Container for containing semiconductor wafers

Abstract

A container for containing semiconductor wafers. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a container for containing semiconductor wafers that includes a first container body including a base and a wall connected to the base, a first wafer support plate located inside the first container body; and at least one semiconductor wafer between the base of the first container body and the first wafer support plate, wherein the semiconductor wafer is stabilized between the first wafer support plate and the first container body.

1 . A container for containing semiconductor wafers, comprising: 
 a first container body including a base and a wall connected to the base;    a first wafer support plate located inside the first container body; and    at least one semiconductor wafer between the base of the first container body and the first wafer support plate, wherein the semiconductor wafer is stabilized between the first wafer support plate and the first container body.    
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a second wafer support plate located inside the first container body, wherein the second wafer support plate is between the base of the first container body and the semiconductor wafer, and wherein the semiconductor wafer is stabilized between the first wafer support plate and the second wafer support plate.    
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a second container body opposite the first container body, wherein the second container body includes a base and a wall connected to the base, and wherein the first container body is operatively connected to the first container body.    
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 3  further comprising: 
 an internal cushioning member between the base of the second container body and the base of the first container body.    
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the internal cushioning member is a foam-cushioning member.  
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the internal cushioning member is an air-cushioning member.  
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor wafer has a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the first major surface has a first surface area, wherein the first wafer support plate has a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the second major surface has a second surface area, wherein the first major surface of the semiconductor wafer is opposite the second major surface of the first wafer support plate, and wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafer is less than the second surface area of the first wafer support plate.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafer is at least 10% less than the second surface area of the first wafer support plate.  
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafer is at least 25% less than the second surface area of the first wafer support plate.  
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of semiconductor wafers inside the first container body.  
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of wafer separator sheets, wherein a wafer separator sheet is between adjacent semiconductor wafers.  
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein when the container is dropped, the semiconductor wafer does not contact the wall of the first container body.  
   
   
       13 . A container for containing semiconductor wafers, comprising: 
 a first container body including a base and a wall connected to the base;    at least one semiconductor wafer wherein the semiconductor wafer has a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the first major surface has a first surface area;    a first wafer support plate located inside the first container body, wherein the first wafer support plate has a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the second major surface has a second surface area; and    wherein the semiconductor wafer is between the base of the first container body and second major surface of the first wafer support plate, wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafer is at least 10% less than the second surface area of the first wafer support plate, and wherein the semiconductor wafer is stabilized between the first wafer support plate and the first container body.    
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 a second wafer support plate located inside the first container body, wherein the second wafer support plate is between the base of the first container body and the semiconductor wafer, and wherein the semiconductor wafer is stabilized between the first wafer support plate and the second wafer support plate.    
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafer is at least 25% less than the second surface area of the first wafer support plate.  
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 a second container body opposite the first container body, wherein the second container body includes a base and a wall connected to the base, and wherein the first container body is operatively connected to the first container body.    
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 an internal cushioning member between the base of the second container body and the base of the first container body.    
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 17 , wherein the internal cushioning member is a foam-cushioning member.  
   
   
       19 . The container of  claim 17 , wherein the internal cushioning member is an air-cushioning member.  
   
   
       20 . The container of  claim 10  further comprising a plurality of semiconductor wafers inside the first container body.  
   
   
       21 . The container of  claim 20 , further comprising a plurality of wafer separator sheets, wherein a wafer separator sheet is between adjacent semiconductor wafers.  
   
   
       22 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein when the container is dropped, the semiconductor wafer does not contact the wall of the first container body.  
   
   
       23 . A container for containing semiconductor wafers, comprising: 
 a first container body including a base and a wall connected to the base;    a plurality of semiconductor wafer, wherein each semiconductor wafer has a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the first major surface has a first surface area;    a first wafer support plate located inside the first container body, wherein the first wafer support plate has a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the second major surface has a second surface area; and wherein the plurality semiconductor wafers is between the base of the first container body and second major surface of the first wafer support plate, and wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafers is at least 10% less than the second surface area of the first wafer support plate;    a second wafer support plate located inside the first container body, wherein the second wafer support plate has a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the plurality semiconductor wafer is between the second major surface of the first wafer support and first major surface of the second wafer support plate, wherein the first major surface of the second wafer support plate has a first surface area, wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafers is at least 10% less than the first surface area of the second wafer support plate, and wherein the semiconductor wafer is stabilized between the first wafer support plate and the second wafer support plate;    a second container body opposite the first container body, wherein the second container body includes a base and a wall connected to the base, and wherein the first container body is operatively connected to the first container body; and    an internal cushioning member between the base of the second container body and the base of the first container body, wherein the internal cushioning member is a foam-cushioning member; and a plurality of wafer separator sheets, wherein a separator sheet is between adjacent semiconductor wafers.    
   
   
       24 . A method of safely shipping semiconductor wafers, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a container for containing semiconductor wafers, wherein the container comprises: 
 a first container body including a base and a wall connected to the base;  
 a second container body including a base and a wall connected to the base;  
 a first wafer support plate located inside the first container body;  
   b) providing a plurality of semiconductor wafers;    c) stacking the plurality of semiconductor wafers in a stack and placing the stack of semiconductor wafers inside the first container body;    d) placing the first wafer support plate on the stack of semiconductor wafers inside the first container body;    e) operatively connecting the first container body with the second container body so as to enclose the wafer support plate and stack of semiconductor wafers inside the container and to stabilize the stack of semiconductor wafers between the base of the first container body and the first wafer support plate.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the container further comprises a second wafer support plate, wherein step c) further comprises placing the second wafer support plate inside the first container body and placing the stack of semiconductor wafers on the second wafer support body inside the first container body, and wherein the stack of semiconductor wafers is stabilized between the first wafer support plate and the second wafer support plate.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the semiconductor wafers have a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the first major surface has a first surface area, wherein the first wafer support plate has a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein the second major surface has a second surface area, and wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafer is at least 10% less than the second surface area of the first wafer support plate.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the first surface area of the semiconductor wafer is at least 25% less than the second surface area of the first wafer support plate.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein when the container is dropped, the semiconductor wafers do not contact the wall of the first container body.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein step b) further comprises providing a plurality of wafer separator sheets, wherein a wafer separator sheet is between adjacent semiconductor wafers, wherein step c) further comprising stacking the plurality of semiconductor wafers and the plurality of wafer separator sheets in a stack, wherein a wafer separator sheet is between two adjacent semiconductor wafers, and placing the stack of semiconductor wafers and separator sheets inside the first container body.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 24 , further including the steps of: 
 f) transporting the container and stack of semiconductor wafers to a new location;    g) separating the second container body from the first container body to remove the stack of semiconductor wafers from the container;    h) inspecting the stack of semiconductor wafers and observing that the stack of semiconductor wafers are not damaged or broken.