Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body, in which a plurality of slots being disposed for supporting a plurality of wafers and an opening being formed on one sidewall of which for importing and exporting the plurality of wafers, and a door is joined with the opening of the container body for protecting the plurality of wafers therein, wherein the characteristic of the wafer container lies in that: at least one latch component is disposed in the door, the latch component including an oval cam with a pair of V-shape notches and on the surface of oval cam being a groove, a pair of moving bars including respectively an engaging portion, and a guiding element located on the moving bars, the engaging portion being engaged in the groove for the pair of moving bars to be respectively engaged with the oval cam.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a workpiece container for storing at least one workpiece having a bottom surface and a peripheral edge. In one embodiment, a workpiece support structure is located within the container enclosure, which forms multiple vertically stacked storage shelves within the enclosure. Each storage shelf includes, in one embodiment, a first tine and a second tine for supporting the workpiece in a substantially horizontal orientation. The bottom surface and peripheral edge of a workpiece seated on a storage shelf extends beyond the outer edge of both the first tine and the second tine. An end effector according to the present invention may engage these extended portions or “grip zones” of the workpiece.

Abstract: A composite wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an operative portion formed of a first thermoplastic material and a support portion formed of a second different thermoplastic material. One of the operative portion and support portion is overmolded onto the other to form a gapless hermitic interface that securely bonds the portions together. The operative portion may be a transparent window, a portion of a latching mechanism or a wafer contact portion. Preferred embodiments of the invention include wafer carriers with said features, process carriers with said features and a process for manufacturing wafer carriers with said features.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device, comprising: performing first processing on a plurality of wafers in a first processing order in a first processing apparatus; obtaining a processed amount with respect to each of the plurality of wafers in the first processing; obtaining a processed amount with respect to each of the plurality of wafers by second processing in a second processing apparatus after the first processing; deciding a second processing order, which is different from the first processing order, from the processed amount with respect to each of the plurality of wafers by the first processing and the processed amount with respect to each of the plurality of wafers by the second processing; and performing the second processing on the plurality of wafers in the second processing order in the second processing apparatus.

Abstract: Wafer protecting grooves (10) are provided on an innermost wall (1b) of a container body (1). The wafer protecting grooves have a cross-sectional configuration in the shape of undulations having bottoms (10b), which are most distant from an opening (1a), at respective positions facing the outer edges of semiconductor wafers (W), and having an opening width wider than the thickness of each semiconductor wafer (W). In a normal state, an imaginary line (Q) connecting together the tops of the undulations is inward of or at the same position as the outer edges of the semiconductor wafers (W) facing the imaginary line. Thus, it is possible to obtain superior impact resistance that makes the semiconductor wafers (W) in the container body (1) unlikely to be damaged even when a large impact is applied thereto by a fall or other handling errors.

Abstract: When the position of a substrate is shifted, the substrate is made to return to an original position by enabling the position of the substrate to be controlled using an elastic piece which protrudes inside from a vertical direction part of a frame. Further, a coupling piece is provided extending in a vertical direction and having both ends thereof coupled to a horizontal direction part of the frame, and a protruding part protruding inside a substrate container is provided on the coupling piece. Then, this protruding part is configured to have an inclined face which is inclined in a direction intersecting the substrate and enabled to come into contact with the periphery of the substrate, and thereby this inclined face guides the substrate to reduce the friction of the substrate and to control the position of the substrate.

Abstract: A door structure that is detachably fitted into an opening portion of a container body for storing substrates includes a casing to be fitted to the opening portion of the container body, a locking mechanism provided in the casing for locking the casing by causing an engaging piece to project out from the peripheral wall of the casing in a retractable manner based on rotation of a rotator so as to interfere with the inner periphery of the opening portion of the container body, a cover for enclosing the locking mechanism, and an operational window formed in the cover so as to oppose the rotator.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a substrate carrier is provided that includes an enclosure adapted to be sealable and to house at least one substrate. The substrate carrier includes a first port leading into the enclosure and adapted to allow a flow of gas into the enclosure while the substrate carrier is closed. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: A wafer container, comprising: a container body, the container body having a plurality of slot portions on two opposite sidewalls of the interior of the container body for horizontally sustaining a plurality of wafers, each slot portion having a horizontal carrying portion, an opening being formed on one side of the container body for exporting and importing a plurality of wafers; and a door, said door having an inner surface and a outer surface, the inner surface being joined with the opening of the container body for protecting the plurality of wafers therein, the characteristic in that: an elasticity module is disposed on the inner wall of the rear end of the container body opposite to the opening, the elasticity module having a rectangular body and a convex portion bending toward the interior of the container body being respectively formed on two longer opposite sides of the rectangular body.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body, in which a plurality of slots being disposed for supporting a plurality of wafers and an opening being formed on one sidewall of which for importing and exporting the plurality of wafers, and a door is joined with the opening of the container body for protecting the plurality of wafers therein, wherein the characteristic of the wafer container lies in that: at least one latch component is disposed in the door, the latch component including an oval cam with a pair of V-shape notches and on the surface of oval cam being a groove, a pair of moving bars including respectively an engaging portion, and a guiding element located on the moving bars, the engaging portion being engaged in the groove for the pair of moving bars to be respectively engaged with the oval cam.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body, composed of a pair of side walls, a top surface, and a bottom surface, a supporting module being disposed on each of said sidewall for supporting a plurality of wafers; and a door joining with opening of the container body with its inner surface for protecting the plurality of wafers within the container body, the characteristic in that: a purgeable supporting module is respectively disposed between each sidewall to of the container body and the back wall, a long slit is further disposed on the side of purgeable supporting module facing the opening and a porous material is disposed within the long slit, and an air inlet is further disposed on one end of the purgeable supporting module for being connected to a gas valve, wherein the purgeable supporting module is composed of a plurality of supporting ribs vertically arranged at intervals.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body, formed by a pair of side walls, a top surface, and a bottom surface, on one sidewall of which is formed with an opening and on the other sidewall opposite to the opening is formed with a back wall, a supporting module being disposed on each of said sidewall for supporting a plurality of wafers; and a door joining with opening of the container body with its inner surface for protecting the plurality of wafers within the container body, the characteristic in that: a purgeable supporting module is respectively disposed between each side wall of the container body and the back wall, a long slot is further disposed on the side of purgeable supporting module facing the opening, and an air inlet is further disposed on one end of the purgeable supporting module for being connected to an gas valve, wherein the purgeable supporting module is formed by a plurality of supporting ribs vertically arranged at intervals.

Abstract: A heat radiating plate storage tray has a plate main body, and a plurality of first projection portions provided on a first surface of the plate main body. A heat radiating plate having a rectangular recessed portion on a surface thereof is capable of being mounted on the first surface of the plate main body, a top face of the first projection portion supports a bottom face of the recessed portion of the heat radiating plate, and a height of the first projection portion is larger than a depth of the recessed portion of the heat radiating plate.

Abstract: A substrate transfer container comprises a housing including a plurality of substrate slots positioned within a gas chamber having an interior environment. Each substrate slot accommodates a substrate undergoing a substrate manufacturing process, the interior environment of the gas chamber being selectively sealed from an exterior environment. A detection unit at the housing is constructed and arranged to detect an environmental property of the interior environment of the gas chamber, and to generate a detection signal in response. A signal transmission module at the housing is configured to wirelessly transmit a detection signal received from the detection unit.

Abstract: A wafer container including a container body having an opening formed on one sidewall and a door joining with the opening, the characteristic of the wafer container in that: A latch component disposed in a platform of the door comprising an oval cam with an arrester disposed at its center, one surface of the oval cam being disposed with at least a groove, a pair of moving bars respectively having an engaging portion that is engaged in the groove for the pair of moving bars to be engaged with the oval cam, a guiding element disposed at the center of the oval cam, and a long narrow spring framingly disposed on the guiding element, wherein the arrester is used to control the rotation of the oval cam for the moving bars to go to and fro between the pair of socket holes and the pair of latch holes.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body that having a plurality of slots therein for placing a plurality of wafers; an opening is formed on a sidewall of the container body for importing or exporting the wafers; and a door having an inner surface and an outer surface, in which the inner surface of the door is joined with the opening of the container body for protecting the plurality of wafers therein, the characteristic in that: a recess is disposed in the central portion of the inner surface of the door to divide the inner surface into two platforms, and each restraint module is located on two platforms.

Abstract: A substrate storage container includes a container body capable of storing a plurality of substrates in array, a lidding body, and a retainer for retaining substrates therebetween. The retainer includes a plurality of flexible and elastic pieces that are extended from the interior side of the lidding body in the direction of substrates stored in the container body and arranged in the direction of the array of the plurality of substrates, and holding groove pieces each formed with the elastic piece for touching and holding the rim of the substrate. The elastic piece with holding groove piece is gradually curved outwardly with respect to the width direction of the substrate from the interior side of the lidding body toward the substrate, so as to reduce the contact-holding area of the holding groove piece with the rim of the substrate.

Abstract: A portion of a container includes a plurality of first resilient support members having a first height. The first resilient support members are configured to contact an edge of a component placed in the container. A plurality of second support members each have a second, smaller height. The second support members are arranged relative to the first resilient support members such that the second support members contact the edge of the component if corresponding ones of the first resilient support members deflect a sufficient amount.

Abstract: A Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) having a purgeable supporting module disposed at the junction of each sidewall and the backwall of the container, the characteristic of the FOUP being in that: the purgeable supporting module has a buffer gas chamber and a gas inlet is disposed at one end of the buffer gas chamber and connected to a gas valve on the bottom surface, an outgassing channel is disposed on the purgeable supporting module facing the opening of the FOUP, a long slot is disposed on one side of the outgassing channel and a kind of porous material is disposed in the long slot, an airflow channel being disposed between and thus connecting the outgassing channel and the buffer gas chamber, and a plurality of supporting ribs being vertically disposed on one side of the long slot at intervals.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body, a door, and a purging valve, wherein the purging valve is disposed in the through hole of the container body. The purging valve includes a fixed sleeve body, a purging head, an elastic component, and a valve lid. The fixed sleeve body comprises a base, and a lower opening is formed at the center of the base for the purging head to be disposed therein. The purging head comprises a bottom portion and a hollow sleeve portion protruding upward from the bottom portion, wherein the hollow sleeve portion is surroundingly disposed with elastic component and with vent disposed on its circumference wall. The valve lid is disposed on top of the hollow sleeve portion so that the purging head can move from the first position to the second position inside the fixed sleeve body when being propped up by an upward force.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a cassette comprising a top plate, a base plate, a plurality of posts arranged between the top plate and the base plate and defining an operation space, a securing device comprising a stop mechanism and a clamping mechanism and arranged along with one post. The stop mechanism comprises a stop projection provided on an outer side of the one of posts, a stop bar parallel to the one post and slidable disposed through the stop projection, and a stop block disposed on a side of the stop bar. A lower end of the stop bar extends beyond a plane of the base plate when the stop block is bearing against an upper surface of the stop projection.

Abstract: A chip carrying tray comprises plural rectangular flat carrying portions for carrying plural chips. Each of the carrying portions is provided with stopping walls for restricting the slippage of the chip. The stopping walls are defined with through holes for discharging moisture of the chip carrying tray. By such arrangements, the chip carrying tray can stably carry the chips and substantially keep the chips dry.

Abstract: 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 (17c, 17d) 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).

Abstract: A thin plate container includes: a tray stack for holding and housing semiconductor wafers in spaces between a plurality of stacked, removable loading trays; and an external container for housing the tray stack. At opposite ends of each of the loading trays, a pair of grips for engagement by a processing arm of an external apparatus is provided. The external container includes: a container body; a lid; a sealing material provided between the lid and the container body to seal the inside; a pair of tray stack supporters for supporting the tray stack; and tray stack retainers for holding and supporting the tray stack housed in the container body from above and below.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body and a door joined with opening of the container body for protecting wafers therein. At least one latch component is disposed in the door, and each latch component includes an oval cam and a pair of moving bars, a first end of each moving bar connecting to one of the two opposite sides of the oval cam and a second end of each moving bar having a guiding structure, a pair of moving grooves being disposed between the first end and the second end of each moving bar, at least a pair of rollers being disposed on the door and each roller being embedded in each moving groove of moving bar, and a locating spring being formed as an integral part of the moving bars.

Abstract: A Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) having a purgeable supporting module disposed at the junction of each sidewall and the backwall of the container, the characteristic of the FOUP being in that: the purgeable supporting module has a buffer gas chamber and a gas inlet is disposed at one end of the buffer gas chamber and connected to a gas valve on the bottom surface, an outgassing channel is disposed on the purgeable supporting module facing the opening of the FOUP, and a long slot is disposed on one side of the outgassing channel, an airflow channel being disposed between and thus connecting the outgassing channel and the buffer gas chamber, and a plurality of supporting ribs being vertically disposed on one side of the long slot at intervals.

Abstract: A container for holding a wafer includes an enclosure portion having a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back and an opposing open front defined by a door frame. A door is sealingly engagable in the door frame to close the open front. The container further includes wafer restraint means in the enclosure including fixed wafer restraint means and operable wafer restraint means. The operable wafer restraint means is selectively positionable by engaging and disengaging the door from the door frame, and is positioned so to enable insertion or removal of a wafer from the container when the door is disengaged from the door frame and positioned so as to cooperate with the fixed wafer restraint means to restrain the wafer in the container when the door is engaged in the door frame.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method can include providing first and second intermediate structures, each having first and second surfaces. Also, the method can include placing the first surface of the first intermediate structure adjacent to the first surface of the second intermediate structure, such that the first and second intermediate structures are in a stacked relationship. Additionally, the method can include simultaneously removing at least a portion of each of the second surfaces of the first and second intermediate structures while in the stacked relationship. Furthermore, the method can include forming a plating layer on each of the first and second surfaces of each of the first and second intermediate structures. Moreover, the method can include forming a magnetic layer on the second surface but not the first surface of each of the first and second intermediate structures.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a storing tray and a storing device whereby an object such as an electronic component to be stored can be picked up in a preferred manner and a plurality of stored objects can be flipped and transferred at once. Another object is to form the storing tray as a soft tray. The storing tray includes a storing part on its main surface, the storing part including a storing base for placing therein an object such as an electronic component, a plurality of convex portions formed along the outer periphery of the storing base to protrude upward more than the storing base, and concave portions formed along the outer periphery of the storing base between the plurality of convex portions to be recessed downward more than the storing base. The storing tray has an uneven back surface opposite in shape to the main surface.

Abstract: The present invention includes a ceiling portion 8, bottom portion 9, a substrate housing portion 3 formed by a side walls 5 to 7, a plurality of wafer slots 11 arrayed in parallel on the inner surface of the side walls 6 and 7, a slit portion 12 formed in an extended manner along the array direction of the wafer slots 11 on each of a second side wall 6 and a third side wall 7, a slide portion 18 movably arrayed along each of the slit portions 12, a plurality of substrate securing pieces arrayed with substantially the same intervals with the intervals of the wafer slots 11 on the inner surface of the slide portion 18, in which, with the slide portion being in a substrate securing position, the substrate housing pieces press and secure the substrate on the wafer slot 11, and in a substrate securing releasing position, the substrate housing pieces move separately from a circumferential portion of the substrate and releases a securing state of the substrate.

Abstract: A front opening semiconductor wafer container for large diameter wafers includes a container portion and a door. The container portion includes a left closed side, a right closed side, a closed back, an open front, and an open interior including a plurality of slots for receiving and containing the wafers. The door is attachable to the container portion to close the open front and selectively latchable to the container portion. The container portion includes a means for accommodating large diameter wafers, particularly 450 mm wafers. Optimized sag control is provided as well as enhanced structural rigidity, and wafer seating features.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body, which comprises a plurality of sidewalls, a bottom, and a top to define a space for containing wafers, an opening being formed on one sidewall, and a door with an outer surface and an inner surface. The top of the container body is disposed with a robotic flange which comprises a foolproof structure and a hemi-circular snap-hook portion that are disposed at the center and its circumference of a lower surface of the robotic flange facing the top. The foolproof structure has a geometric hole for a protruding portion on the top of the container body to be plugged in. After the protruding portion is plugged into the geometric hole, the robotic flange is further rotated along the container body about 180 degrees for the hemi-circular snap-hook portion to be engaged in a hemi-circular supporting portion on the top of the container body.

Abstract: A substrate container and a bottom plate are connected with a mechanism for adjusting the distance between the container and bottom plate, by, e.g., a threaded connection between two members of the connector mechanism. Also provided are a duck-billed valve for venting the container and a dampener for minimizing damage due to shocks.

Abstract: A front opening unified pod (FOUP) for holding wafers is invertible and compatible with process machines in an inverted orientation. The FOUP can safely transport and store wafers while in a non-upright orientation. The shelves within the FOUP are capable of collapsing and constraining the wafers. Further, a method of holding wafers for processing is provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer storage case is disclosed that includes plural support members that are spaced at predetermined intervals with respect to each other and are each configured to come into contact with a peripheral edge region of a first face of a semiconductor wafer, and an elastic member that elastically supports the support members with respect to each other and is configured to elastically deform to come into contact with a second face of the semiconductor wafer and press the semiconductor wafer onto a corresponding support member.

Abstract: A container for holding a plurality of substrates includes an enclosure portion defining an interior space. The enclosure has a plurality of slots for receiving the substrates, and a door (26) for sealingly closing an open side A cushion (62) is received on the door.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body, the internal of which is disposed with a plurality of slots for supporting a plurality of wafers and an opening is formed on one sidewall of which, and a door, which is joined with opening of the container body for protecting the plurality of wafers in the container body, the characteristic in that: a magnetic member is formed at the inner edge of the opening of the container body and a magnet is disposed at the inner surface of the door corresponding to the magnetic member, the magnet being disposed in a magnetic yoke with recessed cross section, with the design of which the magnet on the door attracts the magnetic member at the opening of the container body for the door and the container body to be lock-fastened to each other.

Abstract: To provide a storage container which can inhibit and prevent generation of dust due to the motions of an advancing and retracting element, whose door element can be formed with a reduced space and thickness and which can prevent contamination of the articles accommodated therein, the storage container includes a container body 1 for storing precision substrates, a door element 10 that opens and closes the front of container body 1 and a locking mechanism 20 for locking and unlocking door element 10 that covers container body 1.

Abstract: A substrate storage container which includes: a front-opening box type container body for storing a multiple number of substrates in alignment therein; a door for opening and closing the open front of the container body in a sealing manner; and inner-pressure adjustment devices attached to the mounting ports in the container body and the door for adjusting the pressure inside the container body closed with the door. The inner-pressure adjustment device is configured of an elastic attachment cylinder, a filter support structure fitted into, and protected by, the attachment cylinder and a multiple number of filters held inside the filter support structure. Since the inner-pressure adjustment device can be set by mounting an attachment cylinder of a simple structure by use of elastic deformation to the attachment hole, which is provided for the container body and/or the door, there is no need of forming screw holes which need time and effort.

Abstract: A retainer includes a frame, a pair of first elastic parts projected from a pair of opposing parts of the frame so as to approach to each other, and a second elastic part that is supported at the bent free ends of the paired first elastic parts to hold a substrate. The outside end of the second elastic part is positioned outside the free end of the first elastic part and closer to the opposing part of the frame. Also, first and second holds for holding the rim of the substrate are formed apart from each other. The second hold is positioned on the outer end side of the second elastic part from the first hold.

Abstract: A platform for securely mounting a wafer cassette holder thereon is provided which includes a wafer cassette holder that has a flat bottom surface and four sidewall panels, a platform that has a flat top surface larger than and for mating to the flat bottom surface of the wafer cassette holder, And a securing device mounted in the flat top surface of the platform juxtaposed to each side of the four sidewalls of the wafer cassette holder for preventing the holder from accidentally slipping off the platform, the securing device may include either a plurality of engagement pins that slidingly engages the wafer cassette holder for securely holding the holder on the platform, or a plurality of side panels mounted along the peripheral edge of the platform for preventing the holder from slipping off the platform.

Abstract: In a receiver for component feed plates for housing, in multi-stage stacks, a plurality of component feed plates with a plurality of components placed thereon, identification mark portions are formed so as to be placed at end portions or their proximities of support guide portions in a plate feed direction so that each paired set of support guide portions out of individual support guide portions can be distinguished from the other paired sets of support guide portions and moreover visually discerned in the plate feed direction.

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.

Abstract: Techniques associated with higher performance barrier materials for containers to contain one or more environmentally sensitive devices associated with semiconductor manufacture are generally described. In one example, an apparatus includes an enclosure to contain one or more environmentally sensitive devices associated with semiconductor manufacture, the enclosure comprising a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) to provide a barrier against at least water and oxygen and to reduce purging requirements, and a door coupled with the enclosure.

Abstract: A reusable microplate kit for use in the life sciences industry includes a microplate and a removable lid. The microplate includes a sample area with a plurality of individual wells and a hollow outer frame formed around the sample area, the frame being shaped to include a plurality of openings in its top surface. The lid includes a plate, a plurality of latches formed on the underside of the plate and a compressible gasket affixed to the underside of the plate. In use, the lid is mounted on the microplate by inserting each latch through a corresponding opening until the latch snaps into engagement with the frame. In this manner, the plate and gasket together serve to seal off each well from the outside environment. The microplate kit additionally includes a tool for disengaging the lid from the microplate and thereby assist in their separation.

Abstract: A device for positioning and blocking thin silicon wafers after wire-sawing a silicon wafer block. The device comprises a cassette that accommodates the wafer block and is provided with two contact strips whose sides facing the wafer block encompass elements which engage into narrow cutting gap between the wafers so as to maintain a distance and provide support. This allows the wafers to be fixed in the position thereof even after removing a supporting glass plate such that particularly the gap in the area of the former connecting point to the removed supporting glass plate is maintained and the subsequent singulation process is simplified.

Abstract: Various apparatus and methods are provided for positioning and handling hard memory disks. A disk carrier is provided with adjustably positionable side wall inserts. The inserts or panels may be moved between a plurality of positions to accommodate disks of different diameters. The inserts may also be substituted to accommodate disks of different thickness or different orientations, such as pairs of disks in gap merge orientation or contact merge orientation.

Abstract: A wafer container includes a container body, a door, and a purging valve, wherein the purging valve is disposed in the through hole of the container body. The purging valve includes a fixed sleeve body, a purging head, an elastic component, and a valve lid. The fixed sleeve body comprises a base, and a lower opening is formed at the center of the base for the purging head to be disposed therein. The purging head comprises a bottom portion and a hollow sleeve portion protruding upward from the bottom portion, wherein the hollow sleeve portion is surroundingly disposed with elastic component and with vent disposed on its circumference wall. The valve lid is disposed on top of the hollow sleeve portion so that the purging head can move from the first position to the second position inside the fixed sleeve body when being propped up by an upward force.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a lid unit having a latching mechanism for firmly fixing the lid unit to a container body for containing semiconductor wafers and the like, which latching mechanism can be easily disassembled for cleaning and drying of its components, and to a wafer presser for retaining the semiconductor wafers in position when the container is shaken. The latching mechanism includes a locking member which, when projected, secures the lid unit to the container body; an actuator for moving the locking member between projected and retracted positions; a tip-side cam for pressing a tip portion of the locking member in one direction relative to the lid unit when the locking member is projected by the actuator; a base-end lower cam for pressing a base-end of the locking member in a second direction, opposite the one direction; and a base-end upper cam and a cam projection follower for pressing the base-end in the second direction.

Abstract: A container for creating a microenvironment is disclosed. The container includes a shell, a door and a plurality of supports having a unique design which are used to securely retain items, such as silicon wafers, in a spaced apart parallel relationship. The supports are removable. An electrical path is provided to ground the supports. Kinematic coupling structures are also provided for positioning the container on a surface so as to, for example, properly align the door with the port of a wafer processing tool.