Abstract: There is provided a transfer device for transferring a substrate. The transfer device comprises a robot arm having an arm for transferring the substrate and a driving unit for rotating the arm, a first light irradiation unit configured to irradiate light along a first optical path, a first light receiving unit configured to receive the light irradiated from the first light irradiation unit, and a control device configured to control the driving unit so that the arm is rotated across the first optical path.

Abstract: Substrate holding hand including a base plate spreading from base toward tip end sides, part of base plate located at base end side, fixed to hand tip portion, holding position at base plate, engaging claw at part of base plate located at tip end side, engaging claw configured to engage part of edge of substrate in vertical or inclined postures, part of edge located lower than center of substrate, moving portion at base end side of holding position and configured to move toward tip end side, and plurality of rotating bodies at the moving portion, being pressed by movement against edge of substrate located lower than holding position and engaged with claw, and plurality of rotating bodies pushing substrate upward holding position while rotating along edge of substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a transfer device for transferring a substrate. The transfer device comprises a robot arm having an arm for transferring the substrate and a driving unit for rotating the arm, a first light irradiation unit configured to irradiate light along a first optical path, a first light receiving unit configured to receive the light irradiated from the first light irradiation unit, and a control device configured to control the driving unit so that the arm is rotated across the first optical path.

Abstract: Substrate holding hand attached to hand tip portion of manipulator and configured to hold substrate having circular plate shape and placed in vertical or inclined postures, including: base plate spreading from base toward tip end sides, part of base plate located at base end side, fixed to hand tip portion, holding position at base plate; engaging claw at part of base plate located at tip end side, engaging claw configured to engage part of edge of substrate in vertical or inclined postures, part of edge located lower than center of substrate; moving portion at base end side of holding position and configured to move toward tip end side; and plurality of rotating bodies at the moving portion, being pressed by movement against edge of substrate located lower than holding position and engaged with claw, and plurality of rotating bodies pushing substrate upward holding position while rotating along edge of substrate.

Abstract: The end effector has a first hand and a second hand which can be driven independently from each other. The first hand has a hand body which can be inserted between vertically adjacent substrates stored in a substrate storing portion, holding a substrate immediately above or immediately below the hand body. The second hand has a hand base portion which at least partially advances below a lowermost substrate or above an uppermost substrate of a plurality of substrates stored in a substrate storing portion and a substrate holding means provided to the hand base portion so as to hold two or more substrates including the lowermost substrate or the uppermost substrate. By the end effector, substrates can be conveyed without any problem even when use of a batch conveying type hand is restricted due to the condition on the substrate storing portion side.

Abstract: An end effector has a hand base portion at least a part of which advances below a lowermost substrate or above an uppermost substrate of a plurality of substrates stored in a substrate storing portion, a substrate holding unit provided to the hand base portion so as to hold the two or more substrates including the lowermost substrate or the uppermost substrate, and a protrusion amount change unit for changing a protrusion amount of the substrate holding unit from a reference surface including the surface of the hand base portion opposed to the lowermost substrate or the uppermost substrate. The protrusion amount change unit has a single drive source applying a drive force to the whole substrate holding unit.

Abstract: A wafer transfer method which transfers a wafer with a disc shape to a groove for vertically placing the wafer therein, by use of a wafer holding hand, includes causing the wafer holding hand to hold the wafer at at least three support points on an edge of the wafer; moving the wafer holding hand holding the wafer to cause the wafer with a vertical posture in which the wafer is vertically oriented to be positioned above the groove for vertically placing the wafer therein; causing the wafer holding hand to cease to hold the wafer and to support the wafer at two support points on the wedge of the wafer; and moving the wafer holding hand supporting the wafer downward until the edge of the wafer moves into the groove for vertically placing the wafer therein.

Abstract: A wafer transfer method which transfers a wafer with a disc shape to a groove for vertically placing the wafer therein, by use of a wafer holding hand, includes causing the wafer holding hand to hold the wafer at at least three support points on an edge of the wafer; moving the wafer holding hand holding the wafer to cause the wafer with a vertical posture in which the wafer is vertically oriented to be positioned above the groove for vertically placing the wafer therein; causing the wafer holding hand to cease to hold the wafer and to support the wafer at two support points on the wedge of the wafer; and moving the wafer holding hand supporting the wafer downward until the edge of the wafer moves into the groove for vertically placing the wafer therein.

Abstract: An end effector device is provided with a hand; a plurality of holding portions that are provided to the hand, and that hold a plurality of semiconductor wafers such that the plurality of semiconductor wafers are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction in a parallel attitude; a single detector that is arranged outside the plurality of semiconductor wafers viewed from the vertical direction, and that is configured to be able to detect the presence of each one of the semiconductor wafers, opposing a peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer; and a detector moving mechanism that moves the single detector relative to the plurality of semiconductor wafers in the vertical direction such that the single detector opposes the peripheral portion of every semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: The end effector has a first hand and a second hand which can be driven independently from each other. The first hand has a hand body which can be inserted between vertically adjacent substrates stored in a substrate storing portion, holding a substrate immediately above or immediately below the hand body. The second hand has a hand base portion which at least partially advances below a lowermost substrate or above an uppermost substrate of a plurality of substrates stored in a substrate storing portion and a substrate holding means provided to the hand base portion so as to hold two or more substrates including the lowermost substrate or the uppermost substrate. By the end effector, substrates can be conveyed without any problem even when use of a batch conveying type hand is restricted due to the condition on the substrate storing portion side.

Abstract: An end effector has a hand base portion at least a part of which advances below a lowermost substrate or above an uppermost substrate of a plurality of substrates stored in a substrate storing portion, a substrate holding unit provided to the hand base portion so as to hold the two or more substrates including the lowermost substrate or the uppermost substrate, and a protrusion amount change unit for changing a protrusion amount of the substrate holding unit from a reference surface including the surface of the hand base portion opposed to the lowermost substrate or the uppermost substrate. The protrusion amount change unit has a single drive source applying a drive force to the whole substrate holding unit.

Abstract: An end effector device is provided with a hand; a plurality of holding portions that are provided to the hand, and that hold a plurality of semiconductor wafers such that the plurality of semiconductor wafers are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction in a parallel attitude; a single detector that is arranged outside the plurality of semiconductor wafers viewed from the vertical direction, and that is configured to be able to detect the presence of each one of the semiconductor wafers, opposing a peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer; and a detector moving mechanism that moves the single detector relative to the plurality of semiconductor wafers in the vertical direction such that the single detector opposes the peripheral portion of every semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: The end effector device includes a hand having a storing space, and a plurality of holding portions provided to the hand and configured to respectively peripheral portions of each plate member. Each holding portion includes a plurality of receiving portions which respectively receive a plurality of plate members keeping vertical pitches among them, and a pitch changing mechanism configured to change intervals by vertically moving the plurality of receiving portions respectively. A plurality of linearly moving portions configured to respectively move linearly integrally with the plurality of receiving portions are provided to the hand being exposed outside of the hand, and a plurality of drive portions configured to drive the plurality of linearly moving portions of the pitch changing mechanism are stored in the storing space of the hand.

Abstract: The end effector device includes a hand having a storing space, and a plurality of holding portions provided to the hand and configured to respectively peripheral portions of each plate member. Each holding portion includes a plurality of receiving portions which respectively receive a plurality of plate members keeping vertical pitches among them, and a pitch changing mechanism configured to change intervals by vertically moving the plurality of receiving portions respectively. A plurality of linearly moving portions configured to respectively move linearly integrally with the plurality of receiving portions are provided to the hand being exposed outside of the hand, and a plurality of drive portions configured to drive the plurality of linearly moving portions of the pitch changing mechanism are stored in the storing space of the hand.