System for a semiconductor fabrication facility and method for operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11854846-B2
Application number	US-202217809582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A system for a semiconductor fabrication facility includes a maintenance tool, a control unit, a first track, a second track, a maintenance crane movably mounted on the first track, a plurality of first sensors disposed on the first track, an OHT vehicle movably mounted on the second track, and a second sensor on the OHT vehicle. The first sensors detect a location of the maintenance crane and generate a first location data to the control unit. The second sensor generates a second location data to the control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for a semiconductor fabrication facility, comprising:
a manufacturing tool;
a control unit;
a first track and a second track;
a maintenance crane movably mounted on the first track;
a plurality of first sensors disposed on the first track to define a danger zone over a load port of the manufacturing tool, wherein the first sensors detect a location of the maintenance crane and generate a first location data to the control unit;
an overhead hoisting transporting (OHT) vehicle movably mounted on the second track; and
a second sensor on the OHT vehicle generating a second location data to the control unit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first track and the second track are at different horizontal planes.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a width of the danger zone is greater than a width of the load port.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance crane is prohibited from entering the danger zone when the OHT vehicle is in the danger zone by the control unit.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least a third sensor disposed on the load port.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second sensor and the third sensor perform a handshaking function to permit a load operation or an unload operation when the OHT vehicle enters the danger zone and aligns to the load port.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises:
a data collector configured to collect the first location data from the first sensors; and
an interface panel configured to receive the first location data from the data collector and send signals to the second sensor and the third sensor or to cut off the signal to the second sensor.

8. A method for operating a system for a semiconductor fabrication facility, comprising:
providing a maintenance crane, an overhead hoisting transporting (OHT) vehicle, a control unit and a tool comprising a load port;
defining a danger zone overlapping the load port;
detecting a location of the maintenance crane and a location of the OHT vehicle;
prohibiting the maintenance crane from entering the danger zone when the OHT vehicle enters the danger zone;
sending signals from the control unit to a sensor on the OHT vehicle and a sensor on the load port; and
performing a handshaking function by the sensor on the OHT vehicle and the sensor on the load port to permit a load operation or an unload operation.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising allowing the OHT vehicle aligning to the load port when the OHT vehicle enters the danger zone prior to the performing of the handshaking function.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising disposing a plurality of sensors over the load port to define the danger zone.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the prohibiting of the maintenance crane from entering the danger zone is performed by the control unit.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tool comprises a manufacturing tool.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the control unit comprises:
a data collector configured to collect the location data of the maintenance crane; and
an interface panel configured to receive the location data of the maintenance crane from the data collector and send signals to the sensor on the OHT vehicle and the sensor on the load part to perform the handshaking function or to cut off the signal to the sensor on the OHT vehicle.

14. A method for operating a system for a semiconductor fabrication facility, comprising:
providing a maintenance crane, an overhead hoisting transporting (OHT) vehicle, a control unit and a tool comprising a load port;
defining a danger zone overlapping the load port; and
detecting a location of the maintenance crane and a location of the OHT vehicle; and
disabling the OHT vehicle when the maintenance crane enters the danger zone by the control unit.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising disposing a plurality of first sensors over the load port to define the danger zone.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tool comprises a manufacturing tool.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second sensor disposed on the OHT vehicle; and
a third sensor disposed on the load port.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising sending a signal to the second sensor and the third sensor to perform a handshaking function to permit a load operation or an unload operation by the control unit.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising cutting off the signal to interrupt the handshaking function and to prohibit the load operation or the unload operation by the control unit.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein a width of the danger zone is greater than a width of the load port.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Fu-Hsien
• Yu Sheng-Kang
• Tung Chi-Feng
• Shen Hsiang Yin
• Li Guancyun

Classifications

• H10P72/3222

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title

• H10P72/3221 Primary

  Overhead conveying · CPC title

• H10P72/3214

  by means of a cart or a vehicle · CPC title

• H10P72/3212

  the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips or lead frames · CPC title

• H10P72/3202

  Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts · CPC title