Cushioned wafer container

A resilient cushion for use in a device for transporting, storing, and shipping semiconductor wafers and disks, the cushion comprising:

• a) an elongate body, the body having a front side and a rear side, and edges spaced apart from each other by a web;
• b) a plurality of wafer engaging portions attached to and projecting from the front side;
• and
• c) means for facilitating deformation of the cushion as the cushion is attached and removed from the device.

A combination wafer carrier cushion attachment and removal tool, and a wafer cushion, the combination comprising:

• a tool comprising:
• a) a first cushion contact portion adapted to engage a first tool receiving portion of a cushion;
• b) a second cushion contact portion adapted to engage a second tool receiving portion of a cushion, and,
• c) the first and second cushion contact portions linked whereby said first segment and said second segment are moveable toward and apart from each other;
• a flexible wafer cushion comprising a plurality of wafer engagement portions, at least one pair of oppositely positioned wafer container attachment portions, and one pair of tool receiving portions, the wafer cushion at least partially foldable wherein when the first cushion contact portion and the second cushion contact portion of the tool are engaged with the cushion, and wherein when said cushion contact portions are moved toward and away from each other, the wafer cushion flexes facilitating removal of the cushion from the wafer container.

A wafer carrier for holding a plurality of wafers in axial alignment, the wafers each having a top surface, a bottom surface, and comprising:

• a receptacle portion with an open front and a door seatable in the receptacle to close the open front;
• a plurality of oppositely positioned wafer supports attached to the carrier for supporting wafers at the bottom side of said wafers and not at the top side of said wafers, said wafer supports defining a first support level for each wafer;
• and
• a plurality of wafer engagement elements attached to the carrier to engage each wafer, the wafers moveable by said engagement elements to position each wafer to a second level of support axially displaced from the respective first level of support for each of said wafers.

A wafer handling system for transporting and storing wafers and disks, the system comprising:

• a) a receptacle having a wafer insertion and removal opening, an interior with a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side, and a back side, the right side and left side each having a column of wafer support shelves, the wafer support shelves defining a plurality of first wafer support levels;
• b) a door for closing the insertion and removal opening, the door having an inwardly facing surface;
• c) a first cushion releasably attached on to the inwardly facing surface of the door;
• d) a second cushion releasably attached to the back side of the receptacle, wherein the first cushion and the second cushion define a plurality of second support levels, each second support level corresponding to and vertically offset from a first support level;
• e) an attachment tool for attaching and removing the cushions to the wafer carrier;
• and,
• wherein attachment of the door to the receptacle causes at least one wafer to be shifted from the first support level to the second support level.

A method for attaching a longitudinal cushion to a wafer carrier comprising the steps of:

• i) providing an attachment tool having first and second segments sized to engage a longitudinal cushion;
• ii) engaging the first and second sides of the cushion with the first and second segments of the attachment tool;
• iii) actuating the attachment tool;
• iv) positioning the first longitudinal cushion adjacent an inwardly facing surface of the carrier having a fastening portion;
• and
• v) actuating the attachment tool so that a fastening portion of the longitudinal cushion engages the fastening portion of the inwardly facing surface of the carrier.

A wafer carrier for use in processing, storing and transporting semiconductor wafers, the semiconductor wafers each having a front edge and a rear edge, the wafer carrier comprising:

• a) a door having an inwardly facing surface;
• b) a receptacle having a wafer insertion and removal opening, an interior with a top, bottom, sides, and a rear surface;
• c) a first set of opposing wafer supports, the first set of opposing wafer supports defining a first horizontal support level with the first set of opposing wafer supports providing upward constraint at each of said first set of opposing wafer supports and said first set of opposing wafer supports not providing downward constraint at each of said first set of opposing wafer supports;
• and
• d) a second set of opposing wafer supports, the second set of opposing wafer supports positionable at a second support level axially displaced upwardly from the first level, wherein said first set of opposing wafer supports do not provide downward constraint and do not provide upward constraint at said first horizontal support level, said second set of opposing wafer supports providing upward and downward constraint to said wafers at said second support level.

A front opening container for storing and shipping semiconductor wafers and disks in a generally horizontal orientation, the device comprising:

• a) a receptacle having a front wafer insertion and removal opening, an open interior with a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side, and a back side,
• b) a pair of columns of vertically stacked inwardly extending shelves, one column positioned in the interior at the left side for engaging the left sides of the wafers and one column placed at the interior at the right side for engaging the right sides of the wafers, each shelf having a wafer contact portion for contacting the lower side of a wafer seated on said shelf thereby providing upward constraint and no downward constraint, the pair of columns defining a plurality of slots for insertion of, placement of, and retrieval of wafers from the shelves, each such wafer contact portion defining a first support level, said columns of vertically stacked upwardly extending shelves, not providing downward constraint at said first support levels, said shelves not providing upward or downward constraint at said second support level,
• c) a door sized for closing the open front, the door having an inwardly facing surface;
• d) a first cushion positioned forwardly of the columns, the first cushion having a plurality of wafer seating portions for engaging and constraining the front edge of each of the wafers thereby providing upward, downward, and inward constraint at said front edge of each wafer at a second horizontal support level axially displaced from said first horizontal support level;
• and
• e) a second cushion positioned rearwardly of the columns in the interior of the receptacle, the second cushion having a plurality of wafer seating portions corresponding with the wafer seating portions of the first cushion for engaging the edge of each of the wafers thereby providing upward, downward, and inward constraint at each of said edges when said wafer are at said second horizontal support level, the wafers moveable from the first support level to the second horizontal support level by at least one of the first cushion and second cushion.