System and method for monitoring wafer handling and a wafer handling machine
AssigneeGlobalfoundries Inc.
InventorsStephen B. Miner, William John Fosnight, Ryan J. Gallagher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, machines, and methods for monitoring wafer handling are disclosed herein. A system for monitoring wafer handling includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor is capable of being secured to an assembled wafer handling machine. The controller is in electronic communication with the sensor and includes control logic. The control logic is configured to store a reference output of the sensor when the wafer handling machine is aligned and is configured to generate an indication signal when a difference between the reference output and a current output of the sensor exceeds a threshold.
Claims15
A system for monitoring wafer handling, the system comprising:
- a sensor capable of being secured to a wafer handling machine, wherein the sensor is a tilt sensor configured to be secured to the wafer handling machine;
- an imaging device;
- and
- a controller in electronic communication with the sensor and including control logic to:
- store a reference output of the sensor when the wafer handling machine is aligned;
- store a reference image from the imaging device that indicates a reference position of a component of the wafer handling machine during a portion of a handling cycle;
- capture a verification image from the imaging device during the portion of another handling cycle;
- and
- generate an indication signal when a difference between the reference output and a current output of the sensor during a wafer handling cycle in which the wafer handling machine is handling a wafer exceeds a threshold and based on a difference between the reference image and the verification image,
- wherein the control logic is configured to store the reference output and generate the indication signal independent of signals from an automation control module of the wafer handling machine.
A wafer processing system comprising:
- a wafer handling machine having a robotic arm and an automation control module, wherein the automation control module is configured to control movement of the robotic arm to move wafers into and out of the wafer handling machine;
- and
- a monitoring system independent of the wafer handling machine, the monitoring system comprising:
- a sensor secured to the wafer handling machine, wherein the sensor is a tilt sensor;
- an imaging device;
- and
- a controller in electronic communication with the sensor and independent of the automation control module, the controller including control logic to:
- store a reference image from the imaging device that indicates a reference position of a component of the wafer handling machine during a portion of a handling cycle;
- capture a verification image from the imaging device during the portion of another handling cycle;
- store a reference output of the sensor when the wafer handling machine is aligned;
- and
- generate an indication signal when a difference between the reference output and a current output of the sensor during a wafer handling cycle in which the wafer handling machine is handling a wafer exceeds a threshold and based on a difference between the reference image and the verification image.
A method of monitoring wafer handling, the method comprising:
- storing a reference output of a sensor when a wafer handling machine is aligned independent of an automation control module of the wafer handling machine, wherein the sensor is secured to the wafer handling machine;
- storing a reference image from an imaging device that indicates a reference position of a component of the wafer handling machine during a portion of a handling cycle;
- capturing a verification image from the imaging device during the portion of another handling cycle;
- generating an indication signal when a difference between the reference output and a current output of the sensor during a wafer handling cycle in which the wafer handling machine is handling a wafer exceeds a threshold and based on a difference between the reference image and the verification image and based in no part on signals from the automation control module, and
- inhibiting, with factory automation infrastructure, automated delivery of semiconductor wafers to the wafer handling machine based on the indication signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.