Abstract: An apparatus automatically transfers semiconductor wafers between plastic wafer boats and closed bottom quartz boats. The apparatus has a wafer elevator for elevating the wafers in a plastic boat to a position where the wafers can be retained by first and second retainer walls. The retainer walls are pivotable relative to one another between open and closed positions. In the closed position, the retainer walls contact the wafers at a point located beneath their centers of gravity. The retainer walls transfer the wafers between the wafer elevator and the quartz boat, which becaue of its closed bottom can only be entered from the top. The retainer walls transfer the wafers to and from the quartz boat by descending into the quartz boat through its top. Once inside of the quartz boat, the retainer walls can be pivoted between the open and closed positions to release or retain wafers.