Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Condition responsive means controls separating means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-10-09
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Condition responsive means controls separating means
C209S509000, C209S552000, C209S600000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06300584
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a loading/unloading control apparatus of a semiconductor device and a control method thereof in which the time for loading/unloading a semiconductor device for testing can be reduced.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, some properties, such as an electric property, of a produced semiconductor device is tested by using a test device. At this time, a handler is used for transferring a semiconductor device to a test device. After the test is completed, the semiconductor device is classified according to capacity level.
FIG. 1
is a plan view of a conventional handler. As shown in
FIG. 1
, a conventional handler
100
comprises a chamber
110
, and a working table
120
having an apparatus for loading or unloading the device to a chamber
110
and for classifying and stacking the semiconductor device.
The chamber
110
includes a heating chamber for heating a fed semiconductor device, a test site mounted with a test device for testing a heated semiconductor device, and a cooling chamber for cooling the semiconductor device received from the test site.
Therefore, the semiconductor device is transferred to the heating chamber thereby to be heated at a test temperature, the heated semiconductor device is then tested by the test device provided at the test site. Next, the tested device is transferred to the cooling chamber to be cooled by a constant temperature so that the semiconductor device is classified and stacked by a picker according to the result of test.
On the working table
120
a supply tray
122
is placed for stacking the semiconductor device to be tested. A classifying and stacking portion where a plurality of sorting trays
121
are positioned is formed on one side of the supply tray
122
so as to classify and stack the tested semiconductor device.
The semiconductor device received at the supply tray
122
is sucked by a X-Y axis picker
44
provided with a suction nozzle
44
a
so that the semiconductor device is moved in X-axis and Y-axis direction along guide axis
125
and
126
thereby to be transferred to a loading buffer
123
a
. Next, the semiconductor device sucked by the suction nozzle
53
a
is transferred to an aligner
124
by a loading picker
53
moving in X-axis direction along the guide axis
127
thereby to be loaded to the test tray not shown. The test tray serves to connect the semiconductor device to the test device through the chamber
110
.
The tested device is unloaded to the aligner
124
thereby to be transferred to an unloading buffer
123
b
at the state of being sucked by the suction nozzle
63
a
of an unloading picker
63
moving in X-axis direction along the guide axis
127
.
Accordingly, the semiconductor device is classified and stacked at the sorting tray
121
based on the test characteristics by the X-Y axis picker
44
thereby to completing the loading/unloading.
However, the conventional handler
100
having the above constructions has problems. The sorting tray
121
is required to be replaced in order for the tested semiconductor device to be classified and stacked to the sorting tray
121
, the X-Y axis-picker
44
should wait until the sorting tray
121
is completely replaced. Therefore, the unloading work is delayed thereby causing an increase in time for classifying the semiconductor device.
Furthermore, in the case when the X-Y axis picker
44
is selectively used for loading/unloading the semiconductor device, the unloading picker is under non-working state when the semiconductor device is first loaded to the test site. The picker for loading the semiconductor device becomes stopped at its working state when the semiconductor device is unloaded.
Furthermore, the X-Y axis picker
44
repeatedly supplies a semiconductor device served at the supply tray
122
to the loading buffer
123
a
so that the test device loads the semiconductor device to be tested. After all the semiconductor devices are served at the tray
122
, they are then transferred to the loading buffer
123
a
, the supply tray
122
is replaced with a new one.
However, the X-Y axis picker
44
is under a standby state during the time the tray
122
is replaced. Accordingly, the semiconductor device can not be supplied during the replacing of supply tray
122
thereby causing the loading function not to be performed smoothly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a loading/unloading control apparatus of a semiconductor device and a control method thereof in which a semiconductor device served at an unloading buffer is transferred to a sorting buffer during a time of replacing a sorting tray thereby to smoothly perform an unloading working of the semiconductor device.
It is another object of the present invention is to provide a loading/unloading control apparatus of a semiconductor device and a control method thereof in which each picker can simultaneously perform a loading/unloading working.
It is another object of the present invention is to provide a loading/unloading control apparatus of a semiconductor device and a control method thereof in which each picker can individually perform a loading/unloading working so that the time for loading/unloading can be saved. Furthermore, the picker's feeding distance and standby time is shortened preventing a collision during the feeding of the picker so that the productivity of the semiconductor device can be increased.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a loading/unloading control apparatus of a semiconductor device and a control method thereof in which a semiconductor device served at a supply tray is transferred to a temporary buffer during a time of replacing the supply tray and to a loading buffer thereby to smoothly perform a loading working of the semiconductor device.
To achieve the above objects, there is provided a loading/unloading control method of a semiconductor device which includes the steps of identifying whether a semiconductor device to be sorted to an unloading buffer exists by using a microprocessor; identifying whether a sorting tray is prepared when the semiconductor device exists to be sorted to the unloading buffer; requiring the sorting tray to be replaced by the microprocessor when the sorting tray is not prepared; and transferring the semiconductor device on the unloading buffer to the sorting buffer with a X-Y axis picker while the replacing of sorting tray takes place.
The present invention provides a loading/unloading control method of a semiconductor device which includes the steps of identifying whether a semiconductor device to be tested exists at a supply tray; transferring the semiconductor device from the supply tray to a first and second picker with a X-Y axis picker when the semiconductor device exists and stacking the semiconductor device stacked at the first and second buffer to an aligner with the first and second picker; determining whether a tested semiconductor device exists; and transferring the tested semiconductor device to the first and second buffer from the aligner by the first and second picker when the tested semiconductor device exists and classifying and stacking the served semiconductor device at the first and second buffer to the sorting tray by the X-Y axis picker.
The present invention provides a loading/unloading control method of a semiconductor device which includes the steps of determining whether a temporary buffer is empty in a microprocessor when the semiconductor device is not required to be supplied; transferring the semiconductor device served at a supply tray to the temporary buffer by the X-Y axis picker when the temporary buffer is empty; identifying whether the semiconductor device exists at the supply tray by the microprocessor when the semiconductor device is required to be supplied to the loading buffer; requiring the replacing of the supply tray by the microprocessor when the supply tray is not served with the semiconductor device; identifying whether the replaced supply
Beauchaine Mark J.
Fleshner & Kim LLP
Mirae Corporation
Walsh Donald P.
LandOfFree
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