The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 31, 1977
Filed:
Mar. 26, 1976
George Anthony Caccoma, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
Paul Philip Castrucci, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
William Otto Druschel, Granite Springs, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A computer controlled manufacturing system employing random access semiconductor wafer storage in the fabrication of integrated circuit devices. A computer controlled manufacturing system for fabricating semiconductor wafers into large scale integrated circuit devices and wherein each semiconductor wafer has scored, or recorded thereon, distinct identifying indicia, such as a machine readable serial number. A plurality of concurrently operable semiconductor wafer processing stations are independently computer controlled. Each of the stations performing at least one discrete fabrication step. The manufacturing system including random access wafer storage means having n storage cells, each of said storage cells being adapted to store at least one semiconductor wafer, each of said n storage cells of said random access storage means being individually and randomly addressable under computer control to receive for storage in any predetermined one of said n storage cells a semiconductor wafer, or to provide from storage in any predetermined one of said n storage cells a semiconductor wafer. Reading means for reading the identifying indicia on said semiconductor wafers. Conveying means operative under computer control, said conveying means interconnecting said plurality of computer controlled concurrently operable semiconductor wafer processing stations, and said random access storage means, said conveying means being adapted to convey predetermined wafers to and from said random access storage means and selected ones of said processing stations. A digital computer system operable under stored program control means, said computer system being interconnected with and controlling said processing stations, said random access storage means, said reading means and said conveying means, whereby under computer control selected ones of said semiconductor wafers randomly stored in said random access storage means may be selected and fabricated into first part number large scale integrated circuit devices, and selected second ones of said semiconductor wafers randomly stored in said random access storage means may be selected and fabricated into second part number large scale integrated circuit devices, where said first and second part number devices are not identical.