The present invention provides a technology capable of inhibiting, in a vacuum processing apparatus that conveys a plurality of substrate holders along a conveying path formed to have a projected shape on a vertical surface, the projected shape being a continuous ring shape, dust from being generated during conveyance of a substrate holder. The present invention includes, in a vacuum chamber 2, an anti-sag member 35 assembled to a first drive unit 36 provided on an outer side with respect to a conveying direction of the conveying path, the vacuum chamber 2 including a conveying path formed to have a projected shape on the vertical surface, the projected shape being a continuous ring shape, a single vacuum atmosphere being formed in the vacuum chamber 2. A travel roller 54 of the anti-sag member 35 travels while being guided and supported by a guide unit 17 that is provided below a return-path-side conveying portion 33c positioned on a lower side of a substrate holder conveying mechanism 3 and extends in a second conveying direction P2, and the first drive part 36 is configured to come into contact with a first driven unit 12 of a substrate holder 11 and drive the substrate holder 11 along the conveying path in the second conveying direction P2.

A ceiling conveyance vehicle includes a traveling wheel to roll on a track including a first track and a second track and a main body below the track and coupled to the traveling wheel. The ceiling conveyance vehicle includes a direction changer to change between a first state in which the traveling wheel rolls on the first track and a second state in which the traveling wheel rolls on the second track, with an orientation of the main body with respect to the track maintained, an article holder capable of holding an article, a hoisting-and-lowering driver to hoist and lower the article holder, a lateral slider to slidingly move the hoisting-and-lowering driver in a horizontal, linear direction, and a first rotational driver to rotationally drive the lateral slider around a first perpendicular axis with respect to the main body.

A magnetic levitation system for contactlessly holding and moving a carrier in a vacuum chamber, including a base defining a transportation track, a carrier movable above the base along the transportation track, and at least one magnetic bearing for generating a magnetic levitation force between the base and the carrier. The at least one magnetic bearing includes a first magnet unit arranged at the base and a second magnet unit arranged at the carrier. The magnetic levitation system further includes a magnetic side stabilization device for stabilizing the carrier in a lateral direction, the magnetic side stabilization device comprising a stabilization magnet unit arranged at the base, wherein at least one of the first magnet unit and the first stabilization magnet unit is arranged in a housing space of the base, the housing space being separated from an inner volume of the vacuum chamber by a separation wall.

A ceiling traveling vehicle includes a traveler to travel along a grid-shaped track, a main body coupled to the traveler and below the track, and a detector on a rear side of a center of the main body in a traveling direction of the traveler and below the main body to apply detection light forward in the traveling direction and downward and receive reflected light of the detection light to detect an obstacle.

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 processing module includes a first tank and a second tank that are arranged in a first direction and in which a substrate can be arranged, a first conveyor that moves the substrate in the first direction, and a second conveyor that moves the substrate in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a vertical conveyor that is connected to the first conveyor and vertically moves the substrate, wherein a first actuator of the first conveyor and a second actuator of the second conveyor are respectively arranged in drive spaces separated from a processing space accessible to the first tank and the second tank.

A system for performing a direct transfer of a semiconductor device die includes a first conveyance mechanism to convey a first substrate, and a second conveyance mechanism to convey a second substrate with respect to the first substrate. The first substrate includes a first side and a second side, and the semiconductor device die is disposed on the first side of the first substrate. The second conveyance mechanism includes a first portion and a second portion to clamp the second substrate adjacent to a first side of the first substrate. The first portion of the second conveyance mechanism has a concave shape and the second portion of the second conveyance mechanism has a convex counter shape corresponding to the concave shape of the first portion. The system also includes a transfer mechanism disposed adjacent to the first conveyance mechanism to effectuate the direct transfer.

A method includes loading a wafer tape into a first frame, the wafer tape having a first side and a second side, a first semiconductor device die being disposed on the first side of the wafer tape. A substrate is loaded into a second frame, the substrate including a second semiconductor device die onto which the first semiconductor device die is to be transferred. A needle is oriented to a position adjacent to the second side of the wafer tape, the needle extending in a direction toward the wafer tape, and a needle actuator connected to the needle is activated to move the needle to a die transfer position at which the needle contacts the second side of the wafer tape to press the first semiconductor device die into contact with the second semiconductor device die.

A path setting system is used for setting paths of a plurality of transfer bodies in a substrate transfer device, the substrate transfer device including a substrate transfer area and the plurality of transfer bodies, each having a support configured to support a substrate and configured to float and move by a magnetic force from a floor forming the substrate transfer area. The path setting system includes a virtual area setting part configured to set a virtual area corresponding to the substrate transfer area, a path generating part configured to generate, in the virtual area, moving paths of the transfer bodies from a movement start position to a movement end position, and an interference determining part configured to determine interference between the moving paths.

A method of operating a transport system includes detecting an anomalous condition of a wafer transfer vehicle; sending the wafer transfer vehicle along a rail to a diagnosis station adjacent to the rail; and inspecting properties of the wafer transfer vehicle, such as a speed, a weight, an audio frequency, a noise level, a temperature, and an image of the wafer transfer vehicle, by using the diagnosis station.