Low Water Absorption Resin Substrate Storage Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate storage containers with high water absorption materials, such as polycarbonate, struggle to maintain low relative humidity levels over time due to increased sensitivity to environmental water content, affecting semiconductor device yield and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A substrate storage container using a specific constitutive material with water absorption of 0.1 wt.% or less, comprising cyclic olefin resin, fibrous conductive filler, polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, which maintains low relative humidity and reduces contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If polycarbonate resin is used as the container material, then the container has high rigidity and visibility, but the water absorption is high making it difficult to maintain low relative humidity over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter (water absorption rate) from conventional polycarbonate (high water absorption) to a specially developed resin composition with water absorption of 0.03% or less. This parameter change enables the container to maintain low relative humidity (10% or less) for extended periods (one month or more) while preserving the necessary mechanical strength for 300mm wafer storage.
2Ease of manufacture
If the container material has high water absorption, then the material is easier to manufacture with good processability, but the relative humidity in the internal space increases over time affecting semiconductor yield
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite resin material consisting of polycarbonate base resin combined with specific additives and modifiers that reduce water absorption while maintaining manufacturability. The composite structure achieves both low water absorption (0.03% or less) and adequate processability, enabling mass production of containers that preserve semiconductor device yield through sustained low humidity environments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The container effectively keeps relative humidity low for an extended period, preventing Electrostatic Discharge Damage and contamination, thereby enhancing the reliability and yield of semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
because the water absorption of the polycarbonate which has been mainly used as a material of the conventional substrate storage container is high, it is difficult to keep low the relative humidity in the internal closed space of the substrate storage container as it is for a long period of time
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~3
AI summary
To provide a substrate storage container capable of keeping low a relative humidity in an internal closed space for a long period of time even after purging, a substrate storage container 1 comprises a constitutive material, which includes a shell body 2, a door 4 and an on-off valve 8, defining the internal closed space 3, the constitutive material being formed of a specific constitutive material having a water absorption of 0.1 wt.% or less when immersed in water at 23 degree C for 24 hours, and thereby, an actual requirement is objectively satisfied in terms of water release suppression ability under JIS K 7209 or ISO 62 to significantly suppress releasing of water into the internal closed space 3 through the shell body 2, the door 4 and the on-off valve 8.