Abstract: A substrate is supported by planes of four substrate supporters arranged on the top surface of a transport arm. Three ultrasonic distance measuring sensors are fixed on a fixing base arranged above the substrate. The three ultrasonic distance measuring sensors are arranged to measure the distances to the top surface of the substrate in the vicinity of its periphery. In this case, the ultrasonic distance measuring sensors are positioned so that measurement values of the ultrasonic distance measuring sensors may become equal to each other with the substrate being normally supported. The ultrasonic distance measuring sensors each measure the distances to the top surface of the substrate to supply the measurement values to a controller.

Abstract: An overhead conveyor system transports a selectable workpiece from vertically extending storage racks having a plurality of horizontally extending shelves with stationary stacks of workpieces to be processed on each shelf. Each shelf includes horizontally spaced shelf support members defining openings complementary to horizontally extending support members of a carriage. The horizontally extending members of the carriage are insertable between adjacent horizontally spaced shelf members to engage the upper most workpiece supported by the shelf located below the horizontally extending support members of the carriage. Workpiece engaging members operably associate or engage the upper-most workpiece with the carriage for movement vertically and horizontally along the path of travel to a workstation for processing.

Abstract: A load port which can selectively receive plural types of cassette having substrate which are to be processed accommodated therein is disclosed. The load port has the following constituents. That is, the load port includes a main body, an opening portion (which has a configuration that opens in the three surfaces) formed in one side surface of the main body, a placement table formed in the opening portion and used to place the cassette thereon, a first sensor mechanism (which identifies the type of the cassette) provided on the placement table, plural types of clamp mechanism (each type of the clamp mechanism clamping the corresponding type of cassette) provided on the placement table, and an up-down-type cover mechanism (which is vertically moved) which covers the opening portion of the main body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a capactive proximity sensor for detecting component belts, comprising at least two electrically conductive sensor surfaces (151, 152) which are arranged opposite each other on a non-conducting substrate having a low dielectricity number, whereby the component belts which are to be detected are detected in the millimetre range as a result of the low dielectric number of the substrate material and the geometric arrangement of the sensor surfaces (151, 152).

Abstract: An alignment tool, method and system are provided for aligning a robot blade in a workpiece handling system, in which the tool comprises a frame or fixture adapted to be supported by a transfer chamber support surface or other support surface in the system, in which the frame has one or more non-contact distance sensors positioned to measure the distance of a workpiece or robot blade from the sensor or a predetermined reference point or surface. In one embodiment, the frame is used to align a robot blade relative to a robot support alignment surface in a robot chamber. In another embodiment, the frame emulates a workpiece cassette and the distance sensors provide an output to align the robot blade to a cassette support alignment surface. As a consequence, accidental scratching and breakage of workpieces such as semiconductor wafers and display substrates may be reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: An improved automated material handling system that allows an overhead hoist supported by a suspended track to access Work-In-Process (WIP) parts from storage locations beside the track. The automated material handling system includes an overhead hoist transport vehicle for transporting an overhead hoist on a suspended track, and one or more storage bins for storing WIP parts located beside the track. Each storage bin is either a movable shelf or a fixed shelf. To access a WIP part from a selected shelf, the overhead hoist transport vehicle moves along the suspended track to a position at the side of the shelf. Next, the movable shelf moves to a position underneath the overhead hoist. Alternatively, overhead hoist moves to a position above the fixed shelf. The overhead hoist is then operated to pick a desired WIP part directly from the shelf, or to place one or more WIP parts directly to the shelf.

Abstract: A rail-guided transfer system, capable of preventing the reduction of the operation rate of manufacturing equipments on a manufacturing line such as a semiconductor manufacturing line etc., is provided. Two RGVs 11A and 11B are arranged in advance on one transfer rail 3 laid between two stockers BS1 and BS2. For example, when maintenance of the manufacturing equipment EQ8 provided between the stockers BS1 and BS2 is done, a transfer region MA1 of the RGV 11A is set from the stocker BS1 to the manufacturing equipment EQ7 and a transfer region MA2 of the RGV 11B is set from the stocker BS2 to the manufacturing equipment EQ9.

Abstract: In a tray feeder, in which a drawing section draws a palette from a container and supplies the palette to a pick-up point where a pick-up head of a parts-mounting-apparatus picks up parts, the head starts lowering and halts at a stand-by position before the palette held by the drawing section arrives at the pick-up point. When the drawing section arrives at the pick-up point, the head lowers again from the stand-by position. This mechanism reduces a time necessary for picking up a part.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding electronic components comprises a slide base, a plurality of tape cassettes mounted on the slide base, a linear motor 14, and a control unit for the motor. The control unit includes a motor driver 61, a memory device 66, and a control device 67 which controls the motor driver 61 using data stored in the memory device 66. The control device 67 adjusts the data for controlling the motor according to the load weight of the slide base. The data is used for properly moving the slide base carrying a plurality of tape cassettes to a position for feeding the components.

Abstract: A storage lift has two columns, and a hoisting shaft for a conveyor unit (2) movable up and down between the two columns. A light grille (5) is arranged in the storage lift on the end of the conveyor unit (2) facing a charging and discharging opening (1). The light grille provides measurement of the height of the goods on the storage lift, and also acts as a safety element. Safety aprons (6, 7) are mounted on the top edge of the charging and discharging opening (1) and on the lower front edge of the conveyor unit (2) for compensating for shifting delays during braking of the conveyor unit (2).

Abstract: The processing status of a plurality of semiconductor wafers undergoing processing is positively identified by the use of indicator flags associated with cassettes containing the wafers. The flags are moved between at least two processing state indicating positions during processing of the wafers by a robotic arm that also transfers the wafers between the cassettes and a wafer processing station.

Abstract: A system and method for positioning a sample, or cargo, with respect to a device in a robotic system is provided. The system includes a macro positioning system for “gross” movement of the sample between stations and a micro positioning system for precisely locating the sample in a predetermined location at a station with respect to a device that will interact with the sample. The macro positioning system provides a positioning mechanism for the general movement of a sample along a pathway between various destinations or stations wherein the sample is “grossly” positioned with respect to the station. Once at the station, the micro positioning subsystem disposed between a sample carrier and the station provides a positioning mechanism for “precisely” positioning the sample in a predetermined location at the station with respect to a device that will interact with, or perform some function on, the sample.

Abstract: This invention relates to a wafer inspection apparatus having various types of structures for realizing a reduction in convey time of a selected wafer as an inspection target, an improvement in operability, or the like. In particular, this wafer inspection apparatus has a first convey system and a second convey system. The first convey system is movable in a direction perpendicular to a wafer convey reference surface and has a plurality of arm portions operable independently of each other. The second convey system has a plurality of rotary arm portions that are movable in the direction perpendicular to the wafer convey reference surface. Thus, a structure in which the wafer convey time is shorter than in a conventional wafer inspection apparatus is realized. This wafer inspection apparatus also has a lifting unit with a specific structure, thus realizing an improvement in operability of the apparatus or the like.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a crimping machine having a hopper assembly for receiving loose bulk quantities of elongated components and supplying them aligned end-to-end and in random orientation to a feeder device. The feeder device receives the components in an inlet chute and feeds each of the components one-at-time having a desired orientation to an outlet chute. The feeder device includes a rotatable disk having a central chamber therein adapted to receive each of the components, and includes a releasable gate. The disk and gate function independently, as required, between the inlet chute and the outlet chute, to sequentially release (or invert and release) each of the components one-at-a-time and having a desired orientation for utilization, to a crimping assembly.

Abstract: In centering a transfer device so that tweezers of the transfer device transfer a substrate to a predetermined delivery position on a spin chuck when the substrate is delivered to a coating unit by means of the transfer device, the substrate is transferred onto the spin chuck in the coating unit by means of the tweezers, a positional deviation amount of the substrate with respect to the delivery position on the chuck is detected by a detecting device, a positional deviation amount of the tweezers is computed based on this detection value, and a position at which the tweezers deliver the substrate is corrected based on the positional deviation amount of the tweezers. Thus, centering of the substrate transfer device can be performed automatically in a short time.

Abstract: The harness accommodating device (1) of the present invention is equipped with a transfer section (10) which is installed on the discharge side of the harness discharge groove (67) of the harness manufacturing apparatus (60) and which temporarily holds the harnesses (80), a chuck (20) which grips and conveys the harnesses (80) held by the transfer section (10), and a bundle receiver (30) which accommodates the harnesses (80) conveyed by the chuck (20).

Abstract: A stage device, usable in, e.g., an exposure apparatus, can include an inexpensive passive type vibration control pad system, while avoiding problems such as contact between stationary and movable parts and deterioration of stage control performance. The stage device includes a stage main body that moves on a base, and a support that is vibrationally isolated from the base. A movable part is disposed on the stage main body. A stationary part is supported by the support, the movable part moving relative to the stationary part. A detector detects a size of a gap between the movable part and the stationary part. An actuator adjusts a relative positional relationship between the movable part and the stationary part based on the detected gap size.