SUBSTRATE CARRIER AND SUBSTRATE CARRIER STACK

• US 20190080945A1
• Filed: 11/09/2018
• Published: 03/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: SCHOBER, Thomas, RAHRBACH, Bernd, WOHANKA, Christian, FENNER, Yves, DOVIDS, Gerhard, FIDDES, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,643,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67346 characterized by being specially adapted for supporting a single substrate or by comprising a stack of such individual supports
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67376 characterised by sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67389 characterised by atmosphere control
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67393 characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrierl

Abstract

A substrate carrier stack includes substrate carriers of only one type which are stacked or stackable on each other and carry a respective plate-shaped substrates within an inner accommodation space of the substrate carrier stack. The substrate carriers each include positioning formations. Positioning formations of each pair of an upper substrate carrier and a lower substrate carrier are mutually engaged or engageable, if the upper substrate carrier and the lower substrate carrier are properly positioned relative to each other.

Claims

1. A substrate carrier stack comprising:

a plurality of substrate carriers stacked in a vertical direction such that, for each pair of vertically adjacent substrate carriers, a lower substrate carrier supports an upper substrate carrier;

wherein

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes an outer carrier frame extending in a horizontal frame plane around an inner zone that includes an inner opening;

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a substrate seat to accommodate and carry a substrate within an inner accommodation space of the substrate carrier stack, the inner accommodation space is defined by the inner openings of the plurality of substrate carriers;

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes, at the outer carrier frame, an upper supporting formation and a lower supporting formation, the upper supporting formation of the lower substrate carrier supporting the lower supporting formation of the upper substrate carrier;

the outer carrier frame of each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a first frame web extending along a first frame web axis, a second frame web extending along a second frame web axis, a third frame web extending along a third frame web axis, and a fourth frame web extending along a fourth frame web axis;

the first frame web axis intersects the fourth frame web axis at a right angle at a first vertex of the first frame web and the fourth frame web, the first frame web and the fourth frame web are connected at a first frame vertex region of the outer carrier frame;

the first frame web axis intersects the second frame web axis at a right angle at a second vertex of the first frame web and the second frame web, the first frame web and the second frame web are connected at a second frame vertex region of the outer carrier frame;

the third frame web axis intersects the fourth frame web axis at a right angle at a fourth vertex of the third frame web and the fourth frame web, the third frame web and the fourth frame web are connected at a fourth frame vertex region of the outer carrier frame;

the third frame web axis intersects the second frame web axis at a third vertex of the third frame web and the second frame web, the third frame web and the second frame web are connected at a third frame vertex region of the outer carrier frame;

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a plurality of substrate holding arms that extend inwardly and upwardly from the outer carrier frame, overlap the inner zone, and define the substrate seat;

the substrate seat is located at a distance above the outer carrier frame in the vertical direction; and

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a first positioning formation and a second positioning formation such that, for the each pair of vertically adjacent substrate carriers, the first positioning formation of the lower substrate carrier engages with the second positioning formation of the upper substrate carrier.

2. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, wherein

the upper supporting formation includes an upper sealing formation, and the lower supporting formation includes a lower sealing formation;

a first of the upper sealing formation and the lower sealing formation includes a continuous sealing lip that extends continuously around the inner zone, and a second of the upper sealing formation and the lower sealing formation includes a continuous sealing surface strip that extends continuously around the inner zone;

for the each pair of vertically adjacent substrate carriers, the lower sealing formation of the upper substrate carrier engages with the upper sealing formation of the lower substrate carrier to seal the inner zone and the inner accommodation space from an area surrounding the substrate carrier stack.

3. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, wherein

all of the plurality of substrate carriers have a same structure or substantially a same structure;

and

the substrate carriers of the each pair of vertically adjacent substrate carriers are stacked such that;

the first frame web of the lower substrate carrier supports the third frame web of the upper substrate carrier, the second frame web of the lower substrate carrier supports the fourth frame web of the upper substrate carrier, the third frame web of the lower substrate carrier supports the first frame web of the upper substrate carrier, and the fourth frame web of the lower substrate carrier supports the second frame web of the upper substrate carrier.

4. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, wherein

the first positioning formation and the second positioning formation are located at identical or substantially identical diametrically opposing portions of the outer carrier frame of each of the plurality of substrate carriers;

the first positioning formation of the lower substrate carrier of the each pair of vertically adjacent substrate carriers engages with the second positioning formation of the upper substrate carrier of the each pair of vertically adjacent substrate carriers only when the two substrate carriers of the each pair of vertically adjacent substrate carriers are stacked on each other such that the first frame web of the lower substrate carrier supports the third frame web of the upper substrate carrier, the second frame web of the lower substrate carrier supports the fourth frame web of the upper substrate carrier, the third frame web of the lower substrate carrier supports the first frame web of the upper substrate carrier, and the fourth frame web of the lower substrate carrier supports the second frame web of the upper substrate carrier.

5. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a vertical protrusion defining a first of the first positioning formation and the second positioning formation, and a recess or opening defining a second of the first positioning formation and the second positioning formation.

6. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of substrate holding arms include pairs of substrate holding arms provided at diametrically opposed frame web portions of two of the first web frame, the second web frame, the third web frame, and the fourth web frame that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other.

7. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of substrate holding arms of each of the plurality of substrate carriers include:

a first substrate holding arm and a second substrate holding arm provided at one of the first frame web and the second frame web; and

a third substrate holding arm and a fourth substrate holding arm provided at the frame web of one of the third frame web or the fourth frame web that has the frame web axis thereof extending parallel or substantially parallel to the frame web axis of the first frame web and the second frame web at which the first substrate holding arm and the second substrate holding arm are provided.

8. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes projections that project horizontally from an outer peripheral surface of the outer carrier frame.

9. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a first pair of projections that project from an outer peripheral surface of the outer carrier frame in a first horizontal direction and a second pair of projections that project from the outer peripheral surface of the outer carrier frame in a second horizontal direction that is different from the first horizontal direction.

10. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, further comprising a cover that is stacked on the plurality of substrate carriers and is supported by an uppermost substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers.

11. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 1, further comprising a base on which the plurality of substrate carriers are stacked, the base supports a lowermost substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers.

12. The substrate carrier according to claim 1, wherein

the substrate seat of each of the plurality of substrate carriers defines a horizontal carrying plane which is coplanar with a lower surface of the substrate;

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a plurality of partition webs that extend from the outer carrier frame through the inner zone to define the inner opening and two auxiliary openings of the inner zone;

a first arc-shaped portion of the plurality of partition webs extends in a first space between the fourth frame web and the inner opening to define a first of the two auxiliary openings;

a second arc-shaped portion of the plurality of partition webs extends in a second space between the second frame web and the inner opening to define a second of the two auxiliary openings;

the first auxiliary openings and the second auxiliary openings of the inner zones of the plurality of substrate carriers collectively define a first purging channel and a second purging channel that extend vertically parallel or substantially parallel to the inner accommodation space at opposing sides of the inner accommodation space; and

the plurality of substrate carriers include purging structures that create horizontal purging flows within the substrate carrier stack through spaces between substrates held by the substrate seats of the plurality of substrate carriers.

13. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 12, wherein

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a first partition web extending between the first frame web and the third frame web and includes the first arc-shaped portion that extends in the first space between the fourth frame web and the inner opening and bridges between the first frame web and the third frame web;

and

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes a second partition web extending between the first frame web and the third frame web and includes the second arc-shaped portion that extends in the second space between the second frame web and the inner opening and bridges between the first frame web and the third frame web.

14. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 12, wherein the first arc-shaped portion and the second arc-shaped portion of a lowermost substrate carrier or a predetermined number of the plurality of substrate carriers are located alongside a cylindrical protrusion of a base on which the plurality of substrate carriers are stacked, the cylindrical protrusion extending upwardly into the inner accommodation space in the vertical direction.

15. The substrate carrier stack according claim 12, further comprising:

a cover that is stacked on the plurality of substrate carriers and is supported by an uppermost substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers; and

a base on which the plurality of substrate carriers are stacked, the base supports a lowermost substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers;

wherein

the upper supporting formation includes an upper sealing formation, and the lower supporting formation includes a lower sealing formation;

the upper sealing formation of the uppermost substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers engages with a sealing formation of the cover;

the lower sealing formation of the lowermost substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers engages with a sealing formation of the base to seal the inner accommodation space, the first purging channel, and the second purging channel from an area surrounding the substrate carrier stack.

16. A substrate carrier stack comprising:

a plurality of substrate carriers that are stacked on each other and all have a same structure or substantially a same structure to each carry a substrate within an inner accommodation space of the substrate carrier stack;

wherein

each of the plurality of substrate carriers includes positioning formations, the positioning formations of each pair of an upper substrate carrier and a lower substrate carrier of the plurality of substrate carriers mutually engage with each other when the upper substrate carrier and the lower substrate carrier are properly positioned relative to each other.

17. The substrate carrier stack according to claim 16, wherein a proper relative positioning of the upper substrate carrier and the lower substrate carrier is a relative rotation of 180 degrees about a vertical rotation axis of the upper substrate carrier and the lower substrate carrier.

18. A substrate carrier comprising:

an outer carrier frame extending in a frame plane around an inner zone including an inner opening;

an upper supporting formation and a lower supporting formation located at the outer carrier frame;

a plurality of substrate holding arms that extend inwardly and upwardly from the outer carrier frame, overlap with the inner zone, and define a substrate seat that is located at a distance above the outer carrier frame in a vertical direction of the substrate carrier to carry a substrate; and

a first positioning formation and a second positioning formation, the first positioning formation is engageable with a second positioning formation of a first additional substrate carrier that is stacked on the substrate carrier, and the second positioning formation is engageable with a first positioning formation of a second additional substrate carrier on which the substrate carrier is stacked.

19. The substrate carrier according to claim 18, wherein the substrate carrier is integrally molded from a plastic material.

20. The substrate carrier according to claim 18, wherein the substrate carrier is integrally molded from polyether ether ketone or polycarbonate.