Automatic storage unit and automatic storing method

• US 6,398,476 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1998
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ando, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bratlie, Steven A.
• Application Number:
  US09/013,562
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 414/273, 414/277, 414/280-283, 414/411, 414/222, 414/225, 414/226, 414/807, 414/811, 414/940
• US Class Current: 414/282
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/66 Containers specially adapted for masks, mask blanks or pellicles; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70741 Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67769 Storage means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/14 Wafer cassette transporting

Abstract

In an automatic storage system and an automatic storing method for automatically take in and out a container box 1 accommodating therein a wafer carrier 6, a take-in port and a take-out port of a storage unit 8 are unified to one common inlet/outlet port 15, and a control is conducted to the effect that when the container box 1 is taken in and out on the basis of a take-in/take-out schedule of the container box 1 to the storage unit 8, the empty container box is ceaselessly left at the inlet/outlet port 15. Thus, the take-in/take-out operation can be smoothly conducted with no necessity of enlarging the storage unit 8 and with no congestion of the conveying container box accommodating therein the wafer carrier 6.

Claims

1. An automatic storage system so configured that a container box for accommodating a box-like carrier which is conveyed by a carrier car and which holds a plurality of plate-like works arranged in one direction, is received for a temporary storage and then said carrier is taken out from said container box and moved to said carrier car, the automatic storage system comprising:

a storage unit having an inlet/outlet port through which said container box is taken in and out of said storage unit;

a plurality of shelves disposed in said storage unit and on which said container box is put;

a stacker crane traveling within said storage unit to and from said inlet/outlet port and for putting said container box on one of said plurality of shelves and picking up said container box from said one shelf;

an opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing said container box staying before said inlet/outlet port;

a sensor detecting whether or not a container box is disposed before said inlet/outlet port; and

a control means operating said stacker crane on the basis of a previously set take-in/take-out schedule for container boxes and on the basis of information provided by said sensor, for taking in and out said container box and for causing an empty container box to stay before said inlet/outlet port after a take out operation in which said carrier is taken out from said container box and moved to said carrier car, without returning said empty container box to said shelf.

2. An automatic storage system claimed in claim 1 wherein of said plurality of shelves, a shelf for receiving said empty container box is allocated near to said inlet/outlet port within said storage unit.

3. An automatic storage system claimed in claim 2 wherein said works are wafers for semiconductor substrates.

4. An automatic storage system claimed in claim 2 wherein said works are reticles for an exposure machine.

5. An automatic storage system claimed in claim 1 wherein said works are wafers for semiconductor substrates.

6. An automatic storage system claimed in claim 1 wherein said works are reticles for an exposure machine.

7. An automatic storing method for an automatic storage system including a storage unit having a plurality of shelves therein, a plurality of work carriers for holding a plurality of plate-like works, a plurality of container boxes each for accommodating a work carrier, a carrier car for conveying a work carrier, an inlet/outlet port through which a container box is taken into and out of said storage unit, and a stacker crane traveling within said storage unit to and from said inlet/outlet port for putting said plurality of container boxes on said plurality of shelves and picking up said plurality of container boxes from said plurality of shelves, said method comprising the steps of:

setting a take-in/take-out schedule with respect to said plurality of work carriers;

determining that an empty container box is present before said inlet/outlet port;

conveying at least one of said carriers to said inlet/outlet port in accordance with said previously set take-in/take-out schedule;

accommodating said at least one work carrier into said empty container box previously determined to be present before said inlet/outlet port;

storing said container box which has accommodated said work carrier therein, in said storage unit;

moving another container box kept in said storage unit to said inlet/outlet port by said stacker crane;

opening said another container box to take out another one of said carriers stored in said another container box; and

causing said another container box which has become empty, to be kept before said inlet/outlet port.

8. An automatic storing method for an automatic storage system including a storage unit having a plurality of shelves therein, a plurality of work carriers for holding a plurality of plate-like works, a plurality of container boxes each for accommodating a work carrier, a carrier car for conveying a work carrier, an inlet/outlet port through which a container box is taken into and out of said storage unit, said method comprising the steps of:

setting a take-in/take-out schedule with respect to said plurality of work carriers;

determining that no empty container box is present before said inlet/outlet port;

moving one of said container boxes previously stored in said storage unit to said inlet/outlet port in accordance with said previously set take-in/take-out schedule;

opening said one container box to take out a stored work carrier contained in said one container box; and

keeping said one container box which has become empty before said inlet/outlet port.