Overhead hoist transport device and method of using the same
US12094744B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 1, 2023 |
| Grant date | Sep 17, 2024 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 1, 2043 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67769
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Some implementations described herein provide a method that includes loading, from a load port and into a first buffer of a multiple-buffer overhead hoist transport (OHT) vehicle, a first transport carrier storing one or more processed wafers. The method includes unloading to the load port, while the first buffer retains the first transport carrier, and from a second buffer of the multiple-buffer OHT vehicle, a second transport carrier storing one or more wafers for processing. In other implementations, the method includes loading, into a first buffer of the multiple-buffer OHT vehicle, a first transport carrier storing one or more wafers for processing, while a semiconductor processing tool, associated with a load port, is processing one or more wafers associated with a second transport carrier. The method includes positioning the multiple-buffer OHT vehicle above the load port while the multiple-buffer OHT vehicle retains the first transport carrier in the first buffer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.