Abstract
This paper presents the design of a latch mechanism for wafer containers in a standard mechanical interface environment. For an integrated circuits fabrication factory, the standard mechanical interfaced wafer container is an effective tool to prevent wafers from particle contamination during wafer storage, transporting or transferring. The latch mechanism inside the container door is used to latch and further seal the wafer container for safety and air quality. Kinematic characteristics of the mechanism are established by analyzing the required functions of the mechanisms. Based on these characteristics, a methodology for enumerating feasible latch mechanisms is developed. New mechanisms with one degree-of-freedom and up to five links are generated. An optimum design is also identified with respect to the criteria pertinent to the application. The computer-aided simulation is also built to verify the design.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bonora, A. C. and Oen, J. T., 1996, “Direct Loadlock Interface,”United States Patent, No. 5, 586, 585.
Bonora, A. C. and Rosenquist, F. T., 1991, “Sealable Transportable Container Having Improved Latch Mechanism,”United States Patent, No. 4, 995, 430.
Bonora, A. C., Rosenquist, F. T. and Jain, S., Davis, M. R., 1998, “Sealable, Transportable Container Having a Breather Assembly,”United States Patent, No. 5,740,845.
Book of SEMI standards, SEMI E19-0697.
Book of SEMI standards, SEMI E62-0999.
Buchsbaum, F. and Freudenstein, F., 1970, “Synthesis of Kinematic Structure of Geared Kinematic Chains and Other Mechanisms,”Mechanism and Machine Theory, Vol. 5, pp. 357–392.
Datseris, P. and Palm, W., 1985, “Principles on the Development of Mechanical Hands Which Can Manipulate Objects by Means of Active Control,”ASME Journal of Mechanisms, Transmissions, and Automation in Design, Vol. 107, No. 2, pp. 148–156.
Dobrjanskyj, L. and Freudenstein, F., 1967, “Some Applications of Graph Theory to The Structural Analysis of Mechanisms,”ASME Journal of Engineering for Industry, Vol. 89, pp. 153–158.
Doche, C., 1990, “Wafer Confinement for Control of Contamination in Microelectronics,”Solid State Technology, Vol. 33, No. 8, pp. S1-S5.
Erdman, A. G. and Bowen, J., 1981, “Type and Dimensional Synthesis of Casement Window Mechanism,”Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 103, pp. 46–55.
Fan, H. K., Lee, J. J. and Huang, G. J., 1999, “Latch Mechanism for Wafer Container,”United States Patent, No. 5,931,512.
Freudenstein, F. and Maki, E. R., 1979, “The Creation of Mechanisms According to Kinematic Structure and Function,”Journal of Environment and Planning, Vol. 6, pp. 375–391.
Freudenstein, F. and Maki, E. R., 1983, “Development of an Optimum Variable-Stroke Internal-Combustion Engine Mechanism from The Viewpoint of Kinematic Structure,”ASME Journal of Mechanisms, Transmissions, and Automation in Design, Vol. 105, No. 2, pp. 259–267.
Freudenstein, F. and Maki, E. R., 1984, “Kinematic Structure of Mechanisms for Fixed and Variable-Stroke Axial-Piston Reciprocating Machines,”ASME Journal of Mechanisms, Transmissions, and Automation in Design, Vol. 106, pp. 355–364.
Hosoi, M., 1998, “Shipping Container,”United States Patent, No. 5,988,392.
Maney, G. A., O’Sullivan, A. W. and Faraco, W. G., 1987, “Sealed Standard Interface Apparatus,”United States Patent, No. 4,674,939.
Mayourian, M. and Freudenstein, F., 1984, “Development of an Atlas of The Kinematic Structures of Mechanisms,”ASME Journal of Mechanisms, Transmissions, and Automation in Design, Vol. 106, pp. 458–461.
Mikkelsen, K. J., Adams, M. S., Bores, G. and Wiseman, B. S., 1999, “Wafer Enclosure with Door,”United States Patent, No. 5,957,292.
Muka, R. S., 1997, “Door Drive Mechanisms for Substrate Carrier and Load Lock,”United States Patent, No. 5,609,459.
Muka, R. S., 1998, “Vacuum Integrated SMIF System,”United States Patent, No. 5,752,796.
Muka, R. S., Pippins, M. W. and Drew, M. A., 1997a, “Batchloader for Substrate Carrier on Load Lock,”United States Patent, No. 5,607,276.
Muka, R. S., Pippins, M. W. and Drew, M. A., 1997b, “Cluster Tool Batchloader of Substrate Carrier,”United States Patent, No. 5,613,821.
Murata, M., Tanaka, T. and Morita, T., 1998, “Sealable Container,”United States Patent, No. 5,743,424.
Nyseth, D. L., 1998, “Wafer Carrier with Door,”United States Patent, No. 5,711,427.
Parikh, M. and Kaempf, U., 1984, “SMIF: A Technology for Wafer Cassette Transfer in VLSI Manufacturing,”Solid State Technology, Vol. 27, No. 7, pp. 111–115.
Tsai, L. W., 2000, Mechanism Design: Enumeration of Kinematic Structure According to Function, CRC Press, New York.
Woo, L. S., 1967, “Type Synthesis of Plane Linkages,”ASME Journal of Engineering for Industry, Vol. 89, pp. 159–172.
Yan, H. S., 1992, “A Methodology for Creative Mechanism Design,”Mechanism and Machine Theory, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 235–242.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, JJ., Chen, DZ., Pai, WM. et al. On the design of the latch mechanism for wafer containers in a SMIF environment. J Mech Sci Technol 20, 2025–2033 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02916319
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02916319