Particle-free intermediate storage in semiconductor production

The CubeStocker is a floor-based fully automatic storage system for open 200mm wafer carriers. The automatic input and output for this system is done e.g. via an overhead transport system (Conveyor).

Front view of the CubeStocker in the cleanromm with a service technician in cleanroom gown

The highlight feature: Within the CubeStocker, a dedicated ISO 3 clean room atmosphere is created to temporarily store the wafers absolutely clean before the next processing step. In this way, we provide a buffer for the production process without affecting the quality of the yield due to the intermediate storage. With its own supply of clean air, the CubeStocker can also be placed in greyrooms (ISO 6) to save valuable cleanroom space for important production machinery. The CubeStocker is particularly suitable for semiconductor fabs that do not have storage facilities under the ceiling. In its compact design, it offers space for up to 200 wafer cassettes.  The CubeStocker is assembled from the “inside”. This means that the system can also be set up in corners and niches without any difficulties. It is also possible to arrange several stackers in a row.

The incoming material is identified by using RFID technology.

The heart of the storage system is a robot portal

The robot portal inside the CubeStocker consists of two vertical axes and a 6-axis robot. The individual storage locations are taught automatically so that commissioning or maintenance can be kept as short as possible, and the system is available to production very quickly.

The robot portal inside the CubeStocker consists of two vertical axes controlled in parallel and a 6-axis robot. It picks up the cassettes from the transport system and stores and retrieves them in the storage locations. The high precision and linearity of the robot arm ensures safe and vibration-free handling of the sensitive wafers. The individual storage locations are determined automatically, so that commissioning or maintenance can be kept as short as possible and the system is quickly available for production.

Features:

  • High storage density (200 wafer cassettes)
  • Meets cleanroom class ISO class 3
  • High-performance Stäubli TX2-90XL robot arm with 1450 mm reach in Super Cleanroom version (SCR)
  • Input and output via interfaces to the ceiling transport system (conveyor)
  • System-wide carrier identification via RFID technology
  • Integration into existing automation through SEMI SECS/GEM interface
  • Reduced commissioning or maintenance time through automatic determination of robot positions

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