Sealed Enclosure for Transporting and Storing Semiconductor Substrates

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealed enclosure for transporting and storing semiconductor substrates, the enclosure comprising a sealed container and support means placed inside the container and including trays for supporting substrates. The container comprises two touching half-shells that can be spaced apart in order to open the container, and each end of said support means is secured mechanically to a respective one of said half-shells. The total height of said means varies depending on whether the container is opened or closed, the trays being separated from one another by equal distances. Said support means preferably comprise an alternation of segments and ball joints having end segments that are mechanically connected to respective ones of the half-shells. Under such circumstances, the total height of said support means varies by the alternation of segments and ball joints moving concertina-like.

1 . A sealed enclosure for transporting and storing semiconductor substrates, the enclosure comprising a sealed container and support means placed inside said container and including trays for supporting said substrates, the enclosure being characterized in that said container comprises two touching half-shells that move apart to open said container, and in that each end of said support means is mechanically secured to a respective one of said half-shells. 
   
   
       2 . An enclosure according to  claim 1 , in which the total height of said support means varies depending on whether said container is open or closed, said trays being spaced apart at equal distances. 
   
   
       3 . An enclosure according to  claim 1 , in which said support means include alternating segments and ball joints. 
   
   
       4 . An enclosure according to  claim 3 , in which said alternation of segments and ball joints has a segment at each end, each of said end segments being mechanically connected to a respective one of said half-shells. 
   
   
       5 . An enclosure according to  claim 3 , in which the total height of said support means varies by the alternating segments and ball joints moving concertina-like. 
   
   
       6 . An enclosure according to  claim 3 , in which every other ball joint carries a tray on which a said substrate rests. 
   
   
       7 . An enclosure according to  claim 1 , in which said half-shells are united via a flexible gasket. 
   
   
       8 . An enclosure according to  claim 7 , in which said support means compress said flexible gasket to seal said container. 
   
   
       9 . An enclosure according to  claim 1 , in which said container includes at least one handle. 
   
   
       10 . An enclosure according to  claim 1 , in which said container includes a locking device. 
   
   
       11 . An enclosure according to  claim 10 , in which said container includes at least one handle and said locking device co-operates with said handle. 
   
   
       12 . A method of extracting a substrate from a low-pressure enclosure placed in a low-pressure load chamber, said enclosure comprising a sealed container and support means placed inside said container and including trays for supporting said substrates, said container comprising two touching half-shells that move apart to open said container, each end of said support means being mechanically secured to a respective one of said half-shells, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
 increasing the distance between the trays by moving the half-shells apart;   introducing robotic means between two contiguous trays;   lifting the substrate placed above the robotic means;   extracting the robotic means together with the substrate; and   reducing the distance between the remaining trays by uniting the half-shells.   
   
   
       13 . A method of inserting a substrate in a low-pressure enclosure placed in a low-pressure load chamber, said enclosure comprising a sealed container and support means placed inside said container and including trays for supporting said substrates, said container comprising two touching half-shells that move apart to open said container, each end of said support means being mechanically secured to a respective one of said half-shells, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
 increasing the distance between the trays by moving the half-shells apart;   inserting robotic means carrying the substrate between two contiguous trays;   placing the substrate on the tray located beneath the robotic means;   extracting the robotic means; and   reducing the distance between the trays by uniting the half-shells.