An article transport apparatus includes a traveling portion configured to travel along a rail portion and a mounting portion configured to have a structure suspended under a traveling portion to mount articles thereon, in particular, the rail portion includes a plurality of first straight rails extending in a first direction while being arranged parallel to each other at first intervals, a plurality of second straight rails extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction while being arranged parallel to each other at second intervals, and a connecting rail configured to connect between the first straight rails and the second straight rails, which perpendicularly face each other, so that the traveling portion travels between the first straight rails and the second straight rails perpendicularly facing each other.

A control system executes preliminary biasing processing including controlling a guide wheel drive unit to bias a guide wheel in a direction from a first position toward a second position while the guide wheel is at the first position and is in contact with a first-side surface of a branch guide portion from a first side in a width direction before entering a switching area, and allows the guide wheel to pass through the switching area while executing the preliminary biasing processing.

A rail-guided vehicle system connecting between vertically-spaced floors includes a descending rail to enable a travel vehicle to move downward. The descending rail has a helical structure and includes a rail in a first section where energy is generated when a brake included in the travel vehicle works and a rail in a second section where energy that has been generated when a travel vehicle traveled in the first section is consumed.

The disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for integrating load locks into a factory interface footprint space. A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include an interior volume defined by a bottom, a top and a plurality of sides, a load lock disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface, wherein the factory interface robot is configured to transfer substrates between a set of substrate carriers and the load lock.

In an embodiment, a system, includes: a first pressurized load port interfaced with a workstation body; a second pressurized load port interfaced with the workstation body; the workstation body maintained at a set pressure level, wherein the workstation body comprises an internal material handling system configured to move a semiconductor workpiece within the workstation body between the first and second pressurized load ports at the set pressure level; a first modular tool interfaced with the first pressurized load port, wherein the first modular tool is configured to process the semiconductor workpiece; and a second modular tool interfaced with the second pressurized load port, wherein the second modular tool is configured to inspect the semiconductor workpiece processed by the first modular tool.

A semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB) is provided. The FAB includes a number of processing tools. The FAB also includes a sampling station connected to the processing tools. In addition, the FAB includes a detection vehicle detachably connected to the sampling station and comprising a metrology module. When the detection vehicle is connected to the sampling station, a gas sample is delivered from one of the processing tools to the metrology module of the detection vehicle via the sampling station for performing a measurement of a parameter in related to the gas sample by the metrology module. In addition, the FAB includes a control system configured to issue a warning when the parameter in related to the gas sample from the one of the processing tools is out of a range of acceptable values associated with the one of the processing tools.

The present invention provides various aspects of support for a fabrication facility capable of routine placement and replacement of processing tools in at least a vertical dimension relative to each other.

A compact manufacturing device to automatically transport a wafer transport container. The compact manufacturing device comprises a processing chamber and a device front chamber provided inside a housing, a container mounting table provided in the housing to mount a substrate transport container accommodating a processing substrate, and a container transport mechanism. The container transport mechanism delivers the substrate transport container to the adjacent compact manufacturing device along a container transport path and/or receives the substrate transport container from adjacent compact manufacturing device along the container transport path when a plurality of the compact manufacturing devices are provided in parallel.

A method includes processing each of a plurality of lots with at least one first equipment and moving some of the plurality of lots to a first storage. For each of a plurality of second equipments, an expected dispatch time of one or more next lots for processing by the second equipment is determined. Each of the lots in the first storage is assigned to one of the plurality of second equipments on the basis of at least the determined expected dispatch times and moved to one of a plurality of second storages that is associated with one of the plurality of second equipments to which the respective lot was assigned. For each of the plurality of second equipments, each of the lots in the second storage associated with the second equipment is moved to the second equipment and are processed with the second equipment.

A system for depositing one or more layers, particularly layers including organic materials therein, is described. The system includes a load lock chamber for loading a substrate to be processed, a transfer chamber for transporting the substrate, a vacuum swing module provided between the load lock chamber and the transfer chamber, at least one deposition apparatus for depositing material in a vacuum chamber of the at least one deposition chamber, wherein the at least one deposition apparatus is connected to the transfer chamber; a further load lock chamber for unloading the substrate that has been processed, a further transfer chamber for transporting the substrate, a further vacuum swing module provided between the further load lock chamber and the further transfer chamber, and a carrier return track from the further vacuum swing module to the vacuum swing module, wherein the carrier return track is configured to transport the carrier under vacuum conditions and/or under a controlled inert atmosphere.