Systems and methods for sensory automated material handing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10564632-B2
Application number	US-201815883497-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 29, 2017
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

In an embodiment an automated material handling system (AMHS) for a semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB) includes: a sensor supported by a rail, wherein the sensor is configured to collect sensor data characterizing a vehicle that moves along the rail, wherein the vehicle is configured to carry at least one wafer; and a monitoring module configured to: detect a trigger event based on the sensor data, and initiate a remediation action in response to the trigger event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated material handling system (AMHS) for a semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB), comprising:
a sensor supported by a rail, wherein the sensor is configured to collect sensor data characterizing a vehicle that moves along the rail, wherein the sensor is mounted on a sensor extension structure supported by the stationary rail and the vehicle is configured to carry at least one wafer; and
a monitoring module configured to:
detect a trigger event based on the sensor data, and
initiate a remediation action in response to the trigger event.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is configured to carry a wafer carrier that stores the at least one wafer.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is movable on the rail via rolling movement.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rail is stationary and the vehicle is suspended from the rail via a trolley.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module is configured to:
determine the trigger event based on an analysis of historical sensor data, wherein the analysis is at least one of: an octave analysis, a spectrum analysis, a Fourier transform analysis, a joint time frequency analysis, an order analysis, an order tracking analysis, a bode plot analysis, a frequency response analysis, a vibration analysis, and a stress analysis.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the analysis determines the trigger event as a threshold value for the sensor data.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the threshold value is an outlier.

8. A system, comprising:
a sensor supported by a stationary rail, wherein the sensor is configured to collect sensor data characterizing a vehicle that moves along the stationary rail while suspended from the stationary rail via a trolley, wherein the vehicle is configured to carry at least one wafer while moving along the stationary rail via rolling movement; and
a monitoring module configured to:
determine a trigger event based on historical sensor data from the sensor,
detect the trigger event based on the sensor data, and
initiate a remediation action in response to the trigger event, wherein the trigger event is based on a noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) study of the historical sensor data.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor data is at least one of a transient response and steady-state response of at least one of noise and vibrations.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is located on an external surface of the stationary rail.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is mounted on a sensor extension structure supported by the stationary rail.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the stationary rail extends vertically within a vertical shaft.

13. A method, comprising:
collecting sensor data from a sensor supported by a rail, wherein the sensor data characterizes a vehicle that moves along the rail, wherein the vehicle is configured to carry at least one wafer while moving along the rail;
detecting a trigger event based on the sensor data; and
initiating a remediation action in response to the trigger event, wherein the trigger event is based on a noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) study of the sensor data.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
detecting another trigger event based on the sensor data; and
initiating a different remediation action in response to the another trigger event.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining the trigger event based on historical sensor data from the sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining the trigger event by performing, based on the historical sensor data, at least one of: an octave analysis, a spectrum analysis, a Fourier transform analysis, a joint time frequency analysis, an order analysis, an order tracking analysis, a bode plot analysis, a frequency response analysis, a vibration analysis, and a stress analysis.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the trigger event is a sensor data value collected from the sensor that exceeds a threshold value.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the threshold value is an outlier.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
controlling the vehicle to move to a remediation area along the rail in response to the trigger event.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
collecting at least one of a transient response and steady-state response of at least one of noise and vibrations.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hsu Yung-Lin
• Lin Richard
• Lin Chiung-Min
• Yang Alan

Classifications

• H10P72/3222

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title

• H10P72/3221

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/3216

  using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory · CPC title

• H10P72/0612

  Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput · CPC title