Substrate Transfer Layout With Stacked Rails for Facility Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current substrate transfer systems face inefficiencies in direct movement and transport between fabricating facilities due to divided control systems, which hinder effective distribution exchange and maximize semiconductor element handling capacity.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transfer system comprising a lower rail, an upper rail, conveyor, first and second transport units, and a conveyor with linear and turning modules, enabling efficient distribution exchange between fabricating facilities by overlapping rails and utilizing vertical and horizontal movement to manage carrier transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a cluster type/cloud type fabricating facility connects a plurality of fabricating facilities to maximize handling capacity, then the semiconductor element handling capacity is improved, but direct movement and transport between fabricating facilities becomes problematic due to divided control systems
Solution Approach 1:
An interface zone is introduced as an intermediary between multiple fabricating facilities with divided control systems. This interface zone includes a conveyor system that acts as a mediator to transfer carriers between facilities, enabling distribution exchange while maintaining control system independence. The conveyor includes a linear module for straight movement and a turning module for directional changes, facilitating efficient carrier transfer without requiring integrated control across all facilities.
2Extent of automation
If overhead rail transport is used to automate substrate transfer, then automation extent is improved, but space utilization and transport capacity between facilities becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system utilizes three-dimensional space by implementing both upper and lower rails that overlap in the vertical direction. This vertical stacking of transport paths allows carriers to be transported at different heights simultaneously, effectively doubling the transport capacity within the same horizontal footprint. The interface zone conveyor is positioned below the lower rail to facilitate carrier exchange without interfering with the overhead rail transport operations.
3Productivity
If multiple transport units operate on overlapping upper and lower rails, then transport capacity is improved, but device complexity and investment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transport units are designed with multi-functionality to operate on both upper and lower rails. Each transport unit includes grip portions that can vertically move to perform loading and unloading operations on carriers. The slider mechanism allows the grip portion to move horizontally to access carriers on either the upper or lower rail, enabling a single transport unit design to serve multiple functions and reducing the need for separate specialized units for each rail level.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transfer system capable of performing efficient distribution exchange between fabricating facilities is provided. The substrate transfer system includes a lower rail, an upper rail which is located above the lower rail from a ground plane, and extends to be parallel to the lower rail, a conveyor which extends to intersect the lower rail and the upper rail, below the lower rail, a first lower transport unit which transports a first carrier along the lower rail and unloads the first carrier onto the conveyor, and a first upper transport unit which transports a second carrier along the upper rail and unloads the second carrier onto the conveyor, wherein the conveyor includes a linear module which moves the first carrier and the second carrier in a linear direction, and a turning module which turns the first carrier and the second carrier.