Patent · US Active

Wafer detecting apparatus

US8837777B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by

2References

17Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Sinfonia Technology Co., Ltd. · JP

Inventors

Katsumi Yasuda · Ise, JP
Toshio Kamigaki · Toyohashi, JP
Takumi Mizokawa · Tokyo, JP

Key dates

Filing date	May 10, 2012
Grant date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Oct 15, 2032

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH01L21/67265
WIPO fieldSemiconductors
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A wafer detecting apparatus detects storage states of a plurality of wafers stored in a wafer container. The plurality of wafers are stored substantially horizontal in slots in the wafer container to be transferred in and out of a front opening of the wafer container. The wafer detecting apparatus includes a vertically extending illumination device that emits light through the front opening onto the plurality of wafers and an imaging device that receives the light reflected from the plurality of wafers. The imaging device is arranged substantially directly in front of the wafer container and the illumination device is arranged in at least one of left and right sides of the imaging device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.