Automated material handling system for use in power outage recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023411193-A1
Application number	US-202217843228-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2022
Priority date	Jun 17, 2022
Publication date	Dec 21, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

When there is an interruption in power to an area of an integrated circuit manufacturing facility, product may be stranded in a vehicle mounted to an automated material handling system. An automated rescue vehicle can be deployed to retrieve the stranded vehicle so that a payload carried by that vehicle can be recovered and processing can resume. The rescue vehicle can carry a battery payload. The battery payload provides backup power while the rescue operation is performed. With such an automated system, no human intervention is needed to recover product during a power outage. In addition to improving wafer throughput during the power outage, such a rescue operation may prevent quality degradation for time-critical sequences of processing operations.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
detecting a powered down area of a rail system; traversing the rail system, under battery power, toward a product vehicle within the powered down area; extending a connector to mechanically link to the product vehicle; and towing the product vehicle away from the powered down area.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the product vehicle is coupled to a powered rail of the rail system, de-coupling a rescue vehicle from the product vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving payload information from the product vehicle; and transmitting the payload information to a controller.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein retrieving the payload information comprises retrieving payload information from one or more of a wafer carrier, a shipping box, a magazine, a frame cassette, and a tray cassette.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein retrieving the payload information comprises retrieving payload information from a reticle carrier.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising loading a battery payload.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the battery payload comprises one or more capacitor cells configured to supply a pre-determined amount of power.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising recharging the battery payload from a powered rail.

9 . A rescue vehicle, comprising:
a rescue carrier configured to draw electric power from either an inductive source or a battery source; a rail attachment assembly configured to couple the rescue carrier to a rail for translational motion along the rail; and a connector configured to attach to a product vehicle to tow the product vehicle along the rail in response to the rail losing power.

10 . The rescue vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising a wireless communication device.

11 . The rescue vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive alerts signaling loss of power to a portion of the rail.

12 . The rescue vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising a power supply board and an induction coil.

13 . The rescue vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the power supply board is configured to draw electric power from the rail by induction through the induction coil.

14 . The rescue vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the rescue vehicle has a dedicated battery payload.

15 . The rescue vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the connector comprises:
an arm configured to extend towards the product vehicle; an attachment device configured to secure the arm to the product vehicle; one or more sensors configured to sense when the product vehicle is attached to the rescue vehicle; and a pedometer configured to monitor a distance traveled along the rail.

16 . A material handling system, comprising:
a rail; a rescue vehicle coupled to the rail and configured to draw power from either the rail or an on-board battery; and a controller configured to:
detect a powered down area of the rail;
detect presence of a product vehicle within the powered down area;
deploy the rescue vehicle from a point of origin to the powered down area to rescue the product vehicle;
receive payload information about the product vehicle;
instruct the rescue vehicle to switch between rail power and battery power; and
instruct the rescue vehicle to return to the point of origin.

17 . The material handling system of claim 16 , wherein receiving the payload information comprises receiving information about one or more of semiconductor wafers and reticles.

18 . The material handling system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
compute an energy requirement needed for the rescue vehicle to rescue the product vehicle; and size the on-board battery based on the computed energy requirement.

19 . The material handling system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
compute a distance range based on a maximum battery capacity; compute a time limit for a rescue operation; and instruct the rescue vehicle to recharge a battery payload within the time limit.

20 . The material handling system of claim 16 , wherein the controller comprises a computer system configured to transmit instructions to the rescue vehicle via a wireless communication path.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huang Chun-Jung
• Lee Y Y
• Hsu Kuang Huan
• Chu Li-Hsin
• Wang Jen-Ti
• Hsu Chieh

Classifications

• H10P72/3214 Primary

  by means of a cart or a vehicle · CPC title

• H01L21/67724 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic