Apparatus and method for handling wafer carrier doors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10622236-B2
Application number	US-201815883473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for handling wafer carriers in a semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB) is disclosed. In one example, the apparatus includes: a table configured to receive a wafer carrier having a first door and operable to hold a plurality of wafers; an opening mechanism configured to open the first door of the wafer carrier; and a door storage space configured to store the first door. The apparatus may be either located on a floor of the FAB or physically coupled to a ceiling of the FAB.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for handling wafer carriers in a semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB), comprising:
a table configured to receive a wafer carrier having a first door and operable to hold a plurality of wafers;
an opening mechanism configured to open the first door of the wafer carrier;
a door storage space configured to store the first door; and
a transport tool configured to transport the wafer carrier to a load port located on a floor of the FAB, wherein the apparatus is physically coupled to a ceiling of the FAB and is located lower than the transport tool and higher than the load port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the wafer carrier is lowered by the transport tool onto a top surface of the table; and
the apparatus further comprises a controller configured to control the table to load the wafer carrier whose door has been stored in the door storage space, into a processing tool to process at least one wafer in the wafer carrier.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to control the table to unload the wafer carrier after the at least one wafer is processed; and
the apparatus further comprises a closing mechanism configured to
retrieve a second door having a same model as the first door from the door storage space, and
close the second door onto the wafer carrier that has been unloaded.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a light shutter located over the table and configured to capture light information of a wafer transport path between the light shutter and the table; and
a first sensor configured to determine whether there is an obstacle on the wafer transport path based on the light information, wherein the first sensor is further configured to inform a second sensor on the transport tool when there is an obstacle on the wafer transport path, to stop the transport tool from transporting wafer carriers to the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening mechanism comprises:
a vacuum pin configured to hold the first door;
a latch key configured to open the first door; and
a moving mechanism configured to move the first door away from the wafer carrier along a first direction, wherein:
the door storage space includes at least one storage unit for door storage; and
the moving mechanism is further configured to:
move the first door, along a second direction that is different from the first direction, to the at least one storage unit that is not attached with any door, and
attach the first door to the at least one storage unit by an alignment pin.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a plurality of buffering spaces configured to buffer wafer carriers, whose doors have been opened and stored in the door storage space, before any wafer in the buffered wafer carriers is processed by the processing tool; and
a controller configured to control the table to move the wafer carrier into one of the plurality of buffering spaces along at least one of: the first direction and a third direction that is different from the first direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more holding mechanisms configured to hold the apparatus to the ceiling of the FAB.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load port is associated with a processing tool configured to perform a semiconductor manufacturing process on at least one wafer in the wafer carrier.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a bottom portion of the apparatus is higher than a top portion of the load port.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is right above the load port.

11. A method for handling wafer carriers by a device located on a floor of a FAB, comprising:
receiving a wafer carrier having a first door and operable to hold a plurality of wafers;
opening the first door of the wafer carrier along a first direction;
storing the first door in a door storage space of the device;
loading the wafer carrier whose door has been stored in the door storage space, into a processing tool to process at least one wafer in the wafer carrier;
moving the wafer carrier, along at least one of: the first direction and a second direction that is different from the first direction, into a buffering space in the device; and
buffering the wafer carrier, whose door has been opened and stored in the door storage space, in the buffering space before any wafer in the wafer carrier is processed.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
unloading the wafer carrier that has been loaded;
retrieving a second door having a same model as the first door from the door storage space, and
closing the second door onto the wafer carrier that has been unloaded.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wafer carrier is transported by a transport tool that is physically coupled to a ceiling of the FAB and is located higher than the device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
capturing light information of a wafer transport path through which the wafer carrier is received;
determining whether there is an obstacle on the wafer transport path based on the light information; and
informing the transport tool when there is an obstacle on the wafer transport path, to stop the transport tool from transporting wafer carriers to the device.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
opening the first door further comprises:
holding the first door,
opening the first door when the first door is being held, and
moving the first door away from the wafer carrier along the first direction;

the door storage space includes at least one storage unit for door storage.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
moving the first door, along a third direction that is different from the first direction, to the at least one storage unit that is not attached with any door; and
attaching the first door onto the at least one storage unit.

17. A method for handling wafer carriers by a device in a FAB, comprising:
receiving a wafer carrier having a first door and operable to hold a plurality of wafers;
opening the first door of the wafer carrier;
storing the first door in a door storage space of the device; and
sending the wafer carrier, via a transport tool, to a load port located on a floor of the FAB, wherein the device is physically coupled to a ceiling of the FAB and is located lower than the transport tool and higher than the load port.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the wafer carrier is to be loaded by the load port for a processing tool to perform a semiconductor manufacturing process on at least one wafer in the wafer carrier.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
receiving the wafer carrier that has been unloaded by the load port after wafer processing;
retrieving a second door having a same model as the first door from the door storage space; and
closing the second door onto the wafer carrier that has been unloaded by the load port.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
opening the first door of the wafer carrier comprises:
holding the first door,
opening the first door when the first door is being held, and
moving the first door away from the wafer carrier along a first direction;

the door storage space includes at least one storage unit for door storage; and
the method further comprises:
moving the first door, along a second direction that is different from the first direction, to the at least one storage unit that is not attached with any door, and

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuo Tsung-Sheng
• Chu Yang-Ann
• Yang Alan
• Huang Vic
• Liu Hsu-Shui
• Pai Jiun-Rong

Classifications

• H10P72/3406

  involving removal of lid, door or cover · CPC title

• H10P72/3222

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title

• H10P72/3221 Primary

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• H10P72/70

  for supporting or gripping · CPC title

• H10P72/53

  using optical controlling means · CPC title