Substrate transport carrier

Abstract

A transport container for substrates such as semiconductor wafers and solar cell substrates includes a cover and a base having a plurality of side walls including movable wall portions with vertically extending hinges or hinges that provide a pivot about a vertical axis. The hinges can be resilient movable polymer portions such as living hinges and can have an unconnected upper edge and an unconnected lower edge to allow the movable wall portions to move inwardly relative to a floor of the base. The cover can include a base engagement portion configured as a cam portion that engages a cover engagement portion on the movable wall portions as the cover is inserted onto the base. As the cam portions of the cover engage the cover engagement portions, the cam portions move the wall inwardly relative to the base to align the substrates.

1 . A transport container for a stack of substrates, the container having a base and a top cover, the base having a stack receiving region defined by a plurality of movable vertical wall portions, the movable wall portions having two sides and a pair of vertically extending living hinges attached to the two sides allowing the movable wall portions to be moved horizontally toward and away from the stack receiving region, each movable wall having a top cover engaging surface positioned opposite from the stack receiving region;
 the top cover having a plurality of cam portion arranged to engage each of the movable wall portions as the top cover is lowered into engagement with the base whereby the movable wall portion are urged inwardly toward the substrate receiving region.   
     
     
         2 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The transport container of  claim 1  wherein the floor, the stationary wall portions, the movable wall portions, and the hinges are all integral with one another. 
     
     
         6 . A method of axially aligning substrates in a container, the method comprising the steps of:
 placing a stack of not fully aligned substrates in a receiving region of a base of a transport container, the receiving region defined by a plurality of movable wall portions with a top edge and a bottom edge, each wall portion having a pair of sides with a living hinge on each side, the bottom edge separated from a floor of the base by a gap;   engaging the movable wall portions with cam portions attached to the top cover such that the movable wall portions are urged inwardly by flexing the living hinges and;   seating the top cover onto the base.   
     
     
         7 . A substrate container comprising:
 a base portion with a floor with a movable sidewall portion positioned above the floor with a gap there between, the movable sidewall portion flexibly attached to a stationary wall portion, by a pair of living hinges, the movable wall portion having a top edge and a bottom edge whereby both are movable horizontally as the movable wall portion moves.   
     
     
         8 . The substrate container of  claim 7  further comprising a top cover that is engageable with the base portion, the top cover having members that engage a surface on the movable wall to move the wall portion horizontally. 
     
     
         9 .