Abstract: An article storage facility includes a storage rack configured to store a semiconductor wafer and a reticle, and a storage and retrieval transport apparatus. The storage rack includes a first accommodation unit configured to store a wafer container for containing the semiconductor wafer, and a second accommodation unit configured to store a reticle container for containing the reticle. The storage and retrieval transport apparatus includes a holding unit configured to hold a top flange formed at an upper portion of the wafer container to support the wafer container in a hanging state. A flange portion configured to allow the storage and retrieval transport apparatus to hold the reticle container using the holding unit to support the reticle container in a hanging state is formed at an upper portion of the reticle container.

Abstract: An article storage facility includes an elevating scaffold capable of ascending/descending in a movement space across a withdrawal height that is set on an upper side and a plurality of working heights that are set in intermediate locations in the movement space in the vertical direction. A plurality of support bodies that support the elevating scaffold are provided in the vertical direction so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of working heights, and at least a support body other than the lowermost support body of the plurality of support bodies is configured to be movable to an acting position at which the support body protrudes toward the movement space so as to support the elevating scaffold and a withdrawal position at which the support body retracts toward the article storage shelf so as not to come into contact with the elevating scaffold moving up and down.

Abstract: A ceiling transport carriage transfers an article at a first supporting position and receives the article from second supporting position in an article transfer section, in association with hoisting operations of a support unit. A ground transport device transports the article between the above two positions and a processing position where an article processing device effects a processing or operation on the article. The respective positions above are set in tandem in the article transfer section along a tandem direction along which the article processing device and the article transfer section are disposed in tandem. The ceiling transport carriage includes a movement operating mechanism for operating and moving a support unit along the tandem direction, to a position immediately above the first supporting position and to a position immediately above second supporting position.

Abstract: When a controller determines that the maximum simultaneous feed number is exceeded by a total target number which is the total number of inactive gas feeding section determined to be controlled to the first feed state at one time, of the inactive gas feeding sections determined to be controlled to the first feed state at one time, the controller controls some of them not more than the maximum simultaneous feed number to the first feed state and executes a start delaying process for the others in which process starting of the first control state is delayed by a set delay period.

Abstract: An inactive gas introducing facility includes an introducing device for introducing inactive gas to the inside of a container stored in a storage section of a storage shelf with discharging gas present inside the container to the inside of a storage space partitioned from the outside and a controller for controlling operation of the introducing device. In a normal stop mode, the controller controls the operation of the introducing device to stop feeding of inactive gas to the container in response to detection of an opened state of an inspection door. And, in a stop nullification mode, the controller controls the operation of the introducing device to continue feeding of inactive gas to the container even in response to detection of the opened state of the inspection door.

Abstract: An article storage facility includes a controller for controlling operations of flow rate adjusting devices of inactive gas feeding sections and a specified feeding section selecting section for selecting one or some or all of a plurality of inactive gas feeding sections as specified feeding sections. For the inactive gas feeding sections of the storage sections storing the transport containers therein, the controller causes the flow rate adjusting devices to be operated according to a container storage mode in which mode the inactive gas is fed to the transport container in a predetermined feed manner. For the specified feeding sections selected by the specified feeding section selecting section, the controller causes the flow rate adjusting devices to be operated according to a specified feeding section feed mode in which mode the inactive gas is fed through the discharge openings thereof in a specified feeding section feed manner.

Abstract: An article storage facility includes a transport device for transporting containers to a plurality of storage sections, an inactive gas feed section which supplies inactive gas to the interior of the container stored in the storage section, and a controller for controlling operation of the device and operation of the flow rate adjusting device of the inactive gas feed section. The controller is configured to cause a state of the inactive gas feed section associated with the storage section to be both a storage feed state and an unfeeding state depending on if the carrier is stored or not stored be. The controller is also configured to store the transporting container in the storage section after changing the state of the inactive gas feed section associated with the storage section in which the container is to be stored to a pre-storage feed state from the unfeeding state.

Abstract: An inactive gas introducing facility includes an introducing device disposed in a support portion supporting a container accommodating a substrate and configured for introducing inactive gas to the inside of the container through a gas feed opening of the container with discharging gas present inside the container to the outside through a gas discharge opening of the container and a controller for controlling operation of the introducing device. The introducing device is capable of varying the feed rate of the inactive gas. The controller is configured to control the operation of the introducing device such that in the feeding of the inactive gas to the container supported to the support portion, the feed rate is increased progressively to a target feed rate.

Abstract: A substrate storage condition inspecting apparatus includes an illumination device, an imaging device, and a substrate storage condition determining unit. The illumination device includes, on the front side of an opening of a transport container located at an inspecting position, a first illumination portion and a second illumination portion that are spaced apart in the width direction of the opening. The substrate storage condition determining unit detects a pair of high-luminance portions on an inspection image captured by the imaging device, the pair of high-luminance portions being generated in locations circumferentially spaced apart in the peripheral edge portion of the semiconductor substrate by light applied by the first illumination portion and the second illumination portion, and determines whether or not the storage orientation of the semiconductor substrate is abnormal on the basis of the positional correspondence in the vertical direction for the pair of high-luminance portions.

Abstract: A travel guide member which forms travel paths for an article transport vehicle is provided on a ceiling side. The travel guide member defines a plurality of travel paths along which the article transport vehicle travels in the same direction such that the travel paths are spaced apart from each other in a path lateral direction and defines a first diverging path and a second diverging path for connecting with each other a first travel path that is one of a pair of adjacent travel paths among the plurality of the travel paths and a second travel path that is the other of the pair of the adjacent travel paths. The first diverging path and the second diverging path are formed such that both extend in directions that are slanted with respect to the travel path in plan view and such that they intersect each other in plan view.

Abstract: A substrate detection apparatus has a simple structure and is easy to install. An inspection location is defined at an end of a moving range of a container as it is transported by a transport device. A range finder is provided which emits detection wave and receives the detection wave that is reflected from an object to detect the distance to the object, is located outwardly of the end of the moving range in the transporting direction, and is positioned such that the detection wave is emitted toward an opening of the container located at the inspection location and can advance through a substrate storing area in a direction that intersects with a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate. A presence determination portion is provided which determines that a substrate exists in the container if and when the detected value from the range finder falls within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An operation management apparatus is configured for managing a monotonous task requiring a worker to perform a prescribed action. The operation management apparatus includes a detector configured to detect an action of the worker in an area where the monotonous task is performed, a first storage unit configured to pre-register a correct action of the monotonous task to be performed by the worker, a first determination unit configured to determine whether the pre-registered correct action of the monotonous task matches an action by the worker detected by the detector; and an output unit configured to generate an output when the first determination unit determines that the pre-registered correct action of the monotonous task does not match the detected action.