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US 2003/0190223 A1Published application
Configuration for transporting a semiconductor wafer carrier
AssigneeInfineon Technologies SC300 GmbH & Co. KG
InventorMartin Peiter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For bay type structures of semiconductor wafer transport systems, a configuration includes interbay rail tracks and intrabay rail tracks mounted on each other, vehicles of the interbay system and carrier transfer cars of the intrabay system moving freely bi-directional inside the bay area without obstructing each other. The carrier transfer car is configured such that a wafer carrier can be directly loaded from the vehicle to the load port of a processing machine. The configuration simplifies and accelerates the transfer and enhances the flexibility of vehicles in wafer transport.
Claims20
A configuration for transporting a semiconductor wafer carrier, comprising:
- an interbay transport configuration for connecting a plurality of bays each having processing machines with load ports, said interbay transport configuration having:
- an interbay rail track;
- and
- a vehicle moving on said interbay rail track for transferring the wafer carrier between different bays according to a processing sequence;
- and
- an intrabay transport configuration having:
- an intrabay rail track reaching into areas of the bays and, thereby, passing each of the processing machines, said intrabay rail track being mounted along said interbay rail track within a bay area;
- and
- a carrier transfer car moving on said intrabay rail track within the bay area for transferring the wafer carrier between said interbay transport configuration and the processing machines, said carrier transfer car being freely disposable along said intrabay rail track and having a hoist arm with a wafer carrier moving device for lifting up or down the wafer carrier and for depositing the wafer carrier on a load port of one of the processing machines, said hoist arm disposed to leave a free carrier load space between said vehicle and said hoist arm and permit said vehicle transferring the wafer carrier and said carrier transfer car to pass each other without mutual obstruction on a respective one of said interbay rail track and said intrabay rail track.
6 more elements
A configuration for transporting a semiconductor wafer carrier, comprising:
- an interbay transport configuration for connecting a plurality of bays each having processing machines with load ports, said interbay transport configuration having:
- an interbay rail track;
- and
- a vehicle moving on said interbay rail track for transferring the wafer carrier between different bays according to a processing sequence;
- and
- an intrabay transport configuration having:
- an intrabay rail track reaching into areas of the bays and, thereby, passing each of the processing machines, said intrabay rail track being mounted along said interbay rail track within a bay area;
- and
- a carrier transfer car moving on said intrabay rail track within the bay area for transferring the wafer carrier between said interbay transport configuration and the processing machines, said carrier transfer car being freely disposable along said intrabay rail track and having a hoist arm with means for lifting up or down the wafer carrier and for depositing the wafer carrier on a load port of one of the processing machines, said hoist arm disposed to leave a free carrier load space between said vehicle and said hoist arm and permit said vehicle transferring the wafer carrier and said carrier transfer car to pass each other without mutual obstruction on a respective one of said interbay rail track and said intrabay rail track.
6 more elements
A configuration for transporting at least one semiconductor wafer carrier, comprising:
- an interbay transport configuration for connecting a plurality of bays each having processing machines with load ports, said interbay transport configuration having:
- an interbay rail track;
- and
- at least one vehicle moving on said interbay rail track for transferring the wafer carrier between different bays according to a processing sequence;
- and
- an intrabay transport configuration having:
- an intrabay rail track reaching into areas of the bays and, thereby, passing at least one processing machine, said intrabay rail track being mounted along said interbay rail track within a bay area;
- and
- a carrier transfer car moving on said intrabay rail track within the bay area for transferring the wafer carrier between said interbay transport configuration and at least one processing machine, said carrier transfer car being freely disposable along said intrabay rail track and having a hoist arm with a wafer carrier moving device for lifting up or down the wafer carrier and for depositing the wafer carrier on the load port of one of the processing machines, said hoist arm disposed to leave a free carrier load space between said vehicle and said hoist arm and permit said vehicle transferring the wafer carrier and said carrier transfer car to pass each other without mutual obstruction on a respective one of said interbay rail track and said intrabay rail track.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.