Semiconductor carrier storage system, semiconductor fabrication system including the same, and semiconductor fabrication method using the same

1 . A semiconductor carrier storage system, comprising:

a plurality of storage ports each of which is configured to accommodate a semiconductor carrier;

a shuttle rail that extends in a horizontal direction on a side of the plurality of storage ports and relative to a ground;

an internal carrier shuttle configured to move along the shuttle rail and to transfer the semiconductor carrier to at least one of the plurality of storage ports;

an upper transfer port configured to receive the semiconductor carrier from an overhead hoist transport (OHT), the upper transfer port (i) extending in a direction that intersects with the shuttle rail and (ii) overlapping with the shuttle rail in plan view, and

an internal transfer device that extends in a direction that intersects the horizontal direction and that is configured to move and transfer the semiconductor carrier on the upper transfer port to a location below the shuttle rail,

wherein the internal carrier shuttle includes:

a shuttle body configured to couple to the shuttle rail;

a transfer wheel configured to connect the shuttle body to the shuttle rail;

a gripper configured to hold the semiconductor carrier; and

a hoist configured to vertically extend between the shuttle body and the gripper and to drive the gripper to vertically move, and

wherein, the internal carrier shuttle is configured to, based on the internal carrier shuttle moving along the shuttle rail in the horizontal direction to a first position, pick up the semiconductor carrier that has been received by the upper transfer port and transferred to the internal transfer device, and

wherein, the internal carrier shuttle is configured to, based on the internal carrier shuttle moving along the shuttle rail in the horizontal direction to a second position, transfer the semiconductor carrier, that has been received by the upper transfer port and transferred to the internal transfer device, to at least one of the plurality of storage ports.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage ports are arranged in the horizontal direction.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein

the plurality of storage ports are arranged in a curved shape when viewed in plan, and

the shuttle rail includes a section that is curved along the plurality of storage ports.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage ports are arranged in:

a first row wherein ones of the plurality of storage ports are arranged in the horizontal direction; and

a second row where others of the plurality of storage ports are arranged in the horizontal direction,

wherein the second row is on the first row.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a lower transfer port arranged below the plurality of storage ports and configured to receive the semiconductor carrier from at least one of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR).

6 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising:

a lower plate below the plurality of storage ports,

wherein the lower transfer port is lower than the lower plate,

wherein the lower plate defines a carrier movement hole that vertically penetrates the lower plate, and

wherein the carrier movement hole is on the lower transfer port.

7 . The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the upper transfer port and the shuttle rail are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, and

wherein a first side of the internal transfer device is connected to the upper transfer port and a second side of the internal transfer device is below the shuttle rail.

8 . A semiconductor fabrication system, comprising:

a semiconductor process chamber;

a transfer system configured to transfer a semiconductor carrier to the semiconductor process chamber; and

a semiconductor carrier storage system configured to store the semiconductor carrier transferred from the transfer system,

wherein the semiconductor carrier storage system includes:

a plurality of storage ports each of which is configured to accommodate a semiconductor carrier;

a shuttle rail that extends in a horizontal direction on a side of the plurality of storage ports and relative to a ground;

an internal carrier shuttle configured to move along the shuttle rail and to transfer the semiconductor carrier to at least one of the plurality of storage ports;

an upper transfer port configured to receive the semiconductor carrier from an overhead hoist transport (OHT), the upper transfer port (i) extending in a direction that intersects with the shuttle rail and (ii) overlapping with the shuttle rail in plan view,

an internal transfer device that extends in a direction that intersects the horizontal direction and that is configured to move and transfer the semiconductor carrier on the upper transfer port to a location below the shuttle rail, and

a lower transfer port below the plurality of storage ports and configured to receive the semiconductor carrier from the transfer system,

wherein the internal carrier shuttle includes:

a shuttle body configured to couple to the shuttle rail;

a transfer wheel configured to connect the shuttle body to the shuttle rail;

a gripper configured to hold the semiconductor carrier; and

a hoist configured to vertically extend between the shuttle body and the gripper and to drive the gripper to vertically move,

wherein, the internal carrier shuttle is configured to, based on the internal carrier shuttle moving along the shuttle rail in the horizontal direction to a first position, pick up the semiconductor carrier that has been received by the upper transfer port and transferred to the internal transfer device, and

wherein, the internal carrier shuttle is configured to, based on the internal carrier shuttle moving along the shuttle rail in the horizontal direction to a second position, transfer the semiconductor carrier, that has been received by the upper transfer port and transferred to the internal transfer device, to at least one of the plurality of storage ports.

9 . The system of claim 8 ,

wherein the transfer system includes:

an upper transport coupled to a ceiling; and

a lower transport on a floor,

wherein the upper transport includes:

a transport rail spaced apart from the shuttle rail; and

the OHT coupled to the transport rail and configured to move along the transport rail,

wherein the upper transfer port is below the transport rail and is configured to receive the semiconductor carrier from the OHT.

10 . The system of claim 9 ,

wherein one side of the internal transfer device is connected to the upper transfer port, and

another side of the internal transfer device is below the shuttle rail.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein

the lower transport includes at least one of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR),

wherein the lower transfer port is on the floor and is configured to receive the semiconductor carrier from the AGV or the AMR.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein

the semiconductor carrier storage system further includes a lower plate below the plurality of storage ports,

the lower plate defines a carrier movement hole disposed on the lower transfer port.

13 . A semiconductor fabrication method, comprising:

using a transfer system to pick up a semiconductor carrier from a semiconductor process chamber and load the semiconductor carrier on a semiconductor carrier storage system,

wherein the semiconductor carrier storage system comprises:

a plurality of storage ports each of which is configured to accommodate a semiconductor carrier;

a shuttle rail that extends in a horizontal direction on a side of the plurality of storage ports and relative to a ground;

an internal carrier shuttle configured to move along the shuttle rail and to transfer the semiconductor carrier to at least one of the plurality of storage ports;

an upper transfer port configured to receive the semiconductor carrier from an overhead hoist transport (OHT), the upper transfer port (i) extending in a direction that intersects with the shuttle rail and (ii) overlapping with the shuttle rail in plan view, and

an internal transfer device that extends in a direction that intersects the horizontal direction and that is configured to move and transfer the semiconductor carrier on the upper transfer port to a location below the shuttle rail,

wherein the internal carrier shuttle includes:

a shuttle body configured to couple to the shuttle rail;

a transfer wheel configured to connect the shuttle body to the shuttle rail;

a gripper configured to hold the semiconductor carrier; and

a hoist configured to vertically extend between the shuttle body and the gripper and to drive the gripper to vertically move, and

wherein, the internal carrier shuttle is configured to, based on the internal carrier shuttle moving along the shuttle rail in the horizontal direction to a first position, pick up the semiconductor carrier that has been received by the upper transfer port and transferred to the internal transfer device, and

wherein, the internal carrier shuttle is configured to, based on the internal carrier shuttle moving along the shuttle rail in the horizontal direction to a second position, transfer the semiconductor carrier, that has been received by the upper transfer port and transferred to the internal transfer device, to at least one of the plurality of storage ports;

using the internal carrier shuttle of the semiconductor carrier storage system to pick up the semiconductor carrier; and

causing the internal carrier shuttle to move along a shuttle rail and to place the semiconductor carrier on a storage port of the semiconductor carrier storage system,

wherein using the internal carrier shuttle to pick up the semiconductor carrier includes:

using the hoist of the internal carrier shuttle to cause a gripper to descend from a shuttle body;

using the descended gripper to hold the semiconductor carrier; and

ascending the gripper that holds the semiconductor carrier.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein using the transfer system to pick up the semiconductor carrier from the semiconductor process chamber includes:

using an upper transport coupled a ceiling to pick up the semiconductor carrier from a process port of the semiconductor process chamber; and

using a lower transport on a floor to pick up the semiconductor carrier from the process port of the semiconductor process chamber.

15 . The method of claim 14 ,

wherein using the upper transport to pick up the semiconductor carrier from the process port of the semiconductor process chamber includes using the OHT of the upper transport to pick up the semiconductor carrier on the process port, and

wherein loading the semiconductor carrier on the semiconductor carrier storage system includes using the OHT to load the semiconductor carrier on the upper transfer port that is spaced apart in the horizontal direction from the shuttle rail.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

causing the semiconductor carrier loaded on the upper transfer port to move in the horizontal direction to rest on a location below the shuttle rail.

17 . The method of claim 14 ,

wherein using the lower transport to pick up the semiconductor carrier from the process port of the semiconductor process chamber includes using at least one of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) to pick up the semiconductor carrier on the process port, and

loading the semiconductor carrier on the semiconductor carrier storage system includes using the AGV or the AMR to load the semiconductor carrier on a lower transfer port positioned below the plurality of storage ports.