Kakizaki Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Sumitomo Metal Industries, Inc.

Sumitomo Sitix Corporation

Kazutoshi Ejima

Yukihiro Hyobu

A carrier box serving as a thin-plate supporting container includes a container body for defining therein a chamber for supporting and housing therein a plurality of semiconductor wafers and a lid for covering the container body. In one embodiment, the carrier box includes an internal-pressure adjusting mechanism for maintaining the internal pressure in the chamber at the same level as that of the external pressure against the chamber. The internal-pressure adjusting mechanism is composed of an opening formed in a wall of the container body and a filter detachably mounted in the opening for removing foreign matters while allowing gas to easily enter and exit the chamber so as to maintain the chamber in a clean state. In another embodiment, the carrier box includes a gasket made of a porous material. The gasket is provided between the container body and the lid for removing foreign matters while allowing gas to easily enter and exit the chamber so as to maintain the chamber in a clean state while maintaining the internal pressure in the chamber at the same level as that of the external pressure against the chamber.

Thin-plate supporting container with unitary porous gasket

An easily attachable/detachable lid mounted container includes a container body, a lid for covering the container body, and an easy attach/detach mechanism for reliably securing the lid to the container body and for easily detaching the lid from the container body. The easy attach/detach mechanism includes: an engagement plate provided on the lid and extending toward the container body, the engagement plate being resilient and bendable; an object engagement portion, provided on the container body, for engaging, when the lid is pressed toward the container body, with the engagement plate so as to secure the lid to the container body; and separation means, provided between the engagement plate and the object engagement portion, for separating the engagement plate from the object engagement portion when the separation means is pressed toward the container body. When the lid is removed from the container body, the separation means is pressed downward to thereby separate the engagement plate from the object engagement portion so as to release the lid, having been secured, from the container body.

Easily attachable/detachable lid mounted container

A carrier box serving as a thin-plate supporting container includes a container body for defining therein a chamber for supporting and housing therein a plurality of semiconductor wafers and a lid for covering the container body. In one embodiment, the carrier box includes an internal-pressure adjusting mechanism for maintaining the internal pressure in the chamber at the same level as that of the external pressure against the chamber. The internal-pressure adjusting mechanism is composed of an opening formed in a wall of the container body or the like, and a filter detachably mounted in the opening for removing foreign matters while allowing gas to easily enter and exit said chamber so as to maintain the chamber in a clean state. In another embodiment, the carrier box includes a gasket made of a porous material or the like. The gasket is provided between the container body and the lid for removing foreign matters while allowing gas to easily enter and exit the chamber so as to maintain the chamber in a clean state while maintaining the internal pressure in the chamber at the same level as that of the external pressure against the chamber.

Thin-plate supporting container with filter means

A carrier box serving as a thin-plate supporting container includes a container body for defining therein a chamber for supporting and housing therein a plurality of semiconductor wafers and a lid for covering the container body. In one embodiment, the carrier box includes an internal-pressure adjusting mechanism for maintaining the internal pressure in the chamber at the same level as that of the external pressure against the chamber. The internal-pressure adjusting mechanism is composed of an opening formed in a wall of the container body or the like, and a filter detachably mounted in the opening for removing foreign matters while allowing gas to easily enter and exit the chamber so as to maintain the chamber in a clean state. In another embodiment, the carrier box includes a gasket made of a porous material or the like. The gasket is provided between the container body and the lid for removing foreign matters while allowing gas to easily enter and exit the chamber so as to maintain the chamber in a clean state while maintaining the internal pressure in the chamber at the same level as that of the external pressure against the chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Saga-ken, Japan

Kazutoshi Ejima