In an embodiment, a system includes: a base; and a rod set comprising multiple rods connected to the base, wherein each rod of the rod set comprises multiple fingers disposed in a vertically-stacked relationship to each other and separated respectively from each other by respective slots, wherein each slot is configured to receive a bevel of a wafer, and wherein each of the multiple fingers comprises a rounded end at a furthest extension.

A wafer carrying fork includes a fork body, a plurality of wafer suction holes, a plurality of gas purging elements, a plurality of gas purging pipes, a plurality of gas suction elements, and a plurality of gas suction pipes. The fork body has a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. The wafer suction holes are located on the top surface of the fork body. The gas purging elements are located on the lateral surfaces of the fork body. The gas purging pipes are connected to the gas purging elements. The gas suction elements are located on the bottom surface of the fork body. The gas suction pipes are connected to the gas suction elements.

A wafer carrying fork includes a fork body, a plurality of wafer suction holes, a plurality of gas purging elements, a plurality of gas purging pipes, a plurality of gas suction elements, and a plurality of gas suction pipes. The fork body has a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. The wafer suction holes are located on the top surface of the fork body. The gas purging elements are located on the lateral surfaces of the fork body. The gas purging pipes are connected to the gas purging elements. The gas suction elements are located on the bottom surface of the fork body. The gas suction pipes are connected to the gas suction elements.

A method of manufacturing an actuator includes a first electrode layer forming step, a dielectric elastomer layer forming step, and a second electrode layer forming step, and obtains the actuator in which dielectric elastomer layers and electrode layers have been concentrically laminated. In the first electrode layer forming step, an electrode material is provided to an outer circumferential surface of a shaft section to form the electrode layer. In the dielectric elastomer layer forming step, a sheet-like or paste-like dielectric elastomer material is provided to an outer circumferential surface of the electrode layer to form the dielectric elastomer layer. In the second electrode layer forming step, the electrode material is provided to an outer circumferential surface of the dielectric elastomer layer to form the electrode layer.

A heater and/or cooler chamber includes a heat storage block or chunk. In the block a multitude of parallel, stacked slit pockets are each dimensioned to accommodate a single plate shaped workpiece. Workpiece handling openings of the slit pockets are freed and respectively covered by a door arrangement. The slit pockets are tailored to snugly surround the plate shaped workpieces therein so as to establish an efficient heat transfer between the heat storage block or chunk and the workpieces to be cooled or heated.

Devices and methods for transferring solar cells while maintaining a controlled environment are provided. Such devices can include a solar cell carrying pod adapted to support and maintain a stack of solar cells within a sealed micro-environment of inert gas. The solar cell carrying pod can further allow for ready removal of a solar cell carrier to facilitate automated transport of solar cells. The solar cell carrying pod can include a cover adapted to receive a solar cell carrier cassette securely mounted on a base that is sealably coupled with the cover to maintain solar cells within the carrier cassette in a sealed micro-environment for an extended period of time. The base can include a collet-operated gear train to facilitate unlocking and removal of the base from the cover in an automated process to facilitate large-scale solar cell fabrication.

There is provided a technique that includes a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; a plurality of substrate supports configured to support the substrate; a rotatable table including a plurality of supports configured to support the plurality of substrate supports; and a heat conduction insulator configured to suppress heat conduction between the plurality of supports.

A wafer boat for supporting a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a furnace is disclosed. The wafer boat includes a set of fingers each having a contact protuberance which contacts and supports a semiconducting wafer. The contact protuberances may be arranged in a rotationally symmetric pattern about the wafer boat.

A detachable etching tool for etching a plurality of silicon carbide pieces has a first supporting column and a second supporting column, both of which are fixed through a tool fixing block. A bracket is arranged on the tool fixing block, and a limiting rod is installed on the lower end surface of the bracket. The bracket is inserted into the tool fixing block through the limiting rod and fixed on the tool fixing block with a fastening mechanism that comprises a base, a fixing seat, a telescopic spring, a telescopic guide column, a sliding block, a guide block, an inserting rod and a push-pull mechanism. The etching tool addresses low productivity per unit time and long time consumption in the etching processing.

A processing apparatus includes a cassette mounting section mounting a cassette storing a plurality of workpieces, a reading section reading an identification code provided on the cassette mounted on the cassette mounting section, and an information transmitting section transmitting information on the progress of process steps in processing each workpiece stored in the cassette, to a customer that has ordered the processing of each workpiece stored in the cassette.