Substrate storage container

Abstract

A substrate storage container is disclosed that includes: a container body that stores semiconductor wafers W being supported by pairs of left and right supporting pieces; a removable door that opens and closes an open front of container body; and interface portions that are provided in the container body and the door and are connected to a load port apparatus of processing equipment. The door is positioned and connected to the load port apparatus when the open front of container body is opened and closed by the door. The container body, its paired supporting pieces, the door and the interface portions are all formed of conductive materials so that their surface resistance values are specified to fall within the range of 10 3 to 10 12 Ω, to thereby inhibit adherence of particles to these due to electrification of static electricity.

1 . A substrate storage container comprising: a container body that stores substrates being supported by supporting pieces; a door that opens and closes an opening side of the container body; and an interface portion that is provided for, at least, one of the container body and the door to come in contact with external equipment, wherein when the door opens or closes the opening side of the container body, the door is positioned and connected to external equipment,
 characterized in that the container body, supporting pieces thereof, the door and the interface portion are all formed of conductive materials so that the surface resistance values thereof are specified to fall within the range of 10 3  to 10 12 Ω, whereby adherence of particles to the container body, supporting pieces thereof, door and interface portion due to electrification of static electricity is inhibited.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate storage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the variation in surface resistance value of the container body and supporting pieces thereof, door and interface portion is specified to fall within the range of 0 to 10 6 Ω. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate storage container according to  claim 1 , wherein increase in number of particles on a substrate, which has been stored in the container body with the opening side fitted with the door, from the number of particles on the substrate measured under a clean room environment before storage into the container body, is equal to or lower than 10 when the number of particles on the substrate is measured after 600 times of opening and closing of the door have been repeated. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate storage container according to  claim 1 , wherein when the container body or the door is mounted to a charged plate monitor and applied with a voltage of 1000 V, the time in which the voltage attenuates from 1000 V to 100 V is equal to or shorter than 1 sec. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate storage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the external equipment includes a load port apparatus for loading a substrate to or unloading a substrate to substrate processing equipment and a conveying system for conveying the container body to the load port apparatus, and
 the load port apparatus includes a table for having the container body mounted thereon and a shutter that opens and closes a substrate input/output port and fitting the door to, and removing the door from, the container body, the table having conductive positioning pins for the container body and the shutter having conductive register pins for the door.   
     
     
         6 . The substrate storage container according to  claim 5 , wherein the interface portion is, at least, one of a bottom plate that is attached to the bottom of the container body and can be in contact with the conveying system, positioning members that are provided on either the bottom of the container body or the bottom plate and positioned and connected by the register pins of the load port apparatus, a flange that is attached to the top of the container body and can be in contact with the conveying system, and positioning indents that are provided for the door and positioned and connected to the register pins of the load port apparatus.