Abstract: The present invention generally provides a rotary wafer carousel and related wafer handler for moving wafers or other workpieces through a processing system, i.e., a semiconductor fabrication tool. Generally, the present invention includes a rotary wafer carousel having a plurality of wafer seats disposed thereon to support one or more wafers. The rotary carousel is preferably disposed through the lid in a transfer chamber opposite the robot which is preferably disposed through the bottom of the transfer chamber. The rotary carousel and the robot cooperate to locate wafers adjacent to process chambers and move wafers into and out of various chambers of the system. The invention improves the throughput of the system by positioning wafers adjacent to the appropriate chamber to reduce the amount of movement required of the robot for transporting wafers between chambers.

Abstract: The cassette transfer mechanism of the present invention comprises a cassette chamber for housing a cassette storing a plurality of substrates, a liftable stand capable of moving up and down in the cassette chamber, a cassette holder having a bottom-surface supporting portion for supporting a bottom-surface of the cassette and a back-surface supporting portion for supporting a back-surface of the cassette, and a moving mechanism provided outside the cassette chamber and rotatably supporting the cassette holder, for moving the cassette holder between a waiting position outside the cassette chamber and the liftable stand inside the cassette chamber, wherein the moving mechanism has rotation mechanism for rotating the cassette holder around an axis crossed virtually in perpendicular to an axis extending along the moving direction of the liftable stand.

Abstract: A wafer transfer system is described for transferring a wafer while at substantially the same time another wafer is being processed. The wafer transfer system comprises, in one embodiment, a transfer chamber having a wafer transfer blade, a load lock chamber coupled to the transfer chamber, an atmospheric robot for loading and unloading the wafer into the load lock chamber, and a slider coupled to the wafer transfer blade for moving the wafer transfer blade between the transfer chamber and the load lock chamber. According to a preferred embodiment, the slider utilizes a magnetic coupling mechanism. In a further embodiment, a device comprising a transfer chamber coupled to a plurality of plasma sources capable of simultaneously or sequentially providing different plasma structures within the transfer chamber, is described.

Abstract: A disk gripper featuring a spindle fitting through the central hole of a disk, with the spindle harboring a movable latch which is a pin carried by a movable arm. An actuator shifts the latch out of the spindle once the spindle has entered a disk hole with the latch causing the disk to slide laterally into a curled finger which provides a protective, non-contacting envelope. The disk is held in place on the shoulder of a bulbous portion of the spindle which keeps the disk on the shoulder of the spindle. The actuator is activated by a floating sensor ring carried by the spindle. When the spindle passes through a disk hole, the sensor ring moves upwardly, resting on the disk sending an upright tripper into an optical detector causing the latch to retract and allowing the spindle to pass into the disk hole. After passage into the disk hole the latch is released, causing lateral disk motion, causing the disk to laterally slide into a securely held position.

Abstract: A wafer transport apparatus comprises a wafer loading shuttle unit 30 and a wafer unloading shuttle unit 40, positioned on both sides of vacuum cassettes 20 provided in batch processing ion implantation equipment. Each shuttle unit has shuttle cassettes 31, 41 having wafer supports corresponding to wafer holding racks. Each shuttle cassette is configured so that movement between a transfer position for transferring wafers to and from the cassette unit and a standby position is possible. The wafer holding racks support the wafers at a central area thereof. The wafer supports support the wafer on both sides along the diameter of the wafer at points away from the central area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing a semiconductor wafer cassette from a SMIF pod and for transferring the cassette along a vertical axis to a platform of a wafer processing station. The apparatus is comprised of a transfer device that includes a pair of gripping arms for gripping the wafer cassette from the sides of the cassette. Once gripped, the cassette moves with the transfer device upward along a vertical axis to make room for the platform to be extended from within the processing station to a position under the cassette. Thereafter, the direction of motion of the transfer device is reversed and the cassette is lowered onto the platform. Once seated on the platform, the gripping arms retract from the cassette, and the cassette is carried on the platform into the processing station.

Abstract: A wafer transfer mechanism and method involves inserting a wafer carrying arm into position within a wafer cassette so that a wafer may be detachably coupled to the arm. The arm is moved linearly to position the arm for coupling to the wafer, with the motion being reversed to remove the wafer from the cassette. After the arm clears the cassette, the arm may be pivoted about an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the arm to invert the wafer and deposit it at a destination location, such as onto a conveyor. A vacuum may be used to detachably couple the wafer to the arm with the vacuum being relieved to release the wafer at the destination location. A puff or pulse of air may be used to assist in decoupling the wafer from the arm.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers are transferred from a closed type cassette into a wafer boat. First, the lowermost five wafers of 13 wafers held in the cassette are simultaneously transferred by five arms from the cassette into the uppermost part of the wafer boat. Then, the lowermost three wafers among the wafers left in the cassette are simultaneously transferred by the upper three arms from the cassette into the boat immediately under the five wafers previously transferred. Further, the uppermost five wafers left in the cassette are simultaneously transferred by the five arms from the cassette into the boat immediately under the eight wafers previously transferred.

Abstract: A vacuum loadlock is provided for housing a pair of wafers in proper alignment for concurrent processing. In one embodiment, a single chamber loadlock is provided with a gas diffuser disposed therein to decrease venting times within the loadlock. In another embodiment, a dual chamber loadlock is provided having first and second isolatable regions disposed adjacent a transfer region to increase throughput of the system.

Abstract: A substrate detecting apparatus includes: a light sensor unit having a light-emission element and a light-receiving element arranged to face each other across the cassette, and a vertical driving device for moving at least one of the light sensor unit and the cassette relative to each other in a vertical direction a substrate position detecter is also provided for detecting a vertical positional range of each substrate held in the cassette, based on a wave form of an output signal generated by the light sensor unit as the at least one of the light sensor unit and the cassette is vertically moving relative to each other. A substrate conveying apparatus includes a clearance measurement device for measuring a vertical clearance between a pair of substrates held in the cassette, and an arm driving device for inserting the conveyance arm between the pair of substrates while lifting up the conveyance arm along a slant locus when the vertical clearance is less than a predetermined critical value.

Abstract: A device for chemical wet treatment of substrates has a tank containing a treatment fluid for treating the substrates. At least one substrate carrier for supporting the substrates within the tank is provided. At least one substrate lifting device for lifting the substrates off the substrate carrier is provided. A lifting apparatus for lifting and lowering the substrate carrier is positioned in the tank. The lifting apparatus has a first transport carriage connected to the substrate lifting device and a second transport carriage connected to a holder of the substrate carrier. The first and second transport carriages are connected to one another by a jointed connection.

Abstract: A vacuum loadlock is provided for housing a pair of wafers in proper alignment for concurrent processing. In one embodiment, a single chamber loadlock is provided with a gas diffuser disposed therein to decrease venting times within the loadlock. In another embodiment, a dual chamber loadlock is provided having first and second isolatable region disposed adjacent a transfer region to increase throughput of the system.

Abstract: A wafer sensing apparatus for sensing whether a wafer is inserted in a wafer cassette. The wafer sensing apparatus includes a light emitting device for emitting light of a predetermined wavelength toward the inside of a wafer cassette, a light sensing device, positioned opposite to the light emitting device, for sensing the emitted light, and an optical filter device for passing light corresponding only to the predetermined wavelength of light emitted from the light emitting device. The light sensing device is not affected by interference light from outside sources that can cause a faulty wafer sensing function, since the interfering light is reflected or absorbed by the optical filter device. Equipment malfunctions caused by faulty sensing from the light sensing device are prevented, thereby improving the equipment operating efficiency.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer transporter includes a transport mechanism for taking out a wafer from a carrier storing a large number of semiconductor wafers and transporting the wafer to a processor for performing visual inspection, patterning, etc. The carrier is placed in a predetermined orientation and then a wafer outlet of the carrier is rotated so as to face the transport mechanism. The carrier can be installed and removed safely and easily without complicating a transport mechanism.

Abstract: A semiconductor fabrication apparatus having a process chamber and a handler which is provided for loading wafers into the process chamber or unloading wafers therefrom, comprising a plurality of switches for detecting positions of the handler and for generating detection signals in accordance with the positions; and an indicator for indicating normal operations of the switches. The indicator has relays operated in accordance with a voltage level of each of the detection signals; and LEDs associated with each of the relays, for identifying a normal operation of the handler. By confirming the conductive/nonconductive state of the LED, the operator can easily determine if the switches are accurately detecting the position of a load fork and/or an aligning plate.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of substrate processing modules connected to a substrate transport. The substrate transport has a housing and a substrate transport mechanism. The housing forms a substantially closed main transport chamber with doorways into the main transport chamber for the substrate processing modules. The transport mechanism has a substrate holder movably located in the transport chamber. The housing includes a front end extension that is connected to load locks. The front end extension has an aligner, a cooler, and a buffer directly connected to the housing and located in the front end extension in part of the main transport chamber.

Abstract: Wafer demount apparatus automatically demounts and transports a polished semiconductor wafer to an inspection station. The apparatus includes a bridge located between a polishing block supporting wax-mounted wafers and an offload conveyor. The bridge fills the gap and provides a smooth transition surface for the wafers moving from the polishing block to the conveyor. The bridge is also capable of movement to achieve vertical and horizontal alignment with the polishing block.

Abstract: A modular semiconductor wafer processing system comprises a plurality of detachable process reactors and other types of generators that can be quick-clamped to any of several ports on the lid of a circular wafer handling chamber. A multiple-spoke single-axis rigid-arm transfer carousel centrally located within the circular wafer handling chamber has access to the respective process areas beneath each port in the lid. A set of independent cylindrical rings are provided to rise up from the floor of the circular wafer handling chamber to contact and seal against the lid to isolate each of the process stations. The multiple-spoke single-axis rigid-arm transfer carousel is automatically positioned out of the way before the cylindrical rings are raised and sealed.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment system has a transfer apparatus for transferring semiconductor wafers and a cassette serving as a transport container for the semiconductor wafers. The transfer apparatus has a base disposed to be vertically movable and rotatable within a horizontal plane. Wafer arms for transferring the wafers placed on them are disposed on the base. The wafer arms can reciprocally move on the base between a standby position and an advanced position in the horizontal direction. A cassette arm for transferring a cassette placed on it is also disposed on the base. The cassette arm can reciprocally move on the base between a retreat position and a protruded position in the horizontal direction. The wafer arms and the cassette arm are reciprocally movable in opposite directions to oppose each other. While the wafer arms and the cassette arm are at the standby position and the retreat position, respectively, a holding portion of the cassette arm is present immediately above the wafer arms.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processing carousel comprises an elevator chamber that accepts cassettes loaded with semiconductor wafers through a removable vacuum lock door, an elevator platform on which the cassettes ride up and down, an elevator drive to automatically position the elevator platform, a lid and a circular wafer handling chamber with an anteroom chamber connection to the elevator chamber. A double-axis wafer transfer arm provides for linear transfer through the anteroom chamber of selected wafers between the cassettes and a first pre-heating and cool-down process station within the circular wafer handling chamber. A multiple-spoke single-axis rigid-arm transfer carousel is centrally located within the circular wafer handling chamber and has access to multiple process stations. A set of independent cylindrical rings are positioned to rise up from the handling chamber bottom of the circular wafer handling chamber to contact and seal against the lid to isolate each of the process stations.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus is composed of a cassette block and a vacuum processing block. The cassette block has a cassette table for mounting a plurality of cassettes containing a sample and an atmospheric transfer means. The vacuum processing block has a plurality of processing chambers for performing vacuum processing on the sample and a vacuum transfer means for transferring the sample. Both of the plan views of the cassette block and the vacuum processing block are nearly rectangular, and the width of the cassette block is designed to be larger than the width of the vacuum processing block, and the overall plan view of the vacuum processing apparatus is formed in an L-shape or a T-shape.

Abstract: A device for conveying a wafer ring between a wafer ring container and a pellet pick-up device. A pair of guide rails which guide both side edges of a wafer ring that is conveyed by a wafer ring conveying assembly are installed pivotally in a vertical direction near the wafer ring cassette. The guide rails are pivoted so as to take a horizontal position when the conveying of the wafer ring is performed and take a vertical position when the pellet pick-up device is in operation. Thus, the operation of the pellet pick-up device is not hindered by the guide rails.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a non-reaction chamber which is a load-lock chamber or a double load-lock chamber. A double arm is accommodated in the non-reaction chamber, and includes a first arm and a second arm for taking out a processed wafer from the reaction chamber and supplying an unprocessed wafer to the reaction chamber. Wafer elevating mechanisms are provided in the reaction chamber and the non-reaction chamber. The double arm and the wafer elevating mechanisms are driven by a single drive source. Also, a selective engagement mechanism is provided at the reaction chamber and at the non-reaction chamber for selectively engaging the driving source with any one of the wafer elevating mechanisms at the reaction chamber and the non-reaction chamber to drive the double arm and the wafer elevating mechanism at the selected chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying a wafer to wafer work suction-holding stage and then discharging a worked wafer from the wafer work suction-holding stage, including a loader side elevator device, a wafer position correcting stage, a wafer work suction-holding stage, a wafer carrying table and an unloader side elevator device which are successively disposed in this order; and the apparatus further including a conveyor which conveys a wafer inside a loader side magazine carried on the loader side elevator device to a point above the positional correction suction-holding stage, a stopper which positions the wafer conveyed by the conveyor to the wafer position correcting stage, and a feeding pawl moving device which operates after the wafer position correcting stage and wafer work suction-holding stage have been moved vertically so that the upper surface of the wafer position correcting stage is at substantially the same height as the upper surface of the stopper and so that the upper surface of the wafer work suction

Abstract: An in-line film deposition system is adapted so that film deposition processing on a substrate is completed through a number of film deposition processes, while the length of the system is not excessive. A carrier 3 which holds two substrates 1, with their planar surfaces set parallel to a transfer direction, is sequentially transferred through a plurality of vacuum chambers 2 arranged along a polygonally-shaped transfer path 30. Film deposition processing is continuously carried out on the substrate 1 by processing means 4 that are arranged in the vacuum chambers 2 which form film deposition process chambers. A rotation mechanism for rotating the carrier 3 through a specified angle so as to direct the carrier 3 in a subsequent transferring direction is provided in those vacuum chambers which are located at turning points along the polygonal transfer path 30.

Abstract: A wafer extraction platform that is compatible with a high vacuum transfer system includes magnetically coupled upper and lower assemblies. A vacuum to atmosphere seal on the platform is maintained with two O-rings. Two opposing arrays of spaced, parallel blades in the upper assembly define slots for receiving wafers from a cassette. The upper assembly moves in response to a magnetically coupled linear slide mounted on the lower assembly. The upper assembly moves outside the load lock, and the blades pick up and simultaneously extract the wafers from the cassette. The upper assembly retracts into the load lock, and the wafers are transferred to the process chamber. A linear motor mounted at atmospheric pressure inside the lower assembly permits the horizontal movement of the upper assembly while holding the blades parallel to the wafers. Level adjustment screws and a bellows are used to level the platform.

Abstract: A robotic arm assembly in a transport module is expansible to have an effector at its end receive a substrate in a cassette module and is then contracted and rotated with the effector to have the effector face a process module. Planets on a turntable in the process module are rotatable on first parallel axes. The turntable is rotatable on a second axis parallel to the first axes to move successive planets to a position facing the effector. At this position, an alignment assembly is aligned with, but axially displaced from, one of the planets. This assembly is moved axially into coupled relationship with such planet and then rotated to a position aligning the substrate on the effector axially with such planet when the arm assembly is expanded. A lifter assembly aligned with, and initially displaced from, such planet is moved axially to lift the substrate from the effector. The arm assembly is then contracted, rotated with the effector and expanded to receive the next cassette module substrate.

Abstract: A treatment apparatus comprises a treatment chamber for performing a treatment for a workpiece W, a loading chamber connected to the treatment chamber, for loading and unloading a holding member which contains the workpiece into and from the treatment chamber, and an input/output chamber for inputting and outputting the workpiece to and from the loading chamber. The input/output chamber includes a cassette accommodating vessel port which holds a cassette accommodating vessel. The vessel is filled with clean air or an inert gas, and is airtightly closed. A cassette receiving mechanism is disposed below the port and lowers only the cassette of the vessel so as to receive the cassette. Thus, when the cassette is input and output to and from the outside of the treatment apparatus, the workpiece contained within the cassette is not exposed to the atmosphere in a working region. Consequently, it is not necessary to improve the cleanliness level of the atmosphere in the working region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fabricating system including a plurality of processing apparatuses connected to each other by means of an inter-apparatus transporter, wherein one group of semiconductor wafers are processed in processing apparatuses and other group of wafers are transported to specified processing apparatuses for a time interval from (To+T) to a time To; and another group of wafers are processed and the remaining group of wafers are transported for a time interval from (To+T) to (To+2T). Since processing apparatuses can receive at least one of works from the inter-apparatus transporter for a time interval T min, the distribution of works from the transporter to processing apparatuses is completed for the time interval T min. The transporter is emptied for each time interval T min, and works are unloaded to the emptied transporter, which makes easy the scheduling, control and management of the transporting of a plurality of works in the fabricating system.

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which comprises a boat elevator installed below a reaction chamber for loading a boat into the reaction chamber, cassette stocker installed opposite to the boat elevator, a wafer carrier installed between the cassette stocker and the boat elevator and used for transferring wafers between the cassette stocker and the boat, and a load-lock chamber for accommodating the boat elevator, whereby wafers are carried in the atmospheric air within the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and the transport time is set in such manner that an increase of a natural oxide film formed on the wafers is 2 angstroms or less.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and for carrying a wafer between a cassette and a wafer chuck without an additional tool such as a tripod. The apparatus includes: a holder capable of holding the side of the wafer; a wafer transfer assembly including an actuator of the holder and a detector that detects a malfunction of the holder; and a process reactor having a vacuum exhaust port installed under a wafer chuck so as to guide gas in an axially-symmetric flow pattern. The holder grasps the rounded side of a wafer. Removal of additional tools makes the structure of an overall system more simple and an exhaust port can be installed under the reactor so as to cause processing gas to be guided in an axially-symmetric flow, resulting in an enhancement of the process uniformity.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for opening a Standardized Mechanical Interface transport box and facilitating access to the articles within the transport box by mechanisms inside a pressurized, isolated, controlled environment while maintaining isolated, controlled environment conditions, the apparatus comprising: a base for opening the transport box and supporting the box port and articles within, a platform for lifting the remainder of the transport box, a mechanism for lifting the platform, a flexible seal between the base and platform with devices for controlling contamination by use of the controlled environment pressurization and a pocket-style door providing isolation to the controlled environment when the transport box is either closed or not present. The apparatus further includes a base extender slidably movable into the controlled environment and devices for sensing mispositioned articles following return of the articles from the controlled environment to the base of the transport box.

Abstract: A safety interlock system and method of unloading a standard manufacturing cassette using a safety interlock system are described which prevent the robotic arm used to unload the cassettes from unloading the cassette unless the cassette is in the proper unloading position. The safety interlock system uses a light beam emitted by a light source and illuminating a light sensitive switch if the cassette is not in the proper unloading position. If the cassette is in the proper unloading position the cassette interrupts the light beam and the light sensitive switch is not illuminated. Illuminating the light sensitive switch energizes a relay primary coil which interrupts power delivered to the electrical control unit of the robotic arm and activates an alarm unit.

Abstract: A processing apparatus is provided with a reaction furnace for subjecting semiconductor wafers, which are objects to be processed, to a predetermined processing; a storage rack for storing carriers (wafer cassettes), each containing a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers; and a conveyor for conveying the carriers into and out of the reaction furnace and the storage rack. In this case, a second conveyor mechanism, which comprises the storage portion and at least part of the conveyor, and a third conveyor mechanism are disposed within a sealed chamber in such a manner that they are isolated from the outer atmosphere. An exchange chamber that can be isolated from the outer atmosphere is further provided, for temporarily storing carriers that are to be conveyed into or out of the storage portion, through the sealed chamber via a communicating port. The interiors of the sealed chamber and the exchange chamber are formed so that they can be supplied with nitrogen.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises a substrate transfer chamber; a plurality of substrate processing chambers disposed on a first side wall of the substrate transfer chamber and stacked in the vertical direction; a plurality of first gate valves, each being disposed between each of the substrate processing chambers and the substrate transfer chamber; a substrate accommodating chamber disposed on a second side wall of the substrate transfer chamber; a substrate transfer device, disposed within the substrate transfer chamber, for transferring the substrate under reduced pressure between the substrate processing chambers and the substrate accommodating chamber; an elevator disposed outside the substrate transfer chamber and comprising a stationary portion and an elevating portion which is vertically movable with respect to the stationary portion; a rigid connecting member capable of moving through a through-hole formed in a predetermined face of the substrate transfer chamber, the rigid connecting member

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for coating a surface of a plate-like material, or substrate, specifically a semiconductor wafer, with a coating material. The apparatus includes a plurality of self-controlled removable modules including a coating assembly, at least one thermal conditioning module, and a substrate handling device, and a host controller. The coating assembly is used to dispense coating material from a coating source onto the surface of the substrate material positioned in the coating assembly. The material handling device is positioned to access and move substrates between the coating assembly, the at least one thermal conditioning module and other modules included in the apparatus. The host controller provides substrate thermal conditioning, coating and handling information to the corresponding modules and tracks the location of each substrate in the apparatus.

Abstract: In a loading and unloading station for semiconductor processing installations, the object of the present invention is to ensure charging proceeding from transporting containers under clean room conditions. These transporting containers themselves serve as magazines for disk-shaped objects and are open laterally. It should also be possible, optionally, to load and unload a greater quantity of such transporting containers, wherein the exchange of transporting containers must be effected under favorable ergonomic conditions. According to the invention, the transporting container for loading, unloading and reloading of disk-shaped objects is coupled in a stationary manner by the container cover with the closure by using an adhering engagement. The charging opening and the transporting container are opened simultaneously in that the container cover and the closure are moved down jointly into the semiconductor processing installation.

Abstract: A robotic arm assembly in a transport module is expansible to have an effector at its end receive a substrate in a cassette module and is then contracted and rotated with the effector to have the effector face a process module. Planets on a turntable in the process module are rotatable on first parallel axes. The turntable is rotatable on a second axis parallel to the first axes to move successive planets to a position facing the effector. At this position, an alignment assembly is aligned with, but axially displaced from, one of the planets. This assembly is moved axially into coupled relationship with such planet and then rotated to a position aligning the substrate on the effector axially with such planet when the arm assembly is expanded. A lifter assembly aligned with, and initially displaced from, such planet is moved axially to lift the substrate from the effector. The arm assembly is then contracted, rotated with the effector and expanded to receive the next cassette module substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a manually operated machine for radially aligning one or more semiconductor wafers. The machine includes an elongated first "notch" roller for rotatably engaging the edge of the wafers, a gear train, and a hand crank for manually rotating the first roller in cooperation with the gear train. The wafers are aligned according to the notches as the wafers are engaged and rotated by the notch roller until the notch in each wafer falls over and is disengaged by that roller. The manual notch finder may also include an elongated second "position" roller for rotatably engaging the edge of the wafers. The position roller is disposed laterally near the notch roller and sized and shaped to engage the edge of the wafers fully along the periphery of each wafer so that the aligned wafers can be positioned to any degree of radial orientation. The invention also provides a combination notch or flat finder machine integrated with a wafer transfer machine.

Abstract: A transport container for transporting a plurality of semiconductor wafers as stacked therein. The container includes a box-shaped container body having four peripheral walls, and an upper lid for closing and opening an upper opening of the container body. The front wall of the container body is pivotable between an open position and a closed position. The upper lid and front wall are opened when the semiconductor wafers are loaded into or unloaded from the transport container. An apparatus is provided for loading and unloading the semiconductor wafers into/from the transport container.

Abstract: A system uses a portable carrier for transporting multiple semiconductor wafers in a substantially particle free environment. A cassette freely received within the carrier for supporting the wafers in spaced generally stacked relationship is delivered to an environmentally clean load lock. A mini-environment defines an interior region adjacent the load lock for the engageable reception of the carrier and sealingly isolates the load lock chamber and the interior of the carrier from the surrounding atmosphere. Transfer mechanisms serve to retrieve the cassette from the carrier and move the carrier into the load lock chamber while maintaining it in a particle free environment. A first transport mechanism within the mini-environment retrieves the cassette from the carrier and moves it into its interior region and a second transport mechanism within the load lock retrieves the cassette from the interior region and moves it into the load lock chamber.

Abstract: At the front side of a wafer cassette fitted to a wafer feeding unit of a magnetic levitation wafer conveying device, a wafer stopper for preventing the wafer waiting in the wafer cassette from popping out is provided. The wafer supplied from the magnetic levitation conveying device is supplied into the reaction chamber by magnetic force, and is directly held in the reaction chamber by this magnetic force. Since the wafer stopper is positioned between the wafer cassette fitted in the wafer feeding unit and the starting end of the wafer conveying route, the wafer waiting in the wafer cassette next to the wafer to be conveyed is prevented from popping out together with the wafer to be conveyed. Moreover, the wafer conveyed by the magnetic force can be directly held in the reaction chamber in heated state.

Abstract: A wafer transfer system is operable with a front or side loading wafer carrier to move one or more wafers in a straight line from the carrier to a position in which the wafers are accessible for further processing by movement along the same straight line. The transfer system provides a wafer extractor which employs a plurality of paired fingers of a size and configuration to fit between the spaced, stacked wafers in the carrier. After insertion between the wafers, the fingers are movable by a small amount vertically to lift the wafers off the shoulders of the carrier. The fingers, now supporting the wafers, are movable generally horizontally along a straight line to remove the wafers from the carrier. The fingers are supported from a support structure in a manner which provides clearance for the wafers to pass through the support structure for further processing along the same straight line path.

Abstract: A adjustable wafer transfer machine that includes an adjusting mechanism for changing the spacing between adjacent wafers to accommodate placement of the wafers in either a smaller wafer carrier or a larger wafer carrier and a transfer mechanism for transferring the wafers between the smaller wafer carrier and the adjusting mechanism and for transferring the wafers between the larger wafer carrier and the adjusting mechanism. The adjusting mechanism comprises a pair of flat plates disposed parallel to and opposite one another and a plurality of elongated opposing dividers slidably mounted on the plates. The dividers are disposed vertically adjacent to one another at spaced apart intervals and they extend horizontally to support the wafers along a portion of their perimeter. A positioning mechanism is operatively coupled to the dividers for changing the spacing between the dividers and, correspondingly, between the wafers supported on the dividers.

Abstract: A semiconductor fabricating apparatus comprises a reaction tube defining a space for heat treating a silicon wafer, heater means disposed to extend around the reaction tube, a load-lock chamber connected to the reaction tube by means of a gate valve, a supply pipe communicating with the load-lock chamber for supplying an inert gas and a gas including oxygen thereto, an oxygen concentration meter, an inert gas flow rate adjuster and an oxygen flow rate regulator. Based on the results detected by the oxygen concentration meter the flow rate of the inert gas and the gas including oxygen are controlled by means of the flow rate adjuster and the flow rate regulator to maintain the oxygen concentration within the load-lock chamber at a desired value.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer transfer machine for transferring first wafers having a first diameter from a first transferor carrier to a first receiver carrier and second wafers having a second diameter different from the first diameter from a second transferor carrier to a second receiver carrier. The wafer transfer machine includes a base plate with a longitudinal axis for placement on the base plate of the transferor carriers and the receiver carriers and a mechanism for transferring wafers contained in the first and second transferor carriers to the first and second receiver carriers, respectively.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus is adapted for transferring a substrate between two processing sections and includes two storage cassettes and two transfer robots. A first storage cassette has an insertion opening inserted in a first direction and a withdrawal opening oriented in a second direction, where the first and second directions intersect. A second storage cassette has an insertion opening oriented in a third direction and a withdrawal opening oriented in a fourth direction which fourth direction intersects the third direction. A first transfer device transfers a substrate from one of the two processing sections to the first storage cassette through the insertion opening of the first storage cassette and then transfers a substrate from the second storage cassette to the one processing section via the withdrawal opening of the second storage cassette.

Abstract: A technique for handling discs, such as wafers for integrated circuits, which must be processed in ultra-clean rooms and which are transported to various workstations for processing. A horizontally extended rail has storage positions therealong where standard commercial carriers are positioned which contain vertically standing wafers. A lifting device can lift any carrier over neighboring carriers and moves it to a carrying basket located on an extension of the rail. The carrying basket is then turned by 90.degree. so that the vertical wafers lie horizontally. A tongue-shaped device can be moved under any of these wafers for removal thereof from the basket and subsequent transport to a workstation, and return.

Abstract: A system for achieving a high degree of location and orientation accuracy and repeatability of a part, such as a semiconductor wafer, for storage of the part in a cassette or placement on a process tool while being able to grasp the part, while maintaining maximally repeatable location, orientation, and cleanliness, while moving it from one tool to another, such as a process tool to a cassette.

Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus for receiving and delivering a substrate among a plurality of process locations and transferring the substrate among the process locations comprises an apparatus body, a transfer member, movably provided on the apparatus body, for supporting and transferring the substrate, the transfer member having a plurality of support portions for supporting the substrate at different positions in the same plane, moving mechanism for moving the transfer member for enabling the transfer member to receive and deliver the substrate, and switching mechanism for switching the position of the transfer member among a plurality of positions for receiving and delivering the substrate on the support portions.