Efficient material handling is essential for maintaining stable wafer flow and production efficiency in semiconductor fabs. As fabs become more automated and production volumes increase, material transport, storage, and buffering need to operate as one coordinated system.

Fortrend’s Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) integrates Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), Overhead Hoist Transport (OHT), and Stockers (STK) to connect different stages of material movement across the fab.

AMR for Flexible Ground-Level Transport

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) provide flexible material transportation at floor level. They can support different tool interfaces and transport requirements, making them suitable for areas where fixed transport infrastructure may be less practical.

AMRs can help connect equipment, storage areas, and other handling points while reducing dependence on manual material movement.

OHT for High-Volume Overhead Transport

Overhead Hoist Transport (OHT) systems move materials along overhead tracks, providing fast and continuous transportation between process areas.

By utilizing overhead space, OHT can reduce floor-level traffic while supporting high-volume material movement between tools and production zones. This makes OHT an important part of automated wafer handling in high-throughput fabs.

STK for Storage and WIP Buffering

Stockers (STK) provide automated storage and buffering for wafers and other production materials. They help manage work-in-process (WIP) between different manufacturing steps and provide controlled material access when needed.

By coordinating storage with transportation systems, STK helps reduce unnecessary material movement and supports more consistent production flow.

One Integrated AMHS

The value of AMR, OHT, and STK is not limited to their individual functions. When integrated into one AMHS, they can work together as a connected material handling network:

● AMR: Flexible ground-level transportation

● OHT: High-speed overhead transportation

● STK: Automated storage and WIP buffering

This integrated approach connects tools, transport routes, and storage locations across the fab, helping coordinate material movement from storage to process and between production areas.

Supporting More Efficient Fab Automation

An integrated AMHS can reduce manual material handling, improve WIP flow, and provide a more consistent transportation process. It also allows different transport and storage technologies to be matched to specific fab requirements.

Fortrend combines AMR, OHT, and STK technologies into an integrated material handling solution designed for semiconductor manufacturing environments. From ground-level transport to overhead delivery and automated storage, the system provides a connected infrastructure for efficient wafer fab material flow.