Apparatus and method for handling, storing and reloading carriers for disk-shaped items, such as semiconductor wafers or CDs
AssigneeInfineon Technologies SC300 GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsMichael Lering, Reiner Missale, Martin Peiter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for handling, storing and reloading carriers for disk-shaped items, such as semiconductor wafers or CDs, has at least one cleaning unit and at least one storage unit for the carriers containing the disk-shaped items. The apparatus further has at least one sorting unit for the disk-shaped items. The cleaning unit, the storage unit and the sorting apparatus are integral component parts of the apparatus and are operated by a common automatic control.
Claims15
An apparatus for handling, storing and reloading carriers for disk-shaped items, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one cleaning unit;
- at least one storage unit for storing the carriers;
- and
- at least one sorting unit for sorting the disk-shaped items, said cleaning unit, said storage unit and said sorting apparatus being integral component parts and operated by a common automatic control.
A method for handling and storing carriers for disk-shaped items, which comprises the steps of:
- feeding a carrier containing disk-shaped items to an apparatus having a cleaning unit, a storage unit and a sorting unit;
- using the sorting unit for removing the disk-shaped items from the carrier and feeding the disk-shaped items to a further carrier;
- feeding carrier which was emptied to the cleaning unit;
- cleaning the carrier in the cleaning unit resulting in a cleaned carrier;
- and
- feeding the cleaned carrier to the storage unit where the cleaned carrier can be reloaded with additional disk-shaped items.
A process method, which comprises the steps of:
- providing an apparatus having at least one cleaning unit, at least one storage unit for storing carriers containing disk-shaped items, and at least one sorting unit for sorting the disk-shaped items, the cleaning unit, the storage unit and the sorting apparatus being integral component parts and operated by a common automatic control;
- and
- using the apparatus for handling, storing and reloading the carriers with wafers being the disk-shaped items.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.