Sensor Rail Wafer Storage for In-Situ Physical Property Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microelectronic device manufacturing processes require additional acts to measure physical changes in wafers, which increases processing time, costs, and risks of contamination or damage.
Innovation Solution
A wafer storage device equipped with sensors integrated into the rails, allowing for the measurement of physical properties such as weight, thickness, and nonplanarity of wafers during transportation and storage, eliminating the need for separate measurement apparatus and acts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate measurement apparatus and acts are used to measure physical changes in wafers, then measurement precision can be achieved, but processing time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the measurement function with the wafer storage device by integrating sensors directly into the storage device. This allows physical property measurements to be performed while wafers are stored, eliminating the need for separate measurement apparatus and acts, thereby maintaining measurement precision while improving manufacturing throughput
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement is performed during the storage phase, which is a preliminary action before the wafer undergoes further processing. By measuring physical properties while the wafer is being stored, the patent eliminates the need for subsequent separate measurement steps, thus improving productivity without compromising measurement precision
2Loss of information
If additional measurement acts are performed during manufacturing, then physical changes can be monitored, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the measurement function with the storage device, enabling continuous monitoring of physical changes during storage without requiring additional measurement acts. This integration ensures that physical change data is captured during the storage phase itself, eliminating time loss associated with separate measurement steps
3Measurement precision
If wafers are removed from storage for measurement, then physical properties can be assessed, but risk of contamination or damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates sensors directly into the wafer storage device, allowing measurements to be performed in-situ without removing wafers from storage. This eliminates the risks of contamination or damage associated with wafer handling and transport to separate measurement equipment, while maintaining measurement precision through direct sensor contact
Solution Approach 2:
The wafer storage device performs the measurement function itself without requiring external measurement equipment. The integrated sensors enable the storage device to autonomously monitor physical properties of stored wafers, eliminating the need to remove wafers and thus protecting them from contamination or damage
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer storage device may include one or more mutually aligned rails extending from two opposing side walls, each pair of mutually aligned rails configured to support a wafer between the side walls. The wafer storage device includes one or more sensors coupled to at least some of the one or more rails. The one or more sensors may be configured to detect a physical property of the wafer. The wafer storage device may further include a processor configured to analyze data from the one or more sensors, and a memory device. The memory device may be configured to store data produced by at least the one or more sensors or the processor. The wafer storage device may also include a power storage device configured to receive power from an external source and supply power to the one or more sensors and the processor.