Patent Publication Number: US-2011077767-A1

Title: System for temporarily supplying power and a method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is a system for temporarily supplying power and method thereof; especially, the present invention relates to a system and a method for temporarily supplying electric power to a broken semiconductor carrier and to drive the broken semiconductor carrier from the track to a maintain area. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It is necessary to transfer the chip devices carefully before the manufactured micro chip is packaged because of the brittleness of wafers which are made of silicon or GaAs materials. The transferring method and tools are more stable to keep the manufactured wafer products. 
     In the recently wafer manufacturing application, the automatic transferring system has been widely to transfer the wafers efficiently. Generally, the system has transferring carriers move on the tracks for transferring wafer materials and wafer products between the working areas. 
     However, when one of the transferring carriers cannot receive the electric power of the main system, the broken transferring carrier stops on the track. Therefore, the stopped transferring carrier results in the transferring failure because the normal transferring carriers are blocked by the broken transferring carrier. The traditional method for removing the broken transferring carrier is pushing the broken transferring carrier by human labor. Due to the position of the transferring carrier, a tool, for example a pole is used to push and drive the broken transferring carrier. Further regarding the weight of the transferring carrier, it is hard to drive the broken transferring carrier by hand-tools (i.e., the pole) and human labor. On the other hand, the above-mentioned method may cause the working-safety issue. 
     Consequently, with regard to the resolution of defects illustrated hereinbefore, the inventors of the present invention propose a reasonably designed solution for effectively eliminating such defects. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objective of the present invention is to provide a system and a method of temporary electric power to broken semiconductor carrier(s) and controlling the movements of the broken semiconductor carrier(s). Thus, the broken semiconductor carrier can be removed efficiently and safely to the maintain area and the manufacturing line can be reinstated to a normal situation. 
     To achieve the objective described as above, the present invention discloses a system for applying a temporary power to a broken semiconductor carrier. The system includes a casing, a power supplying unit and a controlling unit. The power supplying unit is disposed in the casing and supplies an electric power to the broken semiconductor carrier. The controlling unit is disposed in the casing and controls the movements of the broken semiconductor carrier. 
     The present invention further discloses a method for applying temporary power to a broken semiconductor carrier. The method has the steps of providing at least one semiconductor carrier moving along with a main track and a plurality of branching tracks; when the semiconductor carrier is broken (i.e., failure of receiving main electric power), providing a system for temporarily supplying power to the broken semiconductor carrier, wherein the system includes a power supplying unit and a controlling unit; utilizing the power supplying unit of the system to supply electric power to the broken semiconductor carrier; and utilizing the controlling unit of the system to control movements of the broken semiconductor carrier. Therefore, the broken semiconductor carrier is powered and controlled to move to a maintain area, and the semiconductor carrying facility can be operated normally. 
     The system of the present invention is used in a method to apply temporary power to a broken semiconductor carrier and the powered semiconductor carrier can be controlled to move along with the tracks. Thus, the broken semiconductor carrier can be removed from the tracks. Moreover, the method and the system of the present invention provide electric power to drive the broken semiconductor carrier on the track so that the safety is achieved when the broken semiconductor carrier is driven to move to the maintain area. 
     In order to further appreciate the characteristics and technical contents of the present invention, references are hereunder made to the detailed descriptions and appended drawings in connection with the present invention. However, the appended drawings are merely shown for exemplary purposes, rather than being used to restrict the scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of the semiconductor carrying facility according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of the semiconductor carrier moving on the track according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2A  is a diagram of the system of the present invention applied to the broken semiconductor carrier according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a circuit diagram of the system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of the method according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Refer now to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 2A , the present invention provides a system  1  and a method for temporarily supplying power. The system  1  can be used for applying a temporary power to a broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can be powered on and be driven to a maintain area. In other words, the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can be safely and efficiently removed from the semiconductor carrying facility so as to transfer the other semiconductor carrier  3 . For example, the semiconductor carrying facility can be an overhead hoist transport (OHT) system and the OHT carriers move along with a track to a store position. The system  1  and the method is used in the OHT system as following, but not restricted thereby. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there are a main track  20  and a plurality of branching tracks  21  in a semiconductor manufacturing line. For example, semiconductor carriers  3  moves along with the main track  20  and the branching tracks  21  to transfer the semiconductor materials from working station A to working station H. When a semiconductor carriers  3  cannot receive the electric power (i.e. the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ in  FIG. 2A ) and the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ cannot controlled by the main controlling system, the system  1  and a method of the present invention can be used for removing the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ from the tracks  20 ,  21 . 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 2A ,  3  and  4 ; the system  1  includes a controlling unit  11  and a power supplying unit  12 . The controlling unit  11  and the power supplying unit  12  are preferably accommodated in a casing  10  so that the system  1  can be carried by hands or on the user&#39;s back to the position close to the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. In other words, the controlling unit  11  and the power supplying unit  12  are integrated into the casing  10  and it is convenient for a user to carry the system  1  to the position close to the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. 
     The power supplying unit  12  supplies an electric power to the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. In the embodiment, the power supplying unit  12  has a rechargeable battery  120 , a displaying device  121  and an output connector  122 . The rechargeable battery  120  supplies the electric power to the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ and the displaying device  121  is connected electrically to the rechargeable battery  120 . Therefore, the user can know the power left in the rechargeable battery  120  by the indication of the displaying device  121 . The output connector  122  is a signal/power transferring device which extends out of the casing  10 . For example, the output connector  122  can be a conductive wire with a plug so that the plug can be plugged into the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ so that the electric power and the controlling signals can be received by the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. 
     The controlling unit  11  controls movements of the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. The broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ (or the normal semiconductor carrier  3 ) has a main motor  31  and at least one auxiliary motor  32 . The broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ (or the normal semiconductor carrier  3 ) can move straightly along with the tracks  20 ,  21  by the main motor  31 , and the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ (or the normal semiconductor carrier  3 ) can turn left or right by the auxiliary motor  32 . In other words, the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can move from the main track  20  to one of the branching tracks  21  by controlling the auxiliary motor  32 , or the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can move from the branching track  21  to the main track  20  by controlling the auxiliary motor  32 . In other words, the rechargeable battery  120  supplies power to the main motor  31  and the auxiliary motor  32 , and the controlling unit  11  controls movements of the main motor  31  and the auxiliary motor  32  of the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. 
     In the embodiment, the controlling unit  11  has a main motor controlling interface  110 , an auxiliary motor controlling interface  111  and an emergency switch  112 . The main motor controlling interface  110 , the auxiliary motor controlling interface  111  and the emergency switch  112  are disposed on the casing  10  so that the user can use the main motor controlling interface  110 , the auxiliary motor controlling interface  111  and the emergency switch  112  to control the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. Please refer to  FIG. 3 ; the main motor controlling interface  110  is used to switch the electric power of the rechargeable battery  120  for controlling the movements of the main motor  31  so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ moves backward or forward along with the main track  20 . The auxiliary motor controlling interface  111  to switch the electric power of the rechargeable battery  120  for controlling the movements of the auxiliary motor  32  so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can turn left or right. The emergency switch  112  cuts off electric power of the rechargeable battery  120  to the main motor  31  and the auxiliary motor  32  so as to stop the main motor  31  and the auxiliary motor  32 . 
     Therefore, the power supplying unit  12  can supply power to the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ and the controlling unit  11  can control the movements of the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can be safely and efficiently driven to the maintain area. Thus, the operation of the manufacturing line can be efficiently reinstated and the working-safety issue is prevented. 
     The method for removing the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ is shown below. 
     In general, the semiconductor carriers  3  move along with the main track  20  and the branching tracks  21  to transfer the semiconductor materials, tools or products/half-finished products. 
     When the main power cannot be received by a semiconductor carrier  3  (i.e., the semiconductor carrier  3  fails to receive the power, not the moving mechanism of the semiconductor carrier  3 ), a user can carry the system  1  to the position of the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ and the output connector  122  of the power supplying unit  12  is connected to the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. For example, the output connector  122  is plugged into the power socket of the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ so that the power of the rechargeable battery  120  is supplied to the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ and the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ is controlled by the controlling unit  11 . Therefore, the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can be removed form the tracks  20 ,  21  to the maintain area. 
     The detail steps are shown below: 
     The Step is utilizing the main motor controlling interface  110  of the controlling unit  11  to switch the electric power supplied to the main motor  31  for controlling the movements of the main motor  31  so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ moves backward or forward along with the main track  20 . Thus, the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can be controlled to move to the maintain area. 
     In another situation, the first step is utilizing the main motor controlling interface  110  of the controlling unit  11  to switch the electric power supplied to the main motor  31  for controlling the movements of the main motor  31  so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ moves backward or forward along with the main track  20 . Next step is utilizing the auxiliary motor controlling interface  111  to switch the electric power supplied to the auxiliary motor  32  for controlling the movements of the auxiliary motor  32  so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ turns form the main track  20  to one of the branching tracks  21 . Thus, the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can be controlled to move to the maintain area. Alternatively, when the semiconductor carrier  3  fails on one branching track  21 , the following steps are provided for removing the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′. The first step is utilizing the auxiliary motor controlling interface  111  to switch the electric power supplied to the auxiliary motor  32  for controlling the movements of the auxiliary motor  32  so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ turns form one of the branching tracks  21  to the main track  20 . Next step is utilizing the main motor controlling interface  110  to switch the electric power supplied to the main motor  31  for controlling the movements of the main motor  31  so that the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ moves backward or forward along with the main track  21 . Thus, the broken semiconductor carrier  3 ′ can be controlled and driven to move to the maintain area. However, the method is not restricted thereby. 
     On the other hand, an emergency step of utilizing the emergency switch  112  to stop the main motor  31  and the auxiliary motor  32  is provided for preventing emergency situation. 
     In summary of aforementioned descriptions, the present invention can provide the following advantages: 
     1. The system and the method disclosed in the present invention can provide more safety to remove the broken semiconductor carrier. The user can carry the system to the position of the broken semiconductor carrier so as to supply electric power to the broken semiconductor carrier and drive the broken semiconductor carrier. Therefore, the broken semiconductor carrier can be efficiently removed from the tracks and the transferring system can operate normally. 
       2 . The system and the method of the present invention can be used in various materials carrying facility, such as semiconductor manufacturing line or the LCD manufacturing system. 
     The texts set forth hereinbefore illustrate simply the preferred embodiments of the present invention, rather than intending to restrict the scope of the present invention claimed to be legally protected thereto. All effectively equivalent changes made by using the contents of the present disclosure and appended drawings thereof are included within the scope of the present invention delineated by the following claims.