holding portion that contacts and holds the substrate, and an arm portion that absorbs impacts and vibrations generated during transportation of the substrate storage container, etc. (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The holding portion includes a V-shaped holding groove, a sliding-out surface connected to the holding groove, and a lead-in surface that lifts the substrate along with the closing operation of the lid body and guides it into the holding groove.

[0005] On the other hand, the substrate receiving portion of the rear retainer has a V-shaped receiving groove similar to the holding groove. Also in this rear retainer, along with the closing operation of the lid body, the substrate is lifted to the bottom of the receiving groove, and the substrate is held between the front retainer and the rear retainer.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-521259 International Publication No. 2018 / 131363

[0007] However, in the above substrate storage container, due to the surface roughness, dimensional accuracy, or inclination angle of the sliding-out surface, or the elastic force of the arm portion, etc., the frictional force with the substrate may not be obtained as designed. Therefore, there is a concern that in the sliding-out operation of the substrate accompanying the opening operation of the lid body, a slipping-off failure at the rear retainer may occur due to insufficient sliding-out of the substrate (see FIG. 7B).

[0008] The present disclosure provides a substrate storage container capable of improving the certainty of the sliding-out operation of the substrate.

[0009] (1) A substrate storage container according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a container body capable of storing a plurality of substrates in multiple vertical rows, a lid that closes an opening on the front of the container body, a front retainer provided on the lid, supports provided on the left and right sides of the container body to support the plurality of substrates when the opening of the container body is not closed by the lid, and a support structure provided on the left and right sides or the back of the container body to hold the plurality of substrates between itself and the front retainer when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid. The front retainer has a base that is attached to the lid, and a plurality of substrate pressing parts arranged in the vertical direction, each including a holding part that supports a substrate. The holding part includes a receiving rib that forms a gap between itself and the lower surface of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support.

[0010] (2) In the substrate storage container of (1) above, the receiving rib may have an upper surface that is inclined downward with respect to the substrate surface of the substrate or an upper surface that is parallel to the substrate surface.

[0011] (3) In the substrate storage container of (1) or (2) above, the gap may be 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

[0012] (4) In any one of the substrate storage containers described in (1) to (3) above, the receiving rib may have a length such that it is located within 25 mm from the front to the back of the lid when the opening of the container body is closed with the lid.

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container that can improve the reliability of the substrate pulling operation.

[0014] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the back surface of the lid according to one embodiment. Figure 3A is a front view showing the front retainer. Figure 3B is a top view showing the front retainer. Figure 3C is a side view showing the front retainer. Figure 3D is a rear view showing the front retainer. Figure 4A is a front view showing the substrate holding portion. Figure 4B is a top view showing the substrate holding portion. Figure 4C is a rear view showing the substrate holding portion. Figure 4D is a perspective view showing the substrate holding portion. Figure 4E is an enlarged side view showing the substrate holding portion. Figure 4F is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the substrate holding portion cut along line A-A in Figure 4A. Figure 5A is an enlarged front view showing the holding portion. Figure 5B is an enlarged perspective view showing the holding portion. Figure 5C is a schematic side view showing the holding portion. Figure 6A is a schematic diagram showing the state after the substrate lead-in operation. Figure 6B is a schematic diagram showing the state after the substrate pull-out operation. Figure 7A is a schematic diagram showing a defective state of substrate dragging. Figure 7B is a schematic diagram showing a defective state of substrate sliding down.

[0015] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Throughout the embodiments of this disclosure, the same reference numerals are used for the same components.

[0016] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container 1 according to one embodiment.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate storage container 1 comprises a container body 10 for storing substrates, a lid 20 for closing the opening 11 of the container body 10, and an annular sealing member 30 provided between the container body 10 and the lid 20.

[0018] The container body 10 is a box-shaped body into which multiple substrates can be inserted, and is a front-opening type with a frame-shaped opening 11 formed on the front. The opening 11 is bent with a step so as to widen outwards, and the surface of this step is formed on the inner periphery of the front of the opening 11 as a sealing surface 12 in contact with the sealing member 30.

[0019] Support structures, namely support bodies 13, are positioned on the left and right sides 18 inside the container body 10. The support bodies 13 have the function of temporarily placing and positioning the substrate until the opening 11 of the container body 10 is (completely) closed by the lid 20. Specifically, multiple grooves are formed in the height direction of the support bodies 13, forming so-called groove teeth. The substrate is placed on two groove teeth on the left and right sides at the same height. The material of the support bodies 13 may be the same as the material of the container body 10, but it may also be a different material to improve cleanability and sliding properties.

[0020] A rear retainer 17 is additionally positioned on the rear surface 16 located at the back of the interior of the container body 10, serving as a support structure. When the opening 11 of the container body 10 is closed by the lid 20, the rear retainer 17, in conjunction with the front retainer 40 (described later), holds the substrate by clamping it. For this reason, the substrate receiving portion of the rear retainer 17 is formed as a V-shaped receiving groove.

[0021] The support 13 and the rear retainer 17 may be integrally provided in the container body 10 by insert molding or the like. Alternatively, the support 13 and the rear retainer 17 may be provided as separate components attached to the container body 10 by fitting or the like.

[0022] In a top view, the central plane of the container body 10 is defined as the plane passing through the center of the substrate supported by the support 13 or sandwiched between the front retainer 40 and the rear retainer 17, and including the closing direction of the lid 20.

[0023] A mounting section 14 for a robotic flange is provided in the center of the ceiling of the container body 10. The robotic flange is detachably attached to the mounting section 14. The substrate storage container 1 is grasped by the robotic flange by a transport robot in the factory and transported to processing equipment for each process of processing the substrate.

[0024] The outer surface of the left and right sides 18 of the container body 10 is provided with attachment points 15 for manual handles. Manual handles, which are held by the operator, are detachably attached to the left and right attachment points 15.

[0025] For example, an air intake valve and an exhaust valve may be provided on the bottom surface of the container body 10. Each of the air intake valve and exhaust valve has a filter for filtering gas and also has a check valve function. By supplying an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or dry air from the air intake valve to the inside of the sealed substrate storage container 1, which is closed by the lid 20, and discharging it from the exhaust valve as needed, the gas inside the substrate storage container 1 is replaced or the airtight state is maintained. The number and position of the air intake valve and exhaust valve are arbitrary.

[0026] Next, the lid 20 will be described. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the back surface of the lid 20 according to one embodiment.

[0027] The lid 20 is attached to the front of the opening 11 of the container body 10 and has a substantially rectangular shape. The lid 20 has a locking mechanism (not shown), and is locked when a locking claw is fitted into a locking hole formed in the container body 10. As shown in Figure 2, an elastic front retainer 40 is provided in the center of the lid 20 to hold the front edge of the substrate horizontally.

[0028] The front retainer 40, like the grooved teeth of the support 13 and the rear retainer 17, is a part that comes into direct contact with the substrate, and therefore is made of a material with good cleanability and sliding properties. The front retainer 40 may be detachably attached to the cover 20 by fitting and locking, or it may be integrally molded by insert molding.

[0029] A mounting groove for attaching the sealing member 30 is formed on the underside of the lid 20. More specifically, a protrusion smaller than the step of the opening 11 is formed in an annular shape on the underside of the lid 20, thereby forming a mounting groove with a roughly U-shaped cross-section. When the lid 20 is attached to the container body 10, this protrusion is recessed beyond the step of the opening 11.

[0030] Examples of materials for the container body 10 and lid 20 mentioned above include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, and liquid crystal polymer. These thermoplastic resins may also contain conductive agents such as conductive carbon or conductive polymer, various antistatic agents, ultraviolet absorbers, etc., as appropriate.

[0031] The sealing member 30 adheres tightly to the sealing surface 12 and the lid 20 when the lid 20 is attached to the container body 10, ensuring the airtightness of the substrate storage container 1. The sealing member 30 reduces the intrusion of dust and moisture from the outside into the substrate storage container 1, and also reduces the leakage of gas and liquid from the inside into the substrate storage container 1.

[0032] The sealing member 30 has an annular shape that corresponds to the front shape of the lid 20 (and the shape of the opening 11 of the container body 10) (see Figure 2). The annular sealing member 30 may be substantially ring-shaped, substantially elliptical, or substantially oblong before being attached to the lid 20.

[0033] If there is any looseness in the sealing member 30 when it is fitted into the mounting groove, variations will occur in the sealing area of ​​the seal lip. For this reason, the inner circumference of the frame of the sealing member 30 is formed to be slightly smaller (about 1% to 5%) than the annular circumferential surface located at the back of the mounting groove.

[0034] The sealing member 30 is molded using thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester elastomers, polyolefin elastomers, fluorine elastomers, and urethane elastomers, or elastic materials such as fluororubber, ethylene propylene rubber, and silicone rubber. From the viewpoint of improving adhesion, these materials may be selectively to which fillers such as carbon, glass fiber, mica, talc, silica, and calcium carbonate, and resins such as polyethylene, polyamide, polyacetal, fluorine resins, and silicone resins are added in predetermined amounts. From the viewpoint of providing conductivity and antistatic properties, carbon fiber, metal oxides, or various antistatic agents may be added as appropriate. The hardness of the sealing member 30 may be 40 to 90 degrees or 60 to 90 degrees on the Shore A hardness scale.

[0035] The substrate storage container 1 can store substrates with a diameter of, for example, 300 mm or 450 mm. The type of substrate stored in the substrate storage container 1 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a silicon wafer, a quartz wafer, or a gallium arsenide wafer.

[0036] Here, the front retainer 40 will be described. Figure 3A is a front view of the front retainer 40. Figure 3B is a top view of the front retainer 40. Figure 3C is a side view of the front retainer 40. Figure 3D is a rear view of the front retainer 40. Figure 4A is a front view of the substrate holding portion 42. Figure 4B is a top view of the substrate holding portion 42. Figure 4C is a rear view of the substrate holding portion 42. Figure 4D is a perspective view of the substrate holding portion 42. Figure 4E is an enlarged side view of the substrate holding portion 42. Figure 4F is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the substrate holding portion 42 taken along line A-A in Figure 4A. Figure 5A is an enlarged front view of the holding portion 422. Figure 5B is an enlarged perspective view of the holding portion 422. Figure 5C is a schematic side view of the holding portion 422. Note that in Figure 5C, the substrate shown by the dashed line is located at the same height as the sit position, and the substrate shown by the solid line is located at the shipping position. The sit position is the position of the substrate supported by the support 13. The shipping position is the position of the substrate held (clamped) between the holding groove 45 of the substrate pressing portion 42 and the receiving groove of the rear retainer 17.

[0037] As shown in Figures 3A to 3D, the front retainer 40 has a base portion 41 that is attached to the cover 20 and a plurality of (stages) of substrate pressing portions 42 arranged in the vertical direction.

[0038] The base portion 41 has a roughly rectangular plate shape. The base portion 41 is attached to the lid 20 by the locking areas on both sides of the base portion 41 being fitted or locked by fixing means formed in the recess of the lid 20 (see Figure 2). At this time, the base portion 41 is attached slightly away from the bottom surface of the recess of the lid 20 by a plurality of protrusions 412 formed on the surface opposite to the surface from which the substrate pressing portion 42 extends (see Figures 3C and 3D).

[0039] Each substrate retaining portion 42 supports the substrate. Each substrate retaining portion 42 includes an arm portion 421 that extends from one side of a pair of left and right base portions 41 and is connected to them. In the front retainer 40 of this embodiment, 25 substrate retaining portions 42 are spanned across the left and right base portions 41.

[0040] The arm portion 421 is elastically deformable as a whole in the front-to-back direction (closing direction) connecting the back surface 16 of the container body 10 and the lid 20.

[0041] The arm portion 421 includes a holding portion 422 that contacts and presses against the substrate. In this embodiment, the arm portion 421 includes a pair of holding portions 422 positioned symmetrically on the left and right sides of the arm portion 421. The bridging portion 423 located between the left and right pair of holding portions 422, 422 is curved or bent in a direction away from the back surface 16 (see Figures 3B and 4B). The strength or rigidity of the arm portion 421 may be lower than that of the bridging portion 423.

[0042] The holding part 422 has a mouth-like shape with the upper jaw and the lower jaw open, and forms a holding groove 45 on the inner side (the part facing the back surface 16). More specifically, the holding part 422 has an upper first inclined surface 45a inclined with respect to the substrate surface (or the horizontal (reference) surface) of the substrate held by the holding part 422, and a lower second inclined surface 45b inclined on the opposite side of the substrate surface to the first inclined surface 45a. The first inclined surface 45a and the second inclined surface 45b form a substantially V-shaped holding groove 45 in a side view (see FIGS. 5A to 5C). The substrate surface is the surface of the substrate and is a surface intersecting the vertical direction.

[0043] The holding parts 422 at each stage are formed such that the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined surface 45a with respect to the substrate surface is equal to or greater than the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined surface 45b with respect to the substrate surface (see FIG. 5C). The inclination angle θ1 is the angle formed by the substrate surface and the first inclined surface 45a. The inclination angle θ2 is the angle formed by the substrate surface and the second inclined surface 45b. When the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 are the same angle, the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 may be, for example, about 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. When the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 are different angles, the inclination angle θ1 may be, for example, about 55 degrees or more and 75 degrees or less, and the inclination angle θ2 may be, for example, about 30 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the holding part 422 includes a lead-in surface 46 that lifts the substrate to the holding groove 45 below the holding groove 45, and a pull-out surface 47 that pulls the substrate out from the receiving groove of the substrate receiving part of the retainer 17.

[0045] The lead-in surface 46 is continuous with the lower end of the pull-out surface 47. The lead-in surface 46 is inclined so as to approach the back surface 16 as it goes downward. The inclination angle θ3 of the lead-in surface 46 with respect to the substrate surface may be, for example, 45 degrees or more and 75 degrees or less, or 50 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. The inclination angle θ3 is the angle formed by the substrate surface and the lead-in surface 46. Note that the lead-in surface 46 is also inclined so as to approach the back surface 16 as it goes from the center of the substrate pressing part 42 toward the side surface 18.

[0046] The lead-out surface 47 is continuous with the lower end of the second inclined surface 45b. The lead-out surface 47 is inclined so as to approach the back surface 16 as it goes downward. The inclination angle θ4 of the lead-out surface 47 with respect to the substrate surface may be, for example, more than 0 degree and not more than 30 degrees. The inclination angle θ4 is the angle formed by the substrate surface and the lead-out surface 47.

[0047] The boundary 48 between the lead-in surface 46 and the lead-out surface 47 is formed as a curved surface so that the substrate can slide smoothly. The boundary 48 between the lead-in surface 46 and the lead-out surface 47 may be a corner formed by the intersection of the plane along the lead-in surface 46 and the plane along the lead-out surface 47.

[0048] Furthermore, the holding portion 422 includes a receiving rib 49 provided below the lead-in surface 46. The receiving rib 49 receives a substrate in a state of falling-off failure (see FIG. 5C) and supports it from below. The receiving rib 49 protrudes from the lead-in surface 46 toward the back surface 16.

[0049] The receiving rib 49 is provided so as not to contact a normal substrate in the sit position and to form a gap G between it and the lower surface of the substrate. The gap G is set according to the dimensions (particularly the diameter) of the substrate and the length of the support 13. The length of the gap G (that is, the separation distance between the lower surface of the substrate in the sit position and the receiving rib 49) may be, for example, not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 2.0 mm.

[0050] The receiving rib 49 has an upper surface. The upper surface of the receiving rib 49 may be inclined downward as it goes toward the back surface 16, or may be parallel to the substrate surface in a state where the substrate is supported by the support 13. The inclination angle θ5 of the upper surface of the receiving rib 49 may be set according to the dimensions of the substrate and the length of the support 13. The inclination angle θ5 is the angle formed by the substrate surface in a state where the substrate is supported by the support 13 and the upper surface of the receiving rib 49. The inclination angle θ5 may be, for example, not less than 0 degree and not more than 25 degrees.

[0051] The receiving rib 49 may have a length (see distance L) such that, when the opening of the container body 10 is closed with the lid 20, it is located within a range of up to 25 mm from the front surface (outermost surface) of the lid 20 toward the back surface 16 of the container body 10.

[0052] Finally, the lead-in and pull-out operations of the substrate in the substrate storage container 1 will be described. Figure 6A is a schematic diagram showing the state after the substrate lead-in operation. Figure 6B is a schematic diagram showing the state after the substrate pull-out operation. The lead-in operation is the operation of guiding the substrate, which is supported by the support body 13, into the holding groove 45 of the holding part 422 and the receiving groove of the rear retainer 17. The pull-out operation is the operation in which the substrate is pulled out toward the lid 20 as the lid 20 is opened.

[0053] During the closing operation of the lid 20, as the lid 20 is pressed toward the back surface 16 of the container body 10 in the closing direction, the peripheral edge of the substrate facing the lid 20 comes into contact with the holding portion 422 of the moving substrate pressing portion 42, and the peripheral edge of the substrate facing the back surface 16 comes into contact with the rear retainer 17.

[0054] Then, as shown in Figure 6A, the substrate is separated (floating) from the support 13 and is held (clamped) between the holding portion 422 of the substrate pressing portion 42 and the receiving groove of the rear retainer 17. The substrate pressing portion 42 is positioned opposite the substrate receiving portion of the rear retainer 17, which is provided on the back surface 16.

[0055] When the lid 20 is opened, as shown in Figure 6B, as the holding portion 422 of the substrate pressing portion 42 retracts, the peripheral edge of the substrate facing the lid 20 is dragged by the pulling surface 47, and the peripheral edge of the substrate facing the back surface 16 is pulled out from the receiving groove of the substrate receiving portion of the rear retainer 17 toward the lid 20.

[0056] As shown in Figure 6B, the substrate is supported by the support 13 of the container body 10 and the lower end of the receiving groove of the rear retainer 17.

[0057] Here, we will explain the conditions for faulty substrate pulling and faulty substrate sliding. Figure 7A is a schematic diagram showing the faulty substrate pulling condition. Figure 7B is a schematic diagram showing the faulty substrate sliding condition.

[0058] A faulty pull-out operation of a circuit board, as shown in Figure 7A, occurs when the circuit board is supported by the support 13 but not by the rear retainer 17, causing the circuit board to protrude towards the lid 20. In this faulty pull-out operation, since the circuit board is supported in a horizontal position, depending on the degree of protrusion, the robot arm is unlikely to interfere with the circuit board when removing it from the circuit board storage container 1, and it may not pose a major problem.

[0059] A slip-down failure during the substrate extraction operation refers to a situation, as shown in Figure 7B, where the substrate is not held in the correct position by the support 13 and is not held in the correct position by the rear retainer 17, resulting in the substrate being tilted from a horizontal position. This slip-down failure can cause the robot arm to interfere with the substrate not only when removing the substrate from the substrate storage container 1 in the stage where the failure occurs, but also when removing substrates from the adjacent upper or lower stages.

[0060] In the substrate storage container 1, even if a slippage failure occurs during the substrate pulling operation, the peripheral edge of the substrate facing the lid 20, which is in a tilted state, will contact the receiving rib 49 of the holding part 422.

[0061] If the substrate is in contact with the receiving rib 49, during the opening operation of the lid 20, as the holding portion 422 retracts, it is further pulled out by the upper surface of the receiving rib 49 in the same manner as the pulling-out surface 47, and the substrate is held in the normal sit position. Therefore, the upper surface of the receiving rib 49 can be called a second pulling-out surface.

[0062] As described above, the substrate storage container 1 includes a container body 10 capable of storing multiple substrates in multiple vertical rows, a lid 20 that closes the opening on the front of the container body 10, a front retainer 40 provided on the lid 20, a support 13 provided on the left and right sides 18 of the container body 10 that supports the substrate when the opening of the container body 10 is not closed by the lid 20, and a rear retainer 17 provided on the left and right sides 18 or the back 16 of the container body 10 that holds the substrate between itself and the front retainer 40 when the opening of the container body 10 is closed by the lid 20. The holding portion 422 of the substrate pressing portion 42 includes a receiving rib 49 that forms a gap G between itself and the lower surface of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support 13.

[0063] As a result, during the substrate pulling operation accompanying the opening of the lid 20, the receiving rib 49 does not contact the substrate in a normal state in the sit position, but the peripheral edge of the substrate in a state of poor sliding that faces the lid 20 can come into contact with the receiving rib 49. Therefore, it is possible to induce further sliding of the substrate and improve the reliability of the substrate pulling operation.

[0064] In the front retainer 40, the receiving rib 49 has an upper surface that is inclined with respect to the substrate surface or an upper surface that is parallel to the substrate surface when the substrate is supported by the support 13. As a result, the receiving rib 49 can perform the same function as the pulling surface 47.

[0065] In the front retainer 40, the gap G formed between the receiving rib 49 and the substrate is 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. This makes it possible to more reliably bring the receiving rib 49 into contact with the substrate in a state of poor sliding without contacting the substrate in the sit position.

[0066] In the front retainer 40, the receiving rib 49 has a length such that, when the opening of the container body 10 is closed with the lid 20, it is located within 25 mm from the front of the lid 20 toward the rear surface 16. This allows the peripheral edge of the substrate in a state of poor sliding to contact the receiving rib 49 with the lid 20, and also keeps the maximum amount of protrusion of the front retainer 40 toward the inside of the container body 10 (towards the rear surface 16) (see distance L) within the range of the SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standard.

[0067] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications or changes are possible within the scope of the gist of this disclosure as described in the claims.

[0068] (Modification) In the above embodiment, a rear retainer 17 is arranged on the back surface 16 of the container body 10 as a support structure. However, the support 13, which is arranged on the left and right side surfaces 18, may be formed in such a shape that the portion of the support closest to the back surface 16 functions as a support structure, without the rear retainer 17 being arranged. In this case, the substrate is held between the holding portion 422 of the substrate pressing portion 42 and the pocket end of the portion of the support 13 closest to the back surface 16. That is, in Figures 6A and 6B, the rear retainer 17 is replaced by the pocket end of the support 13.

[0069] 1. Substrate storage container 10. Container body 11. Opening 12. Seal surface 13. Support (support structure) 14. Attached part 15. Attached part 16. Back surface 17. Rear retainer (support structure) 18. Side surface 20. Lid 30. Seal member 40. Front retainer 41. Base 412. Protrusion 42. Substrate holding part 421. Arm part 422. Holding part 423. Bridge part 45. Holding groove 45a. First inclined surface 45b. Second inclined surface 46. Lead-in surface 47. Pull-out surface 48. Boundary 49. Receiving rib G. Gap L. Distance θ1, θ2, θ3, θ4, θ5. Inclination angle

Claims

1. A substrate storage container comprising: a container body capable of storing multiple substrates in multiple vertical rows; a lid that closes the opening on the front of the container body; a front retainer provided on the lid; supports provided on the left and right sides of the container body to support the multiple substrates when the opening of the container body is not closed by the lid; and support structures provided on the left and right sides or the back of the container body to hold the multiple substrates between themselves and the front retainer when the opening of the container body is closed by the lid, wherein the front retainer has a base that is attached to the lid and a plurality of substrate pressing parts arranged in the vertical direction, each including a holding part that supports a substrate, and the holding part includes a receiving rib that forms a gap between itself and the lower surface of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support.

2. The substrate storage container according to claim 1, wherein the receiving rib has an upper surface that is inclined downward with respect to the substrate surface of the substrate or an upper surface that is parallel to the substrate surface.

3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gap is 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

4. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving rib has a length such that it is located within 25 mm from the front to the back of the lid when the opening of the container body is closed with the lid.

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