Embodiments herein relate to a transport system and a substrate processing and transfer (SPT) system. The SPT system includes a transport system that connects two processing tools. The transport system includes a vacuum tunnel that is configured to transport substrates between the processing tools. The vacuum tunnel includes a substrate transport carriage to move the substrate through the vacuum tunnel. The SPT system has a variety of configurations that allow the user to add or remove processing chambers, depending on the process chambers required for a desired substrate processing procedure.

Disclosed are semiconductor carrier storage systems, semiconductor fabrication systems including the same, and/or semiconductor fabrication methods using the same. The semiconductor carrier storage system comprises storage ports each of which accommodates a semiconductor carrier, a shuttle rail that extends in a horizontal direction on a side of the storage ports, an internal carrier shuttle that moves along the shuttle rail and transfers a semiconductor carrier to each of the storage ports, and an upper transport that receives the semiconductor carrier from an overhead hoist transport (OHT). The internal carrier shuttle includes a shuttle body coupled to the shuttle rail, a transfer wheel that connects the shuttle body to the shuttle rail, a gripper that holds the semiconductor carrier, and a hoist that vertically extends between the shuttle body and the gripper and drives the gripper to vertically move.

A substrate transfer mechanism includes: an arm base main body provided with a first driver; a lift configured to move up and down the arm base main body; a first arm extending transversely from a lower side of the arm base main body, and having a tip end that pivots around a vertical axis with respect to the arm base main body by the first driver; a second arm extending transversely from an upper side of the tip end of the first arm, and having a tip end that pivots around a vertical axis with respect to the first arm along with the pivoting of the first arm; and a substrate holder provided on an upper side of the tip end of the second arm, and configured to rotate around a vertical axis with respect to the second arm.

Various embodiments herein relate to carriers for supporting one or more substrate as the substrates are passed through a processing apparatus. In many cases, the substrates are oriented in a vertical manner. The carrier may include a frame and vertical support bars that secure the glass to the frame. The carrier may lack horizontal support bars. The carrier may allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the substrates, without any need to provide precise gaps between adjacent pairs of substrates. The carriers described herein substantially reduce the risk of breaking the processing apparatus and substrates, thereby achieving a more efficient process. Certain embodiments herein relate to methods of loading substrates onto a carrier.

The article transport vehicle includes a travel section, a holding section, an elevating device, an inclination detection device, an inclination adjustment device, and an inclination control device for controlling the inclination adjustment device. The inclination adjustment device is configured to act on a target belt among a plurality of suspension belts to adjust an inclination of the holding section by adjusting a suspension height at which the holding section is held by the target belt. During the lowering of the holding section to the transfer position by the elevating device, the inclination control device executes an adjustment operation during lowering, in which the inclination of the holding section is detected by the inclination detection device, and based on the result of the detection performed by the inclination detection device, the inclination adjustment device is controlled to adjust the inclination of the holding section.

A substrate conveying robot includes an arm, a substrate holding hand, a sensor board to which a sensor is electrically connected, and a control board on which a controller is mounted, the control board including a universal connector connectable to different types of the sensor boards.

Methods and systems for improving the efficiency of an automated material handling system (AMHS) include providing an apparatus operatively coupled to a load port of a processing apparatus, where the apparatus is configured to remove a first work-in-process from the load port and to move the first work-in-process along a first direction to displace the first work-in-progress from the load port while a second work-in-progress is transferred to the load port from an AMHS vehicle along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and transferring the first work-in-progress to an AMHS vehicle along the second direction. The methods and systems may be used for loading and unloading wafer storage containers, such as front opening unified pods (FOUPs), in a semiconductor fabrication facility.

An apparatus for manufacturing a display device includes: a mask assembly tilted with respect to a plane parallel to the ground; a deposition source facing the mask assembly; and a carrier facing the mask assembly and configured to support a display substrate. The mask assembly includes: a mask frame having a flat surface; and a mask sheet having an end on the flat surface of the mask frame and coupled to the mask frame.

Methods and systems for improving the efficiency of an automated material handling system (AMHS) include providing an apparatus operatively coupled to a load port of a processing apparatus, where the apparatus is configured to remove a first work-in-process from the load port and to move the first work-in-process along a first direction to displace the first work-in-progress from the load port while a second work-in-progress is transferred to the load port from an AMHS vehicle along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and transferring the first work-in-progress to an AMHS vehicle along the second direction. The methods and systems may be used for loading and unloading wafer storage containers, such as front opening unified pods (FOUPs), in a semiconductor fabrication facility.

The present invention provides a wafer transfer device. The wafer transfer device comprises a first supporting mechanism and a second supporting which are each provided with a picking-conveying guide structure at an outer side wall; the wafer transfer device further comprises a first picking-conveying mechanism and a second picking-conveying mechanism which are respectively movably arranged at the picking-conveying guide structure of the first picking-conveying mechanism and the picking-conveying guide structure of the second supporting mechanism; the first picking-conveying mechanism and the second picking-conveying mechanism comprise tail end execution parts facing opposite directions; the wafer transfer device further comprises a rotating mechanism and a rotating driving part, the first supporting mechanism and the second supporting mechanism are fixedly arranged at the rotating mechanism, the rotating driving part drives the rotating mechanism to rotate, and then drives at least one of the first supporting mechanism and the second supporting mechanism to rotate synchronously. The wafer transfer device can extend the picking and conveying range of a wafer, thus facilitating the improvement of the productivity. The present invention further provides a wafer transfer method.