Substrate Storage Container Positioning Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor wafers and other disc-shaped substrates increase in diameter, they become prone to bending due to vibration and impact within storage containers, risking contact and damage with temporary placement pieces during storage.
Innovation Solution
The substrate storage container incorporates a substrate return mechanism, such as a spring-like member or sloped face, to position disc-shaped substrates safely within the container, ensuring they are not in contact with temporary placement pieces when the lid is attached, and are returned to a safe position when the lid is removed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the diameter of disc-shaped substrates is increased to improve productivity and reduce cost, then the substrate size is improved, but the substrate becomes more prone to bending due to vibration and impact
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate placement portion is positioned in advance at the back side area of the container main body, ready to receive and support substrates before they are transferred in. This preliminary positioning structure ensures that large-diameter substrates are immediately supported upon entry, preventing bending during the transfer process and subsequent storage.
2Ease of operation
If a substrate temporal placement piece is provided near the substrate transfer opening for placing substrates when the lid body is not mounted, then the ease of operation is improved, but the substrate may contact and be damaged by the placement piece during vibration or impact
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate placement portion is relocated from the traditional position near the substrate transfer opening to the back side area of the container main body. This spatial repositioning in the longitudinal dimension ensures that the placement area is separated from the transfer opening, allowing substrates to be placed safely away from areas where contact damage could occur during vibration or impact.
3Ease of operation
If the substrate temporal placement piece is positioned near the substrate transfer opening for easy substrate placement, then the ease of operation is improved, but the substrate overlaps with the placement piece during vibration causing contact and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate placement portion is repositioned to the back side area of the container main body, changing its spatial location along the longitudinal axis. This dimensional relocation ensures that during vibration or impact, substrates placed on this portion will not overlap with the substrate transfer opening area, eliminating the risk of contact damage while maintaining operational ease.
4Reliability
If the lid side retainer is provided at the inner wall portion of the lid body to hold substrates, then the substrate holding reliability is improved, but the substrate floats from the temporal placement piece creating instability during transition
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate placement portion acts as an intermediary structure between the substrate transfer opening and the substrate holding position. It provides a stable intermediate resting position for substrates during the transition phase, ensuring continuous support and preventing floating or instability while the lid side retainer engages or disengages from the substrate.
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
This design prevents disc-shaped substrates from contacting temporary placement pieces during storage, even with larger diameters, ensuring safe storage by positioning them securely within the container main body.
Implementation Method 1
a substrate return means for returning the disc-shaped substrate to a position not held or positioned by the back side holding portion
Implementation Method 2
a substrate return means for returning the disc-shaped substrate to a position not held or positioned by the back side holding portion
Data Source
AI summary
The position of a substrate temporal placement piece (4) is set so that the substrate temporal placement piece (4) does not overlap a disc-shaped substrate (W) from a viewing direction perpendicular to the surface of the disc-shaped substrate (W), when a lid (20) is attached to a substrate transfer opening (2) of a container main body (1) and the disc-shaped substrate (W) is pressed to a location where the substrate is positioned and held by a back side holding portion (3). Thereby, even if the disc-shaped substrate (W) stored in the container main body (1) is bent due to vibration, impact, etc., there is no danger that the substrate (W) is in contact with the substrate temporal placement piece (4), and the disc-shaped substrate (W) having a larger diameter can be safely stored.