Fire retardant foup wafer carrier

Abstract

A fire retardant container for semiconductor wafers having an enclosure portion formed from polycarbonate plastic. The enclosure has a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, and an open front. The container includes a door to close the open front having an outer surface portion formed from a plastic material having a flame propagation index of not greater than 9.0 (m/s 1/2 )(kW/m) −2/3 .

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A front opening unified pod wafer container comprising: 
 an enclosure portion formed substantially from polycarbonate plastic having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, and an open front; and    a door to close the open front, wherein said door has an outer surface portion formed substantially from a plastic material selected from the group of plastic materials consisting of polyimide, polyether imide, polyamide imide, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyether sulphone, and polytetrafluoroethylene, and wherein said plastic material has a Fire Propagation Index of not greater than 9.0 (m/s  1/2 )(kW/m) −2/3 ; 
 whereby the outer surface portion is relatively retardant to vertical propagation of fire.  
   
     
     
         2 . The wafer container of  claim 1 , wherein said outer surface portion is formed from polyether imide plastic.  
     
     
         3 . The wafer container of  claim 1 , wherein said outer surface portion is formed from polyetheretherketone plastic.  
     
     
         4 . The wafer container of  claim 1 , wherein said outer surface portion comprises an exterior panel of said door.  
     
     
         5 . The wafer container of  claim 1 , wherein said outer surface portion comprises a layer of fire retardant plastic over a layer of polycarbonate plastic.  
     
     
         6 . The wafer container of  claim 5 , wherein said layer of fire retardant plastic is molded over said layer of polycarbonate plastic.  
     
     
         7 . The wafer container of  claim 1 , wherein said outer surface portion comprises a shield panel affixed to said door with an adhesive.  
     
     
         8 . The wafer container of  claim 1 , wherein said outer surface portion comprises a shield panel affixed to said door with a plurality of fasteners.  
     
     
         9 . A wafer container comprising: 
 an enclosure portion formed substantially from polycarbonate plastic having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, and an open front; and    a door to close the open front, wherein said door has an outer surface portion formed from a plastic material having a flame propagation index of not greater than 9.0 (ms  1/2 )(kW/m) −2/3 ; 
 whereby the outer surface portion is relatively retardant to vertical propagation of flame.  
   
     
     
         10 . The wafer container of  claim 9 , wherein said plastic material is selected from the group of plastic materials consisting of polyimide, polyether imide, polyamide imide, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyether sulphone, and polytetrafluoroethylene.  
     
     
         11 . The wafer container of  claim 10 , wherein said plastic material is polyether imide.  
     
     
         12 . The wafer container of  claim 10 , wherein said plastic material is polyethylethylketone.  
     
     
         13 . The wafer container of  claim 9 , wherein said outer surface portion comprises an exterior panel of said door.  
     
     
         14 . The wafer container of  claim 9 , wherein said outer surface portion comprises a layer of fire retardant plastic over a layer of polycarbonate plastic.  
     
     
         15 . The wafer container of  claim 14 , wherein said layer of fire retardant plastic is molded over said layer of polycarbonate plastic.  
     
     
         16 . The wafer container of  claim 9 , wherein said outer surface portion comprises a shield panel affixed to said door with an adhesive.  
     
     
         17 . The wafer container of  claim 9 , wherein said outer surface portion comprises a shield panel affixed to said door with a plurality of fasteners.  
     
     
         18 . A method of making a flame retardant front opening unified pod wafer carrier comprising: 
 forming, from polycarbonate plastic, an enclosure portion having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, and an open front; and    forming a door for closing the open front, said door having an outer surface portion comprising plastic material with a Fire Propagation Index of not more than 9.0 (m/s  1/2 )(kW/m) −2/3 .    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said door has an outer panel, and further comprising the step of molding said outer surface portion over said outer panel.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said door has an outer panel, and further comprising the steps of molding a fire retardant layer member and affixing said layer member to said outer panel.  
     
     
         21 . A method of improving the fire retardancy of a front opening unified pod wafer carrier, said carrier comprising an enclosure portion having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, an open front, and a door to close the open front, all formed substantially from polycarbonate plastic, the method comprising overlaying an outer surface of said door with a layer of plastic material having a flame propagation index of not more than 9.0 (m/s  1/2 )(kW/m) −2/3 .  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said plastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyether imide, polyamide imide, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyether sulphone, and polytetrafluoroethylene, and further comprising the steps of molding said plastic material into a separate shield panel and affixing said shield panel to said door.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said affixing step comprises fastening said shield panel to said door with an adhesive.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said affixing step comprises fastening said shield panel to said door with a plurality of fasteners.  
     
     
         25 . A front opening unified pod wafer container comprising: 
 an enclosure portion formed substantially from polycarbonate plastic having at least a top, a bottom, a pair of opposing sides, a back, and an open front;    a door to close the open front, wherein said door has an exterior surface portion; and    means for retarding the spread of fire on said exterior surface portion.    
     
     
         26 . The wafer container of  claim 25 , wherein said means for retarding the spread of fire on said outer surface portion comprises an exterior panel of said door, said exterior panel being formed from a plastic material having a Fire Propagation Index of 9.0 (m/s  1/2 )(kW/m) −2/3  or less.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said plastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyether imide, polyamide imide, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyether sulphone, and polytetrafluoroethylene.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said plastic material is polyether imide.  
     
     
         29 . The wafer container of  claim 25 , wherein said door is formed from polycarbonate plastic, and wherein said means for retarding the spread of fire on said outer surface portion comprises a separate layer of fire retardant plastic material overlaid on said exterior surface portion, said fire retardant plastic material having a Fire Propagation Index of 9.0 (m/s  1/2 )(kW/m) −2/3  or less.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said fire retardant plastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyether imide, polyamide imide, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyether sulphone, and polytetrafluoroethylene.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said plastic material is polyether imide.  
     
     
         32 . The wafer container of  claim 29 , wherein said separate layer of fire retardant plastic material is molded over said exterior surface portion.  
     
     
         33 . The wafer container of  claim 29 , wherein said separate layer of fire retardant plastic material is molded as a separate shield panel and affixed to said exterior surface portion with an adhesive or with a plurality of fasteners.