Patent ID: 7099739
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: G05B,H01L,Y02P,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a plurality of stockers, comprising the steps of: monitoring utilization of the plurality of stockers, each stocker capable of storing a plurality of wafer, LCD or reticle containers having a plurality of priorities; and automatically transferring a first wafer, LCD or reticle container from a first one of the stockers to a second one of the stockers if the utilization of the first stocker is greater than a predetermined thereshold, wherein one of the wafer, LCD or reticle containers having a high priority is moved out of the first stocker before one of the wafer, LCD or reticle containers having a lower priority, wherein the wafer, LCD or reticle containers comprising engineering lot containers, production lot containers, control wafer containers and empty containers and wherein a priority of the empty containers is higher than a priority of the control wafer containers, the priority of the control wafer containers is higher than a priority of the production wafer containers, and the priority of the production wafer containers is higher than a priority of the engineering lot containers.