US 8,556,079 B2Granted

Wafer container with adjustable inside diameter

AssigneeTexchem Advanced Products Incorporated Sdn Bhd

InventorsJames D Pylant, Alan L Waber, Christopher R Mack

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Improvements in a semiconductor wafer container for reducing movement of semiconductor wafers within a wafer carrier using flexible wall segments, panels or flexible inserts in the base member's main inner containment diameter. These walls allow a vertical containment surface to move and capture the entire stack of wafers rather than a few wafers. The surface that contacts the wafers moves uniformly inward. The wafer stack is secured by reducing or eliminating the gap between the wafer container and the wafer stack. Further improvements include the addition of a ramped engagement surfaces in the top and/or bottom cover that provides mechanical advantage for easier assembly of the top and bottom cover. This design also allows for automated loading and unloading of the wafer stack because once the top cover is removed, the flexible walls spring back outward. Thus providing a small gap in which to freely remove the wafers.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A wafer container comprising:

a top housing and a bottom housing, the bottom housing having an inner cavity for storage for at least one semiconductor wafer;
the top housing having a base with at least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the top housing in an essentially circular orientation;
the bottom housing having a base with at least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the bottom housing, wherein the at least one rib on the bottom housing is arranged concentric and at a different radius from the at least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the top housing, the at least one rib on the bottom housing having an arc angle of <360°;
wherein the at least one rib on the bottom housing further includes at least one living hinge arranged normal to the base of the bottom housing wherein the living hinge is formed from at least one movable wall segment, wherein the at least one movable wall segment is a flexible panel within the at least one rib on the bottom housing, and wherein the at least one movable wall segment is unsupported on three sides;
wherein the at least one movable wall has a first panel closing ramp, and
the top housing has a second closing ramp configured to engage with the first panel closing ramp such that when the top housing is seated on the bottom housing the first closing ramp engages the second closing ramp to push the movable wall towards the inner cavity.

3 more elements

A wafer container comprising:

a top housing and a bottom housing the bottom housing having an inner cavity for storage for at least one semiconductor wafer;
the top housing having a base with least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the top housing in an essentially circular orientation;
the bottom housing having a base with at least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the bottom housing, wherein the at least one rib on the bottom housing is arranged concentric and at a different radius from the at least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the top housing, the at least one rib on the bottom housing having an arc angle of <360°;
the bottom housing having at least one latch that extends essentially perpendicular from the base of the bottom housing, wherein the distance between the base of the bottom housing to the top surface of the latch is less than the distance between the base of the bottom housing and the top of the at least one rib on the bottom housing;
the top housing having at least one latch well, the latch well having a bottom surface and a rim around the well, wherein the bottom surface is located below the surface of the base of the top housing, and wherein when the top housing is joined with the bottom housing, the top surface of the latch is lower than the rim around the well, and wherein the latch well comprises a notch configured to receive the at least one latch on the bottom housing;
wherein the at least one rib on the bottom housing has a plurality of flexible wall segments, wherein each flexible wall segment is a flexible panel within the at least one rib on the bottom housing, and wherein the at least one movable wall segment is unsupported on three sides;
each of the plurality of flexible wall segments have a first panel closing ramp;
the top housing is configured to engage with the first panel closing ramp such that when said the top housing is seated on the bottom housing the at least one rib on the top housing engages on the first panel closing rib to flex the wall segments radially inward to the inner cavity.

5 more elements

A wafer container comprising:

a top housing and a bottom housing the bottom housing having an inner cavity for storage for at least one semiconductor wafer;
the top housing having a base with least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the top housing in an essentially circular orientation;
the bottom housing having a base with at least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the bottom housing, wherein the at least one rib on the bottom housing is arranged concentric and at a different radius from the at least one rib that extends perpendicular from the base of the top housing, the at least one rib on the bottom housing having an arc angle of <360°;
the bottom housing having at least one latch that extends essentially perpendicular from the base of the bottom housing, wherein the distance between the base of the bottom housing to the top surface of the latch is less than the distance between the base of the bottom housing and the top of the at least one rib on the bottom housing;
the top housing having at least one latch well, the latch well having a bottom surface and a rim around the well, wherein the bottom surface is located below the surface of the base of the top housing, and wherein when the top housing is joined with the bottom housing, the top surface of the latch is lower than the rim around the well, and wherein the latch well comprises a notch configured to receive the at least one latch on the bottom housing;
wherein the at least one rib on the bottom housing further includes at least one hinge arranged normal to the essentially planar base and at least one movable wall segment that is articulable from the hinge such that the at least one movable wall segment can hinge to make contact with the at least one semiconductor wafer, wherein each flexible wall segment is a flexible panel within the at least one rib on the bottom housing, and wherein the at least one movable wall segment is unsupported on three sides.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/749,448Filed 29 Mar 2010 · continuation in part
Priority: 26 Aug 2009
Published: US 2010/0236976 A123 Sep 2010
Granted: 15 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H10P 72/1922
Closed carriers: characterised by the construction of the closed carrier
H10P 72/1912
Characterised by materials, roughness, coatings or the like: characterised by shock absorbing elements, e.g. retainers or cushions
H10P 72/1914
Closed carriers: characterised by locking systems
H10P
Generic processes or apparatus for the manufacture or treatment of devices covered

Family

Application12/548,368Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 Aug 2009
Application12/606,921Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 27 Oct 2009
US 2010/0236977 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Sep 2010
US 8,109,390 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Feb 2012
US 2010/0236976 A1Published application
US 2011/0049006 A1Published application
US 8,813,964 B2Related patent
US 8,556,079 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.