Semiconductor wafer carrier

• US 6,089,377 A
• Filed: 08/13/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shimizu, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): FOSTER, JIMMY G
• Application Number:
  US08/910,673
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 118/500, 118/502, 211/41.18, 206/454, 206/832, 206/833, 206/710, 206/711, 432/258, 432/259, 432/261
• US Class Current: 206/711
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67313 Horizontal boat type carrier whereby the substrates are vertically supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/832 Semiconductor wafer boat

Abstract

The invention provides a boat-type semiconductor wafer carrier which prevents such a situation that, upon wet processing of semiconductor wafers, the wafers carried thereon are displaced from grooves thereof and inclined until they fall down or contact with each other to break themselves or damage the surfaces of them. A holding member for holding down upper portions of the wafers is mounted on the boat-type carrier, and the wafer holding member is removable from the boat-type carrier, and is mounted onto the boat-type carrier to fix the wafers aligned on the boat-type carrier. Transportation of the wafers between processing tanks is performed by transporting the boat-type carrier on which the wafers are carried.

Claims

1. A semiconductor wafer carrier comprising, a boat type carrier having grooves for carrying a plurality of semiconductor wafers loaded in a parallel and aligned relationship with respect to each other, said wafer carrier being adapted to be moved by robot equipment from one processing tank to another processing tank and to immerse the wafer carrier into the tanks together with the semiconductor wafers loaded thereon in order to effect a wet processing of the semiconductor wafers in each of the processing tanks, said wafer carrier comprising:

a carrier body having at least one pair of first holding means provided with a plurality of grooves for holding bottom portions of the semiconductor wafers therein,

a second pair of holding means supported from said carrier body for holding down upper portions of the semiconductor wafers loaded on said first holding means, and

robot holding means on said wafer carrier for being picked up by said robot equipment for transporting said semiconductor wafer carrier on which said plurality of semiconductor wafers are loaded.

2. A semiconductor wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second holding means has a projection formed between adjacent grooves of said plurality of grooves thereof for accelerating removal of liquid.

3. A semiconductor wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first holding means for holding bottom portions of the semiconductor wafers on the carrier body is in the form of a rod having a circular cross section and has a plurality of grooves for fixing the bottom portions of the semiconductor wafer therein.

4. A semiconductor wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carrier body has a height smaller than the radius of the semiconductor wafers to be carried on said semiconductor wafer carrier and has a width equal to or smaller than the diameter of the semiconductor wafers to be carried on said semiconductor wafer carrier.

5. A semiconductor wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor wafer carrier and said holding means are made of quartz or a flourine containing resin such as PFA or PTFE.

6. A semiconductor wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second holding member is removable from said carrier body.

7. A semiconductor wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second holding means in the form of a rod having a circular cross section.

8. A semiconductor wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second holding means has a plurality of grooves for fixing the semiconductor wafers therein.

9. A semiconductor wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first holding member is in the form of a rod having a circular cross section.