The container main body includes a tubular wall portion having an opening circumferential portion provided at one end portion and the other end portion being closed, the opening circumferential portion having a container main body opening portion formed therein. The substrate storing space can store a substrate and communicates with the container main body opening portion. A central fixed member is provided to the wall portion of the container main body so as to be removably attached to the wall portion of the container main body. The central fixed member is configured to be locked and fixed to an alignment portion provided at a load port for conveying the substrate stored in the substrate storing space to a processing apparatus.

An apparatus having a first portion including a first front wall, a first rear wall, and a bottom wall integrally coupled to the first front wall and the first rear wall, and pivotal pin structures integrally coupled to and extending from the first rear wall. The apparatus includes a second portion having a second front wall, a second rear wall, and a top wall integrally coupled to the second front wall and the second rear wall, and pin holders integrally coupled to and extending from the second rear wall and at an offset angle with reference to the top wall. The pivotal pin structure includes a base support connected to the first rear wall and a shaft connected to the base support, and the pin holder defines an opening sized and shaped to accept the shaft. The first and second portions are sized and shaped to be pivotally movable between open and closed configurations.

The invention discloses a reticle pod having a lid and multiple pin assemblies. The pin assembly includes a movable member movable relatively to a ceiling of the lid and an elastic member configured to arrange the movable member in between the elastic member and the ceiling of the lid. In the case where the reticle pod is provided without receiving a reticle, the ceiling of the reticle pod determines the movable member stays at a first level. In the case where the reticle pod is provided with a reticle, the elastic member collaborates with the movable member such that the movable member holds the reticle at a second level that is higher than the first level.

The present invention is an inspection apparatus for inspecting a container including a light-transmittable transparent portion and configured to house a wafer, the apparatus including: a flat lamp provided to irradiate a portion to be inspected including at least a part of the transparent portion of the container with light; and a camera provided to face the flat lamp across the portion to be inspected of the container and configured to image the portion to be inspected so as to detect a foreign matter and/or a defect in the portion to be inspected of the container. This can provide an inspection apparatus and inspection method that can inspect whether a foreign matter or a defect is present inside a wafer container more certainly than visual inspection by a person.

A process station includes: a housing; a membrane disposed in the housing, the membrane isolating a first region within the housing from a second region within the housing; a first magnetic levitation actuator assembly disposed in the first region, the first magnetic levitation assembly including: a plurality of stators configured to levitate and drive a carrier within the second region; a plurality of sensor assemblies, each sensor assembly including: a first sensor configured to detect a first distance between the membrane and a first portion of a first upper surface of a first sinusoidal element of the carrier, the first upper surface defining a sinusoidal profile; and a second sensor configured to detect a second distance between the membrane and a second portion of the first upper surface of the first sinusoidal element, and wherein the second sensor is spaced apart from the first sensor by a spacing distance.