Wafer Container Purgeable Supporting Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wafer containers face issues with insufficient supporting force, large contact area leading to particle generation, and inadequate gas flow, which can cause wafer damage and pollution during transportation.
Innovation Solution
A front opening unified pod (FOUP) with a purgeable supporting module featuring a long slit and porous material between sidewalls and back walls, including vertically arranged supporting ribs and restraint components, which reduces contact area and enhances gas flow to carry away particles effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional supporting components with large contact area are used to support wafers, then wafer stability is improved, but particle generation increases due to friction
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting component incorporates a porous structure that reduces the actual contact area between the support and wafer while maintaining structural integrity. The porous material allows gas flow through it, creating a gas cushion that further reduces contact and friction, thereby minimizing particle generation while still providing adequate wafer support stability
Solution Approach 2:
Gas is introduced through the porous supporting component to create a gas flow field between the support and wafer. This gas cushion reduces direct mechanical contact and friction, preventing particle generation while maintaining wafer stability during transportation
2Object-generated harmful factors
If purgable supporting module with porous material is added to reduce particle generation, then particle generation is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The porous supporting component integrates multiple functions into a single element: mechanical support, gas distribution, and particle prevention. By combining the support structure and gas distribution function into the porous component itself, the design avoids adding separate complex systems while achieving particle generation reduction
3Object-generated harmful factors
If gas flow is increased to carry away particles, then particle removal is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The porous structure distributes gas flow uniformly across the supporting surface, creating multiple small flow paths rather than requiring high-velocity single-path flow. This distributed flow approach achieves effective particle removal through cumulative effect while consuming less energy compared to high-velocity concentrated flow
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 solution provides effective support for wafers of various sizes, reduces particle generation, and improves yield by ensuring sufficient gas flow to prevent wafer damage and pollution, enhancing the overall wafer processing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a gas inlet is disposed on one end of the purgeable supporting module and connected with a gas valve of the bottom surface of the container body, the porous material in the long slit allowing gas to be evenly expelled from the long slit when the purged gas reaching saturation pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer container includes a container body, formed by a pair of side walls, a top surface, and a bottom surface, a supporting module being disposed on each of said sidewall for supporting a plurality of wafers; and a door joining with opening of the container body with its inner surface for protecting the plurality of wafers within the container body, the characteristic in that: a purgeable supporting module is respectively disposed between each sidewall to of the container body and the back wall, a long slit is further disposed on the side of purgeable supporting module facing the opening and a porous material is disposed within the long slit, and an air inlet is further disposed on one end of the purgeable supporting module for being connected to a gas valve, wherein the purgeable supporting module is composed of a plurality of supporting ribs vertically arranged at intervals.