# US 10,504,760 B2 · System for a semiconductor fabrication facility and method for operating the same

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- Number: US 10,504,760 B2
- Document ID: US10504760B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/636,157
- Filed: 2017-06-28
- Published: 2019-01-03
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-28
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
- Inventors: Fu-Hsien Li; Sheng-Kang Yu; Chi-Feng Tung; Hsiang Yin Shen; Guancyun Li
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504760B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0608: {of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like}
- B66C 13/16: Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices (in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08)
- B66C 13/18: Control systems or devices (exclusively for rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms B66D1/40)
- B66C 15/00: Safety gear (for rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms B66D1/54)
- B66C 17/26: combined with auxiliary apparatus, e.g. log saws, pushers for unloading vehicles, means for shunting railway vehicles
- G03F 7/70033: {by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources}
- G03F 7/70533: {Controlling abnormal operating mode, e.g. taking account of waiting time, decision to rework or rework flow}
- G03F 7/70741: {Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries}
- G03F 7/7075: {Handling workpieces outside exposure position, e.g. SMIF box}
- G03F 7/7085: {Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load}
- G03F 7/70975: {Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus}
- G03F 7/70991: {Connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure stations, particular arrangement of exposure apparatus and pre-exposure and/or post-exposure apparatus; Shared apparatus, e.g. having shared radiation source, shared mask or workpiece stage, shared base-plate; Utilities, e.g. cable, pipe or wireless arrangements for data, power, fluids or vacuum}
- G05B 19/19: characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path
- G05B 19/4061: Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
- H10P 72/0606: {Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection}
- H10P 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts}
- H10P 72/3212: {the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips or lead frames}
- H10P 72/3214: {by means of a cart or a vehicle}
- H10P 72/3221: {Overhead conveying}
- H10P 72/3222: {Loading to or unloading from a conveyor}
- G05B 2219/40292: Manipulator is positioned by a crane to cover a large workpiece, extended range
- G05B 2219/45031: Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B66C: CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES ({specially adapted for lifting invalids A61G7/10;} rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms, braking or detent devices therefor B66D; specially adapted for nuclear reactors G21)
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

An apparatus for a semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB) is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a maintenance tool and a transporting tool configured to transport at least one customized. The maintenance tool includes a first track at a first horizontal plane, at least one maintenance crane movably mounted on the first track, and a plurality of first sensors on the first track. The first sensors are configured to define at least a danger zone and to detect a location of the maintenance crane. The transporting tool includes a second track at a second horizontal plane, at least one overhead hoisting transporting (OHT) vehicle movably mounted on the second track, and at least one second sensor on the OHT vehicle. The second horizontal plane is different from the first horizontal planes. The first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane at least partially overlap each other from a plane view.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
a maintenance tool comprising:
a first track at a first horizontal plane;
at least one maintenance crane movably mounted on the first track; and
a plurality of first sensors on the first track and forming a rectangular danger zone overlapping with a load port underlying the maintenance tool, the first sensors being configured to define the rectangular danger zone and to detect a first location data of the maintenance crane; and
a transporting tool configured to transport at least one customized part, the transporting tool comprising:
a second track at a second horizontal plane, wherein the second horizontal plane is different from the first horizontal plane from a side view, and wherein the first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane at least partially overlap each other from a plane view;
at least one overhead hoisting transporting (OHT) vehicle movably mounted on the second track; and
at least one second sensor on the OHT vehicle to detect a second location data of the OHT vehicle;
at least one third sensor on the load port;
a data collector configured to collect the first location data of the maintenance crane from the first sensors: and
a control unit configured to receive the first location data of the maintenance crane from the data collector and the second location data of the OHT vehicle from the second sensor, and send signals to the second sensor and the third sensor or to cut off the signal to the second sensor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maintenance crane is prohibited from entering the rectangular danger zone when the OHT vehicle is in the rectangular danger zone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the OHT vehicle is disabled when the maintenance crane enters the rectangular danger zone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 5

A system for a semiconductor fabrication facility, comprising:
a manufacturing tool;
a maintenance tool comprising a first track at a first horizontal plane and at least one maintenance crane movably mounted on the first track;
a transporting tool comprising a second track at a second horizontal plane and at least one overhead hoisting transporting (OHT) vehicle movably mounted on the second track, wherein the second horizontal plane is different from the first horizontal plane and wherein the first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane at least partially overlap each other from a plane view;
a plurality of first sensors on the first track, the first sensors being configured to define a fixed rectangular danger zone overlapping with a load port underlying the maintenance tool and to detect a location of the maintenance crane to generate a first location data of the maintenance crane;
at least one second sensor on the OHT vehicle configured to generate a second location data of the OHT vehicle;
at least one third sensor on the load port;
a data collector configured to collect the location data of the maintenance crane from the first sensors; and
a control unit configured to receive the first location data of the maintenance crane from the data collector and the second location data of the OHT vehicle from the second sensor, and send signals to the second sensor and the third sensor or to cut off the signal to the second sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the manufacturing tool comprises an extreme extra violet (EUV) photolithography tool.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the transporting tool is configured to transport at least one reticle to the manufacturing tool.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

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 fixed danger zone and aligns to the load port.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the maintenance crane is prohibited from entering the fixed danger zone when the OHT vehicle is in the danger zone.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the control unit cuts off the signal to the second sensor when the maintenance crane enters the fixed danger zone.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein when the signal to the second sensor is cut off, a handshaking function between the second sensor and the third sensor is interrupted, and a load operation or an unload operation is prohibited.

### Claim 12

A method for operating a system for a semiconductor fabrication facility, comprising:
disposing a plurality of first sensors on a first track of a maintenance tool, the plurality of first sensors located correspondingly to a load port of a manufacturing tool, wherein the plurality of first sensors defines a fixed rectangular danger zone correspondingly overlapping with the load port underlying the maintenance tool;
detecting, by the plurality of first sensors on the first track of the maintenance tool, a location of a maintenance crane of the maintenance tool and generating a first location data of the maintenance crane;
detecting, by a second sensor on an overhead hoisting transporting (OHT) vehicle of a transporting tool, a location of the OHT vehicle and generating a second location data of the OHT vehicle; and
switching, by a control unit, between a first mode when the second location data overlaps with the fixed rectangular danger zone and a second mode when the first location data overlaps with the fixed rectangular danger zone.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising collecting the first location data from the first sensors by a data collector of the control unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the first location data from the data collector and switching between the first mode and the second mode by an interface panel of the control unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising prohibiting the maintenance crane from entering the fixed rectangular danger zone when the control unit switches to the first mode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising allowing the OHT vehicle aligning to the load port in the first mode.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising sending signals to the second sensor and a third sensor on the load port in the first mode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising performing a handshaking function, by the second sensor and the third sensor, to permit a load operation or an unload operation when the OHT vehicle is aligned to the load port.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising cutting off the signal to the second sensor to disable the OHT vehicle in the second mode.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising interrupting a handshaking function between the second sensor and the third sensor to prohibit a load operation or an unload operation.