Wafer container with cushion sheets
First Claim
1. A cushioned wafer container comprising:
- a plurality of mutually superimposed wafer trays each for retaining a semiconductor wafer; and
an elastic wafer-retaining cushion sheet attached to a top of each of said wafer trays to place said semiconductor wafer thereon;
wherein said semiconductor wafer placed on a surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet is accommodated in an interior space formed between each of said wafer trays and another of said wafer trays that is adjacently superimposed thereover;
said wafer container further comprising;
a wafer suction-adhering surface formed on the surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet, said wafer suction-adhering surface adhering by suction to said semiconductor wafer;
said wafer trays each being provided with a plurality of bottom openings opening to a reverse side of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet, an air chamber communicating with said bottom openings, and an air inlet for supplying pressurized air into said air chamber from an outside;
wherein when pressurized air is supplied into said air chamber through said air inlet to increase air pressure in said air chamber, said wafer-retaining cushion sheet is elastically deformed into an upwardly inflated form at regions facing said bottom openings, thus causing separation between said semiconductor wafer and at least a part of the wafer suction-adhering surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wafer-retaining cushion sheet (5) has a wafer suction-adhering surface (5C) formed on a surface thereof, which adheres by suction to a semiconductor wafer (W). A wafer tray (1) is provided with a plurality of bottom openings (17) opening to the reverse side of the wafer-retaining cushion sheet (5), an air chamber (16) communicating with the bottom openings, and an air inlet (11) for supplying pressurized air into the air chamber (16) from the outside. Consequently, when pressurized air is supplied into the air chamber (16) through the air inlet (11) to increase the air pressure in the air chamber (16), the wafer-retaining cushion sheet (5) is elastically deformed into an inflated form at regions facing the bottom openings (17), thus causing separation between the semiconductor wafer (W) and at least a part of the wafer suction-adhering surface (5C) of the wafer-retaining cushion sheet (5).
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A cushioned wafer container comprising:
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a plurality of mutually superimposed wafer trays each for retaining a semiconductor wafer; and an elastic wafer-retaining cushion sheet attached to a top of each of said wafer trays to place said semiconductor wafer thereon; wherein said semiconductor wafer placed on a surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet is accommodated in an interior space formed between each of said wafer trays and another of said wafer trays that is adjacently superimposed thereover; said wafer container further comprising; a wafer suction-adhering surface formed on the surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet, said wafer suction-adhering surface adhering by suction to said semiconductor wafer; said wafer trays each being provided with a plurality of bottom openings opening to a reverse side of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet, an air chamber communicating with said bottom openings, and an air inlet for supplying pressurized air into said air chamber from an outside; wherein when pressurized air is supplied into said air chamber through said air inlet to increase air pressure in said air chamber, said wafer-retaining cushion sheet is elastically deformed into an upwardly inflated form at regions facing said bottom openings, thus causing separation between said semiconductor wafer and at least a part of the wafer suction-adhering surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A cushioned wafer container comprising:
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a plurality of mutually superimposed wafer trays each for retaining a semiconductor wafer; and an elastic wafer-retaining cushion sheet attached to a top of each of said wafer trays to place said semiconductor wafer thereon; wherein said semiconductor wafer placed on a surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet is accommodated in an interior space formed between each of said wafer trays and another of said wafer trays that is adjacently superimposed thereover; said wafer container further comprising; a wafer suction-adhering surface formed on the surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet, said wafer suction-adhering surface adhering by suction to said semiconductor wafer; said wafer trays each being provided with a plurality of bottom openings opening to a reverse side of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet, an air chamber communicating with said bottom openings, and a suction port for externally sucking out air from said air chamber; wherein when the air in said air chamber is externally sucked out through said suction port to reduce air pressure in said air chamber, said wafer-retaining cushion sheet is elastically deformed in a state of being sucked toward said bottom openings at regions thereof facing said bottom openings, thus causing separation between said semiconductor wafer and at least a part of the wafer suction-adhering surface of said wafer-retaining cushion sheet. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification