Transportable container including an internal environment monitor

• US 6,901,971 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Inventors: Speasl, Jerry A., Dante, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US10/042,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20020187025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/4, 141/11, 141/63, 141/69, 141/70, 141/83, 141/85, 141/94, 141/98, 414/217.1, 414935-941, 206710-712, 206/454
• US Class Current: 141/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7075 Handling workpieces outside exposure position, e.g. SMIF box
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67393 characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrierl
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/14 Wafer cassette transporting

Abstract

A system is disclosed allowing non-invasive, continuous local and remote sensing of the internal environmental characteristics of transportable containers. The system utilizes a variety of sensors inside the container to sense internal environmental conditions.

Claims

1. A SMIF pod system for holding wafers having an internal environment isolated from ambient atmospheric conditions, comprising:

a transportable pod comprising a pod shell and a door which mates with pod shell defining the internal environment, the transportable pod being receivable on a load port assembly for removal of the wafers; and

a sensor mounted directly to said transportable pod, the sensor being capable of monitoring a condition of said internal environment and transmitting data related to said condition externally of the transportable pod.

2. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, wherein said sensor continuously monitors said condition of said internal environment within said transportable pod.

3. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, wherein said data is transmitted using electromagnetic radiation.

4. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, wherein said data is transmitted using electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range of about 3 kHz to about 300 GHz.

5. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, wherein said sensor further includes memory for storing said data related to said monitored condition.

6. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is mounted to an internal portion of said transportable pod.

7. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, wherein said sensor includes a plurality of sensor inputs positioned at respective distinct locations within said transportable pod, each said sensor input being capable of monitoring a condition of said internal environment at said respective distinct locations within said transportable pod.

8. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, further including:

a transceiver in communication with said sensor, said transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting said data transmitted by said sensor.

9. The SMIF pod system of claim 8, wherein said transceiver is secured to said transportable pod, and wherein said data is transmitted over a network bus.

10. The SMIF pod system of claim 8, wherein said data is transmitted between said sensor and said transceiver using electromagnetic radiation.

11. The SMIF pod system of claim 10, wherein said electromagnetic radiation is in a frequency range of about 3 kHz to about 300 GHz.

12. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, further including a power supply for providing power to said sensor.

13. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, further including at least one more sensor being capable of monitoring a condition of said internal environment and transmitting data related to said condition externally of the transportable pod.

14. The SMIF pod system of claim 1, wherein the condition is a member of the group consisting of humidity, temperature, and acceleration.

29. The transportable SMIF pod of claim 6, wherein said plurality of network nodes are configured as a master-slave network, and wherein said network bus functions as a gateway.

15. A SMIF pod monitoring system capable of monitoring a transportable SMIF pod having an internal environment isolated from ambient atmospheric conditions, the SMIF pod monitoring system comprising:

at least one sensor capable of being directly mounted to the transportable SMIF pod, said at least one sensor capable of monitoring an internal environmental condition in the transportable SMIF pod and transmitting data representative of said internal environmental condition; and

a transceiver capable of being mounted to the transportable SMIF pod, said transceiver capable of electronically communicating with said at least one sensor, for receiving said data and transmitting said data to a second transceiver located external to the transportable SMIF pod.

16. The SMIF pod and monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said transceiver is operatively connected with a processing tool.

17. The SMIF pod monitoring system of claim 16, wherein said transceiver provides said data to said processing tool, and said processing tool deactivates if said data is not within a desired operating range.

18. The SMIF pod monitoring system of claim 16, further including:

a host computer capable of receiving and processing said data transmitted from said transceiver.

19. The SMIF pod monitoring system of claim 18, wherein said host computer is at a remote location relative to said transportable SMIF pod.

20. The SMIF pod monitoring system of claim 18, wherein said host computer determines if said monitored internal environmental condition is within a desired operating range.

21. The SMIF pod monitoring system of claim 20, wherein said host computer deactivates said processing tool if said internal environmental condition is not within said desired operating range.

22. The SMIF pod monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the internal environmental condition is a member of the group consisting of humidity, temperature, and acceleration.

23. The SMIF pod monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said at least one sensor includes a sensor comprising a plurality of sensor inputs positioned at respective distinct locations within said transportable pod, each sensor input being capable of monitoring said internal environmental condition at said respective distinct locations within said transportable pod.

24. A transportable SMIF pod having an internal environment isolated from ambient atmospheric conditions, comprising:

a pod shell and a door that mates with the pod shell defining the internal environment;

a plurality of sensors mounted directly to said pod, each said sensor capable of monitoring an internal environment condition and transmitting data representative of said internal environment condition;

a transceiver in communication with said plurality of sensors, capable of receiving said data, and capable of transmitting said data to an object located external to the transportable SMIF pod; and

a power supply for providing power to said plurality of sensors.

25. The transportable SMIF pod of claim 24, wherein at least one of said plurality of sensors is selected from a group consisting of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an accelerometer.

26. The transportable SMIF pod of claim 24, wherein said communication between said plurality of sensors and said transceiver is performed over a network bus.

27. The transportable SMIF pod of claim 26, wherein the network bus is embedded into the pod shell.

28. The transportable SMIF pod of claim 26, further comprising a plurality of network nodes, each network node being capable of electronically communicating with said network bus, and wherein each sensor electronically communicates with at least one of the network nodes.

30. The transportable SMIF pod of claim 28, wherein said plurality of network nodes are configured as a peer-to-peer network.

31. A method of monitoring an internal environment of a SMIF pod system for holding wafers that is isolated from ambient atmospheric conditions, the method comprising:

providing a transportable pod comprising a pod shell and a door which mates with pod shell defining the internal environment, the pod being receivable on a load port assembly for removal of the wafers;

providing a sensor mounted directly to said pod, the sensor being capable of monitoring a condition of said internal environment and transmitting data related to said condition externally of the pod, and

sensing the condition of the internal environment by reviewing data transmitted from the sensor.

32. The method of claim 31, further including receiving said data transmitted by said sensor with a transceiver that is in communication with said sensor.

33. The method of claim 32, further including using electromagnetic radiation to transmit the data between said sensor and said transceiver.

34. The method of claim 31, comprising monitoring an internal condition selected from the group consisting of humidity, temperature, and acceleration.

35. The monitoring system of claim 32, further including receiving and processing said data transmitted from said transceiver with a host computer.

36. A transportable SMIF pod having an internal environment isolated from ambient atmospheric conditions, comprising:

a pod shell and a door that mates with the transportable pod shell defining the internal environment;

a means mounted directly to said pod for monitoring an internal environment condition;

a means for transmitting data representative of said internal environment condition from the means for monitoring;

a means for transceiving communication with said means for monitoring, the means for transceiving being capable of receiving said data, and being capable of transmitting said data to an object located external to the transportable SMIF pod; and

a power supply for providing power to said means for transmitting data.

37. The transportable SMIF pod of claim 36 wherein the means for monitoring an environment condition comprises a sensor, and wherein the means for transceiving communication with said means for monitoring comprises a transceiver.