Wafer cassette in wafer carrier

• US 5,782,362 A
• Filed: 10/11/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shin-Etsu Polymer Company Limited (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd. (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited), Shin-Etsu Polymer Company Limited (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Inventors: Ohori, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, SHIAN TINH NHAN
• Application Number:
  US08/729,978
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 206/454, 206/449, 206/710, 206/711, 206/722, 206/822, 206/823, 211/41
• US Class Current: 206/711
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/107 Grooves, ribs, or the like, situated on opposed walls and between which the articles are located
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67326 Horizontal carrier comprising wall type elements whereby the substrates are vertically supported, e.g. comprising sidewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67369 characterised by shock absorbing elements, e.g. retainers or cushions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67383 characterised by substrate supports

Abstract

A wafer cassette of a wafer carrier holds a plurality of wafer materials such as semiconductor single crystal silicon wafers. The wafer cassette is contained in a box body having a covering for transportation and storage of the silicon wafers with safety from contamination and mechanical damage. The wafer cassette is a casing have an opening in the upper and lower surfaces and having a pair of opposite side walls each of which is provided on the inner surface thereof with a plurality of alignment grooves for receiving wafer materials in parallel with each other. The wafer cassette is provided with wafer presser plates each covering the upper or lower surface in a freely demountable fashion each of which having a pair of engageable parts on two opposite sides thereof. A plurality of elastic plates are provided at the center of the plates, between the pair of the engageable parts, in alignment in the direction of the wafer materials held on the cassette. A protrusion extends from each of the elastic plates and the surface of the protrusions are engraved to form a groove having a V-shaped cross section to receive a wafer material.

Claims

1. A wafer carrier comprising:

a cassette having

an upper opening,

a lower opening,

a first side wall having, on an inner surface thereof, a first plurality of parallel alignment grooves,

a second side wall, opposite to said first side wall, having, on an inner surface thereof, a second plurality of parallel alignment grooves;

an upper presser plate, covering said upper opening of said cassette, and having

a first upper engageable part attached to an upper portion of said first side wall of said cassette,

a second upper engageable part, opposite to said first upper engageable part, and attached to an upper portion of said second side wall of said cassette, and

a plurality of upper parallel elastic plates extending between said first upper engageable part and said second upper engageable part and each of said upper parallel elastic plates including a protrusion having a groove which forms a plate center line; and

a lower presser plate, covering said lower opening of said cassette, and having

a first lower engageable part attached to a lower portion of said first side wall of said cassette,

a second lower engageable part, opposite to said first lower engageable part, and attached to a lower portion of said second side wall of said cassette, and

a plurality of lower parallel elastic plates extending between said first lower engageable part and said second lower engageable part and each of said lower parallel elastic plates including a protrusion having a groove which forms a plate center line.

2. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first upper engagement rib protruding outwardly from said upper portion of said first side wall of said cassette;

a second upper engagement rib protruding outwardly from said upper portion of said second side wall of said cassette;

a first lower engagement rib protruding outwardly from said lower portion of said first side wall of said cassette;

a second lower engagement rib protruding outwardly from said lower portion of said second side wall of said cassette;

a first upper pair of positioning stoppers formed, with a space therebetween, on said first upper engagement rib;

a second upper pair of positioning stoppers formed, with a space therebetween, on said second upper engagement rib;

a first lower pair of positioning stoppers formed, with a space therebetween, on said first lower engagement rib;

a second lower pair of positioning stoppers formed, with a space therebetween, on said second lower engagement rib.

3. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said first upper engageable part of said upper presser plate has a width substantially equal to said space between said first upper pair of positioning stoppers and is attached to said first upper engagement rib between said first upper pair of positioning stoppers;

said second upper engageable part of said upper presser plate has a width substantially equal to said space between said second upper pair of positioning stoppers and is attached to said second upper engagement rib between said second upper pair of positioning stoppers;

said first lower engageable part of said lower presser plate has a width substantially equal to said space between said first lower pair of positioning stoppers and is attached to said first lower engagement rib between said first lower pair of positioning stoppers; and

said second lower engageable part of said lower presser plate has a width substantially equal to said second lower pair of positioning stoppers and is attached to said second lower engagement rib between said second lower pair of positioning stoppers;

wherein said center lines of said upper presser plate, said center lines of said lower presser plate, and said alignment grooves of said cassette are in alignment.

4. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said first upper engageable part of said upper presser plate includes a first upper elongated hook hooked onto said first upper engagement rib of said cassette;

said second upper engageable part of said upper presser plate includes a second upper elongated hook hooked onto said second upper engagement rib of said cassette;

said first lower engageable part of said lower presser plate includes a first lower elongated hook hooked onto said first lower engagement rib of said cassette;

said second lower engageable part of said lower presser plate includes a second lower elongated hook hooked onto said second lower engagement rib of said cassette.

5. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

upper positioning means, on said cassette, for positioning said upper presser plate and said cassette such that said center lines of said upper presser plate are aligned with said alignment grooves of said cassette;

lower positioning means, on said cassette, for positioning said lower presser plate and said cassette such that said center lines of said lower presser plate are aligned with said alignment grooves of said cassette;

a container body into which said cassette is inserted; and

a covering connected to said container body and said cassette.

6. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper presser plate and said lower presser plate are flexible and elastic.

7. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 6, wherein said upper presser plate and said lower presser plate are molded from an elastomer.

8. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protrusion of each of said upper parallel elastic plates and said protrusion of said each of said lower parallel elastic plates have a V-shaped cross section.

9. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a wafer, wherein said protrusion of one of said plurality of upper parallel elastic plates and said protrusion of one of said plurality of lower parallel elastic plates hold said wafer therebetween such that said wafer is held between two of said first alignment grooves of said cassette and is held between two of said second alignment grooves of said cassette without contacting any of said first and second alignment grooves of said cassette.

10. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 1, including holding means for holding a wafer between two of said first alignment grooves of said cassette and between two of said second alignment grooves of said cassette such that the wafer does not contact any of said first and second alignment grooves of said cassette.

11. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 10, wherein said protrusion of each of said upper parallel elastic plates and said protrusion of said each of said lower parallel elastic plates have a V-shaped cross section.

12. A wafer carrier assembly as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a wafer, wherein said protrusion of one of said plurality of upper parallel elastic plates and said protrusion of one of said plurality of lower parallel elastic plates are capable of holding said wafer therebetween such that said wafer is held between two of said first alignment grooves of said cassette and is held between two of said second alignment grooves of said cassette without contacting any of said first and second alignment grooves of said cassette.

13. A wafer carrier assembly comprising:

a cassette having

an upper opening,

a lower opening,

a first side wall having, on an inner surface thereof, a first plurality of parallel alignment grooves,

a second side wall, opposite to said first side wall, having, on an inner surface thereof, a second plurality of parallel alignment grooves;

an upper presser plate, capable of covering said upper opening of said cassette, and having

a first upper engageable part capable of attachment to an upper portion of said first side wall of said cassette,

a second upper engageable part, opposite to said first upper engageable part, and capable of attachment to an upper portion of said second side wall of said cassette, and

a plurality of upper parallel elastic plates extending between said first upper engageable part and said second upper engageable part and each of said upper parallel elastic plates including a protrusion having a groove which forms a plate center line; and

a lower presser plate, capable of covering said lower opening of said cassette, and having

a first lower engageable part capable of attachment to a lower portion of said first side wall of said cassette,

a second lower engageable part, opposite to said first lower engageable part, and capable of attachment to a lower portion of said second side wall of said cassette, and

a plurality of lower parallel elastic plates extending between said first lower engageable part and said second lower engageable part and each of said lower parallel elastic plates including a protrusion having a groove which forms a plate center line.

14. A wafer carrier assembly as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a first upper engagement rib protruding outwardly from said upper portion of said first side wall of said cassette;

a second upper engagement rib protruding outwardly from said upper portion of said second side wall of said cassette;

a first lower engagement rib protruding outwardly from said lower portion of said first side wall of said cassette;

a second lower engagement rib protruding outwardly from said lower portion of said second side wall of said cassette;

a first upper pair of positioning stoppers formed, with a space therebetween, on said first upper engagement rib;

a second upper pair of positioning stoppers formed, with a space therebetween, on said second upper engagement rib;

a first lower pair of positioning stoppers formed, with a space therebetween, on said first lower engagement rib;

a second lower pair of positioning stoppers formed, with a space therebetween, on said second lower engagement rib.

15. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said first upper engageable part of said upper presser plate has a width substantially equal to said space between said first upper pair of positioning stoppers and is capable of attachment to said first upper engagement rib between said first upper pair of positioning stoppers;

said second upper engageable part of said upper presser plate has a width substantially equal to said space between said second upper pair of positioning stoppers and is capable of attachment to said second upper engagement rib between said second upper pair of positioning stoppers;

said first lower engageable part of said lower presser plate has a width substantially equal to said space between said first lower pair of positioning stoppers and is capable of attachment to said first lower engagement rib between said first lower pair of positioning stoppers; and

said second lower engageable part of said lower presser plate has a width substantially equal to said second lower pair of positioning stoppers and is capable of attachment to said second lower engagement rib between said second lower pair of positioning stoppers;

wherein said center lines of said upper presser plate, said center lines of said lower presser plate, and said alignment grooves of said cassette are in alignment when said upper and lower presser plates are engaged with said cassette.

16. A wafer carrier assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

said first upper engageable part of said upper presser plate includes a first upper elongated hook capable of being hooked onto said first upper engagement rib of said cassette;

said second upper engageable part of said upper presser plate includes a second upper elongated hook capable of being hooked onto said second upper engagement rib of said cassette;

said first lower engageable part of said lower presser plate includes a first lower elongated hook capable of being hooked onto said first lower engagement rib of said cassette;

said second lower engageable part of said lower presser plate includes a second lower elongated hook capable of being hooked onto said second lower engagement rib of said cassette.

17. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 16, wherein said upper presser plate and said lower presser plate are molded from an elastomer.

18. A wafer carrier assembly as claimed in claim 13, comprising:

upper positioning means, on said cassette, for positioning said upper presser plate and said cassette such that said center lines of said upper presser plate are aligned with said alignment grooves of said cassette;

lower positioning means, on said cassette, for positioning said lower presser plate and said cassette such that said center lines of said lower presser plate are aligned with said alignment grooves of said cassette;

a container body into which said cassette is capable of being inserted; and

a covering capable of being connected to said container body and said cassette.

19. A wafer carrier as claimed in claim 13, including holding means for holding a wafer between two of said first alignment grooves of said cassette and between two of said second alignment grooves of said cassette such that the wafer does not contact any of said first and second alignment grooves of said cassette.

20. A wafer carrier assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein said upper presser plate and said lower presser plate are flexible and elastic.