Abstract: A system for fluid processing substrate surfaces arrayed in a fluid having a process section with a frame having a plurality of process elements to process the substrate surfaces without contacting the substrate surfaces and a substrate holder assembly having a number of substrate holders and configured for transporting substrates as a unit. The substrate holder assembly and each of the substrate holders are configured for removable coupling to the process section frame, each substrate holder configured to hold at least one of the substrates. The process section frame has alignment features disposed so that, on coupling of the substrate holder assembly with the process section frame, the alignment features interface with each substrate holder of the substrate holder assembly and locate each substrate holder in repeatable alignment, at corresponding coupling of each substrate holder and the process section frame, with respect to a predetermined feature of the process section.

Abstract: An apparatus for anodizing substrates immersed in an electrolyte solution. A substrate holder mounted in a storage tank includes a first support unit having first support elements for supporting, in a liquid-tight condition, only lower circumferential portions of the substrates, and a second support unit attachable to and detachable from the first support unit and having second support elements for supporting, in a liquid-tight condition, remaining circumferential portions of the substrates. A drive mechanism separates the first support unit and the second support unit when loading and unloading the substrates, and for connecting the first support unit and the second support unit after the substrates are placed in the substrate holder.

Abstract: An ancillary apparatus for loading glass substrates into a bracket through a robotic arm includes a holding rack to hold a bracket, a guiding mechanism located above the bracket and a glass lifting mechanism located below the bracket. The robotic arm grips the glass substrate and moves the glass substrate above the bracket to be guided by the guiding mechanism and held by the glass lifting mechanism, and then the glass substrate is released from the robotic arm. The glass substrate is guided by the guiding mechanism and braced by the glass lifting mechanism, and then is lowered slowly into the bracket. Hence the robotic arm does not need to be entered the bracket to load the glass substrate, extra space to receive the robotic arm can be saved and thus more glass substrates can be loaded. The cost is reduced and productivity is improved to meet production requirements.

Abstract: A substrate support apparatus which can support a substrate having a center hole, comprises a support portion which can support the substrate. The support portion includes a support groove with a cross-sectional shape in which a groove width gradually increases in a counter-gravitational direction, and a width of the support groove between two end portions is larger than a width of the support groove at the center thereof.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing section that processes a plurality of substrates assuming a vertical posture in a batch manner; a first traversing mechanism that laterally moves a first traverse holding portion along a first traversing path between a substrate transfer position and a substrate delivery position; a second traversing mechanism that laterally moves a second traverse holding portion along a second traversing path disposed below the first traversing path between the substrate transfer position and the substrate delivery position; an elevation mechanism that raises and lowers an elevation holding portion in the substrate transfer position; and a main transfer mechanism that conveys a plurality of substrates assuming a vertical posture in a batch manner between the substrate delivery position and the substrate processing section, the first and second traverse holding portions, and the elevation holding portion each holds a plurality of substrates assuming a vertical

Abstract: The present invention discloses apparatuses and method for configuring a compartmentable equipment to accommodate emergency responses. An exemplary equipment comprises a plurality of removable compartments for storing workpieces so that in emergency events, such as power failure or equipment failure, the workpieces can be removed from the equipment for continuing processing without disrupting the flow of the fabrication facility. The compartmentable equipment can comprise emergency access ports, including mating interface to a portable workpiece removal equipment to allow accessing the individual compartments without compromising the quality, defects and yield of the workpieces stored in the stocker.

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-film forming apparatus including a substrate holder stock chamber for storing a plurality of substrate holders separately from a path in the multi-film forming apparatus, so that production can be performed without being affected by the process of removing a film accumulated on the surface of the substrate holder and the process of replacing the substrate holder, or by the process of removing a film accumulated on the surface of the substrate holder or the process of replacing the substrate holder, and hence high-throughput production is possible. A branch path is provided on the path of the multi-film forming apparatus, and a substrate holder stock chamber for storing a plurality of substrate holders which enables retrieval of the substrate holder from the path and feeding of the substrate holder to the path is provided.

Abstract: A carrier supporting apparatus is configured to support a carrier containing a plurality of plate-like objects to be processed, such that each object to be processed is arranged vertically at an interval in a horizontal attitude. The carrier includes multiple sets of supporting stages each arranged vertically at an interval, wherein each set of the supporting stages are configured to support the periphery of a bottom face of one object to be processed. The carrier supporting apparatus comprises a placing table adapted to place the carrier thereon, a lifting member that can be raised and lowered relative to the placing table, and a drive mechanism adapted to drive the lifting mechanism. When raised, the lifting member raises a bottom face of the object to be processed, which is supported on a set of the lowermost supporting stages in the carrier, and lifts it up from the supporting stages.

Abstract: A load port including a frame having an opening, a vessel receiving table that receives the wafer vessel, a door removably attached to the opening, a door opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the door, and a closing mechanism that exerts force on the door when the door opening and closing mechanism closes the door.

Abstract: An apparatus for arranging disks in a processing cassette includes a first conveyor configured to transfer a shipping cassette containing a plurality of disks to a first position and a comb assembly configured to displace one or more of the plurality of disks from the shipping cassette in the first position. A mandrel assembly is configured to remove the one or more displaced disks from the comb assembly and a turntable assembly is configured to rotate the comb assembly and the shipping cassette from the first position to a second position. The mandrel assembly is further configured to return the one or more displaced disks to the comb assembly and the comb assembly is further configured to replace the one or more displaced disks in the shipping cassette in the second position.

Abstract: A coating/developing device includes a processing block having a plurality of coating unit blocks stacked and a developing unit block stacked on the coating unit blocks. Each of the unit blocks is provided with a liquid processing unit for coating a liquid chemical on a substrate, a heating unit for heating the substrate, a cooling unit for cooling the substrate and a transfer unit for transferring the substrate between the units. The liquid processing unit is provided with a coating unit for coating a resist liquid on the substrate, a first bottom antireflection coating (BARC) forming unit for coating a liquid chemical for a BARC on the substrate before the resist liquid is coated thereon, and a second BARC forming unit for coating a liquid chemical for the BARC on the substrate after the resist liquid is coated thereon.

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-film forming apparatus including a substrate holder stock chamber for storing a plurality of substrate holders separately from a path in the multi-film forming apparatus, so that production can be performed without being affected by the process of removing a film accumulated on the surface of the substrate holder and the process of replacing the substrate holder, or by the process of removing a film accumulated on the surface of the substrate holder or the process of replacing the substrate holder, and hence high-throughput production is possible. A branch path is provided on the path of the multi-film forming apparatus, and a substrate holder stock chamber for storing a plurality of substrate holders which enables retrieval of the substrate holder from the path and feeding of the substrate holder to the path is provided.

Abstract: An organic thin film deposition device that is compact and high in processing capability is provided. Inside a vacuum chamber, first and second substrate arrangement devices that can be in a horizontal posture and a standing posture are provided; and when in the standing posture, substrates held by the respective substrate arrangement devices and first and second organic vapor discharging devices face each other. When one of the substrate arrangement devices is in the horizontal posture, masks and the substrates are lifted up by alignment pins and transfer pins and are replaced with a substrate not yet film formed, for position adjustment. With one organic thin film deposition device, two substrates can be processed at the same time.

Abstract: To provide a processing system for a process object capable of preventing a transport arm mechanism from being thermally damaged, so as to effectively perform a transport operation of the process object. A processing system 2, which takes out a process object W from a storage box 6 for process object, and thermally process the process object, includes: a vertical processing unit 24; a process-object transport area 10 disposed below the processing unit; a plurality of process-object boats 20 configured to hold the process objects; a boat elevating means 68 configured to vertically move the process-object boat 20; a boat table for transport 52, on which the process-object boat can be placed; and a transport arm mechanism configured to transport the process objects between the storage box 6 and the process-object boat 20 placed on the boat table for transport 52. The transport arm mechanism 56 is vertically moved by an arm elevating means 58.

Abstract: A method and system for aligning robotic wafer transfer systems provides a wafer cassette having one or more wafer slots having portions covered with an electrically conductive material and a sensor that is in electrical communication with the electrically conductive material. When a wafer is loaded into a wafer cassette such as may be contained within a wafer transfer module such as a FOUP, an indication of position is delivered to the sensor which detects the alignment and indicates if the loaded wafer undesirably contacts either or both of the opposed grooves that form the wafer slot of the wafer cassette. An indication of the wafer's position may be provided from the sensor to a controller that delivers a signal for aligning the wafer transfer blade of the wafer transfer robot responsive to the signal indicative of position.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a magnetic recording disk includes a magnetic-film deposition chamber in which a magnetic film for a recording layer is deposited on a substrate; a lubricant-layer preparation chamber in which a lubricant layer is prepared on the substrate in vacuum; and a cleaning chamber in which the substrate is cleaned in vacuum after the magnetic-film deposition in the magnetic-film chamber and before the lubricant-layer preparation in the lubricant-layer chamber. The apparatus may further include a transfer system that transfers the substrate from the cleaning chamber to the lubricant-layer preparation chamber without exposing the substrate to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for transferring a substantially flat and substantially circular objects, such as wafers, from a pick-up position to a delivery position, the apparatus comprising, a manipulator, at least one source for emitting a source signal, at least one sensor for sensing said source signal and for providing a sensor signal, a computing device arranged for processing at least one sensor signal to obtain data on the position of said object, the manipulator being arranged for simultaneously transferring a first and a second object along a path in a substantially parallel orientation, spaced apart from each other, and substantially co-axially whereby the central axis of each object may be displaced radially, a said source and a said sensor are connected by a virtual line, whereby the virtual line includes an angle with the central axes of the first and second objects.

Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus 100 includes a substrate transport means 4 having a transport base 5 and a plurality of retention arms 41a-41e for retaining substrates W, an optical sensor 62 that is used to define a horizontal optical axis L, an elevator means 52 for moving the transport base 5 up and down, and a height detection means 54 for detecting the height of the transport base 5 relative to the optical axis L. In accordance with a light-reception/no-light-reception detection result fed from the optical sensor 62 and the height of the transport base 5, a judgment means 72a of a control section 7 judges whether the postures of the retention arms 41a-41e relative to the horizontal plane are normal. When the judgment means 72a judges that the postures of the retention arms 41a-41e relative to the horizontal plane are abnormal, the control section 7 exercises control to stop the substrate transport means 4.

Abstract: A batch forming apparatus forms a batch of substrates by combining a plurality of substrates that have been taken out from a plurality of carriers each containing therein the substrates in a stacked manner. The batch forming apparatus includes: a substrate transfer mechanism that takes out the substrates from each carrier and transfer the substrates; a substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism that rearranges one or more substrates out of the substrates transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism one by one relative to other substrates to change positional relationships of the substrates relative to each other; and a batch forming mechanism that forms a batch of substrates out of the substrates that have been transferred thereto by the substrate transfer mechanism, with positional relationships of the substrates having been changed relative to each other by the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism.

Abstract: A holder manufacturing method for loading a substrate of a semiconductor manufacturing device, a batch type boat having the holder, a loading/unloading method of a semiconductor substrate using the same, and a semiconductor manufacturing device having the same are disclosed. For example, the manufacturing method of the holder of the boat for loading a semiconductor substrate includes the steps of molding a holder substrate of a pipe shape having inner and outer circumference of a predetermined size in such a manner that a lower portion of the semiconductor substrate is seated thereon; and forming a plurality of holder rings by cutting the holder rings from the holder substrate in such a manner that each holder ring is matched to a disposal interval of the semiconductor substrates in the boat.

Abstract: A clean gas circulates to pass through a loading area provided below a vertical heat treatment furnace. The clean gas unidirectionally flows through the loading area. After completion of wafer processing, a wafer boat lowers from the heat treatment furnace to the loading area, where the wafers are removed from the wafer boat. Subsequently, a clean gas jetting nozzle arranged in the loading area jets a clean gas toward the emptied wafer boat. Fragment of thin film which may readily peel off are blown away from the wafer boat, and are discharged out of the loading area together with the unidirectional flow. Thus, it is possible to avoid wafer contamination due to the unexpected peel-off of thin film fragments from the wafer boat.

Abstract: An edge ring for use in batch thermal processing of wafers supported on a vertical tower within a furnace. The edge rings are have a width approximately overlapping the periphery of the wafers and are detachably supported on the towers equally spaced between the wafer to reduce thermal edge effects. The edge rings have may have internal or external recesses to interlock with structures on or adjacent the fingers of the tower legs supporting the wafers or one or more steps formed on the lateral sides of the edge ring may slide over and then fall below a locking ledge associated with the support fingers. Preferably, the tower and edge ring and other parts of the furnace adjacent the hot zone are composed of silicon.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a test tray for a test handler. According to this invention, there is disclosed a technique that an insert loaded in a loading part which is arranged in a matrix pattern in a frame of the test tray allows an amount and direction of free movement thereof to be determined in accordance with a location of the loading part, where the insert is loaded, on the matrix, thereby enabling a thermal expansion or contraction of a match plate or the test tray to be compensated.

Abstract: The present invention is a pod opener having an end effector which: a. grips and releases a reticle supported above the base of a pod; and b. while transferring the reticle between the base of the pod and an adjacent IC photolithography tool, reorients the reticle. In one embodiment, the pod opener reorients the reticle by rotating it about a single axis disposed substantially perpendicular to its patterned surface. In another embodiment, the present invention is a pod opener which while transferring the reticle between the base of the pod and an adjacent IC photolithography tool, in addition to effecting rotation substantially perpendicular to a reticle's patterned surface, also turns the reticle over so a patterned surface of the reticle is oriented for proper focus within the IC photolithography tool.

Abstract: Reticle management systems and methods. The system comprises at least one reticle and at least one cabinet with an inert gas environment. The cabinet comprises a plurality of storage spaces. When the reticle is put in a storage space, the cabinet identifies the reticle and the storage space occupied thereby. The cabinet provides inert gas to the reticle. The storage information of the reticle in the cabinet and/or an inert gas status of the reticle are provided to a query system and a dispatch system for reticle location query and lot dispatching.

Abstract: A transfer device for a substrate is capable of preventing deformation or breakage of the substrate due to bending stress by reducing the amount of dead weight deflection of the substrate, e.g. a large mother glass board. Supporting members extend in opposite directions from two sides of a storage device such that the substrate can be introduced or removed by raising and lowering the hand of a transfer machine inserted into the storage device between the supporting members. The supporting members are comprised of a plurality of supporting members in parallel, formed with a gap between the supporting members facing each other.

Abstract: A substrate transportation device includes a housing for transporting substrates. The housing is formed of an upper surface, a lower surface, and opposing sidewalls. The housing has a rear opening through which the substrates enter the housing and a front opening through which the substrates exit the housing. A plurality of hollow supporting members are disposed within the housing and affixed to the opposing sidewalls which are formed by a plurality of columns. The hollow supporting members have a plurality of apertures in an upper surface for supplying a medium to a lower surface of the plurality of substrates. A medium supply member transfers the medium toward the hollow supporting member. The medium transferred by the medium supply member is delivered through the apertures in the upper surface of the plurality of hollow supporting members to float the substrates on a cushion of air.

Abstract: A vertical type of thermal processing apparatus of the present invention includes a thermal processing furnace having a furnace opening at a lower portion thereof. A boat holding objects to be processed in a tier-like manner in a vertical direction is adapted to be contained in the thermal processing furnace through the furnace opening. A lid supporting the boat is capable of closing the furnace opening. A transferring chamber is connected to the furnace opening. An elevating mechanism provided in the transferring chamber is configured to move up and down the lid in order to load and unload the boat into and out from the thermal processing furnace. A connecting port provided at a wall of the transferring chamber is capable of being connected to an opening of a conveying container for containing the objects to be processed. A first containing portion provided in the transferring chamber is capable of temporarily containing unprocessed objects to be processed for a next thermal process.

Abstract: A platform for supporting a semiconductor wafer includes a body with channel having spaced apart first and second edge margins in contiguous relationship with a top surface of the body. At least one of the edge margins is generally convex along at least a portion of the channel.

Abstract: A load lock chamber provided between a port that accommodates an object to be processed and is maintained at an ambient pressure, and a process chamber that is maintained at a reduced pressure or vacuum environment and performs a predetermined process for the object, said load lock chamber replacing an atmosphere in said load lock chamber and delivering the object between the port and the process chamber includes a first load lock chamber that includes a first holder for holding the object received from the port, and a second load lock chamber that includes a second holder for holding the object received from the process chamber, wherein the first holder holds more objects than the second holder.

Abstract: A substrate is transferred from an environment at about vacuum into a load lock through a first door. The substrate is then sealed within the load lock. The pressure within the load lock is raised to a high pressure above vacuum. A second door coupling the load lock to a high-pressure processing chamber is then opened and the substrate moved from the load lock into the high-pressure chamber. The substrate is then sealed within the high-pressure chamber. High-pressure processing, such as high pressure cleaning or high pressure deposition, is then performed on the substrate within the high-pressure chamber. Subsequently, the second door is opened and the substrate transferred into the load lock. The substrate is then sealed within the load lock. The pressure within the load lock is lowered to about vacuum and the first door opened. The substrate is then removed from the load lock into the environment.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and methods of processing microelectronic substrates in which the tools maintain high throughput yet have dramatically lower footprint than conventional tools. In preferred aspects, the present invention provides novel tool designs in which multiple tool functions are overlapped in the x, y, and/or z axes of the tool in novel ways.

Abstract: A detecting device includes a sensor support body having a pair of arms, and an optical sensor having a combination of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit disposed on one and the other of the arms, respectively. A control operation section controls a driving section and, with the arms inserted in a cassette, the sensor support body is moved, thereby performing a scanning operation for scanning the substrate by the optical sensor. The scanning operation is set such that a light beam is related to the substrate while vertically moving at a plurality of scanning positions. The control operation section finds out the presence of absence of the substrate and the position of the front end of the substrate within the cassette on the basis of data obtained from the optical sensor during scanning.

Abstract: A workpiece handling and processing system has a interface section for loading wafers from cassettes into carriers. The wafers are lifted out of cassettes by a buffer elevator and moved into a position over an open carrier by a buffer robot. A comb elevator lifts combs entirely through the open cassette, to transfer the wafers from the buffer robot into the carrier. A process robot moves loaded carriers from the interface section to one or more process chambers in a process section. The advantages of processing wafers within a carrier are achieved within a compact space and with high throughput.

Abstract: A transfer robot (5) for thin substrate capable of efficiently detecting the stored state of thin substrates and an inspection method for thin substrate capable of accurately detecting the stored state of thin substrates; the robot (5), comprising an inspection camera (1) for detecting the stored state of the thin substrates (3) in a storage cassette (2), wherein the plurality of thin substrates (3) stored in the storage cassette (2) are carried out from the storage cassette (2) by the robot.

Abstract: A processor for processing integrated circuit wafers, semiconductor substrates, data disks and similar units requiring very low contamination levels. The processor has an interface section which receives wafers in standard wafer carriers. The interface section transfers the wafers from carriers onto novel trays for improved processing. The interface unit can hold multiple groups of multiple trays. A conveyor having an automated arm assembly moves wafers supported on a tray. The conveyor moves the trays from the interface along a track to several processing stations. The processing stations are accessed from an enclosed area adjoining the interface section.

Abstract: A transfer robot (5) for thin substrate capable of efficiently detecting the stored state of thin substrates and an inspection method for thin substrate capable of accurately detecting the stored state of thin substrates; the robot (5), comprising an inspection camera (1) for detecting the stored state of the thin substrates (3) in a storage cassette (2), wherein the plurality of thin substrates (3) stored in the storage cassette (2) are carried out from the storage cassette (2) by the robot.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for handling microelectronic workpieces initially positioned in a container. The container can be changeable from a first configuration where the microelectronic workpiece is generally inaccessible within the container to a second configuration where the microelectronic workpiece is accessible for removal from the container. The apparatus can include a container access device positionable proximate to an aperture of an enclosure that at least partially encloses a region for handling a microelectronic workpiece. The container access device can be movably positioned proximate to the aperture to change the configuration of the container from the first configuration to the second configuration. A container support can be positioned proximate to the aperture and can be configured to move the container to a fixed, stationary position relative to the aperture when the container is in the second configuration.

Abstract: A stage used, e.g., in semiconductor fabrication, includes a two substrate buffer station and a movable chuck. The buffer station, in one embodiment is fixed, i.e., non-movable relative to the stage. In another embodiment, the support elements of the buffer station may move in unison vertically or horizontally. In another embodiment, a pair of the support elements horizontally moves toward another pair of support elements to reduce the necessary horizontal motion of the chuck. For example, an unprocessed substrate is loaded onto the top supporting elements of the buffer station, while processed substrates are unloaded from the bottom supporting element of the buffer station. The movable chuck is used to remove the unprocessed substrates from the buffer station and to place the processed substrates on the buffer station.

Abstract: A reticle management system is disclosed including a sorter coupled to one or more stockers that allow a customized configuration of the overall reticle management system. The stockers may be bare reticle stockers, closed container reticle stockers, or both. In embodiments of the present invention, the reticle management system includes between one and six individual bare reticle stockers and/or closed container stockers for storing reticles affixed to a reticle sorter. The sorter includes a reticle inspection station for inspecting the reticles, a plurality of input/output (I/O) load ports and a reticle handling robot for transferring the reticles between the stockers, the inspection station and the I/O load ports. The management system further includes a control unit for housing control electronics for the system.

Abstract: A boat (4) has a recess (5) for supporting a laminated wafer (50). The recess (5) has a first side surface (5a), a first bottom surface (5b), a second side surface (5c), a second bottom surface (5d) and a third side surface (5e). Viewing from an upper surface of the boat (4), the second bottom surface (5d) is located in a position lower than the first bottom surface (5b). The laminated wafer (50) is mounted on the boat (4) in the state that a side surface of a first silicon wafer (1) is not in contact with the second bottom surface (5d) of the recess (5) and a side surface of a second silicon wafer (2) is in contact with the first bottom surface (5b) of the recess (5). A second main surface (2a) of the second silicon wafer (2) is in contact with the first side surface (5a) of the recess (5) and a second main surface (1a) of the first silicon wafer (1) is in contact with the third side surface (5e) of the recess (5).

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 processor for processing integrated circuit wafers, semiconductor substrates, data disks and similar units requiring very low contamination levels. The processor has an interface section which receives wafers in standard wafer carriers. The interface section transfers the wafers from carriers onto novel trays for improved processing. The interface unit can hold multiple groups of multiple trays. A conveyor having an automated arm assembly moves wafers supported on a tray. The conveyor moves the trays from the interface along a track to several processing stations. The processing stations are accessed from an enclosed area adjoining the interface section.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to adjust the transfer environment of a substrate in order to prevent contamination of the substrate surface by impurities. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprises a load-lock chamber 1 in which substrate exchange with the outside is performed, a wafer process chamber 2 in which the wafer is subjected to a predetermined processing, and a transfer chamber 3 in which the wafer is transferred between the load-lock chamber 1 and the wafer process chamber 2. In a semiconductor manufacturing method in which this semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is used to treat a substrate, an inert gas (N2) is supplied to and exhausted from the load-lock chamber 1, the transfer chamber 3, and the wafer process chamber 2 while the substrate is being transferred from the load-lock chamber 1 to the wafer process chamber 2 through the transfer chamber 3, and the substrate transfer is carried out with a predetermined pressure maintained.

Abstract: A substrate processing pallet has a top surface and a plurality of side surfaces. The top surface has at least one recess adapted to receive a substrate. The recess includes a support structure adapted to contact a portion of a substrate seated in the recess and a plurality of apertures each adapted to accommodate a lift pin. Lift pins can extend through the apertures initially to support the substrate and retract to deposit the substrate onto the support structure. A side surface includes a process positioning feature adapted to engage with a feature located in a process chamber to position the pallet. A side surface includes a positioning feature adapted to engage with an end effector alignment feature to position the pallet with respect to the end effector during transport. A side surface includes support features adapted to engage with end effector support features to support the pallet during transport.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wafer transfer system that achieves high efficiency, as measured by throughput rate. This is accomplished in one instance by the combination of reliable transfer of single wafers between ports while being simultaneously rotated to accomplish notch alignment. Another instance allows for simultaneous tilting of a multitude of wafers, such as changing the entire load of a transfer cassette between horizontal and vertical orientations, rather than operating on individual wafers serially. Furthermore, the design of this system renders it usable in both left-handed and right-handed workflow arrangements, not requiring construction of mirror-image systems and thereby achieving an economy of scale in production and inventory of the wafer transfer system itself.

Abstract: The invention is an improved reflow tool for performing a reflow process on a wafer. An input robot may be used to transport wafers from an input carrier to an oven where a reflow process is performed. After processing the wafers in the oven, the wafers are transported to a storage carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the storage carrier includes a plurality of left and right slats that use chamfer tabs and centering tabs to precisely position the wafer as the wafer is loaded into the storage carrier. The storage carrier may be part of a buffer indexer that also includes an actuator for vertically positioning the storage carrier. An output robot may be used to sequentially remove the wafers from the storage carrier and to place the wafers in an output carrier. In another preferred embodiment, the power from a main power supply to the reflow tool is monitored and an uninterruptible power supply is used to power the oven and buffer indexer if power is lost.

Abstract: A vacuum heat-treatment apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece in a treating cell includes a hermetic chamber disposed at the center. A plurality of treating cells are disposed along the periphery of the hermetic chamber, and a workpiece transfer mechanism is disposed inside the hermetic chamber and transfers the workpiece from one of the treating cells to the hermetic chamber and from the hermetic chamber to one of the treating cells.

Abstract: A reticle storage system includes a reticle rack having a series of lateral slots, each for storing a reticle. Access to the reticles is provided on a lateral side of the rack. The enclosure has a series of doors for providing access to the reticles in the slots. An air circulation system flows filtered air past the reticles in the rack to prevent contaminants from accumulating on the reticles. The air circulation system is capable of providing positive air pressure within the enclosure with one door open, thereby preventing contaminants from entering the enclosure through the open door.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus (1) includes a wafer loading/unloading and arraying part (14) to remove substrates W from a container (C) where a plurality of unprocessed substrates W to be processed are accommodated at regular intervals, substrate arraying part (51a, 51b, 60) for arranging the substrates W having been removed from two containers (C) at the loading/unloading and arraying part (14) at pitches half the pitch to arrange the substrates in the container (C), a processing part (4) for applying a designated process on the substrates (W), a transfer mechanism (17) for transporting the substrates (W) arranged by the substrate array part (51a, 51b, 60) to the processing part (4) and a stand-by part (75) to allow the substrates arranged by the substrate array parts to stand in readiness temporarily.