KR19990026072A - Storage room for semiconductor manufacturing line - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reservoir for a semiconductor manufacturing line. In the present invention, a worker performs split and merge operations on wafers in a wafer carrier by manual operation. By allowing them to automatically split and merge, you can expect an increase in product production efficiency.

Description

Storage room for semiconductor manufacturing line

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reservoir for a semiconductor manufacturing line, and more particularly, to a reservoir for a semiconductor manufacturing line that enables automated splitting and merging of wafers in a wafer carrier without manual labor.

Generally, the space in the semiconductor manufacturing line is kept in a clean state where temperature, humidity, and particles are artificially controlled to manufacture a semiconductor product having a good function. Is done.

The semiconductor manufacturing line is divided into regions for each unit process, each region includes a plurality of bays for process progress, and each bay is provided with various equipments for process progress.

In addition, the wafer carriers in which the wafers, which have completed the preceding process, in the unit of lot are loaded into the storage located in the bay for the next process by the automatic transfer system and the manual operation of the operator.

Then, the wafer carrier is released from the reservoir to be transferred to the facility by the controller control of the operator to proceed to the next process, wherein the data of the conveyed material in the reservoir is stored in the database for the automation of the line.

The shipped wafer carrier is transferred to a predetermined facility for the next process.

In this case, some of the wafers loaded in the wafer carrier may undergo different processes from those of other wafers. In this case, an operator may change wafers having different process conditions in one wafer carrier. After splitting into empty wafer carriers, the wafer carriers are loaded in respective process facilities to proceed with the process.

In addition, when wafers that are stored in different wafer carriers and undergo the same kind of process, the operator manually merges the wafers stored in each wafer carrier into one wafer carrier and then, The process was carried out.

However, when some of the wafers in one wafer carrier are split into different wafer carriers, or each of the wafers in the other wafer carrier is merged into one wafer carrier, the wafers are split or merged by the operator's manual work. There was a problem of deterioration of efficiency.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage for a semiconductor manufacturing line that enables splitting and merging of wafers loaded in a wafer carrier automatically in the storage.

1 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing a reservoir for a semiconductor manufacturing line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a conveying means for conveying and loading a wafer carrier containing a plurality of wafers in a predetermined position;

A plurality of working tables onto which the wafer carrier is loaded by the transfer means;

And wafer alignment means for splitting or merging the wafers in the wafer carrier loaded on the worktable.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing a storage for a semiconductor manufacturing line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, a stocker 10 for temporarily storing a wafer carrier (not shown) for storing wafers in a lot unit is arranged.

In this case, a space for storing the wafer carriers is formed in the storage 10.

In addition, an input conveyor (not shown) and an output conveyor (not shown) are installed in the storage 10 so that wafer carriers having completed the preceding process can be received and shipped into the storage 10. In the reservoir 10, a transfer means for loading the wafer carrier loaded on the input conveyor to a predetermined position in the reservoir 10, for example, a transfer robot 11 is installed.

At this time, the transfer robot 11 is mounted to be movable up, down, left, and right along a guide rail (not shown) so that the wafer carrier is loaded and then loaded at a predetermined position in the storage 10.

In addition, a predetermined area in the storage 10 is provided with a work bench 15 for loading a wafer carrier on which wafers for split and merge are loaded. At this time, the work bench 15 is composed of a first work bench 13 and a second work bench 14 so as to perform splitting and merging, while a work piece 15 is divided into wafers of the wafer carrier loaded on the work bench 10. Wafer alignment means for performing a merge function, for example, a wafer alignment robot 12, is provided in relation to the work table 12.

Referring to the operation of the reservoir for a semiconductor manufacturing line having such a structure in more detail as follows.

First, a wafer carrier containing wafers that have completed a predetermined process is temporarily stored into the storage 10 through an input conveyor to proceed with the next process. At this time, the controller (not shown) of the storage 10 identifies the next process of the temporarily stored wafer carrier, while the wafer carrier received through the input conveyor is transferred by the transfer robot 11 and stored in a predetermined storage space. .

Subsequently, when wafers having different process progress conditions are stored in the wafer carrier identified by the controller, the wafers having the same process progress are stored in one wafer carrier, and the transfer robot 11 then stores the wafers in a predetermined storage space. The stored wafer carrier is loaded on the first workbench 13 and the empty wafer carrier is loaded on the second workbench 14, and then loaded on the first workbench 13 by the wafer alignment robot 12. Split some of the wafers in the wafer into the empty wafer carrier loaded on the second workbench 14.

Subsequently, the wafer carriers that have undergone the split process are placed on the out conveyor for the next process by the transfer robot 11, and the wafer carrier is shipped through the out conveyor and transferred to the facility where the next process is to proceed.

In addition, when the wafers in the plurality of wafer carriers are merged into one wafer carrier, the wafers are merged into the wafer carrier by the wafer alignment robot 12 through the above-described process. In more detail, a plurality of wafer carriers received through an input conveyor are stored in a predetermined storage space by the transfer robot 11, and at this time, the controller grasps information about wafers in the received wafer carrier. .

According to the information of the controller, the transfer robot 11 places the wafer carrier to be merged on the first workbench 13 and the second workbench 14, and then the wafer alignment robot 12 makes the first operation. Wafers in the wafer carrier mounted on the workbench 13 and the second workbench 14 are merged into one wafer carrier.

Through this process, the wafer carrier containing the merged wafers is moved by the transfer robot 11 to the next process progress area through the out conveyor.

As such, the splitting and merging of the wafers in the wafer carrier by the manual labor of the worker can be expected to increase the efficiency of product production by automatically splitting and merging the wafers through the wafer alignment robot in the storage.

As described above, in the present invention, the worker performs split and merge operations on the wafers in the wafer carrier by manual operation. In the present invention, the wafers are automatically driven by the wafer alignment robot in conjunction with the transfer means in the storage. By splitting and merging, the efficiency of product production is increased.

Claims (3)

Conveying means for conveying and loading a wafer carrier containing a plurality of wafers in a predetermined position; A plurality of working tables onto which the wafer carrier is loaded by the transfer means; And wafer sorting means for splitting or merging the wafers in the wafer carrier loaded on the workbench. According to claim 1, wherein the workbench is a first workbench is loaded with the wafer carrier containing a plurality of wafers, and wafers in the wafer carrier loaded on the first workbench is split and received by the wafer alignment means A reservoir for a semiconductor manufacturing line, comprising a second workbench loaded with an empty wafer carrier. 3. The wafer carrier of claim 2, wherein the wafer carriers each containing a plurality of wafers are respectively loaded on each of the first and second working tables to merge the wafers into one of the wafer carriers loaded on the first and second working tables. Storage for semiconductor manufacturing lines.