A transport system includes an overhead transport vehicle that travels on a first track and is capable of delivering and receiving an article to and from a load port of a processing tool; a storage rack having a plurality of shelves that store the articles arranged in a vertical direction; a crane that travels on a second track parallel with the first track and is capable of delivering and receiving the article to and from the load port and the storage rack, respectively; and a first buffer arranged at a position where the crane that has stopped traveling at a position to deliver or receive the article to or from the load port is able to deliver or receive the article.

An in-line system for mass production of an organic optoelectronic device is disclosed. The in-line system includes a patterned holder, a first chamber, and a second chamber. The patterned holder is for holding a substrate covered with a first electrode layer and a contact electrode layer, in which the first electrode layer and the contact electrode layer are partially shielded by the patterned holder. The first chamber is for forming an organic layer on portions of the first electrode layer and the contact electrode layer that are not shielded by the patterned holder. The second chamber is aligned with the first chamber and is for forming a second electrode layer on the organic layer.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment a semiconductor workpiece processing system having at least one processing tool for processing semiconductor workpieces, a container for holding at least one semiconductor workpiece therein for transport to and from the at least one processing tool and a first transport section elongated and defining a travel direction. The first transport section has parts, that interface the container, supporting and transporting the container along the travel direction to and from the at least one processing tool. The container is in substantially continuous transport at a substantially constant rate in the travel direction, when supported by the first transport section. A second transport section is connected to the at least one process tool for transporting the container to and from the at least one processing tool.

A transport system includes first and second intrabay overhead tracks, first and second interbay overhead tracks, first and second storages, first and second delivery ports, first and second cranes including first and second runners that run along the first and second intrabay overhead tracks, respectively, first and second masts, and first and second transferors, and an overhead transport vehicle including a runner that runs along the first and second intrabay overhead tracks, a holder, a lifting driver, and a lateral extender.

The present invention provides various aspects for supporting multilevel fabricators. In some examples, the multilevel fabricators may include a cleanspace region for moving work material. In some examples, panels of filters may be positioned to support the cleanspace. In some embodiments existing processing equipment and automation are placed into the new environment. In other embodiments the processing equipment is placed and new automation equipment is used. Automated tool placement equipment may be used to place the equipment. In some examples, automated tool handling equipment may be used to remove and replace processing equipment into the multilevel fabricator.

A deviation amount is a difference between a first error that occurs when an article is placed on a first transfer destination by a first transport vehicle and a second error that occurs when the article is placed on a second transfer destination by the first transport vehicle. An nth error that occurs when the article is placed on an nth transfer destination other than the first transfer destination and the second transfer destination is acquired. In an mth transport vehicle other than the first transport vehicle, a stop position of an mth traveling body is corrected by the nth error and an mth-1 error occurring when the article is placed on the first reference platform, or by the nth error and an mth-2 error as well as the deviation amount, the mth-2 error occurring when the article is placed on the second reference platform.

The present invention provides various aspects for processing multiple types of substrates within cleanspace fabricators or for processing multiple or single types of substrates in multiple types of cleanspace environments. In some embodiments, a collocated composite cleanspace fabricator may be capable of processing semiconductor devices into integrated circuits and then performing assembly operations to result in product in packaged form.

A transport system includes a stocker including a crane overhead track and a suspension crane that transports an article between storages and a delivery port, an overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track outside of a stocker area and alongside the delivery port and a load port of a processing tool and extending to a stocker area, an overhead transport vehicle to transport the article between the delivery port and the load port, and a joint track. A crane runner can enter the overhead-transport-vehicle overhead track from the crane overhead track via the joint track to the stocker area.

A floor-to-floor transport system that transports an article between different floors by using an upward path and a downward path in a vertical transporter that revolves in one direction includes, on at least one floor: a loading transport line that transports to the vertical transporter an article to be transported to another floor; a first loading opening through which the article is loaded into the upward path in the vertical transporter; a second loading opening through which the article is loaded into the downward path in the vertical transporter; a transferor that selectively transfers to the first loading opening or the second loading opening an article transported by the loading transport line; and a controller that controls the transferor depending on a destination of the article.

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.