Patent ID: 7780392
Filing Date: 2010-08-24
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. In a fabrication facility comprising a material transport system elevated between a facility floor and a facility ceiling, a stocker for storing one or more workpiece containers, the stocker comprising: one or more elongate, first support rails, each of the one or more elongate, first support rails comprising a plurality of storage locations configured to support the one or more workpiece containers; the plurality of storage locations arranged in a horizontal array comprising at least two rows and two columns of storage locations; a conveyor loop comprising an input conveyor and an output conveyor, the input conveyor configured to receive the one or more workpiece containers from the material transport system and the output conveyor configured to transport the one or more workpiece containers from within the stocker to the material transport system; a second support rail connected to a pair of guide rails, wherein the second support rail is located in a substantially horizontal plane defined by a space between the pair of guide rails and wherein the second support rail is parallel to and located above the one or more elongate, first support rails; a container transport robot mounted to the second support rail, the container transport robot configured to transport the one or more workpiece containers in a substantially parallel direction relative to the substantially horizontal plane defined by the space between the pair of guide rails, wherein the one or more workpiece containers are stored at the stocker in distinct storage regions based on a priority associated with the one or more workpiece containers, wherein each of the one or more elongate, first support rails extends along a length defined by a x-axis of the substantially horizontal plane defined by the space between the pair of guide rails, and wherein each of the one or more elongate, first support rails comprises a longitudinal axis disposed parallel to the x-axis of the substantially horizontal plane defined by the space between the pair of guide rails.