System and method for moving substrates in and out of a manufacturing process

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for moving substrates in and out of a manufacturing process. The present invention comprises an automatic transfer device for automatically transferring a cassette that stores substrates, a manual transfer device for transferring the cassette according to instructions of an operator, and a process apparatus for performing predetermined jobs on the substrate stored in the cassette, wherein the process apparatus comprises: a port on which the cassette is temporarily placed by the automatic transfer device or the manual transfer device; a loader which has a sensor to receive a communication start signal transferred from the automatic transfer device when the cassette is transferred by the automatic transfer device; and a job table on which actual jobs on the substrates, stored in the cassette, are performed, and wherein when the cassette is placed on the port, the process apparatus checks whether the communication start signal is received by the sensor, and when the signal is received, it is determined that the cassette has been transferred by the automatic transfer device, such that the process apparatus is set in an automatic transfer mode, and when the signal is not received, it is determined that the cassette has been transferred by the manual transfer device, and therefore, the process apparatus is set in a manual transfer mode. The present invention improves productivity and efficiency.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for moving substrates in and out of a manufacturing process, comprising: 
 an automatic transfer device for automatically transferring a cassette that stores substrates;    a manual transfer device for transferring a cassette that stores substrates according to an instruction of an operator; and    a process apparatus that performs a job on the substrate stored in the cassette,    wherein when the cassette arrives, the process apparatus determines that the cassette has been transferred by the automatic transfer device, or by the manual transfer device.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said process apparatus comprises: 
 a port on which the cassette is temporarily placed by the automatic transfer device or the manual transfer device;    a loader that has a sensor to receive a communication start signal transferred from the automatic transfer device when the cassette is transferred by the automatic transfer device; and    a job table where the substrate from the cassette is placed for a job process.    
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said loader further comprises a cassette ID reader to read cassette IDs when the cassette is placed on the port.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the loader automatically chucks the cassette and reads the cassette ID with the cassette ID reader when the cassette is transferred by the automatic transfer device and 
 wherein the loader chucks the cassette according to the instructions of the operator and reads the cassette ID with the cassette ID reader when the cassette is transferred by the manual transfer device.    
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the port has a substrate detecting sensor to detect the number of the substrates stored in the cassette and the position of the slots on which the substrates are stored.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the process apparatus further comprises a transfer robot that removes the substrates from the cassette on the port and transfers the substrates to the job table.  
     
     
         7 . A method for moving substrates in and out of a manufacturing process using a system comprising an automatic transfer device for automatically transferring a cassette that stores substrates, a manual transfer device for transferring the cassette according to an instruction of an operator, and a process apparatus for performing predetermined jobs on the substrate stored in the cassette, the process apparatus including a loader having a port on which cassettes transferred by the automatic transfer device and the manual transfer device are placed, and a job table on which predetermined jobs on the substrate stored in the cassette on the port are performed, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) transferring the cassette to the process apparatus through the automatic transfer device or the manual transfer device when the port is available;    (b) transmitting a communication start signal to the loader by the automatic transfer device when the cassette is transferred to the process apparatus through the automatic transfer device;    (c) loading the cassette to the port from the automatic transfer device;    (d) loading the cassette to the port according to the instruction of the operator when the cassette is transferred to the process apparatus through the manual transfer device in step (a);    (e) determining whether the cassette is detected on the port;    (f) determining whether the communication start signals is detected when the cassette is detected on the port; and    (g) setting the process apparatus in an automatic transfer mode when the communication start signal is detected, and setting the process apparatus in a manual transfer mode when the communication start signal is not detected.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein step (c) comprises the steps of: 
 determining whether the communication start signal is received;    requesting a cassette loading to the automatic transfer device when the communication start signals is received; and    loading the cassette to the port according to the request.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of: 
 (h) automatically chucking the cassette when the process apparatus is set in the automatic transfer mode and chucking the cassette according to the instructions of the operator when the process apparatus is set in the manual transfer mode;    (i) reading the cassette ID of the cassette using the cassette ID reader on the loader; and    (j) checking a position and a number of the glass substrates in the cassette on the port.    in step (g);