Production system using wafer-like carrier jig

• US 5,100,276 A
• Filed: 08/11/1988
• Issued: 03/31/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ohya, Haruo, Kikuchi, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Masahiro, Takahashi, Tsutomu, Shimoyashiro, Sadao, Iwasaki, Takemasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KATZ, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/231,160
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 414/217, 414/222, 414/225, 414/226, 414/331, 414/403, 414/416, 220/4 C, 220/4 D, 220/23.83, 206/328, 118/500, 118/719, 198/346.1, 198/347.4, 198/349.6, 198/349.7, 198/465.1
• US Class Current: 414/222.06
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67276 Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput program-control systems per se G05B19/00, e.g. total factory control G05B19/418
• 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 21/67386 characterised by the construction of the closed carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67727 using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory

Abstract

The present invention provides a carrier jig for use in processing, transporting and stocking a wafer-like material used in manufacture processes of semiconductor products, and a semiconductor production system using the carrier jig. The carrier jig of the present invention comprises a holder for holding and storing therein one wafer, for example, and a container box for loading therein the holder. A mechanism for transferring wafers by the use of the carrier jig is provided in each process, with the result the period of production time can be shortened and the production speed can be enhanced.

Claims

1. A production system comprising:

transporting means for transporting works between at least two of a plurality of processing means;

a jig having,

a carrier for holding each of a plurality of works, the carrier having an opening means in one direction for loading and unloading said works, and peripheral walls in three other directions thereof having work storage grooves for storing the plurality of works with gaps left therebetween, and bases having a projected and a recessed portion, constructed to be capable of superimposing a plurality of said carriers one above another, wherein said carrier is transported on said transporting means,

a container means for containing said works in said carrier, and

first means for selectively supplying each of said works from said jig to one of said processing means for processing and for storing said works

after processing;

buffering means for temporarily holding the plurality of said works as a plurality of product groups, to be transported by said transporting means;

identifying means for identifying a product group to which each of said works belongs;

determining means for determining an order of transporting each of said plurality of words held in said buffering means in accordance with an identification of said works; and

interface means for supplying said plurality of product groups held in said buffering means to said transporting means according to the order determined by said determining means.