# US 2021/0280442 A1 · Apparatus for sensing wafer loading state using sound wave sensor

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2021/0280442 A1
- Document ID: US20210280442A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/119,106
- Filed: 2020-12-11
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09
- Assignees: Tsc, LLC
- Applicants: Tsc Inc.
- Inventors: Oh Su KIM; Sun Il PARK
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280442A1

## CPC

- H10P 72/0608: {of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like}
- H10P 72/3412: {Batch transfer of wafers}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for sensing a wafer loading state using a sound wave sensor, including: a wafer loading part into which a wafer is loaded or unloaded along a slot; a sound wave sensor installed to be spaced apart from the slot, and sensing a contact sonic wave generated due to contact when the wafer is loaded or unloaded to generate real-time waveform information; and a control module confirming whether the wafer is normally loaded into the slot, wherein the control module includes: a control reception part receiving the real-time waveform information; a control memory in which a look-up table including look-up waveform information is stored; and a control determination part determining whether the wafer is normally loaded by comparing the real-time waveform information with the look-up waveform information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for sensing a wafer loading state using a sound wave sensor, the apparatus comprising:
a wafer loading part into which a wafer is loaded or unloaded along a slot;
a sound wave sensor installed to be spaced apart from the slot, and sensing a contact sonic wave generated due to contact when the wafer is loaded or unloaded to generate real-time waveform information; and
a control module confirming whether the wafer is normally loaded into the slot,
wherein the control module includes:
a control reception part receiving the real-time waveform information;
a control memory in which a look-up table including look-up waveform information is stored; and
a control determination part determining whether the wafer is normally loaded by comparing the real-time waveform information with the look-up waveform information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound wave sensor includes:
a case forming an appearance of the sound wave sensor and having a sound wave converter attachment part;
a sound wave converter installed on the sound wave converter attachment part and converting the contact sonic wave into an electric signal of the contact sonic wave;
a sound-absorbing material filled inside the case; and
a lead wire connected to the sound wave converter and transmitting the electric signal of the contact sonic wave to the control reception part.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sound wave converter is formed of a piezoelectric material including at least one of PZT, lithium niobate, or crystal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound wave sensor includes:
a case forming an appearance of the sound wave sensor, the appearance having an opening;
a sonic wave focusing part formed in the opening and focusing the contact sonic wave;
an amplifying part formed at a rear end of the sonic wave focusing part and amplifying the contact sonic wave; and
a sound wave converter installed at a rear end of the amplifying part and converting the contact sonic wave into an electric signal of the contact sonic wave.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a sound-absorbing material filled inside the case.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sound wave sensor further includes a lead wire connected to the sound wave converter and transmitting the electric signal of the contact sonic wave to the control reception part.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sonic wave focusing part is formed in a funnel shape of which a diameter is to be smaller toward an inner side thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sound wave sensor further includes a narrow tube installed at the rear end of the sonic wave focusing part.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the amplifying part is attached to the narrow tube.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the amplifying part is driven in one of a monopole mode, a dipole mode, a quadrupole mode, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control memory further stores sound wave sensor information, and
the look-up waveform information is classified based on the sound wave sensor information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control module further includes an input part for selecting a type of the sound wave sensor information.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the look-up waveform information includes normal waveform information, misaligned waveform information, and contact waveform information, and
the control determination part determines that the wafer is loaded normally when the real-time waveform information is confirmed as the normal waveform information, and determines that the wafer is loaded abnormally when the real-time waveform information is confirmed as either the misaligned waveform information or the contact waveform information.