Abstract: While gas in a general storage container with no gas inlet and in the storage container with the gas inlet is replaced in a short time, the semiconductor wafer surface is cleaned. In an apparatus for replacing gas in a semiconductor wafer storage container which includes a lid unit and a storage container main body with a gas inlet, the apparatus includes gas introducing means for introducing the gas into the storage container main body, gas evacuating means for evacuating the gas in the storage container main body, and gas circulating means for circulating the gas in the storage container main body through a chemical adsorption filter. Gas introducing means for introducing the gas from a gap between the storage container main body and the lid unit while the lid unit is opened in the storage container mounting means is provided in the storage container with no gas inlet.

Abstract: A buckle 5 for a thin plate storage container is easily mounted and a lower container part 2 and an upper container part 3 are easily fixed. The buckle 5 for the thin plate storage container includes a plate-shaped main body 25, an upper hook part 26 having a groove part 26A engaged with a locking plate 15 of the upper container part 3, a lower hook part 27 having a groove part 27A engaged with a locking plate 7 of the lower container part 2, spring mounting parts 28 which are formed by hollowing horizontal center positions of the upper hook part 26 and the lower hook part 27, leaf springs 29 which are fitted in the spring mounting parts 28, and locking protrusions 30 which are provided at the middle of the leaf springs 29 and fitted into notches 8 formed in the locking plates 7 and 15 of the lower container part 2 and the upper container part 3 to position and support the lower container part and the upper container part. The upper hook part 26 and the lower hook part 27 are vertically symmetrically formed.

Abstract: A reticle-processing system includes a reticle-carrying container, a transfer rail for transferring the reticle-carrying container, a light exposure apparatus for printing a circuit pattern, and a reticle stocker for keeping a plurality of reticles. Orientation changer detects the orientation of the reticle-carrying container and changes it appropriately and is located in a path from the reticle stocker to a printing position in the light exposure apparatus. The orientation changer includes a rotary drive for rotating the reticle-carrying container, an orientation detector 83 for detecting the orientation of the reticle-carrying container, which is provided in the path from the reticle stocker to the printing position in the light exposure apparatus, and a controller for, when the orientation detected by the orientation detector is shifted by 180 degrees, controlling the rotary drive so as to correct the orientation.

Abstract: A wafer storage container has a container body and a lid. The container body has lid support inserts in a lid receptacle, and the lid has corner inserts for contact with the lid support inserts to support the lid. A supporting member is attached to the container body. The supporting member includes a base plate portion, side plates extending from the base plate portion, and a handle on each side plate for lifting the container body. The thin plate supporting member has contacting portions to support the thin plates, supporting members which elastically support the contacting portions, and a base support bar to support the supporting portions. The tip end of each supporting portion contacts a support stage, and elastically supports the contacting portions from both sides.

Abstract: A single thin plate storage container is provided so that an extremely thin wafer can be safely and reliably supported for easy insertion and removal. A single thin plate storage container 1 includes a main body 2 for storing one thin wafer A4 inside and a lid attached to the main body 2. The single thin plate storage container 1 includes a bottom side support member 35 that is located on the main body 2 side and supports the lid 3 from the bottom side, and a front side support member 36 that is located on the lid 3 side and supports the thin wafer 4A from the upper front side. The bottom side support member 35 includes a center support part 37 for supporting a center of the thin wafer 4A, an outer periphery support part 38 for supporting an outer periphery of the same, a peripheral edge support part 39 for supporting the same radially from outside, and a ring plate 40 for combining integrally the center support part 37 and the outer support part 38.

Abstract: When a thin-plate supporting container is placed on a placement table, a displacement is corrected and the thin-plate supporting container is precisely positioned. The thin-plate supporting container includes a container body 22 for housing therein a semiconductor wafer and the like and positioning means 23 provided to the container body 22 for positioning the container body at a set position on a placement table to place the container body on the placement table and take in and out the semiconductor wafer and the like. The positioning means 23 includes an engagement groove 24 for engaging an engagement protrusion provided on the placement table, and an inclined plane 25 to be in contact with the engagement protrusion in a state the engagement groove engages with the engagement protrusion. The inclined plane is treated so as to reduce a contact area with the engagement protrusion to decrease the friction resistance by embossing.

Abstract: A thin plate supporting container includes a container body for housing therein semiconductor wafers, a lid unit for closing the container body, and slotted plates for supporting the semiconductor wafers from opposing sides. There are provided an upper fitting portion for supporting an upper portion of the slotted plate, and a lower fitting portion for supporting a lower portion of the slotted plate. An upper fitting piece of the upper fitting portion has a planar contact face which comes into contact with the slotted plate to thereby position the slotted plate in the front/rear direction while suppressing swing of the slotted plate. The upper receiving element on the slotted plate has a planar contact face. The lower fitting portion provides vertical, horizontal and front/rear positioning.

Abstract: A thin plate supporting container includes a container body for housing therein semiconductor wafers, a lid unit for closing the container body, and slotted plates for supporting the semiconductor wafers from opposing sides. There are provided an upper fitting portion for supporting an upper portion of the slotted plate, and a lower fitting portion for supporting a lower portion of the slotted plate. An upper fitting piece of the upper fitting portion has a planar contact face which comes into contact with the slotted plate to thereby position the slotted plate in the front/rear direction while suppressing swing of the slotted plate. The upper receiving element on the slotted plate has a planar contact face. The lower fitting portion provides vertical, horizontal and front/rear positioning.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to realize accurate positioning of a slotted plate. Disclosed is a thin plate supporting container having a container body for housing therein semiconductor wafers, a lid unit for closing the container body, and slotted plates for supporting the semiconductor wafers from both sides. There are provided an upper fitting portion for supporting an upper portion of the slotted plate, and a lower fitting portion for supporting a lower portion of the slotted plate. An upper fitting piece of the upper fitting portion has a contact face having a flat plane shape which comes into contact with the slotted plate side to thereby position the slotted plate in the front/rear direction while suppressing swing of the slotted plate, and a supporting face. The upper receiving piece has a face to be contacted having a flat plane shape, and a face to be supported.

Abstract: A thin plate supporting container includes a container body for housing therein semiconductor wafers, a lid unit for closing the container body, and slotted plates for supporting the semiconductor wafers from opposing sides. There are provided an upper fitting portion for supporting an upper portion of the slotted plate, and a lower fitting portion for supporting a lower portion of the slotted plate. An upper fitting piece of the upper fitting portion has a planar contact face which comes into contact with the slotted plate to thereby position the slotted plate in the front/rear direction while suppressing swing of the slotted plate. The upper receiving element on the slotted plate has a planar contact face. The lower fitting portion provides vertical, horizontal and front/rear positioning.

Abstract: A thin plate supporting container includes a container body for housing therein semiconductor wafers, a lid unit for closing the container body, and slotted plates for supporting the semiconductor wafers from opposing sides. There are provided an upper fitting portion for supporting an upper portion of the slotted plate, and a lower fitting portion for supporting a lower portion of the slotted plate. An upper fitting piece of the upper fitting portion has a planar contact face which comes into contact with the slotted plate to thereby position the slotted plate in the front/rear direction while suppressing swing of the slotted plate. The upper receiving element on the slotted plate has a planar contact face. The lower fitting portion provides vertical, horizontal and front/rear positioning.

Abstract: In a screen using a microlens array, it is an object of the present invention to provide a low cost rear projection type screen with favorable contrast achieved by improving effect of blocking external light without reducing the luminance and the view angle characteristics and also to provide a rear projection type screen free from image quality degradation over a prolonged period due to its resistance to dust adhesion. The rear projection type screen has at least a transparent microlens array sheet 1 having a transparent microlens 3 which are arrayed on one surface thereof and which condenses parallel incident light on a focus, and a directional light absorbing sheet 2 having an aperture which transmits light from a specific direction and absorbs other light. The aperture is a pinhole array having an apertured pinhole 5 arrayed near the focus of the microlens 3. The aperture part of the pinhole is shaped into a truncated cone.

Abstract: A resin pipe joint is provided so that a general worker can easily connect a resin pipe material without using a special tool. The resin pipe joint unit includes synthetic resin joint bodies, a synthetic resin pipe unit, and junk rings. The synthetic resin joint bodies have tubular sockets at one end portion thereof. The synthetic resin pipe unit has predetermined diameter and length, and inner ring portions are integrally formed in at least one end of a pipe portion in the synthetic resin pipe unit. The junk rings are screwed on the sockets of the joint bodies. In the resin pipe joint unit, the pipe unit is connected to the joint bodies by pressing end faces of the inner ring portions toward the side of the joint bodies respectively, when the junk rings are screwed on the sockets of the joint bodies.

Abstract: A single thin plate storage container is provided so that a housed semiconductor wafer is capable of easy insertion and removal. The single thin plate storage container includes a container body which houses a single semiconductor wafer therein and a lid unit attached to the container body. The container body includes a bottom plate on which the semiconductor wafer is placed and a peripheral wall portion formed around the bottom plate, and the bottom plate is formed by protruding up to a position higher than the peripheral wall portion. The bottom plate of the container body is provided with a plurality of thin plate supporting convex strips for supporting the semiconductor wafer in a state where a space is provided between the semiconductor wafer and the bottom plate. The inner side surface of the top plate of the lid unit is provided with a plurality of retainers which support a peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer placed on the bottom plate of the container body.

Abstract: A space is largely defined inside of a lid 14, thus enhancing the freedom of a design of members to be contained inside of the lid 14. An airtight container 11 includes a container unit 12 which contains therein a plurality of semiconductor wafers W, the lid 14 which closes the container unit 12, and a seal 74 which air-tightly seals a clearance defined between the container unit 12 and the lid 14. A support groove 41 is formed at an inside plate 30A of the lid 14 so as to support the semiconductor wafers W one by one. The support groove 41 is formed at the inside plate 30A of the lid 14 in such a manner as to be opened toward the container unit 12, and is constituted of a slit, at and into which the semiconductor wafers are fitted and supported one by one. A V-shaped groove 42 is formed at the bottom of the support groove 41.

Abstract: A double-seal mechanism is provided on a cover member for sealing closed a container main body. The double-seal mechanism includes an inner seal piece that seals an interior of the container main body and is positioned between an inner seal reception section of a flange of the container main body and a seal pressing section of the cover. An outer seal piece forms a second seal between the container main body and the periphery of the cover member. The inner seal piece has a rounded distal end fitted into a fitting groove in the flange. A cover member fixing unit of the cover member includes a latch shaft that is linearly projected from and retracted, a latch roller attached to a tip end of the latch shaft, and a crank mechanism that linearly projects and retracts the latch shaft as the crank mechanism rotates. The latch roller travels along an inclined retracting surface on the container main body which forces the cover member inward into sealing engagement with the container main body.

Abstract: A lid unit for closing a container body of a thin-plate supporting container for use in storing semiconductor wafers therein is provided. A simplified attaching-and-detaching mechanism of the lid unit includes a locking member extending from the main body engageable with a receiving device on the container body; a guiding member that reaches the receiving device in a state in which the main body fits lightly in the container body, and guides the locking member into the receiving device; and a feed member that rotates by engaging with the locking member, extends the locking member from the main body to be engageable with the receiving device on the container body. A rotation region of the feed member is divided into a rotation region for engaging the locking member with the receiving device on the container body and fixing the lid unit to the container body, and a rotation region for further rotating the feed member and fixing the feed member with the lid unit fixed to the container body.

Abstract: The invention is a storage container in which semiconductor wafers and the like are stored in a container main body 11. The container main body 11 includes an attaching/detaching mechanism portion 23 in which a handle 21 and a top flange 13 are provided while detachably mounted onto the container main body 11. The attaching/detaching mechanism portion 23 includes a fitting plate 27 and a lock portion 28. The fitting plate 27 is directly fitted in a fitted portion on the side of the container main body 11, and the lock portion 28 fixes the fitting plate 27 while the fitting plate 27 is fitted in the fitted portion. The lock portion 28 includes a fitting hole 34, a rocking piece 36, and a stopper 37. The fitting hole 34 is provided on the side of the container main body 11. The rocking piece 36 is rockably provided on the side of the fitting plate 27, and the rocking piece 36 has a fitting pawl 35 in one end portion. The fitting pawl 35 is fitted in the fitting hole 34.

Abstract: The present invention corrects automatically the wrong orientation of a reticle-carrying container 11. The present invention includes a reticle-processing system having the reticle-carrying container 11, transfer means (4, 5) for transferring the reticle-carrying container 11, a light exposure apparatus for printing a circuit pattern, and a reticle stocker 2 for keeping a plurality of reticles 12. The present invention also includes orientation change means 81 for detecting the orientation of the reticle-carrying container 11 and changing it appropriately in a path from the reticle stocker 2 to a printing position in the light exposure apparatus 1.

Abstract: The present invention allows a reticle-carrying container 11 to be fastened in a reticle stocker 2 even if the reticle-carrying container 11 is wrongly oriented. The reticle-carrying container 11 includes an interior with an opening at one end for storing a reticle 12, a door 14 for covering and blocking the opening, and a seal material 15 for sealing the interior hermetically when the door 14 blocks the pod 13. The reticle-carrying container 11 is provided with two pairs of kinematic pin grooves 61 for positioning and fastening the reticle-carrying container 11, which are formed with a 180-degree turn from each other on the outer surface of the door 14. Receiving parts 22 for receiving and holding the kinematic pin grooves 61 are arranged in the positions corresponding to the kinematic pin grooves 61 on the outer surface of the pod 13 so that the two pairs of kinematic pin grooves 61 can be engaged with the pins in the both orientations.