Systems and methods for die container warehousing

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system includes: a warehousing apparatus configured to interface with a semiconductor die processing tool configured to process a semiconductor die singulated from a wafer, wherein the semiconductor die processing tool comprise an in-port and an out-port, wherein the warehousing apparatus is configured to: move a first die vessel that contains the semiconductor die to the in-port from a first die vessel container, wherein the first die vessel container is configured to house the first die vessel; move the first die vessel from the in-port to a buffer region; and move a second die vessel from the buffer region to the out-port.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a processing tool configured to process one or more semiconductor dies;   an in-port configured to receive a loaded die vessel containing a plurality of semiconductor dies;   an out-port configured to receive an empty die vessel for storing dies processed by the processing tool; and   a robotic arm configured to remove a first plurality of die vessels stacked in a first die vessel container, wherein the robotic arm comprises an end effector configured to secure a stack of die vessels, the end effector comprising:
 a first surface configured to slide under a bottom wall of a lowest die vessel of the stack of die vessels; and 
 a pair of side gates configured to laterally support the stack of die vessels so as to prevent individual die vessels from sliding off the stack of die vessels during transit. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the out-port comprises a pass out-port, a fail out-port, and a reprocess out-port, wherein the robotic arm is configured to move the empty die vessel from a buffer region to one of the pass out-port, the fail out-port, and the reprocess out-port. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm is configured to move a second die vessel from the out-port to a second die vessel container. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first die vessel container and the second die vessel container are a same die vessel container. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first die vessel container and the second die vessel container are different die vessel containers. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a vehicle that moves the second die vessel container from the semiconductor die processing tool to another semiconductor die processing tool in response to determining that the second die vessel container is full. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm is configured to move a second die vessel to the in-port in response to an indication from the processing tool that a semiconductor die in the second die vessel is to be reprocessed. 
     
     
         8 . A system, comprising:
 a semiconductor die processing tool configured to process a semiconductor die singulated from a wafer, wherein the semiconductor die processing tool comprises an in-port and an out-port,   a buffer region on top of the semiconductor processing tool; and   a conversion station comprising a robotic arm configured to remove a first plurality of die vessels stacked in a first die vessel container and insert a second plurality of die vessels into a second die vessel container in a stacked configuration, wherein the robotic arm comprises an end effector configured to secure a stack of die vessels, the end effector comprising:
 a first surface configured slide under a bottom wall of a lowest die vessel of the stack of die vessels; and 
 a pair of side gates configured to laterally support the stack of die vessels so as to prevent individual die vessels from sliding off the stack of die vessels during transit. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the robotic arm is configured to move the resulting empty die vessel from the buffer region to the out-port in response to an indication of process completion from the semiconductor die processing tool. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the buffer region is configured to receive and store a plurality of die vessels. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the robotic arm is configured to interface with an overhead warehousing apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the in-port and the out-port is within a work envelope of the robotic arm. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first die vessel and the second die vessel are a same die vessel. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first die vessel and the second die vessel are different die vessels. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 removing a first die vessel from a first die vessel container containing a first plurality of die vessels in a stacked configuration, wherein the removing comprises:
 simultaneously securing the stack of first plurality of die vessels by sliding a first surface of an end effector of the robotic arm under a bottom wall of a lowest die vessel of the stack of the first plurality of die vessels; and 
 laterally supporting the stack of the first plurality of die vessels with a pair of side gates of the end effector configured to prevent individual die vessels from sliding off the stack during transit; 
   moving the first die vessel from the stack of the first plurality of die vessels, wherein the first die vessel contains a semiconductor die singulated from a wafer, to an in-port from the first die vessel container, wherein the first die vessel container is configured to house the first die vessel among the first plurality of die vessels;   removing the semiconductor die from the loaded die vessel to be processed by a semiconductor die processing tool, thereby converting the loaded die vessel to an empty die vessel;   moving the empty die vessel from the in-port to a buffer region; and   moving the empty die vessel from the buffer region to an out-port.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 loading the semiconductor die processed by the processing tool into the empty die vessel to convert the empty die vessel into a fully loaded die vessel;   loading the fully loaded die vessel into a second die vessel container; and   when the second die vessel container is fully loaded with a second plurality of die vessels, transporting the second die vessel container to an external system.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 moving the fully loaded die vessel from the out-port into the second die vessel container configured to store the second plurality of die vessels.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 moving the first die vessel container to a die vessel container buffer.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first die vessel container and the second die vessel container are a same die vessel container. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 moving the second die vessel from the buffer region to the out-port in response to an indication of process completion from the semiconductor die processing tool.