Wafer carrier for minimizing contacting area with wafers

A wafer carrier comprising:

• a storage holding member for storing a plurality of wafers substantially upright;
• a front fixing plate provided at a front end of the storage holding member and opposite to a surface of a wafer stored in a foremost row of the storage holding member;
• and
• a rear fixing plate provided at a rear end of the storage holding member and opposite to a surface of a wafer stored in a rearmost row of the storage holding member;
• wherein the storage holding member includes a side support for supporting the plurality of wafers at left and right mid portion edges of the wafers and a lower support for supporting the plurality of wafers at left and right lower portion edges of the wafers, and the side support and the lower support are structurally connected by a vertically extending connecting portion, and a plurality of open portions are formed between the respective side and lower supports and the connecting portion for exposing left and right edge portions of the wafers.

A method for using a wafer carrier comprising:

• providing a wafer carrier comprising a storage holding member for storing a plurality of wafers and comprising a plurality of open portions;
• and a front fixing plate and a rear fixing plate disposed at a front and a rear end of the storage holding member, respectively, the front and rear fixing plates each facing a side of at least one of the plurality of wafers, and
• wherein left and right edges of the plurality of wafers stored in the storage holding member are exposed by the plurality of open portions;
• placing at least one of the plurality of wafers into the storage holding member of the wafer carrier;
• and
• immersing the wafer carrier holding at least one of said plurality of wafers therein into a washing apparatus.