Abstract: In a cassette having racks for storing glass substrates, rollers are used to support a glass substrate in a rack and to move the glass substrate into and out of the cassette. Two rows of interlocking gears are used to rotate the rollers in the same direction. A transfer platform having a plurality of rollers and two rows of interlocking gears is used as a conveyor to deliver or retrieve a glass substrate to or from the cassette after the gears on the transfer platform are also engaged with the gears on a cassette stage. Alternatively, the rollers on the cassette racks and on the transfer platform are driven by inter-linking belts or chains. In a different embodiment, rollers are driven by magnetic coupling devices mechanically linking the transfer platform and the rack through magnetic coupling.

Abstract: An automated material handling system includes a plurality of bays, a continuous conveyer and at least one vehicle. Each bay has a plurality of tools and a stocker. The stocker is a rectangular solid having a first long side and a second long side. The first long side equips with a plurality of transferring ports connecting to the tools and the second long side equips with at least one transferring port connecting to the continuous conveyer. The vehicle is guided along the continuous conveyer for handling materials between the stockers.