A laser irradiation apparatus includes a laser generation device, a levitation unit to levitate an object to which the laser light is applied, and a conveyance unit to convey the levitated object. The conveyance unit includes a holding mechanism for holding the object by absorption, and a moving mechanism for moving the holding mechanism in a conveyance direction. The holding mechanism includes a base including a plurality of through holes, a plurality of pipes respectively connected to the through holes, a vacuum generation device configured to evacuate air from the f pipes, and a plurality of absorption assistance valves each disposed in the middle of a respective one of the pipes, each of the plurality of absorption assistance valves being configured to be closed when a flow rate of a gas flowing into the pipe through the through hole becomes equal to or higher than a threshold.

A processing system is provided, including a vacuum enclosure having a plurality of process windows and a continuous track positioned therein; a plurality of processing chambers attached sidewalls of the vacuum enclosures, each processing chamber about one of the process windows; a loadlock attached at one end of the vacuum enclosure and having a loading track positioned therein; at least one gate valve separating the loadlock from the vacuum enclosure; a plurality of substrate carriers configured to travel on the continuous track and the loading track; at least one track exchanger positioned within the vacuum enclosure, the track exchangers movable between a first position, wherein substrate carriers are made to continuously move on the continuous track, and a second position wherein the substrate carriers are made to transfer between the continuous track and the loading track.

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a conveyor inspection system and a method of sorting a substrate. The conveyor inspection system includes a moveable conveyor and a rapid conveyor. The moveable conveyor is configured to transfer undesired substrates to the rapid conveyor. The method includes determining that the substrate is undesirable for entry into a modular inspection unit, transferring the substrate to a rapid conveyor in response to determining that the substrate is undesirable for entry into the modular inspection unit, and transporting the substrate on the rapid conveyor. The conveyor inspection system and method remove substrates from the test system upon first entering the test system, which reduces time wasted in analyzing undesired substrates that would be discarded.

An apparatus for transferring a semiconductor die (die) from the first substrate to the second substrate. The apparatus includes a stage configured to hold a product substrate. A first bridge holds a transfer mechanism assembly. A second bridge holds a die substrate holder configured to hold the first substrate. A controller is configured to cause the first bridge and the second bridge to move to align the transfer mechanism assembly with the die on the first substrate with a transfer position on the second substrate where the die is to be transferred.

A semiconductor device die transfer apparatus includes a first frame to hold a wafer tape having a plurality of semiconductor device die disposed on a side of the wafer tape and a second frame to secure a product substrate having a circuit trace thereon. The second frame is configured to secure the product substrate such that the circuit trace is disposed facing the plurality of semiconductor device die on the wafer tape. Additionally, a rotary transfer collet is disposed between the wafer tape and the product substrate. The rotary transfer collet has a rotational axis allowing rotation from a first position facing the wafer tape to pick a die of the plurality of semiconductor device die to a second position facing the circuit trace on the product substrate to release the die, thereby applying the die directly on the product substrate during a transfer operation.

An article transport vehicle that travels along a traveling path is provided with an obstacle sensor that detects an obstacle that exists in a detection area, and a control unit that controls the traveling speed of the article transport vehicle based on detection information of the obstacle sensor. A non-detection area where detection of the obstacle by the obstacle sensor is not performed is set within the detectable area of the obstacle sensor, and a situation in which the non-detection area exists on a detection line that joins a part of the detection area and the obstacle sensor is defined as a specific situation. The control unit, in the specific situation, and a situation where an undetectable area in which it is not possible to detect the obstacle exists in the detection area because a shield exists in the non-detection area, reduces the speed of the article transport vehicle to a second traveling speed slower than the first traveling speed.

A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a carrier mounting part, a substrate mounting part, a first transfer device, a plurality of processing parts, a second transfer device and a controller. The carrier mounting part mounts a carrier that accommodates a plurality of substrates. The first transfer device transfers the substrates between the carrier and a substrate mounting part. The controller causes the first transfer device to execute a take-out operation for taking out the substrate from the carrier to mount the substrate on the substrate mounting part at time intervals equal to or longer than a time required for the first transfer device to take out the substrate from the carrier to mount the substrate on the substrate mounting part and to take out the substrate from the substrate mounting part to accommodate the substrate in the carrier.

A transport vehicle system includes: a plurality of transport vehicles that transport articles; a main track, and a plurality of branch tracks branching off from the main track at different positions of the main track; and a controller that, with each of the branch tracks and a part of the main track taken as a reciprocation traveling track, causes each of the plurality of transport vehicles to reciprocate in the reciprocation traveling track and transport an article, and when a transport vehicle is placed on any of the reciprocation traveling tracks, the controller causes a transport vehicle that is reciprocating on a reciprocation traveling track in front of the reciprocation traveling track of placement destination in the extending direction, to retreat to the branch track in the reciprocation traveling track and thereafter causes passage of the transport vehicle to be placed through the main track in the reciprocation traveling track.

A substrate processing system comprises: a plating device including a first conveying unit for conveying a first substrate and configured to convey the first substrate by the first conveying unit after a plating process is applied to a surface of the first substrate in a stationary state; and a pre-stage device including a second conveying unit for conveying a second substrate and configured to convey the second substrate as the first substrate to the plating device by the second conveying unit in response to unloading of the first substrate by the first conveying unit. In the system, a timing at which the second conveying unit conveys the second substrate to the plating device being controlled according to a plating process time.

A traveling vehicle controller includes a command assignment controller to detect a first-to-arrive traveling vehicle that is able to reach a destination point first among traveling vehicles, based on travel route candidates on which the traveling vehicles travel along a travel path from respective positions to reach the destination point, and assign the command to the first-to-arrive traveling vehicle. During detection of the first-to-arrive traveling vehicle, when a traveling vehicle traveling toward a branch point on the travel path is located within a range of a branch-switching impossible distance from the branch point and is scheduled to proceed toward a main way at the branch point, the command assignment controller performs pseudo-shift processing by which this traveling vehicle is determined to be located in a position downstream of the branch point and on a side of the main way.