JP2012164720A - Transport box - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transport box for a substrate housing case which is capable of automatically packaging the substrate housing case and can reliably protect a wafer against vibrations and impact during transport with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A transport box comprises: a container which has an opening on its top and can accommodate a substrate housing case; and a top lid which closes the opening of the container. A bearing member on which the substrate housing case is placed is provided on an inner bottom of the container. A top face of the bearing member is provided with: a positioning mechanism for guiding the substrate housing case to a predetermined position; and an anti-vibration member for absorbing vibrations during transport. First fixing means is provided on an upper edge of the opening. The top lid has: second fixing means which engages with the first fixing means; and means for fixing the substrate housing case from above.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wafer transport container (hereinafter referred to as “substrate”) used for transporting semiconductor wafers in a factory for manufacturing semiconductor device components, which performs various processes and processes for forming electronic circuits on the surface of semiconductor wafers. It is related to a transport box used for in-process transportation, transportation between processes, and transportation between the factories.

The substrate storage container has a container body having an opening on the front surface and a robotic flange for automatic transfer on the top surface, and a lid for closing the opening so as to be sealed. A pair of support members for supporting the substrate at a constant interval in a horizontal state are provided on the inner wall. Conventionally, after the wafer is stored in the container main body so as to support the wafer horizontally, the opening of the container main body is closed with a lid and used for wafer transfer in the factory.
In such a substrate storage container, a robotic flange provided on the top surface of the container body is held by an overhead transfer tool called OHT (Overhead Hoist Transfer) to process and process the wafer. In order to carry out, it is conveyed to each process arranged in the factory, and an electronic circuit is formed on the wafer surface by repeating processing and processing there (see Patent Document 1).

The semiconductor parts produced in this way are becoming more sophisticated and complicated in production process, with the wirings becoming narrower and more integrated year by year. On the other hand, since it is also necessary to reduce costs, there is a demand for a device that reduces waste such as waiting time and increases production efficiency.

JP 2001-308171 A

In a semiconductor component production factory, in order to increase production efficiency, there is an attempt to increase production efficiency by using not only a single factory but also a vacant process in an adjacent factory or an external factory. However, in this case, storing and transporting the conventional substrate storage container as it is in a long-distance transport packaging box requires work for attaching and detaching the package, which takes time, and the work efficiency is poor. It was. In addition, since the conventional wafer holding mechanism of the substrate storage container is designed for conveyance within the process, it is not sufficient to withstand vibration and shock during transportation, and a wafer damage accident occurs during transportation. There was a fear.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a transport box for a substrate storage container that can automatically package the substrate storage container, and can reliably protect the wafer against vibration and shock during transportation with a simple structure. It is an object.

  A transport box according to the present invention solves the above-described problem, and includes a container having an opening at the top and capable of storing a substrate storage container, and an upper lid for closing the opening of the container. The inner bottom portion is provided with a support member for placing the substrate storage container. On the upper surface of the support member, a positioning mechanism for guiding the substrate storage container to a predetermined position, and a vibration isolation for absorbing vibration during transportation. A first fixing means on the upper edge of the opening, and the upper lid fixes the substrate storage container from above with a second fixing means that engages with the first fixing means. It has the means to do.

The first and second fixing means may be magnets or a combination of a magnet and a magnetic material. Further, the container may be formed by assembling a column member provided at the ridge line portion and a side wall member serving as a wall surface, and a handle provided with a grip portion by assembling and mounting adjacent side wall members to each other. May be provided.
The support member is preferably made of metal or a highly rigid resin material, and the side wall member is preferably a resin plate imparted with antistatic properties.

The transport box of the present invention has a simple structure, can store a substrate storage container, and can be safely transported against vibration and impact during transport. In addition, by using magnetic force for the fixing means, devising the locking structure or making it operable from the outside, it can be opened and closed automatically, and it is necessary to use secondary packing materials such as cushioning materials This eliminates the need for automation of work. Further, by constructing the container from the support member and the side wall member, the assembly is easy and the weight of the shipping box can be reduced.

It is a perspective view which shows the outline of the transport box of the substrate storage container which is an example of embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which removed the upper cover from the transport box of FIG. 1, and showed the container. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a side wall of a part of the container is removed in the transport box of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the AA line of FIG. It is the top view which looked at the container of FIG. 2 from the top. It is a top view which shows the state which removed the substrate storage container from the container of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the example of handling of the transport box of this invention.

Hereinafter, first, the transport box of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a transport box that is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and the transport box 1 includes an upper lid 2 and a container 3. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the container 3 with the top cover 2 of the transport box 1 of FIG. 1 removed, and a substrate storage container 4 storing a wafer (substrate) having a diameter of 300 mm is stored therein. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the side wall of the container 3 is removed from the shipping box 1 of FIG. 1 in order to show the inside of the shipping box, and FIG. 4 is an AA view of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along a line.

  The substrate storage container 4 has a container main body 4a having an opening for storing a substrate on the front surface, and a lid 4b for closing the opening of the container main body 4a (see FIGS. 3 and 4). A robotic flange 5 for transfer is attached to the top surface of the container body 4a, and a pair of shelf-like support parts 6 for horizontally supporting the substrate w is provided on the inner wall of the container body 4a. Is provided (see FIG. 4). A bottom plate 7 and a positioning member (not shown) are disposed at three locations on the bottom surface of the container body 4a. The positioning member is formed in an inverted V-shaped cross section, The substrate storage container 4 and the processing apparatus are centered by being fitted to the positioning pins of the processing apparatus to be mounted.

  The lid 4b has a lid body formed in a dish shape and a cover plate that closes the dish-shaped opening of the lid body, and a pair of the body 4a for locking the lid 4b. Built-in locking mechanism. A front retainer 8 for holding the substrate stored in the container body 4a is attached to the back surface of the lid 4b, and an endless seal is provided on the side wall of the lid 4b to make the inside of the substrate storage container 4 airtight. A gasket is installed.

  A transport box 1 shown as an example of an embodiment of the present invention includes a container 3 having an upper opening 11 and an upper lid 2 that closes the opening 11 of the container 3, and a substrate storage container 4 is stored therein. Has been. On the opening side of the four side wall members 10 that surround the bottom surface 9 of the container 3, a pair of handles 12 including grip portions are installed on the opposite side wall members 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

The container 3 can be formed by assembling a column member 13 provided on the ridge line portion and a side wall member 10 serving as a wall surface, and the adjacent side wall members 10 are attached so as to be erected. The container 3 is formed by assembling the side wall panel 10a to the four support members 13 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, and a cube is formed.
The bottom surface 9 of the container 3 is surrounded and reinforced by four aluminum reinforcing frames arranged in the horizontal direction, and a bottom panel 9a is attached thereto. The bottom panel 9a is made of a non-ionic, cationic or anionic antistatic agent, or a conductive material such as carbon fiber, carbon nanotube, metal fiber, metal oxide, conductive polymer such as polythiophene or polypyrrole. It is formed into a plate from acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin that has been subjected to antistatic treatment such as kneading into the forming material or forming a static dissipative surface layer on the surface of the bottom panel by painting or coating. It is fixed to the frame by screwing or fitting.

The column member 13 is formed as a hollow quadrangular column using a metal such as aluminum or a highly rigid resin material (polypropylene, polyacetal, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, etc.), and each side portion of the column member 13 Is formed with a groove for fixing the side wall panel 10a. The side wall panel 10a is made of a nonionic, cationic or anionic antistatic agent, or a conductive material such as carbon fiber, carbon nanotube, metal fiber, metal oxide, conductive polymer such as polythiophene or polypyrrole. It is formed using a resin plate such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin that has been subjected to antistatic treatment such as kneading into the forming material or forming a surface layer with static electricity dissipation by painting or coating on the surface of the side wall panel. The fixing member 13 is fixed by screwing, fitting, or using a fixing member made of another member.
An appropriate amount of a hindered amine light stabilizer, a benzotriazole ultraviolet absorber, or the like can be added to the material forming the side wall panel 10a as necessary.

5 and 6 are plan views of the container 3, FIG. 5 shows a state in which the substrate storage container 4 is stored, and FIG. 6 shows a state in which the substrate storage container 4 is removed from the container 3. A support member 14 for mounting the substrate storage container 4 is attached to the inner bottom surface of the container 3, and a vibration isolating member 15 for absorbing vibration during transportation is provided on the upper surface of the support member 14. (See FIG. 6). The support member 14 is formed with a hollow portion 16 for weight reduction.

The anti-vibration member 15 is made of various rubber materials such as silicone rubber, urethane rubber, and fluorine rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, and the like, and protrudes from the upper surface of the base material 15a formed therefrom in a grid pattern. The protrusion group 15b is formed, and the bottom surface of the substrate storage container 4 is supported by these upper surfaces (see FIG. 6).
Further, guide members 17 a and 17 b are attached to the upper surface of the support member 14, and these include a side wall 17 c and a guide inclined surface 17 d that is formed above the side wall 17 c and guides the substrate storage container 4. The substrate storage container 4 is disposed so as to be able to contact the front and rear and left and right outer peripheral portions.

The substrate storage container 4 is positioned and mounted on the vibration isolation member 15. At this time, the substrate storage container is guided to a predetermined position by the guide members 17a and 17b, which are positioning mechanisms provided outside the vibration isolation member 15, and the position is regulated. The guide members 17a and 17b are provided with a guide inclined surface 17d on the upper portion of the side wall 17c thereof, thereby controlling the movement of the substrate storage container 4 in the left and right and front and rear directions within the container 3, so that the substrate storage container 4 It is placed at a predetermined position. The guide members 17a and 17b are preferably formed from polybutylene terephthalate, polyether ether ketone, polybutylene naphthalate, various thermoplastic resins having improved slidability, and the like.

  The upper lid 2 that closes the opening of the container has a plate-like shape, and has an upper surface panel portion 2 a having a reinforcing unevenness formed on the surface, and a bent portion 2 b that is locked to the periphery of the opening of the container 3. The upper panel 2a is formed with a recess 2c that engages with the peripheral edge of the robotic flange 5 of the substrate container 4 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). The movement of the substrate storage container 4 is limited by the recess 2c and the inner surface of the upper panel 2a. As described above, the upper lid 2 is provided with means for fixing the substrate storage container 4 from above. The upper lid 2 is preferably formed from a resin plate such as an acrylic resin or a polycarbonate resin subjected to antistatic treatment.

A first fixing means 18 made of a magnet or a magnetic material is provided on the upper portion of the column member 13 of the container 3, that is, on the upper edge of the opening of the container 3. On the other hand, a second fixing means 19 made of a magnet or a magnetic material is provided at the corner portion of the upper lid opposite to this, and the first and second fixing means are provided by placing the upper lid 2 on the container 3. By attracting the magnets 18 and 19 and the magnetic material, or the magnets and the magnets, both are strongly fixed. Specifically, the first fixing means provided on the column member 13 of the container 3 is formed of a ferromagnetic material such as a metal material, and a magnet is attached to the upper lid 2 as a second fixing means, so that both Can be easily fixed. Moreover, it is preferable to coat the surface of the ferromagnetic material or magnet with plastic or the like in order to prevent contamination by contact powder.
When the upper lid 2 is removed, the container 3 is fixed, and the upper lid 2 can be separated by pulling it apart with a force larger than the magnetic force of the first and second fixing means 18 and 19.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an outline of equipment showing an example of handling the transport box 1 of the present invention. The transport box 1 is mounted on the conveyor 20 after the robotic flange 5 is gripped by an automatic machine and inserted into the container 3 while positioning the substrate storage container 4. At this time, the lid 2 can be automatically attached to the opening 11 of the container 3 using another robot.

When taking out the substrate storage container 4 from the transport box 1, the container 3 is fixed as described above, and the upper lid is removed by pulling it away with a force larger than the magnetic force of the first and second fixing means 18, 19. Can do. Furthermore, by grasping the robotic flange 5 exposed from the opening 11 of the container 3, the substrate storage container 4 can be taken out, and this substrate storage container 4 can be put into the production process of semiconductor components as it is.
As described above, the transport box of the present invention can store and take out the substrate storage container by an automatic machine without manual intervention, and it is also necessary to use a cushioning member made of a foam material that becomes a contamination source. Because there is no, you can keep clean.

The magnetic force used for fixing the upper lid 2 and the container 3 may be a combination of a magnet and a magnet in addition to a combination of a magnet and a ferromagnetic material such as a metal material.
The vibration isolation member 15 may be a spring member or a leaf spring-like member in addition to a rubber material. Furthermore, in order to alleviate the impact inside and outside the container, a liquid-sealed anti-vibration member sealed by injecting liquid into the capsule-like container can also be attached.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the engagement between the upper lid 2 and the container 3 is fixed using magnetic force is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and if the upper lid 2 can be automatically opened and closed, two parts such as a hook and a hook are provided. A locking mechanism based on the frictional engagement, or a locking structure based on a locking mechanism in which the locking claw protrudes and retracts in the locking recess by an external operation may be used.
In addition to separable top lid and container, hinge structure with one side or part facing each other, or top lid and container connected using hinges or rotating shaft You may make it open and close by rotating.
In these cases, an operation unit that can be operated from the outside is provided, and this can be used to fix and remove the upper lid and the container.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transport box 2 Top cover 2a Upper surface panel part 2b Bending part 2c Recess 3 Container 4 Substrate storage container 4a Container body 4b Cover body 5 Robotic flange 6 Support part 7 Bottom plate 8 Front retainer 9 Bottom surface 9a Bottom panel 10 Side wall member 10a Side wall panel DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Opening part 12 Handle 13 Support | pillar member 14 Support member 15 Anti-vibration member 15a Base material 15b Protrusion group 16 Hollow part 17a, 17b Guide member 17c Side wall 17d Guide inclined surface 18 First fixing means 19 Second fixing means 20 Conveyor w Wafer (substrate)

Claims (5)

A container having an opening at the top and capable of storing a substrate storage container; and an upper lid for closing the opening of the container; and a support member for mounting the substrate storage container is provided on the inner bottom of the container. A positioning mechanism for guiding the substrate storage container to a predetermined position and a vibration isolating member for absorbing vibration during transportation are provided on the upper surface of the support member; A shipping box comprising fixing means, wherein the upper lid has second fixing means for engaging with the first fixing means, and means for fixing the substrate storage container from above. The transport box according to claim 1, wherein the first and second fixing means are made of magnets or a combination of a magnet and a magnetic material. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container can be formed by assembling a column member provided at a ridge line portion and a side wall member serving as a wall surface, and the column member is formed of a metal or a highly rigid resin material. The listed shipping box. The shipping container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container is attached so that adjacent side wall members are erected, and has a handle having a grip portion. The transport box according to claim 4, wherein the side wall member is made of a resin plate to which antistatic properties are imparted.

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