Transport module

Abstract

A front-opening wafer transport module has a container portion with transparent shell and a central support structure which includes a machine interface exposed at the bottom of the module and integral wafer support columns extending upwardly in the container portion for supporting wafers. Additionally, the side walls of the shell have recessed portions with engagement members that cooperate with engagement members on removable handles. The handles utilize detents to lock into place in the recesses on the side walls of the carrier. Attachment of the handles to the side walls is accomplished without breaks between the interior and exterior of the module and without separate fastners.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A sealable enclosure for receiving and holding a plurality of wafers horizontally, the enclosure comprising:
 a container portion with a top, a bottom, a back, an open front, an open interior and comprising a forwardly projecting door flange with a plurality of recesses therein, a pair of sides, a plurality of shelves positioned in the open interior at each side of the container portion for holding the wafers axially aligned in said interior; and   a door for fitting within the door flange and sealingly closing the open front, the door comprising a plurality of latch mechanisms that extend and retract latches to engage the recesses in the door flange, each latch mechanism including a manual opening handle for operating the latch mechanism manually and each latch mechanism also including structure defining a key slot for operating the latch mechanism robotically.   
     
     
         23 . The enclosure of  claim 22 , further comprising a kinematic coupling on the bottom of the enclosure. 
     
     
         24 . The enclosure of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of shelves and the kinematic coupling are integrally formed of static dissipative material, thereby forming an uninterrupted electrical path to ground. 
     
     
         25 . The enclosure of  claim 22 , the container portion defining a handle receiving structure on an outside surface of each of the pair of sides, each handle receiving structure adapted to receive a removable handle and comprising a pair of spaced apart linear guide strips, whereby the removable handle is linearly slidable between the guide strips to couple the removable handle with the container portion. 
     
     
         26 . The enclosure of  claim 25 , wherein each linear guide strip comprises a planar portion oriented generally parallel with the side and spaced apart from the side, the planar portions of the each of the spaced apart guide strips being vertically registered and extending toward each other such that the guide strips together define a handle receiving slot for linearly slidingly receiving the handle therein. 
     
     
         27 . The enclosure of  claim 25 , in combination with a pair of handles, wherein each of the handles is linearly slidably engageable with a separate one of the handle receiving structures, and wherein each handle comprises a detent for securing the handle in a favored position. 
     
     
         28 . The enclosure of  claim 22 , wherein an inside facing surface of the door has a central recess extending from the top of the door to the bottom of the door and wherein a wafer restraint is positioned in the central recess. 
     
     
         29 . A sealable transport module for receiving and holding a plurality of wafers horizontally, the module comprising:
 a container portion with a top, a bottom, a back, a pair of opposing sides, an open front, and an open interior, the open front being defined by a door frame with a plurality of recesses therein, the container portion further including a plurality of shelves positioned in the open interior proximate each side of the container portion for holding the wafers axially aligned in said interior; and   a door selectively engageable in the door frame to sealingly close the open front, the door comprising at least one latch mechanism that extends and retract latches to engage the recesses in the door flange, the at least one latch mechanism including means for operating the latch mechanism manually and the at least one latch mechanism also including means for operating the latch mechanism robotically.   
     
     
         30 . The module of  claim 29 , wherein the means for operating the at least one latch mechanism manually comprises a manual opening handle operably coupled with the at least one latch mechanism. 
     
     
         31 . The module of  claim 29 , wherein the means for operating the at least one latch mechanism robotically comprises structure defining a key slot operably coupled with the at least one latch mechanism. 
     
     
         32 . The module of  claim 29 , further comprising a kinematic coupling on the bottom of the enclosure. 
     
     
         33 . The module of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of shelves and the kinematic coupling are integrally formed of static dissipative material, thereby forming an uninterrupted electrical path to ground. 
     
     
         34 . The module of  claim 29 , the container portion defining a handle receiving structure on an outside surface of each of the pair of opposing sides, each handle receiving structure adapted to receive a removable handle and comprising a pair of spaced apart linear guide strips, whereby the removable handle is linearly slidable between the guide strips to couple the removable handle with the container portion. 
     
     
         35 . The module of  claim 34 , wherein each linear guide strip comprises a planar portion oriented generally parallel with the side and spaced apart from the side, the planar portions of the each of the spaced apart guide strips being vertically registered and extending toward each other such that the guide strips together define a handle receiving slot for linearly slidingly receiving the handle therein. 
     
     
         36 . The module of  claim 34 , in combination with a pair of handles, wherein each of the handles is linearly slidably engageable with a separate one of the handle receiving structures, and wherein each handle comprises a detent for securing the handle in a favored position. 
     
     
         37 . The module of  claim 29 , wherein an inside facing surface of the door has a central recess extending from the top of the door to the bottom of the door and wherein a wafer restraint is positioned in the central recess. 
     
     
         38 . A sealable enclosure for transporting a plurality of semiconductor wafers, the enclosure comprising:
 a container portion with a top, a bottom, a back, a pair of opposing sides, an open front, and an open interior, the open front being defined by a door frame with a plurality of recesses therein, the container portion further including a plurality of shelves positioned in the open interior proximate each side of the container portion for holding the wafers axially aligned in said interior; and   a door selectively engageable in the door frame to sealingly close the open front, the door comprising at least one latch mechanism that extends and retract latches to engage the recesses in the door flange, the at least one latch mechanism including a handle and separate structure defining a key slot, each operably coupled with the latch mechanism to enable the latches to be selectively extended and retracted.   
     
     
         39 . The enclosure of  claim 38 , the container portion defining a handle receiving structure on an outside surface of each of the pair of sides, each handle receiving structure adapted to receive a removable handle and comprising a pair of spaced apart linear guide strips, whereby the removable handle is linearly slidable between the guide strips to couple the removable handle with the container portion. 
     
     
         40 . The enclosure of  claim 39 , wherein each linear guide strip comprises a planar portion oriented generally parallel with the side and spaced apart from the side, the planar portions of the each of the spaced apart guide strips being vertically registered and extending toward each other such that the guide strips together define a handle receiving slot for linearly slidingly receiving the handle therein. 
     
     
         41 . The enclosure of  claim 39 , in combination with a pair of handles, wherein each of the handles is linearly slidably engageable with a separate one of the handle receiving structures, and wherein each handle comprises a detent for securing the handle in a favored position.