System and method for transferring and aligning wafers

Abstract

There is provided a method and system for transferring wafers. Wafers in a FOUP are horizontally aligned by vibrating the FOUP before unloading the wafers from the FOUP. Thereafter, a mapping process may be accurately performed, and the wafers stably unloaded from the FOUP.

1 . A method of transferring wafers from a container, the wafers being inserted into slots within the container, the method comprising: 
 placing the container on a load port;    aligning the wafers in the container; and thereafter unloading the wafers from the container,    wherein the aligning the wafers comprises shaking the container by applying an external mechanical force to cause the wafers to settle onto the slots.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shaking of the container comprises mechanically vibrating the container.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the vibrating of the container comprises linearly reciprocating a conveying plate associated with the load port, and wherein placing the container on the load port comprises placing the container on the conveying plate.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising opening a door provided in a body of the container, 
 wherein the opening of the door comprises:    inserting latch keys formed on a door holder of a door opener into latch holes formed on the door of the container before the aligning of the container; and    separating the door from the body of the container after the aligning of the container.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after the unloading of the wafers from the container: 
 re-loading the wafer into the container; and thereafter,    aligning the wafers in the container by vibrating the container.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shaking of the container comprises imparting a physical impact to the container.  
   
   
       7 . A wafer transfer system adapted to transfer wafers from a container to a process facility, the wafers being received into slots within the container, the wafer transfer system comprising: 
 a load port adapted to receive and support the container;    a frame positioned between the load port and the process facility and comprising a transfer robot adapted to transfer the wafers from the container to the process facility; and    an alignment unit adapted to settle the wafers into the slots in horizontal alignment by mechanically shaking the container supported by the load port.    
   
   
       8 . The wafer transfer system of  claim 7 , wherein the load port comprises: 
 a station;    a conveying plate associated with the station and adapted to receive the container; and    a conveying plate driver adapted to linearly reciprocate the conveying plate,    wherein the alignment unit comprises a controller adapted to control operation of the conveying plate driver.    
   
   
       9 . The wafer transfer system of  claim 7 , wherein the alignment unit comprises a striker adapted to mechanically strike an outer wall of the container supported by the load port.  
   
   
       10 . A wafer aligner adapted to horizontally align wafers inserted into slots of a container, the substrate aligner comprising: 
 an alignment station;    a shake plate disposed on the alignment station and adapted to receive the container; and    a shake plate driver adapted to shake the shake plate to thereby cause settling of the wafers onto their respective slots.    
   
   
       11 . The wafer aligner of  claim 10 , wherein the shake plate driver is adapted to vibrate the shake plate.  
   
   
       12 . The wafer aligner of  claim 10 , wherein the shake plate driver reciprocates the shake plate back and forth, right and left, or up and down.  
   
   
       13 . The Wafer aligner of  claim 10 , wherein the container is a hermetic container.  
   
   
       14 . The wafer aligner of  claim 13 , wherein the hermetic container comprises a Front Open Unified Pod (FOUP).