Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ting-Yau Shiu

Jiun-Rong Pai

Yang-Ann Chu

Cheng-Lung Wu

Hsu-Shui Liu

Cheng-Kang Hu

Yi-Fam Shiu

Chang-Chen Tsao

Cheng-Fei Yu

Chih-Kuo Chang

Wei-Chen Lee

A load port is capable of monitoring various environmental parameters associated with a transport carrier to minimize and/or prevent exposure of the semiconductor substrates therein to increased humidity, increased oxygen, increased vibration, and/or one or more other elevated environmental conditions that might otherwise contaminate the semiconductor substrates, damage the semiconductor substrates, and/or cause processing defects. For example, the load port may monitor the environmental parameters as indicators of a potential blockage of a diffuser of the transport carrier, and a relief valve may be used to divert a gas away from the transport carrier based on a determination that a diffuser blockage has occurred. In this way, the gas may be diverted through the relief valve and away from the transport carrier to prevent increased humidity, contaminants, and/or vibration from contaminating and/or damaging the semiconductor substrates.

Load port and methods of operation

A portable robotic semiconductor pod loader may detect, with at least one sensor, receipt of a semiconductor pod on a load port of the portable robotic semiconductor pod loader. The at least one sensor is supported by the load port. The portable robotic semiconductor pod loader may cause a robot, of the portable robotic semiconductor pod loader, to align with the semiconductor pod provided on the load port. The portable robotic semiconductor pod loader may cause the robot to attach to the semiconductor pod, and may cause the robot to provide the semiconductor pod from the load port to a staging area of a semiconductor processing tool.

Portable robotic semiconductor pod loader

An apparatus and method for debonding a pair of bonded wafers are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the debonding apparatus, comprises: a wafer chuck having a preset maximum lateral dimension and configured to rotate the pair of bonded wafers attached to a top surface of the wafer chuck, a pair of circular plate separating blades including a first separating blade and a second separating blade arranged diametrically opposite to each other at edges of the pair of bonded wafers, wherein the first and the second separating blades are inserted between a first and a second wafers of the pair of bonded wafers, and at least two pulling heads configured to pull the second wafer upwardly so as to debond the second wafer from the first wafer.

Fully automated wafer debonding system and method thereof

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Taoyuan, Taiwan

Ting-Yau Shiu