Reticle rack system
View Patent ↗The present disclosure relates to semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to reticle rack systems. The teachings of the present disclosure may be embodied in a reticle rack unit including a frame with four uprights and multiple crossbars and four turnstiles. The frame may have a longest dimension defining a front side and a back side. The four turnstiles may be mounted to the frame to pivot around a respective rotational axis parallel to the four uprights. Each turnstile may define a plurality of reticle nests sized to hold reticles.
1. A reticle rack unit comprising:
a frame with four uprights and multiple crossbars, the frame having a longest dimension defining a front side and a back side;
four turnstiles mounted to the frame to pivot around a respective rotational axis parallel to the four uprights;
wherein each turnstile defines a plurality of reticle nests sized to hold reticles.
2. A reticle rack unit according to claim 1 , wherein each turnstile comprises four stacks of slots, each stack including 28 slots.
3. A reticle rack unit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reticle nests comprises 448 reticle nests.
4. A reticle rack unit according to claim 1 , wherein each turnstile comprises a rectangular tower.
5. A reticle rack unit according to claim 1 , wherein each turnstile comprises a rectangular tower including four stacks of reticle nests, and wherein a reticle can be removed from a stack only when the respective stack faces the front side of the frame.
6. A reticle rack unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
two static emitters; and
two fan filter units protecting any reticles stored in the reticle rack unit from particles in air surrounding the reticle rack unit.
7. A reticle rack unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
four brakes, each brake associated with one turnstile; and
an electronic controller only allowing one brake to be disengaged at any time.
8. A reticle rack unit according to claim 7 , further comprising four override switches, each switch associated with one turnstile and operable to override the electronic controller and allow the associated turnstile to turn.
9. A reticle rack unit according to claim 7 , further comprising a set of visual signals indicating whether each brake is engaged or disengaged.
10. A reticle rack unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a handheld scan gun for reading a label on reticles replaced in or removed from a reticle nest of the reticle rack unit; and
a monitor displaying an identifying code read from the label.
11. A system of reticle rack units for storing reticles in a semiconductor fab, the system including multiple reticle rack units, each reticle rack unit comprising:
a frame with four uprights and multiple crossbars, the frame having a longest dimension defining a front side and a back side;
four turnstiles mounted to the frame to pivot around a respective rotational axis parallel to the four uprights;
wherein each turnstile defines a plurality of reticle nests sized to hold reticles.
12. A system according to claim 11 , wherein each turnstile comprises four stacks of slots, each stack including 28 slots.
13. A system according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of reticle nests comprises 448 reticle nests.
14. A system according to claim 11 , wherein each turnstile comprises a rectangular tower.
15. A system according to claim 11 , wherein each turnstile comprises a rectangular tower including four stacks of reticle nests, and wherein a reticle can be removed from a stack only when the respective stack faces the front side of the frame.
16. A system according to claim 11 , further comprising:
two static emitters; and
two fan filter units protecting any reticles stored in the reticle rack unit from particles in air surrounding the reticle rack unit.
17. A system according to claim 11 , further comprising:
four brakes, each brake associated with one turnstile; and
an electronic controller only allowing one brake to be disengaged at any time.
18. A system according to claim 17 , further comprising four override switches, each switch associated with one turnstile and operable to override the electronic controller and allow the associated turnstile to turn.
19. A system according to claim 17 , further comprising a set of visual signals indicating whether each brake is engaged or disengaged.
20. A system according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a handheld scan gun for reading a label on reticles replaced in or removed from a reticle nest of the reticle rack unit; and
a monitor displaying an identifying code read from the label.