Conveyance system in a semiconductor manufacturing process and method for processing semiconductor wafer therein

A conveyance system in a semiconductor manufacturing process, comprising:

• a process unit processing a semiconductor wafer;
• a conveyer conveying said semiconductor wafer;
• a conveyer controller controlling said conveyer;
• a computer controlling said conveyer and said conveyer controller,
• wherein said process unit sends a warning signal to said computer, presignifying time of the process completion in said process unit before said process is completed, and wherein said conveyer is moved to said process unit in response to said warning signal;
• and
• a wafer storage for storing a semiconductor wafer to be processed in said process unit;
• wherein said computer checks whether there is said semiconductor wafer to be processed in said wafer storage;
• wherein said conveyer moves to said wafer storage to pick up said semiconductor wafer to be processed in said wafer storage, then moves to said process unit if there is said semiconductor wafer to be processed in said wafer storage;
• and
• wherein said conveyer moves directly to said process unit without stopping by said wafer storage if there is no semiconductor wafer to be processed in said wafer storage.

A method for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• processing said semiconductor wafer in a process unit;
• sending a warning signal to a computer from said process unit before said process is completed, said warning signal presignifying time of a process completion;
• after sending said warning signal, sending an instruction to a conveyer controller from said computer, said instruction including information where a conveyer moves to and where said semiconductor wafer being processed is conveyed to;
• activating a watchdog timer after sending said instruction, said watchdog timer being set for an estimated time of the process completion in said process unit;
• and
• conveying said semiconductor wafer being processed by said conveyer in response to said instruction.

A conveyance system, comprising:

• a work piece;
• a means for processing said work piece;
• a means for conveying said work piece;
• a means for controlling said conveyer;
• and
• a means for managing said conveying means and said controlling means;
• wherein said processing means sends a signal to said managing means, indicating time of the process completion in said processing means before said process to the work piece is completed;
• wherein said conveying means is moved to said processing means to pick up said work piece in response to said signal,
• a means for setting a estimated time of process completion in said processing means;
• wherein said time setting means is activated after said managing means receives said signal;
• a means for storing said work piece;
• and
• a means for delaying to move said conveying means for a period of a time equal to the difference between a time that a conveying means reaches said processing means via said storing means and a time that said conveying means reaches said process unit directly.

A method for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• processing said semiconductor wafer in a process unit;
• sending a warning signal to a computer from said process unit before said process is completed, said warning signal presignifying time of a process completion;
• and
• checking whether there is a semiconductor wafer to be processed at said process unit in a wafer storage;
• wherein a conveyer moves to said wafer storage to pick up said semiconductor wafer to be processed in said wafer storage, and then moves to said process unit if there is said semiconductor wafer to be processed in said wafer storage;
• and wherein said conveyer moves directly to said process unit without stopping by said wafer storage if there is no semiconductor wafer to be processed in said wafer storage.

A method for processing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• processing said semiconductor wafer in a process unit;
• sending a warning signal to a computer from said process unit before said process is completed, said warning signal presignifying time of a process completion;
• sending an instruction to a conveyer controller from said computer, said instruction including information where a conveyer moves to and where said semiconductor wafer being processed is conveyed to;
• and
• conveying said semiconductor wafer being processed by said conveyer in response to said instruction, wherein said conveyer arrives at said process unit at the substantially same time as the process completion of said semiconductor wafer.