Abstract: A vacuum gripper for gripping a work-piece includes a flat or curved gripper plate having at least one suction port. A work-piece suction throttling zone is formed around the suction port. The gripper plate has at least one recess provided at a side facing the work-piece and arranged beyond the work-piece suction throttling zone (6) formed around the suction port. At least one vent hole is formed within each of the recesses.

Abstract: A vacuum gripper for gripping a work-piece includes a flat or curved gripper plate having at least one suction port. A work-piece suction throttling zone is formed around the suction port. The gripper plate has at least one recess provided at a side facing the work-piece and arranged beyond the work-piece suction throttling zone (6) formed around the suction port. At least one vent hole is formed within each of the recesses.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for inspecting contact-sensitive planar materials or workpieces, e.g. wafers for the semiconductor industry, solar cells, glasses, FPD substrates, or biologically active substrates for biosensors, as well as materials having contact-sensitive curved surfaces. Said inspection device comprises a support element (1) for supporting a material (3) on the top face of the support element (1), at least one oscillator which is connected to the support element (1) and the oscillation frequency and amplitude of which are selected in such a way as to keep the material (3) hovering on the support element (1), and at least one optical sensor (4). The support element is made of a light-permeable material, and the optical sensor (4) is arranged below the support element (1).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for loading and unloading a cassette which is used, for example, in plasma coating processes, wherein the following method steps are carried out: a. providing a cassette (1) which can be assembled and disassembled using a disassembly and assembly robot, b. automatic disassembling of the cassette such that the bottoms (2) of the cassette are separated from one another, c. transferring and associating the bottoms (2) to at least one automatic feeding apparatus which populates the bottoms (2) with workpieces to be processed, d. mounting the populated bottoms (2) to the cassette (1), e. transferring the cassette (1) to the process site where the process should be executed, f. executing the process, g. transferring the cassette (1) to the disassembly and assembly robot or to a further disassembly and assembly robot, h. disassembling the cassette in such a way that the bottoms (2) of the cassette are separated from one another, and i.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for inspecting contact-sensitive planar materials or workpieces, e.g. wafers for the semiconductor industry, solar cells, glasses, FPD substrates, or biologically active substrates for biosensors, as well as materials having contact-sensitive curved surfaces. Said inspection device comprises a support element (1) for supporting a material (3) on the top face of the support element (1), at least one oscillator which is connected to the support element (1) and the oscillation frequency and amplitude of which are selected in such a way as to keep the material (3) hovering on the support element (1), and at least one optical sensor (4). The support element is made of a light-permeable material, and the optical sensor (4) is arranged below the support element (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for inspecting contact-sensitive planar materials or workpieces, e.g. wafers for the semiconductor industry, solar cells, glasses, FPD substrates, or biologically active substrates for biosensors, as well as materials having contact-sensitive curved surfaces. Said inspection device comprises a support element (1) for supporting a material (3) on the top face of the support element (1), at least one oscillator which is connected to the support element (1) and the oscillation frequency and amplitude of which are selected in such a way as to keep the material (3) hovering on the support element (1), and at least one optical sensor (4). The support element is made of a light-permeable material, and the optical sensor (4) is arranged below the support element (1).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vacuum gripper and in particular to a vacuum gripper for gently gripping work-pieces having sensitive surfaces, such as solar cells, wafers, or panels for flat screens, and for gripping heavy glass plates or plates made of other material having a very smooth surface that are stacked on top of each other and should be removed from above, wherein the vacuum gripper has the following characteristics: a straight or curved gripper plate (2), at least one suction opening (3; 3a), which is provided in the gripper plate (2), wherein a workpiece throttle surface (6) is formed around the suction opening (3), at least one recess (4), which is provided in the side of the gripper plate (2) facing the workpiece, outside of the workpiece throttle surface (6) relative to the suction opening (3), and at least one ventilation hole (5), which is provided within each recess (4).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for transporting and holding of touch-sensitive structural elements or materials, the device comprising the following features: At least an oscillatory plate-like take-up 2 for receiving the object to be transported or held, on which at least an oscillation generator 3 is fixed, and at least two supporting members 4, wherein the oscillation generator 3 is arranged on the plate-like take-up 2 at a predetermined position thereof to set the plate-like take-up into flexural vibrations, and the supporting members 4 are arranged at positions where the amplitude of the flexural vibration is lower than the maximum amplitude by at least 50%, and the oscillation generator 3 is operated with a frequency setting the plate-like take-up 2 into vibrations so that the structural elements or the material are (is) levitating in a contact-free way.