High density stocker with interlocking nubs

• US 10,395,960 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Dovids, Gerhard, Fenner, Yves, Fiddes, John, Wohanka, Christian, Rahrbach, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): McClain, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US15/791,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20180122677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1617 Cellular, reconfigurable manipulator, e.g. cebot
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0297 Wafer cassette
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/005 comprising two or more co-operating conveying elements with parallel longitudinal axes the conveying elements being endless surfaces B65G15/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/02 Flow-sheets for conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67196 characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67259 Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67265 of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67346 characterized by being specially adapted for supporting a single substrate or by comprising a stack of such individual supports
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67733 Overhead conveying
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67736 Loading to or unloading from a conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6776 Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67769 Storage means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67778 involving loading and unloading of wafers

Abstract

A substrate stocker system includes a high-density storage chamber that comprises one or more stacks of one or more substrates in a closed position, one or more low density containers that are configured to store one or more substrates in an open position, one or more opener stations that are configured to receive one or more substrates and includes one or more separator modules for changing one or more distances between corresponding one or more adjacent substrates. The substrate stocker system further includes a first robot configured to move one or more stacks between the high-density storage chamber, and the one or more opener station, and a second robot configured to move the individual one or more substrates between the one or more opener stations and the one or more low density containers.

Claims

1. A substrate stocker system comprising:

a high density storage chamber that comprises one or more high density containers or stacks of one or more substrates, each of the one or more substrates being supported on a respective carrier wherein the one or more high density containers or stacks are in a closed position;

one or more low density containers, each of the one or more low density containers being configured to store one or more substrates;

one or more opener stations, each of the one or more opener stations configured to send or receive one or more stacks or containers from the high density storage chamber and one or more substrates from the one or more low density containers, each of the one or more opener stations comprising one or more separator modules for changing one or more distances between corresponding one or more adjacent substrates in the one or more high density containers or stacks;

a load port; and

at least one robot configured to move;

one or more containers or stacks between the high density storage chamber and the one or more opener stations; and

one or more substrates between the one or more high density containers or stacks and the one or more low density containers;

wherein

the one or more opener stations are located between the load port and the high density storage chamber;

wherein

a separator module included within the one or more opener stations comprises;

a conveyor belt; and

a motor driven cogwheel;

wherein

the conveyor belt comprises a plurality of interlocking nubs which interlock into corresponding notches in individual carriers; and

the conveyor belt is driven such that the plurality of interlocking nubs interlock with the carrier and move or separate the one or more carriers and substrates by one or more predefined distances.

2. The substrate stocker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more distances between one or more adjacent substrates of the one or more high density containers or stacks in the closed position, is less than a threshold distance defined by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) standard.

3. The substrate stocker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more high density containers or stacks of the one or more substrates in the closed position, are disposed within the high density storage chamber, in at least one of:

a container with removable top and bottom plates, a movable high density container having a body and a door, a movable high density container having one or more shelves, a side door, and a bottom door, and a movable high density container being provided with an Overhead Transfer Vehicle (OHT).

4. The substrate stocker system as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the load port includes a container load port configured to receive and store the one or more movable high density containers or stacks with the OHT;

and

the at least one robot includes a robot configured to transfer the one or more movable high density containers or stacks with the OHT, from the container load port to the high density storage chamber.

5. The substrate stocker system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) coupled to the one or more opener stations, wherein a robot is disposed within the EFEM module for moving one or more substrates between the one or more opener stations and the one or more low density containers.

6. The substrate stocker system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an operator loading station configured to enable transfer of one or more individual substrates and carriers to and from the one or more opener stations; and

an automatic loading station configured to enable automatic transfer of one or more containers to and from the high density storage chamber.

7. The substrate stocker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more opener stations are provided with a separator module that includes an actuator with one or more extrusions, wherein the one or more extrusions match an individual corresponding carrier and substrate such that the one or more extrusions hold the individual carrier and substrate and wherein when the actuator is enabled, the one or more extrusions separate the one or more carriers and substrates by one or more predefined distances.

8. The substrate stocker system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an external dock cart that comprises:

one or more robots for moving one or more containers and one or more carriers and substrates from or to the external dock cart, wherein the high density storage chamber includes a docking station for mating with the external dock cart, and wherein the one or more robots is configured to transfer at least one of containers and substrates between the docking station and the dock cart.