Substrate storage container and method of producing the same
A substrate storage container that can be highly accurately positioned and produced at increased productivity, and a method of producing the substrate storage container are provided. The substrate container ( 10 ) comprises a container body ( 11 ) having an opening through which a substrate can be taken in and out thereof and a plurality of positioning members ( 16 ) arranged at a bottom of the container body ( 11 ). Each positioning member ( 16 ) includes a housing ( 17 ) and a plate-like member ( 18 ), the housing ( 17 ) having on one side thereof a pair of positioning slope faces ( 17 c , 17 d ) and an opening on the other side thereof, the plate-like member ( 18 ) closing the opening. The container body ( 11 ) is insert-molded with the positioning members ( 16 ) used as inserts, and the positioning members ( 16 ) are integrally fixed to the container body ( 11 ).
1. A substrate storage container having an opening through which a substrate can be taken in and out thereof; comprising:
a plurality of positioning members disposed on an exterior side of the substrate storage container and of a configuration to guide robotic positioning members to enable robotic movement of the substitute storage container, wherein the substrate storage container and the plurality of positioning members are formed of a resin and are integrally fixed together by resin from the molding of the substrate storage container and each of the plurality of positioning members includes:
a positioning housing with a hollow space therein and an opening at one end thereof and having at least a pair of positioning slope faces on one side thereof and located on the exterior side of the substrate storage container, and the positioning housing opening on an interior side thereof adjacent to an inside of the substrate storage container; and
a plate member for closing the opening of the positioning housing, and wherein
the substrate storage container is formed such that the positioning members are integrally fixed to the substrate storage container as a solid flush one piece structure on the interior side of the substrate storage container without any opening through the positioning members into the substrate storage container.
2. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a container body having an opening for accommodating the substrate; and
a lid for closing the opening of the container body, wherein
the container body is integrally provided at an exterior bottom portion thereof with the plurality of positioning members.
3. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning housing includes:
a flange portion extending laterally outward from the opening of the positioning housing;
a step portion formed inside the opening of the positioning housing; and
a supporting portion provided substantially at the center of the positioning housing for supporting the plate member, wherein
the plate member is fitted in the step portion to be flush with the interior side of the substrate storage container.
4. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 , wherein an outer face of the plate member is flush with an interior side of the substrate storage container.
5. The substrate storage container according to claim 2 , wherein an outer face of the plate member is flush with an interior side of the container body.
6. The substrate storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning housing is formed to have a uniform wall thickness the same as a wall thickness of a portion of the substrate storage container to which the positioning member is integrally fixed.
7. The substrate storage container according to claim 2 , wherein the positioning housing is formed to have a uniform wall thickness the same as a wall thickness of a portion of the container body to which the positioning member is integrally fixed.
8. The substrate storage container according to claim 2 , wherein the positioning housing includes:
a flange portion extending laterally outward from the opening of the positioning housing;
a step portion formed inside the opening of the positioning housing; and
a supporting portion provided substantially at the center of the positioning housing for supporting the plate member, wherein
the plate member is fitted in the step portion.
9. A resin substrate storage container for semiconductor wafers, comprising:
a hollow container body with an opening through which a substrate can be inserted and removed therefrom;
a plurality of supporting ribs spaced from each other and provided within the container body;
an interior surface opposite from the opening with grooves respectively corresponding in position to the supporting ribs for receiving a portion of an edge of the substrate;
a lid removably connected to close the opening with elastic force holding members respectively corresponding in position to the supporting ribs for receiving another portion of the edge of the substrate; and
a plurality of positioning members of resin disposed on one exterior side of the container body container and of a configuration to guide positioning members to enable robotic movement of the substitute storage container, wherein
each of the plurality of positioning members includes:
a positioning housing with a hollow space therein and an opening at one end thereof and having at least a pair of positioning slope faces on an other end thereof and located on an outer side of the substrate storage container and the positioning housing opening located adjacent to the interior surface of the substrate storage container; and
a plate member for closing the opening of the positioning housing to be flush with an adjacent inside surface of the container body, and wherein
the container body is formed such that the positioning members are integrally fixed to the substrate storage container and only project outward from the exterior side of the substrate storage container with the plate member and the adjacent interior surface are integrally fixed together with resin of the container body.
10. The substrate storage container according to claim 9 , wherein the hollow container body is integrally provided at a bottom portion thereof with the plurality of positioning members.
11. The substrate storage container according to claim 10 , wherein the hollow container body includes:
a flange portion extending laterally outward from the opening of the hollow container body; and
a step portion formed inside the opening of the container body;
wherein the lid is removably fitted in the step portion.
12. the substrate storage container according to claim 10 , wherein an outer face of the lid is flush with an inner face of the hollow container body.
13. The substrate storage container according to claim 10 , wherein the hollow container body is formed to have a uniform wall thickness including a wall thickness of a portion of the container body to which the positioning members are integrally fixed thereto.
14. The substrate storage container according to claim 10 , wherein a robotic flange, configured to interface with a processing apparatus on a production line, is provided on an outer surface opposite the plurality of positioning members.
15. The substrate storage container according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of positioning members have a lower V-surface projecting from an exterior bottom surface of the hollow container body and the interior surface of the container body to which the positioning members are integrally fixed, does not project into the hollow container body and is flat with no openings adjacent the positioning members.