Wafer mapping apparatus and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for detecting a wafer in a wafer carrier, comprising:
- acquiring an image of a carrier having a plurality of slots, said carrier including at least one wafer;
recognizing a first feature of the at least one wafer in a first column of the image;
determining a first position in the first column of the image where the first feature is detected, said first position corresponding to a first reference slot of said plurality of slots;
recognizing a second feature of the at least one wafer in a second column of the image;
determining a second position in the second column of the image where the second feature is detected, said second position corresponding to a second reference slot of said plurality of slots; and
comparing said first reference slot to said second reference slot to determine if said first reference slot is the same or different from said second reference slot.
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Abstract
A wafer mapping system uses a camera to acquire an image of a carrier containing wafers. In one embodiment, the acquired image is stored as rows and columns of pixels. The presence and location of a wafer in the carrier are determined by looking for pixel intensity variations in a column of the image.
19 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for detecting a wafer in a wafer carrier, comprising:
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acquiring an image of a carrier having a plurality of slots, said carrier including at least one wafer;
recognizing a first feature of the at least one wafer in a first column of the image;
determining a first position in the first column of the image where the first feature is detected, said first position corresponding to a first reference slot of said plurality of slots;
recognizing a second feature of the at least one wafer in a second column of the image;
determining a second position in the second column of the image where the second feature is detected, said second position corresponding to a second reference slot of said plurality of slots; and
comparing said first reference slot to said second reference slot to determine if said first reference slot is the same or different from said second reference slot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a wafer mapping apparatus comprising:
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a camera for acquiring an image of a wafer contained in a carrier, said carrier including a plurality of slots for supporting wafers therein;
means for recognizing a first feature of the wafer in a first column of the image;
means for determining a first position in the first column of the image where the first feature is detected, said first position corresponding to a first reference slot of said plurality of slots;
means for recognizing a second feature of the wafer in a second column of the image;
means for determining a second position in the second column of the image where the second feature is detected, said second position corresponding to a second reference slot of said plurality of slots; and
means for comparing said first reference slot to said second reference slot to determine if said first reference slot is the same or different from said second reference slot. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification