Abstract: A pod opener includes an elevating mechanism elevating the cassette in a vertical direction, a first hook member engaging with an engagement means of the cassette and supporting the cassette, a second hook member supported by the first hook member, a forward and backward movement mechanism moving the first hook member and the second hook member forward and backward with respect to the cassette, an urging member urging the second hook member upward, and an atmosphere maintaining device maintaining an internal space having the cassette disposed therein in a predetermined atmosphere and the second hook member is displaceable with respect to the first hook member.

Abstract: Provided is a holding device 45 capable of holding securely and transporting a thin plate-shaped substrate for which surface processing has been completed without causing a natural oxide film to form on the surface to be processed thereof. This holding device 45 comprises a holding member 47 for holding the thin plate-shaped substrate, a purge plate 46 having formed therein a flow path 52 for the purpose of flowing therethrough an inert gas, and a piping member for connecting an inert gas supply source to the flow path 52. The purge plate 46 is equipped with discharged ports 51, which communicate with the flow path 52 and are provided on a surface facing the surface to be processed of the thin plate-shaped substrate held by the holding member 47, for the purpose of discharging the inert gas onto the processing surface of the thin plate-shaped substrate.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide, at low cost, a transport apparatus 2 which is capable of transporting a semiconductor wafer W between a FOUP 19 and a processing apparatus 3 without exposing a surface to be processed of the semiconductor wafer to an oxidizing atmosphere. This transport apparatus 2 includes a load port 20 that has atmosphere replacing function, a transport robot 2 that has an atmosphere replacing function, an aligner 40 that has an atmosphere replacing function, and a load lock chamber 12 that has an atmosphere replacing function. The surface being processed of the semiconductor wafer has the atmosphere replaced locally while the semiconductor wafer is being moved and is being subjected to processes such as positioning.

Abstract: Provided is holding finger 21 with which a thin-plate substrate W that has been subjected to surface processing can be transferred without generating a natural oxide film on a surface to be processed of the thin-plate substrate W.

Abstract: Provided is a holding device 45 capable of holding securely and transporting a thin plate-shaped substrate for which surface processing has been completed without causing a natural oxide film to form on the surface to be processed thereof. This holding device 45 comprises a holding member 47 for holding the thin plate-shaped substrate, a purge plate 46 having formed therein a flow path 52 for the purpose of flowing therethrough an inert gas, and a piping member for connecting an inert gas supply source to the flow path 52. The purge plate 46 is equipped with discharged ports 51, which communicate with the flow path 52 and are provided on a surface facing the surface to be processed of the thin plate-shaped substrate held by the holding member 47, for the purpose of discharging the inert gas onto the processing surface of the thin plate-shaped substrate.

Abstract: A pod opener includes an elevating mechanism elevating the cassette in a vertical direction, a first hook member engaging with an engagement means of the cassette and supporting the cassette, a second hook member supported by the first hook member, a forward and backward movement mechanism moving the first hook member and the second hook member forward and backward with respect to the cassette, an urging member urging the second hook member upward, and an atmosphere maintaining device maintaining an internal space having the cassette disposed therein in a predetermined atmosphere and the second hook member is displaceable with respect to the first hook member.

Abstract: Provided is holding finger 21 with which a thin-plate substrate W that has been subjected to surface processing can be transferred without generating a natural oxide film on a surface to be processed of the thin-plate substrate W.

Abstract: Provided is a load port capable of loading and unloading a substrate by a transfer robot in a state where a purge gas atmosphere is maintained inside a substrate storage space. After the lid of the substrate storage container is opened, an opening portion of the substrate storage container is closed by a frame sealing a peripheral edge of the opening portion of the substrate storage container and a shutter portion where a plurality of shielding plates are disposed in a vertical direction at a third position which is further moved forward from a release position. The shutter portion can locally move all or a portion of the shielding plates to form a narrow opening portion (third opening portion), and transferring of the substrate in the state where an atmosphere of the substrate storage space is replaced is performed through the narrow opening portion (third opening portion).

Abstract: Provided is a load port capable of loading and unloading a substrate by a transfer robot in a state where a purge gas atmosphere is maintained inside a substrate storage space. After the lid of the substrate storage container is opened, an opening portion of the substrate storage container is closed by a frame sealing a peripheral edge of the opening portion of the substrate storage container and a shutter portion where a plurality of shielding plates are disposed in a vertical direction at a third position which is further moved forward from a release position. The shutter portion can locally move all or a portion of the shielding plates to form a narrow opening portion (third opening portion), and transferring of the substrate in the state where an atmosphere of the substrate storage space is replaced is performed through the narrow opening portion (third opening portion).

Abstract: Provided is a wafer stocker that can prevent the inflow of an external atmosphere, maintain a wafer storage space at a desired atmosphere with a relatively small amount of gas, and prevent dust from being attached to a wafer surface. A shutter portion, including multiple shield plates having the same height as an interval between shelf plates disposed in a storage container, is disposed with a slight space from a body portion, and by supplying clean gas into the storage container, a clean atmosphere of a higher pressure than an external environment is maintained, and a shutter portion is opened and closed by moving up and down the shield plate independently from the shelf plate that supports a wafer.

Abstract: Provided is a wafer stocker that can prevent the inflow of an external atmosphere, maintain a wafer storage space at a desired atmosphere with a relatively small amount of gas, and prevent dust from being attached to a wafer surface. A shutter portion, including multiple shield plates having the same height as an interval between shelf plates disposed in a storage container, is disposed with a slight space from a body portion, and by supplying clean gas into the storage container, a clean atmosphere of a higher pressure than an external environment is maintained, and a shutter portion is opened and closed by moving up and down the shield plate independently from the shelf plate that supports a wafer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transporting apparatus and a transporting control method for thin plates, the apparatus for transporting the thin plates such as liquid crystal display panels and glass plates into a processing chamber, comprising a rather large robot (14) having rotating arms (16) for transporting large-sized thin plates. The transporting apparatus and a thin plate transporting system can stably raise the plates up to the heights of approximately 2 m and can transporting the plates with the deflected amount of the extended rotating arms (16) compensated. A horizontal support table (13) liftably cantilevered on two upright support members (12) is provided in the apparatus, and the transporting robot (14) with the rotating arms (16) is placed on the horizontal support table (13). Also, the deflected amount of the extended rotating arms is compensated by raising the height of the horizontal support table (13) based on the deflected amount.

Abstract: A cylinder of the invention can precisely send out a piston rod 3 into four different positions and comprises: a spring receiving member 14 placed coaxially with piston rod 3 in a piston room (I-II) of a cylinder tube 2 so that the movement of spring receiving member 14 is limited by one end of the piston room; a first spring member 15 to separate the spring receiving member from the piston; a stopper 8 formed on piston rod 3 to limit spring receiving member 14 from moving in the opposite direction to piston 4, a hollow 9 formed on the periphery of piston rod 3 at farther position from piston 4 than stopper 8; and a stop pin 11 installed in the cylinder tube to be pressed in the direction of hollow 9 by a second spring member 12 to engage with hollow 9, wherein the movable length of piston rod 9 while stop pin 11 is engaged with hollow 9 is larger than movable distance of spring receiving member 14 from the piston. A load port and a production system of this invention are constructed using the cylinder.

Abstract: The object of the invention provides a cylinder and a load port, which make it possible for FOUP whose latchkey receptacles are not at the 90-degree position to smoothly engage with the latchkeys into the receptacles without causing the damage of receptacles when the stage moves forwards to open FOUP. Another object of this invention is to provide a production system, which enables the mass-production of semiconductor with higher reliability.