Wafer shipper with stacked support rings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10896834-B2
Application number	US-201515120973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

A wafer shipper utilizing wafer support rings for supporting individual wafers therein. The wafer support rings can support wafers of various thicknesses without affecting the height of the stack, and provide containment of the resident wafers within the rings during an impact event. The wafers and the rings cooperate to define voids between the wafers that act as cushions in an impact event for dampening the shock imparted on the wafers during an impact event. Likewise, some embodiments include structure that defines enclosed gas pockets between the uppermost and the lowermost wafers of the stack for dampening the effects of an impact. Various embodiments include structure that prevents wafers from “jumping” out of the wafer support rings during an impact event. Some embodiments include structure for supporting wafer flats.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wafer shipping system, comprising:
a plurality of wafer support rings, each wafer support ring being concentric about a central axis and including
a ridge portion that protrudes in an axial direction parallel to said central axis,
a planar surface portion extending away from the ridge portion in a direction toward said central axis, the planar surface portion defining a registration plane configured to support a portion of a wafer thereon,
a flange portion concentric about a central axis and extending inwardly and away from the registration plane of the planar surface portion, said flange portion including a first axial face and a second axial face, said second axial face being opposite said first axial face, and
a channel defined on said second axial face of the flange portion, said channel including an inner radial wall defining an inner radius relative to said central axis and an outer radial wall defining an outer radius relative to said central axis; and

a wafer disposed on the registration plane of the planar surface of the second support ring,
wherein a first wafer support ring of said plurality of wafer support rings is stacked atop a second wafer support ring of said plurality of wafer support rings such that a distal edge of said ridge portion of said second wafer support ring is registered within said channel of said first wafer support ring, the first and second wafer support rings defining a gap between the second axial face of the first wafer support ring and a planar surface portion of the second wafer support ring,
wherein the gap defined between the second axial face of the first wafer support ring and a planar surface portion of the second wafer support ring has an axial dimension that is greater than an axial dimension of the wafer when the ridge portion is registered in the channel, the gap being configured for containing the wafer so that an axial force exerted on said first wafer support ring is transferred to said second wafer support ring without transferring force to the wafer, and
wherein a void is defined between an upper surface of the wafer and a lower surface of the second axial face of the first wafer support ring.

2. The wafer shipping system of claim 1 , wherein said channel is continuous.

3. The wafer shipping system of claim 2 , wherein said ridge portion is continuous and surrounds said gap defined between said first and second wafer support rings.

4. The wafer shipping system of claim 3 , wherein a substantially continuous band of contact is defined between said distal edge of said ridge portion and said channel.

5. The wafer shipping system of claim 4 , wherein said first axial face of said flange portion of each of said plurality of wafer support rings includes a planar surface portion that is radially inset from and adjacent to said ridge portion, said planar surface portion defining a registration plane for a wafer.

6. The wafer shipping system of claim 5 , wherein:
said first wafer support ring is configured for engaging a first wafer to provide a substantially continuous band of contact between said first wafer and said planar surface portion of said first wafer support ring; and
said second wafer support ring is configured for engaging a second wafer to provide a substantially continuous band of contact between said second wafer and said planar surface portion of said second wafer support ring,
whereby said first wafer support ring and said second wafer support ring are configured for defining an enclosed void when said first wafer is disposed in said first wafer
support ring and said second wafer is disposed in said second wafer supportring.

7. The wafer shipping system of claim 1 , wherein a wafer is contained in said gap.

8. The wafer shipping system of claim 1 , comprising:
a receptacle portion; and
a cover portion configured to provide closure of said receptacle portion,
wherein said plurality of wafer support rings are arranged in a stack, said stack being disposed in said receptacle portion, said cover portion contacting said stack when said cover portion is in closure with said receptacle portion to secure said stack between said cover portion and said receptacle portion.

9. The wafer shipping system of claim 5 , comprising:
a receptacle portion; and
a cover portion configured to provide closure of said receptacle portion,
wherein said plurality of wafer support rings are arranged in a stack, said stack being seated on a base portion of said receptacle portion, said cover portion contacting said stack when said cover portion is in closure with said receptacle portion to secure said stack between said cover portion and said base portion, and
wherein said stack includes a lowermost wafer support ring that engages said base portion of said receptacle portion to define a substantially continuous band of contact therebetween, said lowermost wafer support ring being configured for engaging a lowermost wafer to provide a substantially continuous band of contact between said lowermost wafer and said planar surface portion of said lowermost wafer support ring,
whereby said lowermost wafer support ring and said base portion are configured for defining an enclosed gas pocket when lowermost wafer is disposed in said lowermost wafer support ring.

10. The wafer shipping system of claim 9 , wherein:
said cover portion includes a stop portion that extends axially into said cover portion, said stop portion defining a continuous axial face;
said stack includes an uppermost wafer support ring that engages said continuous axial face of said stop portion to define a substantially continuous band of contact therebetween, said uppermost wafer support ring being configured for engaging an uppermost wafer to provide a substantially continuous band of contact between said uppermost wafer and said planar surface portion of said uppermost wafer support ring,
whereby said uppermost wafer support ring and said cover portion are configured for defining an enclosed gas pocket when said uppermost wafer is disposed in said uppermost wafer support ring.

11. The wafer shipping system of claim 10 , wherein said stop portion depends from a top portion of said cover portion, said stop portion including a plurality of radially extending ribs that extend radially outward from proximate a central axis of said top portion.

12. The wafer shipping system of claim 9 , wherein:
said cover portion includes a stop portion that extends axially into said cover portion, said stop portion defining a continuous axial face;
said stack includes an uppermost wafer support ring that engages said continuous axial face of said stop portion to define a substantially continuous band of contact therebetween,
said stack includes an adjacent wafer support ring in contact with said uppermost wafer support ring, said adjacent wafer support ring being configured for engaging an uppermost wafer to provide a substantially continuous band of contact between said uppermost wafer and said planar surface portion of said adjacent wafer support ring, whereby said uppermost wafer support, said adjacent wafer support ring, and said cover portion are configured for defining an enclosed gas pocket when an uppermost wafer is disposed in said adjacent wafer support ring.

13. The wafer support system of claim 1 , wherein said gap is configured to accommodate a 300 mm wafer.

Assignees

• Entegris Inc

Inventors

• Kirkland Eric A
• Raschke Russell V

Classifications

• H10P72/1922 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the closed carrier · CPC title

• H10P72/1912

  characterised by shock absorbing elements, e.g. retainers or cushions · CPC title

• H10P72/78

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/18 Primary

  characterised by being specially adapted for supporting a single substrate or by comprising a stack of such individual supports · CPC title

• H01L21/67386

  Electricity · mapped topic