In certain embodiments, a system includes: a source lane configured to move a first die container between a load port and a source lane staging area; an inspection sensor configured to produce a sensor result based on a die on the first die container; a pass target lane configured to move a second die container between a pass target lane out port and a pass target lane staging area; a fail target lane configured to move a third die container between a fail target lane out port and a fail target lane staging area; and a conveyor configured to move the die from the first die container at the source lane staging area to either the second die container at the pass target lane staging area or the fail target lane staging area based on the sensor result.

A determination section determines that a transport vehicle entered a curved zone from a straight zone based on a front-rear rotation speed difference between the rotation speed of a first rear wheel and a second rear wheel and the rotation speed of at least either a first or second front wheel. A measurement section measures a distance-to-curve, which is the distance that the transport vehicle travels from when a detector detects a detection target until when the determination section determines that the transport vehicle entered the curved zone from the straight zone. If the detector detects a curve ahead detection target while curve ahead information is stored in a storage section, a travel control section executes speed change control before or when the transport vehicle enters the curved zone.

A transport system includes, in a first environment, a driving screw having threads with a thread pitch. In a second environment, a driven member has a magnetic coupling with a driven member pitch substantially corresponding to the thread pitch. The magnetic coupling is coupled to a portion of threads and rotation of the driving screw displaces the magnetic coupling with respect to the driving screw.

A device treats substrates with a liquid, which device has a conveying device by which the substrates can be conveyed in a conveying direction through a container containing a liquid. A weir that has an edge over which the substrates can run and which, at least in sections, extends obliquely relative to the conveying direction of the substrates. The weir is used in the device for treating substrates with a liquid. The weir has at least one edge which extends obliquely at least in sections.

The present invention relates to a cross rail structure for an OHT system and an OHT system using the same.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cross rail structure for an OHT system, that is a point at which two orthogonal rails among rails that are installed in an OHT system and transport vehicles intersect with each other. The cross rail structure includes a pair of auxiliary rails that are installed at substantially the same height as the rail at the point at which the rails intersect with each other, and disposed parallel to each other at a predetermined distance; a movement unit that moves the auxiliary rails up and down; a rotation unit that rotates the auxiliary rail so that the auxiliary rails are disposed in any one of two directions orthogonal to each other; and a distance holding unit that holds a distance between the pair of auxiliary rails without an interference with the vehicle.

Disclosed in this invention is a wafer processing apparatus and method for pre-alignment and edge exposure of a wafer. The wafer processing apparatus includes a pre-alignment module, an edge exposure module, a motion module, a control module and a rotary table. The motion module includes a rotation module, a lifting module and a translation module, which are disposed and interconnected above one another. The rotation module is connected at the top to the rotary table and is configured to drive the rotary table to rotate together with the wafer. The lifting module is configured to drive the rotation module and the rotary table to move vertically. The translation module is configured to drive the lifting module and the rotation module to move horizontally. The pre-alignment module and the edge exposure module are positioned in correspondence to opposing sides of the wafer. The invention reduces the number of objects to be controlled as well as the complexity in control and system structure. Additionally, it simplifies the pre-alignment operation and reduces equipment cost.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate horizontally while rotating the substrate around a vertical rotational axis running through its center portion, an opposed member having an opposed surface that is opposed to an upper surface of the substrate, and a processing liquid discharge unit that includes a center portion discharge port on the opposed surface, that opens being opposed to the upper surface center portion of the substrate, and a peripheral portion discharge port on the opposed surface, that opens being opposed to the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate, that discharges a processing liquid from the center portion discharge port to supply the processing liquid between the substrate and the opposed surface, and discharges the processing liquid from the peripheral portion discharge port to replenish the processing liquid between the substrate and the opposed surface.

Some implementations described herein provide a method that includes loading, from a load port and into a first buffer of a multiple-buffer overhead hoist transport (OHT) vehicle, a first transport carrier storing one or more processed wafers. The method includes unloading to the load port, while the first buffer retains the first transport carrier, and from a second buffer of the multiple-buffer OHT vehicle, a second transport carrier storing one or more wafers for processing. In other implementations, the method includes loading, into a first buffer of the multiple-buffer OHT vehicle, a first transport carrier storing one or more wafers for processing, while a semiconductor processing tool, associated with a load port, is processing one or more wafers associated with a second transport carrier. The method includes positioning the multiple-buffer OHT vehicle above the load port while the multiple-buffer OHT vehicle retains the first transport carrier in the first buffer.

A semiconductor process transport apparatus including a drive section with at least one motor, an articulated arm coupled to the drive section for driving articulation motion, a machine controller coupled to the drive section to control the at least one motor moving the articulated arm from one location to a different location, and an adapter pendant having a machine controller interface coupling the adapter pendant for input/output with the machine controller, the adapter pendant having another interface, configured for connecting a fungible smart mobile device having predetermined resident user operable device functionality characteristics, wherein the other interface has a connectivity configuration so mating of the fungible smart mobile device with the other interface automatically enables configuration of at least one of the resident user operable device functionality characteristics to define an input/output to the machine controller effecting input commands and output signals for motion control of the articulated arm.

An overhead transport system includes an overhead transport vehicle including a conveyor and a body, and a controller. The conveyor includes wheels to travel on rails including straight rails and intersection rails alternately arranged with a gap in each of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The controller is configured or programmed to execute steering control to steer the wheels in a state in which each of the wheels is positioned on one of the intersection rails different from one another. A steering center of the wheel under the steering control is on the intersection rail and inward of the body from a ground contact point of the wheel on the intersection rail.