Universal storage tray for electronic components

Abstract

A universal storage tray for holding a plurality of electronic components during storage, processing and transport. The tray includes an adjustable sidewall, a stationary sidewall, and opposing end walls. The adjustable sidewall engages to opposing end walls to form channels of a predetermined length. The channel is configured to have a longitudinal dimension greater than the longitudinal dimension of the components. The universal storage tray also includes a cover for securing components to the trays.

1 . A storage tray for holding wafer segments comprising: 
 a tray frame including first and second opposing end walls; and    a removable sidewall having terminal ends for engagement with the tray frame, said removable sidewall and an opposing sidewall having a plurality of slots to together form at least one channel for receiving said wafer segments.    
   
   
       2 . The storage tray of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one channel is configured to have a longitudinal dimension greater than a longitudinal dimension of said wafer segment.  
   
   
       3 . The storage tray of  claim 1  wherein said removable side wall engages a plurality of regions on a surface of said end walls.  
   
   
       4 . The storage tray of  claim 3 , wherein said removable side wall is press fitted into said plurality of regions.  
   
   
       5 . The storage tray of  claim 4 , wherein said plurality of regions comprise a plurality of recesses, protrusions, and indentations.  
   
   
       6 . The storage tray of  claim 4 , further comprising loading a wafer segment into said at least one channel.  
   
   
       7 . The storage tray of  claim 6 , further comprising securing the wafer segments with a transparent cover.  
   
   
       8 . The storage tray of  claim 7 , wherein said transparent cover is either a processing cover or a shipping cover.  
   
   
       9 . A storage tray for holding wafer segments comprising: 
 a) a tray frame including first and second opposing slotted members, and first and second opposing end walls;    b) said first opposing slotted member being adjustable to form more than one discrete channel with the slots of said second opposing slotted member;    c) said first opposing slotted member being adjustable by engaging with a region in said opposing end walls, wherein the first and second slotted members are separated from each other.    
   
   
       10 . The storage tray of  claim 9 , wherein said region is a recess, a protrusion or an indentation.  
   
   
       11 . The storage tray of  claim 9 , wherein the distance between said region and said second opposing slotted member corresponds substantially to the length of the wafer segments.  
   
   
       12 . The storage of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one channel is configured to have a longitudinal dimension greater than a longitudinal dimension of said wafer segments.  
   
   
       13 . The storage tray of  claim 9 , wherein said first opposing slotted member is temporarily secured into position with a transparent cover.  
   
   
       14 . The storage tray of  claim 13 , wherein said transparent cover contains openings at regular intervals.  
   
   
       15 . A storage tray for holding electronic components during processing comprising: 
 a) a stationary sidewall integral with a frame;    b) a first end wall;    c) a second end wall opposing said first end wall, each of said first and second end walls having a groove;    d) an adjustable sidewall that is moved along said groove in said first and second end walls to a predetermined position relative to said stationary sidewall to form a channel for receiving electronic components, wherein said channel is configured to have a longitudinal dimension greater than a longitudinal dimension of said electronic components.    
   
   
       16 . The storage tray of  claim 15 , wherein said adjustable sidewall has terminal ends that mate with the grooves within said first and second end walls.  
   
   
       17 . The storage tray of  claim 14  further comprising a hollow cover for temporarily securing said electronic components within the tray.  
   
   
       18 . The storage tray of  claim 15 , wherein said hollow cover is transparent.  
   
   
       19 . The storage tray of  claim 18 , wherein said transparent cover contains openings at regular intervals.  
   
   
       20 . A method of handling a wafer segment comprising: 
 providing a tray having a first slotted member and first and second opposing end walls;    positioning an adjustable slotted member opposite said first slotted member to form a channel having a longitudinal dimension greater than a longitudinal dimension of a wafer segment; and    loading said wafer segment into the tray.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising securing said wafer segment within the tray with a processing cover.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said positioning step comprises adjusting said opposing slotted member by sliding it to a desired location along an indentation or a groove.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said positioning step comprises connecting said opposing slotted member to a plurality of regions.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said regions comprise recesses, notches, protrusions, or indentations.  
   
   
       25 . A method of storing a wafer segment comprising: 
 a) determining the length of the wafer segment;    b) selecting a plurality of regions that cause a channel to be formed having a first channel length corresponding substantially to the length of the wafer segment;    c) positioning a removable sidewall into the selected regions to form said channel of said first channel length; and    d) inserting the wafer segment into the channel.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  comprising: 
 a) removing the wafer segment and adjusting the channel length by removing the adjustable sidewall;    b) positioning the adjustable sidewall into two regions that are different than the regions corresponding to the first channel length.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26  comprising inserting a wafer segment having a channel length different than said first channel length.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said plurality of regions is selected from a plurality of recesses, indentations, and protrusions.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said positioning step comprises sliding said removable sidewall on a groove within an end wall to a position that corresponds substantially to the channel length of the determined wafer segment.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising placing a cover on the tray.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said cover is transparent.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said transparent cover contains openings at regular intervals.