AMHS for 300 mm wafer

Many discussions are currently underway concerning the imminent introduction of new 300 mm generation wafer fabrication facilities. An Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) is at the center of interest and various transport methods are being studied and proposed by various manufacturers and committees. Since the weight of transport materials is estimated to increase in a 300 mm wafer fabrication facility, it will be difficult to transport such materials by human hand. Therefore, it is highly probable that an AMHS will play a significant role in a reduced operator wafer fab. In this paper, the results of a transport capability investigation with two different transport methods are examined and guidelines for selecting the best transport method are suggested