TW202504836A - Substrate storage container - Google Patents

Abstract

A substrate storage container 2 comprises: a container body 2 including a cylindrical wall part 20 that has one end part on the front side in which a container body opening 21 is formed and the other end part on the rear side which is closed by a back wall 22, the inner surface of the wall part 20 forming a substrate storage space 27 in which a plurality of substrates W can be stored and which communicates with the container body opening 21; and a lid body 3 that can be attached to and detached from the container body opening 21 and is capable of closing the container body opening 21. At least one of the container body 2 and the lid body 3 is composed of a member 5, 7. When the member 5, 7 is released from a mold for molding the member 5, 7, a portion of the member 5, 7 abuts a pushing pin for pushing out the member 5, 7. The portion, which abuts the edge of a substrate W, is provided with a recess 521 recessed in a direction away from the substrate W.

Description

Substrate storage container

The present invention relates to a substrate storage container used for storing, storing, transporting, conveying, etc. substrates such as semiconductor chips, photomasks, and printed circuit boards.

As a substrate storage container for storing various substrates, a substrate storage container including a container body and a cover body is conventionally known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

One end of the container body has a container body opening. The other end of the container body has a closed cylindrical wall. A substrate storage space is formed in the container body. The substrate storage space is surrounded by the wall and can store substrates. The cover can be installed and removed relative to the container body opening and can close the container body opening. The side substrate support parts are arranged in pairs on the wall in the substrate storage space. When the container body opening is not closed by the cover, the side substrate support parts can support the edge of the substrate in a state where adjacent substrates are arranged at predetermined intervals from each other.

A front retainer (lid side substrate support portion) is provided in a portion that is a part of the lid and that is opposite to the substrate storage space when the container main body opening is closed. When the container main body opening is closed by the lid, the front retainer can support the edge of the substrate. In addition, the inner side substrate support portion is provided on the wall portion in a paired manner with the front retainer. The inner side substrate support portion can support the edge of the substrate. When the container main body opening is closed by the lid, the inner side substrate support portion supports the substrate by cooperating with the front retainer, thereby supporting the substrate in a state where adjacent substrates are arranged at predetermined intervals from each other.

Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-004949

When the components constituting the conventional substrate storage container are taken out of the mold after being formed by the mold, they are protruded by the ejector pins and taken out of the mold. At this time, the part of the component abutted by the ejector pins forms a protrusion or a resin piece due to the trace of the ejector pins, forming a step, which causes the substrate to be damaged due to vibration when the substrate is put in and out or when it is stored and transported.

The object of the present invention is to provide a substrate storage container which can prevent the substrate from being damaged by protrusions caused by traces of the ejection pins or steps formed by resin sheets on the components constituting the substrate storage container abutted by the ejection pins.

The substrate storage container involved in the present invention comprises: a container body, having a cylindrical wall portion with a container body opening formed at one end on the front side and the other end on the rear side closed by an inner wall, wherein the inner surface of the wall portion is used to form a substrate storage space that can store multiple substrates and is connected to the container body opening; and a cover body that can be installed and removed relative to the container body opening and can close the container body opening, wherein when the component is demolded from a mold that forms the component constituting at least one of the container body and the cover body, a recessed portion that is recessed in a direction away from the substrate is formed in the portion of the component that abuts against the ejection pin for ejecting the component and the portion of the component that abuts against the edge of the substrate.

Preferably, the component has side substrate supporting portions, which are arranged in pairs on the container body within the substrate storage space, and when the opening of the container body is not closed by the cover, can support the edge portions of the multiple substrates in a state where adjacent substrates among the multiple substrates are arranged at predetermined intervals from each other.

In addition, preferably, the component has a cover side substrate support portion, which is arranged at a portion which is a part of the cover and is opposite to the substrate storage space when the opening portion of the container main body is closed by the cover body, and can support the edge portions of the multiple substrates when the opening portion of the container main body is closed by the cover body.

In addition, it is preferred that the recessed portion is formed in a plurality and the plurality of recessed portions are arranged in a straight line. In addition, it is preferred that the recessed portion is formed in a plurality and the plurality of recessed portions are arranged in a sawtooth shape.

According to the present invention, a substrate storage container can be provided, which can prevent the substrate from being damaged by protrusions caused by traces of the ejection pins or steps formed by resin sheets on the components constituting the substrate storage container abutted by the ejection pins.

(Overall Structure of Substrate Storage Container 1)

Hereinafter, the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Here, for the sake of convenience, the direction from the container body 2 described later toward the cover body 3 (the direction from the upper right toward the lower left in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the front direction D11, the opposite direction is defined as the rear direction D12, and the combination thereof is defined as the front-rear direction D1. In addition, the direction from the lower wall 24 described later toward the upper wall 23 (the upper direction in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the upper direction D21, the opposite direction is defined as the lower direction D22, and the combination thereof is defined as the up-down direction D2. In addition, the direction from the second side wall 26 described later toward the first side wall 25 (the direction from the lower right toward the upper left in FIG. 1 ) is defined as the left direction D31, the opposite direction is defined as the right direction D32, and the combination thereof is defined as the left-right direction D3. Arrows indicating these directions are shown in the main figure.

The substrate W (see FIG. 1 ) stored in the substrate storage container 1 is a disk-shaped silicon wafer, glass wafer, sapphire wafer, etc., and is a thin substrate for industrial use. The substrate W in this embodiment is a silicon wafer with a diameter of 300 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the substrate storage container 1 stores substrates W composed of the above-mentioned silicon wafers, and is used as an in-process container for transporting substrates W in a process within a factory, or as a shipping container for transporting substrates by transport tools such as land transportation tools, air transportation tools, and sea transportation tools, and is composed of a container body 2 and a cover body 3. The container body 2 has a substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 as a side substrate support portion, and a back substrate support portion 6. The cover body 3 has a front retainer 7 as a cover body side substrate support portion.

The container body 2 has a cylindrical wall portion 20 with a container body opening portion 21 formed at one end and the other end closed. A substrate storage space 27 is formed in the container body 2. The substrate storage space 27 is surrounded by the wall portion 20. A substrate support plate portion 5 is arranged in a portion that is a part of the wall portion 20 and forms the substrate storage space 27. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of substrates W can be stored in the substrate storage space 27.

The substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 is an internal component arranged in pairs in the substrate storage space 27, and is fixedly provided on the wall portion 20 in a detachable manner. When the container main body opening portion 21 is not closed by the lid 3, the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 abuts against the edge portions of the plurality of substrates W, thereby supporting the edge portions of the plurality of substrates W in a state where adjacent substrates W are arranged at predetermined intervals from each other. The inner side substrate support portion 6 is formed integrally with the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 and provided on the inner side of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5.

The back substrate support part 6 is provided on the wall part 20 so as to form a pair with the front holder 7 described later in the substrate storage space 27. The back substrate support part 6 can support the rear part of the edge part of the plurality of substrates W by contacting the edge part of the plurality of substrates W.

The lid 3 can be attached and detached relative to the opening peripheral portion 28 forming the container main body opening 21, and can close the container main body opening 21. The front retainer 7 is provided at a portion that is a part of the lid 3 and that is opposite to the substrate storage space 27 when the container main body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3. The front retainer is arranged in a pair with the back substrate support portion 6 inside the substrate storage space 27.

When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer can support the front of the edge of the plurality of substrates W by abutting against the edge of the plurality of substrates W. When the container body opening 21 is closed by the lid 3, the front retainer supports the plurality of substrates W by cooperating with the back substrate support 6, thereby maintaining adjacent substrates W arranged at predetermined intervals.

The substrate storage container 1 is made of a resin such as a plastic material. Unless otherwise specified, examples of the resin of the material include thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate, cycloolefin polymer, polyetherimide, polyetherketone, polybutylene terephthalate, polyetheretherketone, liquid crystal polymer, and mixtures thereof. When conductivity is imparted to the resin of these molding materials, conductive substances such as carbon fiber, carbon powder, carbon nanotube, and conductive polymer are selectively added. In addition, glass fiber and carbon fiber may be added to improve rigidity.

(Container body 2)

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the wall portion 20 of the container body 2 includes an inner wall 22, an upper wall 23, a lower wall 24, a first side wall 25, and a second side wall 26. The inner wall 22, the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26 are made of the above-mentioned materials and are integrally formed.

The first side wall 25 is opposite to the second side wall 26, and the upper wall 23 is opposite to the lower wall 24. The rear ends of the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26 are all connected to the inner wall 22. The front ends of the upper wall 23, the lower wall 24, the first side wall 25, and the second side wall 26 form an opening peripheral portion 28, which forms a container main body opening portion 21 in a substantially rectangular shape.

The opening peripheral portion 28 is provided at one end of the container body 2, and the inner wall 22 is located at the other end of the container body 2. The outer shape of the container body 2 formed by the outer surface of the wall portion 20 is box-shaped. The inner surface of the wall portion 20, that is, the inner surface of the inner wall 22, the inner surface of the upper wall 23, the inner surface of the lower wall 24, the inner surface of the first side wall 25, and the inner surface of the second side wall 26 form a substrate storage space 27 surrounded by them. The container body opening portion 21 formed at the opening peripheral portion 28 is connected to the substrate storage space 27 formed inside the container body 2 surrounded by the wall portion 20. A maximum of 25 substrates W can be stored in the substrate storage space 27.

In the portion near the opening peripheral portion 28 which is a part of the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24, there are formed lock engaging recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, 241B which are recessed toward the outside of the substrate storage space 27. The lock engaging recesses 231A, 231B, 241A, 241B are formed one each near the left and right ends of the upper wall 23 and the lower wall 24, forming a total of four.

On the outer surface of the upper wall 23, ribs 235 are provided so as to be integrally formed with the upper wall 23. The ribs 235 improve the rigidity of the container body 2. In addition, a top flange 236 is fixed to the center portion of the upper wall 23. When the substrate storage container 1 is suspended in an AMHS (automatic wafer transport system), a PGV (wafer substrate transport vehicle), etc., the top flange 236 is a component that becomes a portion of the substrate storage container 1 that is hooked and suspended.

A bottom plate 244 is fixed to the lower wall 24. The bottom plate 244 is in the shape of a plate disposed to face substantially the entire lower surface constituting the outer surface of the lower wall 24, and is fixed to the lower wall 24.

Two through holes, namely, air supply holes 242 and air exhaust holes 243, are formed near the four corners of the lower wall 24. In this embodiment, the through holes at the two front portions of the lower wall 24 are the air exhaust holes 243 for exhausting the gas inside the container body 2, and the through holes at the two rear portions are the air supply holes 242 for supplying gas to the inside of the container body 2.

The through hole serving as the air supply hole 242 is provided with a gas supply filter 98 as an additional component, and the through hole serving as the air exhaust hole 243 is provided with an air exhaust filter 99. That is, the flow path of the gas inside the gas supply filter 98 and the air exhaust filter 99 constitutes a part of the ventilation channel, and the ventilation channel can connect the substrate storage space 27 with the space outside the container body 2. In addition, the gas supply filter 98 and the air exhaust filter 99 are arranged on the wall 20, and in the gas supply filter 98 and the air exhaust filter 99, the gas can pass through the space outside the container body 2 and the substrate storage space 27 through the filter (not shown). The purge gas supplied to the gas supply filter 98 is supplied toward the substrate storage space 27. The gas exhaust filter 99 is configured as a space that allows the gas to pass from the substrate storage space 27 to the outside of the container body 2.

(Protrusion 8)

The inner wall 22 has a protrusion 8 as a gas ejection nozzle. Two protrusions 8 are provided in pairs. The protrusions 8 are fixed to the lower wall 24 of the container body 2 by inserting the bases of the two protrusions one by one into the holes formed in the part of the lower wall 24 of the container body 2 near the two air supply holes 242 in such a manner that the bases of the two protrusions are airtightly connected to the ventilation passage inside the air supply filter 98. In addition, the upper part of the protrusion 8, which is the part on the top end side of the protrusion 8, is fixed to the inner wall 22 constituting the wall portion 20 by snap fitting or welding.

With this structure, a pair of protrusions 8 protrude in a rib-like manner toward the container body opening 21, and extend in parallel from the upper end to the lower end of the inner wall 22. The protrusions 8 are in a hollow columnar shape.

The protrusion 8 can supply the gas flowing into the gas supply filter 98, that is, the gas flow channel, to the substrate storage space 27. The gas flow channel inside the gas supply filter 98 can connect the substrate storage space 27 and the space outside the container body 2.

(Substrate Support Plate-Shaped Part 5)

The substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 is provided on the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively, and is an internal component arranged in pairs in the substrate storage space 27 in the left-right direction D3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 has a plate portion 51 and a support wall 52 as a plate portion support portion. The plate portion 51 and the support wall 52 are integrally formed of a resin material, and the plate portion 51 is supported by the support wall 52.

The plate portion 51 is in a plate-like, roughly arc-shaped shape. 25 plate portions 51 are provided on the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 along the vertical direction D2, respectively, and a total of 50 plate portions 51 are provided. Adjacent plate portions 51 are spaced 10 mm to 12 mm apart from each other in the vertical direction D2 and are arranged in a parallel position relationship. In addition, above the uppermost plate portion 51, there is also a plate-shaped component 59 parallel to the plate portion 51, which is a component that guides the substrate W when the uppermost substrate W is inserted into the substrate storage space 27.

In addition, the 25 plate portions 51 provided on the first side wall 25 and the 25 plate portions 51 provided on the second side wall 26 have a relative positional relationship with each other in the left-right direction D3. In addition, the 50 plate portions 51 and the plate-shaped guide member 59 parallel to the plate portions 51 have a positional relationship parallel to the inner surface of the lower wall 24. The upper surface of the plate portion 51 is provided with convex portions 511 and 512. The substrate W supported by the plate portion 51 only contacts the protruding ends of the convex portions 511 and 512, and does not contact the surface of the plate portion 51.

The support wall 52 is in the shape of a plate extending in the up-down direction D2 and the approximately front-back direction D1. As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the support wall 52 has a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the plate portion 51, and includes a support wall 52-1 at the front end of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5, a support wall 52-2 at a portion slightly forward of the center, and a support wall 52-3 at the rear end of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5, and is connected to the side edge of the plate portion 51. The plate-shaped support wall 52 is bent toward the substrate storage space 27 along the outer edge of the plate portion 51.

That is, the 25 plate portions 51 provided on the first side wall 25 are connected to the support wall 52 provided on the side of the first side wall 25. Similarly, the 25 plate portions 51 provided on the second side wall 26 are connected to the support wall 52 provided on the side of the second side wall 26. The support wall 52 is fixed to the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26, respectively.

The substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 having such a structure can support the edge portions of the plurality of substrates W in a state where adjacent substrates W among the plurality of substrates W are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval and are in a positional relationship parallel to each other.

As shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 7, a concave portion 521 and a convex portion 522 are formed in the support wall 52. The concave portion 521 is formed at a portion of the support wall 52 that abuts against an unillustrated ejection pin of the support wall 52 of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 when the formed substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 is demolded from an unillustrated mold for forming the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5, and at a portion of the support wall 52 that abuts against an edge of the substrate W when the substrate W enters and exits the substrate storage space 27.

Specifically, the recessed portion 521 is formed to be recessed toward the direction away from the substrate W stored in the substrate storage space 27, that is, the outer side of the container body 2. A plurality of recessed portions 521 are formed, and are arranged along the vertical direction D2 on the support wall 52-1 further forward than the protrusion 511 and the support wall 52-2 slightly forward than the center.

A recess 521 (recess 521-1, 521-2) is arranged between the plate portions 51 and the plate portion 51 adjacent to each other in the up-down direction D2, and between the plate portion 51 and the plate-shaped member 59. The recess 521 (521-1) formed at the front end of the support wall 52 is arranged in a sawtooth shape in the front and back, and the recess 521 (521-2) formed at the support wall 52-2 is arranged in a straight line. In this way, by arranging in a sawtooth shape and a straight line shape, it is easier to push out the push pin than in the case where only one of the sawtooth shape and the straight line shape is arranged.

The portion where the recess 521 is formed is a portion that abuts against the left and right sides of the substrate W to guide the substrate W when the substrate W enters and exits the container body 2, and therefore is a portion of the container body 2 that cannot be designed not to contact the substrate W. In other words, it is a portion that needs to be provided at a position as close as possible to the substrate W. Therefore, the opening of the recess 521 is formed in a chamfered shape that does not damage the substrate W when abutting against the substrate W, so that burrs (edges) are not generated during demolding.

The recess 521 is in the shape of a cylinder whose length in the axial direction is shorter than its diameter. The diameter of the recess 521 is larger than the diameter of the ejection pin (not shown) for ejecting the support wall 52. The depth of the recess 521 is greater than 0.05 mm and less than 0.2 mm. The depth is set to be greater than 0.05 mm because, when it is less than 0.05 mm, the step formed by the protrusion or resin sheet generated on the support wall 52 by the contact between the support wall 52 and the ejection pin (not shown) for ejecting the support wall 52 is larger, and the effect of avoiding the contact between the step and the substrate W cannot be obtained. The thickness is set to be less than 0.2 mm because a step formed by a protrusion or resin sheet produced on the support wall 52 due to the abutment between the support wall 52 and the unillustrated ejection pin that ejects the support wall 52 is unlikely to exceed 0.2 mm, and the effect of avoiding the abutment between the step and the substrate W can be obtained, and a deeper recess than necessary can be obtained.

The protrusion 522 is configured and formed at a portion of the support wall 52 that abuts against an unillustrated ejection pin of the support wall 52 for ejecting the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 when the formed substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 is demolded from an unillustrated mold for forming the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5, and is a portion of the support wall 52 that does not abut against the edge of the substrate W and is always separated from the edge of the substrate W.

Specifically, the convex portion 522 (see FIG. 4 ) on the side close to the center of the container body 2, that is, the side of the substrate storage space 27 (hereinafter referred to as the “inner side of the support wall 52”) is formed to protrude toward the direction approaching the substrate W stored in the substrate storage space 27, that is, the inner side of the container body 2. The convex portion 522 (see FIG. 6 ) on the side close to the wall portion 20 of the container body 2, that is, the outer side of the substrate storage space 27 (hereinafter referred to as the “outer side of the support wall 52”) is formed to protrude toward the direction away from the substrate W stored in the substrate storage space 27, that is, the outer side of the container body 2.

There are a plurality of convex portions 522, and the convex portions 522 (522-1) on the inner side of the support wall 52 are arranged in a straight line along the vertical direction D2 at the rear end of the support wall 52-3 which is further rearward than the inner substrate support portion 6 as shown in FIG. 4. The plurality of convex portions 522-1 are arranged one for each of the 2 to 3 substrates W stored in the substrate storage space 27 in the vertical direction D2, and are arranged at predetermined intervals in a manner that the number of convex portions 522-1 is different in the upper half and the lower half of the support wall 52-3. In addition, on the inner side of the support wall 52, the convex portion 522 (522-2) is also arranged in the middle of the rear extension portion extending from the rear end of the support wall 52 to the rear side.

In addition, on the outer side of the support wall 52, as shown in FIG6, the protrusions 522 (522-3) are arranged in a straight line on the support wall 52-1 along the vertical direction D2. The plurality of protrusions 522-3 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction D2, such that one is arranged at the upper end of the support wall 52-1, the lower end of the support wall 52-1, the portion at the upper 1/4 position of the support wall 52-1 in the vertical direction D2, and the portion at the lower 1/4 position of the support wall 52-1 in the vertical direction D2. In addition, the plurality of protrusions 522 (522-3) are also arranged in a straight line on the support wall 52-3 along the vertical direction D2.

The protrusion 522 is cylindrical in shape with an axial length shorter than its diameter. The diameter of the protrusion 522 is larger than the diameter of an ejection pin (not shown) for ejecting the support wall 52, but is not limited thereto and may be the same as or smaller than the diameter of the ejection pin.

The height of the protrusion 522 is not less than 0.05 mm and not more than 0.2 mm. The height is not less than 0.05 mm because if it is less than 0.05 mm, the height is too low and it is difficult to check whether dust is attached to the substrate W. The height is not more than 0.2 mm because if it is too high, it may cause trouble.

(Back substrate support 6)

As shown in FIG. 4 , the inner substrate support portion 6 has an inner edge support portion 60. The inner edge support portion 60 is formed integrally with the plate portion 51 and the support wall 52 at the rear end portion of the plate portion 51 of the substrate support plate portion 5. Therefore, the substrate support plate portion 5 as the side substrate support portion and the inner substrate support portion 6 constitute an internal component fixedly coupled to the container body 2 inside the container body 2. In addition, the inner substrate support portion 6 may be formed separately from the substrate support plate portion 5, that is, the inner edge support portion 60 may be formed separately from the plate portion 51 of the substrate support plate portion 5.

The number of the inner edge support parts 60 is set to correspond to each substrate W that can be stored in the substrate storage space 27, and specifically, 25 are set. The inner edge support parts 60 arranged on the first side wall 25 and the second side wall 26 have a paired positional relationship with the front retainer 7 described later in the front-rear direction D1. By storing the substrate W in the substrate storage space 27 and closing the cover 3, the inner edge support parts 60 clamp and support the edge of the edge of the substrate W.

(Cover 3)

As shown in Fig. 1, the lid 3 is in a generally rectangular shape that is substantially consistent with the shape of the opening peripheral portion 28 of the container body 2. The lid 3 can be installed and removed relative to the opening peripheral portion 28 of the container body 2. By installing the lid 3 on the opening peripheral portion 28, the lid 3 can close the container body opening 21 in a positional relationship surrounded by the opening peripheral portion 28.

An annular sealing member 4 is installed around the outer peripheral edge of the lid body 3 on the surface that is the inner surface of the lid body 3 (the surface on the inner side of the lid body 3 shown in FIG. 1 ) and is opposite to the surface (sealing surface 281) of the step portion formed at a position in the rear direction D12 close to the opening peripheral portion 28 when the lid body 3 closes the container main body opening portion 21. The sealing member 4 is arranged to surround the lid body 3. The sealing member 4 is a product of various thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester and polyolefin that can be elastically deformed, and a product made of fluororubber, silicone rubber, etc.

When the lid 3 is mounted on the opening peripheral portion 28, the sealing member 4 is sandwiched between the sealing surface 281 of the container body 2 and the inner surface of the lid 3 and is elastically deformed. That is, by interposing the sealing member 4 between the lid 3 and the container body 2, the lid 3 can seal the container body opening 21 in a state where the lid 3 and the opening peripheral portion 28 are separated from each other without contacting each other. By removing the lid 3 from the opening peripheral portion 28, the substrate W can enter and exit the substrate storage space 27 in the container body 2.

The cover 3 is provided with a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism is provided near the left and right ends of the cover 3, and as shown in FIG1 , includes: two upper locks 32A, 32A, which can protrude from the upper side of the cover 3 in the upward direction D21; and two lower locks 32B, 32B, which can protrude from the lower side of the cover 3 in the downward direction D22. The two upper locks 32A, 32A are arranged near the left and right ends of the upper side of the cover 3, and the two lower locks 32B, 32B are arranged near the left and right ends of the lower side of the cover 3.

An operating portion 33 is provided on the outer surface of the cover body 3. By operating the operating portion 33 from the front side of the cover body 3, the upper lock portions 32A, 32A and the lower lock portions 32B, 32B can be made to protrude from the upper side or the lower side of the cover body 3, or to be in a state of not protruding from the upper side or the lower side. The upper lock portions 32A, 32A protrude from the upper side of the cover body 3 in the upward direction D21 and engage with the lock engaging recesses 231A, 231B of the container body 2, and the lower lock portions 32B, 32B protrude from the lower side of the cover body 3 in the downward direction D22 and engage with the lock engaging recesses 241A, 241B of the container body 2, thereby fixing the cover body 3 to the container body opening 21 of the container body 2.

A recess 34 is formed on the inner side of the cover 3, which is recessed toward the outer side of the substrate storage space 27. The recess 34 has a width of about one-third of the width of the cover 3 in the left-right direction D3 at the center of the cover 3 in the left-right direction D3, and is formed from near the upper end of the cover 3 to near the lower end in the up-down direction D2.

The front retainer 7 is provided in the recessed portion 34. That is, the front retainer 7 is arranged at a portion which is a part of the lid body 3 and forms the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening 21 of the container body 2 is closed, that is, at a portion facing the substrate storage space 27.

As shown in FIG9 , the front holder 7 is composed of a front holder part 7-1 and a front holder part 7-2 which are formed separately and have the same shape, and has a pair of longitudinal frames 71 extending in parallel in the up-down direction D2, a front holder leg part 72, and a front holder substrate receiving part 73 as a lid body side substrate supporting part. In the front holder part 7-1 and the front holder part 7-2, the pair of longitudinal frames 71, the front holder leg part 72 and the front holder substrate receiving part 73 are integrally formed by resin. The front holder substrate receiving part 73 constitutes a lid body side substrate supporting part.

The front holder substrate receiving parts 73 are arranged in a straight line at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction D2. Twenty-five front holder substrate receiving parts 73 arranged in this way are provided in the vertical direction D2.

As shown in Fig. 9 and the like, a convex portion 711 is provided on the vertical frame body 71. The convex portion 711 is formed at a portion of the vertical frame body 71 that abuts against an unillustrated ejection pin of the vertical frame body 71 that ejects the formed front retainer parts 7-1 and 7-2 when the formed front retainer parts 7-1 and 7-2 are demolded from an unillustrated mold of the front retainer 7.

Specifically, a convex portion 711 (see FIGS. 9 to 10 ) on one side close to the center of the container body 2, i.e., on the side of the substrate storage space 27 (hereinafter referred to as the “inner side of the vertical frame body 71”) is formed to protrude toward the direction of the substrate W stored in the substrate storage space 27, i.e., the inner side of the container body 2. The plurality of convex portions 711 are arranged in a straight line at predetermined intervals on the vertical frame body 71 in different numbers in the upper half and the lower half of the vertical frame body 71.

(Effect of implementation method)

According to the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment having the above-mentioned structure, the following effects can be obtained.

In the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, when the substrate support plate portion 5 is demolded from the mold that forms the component constituting the container main body 2, namely, the substrate support plate portion 5, a recessed portion 521 that is recessed in the direction away from the substrate W is formed in the portion of the substrate support plate portion 5 that abuts against the ejection pin of the substrate support plate portion 5 and the portion of the substrate support plate portion 5 that abuts against the edge of the substrate W.

Thus, the protrusion or the step formed by the resin piece caused by the trace of the ejector pin generated by the contact between the ejector pin and the substrate supporting plate-shaped portion 5 constituting the substrate storage container 1 is accommodated in the recess 521 and does not protrude from the recess 521. Therefore, when the substrate W enters and exits the substrate storage space 27 and the substrate storage container 1 is transported in a state where the substrate W is stored in the substrate storage container 1, it is possible to avoid the step from contacting with the substrate W stored in the substrate storage space 27 and causing interference or hooking. Therefore, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container 1 that can eliminate damage to the substrate W and avoid damage to the substrate W.

Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, the component provided with the recessed portion 521 has a substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 as a side substrate support portion, which is provided in pairs on the container body 2 in the substrate storage space 27, and can support the edge portions of the plurality of substrates W in a state where adjacent substrates W are arranged at predetermined intervals from each other when the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid 3. Thus, it is possible to avoid the above-mentioned step generated on the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 from contacting with the substrates W stored in the substrate storage space 27 to cause interference or hooking.

In the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of recesses 521 are formed, and the plurality of recesses 521 are arranged in a straight line. Thus, the substrate support plate-like portion 5 can be pushed out from the mold using the push pins arranged in a straight line.

In addition, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of recesses 521 are formed, and the plurality of recesses 521 are arranged in a saw-tooth shape. Thus, the ejection pin arranged in a saw-tooth shape can be used to ensure that the ejection portion has a larger area and the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 can be ejected from the mold in the two staggered lines forming the saw-tooth shape.

Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, when the substrate supporting plate portion 5 and the front retainer 7 are demolded from molds for respectively forming components for constituting the container body 2 and the cover body 3, namely, the substrate supporting plate portion 5 and the front retainer 7, protrusions 522 and 711 are respectively formed on portions of the substrate supporting plate portion 5 and the front retainer 7 that abut against ejection pins for respectively ejecting the substrate supporting plate portion 5 and the front retainer 7.

Thus, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of dirt and dust caused by the friction caused by the push pins sliding on the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 and the front holder 7, which are components constituting the substrate storage container 1, and the protrusions or steps formed by the resin sheets caused by the push pins' traces or the resin sheets. In addition, even if dust is accumulated on the protruding end surfaces of the convex portions 522 and 711, it is easy to check whether there is dust, so it can be easily cleaned. As a result, it is possible to provide a substrate storage container 1 capable of suppressing contamination of the substrate W.

Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, the convex portions 522 and 711 do not abut against the edge of the substrate W but are always arranged at the portion of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 and the front holder 7 separated from the edge of the substrate W. Thus, in the portion of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 and the front holder 7 that never abuts against the substrate W, the above-mentioned dirt and dust accumulation can be suppressed and can be easily cleaned.

Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, the convex portions 522-3 and 522-4 protrude in a direction away from the substrate W, and the convex portions 522-1 and 522-2 protrude in a direction approaching the substrate W. Thus, a structure in which the convex portions 522 are provided on the inner side and the outer side of the support wall 52 constituting the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 can be formed.

Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, the component provided with the protrusion 522 has a substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 as a side substrate support portion, which is provided in pairs on the container body 2 in the substrate storage space 27, and can support the edge portions of the plurality of substrates W in a state where adjacent substrates W are arranged at predetermined intervals from each other when the container body opening 21 is not closed by the lid 3. Thus, the above-mentioned step generated on the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 can be suppressed from accumulating dirt and dust due to friction. Furthermore, even if dust is accumulated on the protrusion 522, it can be easily cleaned.

Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, a support wall 52-1 at the front end of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 and a support wall 52-3 at the rear end of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 are respectively arranged. Thus, the accumulation of dirt and dust due to friction on the above-mentioned step generated on the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 can be suppressed in the portion of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 that does not abut against the substrate W. Furthermore, even if dust is accumulated on the convex portion 522, it can be easily cleaned.

Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, the convex portion 522 is disposed on the portion of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 that is opposite to the container body 2. Thus, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of dirt and dust caused by friction on the above-mentioned step on the side opposite to the side of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 that is opposite to the substrate W. Furthermore, even if dust is accumulated on the convex portion 522, it can be easily cleaned.

Furthermore, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, the component provided with the convex portion 711 has a front retainer 7 as a lid-side substrate support portion, which is disposed at a portion that is a part of the lid 3 and that is opposite to the substrate storage space 27 when the container main body opening portion 21 is closed by the lid 3, and can support the edge portions of a plurality of substrates W when the container main body opening portion 21 is closed by the lid 3. Thus, the above-mentioned step generated on the front retainer 7 can be prevented from accumulating dirt and dust due to friction. Furthermore, even when dust is accumulated on the convex portion 711, it can be easily cleaned.

In the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 522 and 711 are formed, and the protrusions 522 and 711 are arranged in a straight line. Thus, the substrate support plate 5 and the front holder 7 can be pushed out of the mold by the ejection pins arranged in a straight line.

(Variation)

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned implementation methods and can be modified within the technical scope described in the patent application scope.

For example, the front holder 7 is provided with the convex portion 711, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , a concave portion 711A may be formed in the vertical frame body 71 of the front holder 7A instead of the convex portion 711.

In this case, the recess 711A is a cylindrical shape whose axial length is shorter than its diameter, similarly to the recess 521. The diameter of the recess 711A is larger than the diameter of the ejection pin (not shown) that ejects the longitudinal frame 71. The depth of the recess 711A is also the same as that of the recess 521.

That is, in the modified example of the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, the component provided with the recessed portion 711A has a front holder 7A as a cover-side substrate support portion, which is disposed at a portion that is a part of the cover 3 and that is opposite to the substrate storage space 27 when the container body opening portion 21 is closed by the cover 3, and can support the edge portions of a plurality of substrates W when the container body opening portion 21 is closed by the cover 3. Thus, it is possible to avoid the above-mentioned step generated on the front holder 7A from contacting with the substrates W stored in the substrate storage space 27 to cause interference or hooking.

In addition, in the substrate storage container 1 of the present embodiment, the convex parts 522-1 and 522-2 are formed to protrude toward the direction of approaching the substrate W stored in the substrate storage space 27, that is, the inner side of the container body 2, and the convex parts 522-3 and 522-4 are formed to protrude toward the direction of leaving the substrate W stored in the substrate storage space 27, that is, the outer side of the container body 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the convex parts only need to protrude toward at least one of the direction away from the substrate and the direction approaching the substrate.

In addition, in the support wall 52, the convex part 522-1, the convex part 522-2, the convex part 522-3, and the convex part 522-4 are provided on the support wall 52-1 at the front end of the substrate support plate-shaped part 5 and the support wall 52-3 at the rear end of the substrate support plate-shaped part 5, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The convex part may be provided at least one of the front end of the side substrate support part, the rear end of the side substrate support part, and the center of the side substrate support part in the front-rear direction.

Furthermore, the recessed portion 521 and the convex portion 522 are provided in the substrate support plate portion 5, and the convex portion 711 and the recessed portion 711A are provided in the front holder 7 and the front holder 7A, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The convex portion and the recessed portion may be provided in a member constituting at least one of the container body and the cover.

In addition, the shapes of the container body and the cover, and the number and size of substrates that can be accommodated in the container body are not limited to the shapes of the container body 2 and the cover 3, and the number and size of substrates W that can be accommodated in the container body 2 in the present embodiment.

1: Substrate storage container 2: Container body 3: Cover 5: Substrate support plate (side substrate support) 6: Back substrate support 7: Front retainer (lid side substrate support) 20: Wall 21: Container body opening 25: First side wall (side wall) 26: Second side wall (side wall) 27: Substrate storage space 522,711: Protrusion 521,711A: Concave W: Substrate

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a substrate storage container 1 storing a plurality of substrates W according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view showing a container body 2 of a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view showing a container body 2 of a substrate storage container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the container body 2 cut along the line AA in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the upper front portion of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 shown in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 6 is a left side view showing the substrate support plate-like portion 5 of the substrate storage container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing an upper portion of a rear portion of the substrate support plate-shaped portion 5 shown in FIG. 6 .

FIG. 8 is a rear view showing the lid 3 of the substrate storage container 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a rear view showing the front retainer 7 of the cover body 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG10 is an enlarged perspective view showing the upper portion of the front retainer 7 shown in FIG9 .

FIG. 11 is a rear view showing a modified example of the front retainer 7 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

5: Substrate support plate portion (side substrate support portion)

51: Board

511: convex part

52,52-1,52-2: Support wall

521,521-1,521-2: concave part

Claims (5)

A substrate storage container comprises: a container body having a container body opening formed at one end on the front side and a cylindrical wall portion closed by an inner wall at the other end on the rear side, wherein an inner surface of the wall portion is used to form a substrate storage space that can store multiple substrates and is connected to the container body opening; and a cover body that can be installed and removed relative to the container body opening and can close the container body opening. The substrate storage container is characterized in that when the component constituting at least one of the container body and the cover body is demolded from a mold that forms the component, a recessed portion that is recessed in a direction away from the substrate is formed at a portion of the component that abuts against a push-out pin for pushing out the component and a portion of the component that abuts against an edge of the substrate. The substrate storage container as described in claim 1 is characterized in that the component has side substrate support portions, which are arranged in pairs on the container body within the substrate storage space, and when the opening of the container body is not closed by the cover, the side substrate support portions can support the edge portions of the multiple substrates in a state where adjacent substrates among the multiple substrates are arranged at predetermined intervals from each other. The substrate storage container as described in claim 1 is characterized in that the component has a lid side substrate support portion, and the lid side substrate support portion is arranged at a portion which is a part of the lid and is opposite to the substrate storage space when the container main body opening portion is closed by the lid body. When the container main body opening portion is closed by the lid body, the lid side substrate support portion can support the edge portions of the multiple substrates. The substrate storage container as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 is characterized in that a plurality of the recesses are formed, and the plurality of recesses are arranged in a straight line. The substrate storage container as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 is characterized in that a plurality of the recesses are formed, and the plurality of the recesses are arranged in a sawtooth shape.