Wafer container and method for holding wafer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10811291-B2
Application number	US-201815884343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 8, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

Provided is a wafer container including a frame and at least a pair of the stents. The frame has opposite sidewalls. The at least a pair of the stents is respectively disposed on the sidewalls of the frame, wherein the at least a pair of the stents is configured to provide at least three supporting points to support at least one wafer. A method for holding at least one wafer is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wafer container, comprising:
a frame having a first sidewall and a second sidewall extending along a YZ plane, wherein the entire first sidewall is parallel with the entire second side wall; and
at least a pair of supporting structures respectively disposed on the first and second sidewalls of the frame, wherein the at least a pair of the supporting structures is configured to provide at least three supporting points to support at least one wafer in a XY plane,
wherein the at least a pair of the supporting structures comprises a first supporting structure and a second supporting structure opposite to each other, the first supporting structure comprises a first comb structure, wherein the first comb structure comprises a first connection portion extending along a Y direction, and a plurality of first comb portions connected to the first connection portion, extending along a X direction, and alternately arranged along the Y direction, and
the second supporting structure comprises a second comb structure, wherein the second comb structure comprises a second connection portion extending along the Y direction and a plurality of second comb portions connected to the second connection portion, extending along the X direction, and alternately arranged along the Y direction.

2. The wafer container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first comb portions connecting to the same first connection portion and the plurality of second comb portions connecting to the same second connection portion are configured to support a same wafer.

3. The wafer container of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of first comb portions are arranged to correspond to the plurality of second comb portions.

4. The wafer container of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of first comb portions are arranged interleavingly with a corresponding plurality of second comb portions having a same level as the plurality of first comb portions.

5. The wafer container of claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of first comb portions and the plurality of second comb portions comprises a pillar structure extending in a direction perpendicular to the first and second sidewalls.

6. The wafer container of claim 5 , wherein the pillar structure comprises a rectangular pillar structure, a triangular pillar structure, a polygonal pillar structure, a circular pillar structure, or a combination thereof.

7. The wafer container of claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of first comb portions and the plurality of second comb portions comprises a main portion and a plurality of island structures disposed over the main portion and the plurality of island structures are separated from each other.

8. The wafer container of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of first comb portions and the plurality of second comb portions are parallel with each other and have a same length.

9. The wafer container of claim 1 , wherein a centroid of a triangle formed by the three supporting points overlaps a center of the wafer.

10. A wafer container, comprising:
a frame;
a first supporting structure, arranged on one sidewall of the frame; and
a second supporting structure, arranged on another sidewall of the frame and separated by a distance from the first supporting structure in a first direction, the first supporting structure and the second supporting structure capable of holding at least one wafer, wherein contact areas between the first supporting structure and the at least one wafer and between the second supporting structure and the at least one wafer are non-continuous in a second direction, wherein
the first supporting structure comprises a first comb structure, wherein the first comb structure comprises a first connection portion extending along the second direction, and a plurality of first comb portions connected to the first connection portion, extending along the first direction, and alternately arranged along the second direction to support the at least one wafer,
the second supporting structure comprises a second comb structure, wherein the second comb structure comprises a second connection portion extending along the second direction, and a plurality of second comb portions connected to the second connection portion, extending along the first direction, and alternately arranged along the second direction to support the at least one wafer, and
the plurality of first comb portions and the plurality of second comb portions are parallel with each other and have a same length.

11. The wafer container of claim 10 , wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to each other.

12. The wafer container of claim 10 , wherein the first supporting structure and the second supporting structure are substantially horizontally aligned.

13. The wafer container of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of first comb portions are arranged to correspond to the plurality of second comb portions.

14. The wafer container of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of first comb portions are arranged interleavingly with the plurality of second comb portions.

15. The wafer container of claim 10 , wherein one of the plurality of first comb portions and the plurality of second comb portions comprises a pillar structure extending in the first direction.

16. The wafer container of claim 10 , wherein one of the plurality of first comb portions and the plurality of second comb portions comprises a main portion and a plurality of island structures disposed over the main portion, and the plurality of island structures are separated from each other.

17. The wafer container of claim 10 , wherein the wafer container comprises a front opening unified pod (FOUP), a front opening shipping box (FOSB), a wafer standardized mechanical interface (SMIF) pod, a sorter, or a combination thereof.

18. A method for holding at least one wafer, comprising:
providing a wafer container comprising a frame having a first sidewall and a second sidewall extending along a YZ plane and at least a pair of supporting structures respectively disposed on the first and second sidewalls of the frame, wherein the entire first sidewall is parallel with the entire second side wall,
wherein the at least a pair of the supporting structures comprises a first supporting structure and a second supporting structure opposite to each other,
the first supporting structure comprises a first comb structure, wherein the first comb structure comprises a first connection portion extending along a Y direction, and a plurality of first comb portions connected to the first connection portion, extending along a X direction, and alternately arranged along the Y direction, and
the second supporting structure comprises a second comb structure, wherein the second comb structure comprises a second connection portion extending along the Y direction and a plurality of second comb portions connected to the second connection portion, extending along the X direction, and alternately arranged along the Y direction; and
inserting the wafer into the wafer container, so that the at least a pair of the supporting structures is configured to provide at least three supporting points to support the wafer in a XY plane.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least a pair of the supporting structures is substantially horizontally aligned, so that the wafer is substantially level.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein a centroid center of a triangle formed by the three supporting points overlaps a center of the wafer, thereby balancing the wafe

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Wei-Kang
• Jen Chi-Chung
• Huang Jui-Ming
• Liao Wan-Ting

Classifications

• H10P72/1921 Primary

  characterised by substrate supports · CPC title

• H10P72/70

  for supporting or gripping · CPC title

• H10P72/15

  Horizontal carrier comprising wall type elements whereby the substrates are vertically supported, e.g. comprising sidewalls · CPC title

• H10P72/19 Primary

  closed carriers · CPC title

• H01L2221/683

  Electricity · mapped topic