Monitoring device for transport pods

• US 20070139854A1
• Filed: 07/11/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Pochy, Rocco, Newman, Paul, Saunders, Thomas, Polen, Morgan, Salton, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,605,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/234
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6732 Vertical carrier comprising wall type elements whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising sidewalls

Abstract

A device that fits inside a transport pod communicating with the slots of the transport pod so that the device can be inserted and removed from the transport pod. The transport pods are for silicon wafers. The device has sensors that monitor the environment within the transport pod. Depending on the device'"'"'s size, silicon wafers may be able to accompany the device so that the device can monitor the precise environment the silicon wafers are exposed to while inside the transport pod. The device may also be placed in a transport pod and run through the manufacturing process as one transport pod in a series. The results on the environmental monitoring can be used for alarms and monitoring or data logging to improve the yield of the silicon wafers.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first disc member;

a main body, in communication with said first disc member; and

a second disc member;

wherein said main body contains at least one environmental sensor.

2. A monitoring device for silicon wafer transfer pods, comprising:

a top part;

a cylinder in communication with said top part;

a bottom part in communication with said cylinder;

a control unit in communication with said cylinder; and

a wireless link in communication with said control unit.

3. The monitoring device of claim 2 wherein said top part and said bottom part are the same circular shape as the silicon wafer transfer pods.

4. The monitoring device of claim 2 wherein said top part and said bottom part are configured to fit inside the silicon wafer transfer pods.

5. The monitoring device of claim 2 wherein said top part, said bottom part and said cylinder accompany silicon wafers in the transfer pods throughout a manufacturing process.

6. The monitoring device of claim 2 wherein said cylinder is configured to draw in air to a conventional particle detector.

7. The monitoring device of claim 2 wherein said control unit is configured to detect any change in the environment of the silicon wafer transfer pods.

8. The monitoring device of claim 2 wherein said wireless link is configured to display warning, flow, or failure status lights when there is a change in the environment of the silicon wafer transfer pods.

9. The monitoring device of claim 2 wherein said cylinder houses sensor equipment.

10. A monitoring device for silicon wafer transfer pods, comprising:

two discs;

at least one sample tube between said discs;

wherein said discs and said at least one sample tube are configured to fit inside a silicon wafer transport pod for monitoring particles.