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:
Apr. 14, 1998
Filed:
May. 17, 1996
Gen Nakamura, Utsunomiya, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and method includes a reticle library for accommodating therein a first reticle cassette, a cassette table for holding thereon a second reticle cassette of a shape different from that of the first reticle cassette, a first opening and closing mechanism for opening/closing the first reticle cassette in accordance with a predetermined first sequence, a second opening and closing mechanism for opening/closing the second reticle cassette in accordance with a predetermined second sequence different from the first sequence, a reticle stage for holding a reticle as unloaded from the first reticle cassette, for use of the reticle in the apparatus, a reticle hand for conveying a reticle as unloaded from the reticle stage, and a controller operable to discriminate one of the first and second reticle cassettes into which one cassette the reticle as unloaded from the reticle stage is to be accommodated, on the basis of reticle control information. The controller is also operable to move, through the reticle hand, the reticle into the first reticle cassette as being opened by the first opening and closing mechanism when the controller concludes that the reticle is to be accommodated in the first reticle cassette. The controller is also operable to move, through the reticle hand, the reticle into the second cassette as being opened by the second opening and closing mechanism when the controller concludes that the reticle is to be accommodate in the second reticle cassette.