Apparatus and method for monitoring operational failiure of a stocker for stocking semiconductor wafers

摘要

Apparatus monitors the operational failure of at least one stocker 216 for stocking a semiconductor wafer cassette. The stocker 216 is divided into a plurality of parts. A generation means, generates stocker state information representing an operational state of the stocker, in response to a stocker state signal issued from the stocker. A monitoring means 206 inspects the stocker state information to update the operational state of the stocker previously stored. The monitoring means 206 generates a warning signal when at least one part contained in the stocker fails. There is a warning means for generating an audiovisual warning sign in response to the warning signal. The stocker may have a plurality of manual and automatic port means (321, 322, Figure 3) for loading/unloading the semiconductor wafer cassette. A robot arm means (323, Figure 3) may pull the semiconductor wafer out of the stocker, and a stacking means (324, Figure 3) can stack the wafer cassette. A plurality of detecting means (325, Figure 3) may detect the mobility of each of the manual and automatic port means 321, 322, the robot arm means 323, and the stacking means 324 to provide the stocker state signal to the generation means. A semiconductor factory automation system and a method for monitoring an operational failure of a stocker are also disclosed.