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A wafer container comprising a receptacle and door provides for horizontal minimal contact support of wafers and provides for vertical support without one surface support intermediate the front edge support and rear edge support. The wafer carrier has for each wafer two distinct levels of support ax

A wafer container comprising a receptacle and door provides for horizontal minimal contact support of wafers and provides for vertical support without one surface support intermediate the front edge support and rear edge support. The wafer carrier has for each wafer two distinct levels of support axially offset from one another. The first level of support is by wafer shelves contacting the bottom surface at the left side and right side of each wafer. The second level of support is provided by cushions securing the wafer at the front edge and back edge without one surface support at the left and right edges. The cushions on the door and at the rear of the receptacle are preferably removable such as by folding or compressing the cushion unit. The cushions preferably have V-shaped wafer engaging elements to constrain the wafer edge and to provide a lower ramp surface to guide and lift the front and rear edges of the wafer upwardly from the first level to the second level of support when the door is placed in position in the open front of the container portion.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A wafer container for storing and shipping semiconductor wafers in a generally horizontal orientation, the device comprising:a) a receptacle having a front wafer insertion and removal opening, an interior, a top, bottom, a left side, a right side, and a back side;b) a p

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A wafer container for storing and shipping semiconductor wafers in a generally horizontal orientation, the device comprising:a) a receptacle having a front wafer insertion and removal opening, an interior, a top, 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 positioned in 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, the pair of columns defining a plurality of slots for insertion of, placement of, and retrieval of wafers from the shelves, the shelves configured for supporting and contacting the wafers at the lower side of said wafers but not at the top side, each such wafer contact portion defining a first support level;c) a door sized for insertion into and closing the wafer insertions and removal opening, the door having an inwardly facing surface;d) a first cushion positioned at the inwardly facing surface of the door, the first cushion having a plurality of wafer seating positions for engaging and constraining the front edge of each of the wafers thereby providing upward, downward, and inward constraint at said front edge;e) a second cushion positioned at the back side 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 back edge of each of the wafers thereby providing upward, downward, and inward constraint at said back edge, each of the corresponding wafer seating portions of the first cushion and second cushion defining a second support level, each of said second support levels positioned immediately above a corresponding first support level and axially displace therefrom, and wherein the wafers are moveable from the first support level to the second support level by the first cushion. [6.]6. 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; andc) means for facilitating deformation of the cushion as the cushion is attached and removed from the device. [10.]10. 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; lexible 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.11. The combination wafer carrier cushion and attachment and removal tool of claim 10, wherein said first and second cushion engagement portions comprise a pair of pins, and wherein the pair of tool receiving portions of the cushion comprise a pair of apertures, the pins sized to be received by the apertures. [12.]12. 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; anda 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.13. The wafer carrier of claim 12 wherein each engagement element comprises a ramp portion for moving each wafer.14. The wafer carrier of claim 12 further comprising a pair of wafer cushions, one positioned on the door and the other positioned in the carrier and wherein said pair of wafer cushions comprise the plurality of wafer engagement portions.15. The wafer carrier of claim 12 wherein the wafers are each supported at their front edge and at their rear edge by the wafer cushions when the wafers are at the second level and wherein the wafers are not supported at their left side and their right side when at said second support level. [16.]16. 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, rein 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.17. 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; andv) 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.18. 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; andd) 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.19. The wafer carrier of claim 18, wherein said first set of opposing wafer supports are at the interior sides of said wafer carrier receptacle and said second set of opposing wafer supports are at the inwardly facing surfaces of the door and at the rear surface of said wafer carrier.