JP7547932B2 - Tray storage container and method for manufacturing semiconductor device using same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tray storage container for storing trays on which semiconductor chips or the like are placed , and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same .

Conventionally, for example, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices equipped with semiconductor chips, trays are used to hold multiple semiconductor chips that have been diced into individual pieces in order to improve production efficiency. From the same perspective, it is also preferable to transport multiple trays holding multiple such items at once.

For example, a tray such as that described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed that has a protrusion provided on the outer periphery of one surface on which an item is placed, and a through hole connecting that surface with the other surface, and the protrusion and the through hole fit together when multiple trays are stacked. This makes it possible to stack multiple trays, and by transporting multiple trays at once, production efficiency is improved when producing products using items placed on the trays.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-255077

However, while the tray described in Patent Document 1 has a structure that allows multiple trays to be transported at once, the trays themselves are expensive, and a new process is required to release the interlocking state of multiple interlocked trays and separate one tray, which can lead to increased product costs.

Therefore, it is conceivable to use a tray storage container that has a storage section for storing trays and a number of protrusions arranged along the wall of the storage section, spaced apart by gaps larger than the thickness of the trays, with one tray placed on one of the protrusions, and that can store multiple trays.

However, in this case, while using general-purpose trays can reduce costs, the number of trays that can be transported at one time is reduced compared to the stacking method in which multiple trays are directly stacked on top of each other. Also, with this type of tray storage container, the trays must be taken in and out one by one, which reduces production efficiency.

Therefore, in order to achieve both improved production efficiency and reduced product costs, it is necessary to be able to stack the trays without requiring them to have special specifications, to be able to store and transport multiple trays at once, and to make it easy to take the trays in and out.

In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a tray storage container that allows storage and transportation of multiple stacked trays while allowing easy insertion and removal of the trays without requiring the trays to have special specifications, and also aims to provide a manufacturing method for semiconductor devices that uses the tray storage container to improve production efficiency.

In order to achieve the above object, the tray storage container described in claim 1 is a tray storage container capable of storing a plurality of stacked trays, and comprises a cylindrical wall material (2) having a tray storage section (21) which is a storage space for storing the trays, a lid material (3) which is located at both ends of the wall material and connects to the tray storage section, one of which is an upper opening (2a) and the other is a lower opening (2b), and which covers the upper opening, a pair of stoppers (43), and a stopper storage section (4a) in which the pair of stoppers are stored, and a bottom member (4) which is disposed on the side of the lower opening of the wall material, the pair of stoppers having insertion openings (431) through which parts of an external actuator are inserted, and which are all stored in the stopper storage section by relative movement. This allows the actuator to be switched between an open state in which the entire lower opening is open, and a closed state in which part of the lower opening is blocked by part protruding from the stopper storage section, and in the closed state, the actuator is separated by a predetermined distance which is smaller than the width of the bottom surface of the tray, and part of the bottom surface of the tray is placed on it to form a support for the tray, the bottom member has a base material (41) that is placed on the wall material side, and a cover material (42) that is attached to the base material, and has a through groove (412) where part of the actuator is inserted at a position overlapping with the insertion port, the stopper storage section is the space between the base material and the cover material, the direction connecting the upper opening and the lower opening is the vertical direction, and the pair of stoppers are arranged on the wall material side of the cover material in the vertical direction.

By opening and closing the pair of stoppers, the stacked trays can be easily inserted and removed from the lower opening, and when the stoppers are closed, the tray storage container functions as a support on which the trays can be placed. Therefore, even if the trays are general-purpose trays, multiple stacks of these can be stored and are easy to insert and remove, which makes it possible to improve the production efficiency of products that use items placed on the trays and reduce the production costs.

Furthermore, as in the manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 4 , production efficiency is improved by stacking a plurality of trays on which a plurality of semiconductor chips are placed, storing or removing some or all of them in the tray storage container, and transporting the tray storage container. Also, with this tray storage container, it is not necessary to provide trays with dedicated specifications, and the cost of the trays themselves can be reduced, so that both improved production efficiency and reduced product costs can be achieved.

The reference symbols in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between the component and the specific components described in the embodiments described below.

FIG. 2 is a perspective development view showing a tray storage container according to the embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, showing a pair of stoppers in an open state. 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a pair of stoppers are in a closed state and support stored stacked trays. FIG. 3 is a view showing the tray storage container as seen from a direction III in FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3 . FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line V-V in FIG. 3 . FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3 . FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 3 . FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example in which an ID is attached to a tray storage container according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which an ID is attached to the tray itself. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an engagement device with which a tray storage container is engaged according to an embodiment. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10 . 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 10 . FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first step of a series of steps for removing a tray from a tray storage container installed in an engagement device. FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view showing a second step following FIG. 13A. 13C is a cross-sectional view showing another cross section in the second step shown in FIG. 13B. FIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view showing a third step following FIG. 13B. 13C , which is another cross-sectional view in the third step shown in FIG. 13D . FIG. A cross-sectional view showing a fourth step following Figure 13E. A cross-sectional view showing the fifth step following Figure 13F. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing another example of a bottom member of a tray storage container according to another embodiment.

The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are the same or equivalent to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment)
[Tray storage container]
A tray storage container 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The tray storage container 1 is configured to be capable of storing, for example, a plurality of trays on which semiconductor chips or the like are placed in a stacked state, and is suitable for use in the transportation of semiconductor device manufacturing.

In FIG. 1, in order to make the configuration and the corresponding positions of each component easier to understand, parts of the wall material 2 and bottom member 4 described later that cannot be seen from the viewpoint of FIG. 1 are shown with dashed lines, and lines connecting the corresponding positions of the wall material 2 and the cover material 3 or bottom member 4 are shown with dashed lines. In FIG. 3, in order to make the configuration easier to understand, a recess 411 described later that cannot be seen from the viewpoint of FIG. 3 is shown with a dashed line, and a part of the outer shape of a stopper 43 described later that cannot be seen from the same viewpoint is shown with a two-dot chain line. In addition, in FIG. 3, for ease of viewing, the elastic member 44 described later is hatched, although it is not shown in cross section. In FIG. 4 to FIG. 7, for ease of viewing, parts of the configuration of the tray storage container 1 other than the bottom member 4 are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tray storage container 1 comprises a generally cylindrical wall material 2 having a tray storage section 21 that is a space capable of storing multiple stacked trays, a lid material 3 that covers an opening 2a of the wall material 2, and a bottom member 4 that is positioned on the side of the opening 2b of the wall material 2.

For ease of explanation, the opening 2a that is covered by the lid 3 of the openings 2a and 2b at both ends of the wall material 2 will be referred to as the "upper opening 2a," and the opening 2b on the side where the bottom member 4 is placed will be referred to as the "lower opening 2b." In addition, in this specification, stacked trays may be referred to as "stacked trays" for convenience.

The tray storage container 1 is configured such that the upper opening 2a connected to the tray storage section 21 of the wall material 2 is closed with a lid material 3, while the lower opening 2b connected to the tray storage section 21 is not completely closed, and trays are mainly inserted and removed through the lower opening 2b.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wall material 2 is in the shape of a generally rectangular prism, and the inside is a tray storage section 21 capable of storing trays. The wall material 2 may be made of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from the viewpoint of weight reduction and antistatic to prevent adhesion of foreign matter, but other resin materials or metal materials may be partially used from the viewpoint of strength and deformation prevention, or a rib material may be provided. For example, although not limited thereto, the wall material 2 is preferably designed to have an internal dimension that is larger than the dimensions of the tray to be stored by about 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. This is because, even if the trays are misaligned with each other in the stored stacked trays, the inner wall of the wall material 2 serves to keep the misalignment within a predetermined range, and is expected to have the effect of suppressing tilting of the stacked trays in the stacking direction.

If necessary, the wall material 2 may be configured to have a handle or a connecting portion on the outer side wall for carrying the tray storage container 1 or for attaching it to other equipment such as the engagement device 5 described below. In addition to the lower opening 2b, the wall material 2 may be configured to have a door (not shown) on the side wall to allow the trays to be inserted and removed from the side wall side.

The lid material 3 is, for example, a member that closes the upper opening 2a of the wall material 2, and has a handle 31 for carrying the tray storage container 1 on the upper surface 3a opposite the tray storage section 21. The lid material 3 is, for example, made of the same resin material as the wall material 2, but may be made of any other material. The lid material 3 may be fixed to the wall material 2 by any connecting means such as a screw (not shown) so that it cannot be removed, or it may be removable from the wall material 2 so that the tray can be inserted and removed through the upper opening 2a as necessary.

The handle 31 may have any shape, size, number, etc., and may be changed as appropriate. For example, when the tray storage container 1 is used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, the handle 31 may have a shape with a flange that is used in FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) containers. This makes it possible to apply the handle 31 to any automatic transport using, for example, OHT (Overhead Hoist Transfer), AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), or other machines, and is configured to support automation and labor-saving in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, etc. In this way, the shape of the handle 31 of the tray storage container 1 may be changed as appropriate depending on whether the transport is performed manually or automatically by machine.

As shown in FIG. 2A, for example, the bottom member 4 comprises a bottom plate 41 having a recess 411, a cover material 42 attached to the bottom plate 41, and a stopper 43 stored in the gap formed by the bottom plate 41 and the cover material 42. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the bottom members 4 are paired in two, and the stoppers 43 are arranged so as to face each other at a distance. The bottom members 4 are attached to the side of the lower opening 2b of the wall material 2 by any connecting means such as screws (not shown), and are arranged so as not to completely block the lower opening 2b.

2A, the bottom plate 41 has a recess 411, and a cover material 42 is attached to cover the recess 411, forming a gap for storing the stopper 43, i.e., the stopper storage section 4a. The bottom plate 41 and the cover material 42 are, for example, separate bodies, but are not limited to this, and may be configured as a single member as long as the bottom member 4 has a structure that includes the stopper storage section 4a. The bottom plate 41 and the cover material 42 may be made of the same material as the wall material 2, for example.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, for example, the stoppers 43 are paired and can slide along the stopper storage portion 4a of the bottom member 4 located near the lower opening 2b of the wall material 2. In other words, the pair of stoppers 43 are members that perform opening and closing operations by moving relatively at the end of the lower opening 2b of the wall material 2.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2A, the pair of stoppers 43 can be in an "open state" in which they are all stored in the stopper storage section 4a of the bottom member 4 and the lower opening 2b is all open. In this open state, the tray storage container 1 allows trays to be inserted and removed.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2B, the pair of stoppers 43 can be in a "closed state" in which a portion of the stoppers protrudes from the stopper storage section 4a and blocks a portion of the lower opening 2b. In the closed state, the pair of stoppers 43 are spaced apart from each other by a distance smaller than the bottom dimension of the tray T, and are capable of supporting both ends of the bottom surface of the tray T, so that they also function as support members that support the tray T. Even when the pair of stoppers 43 are most exposed from the stopper storage section 4a, that is, when they are in the closed state and closest to each other, they only cover the vicinity of the end of the lower opening 2b and do not block the lower opening 2b.

This allows the area occupied by the stopper storage section 4a in the tray storage container 1 to be kept to a minimum, making it possible to make the container smaller and lighter. Also, when the pair of stoppers 43 are in the closed state and supporting the tray T, the contact area between the pair of stoppers 43 and the tray T is minimized, suppressing the generation of dust caused by their rubbing. Furthermore, even when the pair of stoppers 43 are in the closed state, the lower opening 2b is not completely blocked, so even if some kind of foreign matter gets into the tray storage section 21, it falls to the outside through the lower opening 2b, preventing the foreign matter from adhering to items placed on the tray T.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of stoppers 43 have an insertion opening 431 formed at a position overlapping with the through groove 412 of the bottom plate 41, into which a part of an external driving device such as an actuator element is inserted and which is used for relative movement of the stoppers 43. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate 41 has a through groove 412 formed at the bottom of the recess 411, allowing a part of an external actuator element 100 inserted into the insertion opening 431 of the stoppers 43 to slide. This allows the pair of stoppers 43 to be opened and closed by the external driving device using the insertion opening 431.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the pair of stoppers 43 contact an elastic member 44 made of any elastic body such as a spring at the end face opposite the end face on the lower opening 2b side. One end of the elastic member 44 is fixed to the bottom plate 41 by any means, and the other end is a free end that contacts the pair of stoppers 43, and the pair of stoppers 43 are stored in the stopper storage section 4a and are compressed as they approach the open state. As a result, the pair of stoppers 43 can be closed not only by an external driving device, but also by the repulsive force of the elastic member 44 without an external driving device.

As shown in FIG. 5, the elastic member 44 has a portion of its other end inserted into a groove 432 formed in the end face of the stopper 43, but this is not limiting and any configuration is acceptable as long as it abuts against the stopper 43 and a repulsive force acts on the stopper 43. Also, FIG. 5 shows an example configuration in which two elastic members 44 abut near both ends of one stopper 43, but the arrangement and number of the elastic members 44 are not limited to this example and can be changed as appropriate.

The bottom plate 41 is attached to the cover material 42 by a plurality of screws 45, as shown in, for example, Figures 3, 6, and 7. For ease of explanation, the screws 45 that are also used to receive the stopper 43 will be referred to as the "first screw 451," and the screws used to hold the stopper 43 will be referred to as the "second screw 452." The strength of the bottom member 4 is ensured by, for example, the bottom plate 41 and the cover material 42 being attached by the screws 451 and 452. This allows the tray storage container 1 to store more trays T, improving storage and transportability.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the pair of stoppers 43 have screw receiving portions 433 formed on their end faces, and are configured to abut against the first screws 451 in the open state. As shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the pair of stoppers 43 have a plurality of through grooves 434 formed therein, and second screws 452 are inserted into each of the through grooves 434, allowing the pair of stoppers 43 to slide while being held in the stopper storage portion 4a.

The above is the basic configuration of the tray storage container 1 according to the embodiment.

In this way, the tray storage container 1 can store multiple stacked trays, and is structured so that trays can be easily inserted and removed by opening and closing a pair of stoppers 43 attached to the unblocked lower opening 2b side. The tray storage container 1 is suitable for use in cases where there are many inspection processes for items such as semiconductor chips placed on trays, such as in the manufacture of semiconductor devices equipped with IGBTs (short for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors).

Specifically, when high precision and high quality are required, as in the case of recent semiconductor devices, not only are many individualized items (e.g., semiconductor chips) placed on a tray and transported to the assembly process, but many other processes such as electrical property inspection and visual inspection are also performed on the tray. In this case, the specifications of the part on which the trays carrying the semiconductor chips are placed are usually different for each piece of equipment used in various processes such as die sorters, electrical property inspections, visual inspections, and assembly processes. Therefore, in this case, tasks such as transporting the trays between equipment and transferring the trays to each piece of equipment must be done manually, and tray storage containers that store and transport multiple trays are important for improving production efficiency by streamlining work and reducing the number of people required.

The tray storage container 1 according to the embodiment is capable of storing stacked trays, and therefore can store more trays than conventional tray storage containers that have multiple storage sections each for storing one tray, resulting in excellent storage capacity and high tray transport efficiency. In addition, as described above, the tray storage container 1 is configured to easily insert and remove trays, and to increase the efficiency of tray transfer operations.

The tray storage container 1 may be configured to include a tray information storage unit 22 in which ID information for each container is stored on the outer surface of the wall material 2, as shown in FIG. 8, for example. In this case, identification information can be managed for each stacked tray stored in the tray storage container 1. Even in cases where there are many manufacturing processes, information management for each process becomes easier, and the trackability of the items placed on the trays, or traceability, is improved.

In addition, from the viewpoint of further improving the traceability of the items placed on the tray T, the tray T may be provided with a tray information storage unit T3 that stores ID information for each tray, as shown in FIG. 9, for example. In this case, the tray T may be configured to include, for example, a placement unit T1 on which the items are placed and an outer edge portion T2 that is the outer periphery of the placement unit T1, with the tray information storage unit T3 attached to the outer edge portion T2. This allows information to be managed on a tray T basis in addition to on a tray storage container 1 basis, further improving traceability.

As the tray information storage unit 22 and the tray information storage unit T3, any method can be used, such as a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode, or an information recording medium such as an RF tag or an IC tag. If the tray T is made of resin, the tray information storage unit T3 may be formed, for example, by directly printing a QR code (registered trademark) or the like using laser processing or the like.

[Engagement device]
Next, an example of the engaging device 5 with which the tray storage container 1 is engaged will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 10, in order to make the overall configuration of the device easier to understand, the outlines of the components that are not visible when viewed from above are shown with dashed lines. Also in FIG. 10, the outline of the tray storage container 1 that is attached to the engagement device 5 is shown with a two-dot chain line. In FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, in order to make the operation of the device easier to understand, the directions in which actuators 72, 73 and lifter 8, which will be described later, can move are shown with arrows.

As shown in FIG. 10, for example, the engagement device 5 includes a first base 6, a second base 7, and a lifter 8, and is configured so that two tray storage containers 1 can be engaged with the first base 6.

The first base 6 is, for example, configured to include two parallel parts 61 arranged in parallel and an intersection part 62 extending between the two parallel parts 61 in a direction intersecting the two parallel parts 61, and is configured to be integrated with these. As shown in FIG. 11, for example, the first base 6 has a gap between the two parallel parts 61, and is shaped so that when the tray storage container 1 is attached, the lower opening 2b faces the gap. As shown in FIG. 12, for example, the first base 6 is supported by a support near the center of the intersection part 62, and the parallel part 61 and the intersection part 62 form a flange part. The first base 6 is arranged in a part of the two parallel parts 61 that is located outside the part connected to the intersection part 62, and has a plurality of guides 63 for positioning when engaging the tray storage container 1. The plurality of guides 63 are arranged, for example, at positions corresponding to the four corners of the bottom member 4 of the tray storage container 1, and function as an engagement part that engages the tray storage container 1 with the engagement device 5.

The number, shape and arrangement of the guides 63 may be changed as appropriate to match the tray storage container 1 as long as they are capable of attaching the tray storage container 1 to the parallel portion 61. The guides 63 are not limited to being arranged at a location on the outer side of the outer periphery of the bottom member 4 of the tray storage container 1 and abutting against the tray storage container 1, but may be configured to directly engage with the bottom plate 41 of the bottom member 4 of the tray storage container 1. In this case, for example, an insertion hole corresponding to the guide 63 may be provided in the bottom plate 41 of the tray storage container 1, and the guide 63 may be inserted into the insertion hole to engage with it.

10, the second pedestal 7 has a base 71, a first actuator 72, and a second actuator 73, and is disposed below the flange portion of the first pedestal 6. As shown in FIG. 11, the second pedestal 7 has a container engaging portion at the portion of the first pedestal 6 where the tray storage container 1 is engaged, and at least the region of the base 71 directly below the container engaging portion forms an opening 711. A separate lifter 8 that moves in the vertical direction is disposed in the inner region of the opening 711 of the second pedestal 7, located directly below the lower opening 2b of the tray storage container 1. The second pedestal 7 has two first actuators 72 disposed on both sides of the opening 711 of the base 71, and the pair of stoppers 43 of the tray storage container 1 can be opened and closed by the first actuators 72. As shown in, for example, Figures 10 and 12, the second base 7 has two second actuators 73 for gripping the tray T arranged on both sides of the opening 711 of the base 71, at locations located in a direction intersecting the linear direction connecting the two first actuators 72. The second base 7 has, for example, a cylindrical support that surrounds the support of the first base 6, and has a flange portion on which the actuators 72 and 73 are arranged.

As shown in FIG. 11, a portion of the first actuator 72 is disposed in the area directly below the pair of stoppers 43 when the tray storage container 1 is engaged with the first base 6. The first actuator 72 is configured so that the portion inserted into the tray storage container 1 serves as an insertion portion, and moves horizontally with the insertion portion inserted into the insertion opening of the pair of stoppers 43.

As shown in FIG. 12, for example, the second actuator 73 is disposed in a region different from the region directly below the pair of stoppers 43 when the tray storage container 1 is engaged with the first base 6. The second actuator 73 is, for example, configured as a pair of two actuators, and includes a gripping portion for gripping the tray T stored in the tray storage container 1, and the gripping portion is configured to move horizontally.

The lifter 8 is a transport unit for the trays T stored in the tray storage container 1, and moves up and down along the vertical direction, with the direction connecting the upper opening 2a and the lower opening 2b of the tray storage container 1 being the vertical direction.

The actuators 72, 73 and the lifter 8 are connected to a control unit (not shown), for example, and their operation can be controlled when inserting and removing the tray T into and from the tray storage container 1. The actuators 72, 73 have an insertion unit or a gripping unit, and any drive device can be used as long as the insertion unit or the gripping unit is configured to be horizontally movable. In addition, the bases 6, 7 are configured such that one or both can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and the distance between the flanges of the bases 6, 7 can be adjusted by a control unit (not shown).

The above is the basic configuration of the engagement device 5, and the engagement device 5 may also be called a loader or an unloader. Although the above description has been given of a typical example in which two tray storage containers 1 can be attached, the present invention is not limited to this, and the engagement device 5 may be configured to be capable of attaching one tray storage container 1 or three or more tray storage containers 1.
10 and 12, a representative example has been described in which a mechanism capable of raising and lowering the first base 6 is provided so that the first base 6 functions as a turntable. The engagement device 5 may be a mechanism in which the first actuator 72 is inserted into the insertion opening 431 of the tray storage container 1 when the tray storage container 1 is engaged with the guide 63 of the first base 6.

[Insertion and removal of tray in engagement device]
Next, removal of the tray T from the tray storage container 1 by the engagement device 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13A to 13G.

In Figures 13B to 13G, to make it easier to understand the operation of the engagement device 5, the movement directions of the actuators 72, 73 and the lifter 8 are indicated by white arrows, and the part of the actuator 72 that is inserted into the tray storage container 1 is indicated by a dashed line.

First, the tray storage container 1 containing stacked trays T is set along the guide 63 in the engagement device 5. Then, for example, as shown in FIG. 13A, the bases 6 and 7 are brought close to each other so that the insertion portions of the two first actuators 72 are inserted into the insertion openings of the pair of stoppers 43 of the tray storage container 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13B, for example, the lifter 8 is raised to lift the stacked trays T, and the load of the trays T is no longer applied to the pair of stoppers 43. Then, the first actuator 72 is operated to change the pair of stoppers 43 from the closed state to the open state. At this time, the second actuator 73 is separated from the lifter 8, as shown in FIG. 13C, for example.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13D, for example, the lifter 8 is lowered to expose a portion of the stacked trays T from the tray storage container 1 to the outside of the tray storage container 1. At this time, as shown in FIG. 13E, for example, the lifter 8 lowers the tray T one tray above the bottommost tray T until the height of the second actuator 73 matches that of the stacked trays T that abuts the lifter 8, which is the "bottommost tray T."

Then, as shown in FIG. 13F, for example, the gripping portions of the two second actuators 73 are extended and brought into contact with a portion of the stack of trays T, so that all trays T except the bottommost tray T are gripped. After that, as shown in FIG. 13G, for example, the lifter 8 is further lowered, so that only the bottommost tray T can be removed to the outside.

The above is an overview of how the engagement device 5 removes the tray T from the tray storage container 1. On the other hand, to store the tray T in the tray storage container 1, the actuators 72, 73 and the lifter 8 can be operated in the reverse order to that described above.

This engagement device 5 makes it easy to stably insert and remove the tray T while the tray storage container 1 is engaged, improving the efficiency of tray T transportation and enabling labor savings.

Other Embodiments
Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiment, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present invention also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, and other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one, or less than one, are also within the scope and concept of the present invention.

For example, the bottom member 4 of the tray storage container 1 is not limited to the above embodiment as long as the pair of stoppers 43 can be opened and closed, and all of the lower openings 2b of the wall material 2 are open when the pair of stoppers 43 are open. Specifically, the bottom member 4 may be configured to include a substantially frame-shaped bottom plate 41 with an opening 413, and a cover material 42 that covers recesses 411 located at both ends of the opening 413 of the bottom plate 41, as shown in FIG. 14.

2: wall material, 2a: upper opening, 2b: lower opening, 21: tray storage section, 3: lid material, 4: bottom member, 4a: stopper storage section, 43: stopper,
431: insertion opening; 412: through groove; 44: elastic member; 63: engagement portion;
72: actuator, 8: lifter

Claims (5)

A tray storage container capable of storing multiple stacked trays,
A cylindrical wall material (2) having a tray storage section (21) which is a storage space for storing the tray;
a cover material (3) that covers the upper openings located at both ends of the wall material and connected to the tray storage section, one of which is an upper opening (2a) and the other of which is a lower opening (2b);
a bottom member (4) having a pair of stoppers (43) and a stopper storage portion (4a) in which the pair of stoppers are stored, the bottom member (4) being disposed on the side of the lower opening of the wall material;
The pair of stoppers have an insertion opening (431) through which a portion of an external actuator is inserted, and are switchable between an open state in which the entire stopper is stored in the stopper storage portion to open the entire lower opening, and a closed state in which a portion of the stopper protrudes from the stopper storage portion to block a portion of the lower opening, and in the closed state, the stoppers are spaced apart by a predetermined distance smaller than the width of the bottom surface of the tray, and a portion of the bottom surface of the tray is placed on the stoppers to form a support for the tray,
the bottom member has a base material (41) disposed on the side of the wall material, and a cover material (42) attached to the base material, and has a through groove (412) into which a part of the actuator is inserted at a position overlapping with the insertion opening,
The stopper storage portion is a space between the base material and the cover material,
A tray storage container, wherein a direction connecting the upper opening and the lower opening is defined as a vertical direction, and the pair of stoppers are positioned on the wall material side of the cover material in the vertical direction. The stopper housing further includes an elastic member (44) having one end that abuts against the pair of stoppers,
The tray storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of stoppers are brought into the closed state by a repulsive force of the elastic member. The tray storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of stoppers have through grooves (434) into which fastening members (452) attached to the bottom member are inserted, and the stoppers are held to the bottom member by the fastening members. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the tray container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the steps of:
stacking a plurality of the trays on which a plurality of semiconductor chips are placed;
storing or removing a part or all of the stacked trays in the tray storage section via the pair of stoppers;
and transporting the tray container in which the plurality of trays are stored. When storing or removing a part or all of the tray in the tray storage section ,
5. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 4, which is performed using an engagement device comprising an engagement portion (63) to which the tray storage container according to claim 1 is attached, and an actuator (72) a portion of which is inserted into the insertion opening and used for relative movement of a pair of the stoppers .
Manufacturing method.

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