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: A substrate processing apparatus for providing predetermined processing to wafers brought in through the load port door comprises in the front of the load port door a load port table on which a wafer carrier accommodating a plurality of wafers is placed, and a shield plate is provided so as to surround the load port table.

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.