公开(公告)号：US06396072B1

公开(公告)日：2002-05-28

申请号：US09541199

申请日：2000-04-03

申请人： Eric Meyhofer ,  Kenneth A. Hardy ,  Cyril M. Kindt ,  Torben Ulander

发明人： Eric Meyhofer ,  Kenneth A. Hardy ,  Cyril M. Kindt ,  Torben Ulander

IPC分类号： G01N2186

CPC分类号： G06M1/101 ,  H01L21/67051 ,  H01L21/67265 ,  H01L21/67772

摘要： A load port interface for determining the presence or absence of wafers in a cassette, i.e. a wafer mapper, is integrated with a port closure assembly in a load port interface separating a process environment from an operator environment. A cover plate and a door are arranged in an L-shape, with both members being able to seal the port in a bulkhead of the load port interface. In one configuration, the cover plate seals the port, while door panel members rest horizontally on the operator side of the bulkhead. In this position, a wafer stack, W, inside of a cassette may be placed on the inside door panel, with the top of the wafer stack, W, being open. As the door is raised from the horizontal position to a vertical position, the wafer stack, W, is rotated through an opening in the bulkhead so that the wafer stack, W, is now on the process side. The wafer mapper features a moveable trolley connected to, or within, the door. The trolley can move parallel to the wafer stack, W, under control of a stepper motor and examine each row of the stack, counting wafers as light is reflected or scattered from the edges of the wafers. Each wafer may be optically probed through a window in a cover plate and characteristic signals may be plotted to provide subsequent wafer manufacturing operations with wafer locations. A movable air knife on a side of the window opposite the trolley is magnetically coupled to the trolley and is moved together with the trolley in order to clear the window of liquid droplets from the process environment. When the load port interface positions the cassette and wafer stack, W, in the process environment, a fine spray of liquid droplets may be directed about the wafer stack, W.

摘要翻译： 用于确定盒中晶片存在或不存在的负载端口接口（即晶片映射器）与分离工艺环境与操作者环境的负载端口接口中的端口闭合组件集成。 盖板和门布置成L形，两个构件能够将端口密封在负载端口接口的隔板中。 在一种构造中，盖板密封端口，而门板构件水平地搁置在隔板的操作者侧。 在这个位置上，盒的内部的晶片堆叠W可以放置在内侧门板上，晶片堆叠的顶部W被打开。 当门从水平位置升高到垂直位置时，晶片堆叠W通过隔板中的开口旋转，使得晶片堆叠W现在处于工艺侧。 晶片映射器具有连接到门或在门内的可移动手推车。 手推车可以在步进电机的控制下平行移动到晶片堆叠W，并检查堆叠的每一排，对晶片进行计数，因为光从晶片的边缘反射或散射。 每个晶片可以通过盖板中的窗口进行光学探测，并且可以绘制特征信号以提供具有晶片位置的后续晶片制造操作。 与台车相对的一侧的可移动气刀磁力地联接到手推车并与手推车一起移动，以便从工艺环境中清除液滴的窗口。 当负载端口接口将处理环境中的盒和晶片堆叠W定位时，液滴的精细喷射可以围绕晶片堆栈W引导。

公开(公告)号：US06610993B2

公开(公告)日：2003-08-26

申请号：US09337712

申请日：1999-06-21

申请人： Eric Meyhofer ,  Kenneth A. Hardy ,  Cyril M. Kindt ,  Torben J. H. Ulander

发明人： Eric Meyhofer ,  Kenneth A. Hardy ,  Cyril M. Kindt ,  Torben J. H. Ulander

IPC分类号： G01N2186

CPC分类号： H01L21/67265 ,  G06M1/101 ,  H01L21/67051 ,  H01L21/67772

摘要： An apparatus for determining the presence or absence of wafers in a cassette, i.e. a wafer mapper, is integrated with a door assembly in a load port interface that separates a process environment from an operator environment. In one orientation, a port cover plate seals an opening that pierces a bulkhead, while a door panel rests horizontally on the operator environment side of the bulkhead. In this position, a cassette of wafers may be placed on an inside surface of the door panel, with the top of the stack being open. As the door rotates to a vertical position, the wafer stack moves through the bulkhead opening thereby entering the process environment. A moveable trolley, connected to or within the door, moves parallel to the wafer stack detecting the presence of wafers by sensing light scattered from wafer edges through a window in a cover plate of the door panel. In this way the apparatus determines each wafer's location and may provide that information to subsequent wafer manufacturing operations. A movable air jet on a side of the window opposite the trolley, magnetically coupled to the trolley, moves with the trolley to clear liquid droplets or particles from the process environment side of the window.

摘要翻译： 用于确定盒中晶片的存在或不存在的装置，即晶片映射器，与将组件环境与操作者环境分离的负载端口接口中的门组件集成。 在一个方向上，端口盖板密封穿透隔板的开口，而门板水平地搁置在隔板的操作者环境侧。 在这个位置上，一个晶片盒可以被放置在门板的内表面上，堆叠的顶部是敞开的。 当门旋转到垂直位置时，晶片堆叠移动通过隔板开口，从而进入处理环境。 连接到门内的移动小车通过感测从晶片边缘散射的光通过门板的盖板中的窗口平行于晶片堆栈检测晶片的存在。 以这种方式，设备确定每个晶片的位置，并且可以将该信息提供给随后的晶片制造操作。 与手推车相反的与手推车相反的一侧的可移动空气喷射与手推车一起移动，以从窗户的过程环境侧清除液滴或颗粒。

公开(公告)号：US06013920A

公开(公告)日：2000-01-11

申请号：US199931

申请日：1998-11-25

申请人： Jeffrey M. Gordon ,  Cyril M. Kindt ,  Kenneth A. Hardy ,  Steven A. Bumgardner ,  William E. Wegener ,  Eric Meyhofer

发明人： Jeffrey M. Gordon ,  Cyril M. Kindt ,  Kenneth A. Hardy ,  Steven A. Bumgardner ,  William E. Wegener ,  Eric Meyhofer

IPC分类号： H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/677 ,  G01N21/86

CPC分类号： H01L21/67265 ,  H01L21/67772 ,  Y10S414/137

摘要： A load port interface (20) receives, opens and closes a wafer carrier (22). A bulkhead (24) carries a changeable mating plate (92) that is pierced by a window (94). Changing the mating plate (92) adapts the load port interface (20) for use with different sizes of carriers(22). A table (32) of the load port interface (20) receives the carrier (22), advances the carrier (22) until it abuts and seals to the bulkhead (24). An end-effector (42), located on an opposite side of the bulkhead (24) from the carrier (22), actuates latch keys (54) to unlatch a door (48) from the carrier (22). The load port interface (20) then moves the unlatched door (48) rectilinearly, first horizontally away from the bulkhead (24) and then vertically downward, to expose semiconductor wafers (48) present within the carrier (22). The end-effector (42) includes sensors (86, 104) for collecting data about wafers (82) within the carrier (22) by detecting edges (118) thereof. This data is analyzed to determine the arrangement of wafers (82) within the carrier (22).

摘要翻译： 负载端口接口（20）接收，打开和关闭晶片载体（22）。 舱壁（24）承载由窗（94）刺穿的可更换配合板（92）。 改变配合板（92）适应负载端口接口（20）以便与不同尺寸的载体（22）一起使用。 负载端口接口（20）的工作台（32）接收承载件（22），使承载件（22）前进，直到其邻接并密封到隔板（24）。 位于隔板（24）与托架（22）相反的一侧的端部执行器（42）致动闩锁键（54）以从托架（22）解锁门（48）。 负载端口接口（20）然后直接地将未锁定的门（48）移动，首先水平地离开隔板（24），然后垂直向下移动，以露出存在于载体（22）内的半导体晶片（48）。 末端执行器（42）包括传感器（86,104），用于通过检测载体（22）的边缘（118）来收集关于载体（22）内的晶片（82）的数据。 分析该数据以确定载体（22）内的晶片（82）的布置。