Patent ID: 6716027
Filing Date: 2004-04-06
Classification: C30B,H01L

Abstract:
A semiconductor wafer boat comprising:a first boat part, at least one second boat part and a third boat part stacked one atop the other, said first boat part comprising an upper support plate, and a plurality of vertically extending first columns having upper and lower end portions, the upper end portions of the first columns being connected to the upper support plate, each said second boat part including a plurality of vertically extending second columns having upper and lower end portions, upper end portions of the second columns of a said second boat part and the lower end portions of said first columns having complementary shaped end surfaces that are coupled with one another and cooperate to form a joint by which the first boat part and the second boat adjacent thereto are positioned relative to each other, said third boat part including a lower support plate, and a plurality of vertically extending third columns having upper and lower end portions, the upper end portions of the third columns and the lower end portions of the second columns of a said second boat part having complementary shaped end surfaces that are coupled with one another and cooperate to form a joint by which the third boat part and the second boat part adjacent thereto are positioned relative to each other, and the lower end portions of the third columns being connected to the lower support plate, each of the columns of said boat parts having a plurality of grooves extending therein perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof, the grooves of each said column being spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the column, the bottoms of said grooves being defined by a plurality of vertically spaced apart support surfaces, respectively, for use in supporting semiconductor wafers as vertically spaced from one another, the boat parts further comprising ring plates each received in corresponding grooves of the columns of a respective one of said boat parts as disposed on the support surfaces defining the bottoms of the corresponding grooves, and said joints being configured to allow each of the boat parts to be replaced freely and independently of the other boat parts.