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US4966284A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Substrate package
Assignee: Marquette Bank Minneapolis NA
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Filing: 1989-03-31
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Granted: 1990-10-30
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Expires: 2009-03-31
Abstract
Abstract A sealable contamination proof container package bottom and top for storing and transporting a plurality of substrates or wafers in a robotic wafer carrier. The package bottom includes four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing surrounding the four sides, a lip positioned on a vertical edge, opposing hook latches on opposing sides, opposing hand grip recesses on the opposing sides and a raised bottom surface for package stacking. The package top includes four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing surrounding the four sides, a lip positioned on the vertical surface, opposing hook catches on the opposing side, a top surface with raised stacking surfaces, and two rows of wafer support springs positioned on bars on the underside of the top surface. The package top and bottom halves provide that the robotic wafer carrier mates between the package top and package bottom with the wafers or substrates in the carrier. The package top and bottom mate with the upper lip engaged with the lower lip, and the catches of the top engage with the latches of the bottom. The package halves are designed in such a fashion as to prevent wafer or substrate damage upon opening, in that the top package half is moved in a direction coinciding to the plane of the wafers or substrates with respect to positioning of the catches and latches on the package side. Appropriate sides of the package top and bottom are plumb with each other providing for a flush perimeter for ease of taping. The raised top portion of the top package half and the recessed bottom of the bottom package half provides for stacking of like packages. In an alternative embodiment, opposing rows of articulated cantilevered horizontal arms with centering V grooves on each end for engaging a wafer, disk or substrate extend inwardly from the edges of an arced top surface in the package top.
Inventors
- 👤 Barry Gregerson
- 👤 Larry Dressen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 04:56
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/10; H10P72/19; H10P72/1911; H10P72/1912; H10P72/1914; H10P72/1916; H10P72/1918; H10P72/1921; H10P72/1922
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
A sealable contamination proof container package bottom and top for storing and transporting a plurality of wafers, disks or substrates in a wafer carrier comprising: a. a package bottom including four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing surrounding the four sides, a lip positional on said vertical surface, opposing hook latches on opposing sides, opposing hand grip recesses on the opposing sides and a raised bottom surface for package stacking; and, b. a package top including four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing, and surrounding the four sides, a lip positioned on said vertical surface, opposing hook catches on the opposing side, a top surface including raised stacking surfaces, and two rows of opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arms with centering V grooves for engaging the wafer and projecting substantially horizontally directly inwardly from said top surface of said package top, disk or substrate positioned on the underside of the top surface at each side of said top surface whereby the package top and bottom halves provide that the wafer carrier mates between the package top and the package bottom with the wafers, disks or substrates in the carrier.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
A sealable contamination proof container package bottom and top for storing and transporting a plurality of wafers, disks or substrates in a wafer carrier comprising: a. a package bottom including four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing surrounding the four sides, a lip positional on said vertical surface, opposing hook latches on opposing sides, opposing hand grip recesses on the opposing sides and a raised bottom surface for package stacking; and, b. a package top including four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing, and surrounding the four sides, a lip positioned on said vertical surface, opposing hook catches on the opposing side, a top surface including raised stacking surfaces, and two rows of opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arms with centering V grooves for engaging the wafer and projecting substantially horizontally directly inwardly from said top surface of said package top, disk or substrate positioned on the underside of the top surface at each side of said top surface whereby the package top and bottom halves provide that the wafer carrier mates between the package top and the package bottom with the wafers, disks or substrates in the carrier.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
Package of claim 1 wherein said package top and bottom mate with said upper lip engaged against said lower lip, and said catch of said top engages with said latch of said bottom.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
Package of claim 1 wherein the package halves move in a direction coinciding to the plane of the wafers with respect to positioning of said catches and latches on said package side.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
Package of claim 1 wherein said sides of said package top and bottom are plumb with each other providing for a flush perimeter for ease of taping.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
Package of claim 1 wherein said package top and said package bottom are of a polypropylene material or similar material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
Package of claim 1 including means for locating the wafer carrier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
199 words
A sealable contamination proof container package bottom and top for storing and transporting a plurality of wafers, disks or substrates in a wafer carrier comprising: a. a package bottom including four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing surrounding the four sides, a lip positional on said vertical surface, opposing hook latches on opposing sides, opposing hand grip recesses on the opposing sides and a raised bottom surface for package stacking; b. a package top including four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing, and surrounding the four sides, a lip positioned on said vertical surface, opposing hook catches on the opposing side, an arced top surface with a raised stacking surface, and two rows of opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arms with centering V grooves for engaging the wafer projecting substantially horizontally directly inwardly from said arced top surface of said package top whereby the package top and bottom halves provide that the wafer carrier mates between the package top and the package bottom with the wafers or substrates in the carrier; and, wafer carrier including opposing closed side walls, a rear wall and a crossbar connecting the sidewalls and means on said carrier for robotic handling.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
199 words
A sealable contamination proof container package bottom and top for storing and transporting a plurality of wafers, disks or substrates in a wafer carrier comprising: a. a package bottom including four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing surrounding the four sides, a lip positional on said vertical surface, opposing hook latches on opposing sides, opposing hand grip recesses on the opposing sides and a raised bottom surface for package stacking; b. a package top including four sides, a continuous vertical surface for tape sealing, and surrounding the four sides, a lip positioned on said vertical surface, opposing hook catches on the opposing side, an arced top surface with a raised stacking surface, and two rows of opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arms with centering V grooves for engaging the wafer projecting substantially horizontally directly inwardly from said arced top surface of said package top whereby the package top and bottom halves provide that the wafer carrier mates between the package top and the package bottom with the wafers or substrates in the carrier; and, wafer carrier including opposing closed side walls, a rear wall and a crossbar connecting the sidewalls and means on said carrier for robotic handling.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
144 words
A device for containing a plurality of wafers, disks or substrates comprising: a. a rectangular package bottom having hand grip indentations; b. a removable wafer carrier having a plurality of spaced vertical channels for frictionally engaging said plurality of wafers wherein said removable wafer carrier mounts engagingly with said rectangular package bottom; and, c. a rectangular package top which mounts sealingly on said rectangular package bottom having a plurality of opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arms with centering V grooves for engaging the wafer and projecting substantially horizontally directly inwardly from said arced top surface of said package top for engagingly holding said plurality of wafers when said plurality of wafers are frictionally engaged within said removable wafer carrier and said removable wafer carrier is engagingly mounted within said rectangular package bottom and said rectangular package top is sealingly mounted on said rectangular package bottom.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
144 words
A device for containing a plurality of wafers, disks or substrates comprising: a. a rectangular package bottom having hand grip indentations; b. a removable wafer carrier having a plurality of spaced vertical channels for frictionally engaging said plurality of wafers wherein said removable wafer carrier mounts engagingly with said rectangular package bottom; and, c. a rectangular package top which mounts sealingly on said rectangular package bottom having a plurality of opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arms with centering V grooves for engaging the wafer and projecting substantially horizontally directly inwardly from said arced top surface of said package top for engagingly holding said plurality of wafers when said plurality of wafers are frictionally engaged within said removable wafer carrier and said removable wafer carrier is engagingly mounted within said rectangular package bottom and said rectangular package top is sealingly mounted on said rectangular package bottom.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
A device for containing a plurality of wafers, disks or substrates according to claim 8 wherein said plurality of opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arms of said rectangular package top are arranged as a plurality of splined opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arm pairs wherein each of said plurality of splined pairs engagingly holds a different on of said plurality of wafers, disks or substrates.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
A device according to claim 9 wherein each of said plurality of splined opposing articulated cantilevered horizontal arm pairs are two opposed splined articulated cantilevered horizontal arms wherein each of said two opposed splined articulated cantilevered horizontal arms is individually attached to said rectangular package top.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-10-29 | 1994-04-30 | 1994-10-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-10-29 | 1998-04-30 | 1998-10-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-10-29 | 2002-04-30 | 2002-10-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |