Method of wafer system interlock for the protection of equipment and product in semiconductor processing bridge tool

A system for handling multiple wafer sizes, comprising:

• one or more wafer stations;
• a wafer handling robot having one or more robot hands configured to handle semiconductor wafers;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the wafer handling robot, the controller comprising:
• a command parser configured to receive and parse user input from a tool computer operatively coupled to the controller;
• a wafer interlock logic configured to:
• set size parameters for each of the one or more wafer stations and the one or more robot hands based on the user input;
• compare a first size parameter of a desired hand to a second size parameter of a desired wafer station, the desired hand and desired wafer station specified by the user input;
• if the first size parameter is equal to the second size parameter, or if the second size parameter is an all-size parameter, issue a command;
• and
• if the first size parameter is not equal to the second size parameter, generate an error;
• a motion processor configured to compute hand positions to thereby carry out motion;
• and
• an output generator configured to generate output indicating success or failure of the command.

A system for handling multiple wafer sizes, comprising:

• one or more wafer stations including an aligner station;
• a wafer handling robot having one or more hands configured to handle semiconductor wafers of at least 300 millimeter and 450 millimeter sizes;
• a tool computer configured to receive user input and display information representative of a state of the wafer handling robot;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the wafer handling robot, the controller comprising:
• a command parser configured to receive and parse user input from the tool computer operatively coupled to the controller;
• a wafer interlock logic configured to:
• set size parameters for each of the one or more wafer stations and the one or more hands based on the user input, the size parameters encoded with integers;
• compare a first size parameter of a desired hand to a second size parameter of a desired wafer station, the desired hand and desired wafer station specified by the user input;
• if the first size parameter is equal to the second size parameter, or if the second size parameter is an all-size parameter, issue a command;
• and
• if the first size parameter is not equal to the second size parameter, generate an error;
• a motion processor configured to compute hand positions;
• a servo control configured to send input to a motor driver to thereby carry out motion and receive output from a motor encoder configured to sense one or more motor positions;
• and
• an output generator configured to generate output indicating success or failure of the command.