Patent classifications
H01L21/67294
VEHICLE SYSTEM
The object is to provide a vehicle system capable of suppressing a decrease in article transport efficiency while ensuring a route of an operator. The vehicle system includes a grid-patterned rail, a vehicle traveling on the rail, a controller that controls the vehicle, a work terminal that transmits identification information indicating an actual location to the controller, and a scaffold for allowing an operator carrying the work terminal to walk below the rail, the scaffold being provided below the rail. If entry permission to one or more cells formed by the rail is obtained from the controller, the vehicle enters the one or more cells. If entry permission to the one or more cells is not obtained from the controller, the vehicle does not enter the one or more cells. The controller performs blocking so as not to grant the vehicle the entry permission at least to a cell corresponding to the actual location indicated by the identification information transmitted from the work terminal, among a plurality of cells corresponding to a route of the operator from the entrance to the scaffold to the destination.
MOBILE STOCKER AND METHODS OF OPERATION
A mobile stocker described herein is configured to be easily installed and relocated to various locations in a semiconductor fabrication facility. The mobile stocker is capable of being programmed with, and/or autonomously learning, the layout of a semiconductor fabrication facility, and automatically relocating to a new location based on the layout using a navigation system. Accordingly, the mobile stocker is capable of being flexibly relocated in the semiconductor fabrication facility to dynamically support changes in demand and production capacity. Moreover, the capability to quickly assign a location identifier to the mobile stocker and to automatically interface with transport systems in the semiconductor fabrication facility reduces downtime of the mobile stocker, which increases productivity in the semiconductor fabrication facility.
WAFER NOTCH AUTOMATED ALIGNER
Provided is a wafer notch automated aligner, including a main body, a wafer rotation mechanism, and a wafer positioning mechanism. The main body has a wafer boat placement portion. The wafer rotation mechanism is disposed on the main body and includes a rotor, the rotor extends through the wafer boat placement portion, and an angle between an axis of the rotor and the main body is between 0° and 90°. The wafer positioning mechanism is disposed on the main body and includes a positioning member, the positioning member extends through the wafer boat placement portion, and an axis of the positioning member is parallel to the axis of the rotor. Hence, a plurality of wafers is disposed in a stepped arrangement by the inclined rotor and the inclined positioning member, and the wafer notch automated aligner can rotate wafers, align notches, and identify wafer identifications.
SUBSTRATE TREATING APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE TREATING EQUIPMENT, AND SUBSTRATE TREATING METHOD
An apparatus for treating a substrate includes a plurality of heat treatment chambers and a plurality of sensors that determine whether the plurality of heat treatment chambers are mounted. The number of the plurality of sensors corresponds to the number of the plurality of heat treatment chambers. The plurality of sensors are B contact sensors.
Automated material handling system having carrier pollution management function
An automated material handling system includes: at least one state detecting sensor disposed inside or outside the carrier to detect an internal state of the carrier including a degree of pollution in the carrier; a carrier interface to transmit a carrier state value; a carrier controller including a controller interface disposed on the plate to obtain a carrier state value by communicating with the carrier interface, and a carrier control unit configured to generate carrier management information including the carrier state value obtained through the controller interface and current location information of the carrier and output the carrier management information to a server; and a server configured to analyze an internal pollution state of the carrier based on the carrier management information provided by the carrier controller.
Detecting damaged semiconductor wafers utilizing a semiconductor wafer sorter tool of an automated materials handling system
A device may detect a semiconductor wafer to be transferred from a source wafer carrier to a target wafer carrier, and may cause a light source to illuminate the semiconductor wafer. The device may cause a camera to capture images of the semiconductor wafer after the light source illuminates the semiconductor wafer, and may perform image recognition of the images of the semiconductor wafer to determine whether an edge of the semiconductor wafer is damaged. The device may cause the semiconductor wafer to be provided to the source wafer carrier when the edge of the semiconductor wafer is determined to be damaged, and may cause the semiconductor wafer to be provided to the target wafer carrier when the edge of the semiconductor wafer is determined to be undamaged.
SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS METHOD
A substrate analysis apparatus is provided. The substrate analysis includes: an interlayer conveying module configured to transport a first FOUP; an exchange module which is connected to the interlayer conveying module, and configured to transfer a wafer from the first FOUP to a second FOUP; a pre-processing module configured to form a test wafer piece using the wafer inside the second FOUP; an analysis module configured to analyze the test wafer piece; and a transfer rail configured to transport the second FOUP containing the wafer and a tray containing the test wafer piece. The wafer includes a first identifier indicating information corresponding to the wafer, the test wafer piece includes a second identifier indicating information generated by the pre-processing module which corresponds to the test wafer piece, and the analysis module is configured to analyze the first identifier and the second identifier in connection with each other.
Substrate storage container management system, load port, and substrate storage container management method
A method of diagnosing a load port includes identifying a plurality of entities for a plurality of substrate storage containers by a plurality of load ports capable of transferring a substrate into and out of the plurality of substrate storage containers; detecting directly or indirectly a plurality of states of the plurality of substrate storage containers by a plurality of sensors provided at the plurality of load ports; associating the plurality of load ports, the plurality of entities and a plurality of sensor values, with each other; accumulating, in a database, data associated in the act of associating the plurality of load ports, the plurality of entities, and the plurality of sensor values; and analyzing the data in the database and determining a state of each of the plurality of load ports.
Tool auto-teach method and apparatus
A substrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching a substrate station location, the system including a frame, a substrate transport connected to the frame, the substrate transport having an end effector configured to support a substrate, and a controller configured to move the substrate transport so that the substrate transport biases the substrate supported on the end effector against a substrate station feature causing a change in eccentricity between the substrate and the end effector, determine the change in eccentricity, and determine the substrate station location based on at least the change in eccentricity between the substrate and the end effector.
SUBSTRATE TREATING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE TREATING METHOD USING THE SAME
The present disclosure provides a substrate treating apparatus capable of stably moving a substrate and discharging an ink at an accurate position. The substrate treating apparatus of the present disclosure comprises: a stage extending in a first direction and moving a substrate along the first direction; moving units disposed on both sides of the stage extending in the first direction, respectively, and configured to move the substrate in the first direction; and a control unit configured to align the substrate, wherein the moving unit includes a first gripper and a second gripper configured to adsorb one side and the other side of the substrate, respectively, after the first gripper adsorbs one side of the substrate, the control unit aligns the substrate, and after the substrate is aligned, the second gripper adsorbs the other side of the substrate and the substrate is moved in the first direction.