Loadport bridge for semiconductor fabrication tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8944739-B2
Application number	US-201213486024-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2012
Priority date	Jun 1, 2012
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

A wafer handling system with apparatus for transporting wafers between semiconductor fabrication tools. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a loadport bridge mechanism including an enclosure having first and second mounting ends, a docking port at each end configured and dimensioned to interface with a loadport of a semiconductor tool, and at least one wafer transport robot operable to transport a wafer between the docking ports. The wafer transport robot hands off or receives a wafer to/from a tool robot at the loadports of a first and second tool. The bridge mechanism allows one or more wafers to be transferred between loadports of different tools on an individual basis without reliance on the FAB's automated material handling system (AMHS) for bulk wafer transport inside a wafer carrier such as a FOUP or others.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wafer handling system for a semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB), comprising:
a first semiconductor tool having a plurality of loadports including a first loadport, each of the plurality of loadports having a single respective tool access door and being configured for receiving a first wafer carrier operable to hold a plurality of wafers;
a second semiconductor tool having a plurality of loadports including a second loadport, each of the plurality of…

Assignees

• Chen Shih-Hung
• Xiao Ying
• Lin Chin-Hsiang
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg

Inventors

• Chen Shih-Hung
• Xiao Ying
• Lin Chin-Hsiang

Classifications

• H10P72/3408

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10P72/3221

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10P72/3218 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic