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US 2016/0254172 A1Published application
Wafer carrier
AssigneeEntegris, Inc.
InventorsMichael S. Adams, Barry Gregerson, Matthew A. Fuller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeEntegris, Inc.
InventorsMichael S. Adams, Barry Gregerson, Matthew A. Fuller
Estimating the term…
A front opening wafer container suitable for large wafers such as 450 mm utilizes componentry with separate fasteners to lock the componentry together in an expedient manner providing robust connections and cost efficiencies. A container portion has an open front and receives on a bottom surface a base plate secured by twist lock connectors that also provide recesses for purge grommets. Kinematic coupling components readily and robustly lock onto the base plate. Interior wafer support components latch onto brackets on the side walls utilizing a separate locking insert with holding tabs and locking detents. A wafer retainer provides support and counters enhanced wafer sag associated with 450 mm wafers when the door is installed and seated.
A wafer container, comprising:
A wafer container, comprising:
A front opening wafer container having a container portion with a front opening and a door for insertion into said front opening, the container portion comprising a shell having a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls, a back wall, and an interior, the container portion further comprising a base plate having three kinematic coupling grooves connected to the shell at a plurality of connection points and a pair of wafer support components positioned in the interior of the shell, each wafer support component comprising a plurality of shelves for supporting a spaced stack of wafers, each wafer support component having a bracket at a rearward end of the component that engages with a bracket unitary with the side wall to secure the rearward end of the bracket to the sidewall, the component further comprising a forward bracket with a plurality of openings that are in alignment with a plurality of openings on a cooperating forward bracket integral with the shell, the container further comprising a locking clip, the locking clip comprising a plurality of tabs that when the locking clip is put into a securement position extend through one of the openings in the forward bracket of the shell and one of the openings in the forward bracket of the component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.