AUTOMATIC PHOTOMASK TRACKING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080269945A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gudeng Precision Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Gudeng Precision Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lai, Tung-Huan, Hsieh, Kang-Ning
• Application Number:
  US12/104,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20080269945A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/38 Masks having auxiliary features, e.g. special coatings or marks for alignment or testing; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70541 Tagging, i.e. hardware or software tagging of features or components, e.g. using tagging scripts or tagging identifier codes for identification of chips, shots or wafers
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70741 Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries

Abstract

An automatic photomask tracking system is disclosed in the present invention. The automatic photomask tracking system is used in a photomask handling system. The photomask handling system includes photomask pods and photomask handling apparatuses. The photomask tracking system includes a control terminal; at least one RFID tag on the photomask pod and at least one RFID reader on the photomask apparatus. All the record of photomask handling process is stored in the control terminal. The present invention further provides a photomask tracking method.

Claims

1. A photomask tracking system used in a photomask handling system, wherein the photomask handling system includes at least one photomask transporting pod for transporting at least one photomask, a photomask storage pod for storing the photomask, and at least one handling apparatus for handling the photomask, and the photomask tracking system comprises:

at least one RFID tag, provided on the photomask transporting pod and/or the photomask storage pod for transmitting a first signal through an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) principle, and being detachable, so that when the photomask is transferred between the photomask transporting pod and the photomask storage pod, the RFID tag can be detached from one of the photomask pods where the photomask leaves and attached to the other photomask pod where the photomask enters;

at least one RFID reader, provided on the handling apparatus for receiving the first signal before, while or after the handling apparatus handles the photomask, and transmitting a second signal; and

a control terminal, receiving the second signal and having a record device for storing data of a handling process of the photomask.

2. The photomask tracking system of claim 1, wherein the data of the handling process of the photomask comprise a cleaning record, a transporting record and a storage time of the photomask.

3. The photomask tracking system of claim 1, wherein each said RFID tag has a unique identification code.

4. The photomask tracking system of claim 1, wherein the handling apparatus is a photomask stocker, a photomask cleaner, a photomask transporter or an exposure apparatus used in an optical lithographic process.

5. The photomask tracking system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag can be used repeatedly.

6. The photomask tracking system of claim 1, wherein the control terminal comprises at least one computer.

7. The photomask tracking system of claim 1, wherein the reader transmits the second signal to the control terminal by a wired or a wireless manner.

8. The photomask tracking system of claim 1, the RFID tags on the photomask transporting pod and the photomask storage pod comprises identification codes that are at least partially identical and the RFID tags are switchable so that when the photomask is transferred between the photomask transporting pod and photomask storage pod, the RFID tag on the photomask pod where the photomask leaves is turned off and the other RFID tag at the photomask pod where the photomask enters is turned on.

9. A photomask tracking method used in a photomask handling system, wherein the photomask handling system includes at least one photomask pod, and at least one handling apparatus for handling the photomask, and the photomask tracking method comprises steps of:

providing a photomask tracking system, which comprises;

at least one RFID tag, provided on the photomask pod and transmitting a first signal through an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) principle;

at least one RFID reader, provided on the handling apparatus; and

a control terminal; and

using the RFID tag to transmit a first signal before, while or after the handling apparatus handles the photomask, using the RFID reader to receive the first signal and transmit a second signal, and using the control terminal to receive the second signal and thereby record a handling process of the photomask.

10. The photomask tracking method of claim 9, wherein each said RFID tag has a unique identification code.

11. The photomask tracking method of claim 9, wherein the photomask pod is a photomask transporting pod.

12. The photomask tracking method of claim 9, wherein the photomask pod is a photomask storage pod.

13. The photomask tracking method of claim 9, wherein the control terminal comprises at least one computer.

14. The photomask tracking method of claim 9, wherein the RFID reader transmits the second signal to the control terminal by a wired or a wireless manner.

15. The photomask tracking method of claim 9, wherein the photomask pod of the photomask handling system includes at least one photomask transporting pod for transporting the photomask and one photomask storage pod for storing the photomask, in which the photomask transporting pod and the photomask storage pod have the RFID tags containing identification codes that are at least partially identical and being switchable so that when the photomask is transferred between the photomask transporting pod and photomask storage pod, the photomask tracking method further comprises steps of turning off the RFID tag at the photomask pod where the photomask leaves and turning on the other RFID tag at the photomask pod where the photomask enters.

16. The photomask tracking method of claim 9, wherein the photomask pod of the photomask handling system comprises at least one photomask transporting pod for transporting the photomask and one photomask storage pod for storing the photomask, and the RFID tag is detachable so that when the photomask is transferred between the photomask transporting pod and the photomask storage pod, the photomask tracking method further comprises steps of detaching the RFID tag from one said photomask pod where the photomask leaves and reattaching the RFID tag to the other said photomask pod where the photomask enters.