Intelligent waxer carrier

• US 5,097,421 A
• Filed: 05/18/1987
• Issued: 03/17/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asyst Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Asyst Technologies Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brain, Michael D., Bonora, Anthony C., Parikh, Mihir, Maney, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US07/054,212
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/478, 364/424.01, 364/424.02, 235/375, 235/376, 235/492, 414/331, 414/273, 414/274, 414/403, 414/410, 414/416, 414/417, 414/217, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 104/88, 198/341, 198/349, 198/349.5-349.95, 198/356, 198/358
• US Class Current: 700/113
• 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 7/7075 Handling workpieces outside exposure position, e.g. SMIF box
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70991 Connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure stations, particular arrangement of exposure apparatus and pre-exposure and/or post-exposure apparatus; Shared apparatus, e.g. having shared radiation source, shared mask or workpiece stage, shared base-plate; Utilities, e.g. cable, pipe or wireless arrangements for data, power, fluids or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67294 using identification means, e.g. labels on substrates or labels on containers

Abstract

Disclosed is a system mounted with a transportable container for carrying articles such as semiconductor wafers which comprises a non-volatile memory used to store the identity, status and history of the articles in the container. Further, the system includes means for transmitting data from the memory to an information processor associated with a processing station which processes the articles in a carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes data processing capability and both receives data from and transmits data to the processing station.

Claims

1. A processing system comprising:

(1) at least one transportable container for transporting articles to be processed;

(2) first two-way communication means mounted on said at least one transportable container;

(3) first microcomputer means mounted on said at least one transportable container for receiving and processing digital information communicated with said first two-way communication means;

(4) storage means mounted on said at least one transportable container for storing digital information processed by said microcomputer means; and

(5) a plurality of work stations each respectively adapted to having said at least one transportable container removably mounted thereon and each respectively including mounted thereon,

(a) respective second two-way communication means adapted for two-way communication with said at least one transportable container when said container is mounted on the respective work station therewith, and

(b) respective second microcomputer means for receiving and processing digital information communicated with said respective second two-way communication means mounted on the respective work station therewith.

9. The systems of claims 1 or 2, wherein:

said first and each respective second two-way communications means include means for inductive transmission and reception of data.

10. The systems of claims 1 or 2 wherein:

said first and each respective second two-way communications means include means for acoustic transmission and reception of data.

11. The systems of claims 1 or 2, further including:

a clock, mounted on said at least one transportable container for generating real time data.

12. The systems of claims 1 or 2 further including:

display means, mounted on said at least one transportable container, for displaying data from said first microcomputer means.

13. The systems of claims 1 or 2 further including:

sensor means, mounted in communication with said first microprocessor means, for sensing a condition of said at least one transportable container.

14. The systems of claims 1 or 2, wherein:

said first and each respective second two-way communication means include means for optical transmission and reception of data.

2. An inventory management system comprising:

(1) At least one transportable container for transporting articles, said at least one container including mounted thereon,

(a) first two-way communication means,

(b) first microcomputer means for receiving and processing digital information communicated with said first two-way communication means, and

(c) storage means for storing digital information processed by said microcomputer means;

(2) a plurality of respective sensing means for sensing the presence of said at least one transportable container, each respective sensing means including respective second two-way communication means adapted for two-way communication with said first two-way communication means;

(3) selection means for selecting between respective sensor means of said plurality;

(4) central processor means coupled to said selection means for receiving digital information from and for providing digital information to respective two-way communication means of respective sensor means of said plurality.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each respective sensing means of said plurality further includes respective receptacle means for receiving said at least one transportable container;

and

wherein two-way communication between said first two-way communication means and respective second two-way communication means can occur only when said at least one transportable container is received by said receptacle means.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each respective receptacle means comprises at least one respective tray sized to receive said at least one transportable container;

and

wherein respective second two-way communication means are respectively mounted on respective trays.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said selection means comprises a plurality of respective selection circuits each respectively coupled to at least one respective group of respective sensor means from said plurality.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein each respective selection circuit is adapted to selectively couple to said central processor means any one respective sensing means of a respective group coupled thereto.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein each respective selection circuit comprises a multiplexor circuit.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said respective selection circuits are coupled to one-another and to said central processor means such that said respective selection circuits form a hierarchy in which signals communicated between said respective central processor and said respective selection circuits respectively proceed serially between said respective selection circuits.

15. A system for storing and transporting semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a transportable container, said transportable container having an interior region adapted to receive a plurality of semiconductor wafers and a locking mechanism for controlling access to said interior region;

a workstation for receiving said transportable container and for operating said locking mechanism;

data storage means provided on said transportable container for storing information related to said semiconductor wafers in said transportable container;

control means, provided on said workstation and responsive to said information stored by said data storage means, for storing information related to the identify of said workstation and the status of said workstation, comparing the information related to each semiconductor wafer and the identity of said workstation, for controlling said workstation to operate said locking mechanism in accordance with the status of said workstation and in accordance with said comparison, and for controlling said workstation to process selected ones of said semiconductor wafers.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

said system comprises a plurality of said workstations; and

said control means provided on each said workstation is for transmitting information related to the processing performed by the workstation to said data storage means.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said interior region of said transportable container is isolated from ambient atmospheric conditions by said locking mechanism.

18. A system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a storage station for receiving said transportable container; and

communication means, provided on said storage station and responsive to said information stored by said data storage means, for updating said information stored by said data storage means.