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US 12,652,996 B2Granted
Systems and methods for automated processing ports
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsTsung-Sheng Kuo, Yi-Fam Shiu, Eason Chen, Yang-Ann Chu, Jiun-Rong Pai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an embodiment, a system includes: a tool port of a semiconductor processing tool; a processing port with an internal processing port location and an external processing port location; a robot configured to move a die vessel between the internal processing port location and the tool port; and an actuator configured to move the die vessel between the internal processing port location and the external processing port location.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a die vessel configured to hold an unfinished die therein;
- a processing port;
- an actuator configured to move the die vessel between a first location and a second location,
- wherein the actuator comprises:
- a conveyor belt configured to move the die vessel between the first location and the second location;
- a plurality of pulleys configured to rotate and cause movement of the conveyor belt;
- and
- a force sensor coupled to at least one of the pulleys and configured to determine an amount of force exerted by the least one of the pulleys to move the die vessel container;
- and
- a robot configured to move the unfinished die from the die vessel to a port of a semiconductor processing tool.
7 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a robot configured to move a die vessel between a first location and a second location;
- and
- an actuator configured to move the die vessel between the first location and the second location, wherein the actuator comprises:
- a conveyor belt configured to move the die vessel between the first location and the second location;
- a plurality of pulleys configured to rotate and cause movement of the conveyor belt;
- and
- a force sensor coupled to at least one of the pulleys and configured to determine an amount of force exerted by the least one of the pulleys to move the die vessel container.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- moving a die vessel between a first location and a second location using an actuator, wherein the die vessel holds an unfinished die;
- and
- in response to the die vessel being located at the first location, using a robot to move the unfinished die from the first location to the second location, wherein the actuator comprises:
- a conveyor belt configured to move the die vessel between the first location and the second location;
- and
- a plurality of pulleys configured to rotate and cause movement of the conveyor belt;
- and
- a force sensor couple to at least one of the pulleys and configured to determine an amount of force exerted by the least one of the pulleys to move the die vessel container.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.