CN220456371U - Multi-layer storage and loading system for front opening wafer transfer cassettes - Google Patents

Abstract

A multilayer storage and loading system of a front opening wafer transfer box comprises a storage unit and a feeding and discharging unit. The storage unit comprises a shell, wherein a first surface of the shell comprises a feeding port and a discharging port, and a second surface of the shell comprises a plurality of loading ports; the multi-layer storage mechanism is arranged in the shell and used for bearing a plurality of front opening wafer transfer boxes; a lifting mechanism for axially moving the multi-layer storage mechanism to a plurality of positions; a plurality of cover opening mechanisms attached to the plurality of loading ports of the second surface. The feeding and discharging unit is arranged on the first surface of the shell and comprises a feeding and discharging platform for bearing the front opening wafer conveying box; the code reading mechanism is arranged on one side of the feeding and discharging platform and used for identifying codes on the front opening type conveying box; the driving mechanism is used for driving the feeding and discharging platform. The setting position of the feeding and discharging platform corresponds to the feeding and discharging port, and the driving mechanism drives the feeding and discharging platform to enable the front opening wafer conveying box to convey the feeding and discharging storage unit from the feeding and discharging port through the feeding and discharging platform.

Description

Multi-layer storage and loading system for front opening wafer transfer cassettes

Technical Field

The present utility model relates to a storage and loading system for a wafer cassette, and more particularly, to a multi-layered storage and loading system for a front opening wafer cassette.

Background

Integrated circuit processes involve tens or even hundreds of different processes for processing semiconductor wafers, including etching, developing, diffusing, ion implantation, heat treatment, vapor deposition, etc., and each time one process is completed, the semiconductor wafer is transported to the next process for processing. In order to transport semiconductor wafers between the various process stations, semiconductor manufacturers typically place one or more semiconductor wafers in Front Opening Unified Pods (FOUPs) to protect the semiconductor wafers from contaminants such as dust particles, organic gases, vapors, etc. during storage and transport.

After the semiconductor wafers are placed in the front opening unified pod, the front opening unified pod is typically transported between the processing stations by means of a robot arm, an overhead crane, or the like. After arriving at the processing station, the front opening unified pod is placed on a loading system in preparation for loading the front opening unified pod onto processing equipment at the station for processing.

The loading system is provided with a code reading mechanism and a bearing platform, and the front opening wafer transfer box is placed on the bearing platform. Before the process begins, the code reading mechanism will begin to read the code on the front opening unified pod to confirm that the processing lot or lot is correct. Then, the loading system will convey the front opening wafer transfer box to the connection port of the processing equipment, and open the front cover of the front opening wafer transfer box through the cover opening mechanism, so that the robot arm of the processing equipment can pick up or deliver the semiconductor wafer into the processing equipment for processing.

When the semiconductor wafer is processed at the processing equipment station, the robot arm delivers the processed semiconductor wafer back into the front opening unified pod. After all the semiconductor wafers are put back into the front opening wafer transfer box, the front opening wafer transfer box is covered by a cover, and then the front opening wafer transfer box is conveyed to the next processing station from the loading system by a robot arm or an overhead crane. In this process, since the loading system can only place one front opening unified pod at a time and process the semiconductor wafer in the processing equipment, when the processing is completed and the next front opening unified pod needs to be replaced, the next front opening unified pod must be waited for being transported to the next processing station by the overhead travelling crane before being transported to the loading system. Thus, the process equipment must be idle and waiting, and cannot be operated continuously, which affects the productivity. In other words, when the front open-type wafer cassette is to be fed into or withdrawn from the processing apparatus, the front open-type wafer cassette is loaded by the same loading system, and the loading system can only load one front open-type wafer cassette at a time, which seriously affects the process smoothness and productivity. At present, most of the methods for solving the conflict between the feeding and discharging of the open wafer transfer box in the prior art and the loading system are to install at least more than two loading systems.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present utility model to provide a multi-layered storage and loading system for front opening unified pods, which is different from the conventional loading system in that the multi-layered storage and loading system for front opening unified pods according to the present utility model has a multi-layered storage mechanism, and the multi-layered storage mechanism is capable of pre-feeding and storing a plurality of front opening unified pods through a feeding and discharging unit. The multi-layer storage mechanism can store at least more than two front opening wafer transfer boxes, so when one front opening wafer transfer box finishes processing, processing equipment can immediately load another front opening wafer transfer box and start processing, the front opening wafer transfer boxes which finish processing can be simultaneously returned, the front opening wafer transfer boxes are moved out from the storage unit to the feeding and discharging unit, then the front opening wafer transfer boxes are conveyed to the next station by the crown block, and then another front opening wafer transfer box to be processed is placed.

Therefore, the multi-layer storage and loading system of the front opening unified pod can independently separate the loading process and the feeding and discharging process of the front opening unified pod from the process to avoid mutual collision. In other words, the plurality of front opening unified pods can be transported and stored in the storage unit in advance by the multi-layered storage mechanism in the storage unit, so that the processing apparatus can continuously load the semiconductor wafers without interruption of the supply, and at the same time, the front opening unified pods after being processed can be temporarily placed in the multi-layered storage mechanism or returned without affecting the loading supply. The multilayer storage and loading system of the front opening wafer transfer box can effectively improve the smoothness of the process and can greatly improve the productivity.

In order to achieve the above objective, the present utility model provides a multi-layered storage and loading system of a front opening unified pod, which includes a storage unit and a feeding and discharging unit. The storage unit comprises a shell, a multi-layer storage mechanism, a lifting mechanism and a plurality of cover opening mechanisms. The first surface of the shell is provided with a feeding port and a discharging port, and the second surface of the shell comprises a plurality of loading ports; the multi-layer storage mechanism is arranged in the shell and used for bearing a plurality of front opening wafer transfer boxes; the lifting mechanism is used for axially moving the multilayer storage mechanism to a plurality of positions; the plurality of cover opening mechanisms are attached to the plurality of loading ports of the second surface of the housing. The feeding and discharging unit is arranged on the first surface of the shell and comprises a feeding and discharging platform, a code reading mechanism and a driving mechanism. The feeding and discharging platform is used for bearing the front opening wafer conveying box; the code reading mechanism is arranged at one side of the feeding and discharging platform and is used for identifying codes on the front opening wafer conveying box; the driving mechanism is used for driving the feeding and discharging platform. The front opening type wafer conveying box conveys the storage unit from the material inlet and outlet port through the material inlet and outlet platform.

In an embodiment of the utility model, the multi-layer storage mechanism includes a storage frame, and the storage frame has at least 2 layers for carrying at least 2 front opening pods.

In an embodiment of the utility model, the multi-layer storage mechanism includes a plurality of single-layer independently movable platforms.

In an embodiment of the utility model, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting platform disposed at an inner bottom of the housing.

In an embodiment of the utility model, the lifting mechanism further includes a plurality of sliding rails vertically disposed inside the housing, and the multi-layer storage mechanism is attached to the plurality of sliding rails, so that the multi-layer storage mechanism can move axially along the sliding rails to a plurality of positions.

In one embodiment of the present utility model, the plurality of door mechanisms includes at least 2 door mechanisms attached to at least 2 load ports of the plurality of load ports.

In an embodiment of the present utility model, the number of the plurality of cover opening mechanisms and the number of the plurality of loading ports may be equal or unequal.

In an embodiment of the utility model, the bottom of the storage unit and the feeding and discharging unit further includes a plurality of supporting members and a plurality of multi-directional wheels.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional loading system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a multi-layered storage and loading system for front opening unified pods according to one embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a feeding and discharging unit according to an embodiment of the utility model.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a storage frame according to an embodiment of the utility model.

Reference numerals illustrate: 10-a generally common loading system; a multi-tier storage and loading system for a front opening wafer cassette; 100-front opening wafer transfer box; 200-a storage unit; 210-a housing; 211-a first surface; 212-a second surface; 213-a feed and discharge port; 220-a multi-layered storage mechanism; 221-a storage frame; 230-a cover opening mechanism; 300-a feeding and discharging unit; 310-a material inlet and outlet platform; 320-code reading means; 330-a drive mechanism; 500-supporting pieces; 600-multidirectional wheel.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of a multi-layered storage and loading system for front opening pods of the present utility model will be described with reference to the associated drawings, wherein the dimensions and proportions of the various elements may be exaggerated or reduced in size for the sake of clarity and convenience in the description. In the following description and/or claims, the technical words used should be interpreted in a conventional sense known to those skilled in the art, and for convenience of understanding, like elements in the following embodiments are denoted by like reference numerals. In the present utility model, the terms "including," comprising, "" having, "and the like are all open-ended terms, meaning" including, but not limited to.

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a conventional loading system 10 is shown. As shown, the general loading system 10 is capable of placing only one open front wafer cassette 100, and when unprocessed semiconductor wafers are placed in the open front wafer cassette 100 and transported by a crown block or a robot arm, the open front wafer cassette 100 is transported to the processing equipment by the loading system 10 after the open front wafer cassette 100 is placed on the loading system 10, and then the front cover of the open front wafer cassette 100 is opened by the cover opening mechanism, and the semiconductor wafers are picked up and delivered by the robot arm into the processing equipment for processing. At this point, the front opening unified pod 100 may continue to be placed on the loading system 10. After the processing of the semiconductor wafers in the front opening wafer cassette 100 is completed, the front cover of the front opening wafer cassette 100 is closed by the cover opening mechanism, then the front opening wafer cassette 100 is transported to the overhead travelling crane for pickup by the loading system 10, and then the front opening wafer cassette 100 is transported to the next processing station by the overhead travelling crane. It should be noted that the processing equipment is in a waiting state, and it is necessary to wait for another front opening unified pod 100 to be transported to the loading system 10 before feeding again and starting the semiconductor wafer processing. Thus, the productivity of the process equipment cannot be improved.

Please refer to fig. 2-4, which illustrate a multi-layered storage and loading system of a front opening unified pod according to the present utility model. The multi-layered storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model includes a storage unit 200 and a loading and unloading unit 300. The storage unit includes a housing 210, a multi-layered storage mechanism 220, a lifting mechanism (not shown) and a plurality of cover opening mechanisms 230. The first surface 211 of the housing 210 has a feed and discharge port 213, and the second surface 212 of the housing 210 includes a plurality of loading ports (overlapping the cover opening mechanism 230 in the figure); the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 is disposed inside the housing 210 for carrying a plurality of front opening unified pods 100; the lifting mechanism is used for axially moving the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 to a plurality of positions; a plurality of cover opening mechanisms 230 are attached to the plurality of load ports of the second surface 212 of the housing 210. The feeding and discharging unit 300 is disposed on the first surface 211 of the housing 210, and includes a feeding and discharging platform 310, a code reading mechanism 320, and a driving mechanism 330. The material loading and unloading platform 310 is used for carrying the front opening wafer transfer box 100; the code reading mechanism 320 is disposed at one side of the feeding and discharging platform 310, and is used for identifying the code on the front opening wafer cassette 100; the driving mechanism 330 is used to drive the feeding and discharging platform 310. The setting position of the feeding and discharging platform 310 corresponds to the feeding and discharging port 213, and the driving mechanism 330 drives the feeding and discharging platform 310, so that the front opening wafer transfer box 100 is transferred from the feeding and discharging port 213 to the storage unit 200 through the feeding and discharging platform 310.

Further describing, in the multi-layered storing and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model, after a front opening unified pod 100 is transported by the overhead travelling crane and placed on the feeding and discharging platform 310 of the feeding and discharging unit 300, the code reading mechanism 320 can read the code on the front opening unified pod 100, and after confirming that the lot number is correct, the driving mechanism 330 of the feeding and discharging unit 300 can drive the feeding platform 310 to transfer the front opening unified pod 100 from the feeding and discharging port 213 of the storage unit 200 into the housing 210 of the storage unit 200, and place the front opening unified pod 100 in one layer of the multi-layered storing mechanism 220. Then, the driving mechanism 330 moves the feeding and discharging platform 310 back from the housing 210 to the waiting position of the feeding and discharging unit 300.

Please refer to fig. 2 and fig. 4. Before the front opening unified pod 100 is transferred into the storage unit 200, the layer of the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 where the front opening unified pod 100 is to be stored may be moved to a position corresponding to the feed/discharge port 213 by the lifting mechanism in advance, so that the front opening unified pod 100 is placed at a predetermined position. For example, the first front opening unified pod 100 may be placed on the uppermost layer of the multi-layer storage mechanism 220, then the lifting mechanism moves the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 upward to align the second layer of the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 with the feeding and discharging port 213, and then the feeding and discharging platform 310 transfers and places the second front opening unified pod 100 on the second layer of the multi-layer storage mechanism 220. By analogy, the number of layers of the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 may be adjusted according to actual production requirements to accommodate automated loading operations.

In one embodiment, the number of layers of the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 is at least 2, preferably 3, and most preferably 4.

It should be appreciated that, in order to allow the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 to move axially within the housing 210, the interior space of the housing 210 is sufficient to accommodate a space of about 2 times the number of layers of the multi-layer storage mechanism 220, such that the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 can move axially with both the uppermost and lowermost layers corresponding to the inlet and outlet ports 213.

In addition, the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 may be configured to move independently of each other, or may be configured to move simultaneously with each other. For example, as shown in fig. 4, in one embodiment, the multi-layered storage mechanism 220 may include a storage frame 221 as shown in fig. 4, and the storage frame 221 may be at least 2 layers for carrying at least 2 front opening pods 100. In another embodiment, the multi-layered storage mechanism 220 comprises a plurality of single-layered, independently movable platforms.

In one embodiment, the lifting mechanism may be, for example, a lifting platform disposed at the bottom of the housing 210, for supporting and axially moving the multi-layered storage mechanism to a plurality of positions.

In another embodiment, the lifting mechanism for axially moving the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 to a plurality of positions further includes a plurality of sliding rails (not shown in the drawings) vertically disposed inside the housing 210, and the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 is attached to the plurality of sliding rails, so that the multi-layer storage mechanism can be axially moved to a plurality of positions along the sliding rails. It should be appreciated that the purpose of the slide rails in this embodiment is to enable the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 to stably slide to a predetermined position, so as not to generate vibration, shake or collision during the movement, and to ensure that the front opening unified pod 100 stored in each layer of the multi-layer storage mechanism 220 is not damaged. Of course, it is within the scope of the present utility model for a person of ordinary skill in the art to perform equivalent technical transformations by this concept to achieve the objective of stabilizing the mobile multi-layer storage mechanism 220 and avoiding vibration and shock. For example, in another embodiment, the storage frame 221 may be stably axially moved along the slide rail by a lifting mechanism by attaching the upright sides of the storage frame 221 to the slide rail vertically provided inside the housing 210 with pulleys.

Referring to fig. 2 again, the second surface 212 of the storage unit 200 of the multi-layered storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model has a plurality of loading ports (overlapping with the lid opening mechanism 230 in the figure), and a plurality of lid opening mechanisms 230 are attached to the plurality of loading ports. The load port is used to interface with the processing tool to enable the front opening unified pod 100 to be loaded into the processing tool for processing. It should be appreciated that the lid opening mechanism 230 is used to open the front lid of the front opening unified pod 100 prior to loading the front opening unified pod 100 into the processing tool. Each loading port is configured according to the front opening interface mechanical standard (FIMS) to enable various processing equipment to receive the front opening unified pod 100 and pick up the semiconductor wafers therein for processing, and to protect the semiconductor wafers from contamination during storage and transportation.

Since the multiple front opening unified pod storage and loading system 20 of the present utility model can store a plurality of front opening unified pods 100, a plurality of front opening unified pods 100 can be simultaneously provided for loading and processing the processing equipment according to the processing requirements, and thus the number of the cover opening mechanisms 230 can be set according to the number of the loading ports and the processing requirements. In other words, for example, if it is necessary to simultaneously open the cover of 2 front opening unified pods 100, 2 cover opening mechanisms 230 may be provided. As shown in fig. 2, for example, there are 4 loading ports, so if it is necessary to open the front opening unified pod 100 simultaneously, 4 opening mechanisms 230 may be provided as shown in the present figure.

Furthermore, since the multi-layered storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model has a plurality of loading ports, the position and number of the cover opening mechanisms 230 can be set according to the actual operation requirements. For example: when there are 4 loading ports, 4 cover opening mechanisms 230 may be disposed at each loading port (as shown in fig. 2), or may be matched with the processing equipment, only 2 cover opening mechanisms 230 may be disposed at the middle position of the housing 210, and when the operation is performed, after the 2 front opening pods 100 are opened, the other 2 front opening pods 100 that are not opened are moved to the cover opening mechanisms 230 to be opened. In addition, the plurality of cover opening mechanisms 230 may be disposed in a discontinuous manner, for example: the 2 cap opening mechanisms 230 may be separately provided, and 1 cap opening mechanism 230 is provided at the uppermost layer of the corresponding load port, and the other 1 is provided at the lowermost layer. Accordingly, the number of door mechanisms 230 may or may not be equal to the number of load ports.

Referring to fig. 2 again, in order to enable the multi-layered storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model to be applied to the movement and operation in the factory, the multi-layered storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model is provided with a plurality of supporting members 500 and a plurality of multi-directional wheels 600 at the bottoms of the storage unit 200 and the feeding and discharging unit 300. It should be appreciated that the support 500 is a generally conventional adjustable support, the length of which can be adjusted, so that the length of the support 500 is reduced during movement so that it does not contact the ground, so that the multi-layered storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model can be moved. After moving to the predetermined position, the length of the supporting member 500 is adjusted to be longer, so that the multi-layered storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model can be stably supported and fixed, thereby avoiding careless moving of the equipment during operation.

In summary, the multi-tier storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod of the present utility model has the following advantages over the conventional loading system 10:

1. the storage unit 200 has a multi-layered storage mechanism 220 for storing a plurality of front opening unified pods 100 in multiple layers. When a front opening unified pod 100 completes processing, the material returning process is independent, which does not affect the material supply, and can continue the material supply without causing the equipment to be idle.

2. The front opening unified pod 100 may be opened at a specific location and simultaneously in a single or multiple front opening unified pods.

3. The in-out unit 300 may be used with a factory automation system to transport the front opening unified pod 100 to improve process smoothness and throughput.

4. Can be independently moved along with the position of the factory process equipment, and is fixed and operated after being moved to a preset position, so that the adjustability is high.

5. The front opening unified pod 100 performs the front loading operation (lid opening) after entering the storage unit 200, thereby preventing the semiconductor wafer materials from shaking or shifting during the loading process.

Of course, the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the scope of the present utility model, and any equivalent modifications or variations of the multi-layered storage and loading system 20 of the front opening unified pod according to the above embodiments are intended to be included in the scope of the present utility model.

In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present utility model does achieve the desired enhancement without departing from the prior art, and is well within the purview of those skilled in the art.

The foregoing is by way of example only and is not limiting. Any other equivalent modifications or variations of the present utility model without departing from the spirit and scope thereof should be included in the following claims.

Claims (8)

1. A multi-layered storage and loading system for front opening unified pods, comprising:

a storage unit comprising:

a housing; a first surface and a second surface of the shell, wherein the first surface comprises a material inlet and outlet port, and the second surface comprises a plurality of loading ports;

a multi-layer storage mechanism disposed inside the housing for carrying a plurality of front opening wafer cassettes;

a lifting mechanism for axially moving the multi-layered storage mechanism to a plurality of positions;

a plurality of cover opening mechanisms attached to the plurality of loading ports of the second surface;

a feeding and discharging unit arranged on the first surface of the shell and comprising:

a feeding and discharging platform for carrying a front opening wafer transfer box;

the code reading mechanism is arranged on one side of the feeding and discharging platform and used for identifying a code on the front opening type conveying box; and

a driving mechanism for driving the feeding and discharging platform;

the setting position of the feeding and discharging platform corresponds to the feeding and discharging port, and the driving mechanism drives the feeding and discharging platform to enable the front opening wafer conveying box to convey the feeding and discharging port to enter and exit the storage unit through the feeding and discharging platform.

2. The multi-tier storage and loading system of front opening unified pods as defined in claim 1 wherein the multi-tier storage mechanism includes a storage frame having at least 2 tiers for carrying at least 2 of the front opening unified pods.

3. The multi-tier storage and loading system of front opening unified pods as defined in claim 1 wherein the multi-tier storage mechanism includes a plurality of single-tier independently movable platforms.

4. The multi-tier storage and loading system of front opening unified pods as defined in claim 1 wherein the lift mechanism includes a lift platform disposed at the bottom of the housing.

5. The multi-tier storage and loading system of claim 1 wherein the lift mechanism further comprises a plurality of rails disposed vertically within the housing, and the multi-tier storage mechanism is attached to the plurality of rails for allowing the multi-tier storage mechanism to move axially along the rails to a plurality of positions.

6. The multi-tier storage and loading system of front opening pods as set forth in claim 1 wherein the plurality of cover opening mechanisms includes at least 2 cover opening mechanisms attached to at least 2 load ports of the plurality of load ports.

7. The multi-tier storage and loading system of front opening pods as set forth in claim 1 wherein the number of the plurality of cover opening mechanisms is equal or unequal to the number of the plurality of loading ports.

8. The multi-tier storage and loading system of front opening unified pods as defined in claim 1 wherein the storage unit and the bottom of the loading and unloading unit further include a plurality of supports and a plurality of multi-directional wheels.