US20060245871A1 - Wafer transfer system, wafer transfer method, cassette exchange system and cassette exchange method - Google Patents
Wafer transfer system, wafer transfer method, cassette exchange system and cassette exchange method Download PDFInfo
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- US20060245871A1 US20060245871A1 US11/162,857 US16285705A US2006245871A1 US 20060245871 A1 US20060245871 A1 US 20060245871A1 US 16285705 A US16285705 A US 16285705A US 2006245871 A1 US2006245871 A1 US 2006245871A1
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- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 70
- 235000012431 wafers Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 278
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000032683 aging Effects 0.000 description 7
- 238000006748 scratching Methods 0.000 description 7
- 230000002393 scratching effect Effects 0.000 description 7
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000033001 locomotion Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005299 abrasion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000010354 integration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000704 physical effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000002310 reflectometry Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001960 triggered effect Effects 0.000 description 1
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
- H01L21/67259—Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
- H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
- H01L21/67778—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading involving loading and unloading of wafers
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
- H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
- H01L21/67778—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading involving loading and unloading of wafers
- H01L21/67781—Batch transfer of wafers
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/68—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for positioning, orientation or alignment
- H01L21/681—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for positioning, orientation or alignment using optical controlling means
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a wafer transfer system, a wafer transfer method, a cassette exchange system and an exchange method thereof.
- a semiconductor equipment is composed of several neighboring process chambers.
- wafer transfer system wafers are transferred among different process chambers.
- a robot blade takes wafers from a cassette and transfers the wafers to the process chambers for processing. After the process is complete, the wafers are taken out from the process chambers and transferred to the cassette for the next process step.
- the motions of a robot blade are complicated which include moving up or down, rotating, retracting and so on. For example, if the robot blade is going to take the wafers from the cassette, the robot blade must move into the cassette and move upward to hold the wafer or to suck the back side of the wafer. The robot blade then moves out and takes the wafer out of the cassette. Note that during these steps, minor shift or displacement may cause the wafer transfer failed; or even the wafer may drop or slide so as to cause the wafer broken or scratched. Accordingly, in order to smoothly reach the wafers and remove them out of the cassette by the robot blade, it is important to maintain the stableness and condition of the robot blade.
- a robot blade transfers a wafer by a micro electromechanical system to control its stability and accuracy. Due to the frequency of wafer transfers by the robot blade, transmission components may be aging, abraded or even distorted. For example, the abrasion of a transmission gear causes a great gap between gears; the position sensor is shifted; the bearing ages; or the vacuum system ages. All of them result in the shift of the robot blade and deteriorate the accuracy of removing the wafer by the robot blade. As a result, the robot blade may be in touch with the wafer or even scratch the wafer surface or backside or break the wafer. These factors will increase the manufacturing costs.
- wafers may need to be loaded in cassettes with different materials for different process requirements before transferred to different process chambers for processing. If all wafers in a cassette are going to be transferred to another cassette, the prior art method transfers the wafers from a cassette to another cassette piece by piece. This method increases the process time.
- the present invention is directed to a wafer transfer system and a wafer transfer method. According to the system and the method, costs resulting from scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer can be avoided.
- the present invention also is directed to a cassette exchange system and a cassette exchange method. According to the system and the method, wafer transfer efficiency is improved and costs resulting from scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer can be avoided.
- the present invention provides a wafer transfer system, which includes a movable body, at least one wafer carrier unit and at least two sensors.
- the wafer carrier unit includes a first end and a second end opposed to the first end, and the first end connects with the movable body.
- the sensors are disposed at the second end of the wafer carrier unit.
- the sensors include optical sensors, wireless sensors or wired sensors.
- the present invention provides a wafer transfer method.
- This method includes the following steps: (a) providing a cassette with at least one wafer, a determining unit and a wafer transfer system, the wafer transfer system at least including a wafer carrier unit, a first sensor and a second sensor; (b) moving the wafer carrier unit to the cassette; (c) performing a checking step to the cassette by using the first sensor and the second sensor to obtain a first signal and a second signal; (d) transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the determining unit, wherein when the determining unit determines that the first signal is equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are equal to a preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (e) are performed; or when the determining unit determines that the first signal is not equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are not equal to the preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (e) are not performed; and (e) unloading wafers in the
- the wafer transfer system of the present invention includes the first sensor and the second sensor. Before the wafer is transferred, checking results from the sensors are apt to determining whether to unload the wafer in the cassette. Accordingly, the chance of scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer is effectively reduced. In addition, the checking results may further detect component aging or distortion for warning purpose.
- the present invention provides a cassette exchange system, which includes a wafer temporary storage apparatus, a first cassette base, a second cassette base and a moving apparatus.
- the wafer temporary storage apparatus includes a main body and a plurality of wafer carrier units. Wherein, each of the wafer carrier units includes a first end and a second end opposed to the first end, and the first end connects with the main body.
- the first cassette base carries a first cassette.
- the second cassette base carries a second cassette.
- the moving apparatus connects with the first cassette base and the second cassette base so as to sequentially move the first cassette base and the second cassette base to the wafer temporary storage apparatus, and simultaneously to transfer a plurality of wafers in the first cassette to the second cassette by the wafer carrier units.
- the moving apparatus connects with the wafer temporary storage apparatus to move the wafer temporary storage apparatus to the first cassette base and the second cassette base in sequence, and to simultaneously transfer the wafers in the first cassette to the second cassette by the wafer carrier units.
- the moving apparatus includes at least one horizontally moving unit and at least one vertically moving unit.
- the first cassette base and the second cassette base are on the same or different horizontal planes.
- the system further includes at least two sensors disposed at the second end of at least one of the wafer carrier units.
- the present invention also provides a cassette exchange method.
- the cassette exchange method first provides a cassette exchange system (step (a)), the cassette exchange system including a plurality of wafer carrier units, a first cassette with a plurality of wafers and a second cassette. Then, the wafer carrier units are moved to the first cassette (step (b)). Simultaneously, the wafers in the first cassette are unloaded by the wafer carrier units so that the wafers are on the wafer carrier units (step (c)). Next, the wafer carrier units with the wafers are moved to the second cassette (step (d)). Simultaneously, the wafers from the wafer carrier units are loaded into the second cassette by the wafer carrier units (step (e)).
- a determining unit is provided in the step (a).
- the cassette exchange system further includes a first sensor and a second sensor.
- the method further includes the following steps: (b′) performing a checking step to the first cassette by the first sensor and the second sensor to generate a first signal and a second signal; and (b′′) transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the determining unit.
- steps from the step (c) are performed; or when the determining unit determines that the first signal is not equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are not equal to the preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (c) are not performed.
- the cassette exchange system includes a plurality of wafer carrier units. All wafers in one cassette can be simultaneously transferred to another cassette. Accordingly, the wafer transfer efficiency is improved and the process time is reduced.
- the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed on at least one of the wafer carrier units of the cassette exchange system.
- the checking results generated by the sensors determine whether to load or unload the wafers in the cassette before loading or unloading the wafers. Accordingly, the chance of scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer is reduced.
- the checking results may further detect component aging or distortion for warning purpose.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a wafer transfer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a wafer transfer method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing the wafer transfer process in FIG. 2 .
- FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic drawings showing another wafer transfer process in FIG. 2 .
- FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic drawings showing the other wafer transfer process in FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing showing another cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing showing a cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing a cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 10A-10E are schematic drawings showing a flowchart of a wafer transfer method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a wafer transfer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- the wafer transfer system 100 of the present invention includes the movable main body 102 , at least one wafer carrier unit 104 and at least two sensors 106 a and 106 b.
- the movable body 102 can be, for example, a robot blade which can move up or down, rotate and retract.
- the wafer carrier unit 104 includes a first end 108 a , and a second end 108 b opposed to the first end 108 a .
- the first end 108 a connects with the movable main body 102 .
- the wafer carrier unit 104 can be, for example, a plate carrier unit.
- the shape of the wafer carrier unit 104 is not specified. It can be designed based on the different cassettes.
- the sensors 106 a and 106 b are disposed at the second end 108 b of the wafer carrier unit 104 .
- the sensors 106 a and 106 b are disposed at the front end of the wafer carrier unit 104 .
- the sensors 106 a and 106 b transmit the output signals O 1 and O 2 to the object which is going to be detected.
- the sensors 106 a and 106 b then receive the input signals I 1 and I 2 from the object. Accordingly, the sensing purpose is achieved.
- the sensing method can be, for example, a thermal sensing method, a pressure sensing method or an ultrasonic sensing method.
- the sensors 106 a and 106 b can be, for example, optical sensors, such as fiber sensors, infrared (IR) sensors or ultraviolet (UV) sensors.
- the sensors 106 a and 106 b can be, for example, wired sensors.
- the wire sensors can be disposed in the wafer carrier unit 104 or other components. The disposition of the wired sensors should not affect the motions of the mechanism.
- the sensors 106 a and 106 b can be, for example, wireless sensors. Through the disposition of signal receivers, sensing signals from the sensors 106 a and 106 b are obtained.
- wafer transfer method is an embodiment of applying the wafer transfer system described above.
- the present invention is not limited thereto.
- FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a wafer transfer method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- the wafer transfer method of the present invention includes the following steps.
- the cassette with wafers, the determining unit and the wafer transfer system are provided.
- the wafer transfer system includes the wafer carrier unit, and at least two sensors.
- the wafer transfer system is the transfer system shown in FIG. 1 .
- the cassette can be, for example, a cassette which can accommodate 25 or more wafers. Its material can be plastic, metal or other materials.
- the determining unit can be, for example, a comparator or a calculator.
- the wafer carrier unit is moved to the cassette (step 202 ).
- the wafer carrier unit 104 under the normal situation, is in the gap between two neighboring wafers 112 in the cassette 110 as shown in FIG. 3 . If the wafer carrier unit cannot be moved to the proper position due to the component aging or distortion of the wafer transfer system, but still loads the wafers, the wafer surface or backside is subject to scratches, or the wafer may be broken. Accordingly, it is desired to perform the checking steps for the cassette before the wafers are unloaded. Then, the wafers are unloaded. Following are detail descriptions.
- At least two sensors are used to perform the checking steps for the cassette (step 204 ) to obtain at least two signals.
- the obtained signals then are transmitted to the determining unit (step 206 ) to determine whether to continue unloading the wafers.
- the steps i.e., the steps from step 210 ) of unloading the wafers are performed. If the determining unit determines these two signals are different, or these two signals are different from the preset signal in the determining unit, the operation of the system stops (step 208 ).
- the wafer carrier unit 104 is not in the gap between two neighboring wafers 112 as shown in FIG. 4A . Instead, the wafer carrier unit 104 is located at the side face of the wafers 112 .
- the signals received by the sensors 106 a and 106 b are different from the signals which indicate that the wafer carrier unit 104 is at the proper position as shown in FIG. 4B .
- the signals which indicate that the wafer carrier unit 104 is at the proper position are the preset signals stored in the determining unit, or the sensing signals recorded in the previous sensing step. The obtained signals show that a barrier is in front of the front end of the wafer carrier unit 104 .
- the sensors 106 a and 106 b may also detect the aging, distortion or tilt of the wafer carrier unit or the wafer transfer system. For example, if the wafer carrier unit 104 tilts on its own or results from the tilt of the wafer transfer system as shown in FIG. 5A , the sensors 106 a and 106 b are not on the same horizontal plane. The sensing signals obtained from the sensors 106 a and 106 b thus are different, or even different from the signals which indicate the wafer carrier unit 104 is at the proper position as shown in FIG. 5B . Wherein, the signals which indicate that the wafer carrier unit 104 is at the proper position are the preset signals stored in the determining unit, or the sensing signals recorded in the previous sensing step.
- the obtained signals are signals showing the height of the sensors. It means that due to the tilt of the wafer carrier unit 104 , a height differential Ah occurs between the sensors 106 a and 106 b .
- the height differential Ah is sensed by the sensors 106 a and 106 b , and the sensing result is transmitted to the determining unit.
- a compensation mechanism is triggered to correct the tilt.
- an operator may handle the issue of the tilt of the wafer carrier unit 104 immediately.
- the operator can understand if the wafer carrier unit is at the proper position. The issue of scratching the wafer surface or backside by the wafer carrier unit is avoided during the wafer transfer. Moreover, based on the sensing results, the operator can check the related equipment immediately to find out the reason of causing the signal difference so that proper processes can be performed right away.
- the wafer carrier unit After performing the determining step, if the determining unit determines that the wafers can be unloaded, the wafer carrier unit then unloads the wafers in the cassette (step 210 ). Wherein, according to the unload method for the wafers, the wafer carrier unit is moved into the cassette. The wafer carrier unit then moves upward to hold or vacuum chuck the wafer backside. The wafer carrier unit is then moved out, and the wafer is moved out of the cassette as well. Since the checking and determining steps described above have been performed, the wafer can be unloaded without scratches during the process of unloading the wafer from the cassette.
- the wafer transfer system described above includes at least two sensors. Before performing the wafer transfer, the checking results from these two sensors are used to determine whether to unload the wafer from the cassette. During the wafer transfer, the issue of scratching the wafer surface or backside by the wafer carrier unit is effectively avoided. Moreover, the checking results may also detect the component aging or distortion in the wafer transfer system for the warning purpose.
- the transfer of a wafer in the embodiment described above is only exemplified by illustration.
- the present invention is not limited thereto. It means that if there are two or more wafers in the cassette, the unloading of other wafers can go through the same checking and determining steps by the sensors before the unload process.
- the number of the sensors disposed at the front end of the wafer carrier unit according to the present invention is not limited to two. The number of the sensors varies with different requirements.
- FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- the cassette exchange system 300 of the present invention includes at least the wafer temporary storage apparatus 302 , the cassette bases 304 and 306 and the moving apparatus 308 .
- the wafer temporary storage apparatus 302 includes the main body 310 and a plurality of wafer carrier units 312 .
- the moving apparatus 308 includes at least one horizontally moving unit 314 and at least one vertically moving unit 316 .
- each of the wafer carrier units 312 includes the first end 318 a and the second end 318 b opposed to the first end 308 a .
- the first end 308 a connects with the movable main body 310 .
- the wafer carrier unit 312 can be, for example, a plate carrier unit.
- the shape of the wafer carrier unit 312 is not specified. It can be designed based on the different cassettes.
- the cassette bases 304 and 306 accommodate the cassettes 320 and 322 , respectively.
- the cassettes 320 and 322 are cassettes which accommodate 25 or more wafers, for example.
- Their material can be, for example, plastic or metal.
- the moving apparatus 308 connects the cassette base 304 with the cassette base 306 , and sequentially moves the cassette bases 304 and 306 to the wafer temporary storage apparatus 302 . Accordingly, plural of the wafers 324 in the cassette 320 are simultaneously loaded to the cassette 322 by the wafer carrier units 312 .
- the horizontally moving unit 314 of the moving apparatus 308 can be, for example, a sliding apparatus
- the vertically moving unit 316 of the moving apparatus 308 can be, for example, a lift apparatus.
- the cassettes 304 and 306 of the cassette exchange system are on different horizontal planes.
- the present invention is not limited thereto.
- the cassettes 304 and 306 of the cassette exchange system are on the same horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the moving apparatus 308 connects with the wafer temporary storage apparatus 302 , and the cassettes 304 and 306 are on the same or different horizontal planes as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 .
- At least two sensors are disposed at the second end 318 b of at least one wafer carrier unit 312 .
- the sensors can be same as the sensors 106 a and 106 b shown in FIG. 1 .
- the descriptions of the sensors 106 a and 106 b are shown in the first embodiment. Detailed descriptions are not repeated.
- cassette exchange method based on the cassette exchange system described above. Note that the cassette exchange method below is an application of the cassette exchange system described above. The present invention, however, is not limited thereto.
- FIGS. 10A-10D are figures showing a flowchart of a wafer transfer method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- the cassette exchange system includes a plurality of wafer carrier units 312 , the cassette 320 accommodating a plurality of wafers 324 and the cassette 322 .
- the cassette exchange system can be, for example, the cassette exchange system 300 shown in FIG. 6 . The descriptions are shown in the previous embodiment. Detailed descriptions are not repeated.
- the wafer carrier units 312 simultaneously unload the wafers 324 in the cassette 320 , and rest the wafers 324 on the wafer carrier units 312 .
- the horizontally moving unit 314 horizontally moves the cassettes 320 and 322 to the wafer carrier units 312 (shown by arrow 400 ), for example.
- Each of the wafer carrier units 312 inserts into the gap of two neighboring wafers 324 .
- the vertically moving unit 316 descends the cassettes 320 and 322 to a proper height so that the wafers 324 rest on the wafer carrier units 312 (shown by arrow 402 ).
- the wafer carrier units 312 then vacuum chuck the wafers 324 .
- the cassette 322 is moved to the wafer carrier units 312 carrying the wafers 324 .
- the horizontally moving unit 314 horizontally moves out the cassettes 320 and 322 (shown by arrow 404 ), for example. It means that the wafer carrier units 312 are separated from the cassette 320 by a distance.
- the vertically moving unit 316 moves the cassette 322 downwards to a proper height, i.e., the cassette 322 is moved to the height where the cassette 320 originally locates (shown by arrow 406 ).
- the wafer carrier units 312 simultaneously load the wafers thereon in the cassette 322 .
- the horizontally moving unit 314 horizontally moves the cassettes 320 and 322 (shown by arrow 408 ), and the vacuum system is turned off, for example.
- Each of the wafer carrier units 312 moves into the gap between two neighboring wafers 324 .
- the vertically moving unit 316 then moves the cassettes 320 and 322 upwards to a proper height so that the wafers 324 rest in the cassette 322 (shown by arrow 410 ).
- the wafer carrier units 312 are moved out from the cassette 322 .
- the horizontally moving unit 314 horizontally moves the cassettes 320 and 322 (shown by arrow 412 ). It means that the wafer carrier units 312 are separated from the cassette 322 by a distance.
- the cassette exchange system includes a plurality of wafer carrier units. All wafers in a cassette can be simultaneously transferred to another cassette by the wafer carrier units. Accordingly, the wafer transfer efficiency is improved and the process time is reduced.
- the cassette exchange system shown in FIGS. 6 is used to interpret the cassette exchange method.
- the present invention is not limited thereto. It means that the cassette exchange method can also be applied to the cassette exchange systems in FIGS. 7-9 or other cassette exchange systems.
- the cassette exchange method is performed by the horizontal moving and the vertical moving of the moving apparatus.
- the cassette exchange method of the present invention is not limited to the wafer transfer from the cassette 320 to the cassette 322 . It may include the wafer transfer from the cassette 322 to the cassette 320 as well.
- the cassette exchange system includes a plurality of wafer carrier units, all wafers in a cassette can be simultaneously transferred to another cassette by the wafer carrier units. Accordingly, the wafer transfer efficiency is improved and the process time is reduced.
- the checking results generated by the sensors determine whether to load or unload the wafers in the cassette before loading or unloading the wafers. Accordingly, the chance of scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer is reduced.
- the checking results may further detect component aging or distortion for warning purpose.
Abstract
A cassette exchange system is provided. The cassette exchange system includes a wafer temporary storage apparatus, a first cassette base, a second cassette base and a moving apparatus. The wafer temporary storage apparatus includes a plurality of wafer carrier units. The first cassette base is suitable for carrying a first cassette, and the second cassette base is suitable for carrying a second cassette. The moving apparatus connects the first cassette base with the second cassette base. Also, the moving apparatus sequentially moves the first cassette base and the second cassette base to the wafer temporary storage apparatus to simultaneously transfer the wafers stored in the first cassette to the second cassette.
Description
- This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 94107258, filed on Mar. 10, 2005. All disclosure of the Taiwan application is incorporated herein by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a wafer transfer system, a wafer transfer method, a cassette exchange system and an exchange method thereof.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Because of the continuous high integration density of semiconductor devices of integrated circuits, manufacturing process accuracy becomes more and more important. Once minor errors occur during processes, the whole manufacturing process may fail. As a result, wafers are damaged and scraped, and costs thus increase.
- For a general semiconductor process, a semiconductor equipment is composed of several neighboring process chambers. By a wafer transfer system, wafers are transferred among different process chambers. During the wafer transfer among the process chambers, a robot blade takes wafers from a cassette and transfers the wafers to the process chambers for processing. After the process is complete, the wafers are taken out from the process chambers and transferred to the cassette for the next process step.
- The motions of a robot blade are complicated which include moving up or down, rotating, retracting and so on. For example, if the robot blade is going to take the wafers from the cassette, the robot blade must move into the cassette and move upward to hold the wafer or to suck the back side of the wafer. The robot blade then moves out and takes the wafer out of the cassette. Note that during these steps, minor shift or displacement may cause the wafer transfer failed; or even the wafer may drop or slide so as to cause the wafer broken or scratched. Accordingly, in order to smoothly reach the wafers and remove them out of the cassette by the robot blade, it is important to maintain the stableness and condition of the robot blade.
- Generally, a robot blade transfers a wafer by a micro electromechanical system to control its stability and accuracy. Due to the frequency of wafer transfers by the robot blade, transmission components may be aging, abraded or even distorted. For example, the abrasion of a transmission gear causes a great gap between gears; the position sensor is shifted; the bearing ages; or the vacuum system ages. All of them result in the shift of the robot blade and deteriorate the accuracy of removing the wafer by the robot blade. As a result, the robot blade may be in touch with the wafer or even scratch the wafer surface or backside or break the wafer. These factors will increase the manufacturing costs.
- Additionally, wafers may need to be loaded in cassettes with different materials for different process requirements before transferred to different process chambers for processing. If all wafers in a cassette are going to be transferred to another cassette, the prior art method transfers the wafers from a cassette to another cassette piece by piece. This method increases the process time.
- Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a wafer transfer system and a wafer transfer method. According to the system and the method, costs resulting from scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer can be avoided.
- The present invention also is directed to a cassette exchange system and a cassette exchange method. According to the system and the method, wafer transfer efficiency is improved and costs resulting from scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer can be avoided.
- The present invention provides a wafer transfer system, which includes a movable body, at least one wafer carrier unit and at least two sensors. Wherein, the wafer carrier unit includes a first end and a second end opposed to the first end, and the first end connects with the movable body. The sensors are disposed at the second end of the wafer carrier unit.
- According to the wafer transfer system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sensors include optical sensors, wireless sensors or wired sensors.
- The present invention provides a wafer transfer method. This method includes the following steps: (a) providing a cassette with at least one wafer, a determining unit and a wafer transfer system, the wafer transfer system at least including a wafer carrier unit, a first sensor and a second sensor; (b) moving the wafer carrier unit to the cassette; (c) performing a checking step to the cassette by using the first sensor and the second sensor to obtain a first signal and a second signal; (d) transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the determining unit, wherein when the determining unit determines that the first signal is equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are equal to a preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (e) are performed; or when the determining unit determines that the first signal is not equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are not equal to the preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (e) are not performed; and (e) unloading wafers in the cassette by the wafer carrier unit.
- The wafer transfer system of the present invention includes the first sensor and the second sensor. Before the wafer is transferred, checking results from the sensors are apt to determining whether to unload the wafer in the cassette. Accordingly, the chance of scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer is effectively reduced. In addition, the checking results may further detect component aging or distortion for warning purpose.
- The present invention provides a cassette exchange system, which includes a wafer temporary storage apparatus, a first cassette base, a second cassette base and a moving apparatus. The wafer temporary storage apparatus includes a main body and a plurality of wafer carrier units. Wherein, each of the wafer carrier units includes a first end and a second end opposed to the first end, and the first end connects with the main body. The first cassette base carries a first cassette. The second cassette base carries a second cassette. In addition, the moving apparatus connects with the first cassette base and the second cassette base so as to sequentially move the first cassette base and the second cassette base to the wafer temporary storage apparatus, and simultaneously to transfer a plurality of wafers in the first cassette to the second cassette by the wafer carrier units. Or, the moving apparatus connects with the wafer temporary storage apparatus to move the wafer temporary storage apparatus to the first cassette base and the second cassette base in sequence, and to simultaneously transfer the wafers in the first cassette to the second cassette by the wafer carrier units.
- According to the cassette exchange system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the moving apparatus includes at least one horizontally moving unit and at least one vertically moving unit.
- According to the cassette exchange system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first cassette base and the second cassette base are on the same or different horizontal planes.
- According to the cassette exchange system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system further includes at least two sensors disposed at the second end of at least one of the wafer carrier units.
- The present invention also provides a cassette exchange method. The cassette exchange method first provides a cassette exchange system (step (a)), the cassette exchange system including a plurality of wafer carrier units, a first cassette with a plurality of wafers and a second cassette. Then, the wafer carrier units are moved to the first cassette (step (b)). Simultaneously, the wafers in the first cassette are unloaded by the wafer carrier units so that the wafers are on the wafer carrier units (step (c)). Next, the wafer carrier units with the wafers are moved to the second cassette (step (d)). Simultaneously, the wafers from the wafer carrier units are loaded into the second cassette by the wafer carrier units (step (e)).
- According to the cassette exchange method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the step (a), a determining unit is provided. The cassette exchange system further includes a first sensor and a second sensor. Between the steps (b) and (c), the method further includes the following steps: (b′) performing a checking step to the first cassette by the first sensor and the second sensor to generate a first signal and a second signal; and (b″) transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the determining unit. Wherein, when the determining unit determines that the first signal is equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are equal to a preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (c) are performed; or when the determining unit determines that the first signal is not equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are not equal to the preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (c) are not performed.
- The cassette exchange system includes a plurality of wafer carrier units. All wafers in one cassette can be simultaneously transferred to another cassette. Accordingly, the wafer transfer efficiency is improved and the process time is reduced.
- In addition, in one embodiment the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed on at least one of the wafer carrier units of the cassette exchange system. The checking results generated by the sensors determine whether to load or unload the wafers in the cassette before loading or unloading the wafers. Accordingly, the chance of scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer is reduced. In addition, the checking results may further detect component aging or distortion for warning purpose.
- The above and other features of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention that is provided in communication with the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a wafer transfer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a wafer transfer method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing the wafer transfer process inFIG. 2 . -
FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic drawings showing another wafer transfer process inFIG. 2 . -
FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic drawings showing the other wafer transfer process inFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing showing another cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing showing a cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing a cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIGS. 10A-10E are schematic drawings showing a flowchart of a wafer transfer method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a wafer transfer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
FIG. 1 , thewafer transfer system 100 of the present invention includes the movablemain body 102, at least onewafer carrier unit 104 and at least twosensors - Wherein, the
movable body 102 can be, for example, a robot blade which can move up or down, rotate and retract. In addition, thewafer carrier unit 104 includes afirst end 108 a, and asecond end 108 b opposed to thefirst end 108 a. Thefirst end 108 a connects with the movablemain body 102. In addition, thewafer carrier unit 104 can be, for example, a plate carrier unit. Of course, the shape of thewafer carrier unit 104 is not specified. It can be designed based on the different cassettes. - In addition, the
sensors second end 108 b of thewafer carrier unit 104. In other words, thesensors wafer carrier unit 104. In detail, thesensors sensors sensors sensors wafer carrier unit 104 or other components. The disposition of the wired sensors should not affect the motions of the mechanism. In another embodiment, thesensors sensors - Following are descriptions of a wafer transfer method. Note that the wafer transfer method below is an embodiment of applying the wafer transfer system described above. The present invention, however, is not limited thereto.
-
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a wafer transfer method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The wafer transfer method of the present invention includes the following steps. - In the
step 200, the cassette with wafers, the determining unit and the wafer transfer system are provided. Wherein, the wafer transfer system includes the wafer carrier unit, and at least two sensors. In a preferred embodiment, the wafer transfer system is the transfer system shown inFIG. 1 . Additionally, the cassette can be, for example, a cassette which can accommodate 25 or more wafers. Its material can be plastic, metal or other materials. Moreover, the determining unit can be, for example, a comparator or a calculator. - Then, the wafer carrier unit is moved to the cassette (step 202). At this moment, the
wafer carrier unit 104, under the normal situation, is in the gap between twoneighboring wafers 112 in thecassette 110 as shown inFIG. 3 . If the wafer carrier unit cannot be moved to the proper position due to the component aging or distortion of the wafer transfer system, but still loads the wafers, the wafer surface or backside is subject to scratches, or the wafer may be broken. Accordingly, it is desired to perform the checking steps for the cassette before the wafers are unloaded. Then, the wafers are unloaded. Following are detail descriptions. - After the wafer carrier unit is moved to the cassette, at least two sensors are used to perform the checking steps for the cassette (step 204) to obtain at least two signals. The obtained signals then are transmitted to the determining unit (step 206) to determine whether to continue unloading the wafers. In detail, when the determining unit determines that these two signals are same, or that these two signals are equal to the preset signal in the determining unit, the steps (i.e., the steps from step 210) of unloading the wafers are performed. If the determining unit determines these two signals are different, or these two signals are different from the preset signal in the determining unit, the operation of the system stops (step 208).
- For example, the
wafer carrier unit 104 is not in the gap between twoneighboring wafers 112 as shown inFIG. 4A . Instead, thewafer carrier unit 104 is located at the side face of thewafers 112. At this moment, the signals received by thesensors wafer carrier unit 104 is at the proper position as shown inFIG. 4B . Wherein, the signals which indicate that thewafer carrier unit 104 is at the proper position are the preset signals stored in the determining unit, or the sensing signals recorded in the previous sensing step. The obtained signals show that a barrier is in front of the front end of thewafer carrier unit 104. - Additionally, the
sensors wafer carrier unit 104 tilts on its own or results from the tilt of the wafer transfer system as shown inFIG. 5A , thesensors sensors wafer carrier unit 104 is at the proper position as shown inFIG. 5B . Wherein, the signals which indicate that thewafer carrier unit 104 is at the proper position are the preset signals stored in the determining unit, or the sensing signals recorded in the previous sensing step. The obtained signals are signals showing the height of the sensors. It means that due to the tilt of thewafer carrier unit 104, a height differential Ah occurs between thesensors sensors wafer carrier unit 104, a compensation mechanism is triggered to correct the tilt. In some embodiments, after receiving the sensing result, an operator may handle the issue of the tilt of thewafer carrier unit 104 immediately. - According to the sensing results from the
sensors - After performing the determining step, if the determining unit determines that the wafers can be unloaded, the wafer carrier unit then unloads the wafers in the cassette (step 210). Wherein, according to the unload method for the wafers, the wafer carrier unit is moved into the cassette. The wafer carrier unit then moves upward to hold or vacuum chuck the wafer backside. The wafer carrier unit is then moved out, and the wafer is moved out of the cassette as well. Since the checking and determining steps described above have been performed, the wafer can be unloaded without scratches during the process of unloading the wafer from the cassette.
- Accordingly, the wafer transfer system described above includes at least two sensors. Before performing the wafer transfer, the checking results from these two sensors are used to determine whether to unload the wafer from the cassette. During the wafer transfer, the issue of scratching the wafer surface or backside by the wafer carrier unit is effectively avoided. Moreover, the checking results may also detect the component aging or distortion in the wafer transfer system for the warning purpose.
- Note that the transfer of a wafer in the embodiment described above is only exemplified by illustration. The present invention, however, is not limited thereto. It means that if there are two or more wafers in the cassette, the unloading of other wafers can go through the same checking and determining steps by the sensors before the unload process. Additionally, the number of the sensors disposed at the front end of the wafer carrier unit according to the present invention is not limited to two. The number of the sensors varies with different requirements.
-
FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a cassette exchange system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
FIG. 6 , thecassette exchange system 300 of the present invention includes at least the wafertemporary storage apparatus 302, thecassette bases apparatus 308. Wherein, the wafertemporary storage apparatus 302 includes themain body 310 and a plurality ofwafer carrier units 312. In addition, the movingapparatus 308 includes at least one horizontally movingunit 314 and at least one vertically movingunit 316. - Wherein, each of the
wafer carrier units 312 includes thefirst end 318 a and thesecond end 318 b opposed to the first end 308 a. The first end 308 a connects with the movablemain body 310. In addition, thewafer carrier unit 312 can be, for example, a plate carrier unit. Of course, the shape of thewafer carrier unit 312 is not specified. It can be designed based on the different cassettes. - Additionally, the
cassette bases cassettes cassettes - In addition, the moving
apparatus 308 connects thecassette base 304 with thecassette base 306, and sequentially moves thecassette bases temporary storage apparatus 302. Accordingly, plural of thewafers 324 in thecassette 320 are simultaneously loaded to thecassette 322 by thewafer carrier units 312. Wherein, the horizontally movingunit 314 of the movingapparatus 308 can be, for example, a sliding apparatus, and the vertically movingunit 316 of the movingapparatus 308 can be, for example, a lift apparatus. - In the embodiment described above, the
cassettes cassettes FIG. 7 . In an embodiment, the movingapparatus 308 connects with the wafertemporary storage apparatus 302, and thecassettes FIGS. 8 and 9 . - In the cassette exchange system shown in
FIGS. 6-9 or other exemplary embodiments of the cassette exchange system according to the present invention, at least two sensors are disposed at thesecond end 318 b of at least onewafer carrier unit 312. The sensors can be same as thesensors FIG. 1 . The descriptions of thesensors - Following are descriptions of a cassette exchange method based on the cassette exchange system described above. Note that the cassette exchange method below is an application of the cassette exchange system described above. The present invention, however, is not limited thereto.
-
FIGS. 10A-10D are figures showing a flowchart of a wafer transfer method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. - Referring to
FIG. 10A , a cassette exchange system is first provided in the cassette exchange method of the present invention. The cassette exchange system includes a plurality ofwafer carrier units 312, thecassette 320 accommodating a plurality ofwafers 324 and thecassette 322. In a preferred embodiment, the cassette exchange system can be, for example, thecassette exchange system 300 shown inFIG. 6 . The descriptions are shown in the previous embodiment. Detailed descriptions are not repeated. - An operator then puts the
cassettes cassette bases cassette 320 is then moved to thewafer carrier units 312. - Referring to
FIG. 10B , thewafer carrier units 312 simultaneously unload thewafers 324 in thecassette 320, and rest thewafers 324 on thewafer carrier units 312. Wherein, according to the unload method for thewafers 324, the horizontally movingunit 314 horizontally moves thecassettes wafer carrier units 312 inserts into the gap of two neighboringwafers 324. The vertically movingunit 316 descends thecassettes wafers 324 rest on the wafer carrier units 312 (shown by arrow 402). Thewafer carrier units 312 then vacuum chuck thewafers 324. - Note that if at least two sensors, such as the
sensors FIG. 1A , are disposed at the front end of at least onewafer carrier unit 312 of thecassette exchange system 300, checking steps can be performed to thecassette 320 to determine whether thewafer carrier unit 312 is located at a proper position before the step inFIG. 10B is performed. Then, the unload step for the wafers inFIG. 10B is performed. Damage to the wafers can be reduced, and the condition of the whole system can be monitored. The checking and determining steps by thesensors - Referring to
FIG. 10C , thecassette 322 is moved to thewafer carrier units 312 carrying thewafers 324. According to the method of moving thecassette 322 to thewafer carrier units 312, the horizontally movingunit 314 horizontally moves out thecassettes 320 and 322 (shown by arrow 404), for example. It means that thewafer carrier units 312 are separated from thecassette 320 by a distance. Then, the vertically movingunit 316 moves thecassette 322 downwards to a proper height, i.e., thecassette 322 is moved to the height where thecassette 320 originally locates (shown by arrow 406). - Referring to
FIG. 10D , thewafer carrier units 312 simultaneously load the wafers thereon in thecassette 322. According to the method of loading thewafers 324 in thecassette 322, the horizontally movingunit 314 horizontally moves thecassettes 320 and 322 (shown by arrow 408), and the vacuum system is turned off, for example. Each of thewafer carrier units 312 moves into the gap between twoneighboring wafers 324. The vertically movingunit 316 then moves thecassettes wafers 324 rest in the cassette 322 (shown by arrow 410). - Note that if at least two sensors, such as the
sensors FIG. 1A , are disposed at the front end of at least onewafer carrier unit 312 of thecassette exchange system 300, checking steps can be performed to thecassette 320 to determine whether thewafer carrier unit 312 is located at a proper position before the step inFIG. 10D is performed. Then, the load step for the wafers inFIG. 10D is performed. Damage to the wafers can be reduced, and the condition of the whole system can be monitored. The checking and determining steps by thesensors - Referring to
FIG. 10E , thewafer carrier units 312 are moved out from thecassette 322. According to the method of moving out thewafer carrier units 312, the horizontally movingunit 314 horizontally moves thecassettes 320 and 322 (shown by arrow 412). It means that thewafer carrier units 312 are separated from thecassette 322 by a distance. - Note that the cassette exchange system includes a plurality of wafer carrier units. All wafers in a cassette can be simultaneously transferred to another cassette by the wafer carrier units. Accordingly, the wafer transfer efficiency is improved and the process time is reduced.
- In the embodiment described above, the cassette exchange system shown in FIGS. 6 is used to interpret the cassette exchange method. The present invention, however, is not limited thereto. It means that the cassette exchange method can also be applied to the cassette exchange systems in
FIGS. 7-9 or other cassette exchange systems. The cassette exchange method is performed by the horizontal moving and the vertical moving of the moving apparatus. In addition, the cassette exchange method of the present invention is not limited to the wafer transfer from thecassette 320 to thecassette 322. It may include the wafer transfer from thecassette 322 to thecassette 320 as well. - Accordingly, since the cassette exchange system includes a plurality of wafer carrier units, all wafers in a cassette can be simultaneously transferred to another cassette by the wafer carrier units. Accordingly, the wafer transfer efficiency is improved and the process time is reduced.
- In addition, if at least two sensors are disposed on at least one wafer carrier unit of the cassette exchange system, the checking results generated by the sensors determine whether to load or unload the wafers in the cassette before loading or unloading the wafers. Accordingly, the chance of scratching the wafer surface or backside during the wafer transfer is reduced. In addition, the checking results may further detect component aging or distortion for warning purpose.
- Although the present invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be constructed broadly to include other variants and embodiments of the invention which may be made by those skilled in the field of this art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.
Claims (15)
1. A wafer transfer system, comprising:
a movable body;
at least one wafer carrier unit, the wafer carrier unit comprising a first end and a second end opposed to the first end, wherein the first end connects with the movable body; and
at least two sensors, disposed at the second end of the wafer carrier unit.
2. The wafer transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprise optical sensors, wireless sensors or wired sensors.
3. A wafer transfer method, comprising:
(a) providing a cassette with at least one wafer, a determining unit and a wafer transfer system; the wafer transfer system at least comprising a wafer carrier unit, a first sensor and a second sensor;
(b) moving the wafer carrier unit to the cassette;
(c) performing a checking step to the cassette by using the first sensor and the second sensor to obtain a first signal and a second signal;
(d) transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the determining unit, wherein
when the determining unit determines that the first signal is equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are equal to a preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (e) are performed; or
when the determining unit determines that the first signal is not equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are not equal to the preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (e) are not performed; and
(e) unloading wafers in the cassette by the wafer carrier unit.
4. The wafer transfer method of claim 3 , wherein in the step (a) the wafers are in the cassette, and after the first wafer is unloaded, the method further repeats at least once of the steps (a)-(e) to unload other wafers in the cassette.
5. The wafer transfer method of claim 3 , wherein the first signal and the second signal comprise a height signal of a sensor or a signal informing whether a barrier is in front of the wafer carrier unit.
6. A cassette exchange system, comprising:
a wafer temporary storage apparatus, the wafer temporary storage apparatus comprising:
a main body; and
a plurality of wafer carrier units, wherein each of the wafer carrier units comprises a first end and a second end opposed to the first end, and the first end connects with the main body;
a first cassette base, carrying a first cassette;
a second cassette base, carrying a second cassette; and
a moving apparatus, connecting with the first cassette base and the second cassette base so as to sequentially move the first cassette base and the second cassette base to the wafer temporary storage apparatus, and simultaneously to transfer a plurality of wafers in the first cassette to the second cassette by the wafer carrier units; or the moving apparatus connecting with the wafer temporary storage apparatus to move the wafer temporary storage apparatus to the first cassette base and the second cassette base in sequence, and simultaneously to transfer the wafers in the first cassette to the second cassette by the wafer carrier units.
7. The cassette exchange system of claim 6 , wherein the moving apparatus comprises at least one horizontally moving unit and at least one vertically moving unit.
8. The cassette exchange system of claim 6 , wherein the first cassette base and the second cassette base are on the same or different horizontal planes.
9. The cassette exchange system of claim 6 , further comprising at least two sensors, which are disposed at the second end of at least one of the unit carrier units.
10. The cassette exchange system of claim 9 , wherein the sensors comprise optical sensors, wireless sensors, or wired sensors.
11. A cassette exchange method, comprising:
(a) providing a cassette exchange system, the cassette exchange system comprising a plurality of wafer carrier units, a first cassette with a plurality of wafers and a second cassette;
(b) moving the wafer carrier units to the first cassette;
(c) simultaneously unloading the wafers in the first cassette by the wafer carrier units so that the wafers are on the wafer carrier units;
(d) moving the wafer carrier units with the wafers to the second cassette; and
(e) simultaneously loading the wafers from the wafer carrier units to the second cassette by the wafer carrier units.
12. The cassette exchange method of claim 11 , wherein in the step (a) a determining unit is provided, the cassette exchange system further comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, and between the steps (b) and (c), the method further comprises the following steps:
(b′) performing a checking step to the first cassette by the first sensor and the second sensor to generate a first signal and a second signal; and
(b″) transmitting the first signal and the second signal to the determining unit, wherein
when the determining unit determines that the first signal is equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are equal to a preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (c) are performed; or
when the determining unit determines that the first signal is not equal to the second signal, or that the first signal and the second signal are not equal to the preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (c) are not performed.
13. The cassette exchange method of claim 12 , wherein the first signal and the second signal comprise a height signal of a sensor or a signal informing whether a barrier is in front of the wafer carrier unit.
14. The cassette exchange method of claim 11 , further comprising the following steps between the steps (d) and (e):
(d′) performing another checking step to the second cassette by the first sensor and the second sensor to generate a third signal and a fourth signal; and
(d″) transmitting the third signal and the fourth signal to the determining unit, wherein
when the determining unit determines that the third signal is equal to the fourth signal, or that the third signal and the fourth signal are equal to a preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (e) are performed; or
when the determining unit determines that the third signal is not equal to the fourth signal, or that the third signal and the fourth signal are not equal to the preset signal of the determining unit, steps from the step (e) are not performed.
15. The cassette exchange method of claim 14 , wherein the third signal and the fourth signal comprise a height signal of a sensor or a signal informing whether a barrier is in front of the wafer carrier unit.
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US20120022827A1 (en) * | 2009-04-09 | 2012-01-26 | Andreas Hertgens | Method for automatic measurement and for teaching-in of location positions of objects within a substrate processing system by means of sensor carriers and associated sensor carrier |
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TWI664515B (en) * | 2014-09-26 | 2019-07-01 | 日商迪思科股份有限公司 | Processing device |
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