Interlock system for semiconductor wafer transport apparatus
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYuh-Dean Tsay, Shih-Chieh Liao, Li-Ren Lin, Wen-Yao Chen
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Abstract
An interlock system prevents collision of handling equipment and damage to wafers in an automated wafer transport apparatus during manual control by an operator. Sensors are used to sense when wafer transport arms and wafer stage are both in their home positions. A controller is responsive to the sensors for operating the lockout system such that attempted activation of the transport arm by the operator is locked out unless both the stage and the arms are in their home positions. The lockout system preferably comprises normally closed electrical relays.
Claims8
Apparatus for transporting semiconductor wafers from a first storage area to a second staging area and operable in both automatic and manual modes, comprising:
- a wafer stage at said second area for staging said wafers thereon, said wafer stage being shiftable from a home position to an operated position whereby said wafers on said stage are moved away from said staging area;
- a wafer transport mechanism at said first stage area, said transport mechanism having a transport arm movable from a home position to transport said wafers from a wafer storage area onto said stage;
- control means for controlling the operation of said wafer stage and said transport mechanism, said control means including:
- (i) programmed logic means for automatically controlling the operation of said transport mechanism and said stage when said apparatus is in said automatic mode of operation, and
- (ii) manually operable means for controlling the operation of said transport mechanism and said stage when said apparatus is in said manual mode of operation;
- first sensing means for sensing the location of said transport arm and for delivering to said control means said first signal indicative of the position of said transport arm;
- second sensing means for sensing the position of said stage and for delivering to said control means said second signal indicative of the position of said stage;
- and
- lockout means operated by said control means when said apparatus is in said manual mode of operation for preventing the operation of said transport arm except when wafers are not on said stage and said stage is in said home position thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.