Wafer container with door guide and seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9673075-B2
Application number	US-201113880948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2011
Priority date	Oct 20, 2010
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A wafer container that reduces or alleviates one or more of the problems associated with excessive container wall deflection due to loading and excessive particulate generation, particularly as those problems are experienced with containers for 450 mm diameter and larger wafers. The container has an enclosure and door with interlocking features to enable transfer of tension load to the door to minimize deflection of container surfaces. The container may include a gasketing arrangement compatible with the interlock feature. The container may include a removable door guide that improves centering of the door during door installation, and that is made of low particle generating material to reduce particulates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front opening container for semiconductor wafers comprising:
an enclosure portion including a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of enclosure portion side walls, a back wall, and a door frame opposite the back wall, the door frame defining a front opening, the door frame having a plurality of intersecting door frame side walls forming a plurality of door frame corners, each door frame side wall defining a ramped portion intermediate adjacent door frame corners;
a door removably received in the door frame for closing the front opening, the door comprising a body portion presenting a plurality of intersecting peripheral faces;
a plurality of door guides, each door guide centered on a separate one of the peripheral faces such that each door guide is engaged with a separate one of the ramped portions of the door frame when the door is received in the door frame; and
wherein each door frame side wall further defines a door frame recess, wherein each door frame recess is generally v-shaped and presents an engagement surface, and wherein an edge of each door guide has an engagement surface conformingly disposed so as to confront the engagement surface of the door frame recess when the edge of the door guide is received in the door frame recess.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein each door frame recess comprises an outwardly facing recess and is positioned inward from each ramped portion and extends parallel with a front edge of the door frame, and wherein each door guide defines an edge, the edge of the door guide being engaged in the recess to interlock the door with the enclosure portion when the door is received in the door frame.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the door includes an elastomeric seal extending around a periphery of the door, the elastomeric seal engaging structure on the door frame when the door is received in the door frame to hermetically seal the enclosure portion.

4. The container of claim 1 , further comprising a wafer cushion disposed on a rear side of the door.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein the door guide is made from a low particle generating material.

6. The container of claim 5 , wherein the low particle generating material includes acetal or PBT.

7. A front opening container for semiconductor wafers comprising:
an enclosure portion including a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of enclosure portion side walls, a back wall, and a door frame opposite the back wall, the door frame defining a front opening, the door frame having a plurality of intersecting door frame side walls forming a plurality of door frame corners, each door frame side wall defining a door frame recess;
a door removably received in the door frame for closing the front opening, the door comprising a body portion presenting a plurality of intersecting peripheral faces;
wherein each of the plurality of peripheral faces of the body portion defines a door guide recess, each door guide recess centered on a separate one of the peripheral faces and wherein a separate one of a plurality of door guides is received in each of the door guide recesses and secured by snap-in detents such that each door guide is engaged with the door guide recess on a separate one of the door frame side walls when the door is received in the door frame;
wherein each door frame recess is generally v-shaped and presents an engagement surface, and wherein an edge of each door guide has an engagement surface conformingly disposed so as to confront the engagement surface of the door frame recess when the edge of the door guide is received in the door frame recess.

8. A front opening container for semiconductor wafers comprising:
an enclosure portion including a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a back wall, and a rectangular door frame opposite the back wall, the door frame defining a front opening, the door frame defined by side walls extending between corners of the rectangular door frame, each side wall defining a ramped portion intermediate adjacent corners;
a rectangular door removably received in the door frame for closing the front opening, the door comprising a body portion presenting four intersecting peripheral faces;
a plurality of door guides, each door guide disposed on a separate one of the peripheral faces such that each door guide is engaged with a separate one of the ramped portions of the door frame when the door is received in the door frame;
wherein the door frame defines an outwardly facing recess inward from each ramped portion and extending parallel with a front edge of the door frame at the front opening, and wherein the each door guide defines an engagement structure, the engagement structure of the door guide being engaged in the recess to interlock the door with the enclosure portion when the door is received in the door frame; and
wherein the recess is generally v-shaped and presents an engagement surface, and wherein the engagement structure of the door guide has an engagement surface conformingly disposed so as to confront the engagement surface of the recess when the engagement structure of the door guide is received in the recess.

9. A front opening container for semiconductor wafers comprising:
an enclosure portion including a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a back wall, and a rectangular door frame opposite the back wall, the door frame defining a front opening, the door frame defined by side walls extending between corners of the rectangular door frame, each side wall defining a ramped portion intermediate adjacent corners;
a rectangular door removably received in the door frame for closing the front opening, the door comprising a body portion presenting four intersecting peripheral faces; and
a plurality of door guides, each door guide disposed on a separate one of the peripheral faces such that each door guide is engaged with a separate one of the ramped portions of the door frame when the door is received in the door frame;
wherein each of the plurality of peripheral faces of the body portion defines a door guide recess, and wherein a separate one of the door guides is received in each of the door guide recesses.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein each of the door guides has at least one engagement structure, the at least one engagement structure received by a corresponding engagement structure in the door guide recess.

11. The container of claim 10 , wherein the at least one engagement structure is an engagement tab, and the corresponding engagement structure is an aperture.

Assignees

• Gregerson Barry
• Fuller Matthew A
• Adams Michael S
• Entegris Inc

Inventors

• Gregerson Barry
• Fuller Matthew A
• Adams Michael S

Classifications

• H10P72/1914

  characterised by locking systems · CPC title

• H10P72/1912

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

• H10P72/1916 Primary

  characterised by sealing arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/10 Primary

  using carriers specially adapted therefor, e.g. front opening unified pods [FOUP] · CPC title

• H01L21/67369

  Electricity · mapped topic