Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide, at low cost, a transport apparatus 2 which is capable of transporting a semiconductor wafer W between a FOUP 19 and a processing apparatus 3 without exposing a surface to be processed of the semiconductor wafer to an oxidizing atmosphere. This transport apparatus 2 includes a load port 20 that has atmosphere replacing function, a transport robot 2 that has an atmosphere replacing function, an aligner 40 that has an atmosphere replacing function, and a load lock chamber 12 that has an atmosphere replacing function. The surface being processed of the semiconductor wafer has the atmosphere replaced locally while the semiconductor wafer is being moved and is being subjected to processes such as positioning.

Abstract: Provided is a load port capable of loading and unloading a substrate by a transfer robot in a state where a purge gas atmosphere is maintained inside a substrate storage space. After the lid of the substrate storage container is opened, an opening portion of the substrate storage container is closed by a frame sealing a peripheral edge of the opening portion of the substrate storage container and a shutter portion where a plurality of shielding plates are disposed in a vertical direction at a third position which is further moved forward from a release position. The shutter portion can locally move all or a portion of the shielding plates to form a narrow opening portion (third opening portion), and transferring of the substrate in the state where an atmosphere of the substrate storage space is replaced is performed through the narrow opening portion (third opening portion).

Abstract: Provided is a load port capable of loading and unloading a substrate by a transfer robot in a state where a purge gas atmosphere is maintained inside a substrate storage space. After the lid of the substrate storage container is opened, an opening portion of the substrate storage container is closed by a frame sealing a peripheral edge of the opening portion of the substrate storage container and a shutter portion where a plurality of shielding plates are disposed in a vertical direction at a third position which is further moved forward from a release position. The shutter portion can locally move all or a portion of the shielding plates to form a narrow opening portion (third opening portion), and transferring of the substrate in the state where an atmosphere of the substrate storage space is replaced is performed through the narrow opening portion (third opening portion).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transporting apparatus and a transporting control method for thin plates, the apparatus for transporting the thin plates such as liquid crystal display panels and glass plates into a processing chamber, comprising a rather large robot (14) having rotating arms (16) for transporting large-sized thin plates. The transporting apparatus and a thin plate transporting system can stably raise the plates up to the heights of approximately 2 m and can transporting the plates with the deflected amount of the extended rotating arms (16) compensated. A horizontal support table (13) liftably cantilevered on two upright support members (12) is provided in the apparatus, and the transporting robot (14) with the rotating arms (16) is placed on the horizontal support table (13). Also, the deflected amount of the extended rotating arms is compensated by raising the height of the horizontal support table (13) based on the deflected amount.