Semiconductor wafers are subjected to numerous steps in their processing. The wafers are subjected to various process steps in various machines and at various locations. The wafers must be transported from place to place and stored over a period of time in order to accommodate the necessary processing. Numerous types of shipping devices have been previously known for wafer carriers and in the past, the principal effort has been to protect the semiconductor wafers against physical damage. Such shipping containers and packages have been previously known as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,248,346; 4,557,382; 5,253,755; and 5,273,159. Those devices which utilize wafer carriers which are suitable for handling the wafers during actual processing of the wafers have not provided any degree of sealing to protect wafers against contamination due to moisture, various atmospheric conditions and particulates.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds