A laser irradiation apparatus (1) according to an embodiment includes a laser generation device (14) configured to generate laser light, a levitation unit (10) configured to levitate an object to be processed (16) to which the laser light is applied, and a conveyance unit (11) configured to convey the levitated object to be processed (16). The conveyance unit (11) includes a holding mechanism (12) for holding the object to be processed (16) by absorbing the object to be processed (16), and a moving mechanism (13) for moving the holding mechanism (12) in a conveyance direction. The holding mechanism (12) includes a base (153) including a plurality of through holes (152), a plurality of pipes (145) each of which is connected to a respective one of the plurality of through holes (152), a vacuum generation device (144) configured to evacuate air from the plurality of pipes (145), and a plurality of absorption assistance valves (150) each of which is disposed in the middle of a respective one of the plurality of pipes (145), each of the plurality of absorption assistance valves (150) being configured to be closed when a flow rate of a gas flowing into the pipe (145) through the through hole (152) becomes equal to or higher than a threshold.

A transport system includes transport vehicles, and a controller to control traveling of the transport vehicles. The track includes a first main track, junction points on the first main track and spaced apart from each other, and branch tracks each connected to the first main track via the junction points different from one another. The junction points are spaced apart from each other on the first main track. On each of the branch tracks, a stop position corresponding to a delivery port for each transport vehicle to deliver and receive a load is provided. The controller controls the respective transport vehicles stopping at the stop positions of the branch tracks to control a transport vehicle on a downstream branch track to start simultaneously with or before a transport vehicle on an upstream branch track.

The present invention provides a technique to enable sufficient space saving in a transit-type vacuum processing device. The vacuum processing device 1 of the present invention has: a vacuum chamber 2 where a single vacuum ambience is formed; first and second processing regions 4 and 5 that are provided in the vacuum chamber 2 and have a processing source that performs processing on a planar process surface of a substrate 10; and a conveyance drive member 33 that forms a conveyance path for conveying the substrate 10 so as to pass through the first and second processing regions 4 and 5. The conveyance path is formed as a single annular path when the conveyance path is projected onto a plane (vertical plane) containing: a normal line of an arbitrary point on a process surface of the substrate 10 conveyed through the conveyance path, and a trajectory line drawn by the arbitrary point on the process surface of the substrate 10 when the substrate 10 passes straight through the first and second processing regions 4 and 5.

A stocker includes a transporter that travels through a traveling space SP within a stocker and transports an article, a pair of rails that flank the traveling space extend in parallel or substantially in parallel in a horizontal direction, platforms movable along the pair of rails, and a housing provided on a stocker outer side of a door that separates an inside and an outside of the stocker, and that houses the platforms. The pair of rails extend from the inside of the stocker to the housing through an opening directly under the door. At least one of the platforms includes a fence in an upright standing manner and an upper end of the fence is higher than an upper end of the opening. The platform that includes the fence extends across the inside of the stocker and the outside of the stocker via the opening while the fence is arranged on a stocker inner side.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a substrate rotator, a substrate edge metrology system, and a method of performing metrology on a substrate. The substrate rotator includes a body, a body actuator coupled to the body and configured to rotate the body, and a first and second gripper coupled to the body. The substrate rotator is configured to rotate one or more substrates. The substrate edge metrology system includes two metrology systems and the substrate rotator. The substrate edge metrology system measures side chips or other defects on all sides of the substrate. The method includes performing metrology on a first set of sides of the first substrate, rotating the first substrate by a first angle, and performing metrology on the second set of sides of the first substrate. The method allows for measuring side chips or other defects on all sides of the substrate.

With a touch panel, an operator sets a moving direction of a moving mechanism by using an arrow key. The set moving direction is displayed in a display portion on the touch panel as an arrow. This enables the operator to set the moving direction in association with a correction while visually recognizing the contents of the setting, so that the operator can set the moving direction with less hesitation. Therefore, it is possible to suppress erroneous setting of the moving direction and to shorten the time required for the setting of the correction.

An automated workpiece conveying vehicle included in a conveyance system that conveys a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing apparatuses is provided. The automated workpiece conveying vehicle includes: a workpiece support part that supports the workpiece; a traveling mechanism provided on the workpiece support part; a vibration detection unit that detects vibration of the workpiece support part and records the vibration as vibration data; and a receiver that receives a control signal transmitted from a control unit included in the conveyance system, the control signal instructing conveyance of the workpiece to the processing apparatus.

An article transport facility includes article transport vehicles that travel along a specified travelable path, and a control device that controls the article transport vehicles. The travelable path includes nodes and links each connecting a pair of the nodes. The control device sets a setting path based on a link cost that is set for each of the links. The link cost includes a reference cost and a variable cost. The reference cost is a value that is set based on a reference passage time that is required for a target vehicle to pass through a target link in a state in which another vehicle is not present in the target link. The variable cost is a value that is set based on a vehicle count-related increased time by which an actual passage time is increased relative to the reference passage time according to the number of the other vehicles present in the target link, the actual passage time being a time required for the target vehicle to pass through the target link.

A mark printing device includes a driving unit driving along a driving rail of an overhead hoist transport, a printing unit being configured to print on the driving rail a mark for guiding a motion of a vehicle, a data processing unit receiving design data including design information of the driving rail and first information on a position and type of the mark from a server, an encoder unit being configured to calculate a rotation amount of a servo motor provided in the driving unit to detect a current position of the driving unit and a driving distance of the driving unit, and a control unit being configured to control the driving unit and the printing unit to print the mark on the driving rail by using the design data and second information on the current position and the driving distance of the driving unit.

A substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate includes a substrate receptacle placing unit configured to place thereon a substrate receptacle accommodating therein the substrate to be processed; and a storage zone provided adjacent to the substrate receptacle placing unit to store therein the substrate receptacle. The storage zone includes multiple storages which are vertically arranged in multiple levels and configured to place and store thereon the multiple substrate receptacles horizontally. The substrate receptacle is transferred between a first storage of the multiple storages at an uppermost position and a ceiling travelling vehicle configured to be moved above the substrate processing apparatus. A second storage of the multiple storages under the first storage is configured to place and store the substrate receptacle thereon such that a direction of the substrate receptacle on the second storage is different from a direction of the substrate receptacle on the first storage.