Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Renesas Technology Corp.

Junji Iwasaki

Junichi Katsube

Yasushi Itami

Yoshiaki Yamada

Masashi Ohmori

Kazuyuki Mori

Atsushi Fujisaki

Tomohiro Yamaguchi

A product wafer processed by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is transferred to a check apparatus for checking, and a result thereof is sent to a host computer. A product wafer determined as being failed as a result of the checking is transported into an empty carrier by a built-in type wafer transport apparatus under the instruction of the host computer. The carrier in which the product wafer determined as being failed is accommodated is regarded as a rework lot by the host computer. Based on manufacturing standard information for rework held by the host computer, rework processing is performed through a wafer manufacturing operation. Therefore, such a semiconductor device manufacturing line results in that the carrier accommodating the product wafer is transferred and handled smoothly.

Semiconductor device manufacturing line

A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and a control method thereof which can shorten the manufacturing term of semiconductor devices are achieved. The semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes a plurality of processing apparatuses for taking out and processing semiconductor wafers successively which constitute a process lot, and including a standby port where a lot to be processed following processing of the process lot is put on standby. The semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus further includes a stocker for storing a lot to be transported to the standby port. According to the control method of the semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, it is predicted when there is no standby wafer left in the processing apparatus in a prediction step. The predicted time is used to set transfer starting time when transfer of the next-processed lot to the standby port is started in a time setting step. A lot to be processed next is selected in a lot selecting step. The next-processed lot is transported to the processing apparatus at or after the transfer starting time in a transfer step.

Semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and control method thereof

In a stocker entry task control method employed in a semiconductor wafer cassette transportation apparatus that has high transportation ability of a semiconductor wafer cassette, a host computer sends an interrogation to a stocker in which a semiconductor wafer cassette is to be stored whether there is an available storage site therein. The stocker ascertains the storage site if available. Then, the host computer sends a transportation task instruction to an inter-stocker transport device or an automatic carrier. Alternatively, an entry task instruction is sent to the stocker.

Control method of stocker entry task and stocker exit task in semiconductor wafer cassette transportation apparatus

According to a collation method of stocker storage in a semiconductor wafer cassette transportation apparatus having high semiconductor wafer cassette transportation ability, a host computer responds to an instruction from an operator to interrogate a stocker controller about storage of a semiconductor wafer cassette in a stocker. The stocker controller receiving the interrogation reports storage of a semiconductor wafer cassette in a stocker to the host computer. When the storage information retained by the host computer differs from the storage information reported from the stocker controller, the host computer provides a display of the discrepancy in storage information on an operator's terminal.

Collation method of stocker storage in semiconductor wafer cassette

Semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment comprising a selecting device for selecting semiconductor wafers destined to a processor on the basis of a remaining process time applicable to that processor in the equipment, a transporting device for transporting the selected semiconductor wafers to the processor, another selecting device for selecting a processor or a storage device constituting a transport destination to which to transport processed semiconductor wafers, and another transporting device for transporting the semiconductor wafers to the destination processor or storage device in accordance with a transport control changeover code read from the processors and storage devices of the equipment.

Method and apparatus for controlling semiconductor wafer fabrication

A stocker used in a semiconductor wafer cassette transportation apparatus comprises a plurality of stockers for storing a plurality of semiconductor wafer cassettes. Each stocker comprises manual output and input ports for exit and entry of semiconductor wafer cassettes by an operator, in which each port has an ID card reader/writer arranged lower than the bottom surface of the cassette and facing a communication arrangement at the bottom surface of an ID card attached on the side surface of a cassette. An automatic carrier transports cassettes between stockers and a processing apparatus, and an inter-stocker transport device transports cassettes between stockers. The number of semiconductor wafer cassettes that can be mounted on the manual output port is determined according to the maximum number of semiconductor wafer cassettes requested to be loaded by the processing apparatus. An embodiment of the invention includes automatic carrier input and output ports. An outer shield door arrangement for various ports of the stocker prevents intrusion of foreign objects.

Semiconductor wafer cassette transportation apparatus and stocker used

According to an automatic carrier control method of a semiconductor wafer cassette transportation apparatus having high semiconductor wafer cassette transportation ability, an automatic carrier carries a semiconductor wafer cassette to an automatic carrier related inlet port of a stocker under control of a host computer. The automatic carrier confirms whether a semiconductor wafer cassette is left on the inlet port. If there is no preceding semiconductor wafer cassette, a semiconductor wafer cassette is placed on the inlet port. If there is a preceding semiconductor wafer cassette, the automatic carrier waits for a predetermined time at inlet port for the preceding semiconductor wafer cassette to be removed. When the preceding semiconductor wafer cassette is not removed at an elapse of a predetermined time, an error is issued to the automatic carrier.

Automatic carrier control method in semiconductor wafer cassette

A semiconductor processing method includes the steps of carrying a case containing semiconductor wafers and to which an ID card is attached into semiconductor processing equipment at a first side of the semiconductor processing equipment; removing the ID card from the case; taking the semiconductor wafers out of the case; carrying the semiconductor wafers taken out of the case into a processing means on a second side, opposite to the first side, of the semiconductor processing equipment; processing the semiconductor wafers in the processing means; attaching the ID card corresponding to the semiconductor wafers to the case; taking the processed semiconductor wafers out of the processing means at the first side of the semiconductor processing equipment; putting the processed semiconductor wafers into the case to which the ID card is attached; and carrying the case outside the semiconductor equipment at the first side of the semiconductor equipment.

Semiconductor device processing method

Semiconductor processing equipment includes an ID-card removing robot, an ID-card stocking device, and an ID-card attaching robot so that the management of ID cards is performed inside the equipment. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to reduce equipment size and achieve highly efficient factory automation. Furthermore, in a semiconductor processing equipment module according to the present invention, each item of semiconductor processing equipment has its own ID-card stocking device. As a result, the number of case carriers can be reduced and a space reduction with increased factory automation can be easily realized.

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Junji Iwasaki