PACKAGING INSER imt\ When packaging delicate items, such as silicon wafers, it is necessary to ensnre that those items ^' are appropriately see ¾ wjfhfft a container. For example, ^• 5 _: silicon waters can be damaged as a result of lateral or axial movement of th wafers within the container _* Lateral movement involves wafers within a stack moving side- to-side relative to the sta _: cke arrangement (e.g., wafers slide relative to each oilier). Axiai m em nt ttivoives wafers within a stack : moving in a direction aligned with the stacked arrangement (e.g., wafer*; move toward or away from each other). Either type0 of movement may resultin damage- to the delicate wafers or any circuitry formed on them.

imn A variety of wafer container configurations have been proposed and various methods of packing wafers within containers are known. Some of those ha ve features of com nents that are intended to resist uodcsired wafer movement5 u According to an example embodiment of this invention, a .packaging insert includes a frame that is configured to occupy a selected -amount of space within a container at least m an ^' area corresponding _. . to a periphery of the container contents, such as silicon wafers. The packing insert includes a plurality of spring members projecting from the frame at an oblique angle relative to a reference surface o the0 frame. The spring members are configured to ilex or move responsive to contact with a surface on the container as the container is closed. The resiliency of the spring members, provides a secure positioning of the packaging insert within the container that, facilitates maintaining the contents of the container, such as silicon wa ers, .in a desired condition withi the container.

5 {m An. example embodiment of a packaging insert is shown in the - figures,

BRIE DESCRIPTIO OF THE. DRAWINGS

aesi Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a packaging insert designed according to an embodiment of this invention.

0 fS996j Figure 2 is an elevational vie of the example of Figure 1 a seen from a to of the ^' insert

m i Figure 3 i an eievational view of the example packaging insert a seen from a side of the insert.

I }wm Figure- 4 Is τθί¾ ^' -»«ς$ίόη¾ illustration taken along the lines- 4-4 in Figure 2,

w> ^f n Figure 5 schematicall Silnstrates a container assembly including- at least one packaging insert within a container with a plurality of silicon, waters,

DETAILED DESCRIPTIO

^' imm- Art example packaging ^■■ insert- 20 as shown ½ Figures -.1 -3 inelodes a frame portion 22. in this example the frame portion 22 extends around an outer periphery of the insert 20. In tills example, the outer periphery i generally circular ami the frame portion 22 comprises a ring, in this example, tri frame portion 22 is generally solid and resistant to compression when exposed to forces typically encountered within a container within which the insert would be placed,

ieeen The insert 20 ^' includes a plurality of spring mem s 24 that project from the frame portion 22. In this example, the spring members 24 project generally inward toward a center of the- insert 20,

^' imm ¾- spring timbers 24 project from the frame portion 22 at an- oblique angle A as best seen in Figure 4. The angle A in this example is taken with respect to an inside surface 26 on the frame portion 22. i this example, the inside surface 26 is generally perpendicular to a bottom surface 28 on the frame- portion 22. The bottom surface 28 will be oriented generally parallel t a surface of silicon wafers when the insert 20 is received within, a ^' container -includ ng silicon Wafers.

9fu¾ The spring members: 2.4 are at least partially flexible or resilient so that they -may flex or move relative to the frame portion 22 responsive to a force imposed on the spring members 24, The spring members 24 ma flex about a plvoi axis established by a living hinge, for example, along the length of the spring members 24 or at an interface fetwee the spring -mem ers 24. -and the frame portion 22. Alternati vely, the spring members 24 may ^' Hex _. or bow at any of a variet of loca tions along- the spring member, depending upon the angle at which the. -force is applied and the portion of the spring member thai Is contacted during soch force application, j*H*u¾ Figure 5 shows a container 30 including a container bottom 30A and a container to 30B. A plurality of silicon wafers 3 are situated within the .container 30. A plurality of wafer separator rings 36 are situated between the -wafers 32 and one separator ring 36 is si uat d between the lowes wafer f according t the drawing) and a b se surface of the c nt iner b6tto«r30A.

f&a&tst When the wafers 32 and separator rings 36 are situated within, the container bottom .30A, ther s additional axial space (e,g., top-to-bottoro accordin to the drawing) thai is not occupied. IF that space ¼ left unoccupied, the afers may ove axiaily relative to each other within the container it.e., at !east some of the wafers in the stack of wafers rflay move in an Hp an down direction ^' .according to the drawing};- In this example, a plurality of packaging nse ts. 20 are placed within the container for occupying the axial space not otherwise occupied by the waters 32 and wafer separator rings 36. With the inserts 20 within the container, there is effectively no unoccupied axial space and the stack of wafers 32 is nra tained securely within the container when the top 30B and the bottom 30A are secured together.

iKiu<;s A nnioher of the inserts is selected to appropriately occupy the space within the container. In the illustration, the packaging insert 20 that is furthest from th stack of wafers 32 or closest to the open end of th container bottom 30A is situated so that the frame portion 22 is within the boundary of the container bottom 30A as shown schematically a 38. At least some of the length of She spring tnembers 24 extends beyond the Interior of the container bottom 30A which can be appreciated in Figure 5 by noticing the portion of the spring members 24 extending beyond the boundary schematically represented a 38. ^' The portion of the spring members 24 extending beyond the boundary 38 will eorne into contact with an interior surface 40 on the container top 30 as the container top 308 and container bottom 30A are secured together. The farces associated ^' with closing the container causes the spring raentbers 24 to be d or tlex toward the interior of the container (e.g.,. downward according ίό _: the drawing). The resilience or flexibility of the sprin members 24 provides bias on ali of the feme portions 22, the afer separator rings 36 and the wafers 32 within the container SO that the water stack 32 is maintained seperel within the container,

{ββ*#ι _. ϊη the example of Figure 5, th spring members 24 -of the more interiorly situated, inserts 20 do not bend or flex because they do; not contact a surface that would impose a force on them to caus , them to bend or flex. Only the spring mem e s 24 of the upper packaging insert 20 are bowed in Figure 5,

mm- The frame portions 22 oeetspy a set amount of axial space within the container 30. The sprin members 24 provide an adjustment feature that allows for justingihe total space occupied fey the packaging inserts 20 within the container 30. Including a generall «όή-conipfessible frame portion 22 allows for predictably occupying, a- desired amcnmt of space, within a container without intpodaeing -an trades! red or i eohtrrilied amount of resiliency or flexibilit along an entire distance of container ^· nterior that is- not occupied by a wafer stack. -The corobmed solid or generaiiy R n -compressible, frame portion 22 and t e: flexible or resilient spring members 24 provides a more secure eOiitainment of silicon wafers or other c mpone ts within a container because the spring members 2 ertsnre that a bias exists within the container for urging the contents into a desired position within the container. When only one set of spring members is re uired to bend or flex to achieve such a bias, the forces associated with that, bias are known and controlled, which enhances the security of the ^■ components, such as silicon wafers, within a container.