Composite substrate carrier

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.

1 - 12 . (canceled)  
     
     
         13 . A process for manufacturing an integral composite wafer carrier component, the process comprising the steps of: 
 injecting a first thermoplastic material into a mold to form an operative portion;    removing the operative portion and placing it into a second mold; and    injecting a second thermoplastic material of a different composition than the first contacting the operative portion while the second material is molten to form a gapless hermetic interface between the operative portion and the support portion securing said portions together.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of selecting a transparent polycarbonate as the second thermoplastic material.  
     
     
         15 . (canceled)  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of forming a grooved machine interface portion as the operative portion.  
     
     
         17 - 18 . (canceled)  
     
     
         19 . A wafer in combination with a plurality of wafers contained therein, the wafer carrier comprising: 
 an enclosure portion with an open front, a bottom and a plurality of slots for holding the plurality of wafers, the enclosure portion further comprising three grooved machine interfaces portions on the bottom, the three machine interface portions bonded to the enclosure by an overmolding process.    
     
     
         20 - 23 . (canceled)  
     
     
         24 . A process for manufacturing a wafer carrier component comprising the steps of: 
 injection molding a transparent window portion of a first plastic material in a first mold;    placing the molded transparent window portion in a second mold; and    overmolding a wafer enclosure portion to the transparent window portion using a second plastic material in the second mold, wherein the wafer enclosure portion defines an enclosure for enclosing a plurality of wafers, wherein the second plastic material is different from the first plastic material, and wherein the transparent window portion is secured within the wafer enclosure portion without mechanical fasteners between the wafer enclosure and the transparent window portion.    
     
     
         25 . The process for manufacturing a wafer carrier of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of selecting the first plastic and the second plastic such that when the second plastic is overmolded to the first plastic a gapless hermetic interface is formed.