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US 10,541,162 B2Granted
Systems and methods for wafer pod calibration
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manfacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorChao-Hsiang Liu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an embodiment, a system includes: a wafer pod defining a cavity configured to store a wafer at a wafer position; calibration sensors within the cavity, each calibration sensor configured to produce calibration data indicating that the wafer is at a respective part of the cavity; and a processor configured to determine whether the wafer is positioned at the wafer position within the cavity based on the calibration data.
Claims14
A system, comprising:
- a first wafer pod defining a first cavity configured to store a first wafer at a first predetermined wafer position;
- a second wafer pod defining a second cavity configured to store a second wafer at a second predetermined wafer position, wherein the second wafer pod is stacked vertically above the first wafer pod;
- a plurality of light emitters disposed on a top surface of the second wafer pod, wherein a first plurality of the light emitters is arranged in a first line on a first side of an axis of entry of the second wafer pod that horizontally bisects the second cavity and a second plurality of the light emitters is arranged in a second line on a second side of the axis of entry of the second wafer pod;
- a plurality of light detectors disposed on a bottom surface of the first wafer pod, wherein a first plurality of the light emitters is arranged in a first line on a first side of an axis of entry of the first wafer pod that horizontally bisects the first cavity and a second plurality of the light detectors is arranged in a second line on a second side of the axis of entry of the first wafer pod, wherein the plurality of light detectors are configured to produce calibration indicating whether the first and second wafers are positioned at their first and second wafer positions, respectively;
- a plurality of through holes disposed on a top surface of the first wafer pod and a bottom surface of the second wafer pod, wherein a first plurality of the through holes is arranged in the first line on the first side of the axis of entries of the first wafer pod and the second wafer pod, respectively, and a second plurality of the through holes is arranged in the second line on the second side of the axis of entries of the first wafer pod and the second wafer pod, respectively,
- wherein respective ones of the first plurality of light emitters, the first plurality of light detectors and the first plurality of through holes are vertically aligned with one another, and
- respective ones of the second plurality of light emitters, the second plurality of light detectors and the second plurality of through holes are vertically aligned with one another;
- and
- a processor configured to determine based on the calibration data whether the first and second wafers are positioned at the first and second wafer positions, respectively.
6 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a plurality of wafer pods stacked vertically with respect to each other, each wafer pod configured to receive a wafer;
- a plurality of light emitters disposed on a top surface of the topmost wafer pod, wherein a first plurality of the light emitters is arranged in a first line on a first side of an axis of entry of the topmost wafer pod that horizontally bisects a first cavity of the topmost wafer pod and a second plurality of the light emitters is arranged in a second line on a second side of the axis of entry of the second wafer pod;
- a plurality of light detectors disposed on a bottom surface of a bottommost wafer pod, wherein a first plurality of the light emitters is arranged in a first line on a first side of an axis of entry of the bottommost wafer pod that horizontally bisects a second cavity of the bottommost wafer pod, and a second plurality of the light detectors is arranged in a second line on a second side of the axis of entry of the bottommost wafer pod, wherein the plurality of light detectors are configured to produce calibration indicating whether respective wafers are positioned at predetermined respective wafer positions within each of the plurality of wafer pods, respectively;
- a plurality of through holes disposed on a top surface of the bottommost wafer pod and a bottom surface of the topmost wafer pod, wherein a first plurality of the through holes is arranged in the first line on the first side of the axis of entries of the topmost and bottommost wafer pods, respectively, and a second plurality of the through holes is arranged in the second line on the second side of the axis of entries of the topmost and bottommost wafer pods, respectively,
- wherein respective ones of the first plurality of light emitters, the first plurality of light detectors and the first plurality of through holes are vertically aligned with one another, and
- respective ones of the second plurality of light emitters, the second plurality of light detectors and the second plurality of through holes are vertically aligned with one another a processor configured to produce error data indicating how a respective wafer is offset from a respective wafer position within a respective one of the plurality of wafer pods based on the calibration data;
- and
- a robotic arm configured to move a respective wafer based on the error data.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- collecting calibration data cavity, wherein the calibration data is produced from calibration sensors, wherein a first plurality of the calibration sensors from a plurality of light detectors, wherein a first plurality of light detectors is arranged in a first line on a first side of an axis of entry that horizontally bisects a first cavity of a bottom wafer pod, and a second plurality of the light detectors is arranged in a second line on a second side of the axis of entry of the bottom wafer pod, wherein the plurality of light detectors are vertically aligned with a plurality of light emitters located on a top surface of a second cavity of a top wafer pod vertically stacked above the bottom wafer pod;
- producing error data indicating how the at least one wafer is offset from a predetermined wafer position within at least one of the first and second cavities;
- and
- moving the at least one wafer based on the error data.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.