Abstract: An EFEM 1 includes a wafer transfer chamber 3 having an interior space in which a wafer transfer robot 5 is disposed and load ports 2 disposed adjacent to a front surface 32 of the wafer transfer chamber 3, and semiconductor processing equipment M can be disposed adjacent to a rear surface 33 of the wafer transfer chamber 3. The EFEM 1 has a configuration in which two buffer stations 4 capable of temporarily storing wafers W are disposed next to each other in the front-rear direction A on a side surface 31 of the wafer transfer chamber 3. The EFEM 1 thus configured adapts to an increase in wafer diameter and is capable of handling many wafers while preventing or minimizing an increase in the stroke distance in the height direction of the wafer transfer robot 5 and an increase in the footprint of the entire EFEM 1.

Abstract: The vibration device includes a base, a movable bench, a first horizontal excitation unit, a second horizontal excitation unit, and a vertical excitation unit. The vibration device includes a first middle bench and a second middle bench between the base and the movable bench. The vibration device includes first horizontal elastic support units, second horizontal elastic support units, and vertical elastic support units that elastically connect the base, the first middle bench, the second middle bench, and the movable bench sequentially in the first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction, and the vertical direction. If overall device is supposed as a first mass body, a second mass body, and a third mass body with the first horizontal elastic support units and the second horizontal elastic support units as boundaries, respective barycentric positions of these mass bodies are almost the same in the vertical direction and horizontal direction.

Abstract: An EFEM includes a housing 3 that constitutes a wafer transport chamber 9 that is substantially closed by connecting load ports 4 to an opening 31a provided on a wall 31, and connecting a processing apparatus 6; a wafer transport apparatus 2, and transports a wafer between the processing apparatus 6 and the FOUPs 7 mounted on the load ports 4; a gas delivery port 11; a gas suction port 12; a gas feedback path 10; and a FFU 13 that includes a filter 13b that is provided in the gas delivery port 11, and eliminates particles contained in the delivered gas, wherein the gas in the wafer transport chamber 9 is circulated by generating a downward gasflow in the wafer transport chamber 9 and feeding back the gas through the gas feedback path 10.

Abstract: The linear actuator includes an inner core (2), and an outer core (3) provided outside the inner core in a radial direction while being supported by a pair of flat springs (41 and 42). Permanent magnets (23 and 24) are formed at one of the inner core and the outer core, and magnetic pole portions (31a and 32a) are formed at the other of the inner core and the outer core to face the permanent magnet with predetermined gaps formed therebetween. Spacers (71 and 72) are respectively provided between the inner core and the flat springs, abutting portions are respectively configured by abutting facing surfaces of the spacers and the inner core and facing surfaces of the spacers and the flat springs adjacent to the spacers in the axial direction, and at least an engagement portion including a recess and a protrusion are arranged at the abutting portions.

Abstract: A load port device comprises a link mechanism that has a main moving link whose one end is connected with a door holding member in a rotatable manner, a guide that bends and extends from a horizontal direction to a vertical direction and that guides one end of the main moving link, a main moving block with which the other end of the main moving link is connected in a rotatable manner and a door hoisting shaft that extends in the vertical direction and that moves the main moving block in the extending direction. The link mechanism allows the end of the main moving link to move from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction or from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction along the guide in a state that the other end of the main moving link moves to the vertical direction.

Abstract: A linear actuator includes an inner core, and an outer core that is provided outside the inner core in a radial direction while being supported by a pair of flat springs. Permanent magnets are formed at one of the inner core and the outer core, and magnetic pole portions are formed at the other of the inner core and the outer core to face the permanent magnet with predetermined gaps formed therebetween. Spacers are respectively provided between the inner core and the flat springs, abutting portions are respectively configured by abutting facing surfaces of the spacers and the inner core and facing surfaces of the spacers and the flat springs adjacent to the spacers in the axial direction, and a plurality of engagement portions including recesses and protrusions are arranged at the abutting portions.

Abstract: An articulated robot comprises a control unit including: a track information storage unit which stores track information corresponding to a combination of a start point and an end point; a setting unit which sets a current position and a target position of an arm distal end as the start point and the end point; and an operation command generation unit which generates an operation command based on track information corresponding to a combination of the set start point and the set end point (corresponding track information). If the corresponding track information is not stored but related track information corresponding to a combination of a start point and an end point having a predetermined relationship with a combination of the set start point and the set end point is stored in the track information storage unit, the operation command generation unit generates the operation command based on the related track information.

Abstract: A purge apparatus for replacing a gas atmosphere in a purge object vessel by a purge gas through a port provided on a bottom face of the purge object vessel is disclosed. The purge apparatus includes a purge unit attached to a table that receives the purge object vessel, and a purge nozzle body including a port contacting portion provided on an upper side of the purge nozzle body and an attachment object portion provided on a lower side of the purge nozzle body. The purge unit has an attachment portion and the port contacting portion of the purge nozzle body is configured to contact the port of the purge object vessel. The attachment object portion of the purge nozzle body removably engages with the attachment portion of the purge unit so that the purge nozzle body is removably attached to the purge unit.

Abstract: The Electronic Module includes body case 2 that comprises a plurality of case members 3, 4 by abutting each other and that has an internal space (S) where the first opening P1 is formed on one side surface of the internal space (S) and the second opening P2 that opens in a direction different from that of the first opening P1 is in an exposed state when a plurality of the case members 3, 4 are separated each other, a substrate 5 on which a sensor IC 51 is mounted and that is housed in the internal space (S) of the body case 2, and a resin body 6 that covers the substrate 5 by being filled in the internal space (S) of the body case 2 and solidified or hardened, and is characterized by that a plurality of the case members 3, 4.

Abstract: There is provided an end structure of a nozzle 11 including a gas-flow passage 13 communicable with an opening 104 provided through a bottom of a container 100 configured to contain an object, the nozzle 11 configured so that gas is injected into or discharged from the container 100 through the gas-flow passage 13 and the opening 104. The end structure includes a contact portion 19 provided at an upper end portion of the nozzle 11 and around the gas-flow passage 13, and the contact portion 19 is configured to be brought into contact with a contacted portion 103 provided around the opening 104. The contact portion 19 includes a flat portion 19b and protruding portions 19a and 19c each protruding upward relative to the flat portion 19b, and the flat portion 19b is made of material softer than that of the protruding portions 19a and 19c.

Abstract: A door opening and closing apparatus shifts a door part holding a lid part of a storage container between a totally closed position where the inner space of the storage container body is sealed and a totally open position where the inner space of the storage container body is totally opened frontward, for putting in and taking out transfer target objects between the storage container and a transfer room. The door opening and closing apparatus puts the door part on standby at the predetermined halfway stop position every time a single access operation of a transfer robot to the storage container ends and until next access operation of the transfer robot to the storage container is performed.

Abstract: A door opening and closing apparatus includes: a frame that structures part of a wall surface of a transfer room and is provided with an opening for opening the transfer room; a door part capable of opening and closing the opening: a placing pedestal on which a storage container can be placed; a chamber provided at a position on the transfer room side so as to face the opening, and having an inner space to be subjected to a purge process with an environmental gas; and a pressure adjusting part causing the inner space of the chamber and the inner space of the storage container to communicate with each other using a route other than the opening. The door opening and closing apparatus can be applied to a wafer transfer apparatus or the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides an atmosphere replacement apparatus capable of replacing the atmosphere on the surface of a wafer with a small amount of gas. The apparatus is configured to have a cover capable of facing and covering the wafer to be transported, and a gas supply means that supplies gas having properties different from a surrounding atmosphere from the cover, and replaces the atmosphere on the surface of the wafer by the gas.

Abstract: An articulated robot comprises a control unit including: a track information storage unit which stores track information corresponding to a combination of a start point and an end point; a setting unit which sets a current position and a target position of an arm distal end as the start point and the end point; and an operation command generation unit which generates an operation command based on track information corresponding to a combination of the set start point and the set end point (corresponding track information). If the corresponding track information is not stored but related track information corresponding to a combination of a start point and an end point having a predetermined relationship with a combination of the set start point and the set end point is stored in the track information storage unit, the operation command generation unit generates the operation command based on the related track information.

Abstract: The electromagnetic vibration suppression device includes a plurality of electromagnet pairs arranged in the width direction of a steel plate and which suppresses vibration of the steel plate running between electromagnets in each electromagnet pair using a control unit. The pseudo displacement calculation means calculates a pseudo displacement amount for the steel plate on the basis of the switching between ON and OFF of a sensor attached to the electromagnet pairs. The pseudo edge position calculation means calculates a pseudo edge position for the steel plate on the basis of the pseudo displacement amount. The current amount control means individually controls the amount of current that flows to the electromagnets on the basis of the pseudo edge position.

Abstract: Multipliers 21a and 21b output values, which are obtained by multiplying a total drive command value Es by first and second gains G1 and G2, respectively, as first and second drive command values E1 and E2. Controllers 23a and 23b control first and second actuators (motors) 5 and 7, respectively, on the basis of the first and second drive command values. The detection values of the drive amounts of the actuators are denoted by Ef1 and Ef2, respectively, and the detection value of the drive amount of a driven body is denoted by Ef. A gain calculator 27 calculates the gains G1 and G2 on the basis of Ef1, Ef and Ef2. An upper limit value of Ef, which denotes the drive amount of the driven body, is denoted by Lmax. When Ef1, Ef2 or Ef approaches zero, the first gain G1 is brought close to (Ef1?Lmax/2)/(Ef?Lmax).

Abstract: A vibration device includes a base, a movable bench elastically supported with respect to the base, a first horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a first horizontal direction, a second horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a second horizontal direction that crosses the first horizontal direction, a vertical excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a vertical direction, and first and second middle benches between the base and the movable bench, wherein first to third plate-like spring members elastically connect the base, the first and second middle benches, and the movable bench sequentially in the first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction, and the vertical direction.

Abstract: A 0-axis current calculator 7 configured to calculate a target value of the 0-axis current by setting the current of the open phase to be zero when one of the phases becomes open, or determines that the target value of the 0-axis current is zero when there is no open phase is provided. Based on the target values of the d-axis current and the q-axis current, the target value of the 0-axis current calculated by the 0-axis current calculator 7, and the d-axis current, the q-axis current, and the 0-axis current transformed by the d-q-0 transformer 8, the current supplied to each phase of the motor are controlled.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes: a housing; a movable member; a linear motor; and a cover. The linear motor includes a primary magnetic pole and a secondary magnetic pole each having a facing surface that faces the other and that is a plane along the longitudinal direction of the housing. The cover allows the primary magnetic pole to be located in an atmospheric environment, and the secondary magnetic pole to be located in a vacuum environment or a reduced pressure environment by separating the primary magnetic pole and the secondary magnetic pole from each other. The primary magnetic pole and the secondary magnetic pole face each other so that a direction of a magnetic attraction force generated therebetween and acting on their facing surfaces is different from directions of forces acting, due to an atmospheric pressure outside the housing, on the wall of the housing on which the cover is provided.