A semiconductor material handling system

Abstract

This application provides a semiconductor material handling system, comprising: a production area surrounded by a first main track, a first auxiliary track, a second main track, and a second auxiliary track connected sequentially, for housing production equipment; the space utilization rate of the production area is greater than or equal to 83%; a wafer storage rack disposed in the production area near one end of the first auxiliary track, the first end of the wafer storage rack being connected to the second main track, and the second end of the wafer storage rack being near the first main track; and a wafer slitting machine disposed at the second end of the wafer storage rack, the first end of the wafer slitting machine being connected to the first main track, and the second end of the wafer slitting machine being connected to the second end of the wafer storage rack. This application provides a semiconductor material handling system that can improve the space utilization rate of the production area and optimize the transportation path of wafers in the wafer storage rack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and more particularly to a semiconductor material handling system. Background Technology

[0002] In the highly developed and costly semiconductor manufacturing industry, the utilization of cleanroom space has a significant impact on manufacturing costs. A sorter is a dedicated device for wafer splitting and integration, working in conjunction with a stocker to store wafer casks awaiting production. With advancements in wafer manufacturing technology, the Q-Time (allowable time) of wafer manufacturing is becoming increasingly shorter, leading to a growing demand for splitting and integrating the number of wafers per cask. This high demand for wafer splitting and integration has spurred a surge in demand for sorters and stockers, resulting in a substantial increase in the required cleanroom area.

[0003] Therefore, optimizing wafer slitting machines and wafer storage racks is crucial for cleanroom space utilization and reducing semiconductor manufacturing costs. Rational planning of the equipment layout for wafer slitting machines and wafer storage racks, improving their access methods, optimizing AMHS transmission paths, and synergistic optimization of these three elements are essential topics for optimizing semiconductor manufacturing costs and improving efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a semiconductor material handling system that can improve the space utilization of the production area and optimize the transportation path of wafers in the wafer storage rack.

[0005] This application provides a semiconductor material handling system, comprising: a production area surrounded by a first main track, a first secondary track, a second main track, and a second secondary track connected in sequence, for housing production equipment; the space utilization rate of the production area is greater than or equal to 83%; the first and second main tracks are used for transporting wafer transfer boxes across the area; the first and second secondary tracks are used for transporting wafer transfer boxes to the production equipment; a wafer storage rack is disposed in the production area near one end of the first secondary track; a first end of the wafer storage rack is connected to the second main track; and a second end of the wafer storage rack is close to the first main track; a wafer slitting machine is disposed at the second end of the wafer storage rack; a first end of the wafer slitting machine is connected to the first main track; and a second end of the wafer slitting machine is connected to the second end of the wafer storage rack.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the first end of the wafer slitting machine is provided with a plurality of input and output ports, which are located below the first main track.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the second end of the wafer slitting machine is embedded in the second end of the wafer storage rack.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the second end of the wafer slitting machine is embedded at the bottom of the second end of the wafer storage rack.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the second end of the wafer slitting machine is provided with a plurality of input / output ports, which are embedded in the second end of the wafer storage rack.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the width of the wafer slitting machine is equal to the width of the wafer storage rack.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the first end of the wafer storage rack is provided with a plurality of input / output ports, which are located below the second main track.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the distance between the wafer storage rack and the first sub-track is 0.3 to 0.5 meters.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the system further includes: a plurality of production devices disposed in the production area between the second sub-track and the wafer storage rack.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the minimum distance between the plurality of production equipment and the wafer storage rack is 550 mm.

[0015] This application provides a semiconductor material handling system that reduces the number of wafer slitting machines, improves the connection between wafer slitting machines and wafer storage racks, can improve the space utilization of the production area, and optimizes the transportation path of wafers in the wafer storage racks. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The following accompanying drawings describe in detail the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this application. The same reference numerals denote similar structures in several views of the drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are non-limiting and exemplary, and the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Other embodiments may similarly fulfill the inventive intent of this application. It should be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale. Wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 These are schematic diagrams of the structures of some semiconductor material handling systems;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor material handling system described in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer storage rack in the semiconductor material handling system described in an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a front view of the wafer storage rack in the semiconductor material handling system described in the embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a top view of the wafer storage rack in the semiconductor material handling system described in the embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the wafer storage rack in the semiconductor material handling system described in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following description provides specific application scenarios and requirements for this application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the content of this application. Various partial modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the embodiments shown, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the claims.

[0024] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of some semiconductor material handling systems.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor material handling system includes a production area 100, which is formed by a first main track 110, a first secondary track 120, a second main track 130 and a second secondary track 140 connected in sequence, for setting up production equipment 180. The space utilization rate of the production area 100 is about 80%.

[0027] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor material handling system further includes: a wafer storage rack 150, disposed in the production area 100 near one end of the first sub-track 120, the first end of the wafer storage rack 150 being connected to the second main track 130, and the second end of the wafer storage rack 150 being near the first main track 110; an embedded wafer slitter 160, disposed on the side of the wafer storage rack 150 near the first sub-track 120, the embedded slitter 160 being connected to the wafer storage rack 150 via an input / output port 161; and a stand-alone wafer slitter 170, connected to the second main track 130 via an input / output port 171.

[0028] Wafer slitting equipment is mainly used for batch processing of wafers, and the previous site of the wafers affects the planning of the wafer slitting equipment. Traditional wafer slitting planning mainly falls into two categories: For wafers originating from wafer storage rack 150, the current practice is to use an embedded wafer slitting machine 160, embedding the slitting machine into the long surface of the wafer storage rack 150 for interaction. The wafers need to be transferred to the wafer storage rack 150 for batch processing. This method prolongs the batch processing time and significantly occupies space on the main production equipment. For wafers originating from the production site, the current practice is to place the wafer slitting machine independently, directly transferring the wafers to a standalone wafer slitting machine 170 for processing. However, in this method, the standalone wafer slitting machine 170 occupies the space of 1-2 production machines 180, reducing the space utilization rate of the production area 100.

[0029] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 As shown, in traditional space design, the embedded wafer sizing machine 160 is embedded in the long side area of ​​the wafer storage rack 150. Since the length of the embedded wafer sizing machine 160 is significantly shorter than the length of the wafer storage rack 150, this results in wasted space on the top and bottom sides of the embedded wafer sizing machine 160, and also reduces the horizontal space available for the production equipment 180. Furthermore, the freestanding wafer sizing machine 160 is placed facing the second main track 130. The floor space occupied by the freestanding wafer sizing machine 160 is much smaller than that of the production equipment 180, leaving a large amount of remaining space behind it, which is insufficient to support the placement of the production equipment 180, thus leading to significant wasted space in the production area.

[0030] Furthermore, since the wafer storage rack 150 only has an inlet / outlet port with the second main track 150, the wafer needs to travel back and forth between the embedded wafer dicing machine 160, the wafer storage rack 150, and the second main track 130, resulting in a complex wafer transport path and low efficiency.

[0031] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a semiconductor material handling system that reduces the number of wafer slitting machines, improves the connection between wafer slitting machines and wafer storage racks, thereby increasing the space utilization of the production area and optimizing the transport path of wafers in the wafer storage racks.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor material handling system described in an embodiment of this application.

[0033] This application provides a semiconductor material handling system, referenced... Figure 2As shown, the system includes: a production area 200, formed by a first main track 210, a first secondary track 220, a second main track 230, and a second secondary track 240 connected in sequence, used to house production equipment 270. The space utilization rate of the production area 200 is greater than or equal to 83%. The first and second main tracks are used for transporting wafer transfer boxes across the area, and the first and second secondary tracks are used for transporting wafer transfer boxes to the production equipment; a wafer storage rack 250, located in the production area 200 near one end of the first secondary track 220, with one end of the wafer storage rack 250 connected to the second main track 230 and the second end of the wafer storage rack 250 near the first main track 210; and a wafer slitting machine 260, located at the second end of the wafer storage rack 250, with one end of the wafer slitting machine 260 connected to the first main track 210 and the second end of the wafer slitting machine 260 connected to the second end of the wafer storage rack 250.

[0034] and Figure 1 Compared to the structure of the semiconductor material handling system shown, the technical solution of this application (refer to...) Figure 2 As shown), the wafer slitting machine 160 is moved from the long side area of ​​the wafer storage rack to the short side area of ​​the wafer storage rack 250, saving space in the production area 200 horizontally and improving space utilization; and with Figure 1 The difference is that, Figure 1 The two wafer slicing machines in the previous method each only have one end connected to the second main track or the wafer storage rack, while the wafer slicing machine 260 in this application has both ends connected to the first main track 210 and the wafer storage rack 250, respectively. This application's technical solution uses a single wafer slicing machine that integrates... Figure 1 The two wafer slitting machines in the middle save one wafer slitting machine, thereby improving the space utilization of the production area 200; in addition, since the wafer slitting machine 260 has inlet and outlet ports 261 at both ends, the wafer does not need to travel back and forth between the wafer slitting machine 260, the wafer storage rack 250 and the second main track 230. The wafer can enter from the second main track 230 and exit from the first main track 210, making the wafer transportation path simpler and the transportation efficiency higher.

[0035] refer to Figure 2 As shown, the first main track 210, the first secondary track 220, the second main track 230, and the second secondary track 240 are used for transporting wafers. The space formed by the sequential connection of the first main track 210, the first secondary track 220, the second main track 230, and the second secondary track 240 is a production area 200, used to house production equipment 270. The space utilization rate of the production area 200 is greater than or equal to 83%, compared to... Figure 1The structure shown has a significantly improved space utilization rate, allowing for the installation of a larger number of production equipment 270.

[0036] Continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the wafer storage rack 250 is disposed in the production area 200 near one end of the first sub-track 220. The first end of the wafer storage rack 250 is connected to the second main track 230, and the second end of the wafer storage rack 250 is near the first main track 210.

[0037] The wafer storage rack 250 is used to store wafers. The wafers are handled by a robotic arm on the wafer storage rack 250.

[0038] The wafer storage rack 250 has a plurality of inlet / outlet ports 251 at its first end, and the plurality of inlet / outlet ports 251 are located below the second main track 230. The wafer storage rack 250 and the second main track 230 are connected and transferred between the wafer storage rack 250 and the second main track 230 through the plurality of inlet / outlet ports 251.

[0039] The second end of the wafer storage rack 250 is close to the first main track 210. The distance between the wafer storage rack 250 and the first main track 210 is just enough to accommodate one of the wafer slitter 260.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer storage rack in a semiconductor material handling system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0041] refer to Figure 3 As shown, the wafer slicing machine 260 is embedded in the lower end of the wafer storage rack 250. The wafer slicing machine 260 is connected to the first main track 210 through the input / output port 261. The wafer storage rack 250 is connected to the second main track 230 through the input / output port 251.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a front view of the wafer storage rack in the semiconductor material handling system described in this application embodiment.

[0043] refer to Figure 4 As shown, the wafer slicing machine 260 is embedded in the lower end of the wafer storage rack 250. The wafer slicing machine 260 is provided with an input / output port 261.

[0044] Figure 5 This is a top view of the wafer storage rack in the semiconductor material handling system described in the embodiments of this application.

[0045] refer to Figure 5 As shown, the wafer slicing machine 260 is embedded in the lower end of the wafer storage rack 250. The wafer slicing machine 260 is provided with an input / output port 261. The wafer storage rack 250 is provided with an input / output port 251.

[0046] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of a wafer storage rack in a semiconductor material handling system according to an embodiment of this application. Specifically, Figure 6 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the BB plane.

[0047] refer to Figure 6 As shown, the wafer slicing machine 260 is embedded in the lower end of the wafer storage rack 250. The wafer slicing machine 260 is provided with an input / output port 261.

[0048] Continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the wafer slicing machine 260 is disposed at the second end of the wafer storage rack 250, the first end of the wafer slicing machine 260 is connected to the first main track 210, and the second end of the wafer slicing machine 260 is connected to the second end of the wafer storage rack 250.

[0049] contrast Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,and Figure 1 The two wafer slicing machines in this application are different. The wafer slicing machine 260 in this application is specifically designed for the short side area of ​​the wafer storage rack 250.

[0050] The wafer slitting machine 260 has a plurality of inlet / outlet ports 261 at its first end, which are located below the first main track 210. The wafer slitting machine 260 and the first main track 210 transfer wafers through the plurality of inlet / outlet ports 261.

[0051] The second end of the wafer slicing machine 260 is embedded into the second end of the wafer storage rack 250, and this embedded method can further save space. Furthermore, the second end of the wafer slicing machine 260 is embedded at the bottom of the second end of the wafer storage rack 250. The space above the bottom of the second end of the wafer slicing machine 260 is exposed for maintenance purposes.

[0052] Specifically, the second end of the wafer slicing machine 260 is also provided with a plurality of input / output ports 261, which are embedded in the bottom of the second end of the wafer storage rack 250. The wafer slicing machine 260 and the wafer storage rack 250 transfer wafers through the plurality of input / output ports 261.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, the width (i.e., the lateral dimension) of the wafer slicing machine 260 is equal to the width (i.e., the lateral dimension) of the wafer storage rack 250. A smaller width for the wafer slicing machine 260 results in a smaller footprint but fewer I / O ports 261; a larger width for the wafer slicing machine 260 results in a larger footprint but more I / O ports 261. In practice, the width of the wafer slicing machine 260 and the number of I / O ports 261 can be set according to specific requirements.

[0054] In some embodiments of this application, the system further includes: a plurality of production equipment 270 disposed in the production section 200 between the second sub-track 240 and the wafer storage rack 250.

[0055] and Figure 1 Compared to the previous structure, the technical solution of this application improves the space utilization of the production area by 200, allowing for the installation of a larger number of production devices. Figure 1 The number of 7 production machines in the middle has been increased to Figure 2 The 10 production equipment in the middle.

[0056] The following detailed explanation of the space utilization rate of the production area in this application's technical solution is based on the dimensional relationships of various parts in a semiconductor material handling system according to a specific embodiment.

[0057] refer to Figure 2 As shown, the length a of the production section 200 is 40 meters to 60 meters; the width b of the production section 200 is 8 meters to 15 meters.

[0058] Continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the width c of the wafer storage rack 250 is 1500mm; the length d of the wafer storage rack 250 is 6m to 13m.

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the width e of the wafer slitting machine 260 is 1500mm; the length f of the wafer slitting machine 260 is 1.5m to 2.5m.

[0060] Continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the width g of the production equipment 270 is 1m to 4m; the length h of the production equipment 270 is 2m to 8m.

[0061] Continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the distance i between the wafer storage rack 250 and the first sub-track 220 is 0.3 to 0.5 meters, for example, 0.4 meters.

[0062] Continue to refer to Figure 2As shown, the minimum distance j between the plurality of production equipment 270 and the wafer storage rack 250 is 550mm.

[0063] Continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the distance k between adjacent production equipment 270 is 600mm to 1400mm.

[0064] Continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the minimum distance l between the plurality of production devices 270 and the second sub-track is 0.3 to 0.5 meters, for example, 0.4 meters.

[0065] This application provides a semiconductor material handling system that reduces the number of wafer slitting machines, improves the connection between wafer slitting machines and wafer storage racks, can improve the space utilization of the production area, and optimizes the transportation path of wafers in the wafer storage racks.

[0066] In summary, after reading this application, those skilled in the art will understand that the foregoing application content is presented by way of example only and is not restrictive. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art will understand that this application is intended to encompass various reasonable changes, improvements, and modifications to the embodiments. These changes, improvements, and modifications are all within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0067] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used in this embodiment includes any or all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be an intermediate element.

[0068] Similarly, it should be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" another element, it may be directly on that other element, or there may be intermediate elements present. Conversely, the term "directly" means without intermediate elements. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising," "including," "including," or "comprises," when used in this application, indicate the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0069] It should also be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this application, a first element in some embodiments may be referred to as a second element in other embodiments. The same reference numerals or the same reference signs denote the same elements throughout the specification.

[0070] Furthermore, this application specification describes exemplary embodiments by referring to idealized exemplary cross-sectional views and / or plan views and / or perspective views. Therefore, differences from the illustrated shapes are foreseeable due to factors such as manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Thus, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but should include deviations in shape caused, for example, by manufacturing processes. For instance, etched areas shown as rectangular typically have circular or curved features. Therefore, the regions shown in the figures are substantially schematic, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of the regions of the device, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A semiconductor material handling system, characterized in that, include: The production area is formed by a first main track, a first secondary track, a second main track, and a second secondary track connected in sequence, and is used to set up production equipment. The space utilization of the production area is improved. The first main track and the second main track are used to transport wafer transfer boxes across the area, and the first secondary track and the second secondary track are used to transport wafer transfer boxes to the production equipment. A wafer storage rack is disposed in the production area near one end of the first sub-track, the first end of the wafer storage rack is connected to the second main track, and the second end of the wafer storage rack is close to the first main track; A wafer slicing machine is disposed at the second end of the wafer storage rack. The first end of the wafer slicing machine is connected to the first main track, and the second end of the wafer slicing machine is connected to the second end of the wafer storage rack.

2. The semiconductor material handling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first end of the wafer slitting machine is provided with a plurality of input and output ports, which are located below the first main track.

3. The semiconductor material handling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second end of the wafer slitting machine is embedded in the second end of the wafer storage rack.

4. The semiconductor material handling system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The second end of the wafer slitting machine is embedded at the bottom of the second end of the wafer storage rack.

5. The semiconductor material handling system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The second end of the wafer slitting machine is provided with a plurality of input and output ports, which are embedded in the second end of the wafer storage rack.

6. The semiconductor material handling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the wafer slitting machine is equal to the width of the wafer storage rack.

7. The semiconductor material handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The first end of the wafer storage rack is provided with a plurality of input / output ports, which are located below the second main track.

8. The semiconductor material handling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the wafer storage rack and the first sub-track is 0.3 to 0.5 meters.

9. The semiconductor material handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Several production devices are located in the production area between the second sub-track and the wafer storage rack.

10. The semiconductor material handling system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The minimum distance between the production equipment and the wafer storage rack is 550 mm.

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