Stock unit for storing carriers

• US 4,986,715 A
• Filed: 10/17/1989
• Issued: 01/22/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Asakawa, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bucci, David A.
• Application Number:
  US07/423,591
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 414/787, 414/331, 414/217, 414/281, 414/276, 414/277, 414/283, 414/223, 98/115.3, 211/163, 211/144, 211/131, 211/41
• US Class Current: 414/331.05
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/045 in a circular arrangement, e.g. towers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67769 Storage means

Abstract

A stock unit for carriers includes a stocker having shelves, for storing carriers containing semiconductor wafers, a mounting port on which the carriers are temporarily mounted, and a handler for transporting the carriers between the shelf and the mounting port.

Claims

1. A stock unit for storing carriers comprising;

a case-shaped unit body provided with storing racks to store carriers for carrying plate-like semiconductor wafers or liquid crystal substrates inside plural box-like compartments provided on said racks, said storing racks being piled in plural layers at a certain interval in said case-shaped unit body;

carrier mounting ports on which said carriers that are to be placed in and out of certain box-like compartments in said racks are temporarily mounted;

means for transporting said carriers between said box-like compartments and said mounting ports; and

means for sending air in a direction parallel to the surfaces of said wafers or substrates when said carriers are placed on each of said box-like compartments, mounting ports and transporting means;

wherein said air flows upwardly through the center of said storing rack and outwardly over the carriers, and said wafers are substantially horizontally disposed when the carriers are positioned within said box-like compartments and vertically disposed when the carriers are positioned on the mounting ports.

2. The stock unit for storing carriers according to claim 1, wherein the storing rack is shaped substantially like a disk and is rotatable within the case-shaped stock unit body.

3. A stock unit for storing carriers, comprising:

a case-shaped unit body provided with storing racks to store carriers for carrying plate-like semiconductor wafers or liquid crystal substrates inside plural box-like compartments provided on said racks;

mounting ports on which said carriers that are to be placed in and out of certain box-like compartments in said racks are temporarily mounted;

means for transporting said carriers between said box-like compartments and said mounting ports; and

means for sending air in a direction parallel to the surfaces of said wafers or substrates when said carriers are placed on each of said box-like compartments, mounting ports and transporting means;

wherein said air flows upwardly through the center of said storing rack and outwardly over the carriers, and said wafers are substantially horizontally disposed when the carriers are positioned within said box-like compartments and vertically disposed when the carriers are positioned on the mounting ports.

4. The stock unit for storing carriers according to claim 3, wherein said storing racks are piled in plural layers at a certain interval in the case-shape stock unit body.

5. The stock unit for storing carriers according to claim 3, wherein the storing rack is shaped substantially like a disk and is rotatable within the case-shaped stock unit body.

6. A stock unit for storing carriers comprising:

plural case-shaped unit bodies provided with storing racks to store carriers for plate-like semiconductor wafer or liquid crystal substrates inside plural box-like compartments provided on said racks and piled in plural layers at a certain interval;

plural mounting ports on which said carriers that are to be placed in and out of certain positions on desired storing racks are temporarily mounted and which are arranged to correspond to certain positions on said desired storing racks;

means for transporting said carriers between certain positions on said desired storing racks and the mounting ports; and

means for sending air in a direction parallel to the surfaces of said wafers or substrates when said carriers are placed on each of said box-like compartments, mounting ports and transporting means;

wherein said air flows upwardly through the center of said storing rack and outwardly over the carriers, and said wafers are substantially horizontally disposed when the carriers are positioned within said box-like compartments and vertically disposed when the carriers are positioned on the mounting ports.

7. The stock unit for storing carriers according to claim 6, wherein the storing rack is shaped substantially like a disk and is rotatable within the case-shaped stock unit body.