DEVICE FOR STORING SUBSTRATES

• US 20100179681A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Tec-Sem AG
• Inventors: Jäger, Doris, Balg, Christian, Jäger, Erich
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/214
• 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 21/67769 Storage means

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for storing platelike substrates, particularly wafers or test wafers, like those, in particular, used for manufacturing electronic components. The aim of the invention is to make a reliable access to the substrates possible even when storage elements, which can be separated from one another, of the device are affected by manufacturing mistakes. For such a device that, for each substrate, has a number of storage elements, which follow one another in a direction of stacking and which can move relative to one another, in which the storage elements have a stacking area, which is provided for placing the respective storage element inside a stack of storage elements, compensating means are therefore provided in order to compensate for stacking errors in the direction of stacking.

Claims

1. A device for storing plate-shaped substrates, particularly wafers or test wafers such as those used in particular for manufacturing electronic components, the device comprising:

a plurality of storage elements which follow one another in a stacking direction and are movable relative to one another, each provided for receiving at least one substrate, the storage elements are each provided with means for supporting the substrates, the storage elements have a stacking area which is provided for placing the respective storage elements inside a stack of storage elements and preferably at least some of the storage elements are configured as substantially the same, wherein compensation is provided to compensate for stacking errors.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein compensation is provided for a deviation of at least one storage element from a desired position in relation to a stacking axis in the stacking direction.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein compensation is provided for a deviation of at least one storage element from a desired position in relation to a direction transverse to the stacking axis.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the storage elements are arranged rotationally offset with respect to one another in relation to their circumferential direction such that the rotationally offset storage element compensate for stacking errors.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein three or more storage elements arranged one after the other in the stack, successive storage elements are arranged rotationally offset with respect to one another in relation to a stacking axis, wherein the first or the last of these successive three or more storage elements are located in at least substantially the same rotational position.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of successive storage elements are rotationally offset with respect to one another by the same angular amount.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein three or more successive storage elements are rotationally offset with respect to one another by the same angular amount.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an opening means whereby a distance between two storage elements arranged in a stack of storage elements can be varied, in particular can be enlarged;

a detection means whereby information on positions of individual storage elements in the stack can be determined;

a controller to which the position information can be supplied and which, taking into account the position information, can generate control signals by which means the opening means and the stack can be moved relative to one another and positioned relative to one another in a desired position.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the position information is provided for generating a displacement movement of the stack in the stacking direction.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the position information is provided for generating a displacement movement of the opening means.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the opening means is provided with at least two opening devices which are offset with respect to one another in the circumferential direction of the stack, which are provided for substantially simultaneous contact with one of the storage elements, wherein the at least two opening devices are displaceable independently of one another in the direction of stacking.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the at least two opening devices are displaceable both jointly and independently of one another.

13. The device according to claim 11, further comprising two detection means of which each detection means is assigned to one other of the at least two opening devices, both detection means are provided to determine position information of storage elements, wherein position information of the detection means is provided for generating relative displacement movements between the opening devices.

14. The device according to claim 8, wherein at least two storage elements placed one upon the other jointly form at least one handling aid for the opening means.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein storage elements stacked one upon the other at least form two substantially adjacently arranged rows of handling aids.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the handling aids of the two rows are offset in the direction of the stacking axis by half the spacing of successive handling aids in one of the rows.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the handling aids are formed as engagement pockets.

18. A device for storing plate-shaped substrates, particularly wafers or test wafers such as those used in particular for manufacturing electronic components, the device comprising:

a plurality of storage elements which follow one another in a stacking direction and are movable relative to one another, each provided for receiving at least one substrate, the storage elements are each provided with means for supporting the substrates, the storage elements having a stacking area which is provided for placing the respective storage elements inside a stack of storage elements and preferably at least some of the storage elements are configured as substantially the same;

a means for introducing a medium into the stack;

a gas conducting means arranged in the stack.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein said gas conducting means includes at least one gas conducting element through which the medium can be passed into an area provided for the placement of substrates.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein said gas conducting means is arranged on storage elements, in particular formed on storage elements.

21. The device according to claim 18, wherein a channel is arranged in the stack, said channel extending at least substantially over the entire height of the stack, said stack being aligned at least substantially parallel to the stack axis.

22. The device according to claim 19, wherein said at least one gas conducting element of the gas conducting means is formed by storage elements and by seals, one of said seals being provided between respectively two storage elements which follow one another in the stack, wherein the distance of the at least one gas conducting element from the stack axis is less than the distance of at least one of the seals from the stack axis.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the seals are formed from the storage elements themselves.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein one of the seals respectively comprises webs of successive storage elements.

25. The device according to claim 21, wherein at least one stacking aid is provided on one of the storage elements, wherein the distance of the at least one stacking aid of a storage element is greater than the distance from the stacking axis of a seal pertaining to respectively the same storage element.

26. The device according to claim 19, wherein said at least one gas conducting element is configured as a channel obtained through recesses of storage elements stacked one upon the other.

27. A method for storing plate-shaped substrates, particularly wafers or test wafers such as those used in particular for manufacturing electronic components, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging separable storage elements one after the other in a stacking direction;

placing a substrate on supporting means of one of the storage elements;

varying a spacing between storage elements by means of an opening means;

obtaining information on positions of individual storage elements in the stack via a detection means;

transferring the position information a controller;

producing a relative movement between the stack and the opening means based on the position information such that the opening means is positioned in a predetermined position with respect to one of the storage elements.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein position information of storage elements is determined independently of one another by at least two detection means, this position information is fed to the controller which triggers displacement movements taking into account the position information, by which means the two opening devices can be positioned independently of one another in relation to the stack axis to produce a spacing between one particular storage element and an adjacent storage element in the stack.