AUTOMATIC HANDLING SYSTEM APPLIED TO MANY WAFER PROCESSING DEVICES

Abstract

An automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices includes a handling rail unit and a transport vehicle unit. The handling rail unit includes at least one handling rail. The transport vehicle unit includes a plurality of OHT vehicles disposed under the handling rail and mated with the handling rail, wherein each OHT vehicle includes at least one sliding portion slidably disposed on the handling rail, at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, and at least one suspended portion connected between the sliding portion and the rotatable portion, wherein the wafer carrier device has a wafer pick-and-place opening, and the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the wafer processing device.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The instant disclosure relates to an automatic handling system, and more particularly, to an automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] In semiconductor manufacturing, lots of wafers have to be subjected to a fabrication process with multiple steps so as to be manufactured into desired semiconductor devices. In order to obtain profit, all the semiconductor manufacturers wish to reduce the time required for manufacturing lots of wafers, thereby increasing the yield of the semiconductor fabrication plant. There are many factors to influence the time required for manufacturing the wafers. In addition to the time required for manufacturing wafers on the respective fabrication machine tools, the time for transporting the wafers among different fabrication machine tools is also another critical factor.

[0005] The traditional transport of wafers is achieved by manpower. In this case, operators push vehicles in which wafers are carried back and forth between different fabrication machine tools. However, with the continuous advancement of the semiconductor manufacturing process, the size of wafer is increased from 6'', 8'' to 12''. As a result, the size of a wafer carrier for carrying wafers is increased accordingly. For example, a semiconductor plant often utilizes front opened unified pods (FOUP). When a FOUP is loaded with 25 pieces of wafers, the total weight of the wafer carrier is up to 8 kilograms, so that the traditional transport by manpower is not feasible any more. Moreover, taking the yield or other factors into consideration, it is necessary to provide a wafer transport system with high rate and efficiency, whereby the yield of a semiconductor plant can be increased. Therefore, an automatic transport system is developed for this purpose.

[0006] A common automatic transport system includes a plurality of overhead transport rail sets. A plurality of sets of fabrication machine tools is provided below each of the overhead transport rail sets. Each of the overhead transport rail sets defines a bay. The fabrication machine tools disposed in the same bay will be closely related to each other. The transport rail sets are provided with a plurality of overhead hoist transport vehicles (OHT vehicles) or called "vehicles" for short. The vehicles move on the overhead transport rail sets, whereby the wafer carrier can be transported from one fabrication machine tool to another fabrication machine tool. Further, each of the overhead transport rail sets is connected with another overhead transport rail set, so that the vehicles can move into different overhead transport rail sets to thereby transport the wafer carrier into the fabrication machine tool of another bay.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] One particular aspect of the instant disclosure is to provide an automatic handling system that can be applied to many wafer processing devices.

[0008] One of the embodiments of the instant disclosure provides an automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices, comprising: a handling rail unit and a transport vehicle unit. The handling rail unit includes at least one handling rail, wherein the handling rail is disposed above the wafer processing devices and selectively crosses through the wafer processing devices. The transport vehicle unit includes a plurality of OHT vehicles disposed under the handling rail and mated with the handling rail, wherein each OHT vehicle includes at least one sliding portion slidably disposed on the handling rail, at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, and at least one suspended portion connected between the sliding portion and the rotatable portion, wherein the wafer carrier device has a wafer pick-and-place opening, and the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the wafer processing device.

[0009] One of the embodiments of the instant disclosure provides an automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices, comprising: a handling rail unit and a transport vehicle unit. The handling rail unit includes at least one handling rail, wherein the handling rail is disposed above the wafer processing devices and selectively crosses through the wafer processing devices. The transport vehicle unit includes a plurality of OHT vehicles disposed under the handling rail and mated with the handling rail, wherein each OHT vehicle includes at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, the wafer carrier device has a wafer pick-and-place opening, and the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the wafer processing device.

[0010] One of the embodiments of the instant disclosure provides an automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices, comprising: a handling rail unit and a transport vehicle unit. The handling rail unit includes at least one handling rail. The transport vehicle unit includes a plurality of OHT vehicles disposed under the handling rail and mated with the handling rail, wherein each OHT vehicle includes at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, wherein the wafer carrier device has a wafer pick-and-place opening, and the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the wafer processing device.

[0011] Therefore, each OHT vehicle includes at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, thus the wafer carrier device can be rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device in order to adjust the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to certainly face the wafer processing device.

[0012] To further understand the techniques, means and effects of the instant disclosure applied for achieving the prescribed objectives, the following detailed descriptions and appended drawings are hereby referred, such that, through which, the purposes, features and aspects of the instant disclosure can be thoroughly and concretely appreciated. However, the appended drawings are provided solely for reference and illustration, without any intention to limit the instant disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a lateral, schematic view of the automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices according to the instant disclosure;

[0014] FIGS. 2A to 2C are top, schematic views of the automatic handling system applied to many first wafer processing machines according to the instant disclosure, at different stages of the transporting processes, respectively;

[0015] FIGS. 3A to 3D are top, schematic views of the automatic handling system applied to many first and second wafer processing machines according to the instant disclosure, at different stages of the transporting processes, respectively;

[0016] FIG. 4A shows a top, schematic view of the automatic handling system applied to many first wafer processing machines according to the instant disclosure; and

[0017] FIG. 4B shows a top, schematic view of the automatic handling system applied to many first and second wafer processing machines according to the instant disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A to 2C, and 3A to 3D, FIG. 1 is a lateral schematic view, and FIGS. 2A to 2C and 3A to 3D are top schematic views.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3A, the instant disclosure provides an automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices M, comprising: a handling rail unit 1 and a transport vehicle unit 2. Moreover, the wafer processing devices M can be divided into a first wafer processing unit M1 and a second wafer processing unit M2. The first wafer processing unit M1 includes a plurality of first wafer processing machines M10, and the handling rail unit 1 can pass through the right side of the first wafer processing machines M10. The second wafer processing unit M2 includes a plurality of second wafer processing machines M20, and the handling rail unit 1 can pass through the left side of the second wafer processing machines M20. Each first wafer processing machine M10 includes a plurality of first placement areas M100 disposed on the right side R thereof, and each second wafer processing machine M20 includes a plurality of second placement areas M200 disposed on the left side L thereof. The right side R of the first wafer processing machine M10 and the left side L of the second wafer processing machine M20 are two opposite sides. The right side R of the first wafer processing machine M10 is defined as the right side of the advance direction of the transport vehicle unit 2, and the left side L of the second wafer processing machine M20 is defined as the left side of the advance direction of the transport vehicle unit 2.

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3A, the handling rail unit 1 includes at least one handling rail 10, and the handling rail 10 can be disposed above the wafer processing devices M and selectively crosses through the wafer processing devices M. For example, the handling rail 10 can cross through the first placement areas M100 of each first wafer processing machine M10 and the second placement areas M200 of each second wafer processing machine M20.

[0021] Furthermore, the transport vehicle unit 2 includes a plurality of OHT vehicles 20 disposed under the handling rail 10 and mated with the handling rail 10. Each OHT vehicle 20 includes at least one sliding portion 201 slidably disposed on or in the handling rail 10, at least one rotatable portion 202 for clamping at least one wafer carrier device 3, and at least one suspended portion 203 connected between the sliding portion 201 and the rotatable portion 202. For example, the rotatable portion 202 of each OHT vehicle 20 for clamping the wafer carrier device 3 can be selectively rotated from 0 to 360 degrees (as the rotary arrow shown in FIG. 1), and the wafer carrier device 3 includes a plurality of wafers W placed inside the inner portion thereof.

[0022] Moreover, referring to FIGS. 1 and 3A, the wafer carrier device 3 has a wafer pick-and-place opening 30, and the wafer carrier device 3 can be rotated by the rotatable portion 202 of the OHT vehicle 20 according to the position of the wafer processing device M in order to adjust the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening 30 to certainly face the wafer processing device M. In other words, the wafer carrier device 3 can be rotated by the rotatable portion 202 of the OHT vehicle 20 according to the positions of the first wafer placement areas M100 of the first wafer processing machine M10 for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening 30 to certainly face the first placement area M100. Alternatively, the wafer carrier device 3 can be rotated by the rotatable portion 202 of the OHT vehicle 20 according to the positions of the second wafer placement areas M200 of the second wafer processing machine M20 for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening 30 to certainly face the second placement area M200.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1, and 2A to 2C, when the wafer processing devices M are the first wafer processing machines M10, the wafer carrier device 3 can be clamped by the rotatable portion 202 (as shown in FIG. 1) and go forwardly along the handling rail 10 by the sliding portion 201 (as the rightward arrow shown in FIG. 1) to reach a predetermined first wafer processing machine M10 (as shown in FIG. 2B). Hence, the wafer carrier device 3 can be placed on the predetermined first wafer processing machine M10 to execute related semiconductor process (as shown in FIG. 2c) and the OHT vehicle 20 is proceeding to go forwardly (as shown in FIG. 2c).

[0024] Furthermore, referring to FIGS. 1 and 3A to 3D, when the wafer processing devices M are the first wafer processing machines M10 mated with the second wafer processing machines M20, the wafer carrier device 3 can be clamped by the rotatable portion 202 (as shown in FIG. 1) and go forwardly along the handling rail 10 by the sliding portion 201 (as the rightward arrow shown in FIG. 1) to reach a predetermined second wafer processing machine M20 (as shown in FIG. 3c). However, because the second placement areas M200 are disposed beside the left side L of the second wafer processing machine M20, the wafer carrier device 3 needs to be rotated by the rotatable portion 202 (as the rotary arrow shown in FIG. 3B) to adjust the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening 30 from face-left (the face-left is defined as the left-hand of the advance direction of the OHT vehicle 20) to face-right (the face-right is defined as the right-hand of the advance direction of the OHT vehicle 20). Finally, the wafer carrier device 3 can be placed on the predetermined second wafer processing machine M20 to execute related semiconductor process (as shown in FIG. 3D) and the OHT vehicle 20 is proceeding to go forwardly (as shown in FIG. 3D).

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the wafer processing devices M are the first wafer processing machines M10 (as shown in FIG. 4A), only six first wafer processing machines M10 can be arranged on a predetermined placement space. However, when the wafer processing devices M are the first wafer processing machines M10 mated with the second wafer processing machines M20 (as shown in FIG. 4B), four first wafer processing machines M10 and four second wafer processing machines M20 can be arranged on the predetermined placement space (if the first wafer processing machine M10 and the second wafer processing machine M20 occupy the same placement space). Hence, the number of the wafer processing devices M can be increased due to the usage of the rotatable portion 202.

[0026] In addition, referring to FIG. 4B, the first wafer processing machines M10 and the second wafer processing machines M20 can be arranged alternately as a wavy shape, thus the first placement areas M100 and the second placement areas M200 can be arranged as a straight line.

[0027] In conclusion, each OHT vehicle includes at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, thus the wafer carrier device can be rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device in order to adjust the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to certainly face the wafer processing device.

[0028] The above-mentioned descriptions merely represent the preferred embodiments of the instant disclosure, without any intention or ability to limit the scope of the instant disclosure which is fully described only within the following claims. Various equivalent changes, alterations or modifications based on the claims of instant disclosure are all, consequently, viewed as being embraced by the scope of the instant disclosure.

Claims

1. An automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices, comprising: a handling rail unit including at least one handling rail, wherein the handling rail is disposed above the wafer processing devices and selectively crosses through the wafer processing devices; and a transport vehicle unit including a plurality of OHT vehicles disposed under the handling rail and mated with the handling rail, wherein each OHT vehicle includes at least one sliding portion slidably disposed on the handling rail, at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, and at least one suspended portion connected between the sliding portion and the rotatable portion, wherein the wafer carrier device has a wafer pick-and-place opening, and the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the wafer processing device.

2. The automatic handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wafer processing devices are divided into a first wafer processing unit and a second wafer processing unit, the first wafer processing unit includes a plurality of first wafer processing machines, the second wafer processing unit includes a plurality of second wafer processing machines, each first wafer processing machine includes a plurality of first placement areas disposed on the right side thereof, each second wafer processing machine includes a plurality of second placement areas disposed on the left side thereof, and the right side of the first wafer processing machine and the left side of the second wafer processing machine are two opposite sides.

3. The automatic handling system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the handling rail crosses through the first placement areas of each first wafer processing machine and the second placement areas of each second wafer processing machine, wherein the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the positions of the first wafer placement areas of the first wafer processing machine for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the first placement area, and wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the positions of the second wafer placement areas of the second wafer processing machine for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the second placement area.

4. The automatic handling system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first wafer processing machines and the second wafer processing machines are arranged alternately as a wavy shape, thus the first placement areas and the second placement areas are arranged as a straight line.

5. The automatic handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotatable portion of each OHT vehicle for clamping the wafer carrier device is selectively rotated from 0 to 360 degrees.

6. An automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices, comprising: a handling rail unit including at least one handling rail, wherein the handling rail is disposed above the wafer processing devices and selectively crosses through the wafer processing devices; and a transport vehicle unit including a plurality of OHT vehicles disposed under the handling rail and mated with the handling rail, wherein each OHT vehicle includes at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, the wafer carrier device has a wafer pick-and-place opening, and the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the wafer processing device.

7. The automatic handling system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the wafer processing devices are divided into a first wafer processing unit and a second wafer processing unit, the first wafer processing unit includes a plurality of first wafer processing machines, the second wafer processing unit includes a plurality of second wafer processing machines, each first wafer processing machine includes a plurality of first placement areas disposed on the right side thereof, each second wafer processing machine includes a plurality of second placement areas disposed on the left side thereof, and the right side of the first wafer processing machine and the left side of the second wafer processing machine are two opposite sides.

8. The automatic handling system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the handling rail crosses through the first placement areas of each first wafer processing machine and the second placement areas of each second wafer processing machine, wherein the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the positions of the first wafer placement areas of the first wafer processing machine for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the first placement area, and wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the positions of the second wafer placement areas of the second wafer processing machine for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the second placement area.

9. An automatic handling system applied to many wafer processing devices, comprising: a handling rail unit including at least one handling rail; and a transport vehicle unit including a plurality of OHT vehicles disposed under the handling rail and mated with the handling rail, wherein each OHT vehicle includes at least one rotatable portion for clamping at least one wafer carrier device, wherein the wafer carrier device has a wafer pick-and-place opening, and the wafer carrier device is rotated by the rotatable portion of the OHT vehicle according to the position of the wafer processing device for adjusting the direction of the wafer pick-and-place opening to face the wafer processing device.

10. The automatic handling system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the handling rail is disposed above the wafer processing devices and selectively crosses through the wafer processing devices, wherein each OHT vehicle includes at least one sliding portion slidably disposed on the handling rail and at least one suspended portion connected between the sliding portion and the rotatable portion.

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