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:
Aug. 09, 2005
Filed:
May. 09, 2002
Yan-ping Lee, Kaohsiung, TW;
Kuo-hsing Teng, Hsin Chu, TW;
Chi-chung Chang, Kaohsiung, TW;
Fu-shun Lo, Hsinchu, TW;
Yan-Ping Lee, Kaohsiung, TW;
Kuo-Hsing Teng, Hsin Chu, TW;
Chi-Chung Chang, Kaohsiung, TW;
Fu-Shun Lo, Hsinchu, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Hsin Chu, TW;
Abstract
A latch sensor for a pod transport gripper for transferring semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The transport gripper has a left bar and a right bar, as well as a cross bar connecting the left and the right bars. The gripper also has a left clamp and a right clamp disposed on interior sides of the left bar and the right bar, respectively, to clamp a pod, such as a front-opening unified pod (FOUP), for transport. A number of latches are disposed on the cross bar, and correspond to a number of latch holes of the pod. The gripper has at least one latch sensor disposed on either the left bar, the right bar, or both, to determine whether the latches have properly engaged the latch holes of the pod.