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 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 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: 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 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 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.

Abstract: The present invention supports a reticle 12 in a safe and secure manner. A reticle-carrying container 11 includes a pod 13 for storing the reticle 12, a door 14 and a seal 15 for blocking and sealing hermetically the pod 13. A pair of retile retainers 25 and 45 is provided on the insides of the pod 13 and door 14. Each of the reticle retainers 25 and 45 includes an inclined plane 28 that contacts an upper corner 12A or a lower corner 12B of peripheral edge of the reticle 12 and supports the reticle 12 elastically. The inside of the inclined plane 28 is provided with concave portions 31 and 52 that enables a shock-absorbing function of allowing the deformation of the inclined plane 28 and supporting the reticle elastically, at the time of contact with the upper corner 12A or the lower corner 12B of peripheral edge of the reticle 12.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lid unit for closing a container body used to transport thin-plates such as semiconductor wafers or the like accommodated therein. Simplified attaching/detaching mechanisms are provided at the centers of the respective sides of the lid unit. The attaching/detaching mechanism includes a locking plate, for locking within a second recess, a lid receiving portion of the container body and a drive-out member for raising and locking the locking plate. A locking arm for fixing the drive-out member is provided on its leading side in the direction of engaging rotation. A supporting rail for guiding the raising and locking/unlocking movement of the locking plate is provided on the drive-out member. The locking plate is mounted for pivoting and sliding movement, and is provided with a holding claw for engagement within a second recess at the distal end thereof.

Abstract: The attaching-and-detaching operation of a lid unit is automated using an existing attaching-and-detaching device. 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 allows the lid unit to be attached and detached by easy locking and unlocking with respect to the container body. The simplified attaching-and-detaching mechanism includes a locking member engageable with a second receiving device of the container body, and a guiding member disposed at the extremity of the locking member, which guiding member reaches the second receiving device and guides the locking member into the second receiving device in a state in which the main body fits lightly in the container body. The guiding member includes a reaching portion that first reaches the second receiving device, and a guiding portion that guides the locking member to the second receiving device.

Abstract: To prevent a sealing member from falling off, facilitate attachment of the sealing member, and improve the sealing property of the sealing member. The sealing member of the present invention includes a plurality of individually deformable portions fitted into fitting groove portions separated across a protrusion in the fitting groove formed in one of a container main body and a cover member, a coupling portion connecting the individually deformable portions, and a sealing piece abutting against a wall surface of the other one of the container main body and the cover member to seal a space, the sealing piece being integrated with the coupling portion connecting the individually deformable portions. Convex ribs are respectively formed on opposite sides of the individually deformable portions to elastically come into close contact with the wall surface of the protrusion.

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 wafer storage container has a container body and a lid. Thin plates are inserted into and picked up from the container body. The container has lid supporters placed on a lid receptacle of the container body, and contacting portions contact with the lid supporters to support the lid. A supporting member is a member attached to support the container body. The supporting member has a base plate portion to support the container body, side plate portions formed as standing from the base plate portion, and a handle on each side plate gripped to lift the container body. The thin plate supporting member has contacting portions to support thin plates, supporting members to support the contacting portions elastically, and base supporting bar portions to support the supporting portions. Tip end of each supporting portion contacts with a contacting portion of each supporting stage, and elastically supports the contacting portions from both sides.

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: This invention is intended to improve a sealability for the sealing between a cover member and a container main body and to improve a detachability of the cover member. A double-seal mechanism is provided on the cover member. The double-seal mechanism includes an inner seal piece that seals an interior of the container main body while being put between an inner seal reception section and a seal pressing section, and an outer seal piece that seals an abutment portion between the inner seal piece and the inner seal reception section. The bulge section fitted into the fitting groove is provided on a tip end of the inner seal piece. A cover member fixing unit of the cover member includes a latch shaft that is linearly projected from and retracted toward the cover member, a latch roller attached to a tip end of the latch shaft, and a crank mechanism that linearly projects and retracts the latch shaft from and toward the cover member when the crank mechanism rotates.