Abstract: A system for a semiconductor fabrication facility comprises a transporting tool configured to move a carrier, a first manufacturing tool configured to accept the carrier facing in a first direction, a second manufacturing tool configured to accept the carrier facing in the second direction, and an orientation tool. The carrier is moved to the orientation tool by the transporting tool prior to being moved to the first manufacturing tool or the second manufacturing tool by the transporting tool. The orientation tool rotates the carrier so that the carrier is accepted by the first manufacturing tool or the second manufacturing tool. The transporting tool, the first manufacturing tool, the second manufacturing tool and the orientation tool are physically separated from each other.

Abstract: In order to improve transport efficiency of an object transport system, an object transport system includes, a ceiling carrier configured to travel on at least travel rail and transport an object; and a transfer device including a hanging part configured to hang the object and configured to be capable of being raised and lowered, the transfer device being disposed so as to be separated from the ceiling carrier.

Abstract: A method for operating a substrate transferring device that includes a substrate container holding at least two substrates stacked vertically, a hand having two fingers, a manipulator, and a controller. A mapping device detects a vertical position of a higher substrate, and a substrate detector measures a distance to a principal surface of the substrate. The controller moves the hand to a position below the detected vertical position and then advances the hand to pick up the higher substrate. During forward movement, the substrate detector acquires at least three consecutive, linearly aligned distance measurements along a front-and-rear direction. Based on a relationship among the measurements, the controller determines whether the principal surface of the higher substrate is warped. If warpage is detected, the controller predicts a possibility of collision between the hand and the substrate and withdraws the hand to avoid collision.

Abstract: An articulated work robot device includes a lower body, a bridgehead coupled to a common axis at a first position of the lower body to be rotatable, first and second articulated arms configured to be overlapped with each other up and down and having first ends respectively disposed at second and third positions opposite to each other with respect to the common axis on the bridgehead to be rotatable together through the common axis, first and second plurality of hands respectively coupled at second ends of the first and second articulated arms through scissor links, and first and second composite drive modules disposed in an internal space of the bridgehead and driving the first and second articulated arms and the first and second plurality of hands, respectively.

Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes a substrate holder that holds a treatment substrate group, a second transport mechanism configured to pull out and transport a divided substrate group from the treatment substrate group held by the substrate holder, and an underwater posture turning unit to turn the orientation of the divided substrate group from vertical to horizontal. A center robot takes and transports one substrate from the divided substrate group to the one substrate to a single-wafer processing unit. A lifting and lowering unit moves the substrate holder and the second transport mechanism upward/downward relatively. An alignment direction relative moving unit moves the substrate holder and the second transport mechanism horizontally in an alignment direction where the treatment substrate group is aligned. The second transport mechanism includes paired chucks having holding grooves and passing grooves arranged alternately.

Abstract: A first guide body includes a pair of first guide surfaces and corrects the position in a second direction of a gripping body section relative to a first grip section by at least one of the pair of first guide surfaces coming into contact with the first grip section during a lowering operation for gripping. A second guide body includes a pair of second guide surfaces and corrects the position in the second direction of the gripping body section relative to a target grip section by at least one of the pair of second guide surfaces coming into contact with the target grip section during the lowering operation for gripping. The first guide body and the second guide body are spaced apart from each other in at least either a first direction or the second direction.

Abstract: A closed gas circulation system may include a sealed plenum, circulation fans, and a fan filter unit (FFU) inlet to contain, filter, condition, and re-circulate a gas through a chamber of an interface tool. The gas provided to the chamber is maintained in a conditioned environment in the closed gas circulation system as opposed to introducing external air into the chamber through the FFU inlet. This enables precise control over the relative humidity and oxygen concentration of the gas used in the chamber, which reduces the oxidation of semiconductor wafers that are transferred through the chamber. The closed gas circulation system may also include an air-flow rectifier, a return vent, and one or more vacuum pumps to form a downflow of collimated gas in the chamber and to automatically control the feed-forward pressure and flow of gas through the chamber and the sealed plenum.

Abstract: A calibration object is transferred from a processing chamber to an aligner station by one or more robot arms. The calibration object has a first processing chamber orientation in the processing chamber and a second orientation at the aligner station. A first characteristic error value associated with a transfer path between the processing chamber and the aligner is determined based on the first processing chamber orientation and the second orientation of the calibration object at the aligner station. In response to detecting an object at the aligner station to be transferred to the processing chamber along the transfer path, the object is aligned by the aligner station to be placed in the processing chamber according to a target processing chamber orientation based on a target aligner orientation as adjusted by the first characteristic error value determined for the transfer path between the processing chamber and the aligner station.

Abstract: An overhead transport vehicle includes a lifter to be raised and lowered by a plurality of suspensions on left and right sides. The lifter includes a base portion, a left support and a right support attached to lower ends of the suspensions and each supporting the base portion via an elastic body, and a left arm and a right that are respectively bridged between the left support and the base portion and between the right support and the base portion, and each including a first end attached to each of the left support and the right support via a first rotation shaft and a second end attached to the base portion via a second rotation shaft.

Abstract: The industrial robot includes a hand, and a support member that supports the hand. The hand includes a connecting portion that configures a base end portion of the hand and is connected to the support member, a loading portion that configures a tip end portion of the hand and on which the conveying target is to be loaded, and a plurality of sensing mechanisms that sense the conveying target for correcting a position of the hand. The sensing mechanisms are transmission type optical sensors each including a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion that are positioned to be opposite to each other via a gap in an up-down direction and are positioned on a base end side of the loading portion.

Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.

Abstract: A transfer unit of a transfer apparatus includes a battery that is a power source of respective components, a suction mechanism that is a suction source of a transfer pad, a release mechanism that is an air source of the transfer pad, and a water supply mechanism that causes circulation of water stored in a water reservoir, which are all provided inside a housing of the transfer unit. This eliminates the need to externally supply the transfer unit with electric power, water, and air, and hence, the transfer unit does not include wires and pipes that are routed externally from the transfer unit and an accommodating member for accommodating the wires and pipes. Consequently, generation of dust due to rubbing between the accommodating member and the wires and pipes can be suppressed.

Abstract: A transfer robot includes a first arm provided rotatably around a first axis which extends along a vertical direction, a second arm connected to the first arm rotatably around a second axis which extends along the vertical direction, an arm distal end portion which is configured to be connected to a workpiece holder to hold a workpiece and which is connected to the second arm rotatably around a third axis which extends along the vertical direction, and a posture adjuster configured to rotate the workpiece around a first posture adjustment axis which intersects both the third axis and a direction extending toward the arm distal end portion away from the third axis.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a pick configured to hold and transfer a substrate, a first suction pad disposed at a position in the pick where the first suction pad comes into contact with a concavely curved substrate, a second suction pad disposed at a position in the pick where the second suction pad comes into contact with a convexly curved substrate, a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure in a first suction path connected to the first suction pad and a pressure in a second suction path connected to the second suction pad, and a controller configured to control suction operations by the first suction pad and the second suction pad based on a detection value of the pressure sensor.

Abstract: A conveying robot/system configured to: (i) operate within limitations of spaces defined by shelving, (ii) remove or place an object in spaces defined by shelving and (iii) enable an object to be automatically placed at a conveying-in position of a conveying processing system and manipulate the object's posture so that the object's posture changes from the object being conveyed to the object being processed. The system includes one or more of a robot hand with a grasping portion, articulated link mechanism, object placing shelf, box body, key and a lock. In one version, the box body is a bill storage container of the type used to store currency, coupons and tickets in electronic gaming devices located in a casino environment.

Abstract: An apparatus including a drive, a first robot arm, a mechanical drive transmission, and a second robot arm. The first robot arm includes a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector, where the first upper arm is connected to the drive at a first axis of rotation, and where the first end effector comprises two laterally spaced substrate holding areas. The mechanical drive transmission connects the drive to the first forearm at a first joint between the first upper arm and the first forearm for the drive to rotate the first forearm, where the mechanical drive transmission includes at least one non-circular pulley and a first band. The second robot arm includes a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector, where the second upper arm is connected to the drive at the first axis of rotation.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus including a frame, a substrate transport arm connected to the frame, the substrate transport arm having an end effector, and a drive section having at least one motor coupled to the substrate transport arm, wherein the at least one motor defines a kinematic portion of the drive section configured to effect kinematic motion of the substrate transport arm, and the drive section includes an accessory portion adjacent the kinematic portion, wherein the accessory portion has another motor, different and distinct from the at least one motor, the another motor of the accessory portion is operably coupled to and configured to drive one or more accessory device independent of the kinematic motion of the substrate transport arm.

Abstract: An adjustable joint for insertion into a linkage of a substrate handler utilized for substrate processing. The adjustable joint allows for adjusting the pitch and roll of an attached link. Such adjustment may permit aligning a pickup surface of an end effector to a desired plane. Once adjusted, the joint may be fixed to maintain the desired orientation of the attached link. The adjustable joint allows for correcting deflection of a pickup surface of an end effector relative to a desired pickup plane due to, for example, drooping caused by high temperature usage, mechanical tolerances and/or installation errors.

Abstract: A transport device includes a transport vehicle, a cover member, an invasion detection sensor, and a muting device configured to invalidate the invasion detection sensor. The transport vehicle includes a mounting section and a wagon section configured to support the mounting section and travel. The detection surface is disposed to intersect with the movement trajectory of the transport target. The muting device invalidates the invasion detection sensor in response to an affirmative detection result from a mount sensor and an affirmative detection result from a range detection sensor, and the muting device validates the invasion detection sensor in response to a negative detection result from the mount sensor or a negative detection result from the range detection sensor.

Abstract: An end effector attachment apparatus is an apparatus to be attached to an end effector of a robot. The end effector attachment apparatus includes a base plate, a mount plate on which the end effector is mounted, an attraction mechanism for attracting the mount plate to the base plate, and a bellows coupling the mount plate to the base plate. The front and rear edges of the bellows are sealed to the base plate and the mount plate to secure a sealed space inside the bellows.