IC receiving tray storage device and mounting apparatus for the same

A tray storage device mounting apparatus adapted to a semiconductor device transporting and handling apparatus wherein semiconductor devices are transported from a loader section to a test section where the semiconductor devises are tested and the tested semiconductor devices are transported from said test section to an unloader section where the tested semiconductor devices are sorted on the basis of the test results, said tray storage device mounting apparatus comprising:

• a pedestal having a size larger than that of a bottom of a tray storage device for receiving thereon said tray storage device in which a plurality of trays are vertically stacked with each other, each of said trays being loaded thereon with semiconductor devices, and said tray storage device being provided thereon with engagement means;
• positioning means provided within said mounting apparatus for positioning the tray storage device in a predetermined position within said mounting apparatus when the positioning means engages with engagement means of the tray storage device;
• tray lift means for vertically lifting upward the trays vertically stacked with each other and stored in the tray storage device;
• and
• tray transfer means for gripping an uppermost tray of the trays stored in the tray storage device and lifted up at a predetermined ultimate lifted position by the tray lift means and for transporting the thus gripped tray to a desired position.

A tray storage device mounting apparatus used in a semiconductor device transporting and handling apparatus for mounting a tray storage device comprising:

• a pedestal for receiving thereon a tray storage device which stores a plurality of trays in a vertically stacked state, each loaded thereon with semiconductor devices;
• positioning means provided on said mounting apparatus for positioning the thus received tray storage device at a predetermined position within said mounting apparatus by engagement of the positioning means with engagement means provided on the tray storage device;
• and
• tray lift means for lifting the trays stored in the vertically stacked state in the tray storage device upward to thereby allow an uppermost tray of the stacked trays thus lifted up to be transported to a desired position by tray transfer means.

A tray storage device mounting apparatus used in a semiconductor device transporting and handling apparatus for mounting a tray storage device comprising:

• a pedestal receiving thereon a tray storage device which stores a plurality of trays in a vertically stacked state, each said tray being loaded thereon with semiconductor devices, said pedestal having a larger size than a bottom of said tray storage device and being movable between in and out positions which are inside and outside of the mounting apparatus;
• engagement means provided on the tray storage device;
• positioning means provided on said mounting apparatus and engaging with the engagement means of the tray storage device for positioning the tray storage device at a predetermined position within said mounting apparatus;
• and
• tray lift means for lifting the trays stored in the vertically stacked state in the tray storage device upward.

A tray storage device mounting apparatus used in a semiconductor device transporting and handling apparatus for mounting a tray storage device comprising:

• a pedestal for receiving a tray storage device storing a plurality of trays in a vertically stacked state, each loaded thereon with semiconductor devices, said pedestal having a larger size than a bottom of said tray storage device and being movable between in and out positions which are inside and outside of the mounting apparatus;
• engagement means provided on the tray storage device;
• positioning means provided on said mounting apparatus for positioning the tray storage device at a predetermined position within said mounting apparatus when the positioning means engages with the engagement means of the tray storage device while the pedestal loaded thereon with the tray storage device is located at its in position;
• and
• tray lift means for lifting the trays stored in the vertically stacked state in the tray storage device upward while the pedestal is located at its in position.

A tray storage device mounting apparatus for mounting a tray storage device at a predetermined position in a semiconductor device transporting and handling apparatus which transports semiconductor devices to be tested from a loader section to a test section where the semiconductor devices are tested and transports the tested semiconductor devices from said test section to an unloader section where the tested semiconductor devices are sorted into different categories on the basis of the test results, said tray storage device mounting apparatus comprising:

• a pedestal for receiving thereon a tray storage device, said tray storage device having a casing for storing therein a plurality of trays which are vertically stacked with each other in said casing, each of said trays being loaded thereon with semiconductor devices, and said tray storage device being provided with engagement means;
• positioning means provided on said mounting apparatus for positioning the tray storage device at a predetermined position within said mounting apparatus by engagement of the positioning means with the engagement means of the tray storage device;
• tray lift means adapted for vertically lifting upward the trays stored in the vertically stacked state in the casing of the tray storage device when said tray storage device is positioned in the predetermined position within said mounting apparatus;
• and
• tray transfer means provided above the tray storage device within the tray storage device mounting apparatus for gripping an uppermost tray of the trays stored in the vertically stacked state in the casing of the tray storage device at a predetermined ultimate lifted position at which the uppermost tray is lifted by the tray lift means and for transporting the thus gripped uppermost tray to a desired position.

A mounting apparatus for mounting a plurality of tray storage devices each comprising a bottom plate and casing means for forming on said bottom plate a casing room in which a plurality of device trays are stored in a vertically stacked state to each other, each of said device trays being adapted to store semiconductor devices, said mounting apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of pedestals, each comprising a pedestal plate and a carrying mechanism carrying said pedestal plate between inside and outside positions thereof which are inside and outside of the mounting apparatus, respectively;
• a plurality of tray lift means each provided to correspond to each of the pedestals;
• and
• tray transfer means commonly provided above said pedestals for gripping, transferring, and releasing the device tray;
• wherein
• each of said tray storage devices is loaded on each of said pedestal plates when the pedestal plate is located at the outside position and carried into the mounting apparatus when the pedestal plate is located at the inside position by said carrying mechanism,
• said bottom plate of each said tray storage device has an opening,
• said pedestal plate of each said pedestal has an opening which is vertically aligned to the opening of the bottom plate of the tray storage device loaded thereon,
• each of said tray lift means is provided at such a location underneath the vertically aligned openings of the pedestal plate and bottom plate when the pedestal plate is located at the inside position, and vertically movable through the openings so as to vertically lift up and down the vertically stacked device trays stored in the casing room, and
• said tray transfer means is located at such a location above one of the pedestals where the vertically stacked device trays stored thereon are vertically lifted up by its tray lift means and grips an uppermost one of the thus lifted up device trays, so that upon completion of the vertically lifting down movement of the tray lift means, the thus gripped device tray is capable of being transferred to and released at the desired location.