A load port includes a first pin projecting on a dock plate and provided on the dock plate so as to be pushed down, and a first detection unit provided on the base portion and configured to detect that the dock plate is located at a first position. The first detection unit includes a movable member capable of displacing in a moving direction of the dock plate, and a first sensor configured to detect the displacement of the movable member. The movable member is arranged at a position to abut against the first pin that is in a pushed down state in a process in which the dock plate moves from a second position to the first position.

A wafer transport container interior atmosphere measurement device is arranged in wafer transport container. The device detects an atmosphere in the wafer transport container and communicates the atmosphere. The device includes a detector, a transmitter, and a power source. The detector detects the atmosphere in the wafer transport container. The transmitter wirelessly transmits a first information including a detection result by the detector to an external receiver. The power source supplies electric power to the detector and the transmitter.

A purging nozzle unit of a gas supply device according to the present invention including: a housing that is capable of passing a predetermined gas so as to replace the internal atmosphere of a FOUP with the predetermined gas; a nozzle coming into intimate contact with the proximity of a port that is provided on one face of the FOUP, the nozzle being pressed to thereby open the port; an operation adjustment space configured to increase or decrease so as to operate the nozzle between a use posture in which the predetermined gas can be supplied into the target container via the port and a standby posture in which the predetermined gas cannot be supplied into the target container via the port; and a gas introducing part configured to export or import compression air relative to the operation adjustment space to thereby control an operation of the nozzle.

A storage apparatus to store cassettes for substrates comprising a moveable base plate constructed and arranged to hold cassettes, an outer wall provided with an opening to receive and remove the cassettes from the base plate, and a moving device constructed and arranged to move the base plate with respect to the opening is disclosed. The storage apparatus is provided with a stationary sensor near the opening for detecting at least one of a presence and a correct orientation of a substrate cassette on the base plate at the opening.

A substrate loading device having a frame, a cassette support, and a user interface. The frame is connected to a substrate processing apparatus. The frame has a transport opening through which substrates are transported between the device and processing apparatus. The cassette support is connected to the frame for holding at least one substrate holding cassette. The user interface is arranged for inputting information, and is mounted to the frame so that the user interface is integral with the frame.

A substrate transport system includes a carrier having a housing forming an interior environment having an opening for holding at least one substrate and a door for sealing the opening from an outside atmosphere where when sealed the interior environment is configured to maintain an interior atmosphere therein, the housing including a fluid reservoir exterior to the interior environment and configured to contain a fluid, forming a different atmosphere in the fluid reservoir than the interior atmosphere, to form a fluidic barrier seal that seals the interior environment from an environment exterior to the carrier.

A system comprises a factory interface (FI) comprising an FI chamber and a carrier purge chamber, the FI configured to receive a substrate carrier that becomes coupled to the FI such that the carrier purge chamber is positioned between the FI chamber and the substrate carrier, the substrate carrier comprising a carrier door. The system further comprises an environmental control system coupled to at least one of the FI chamber or the carrier purge chamber and configured to couple to the substrate carrier, the environmental control system operable to separately control environmental conditions within at least one of: the carrier purge chamber and the substrate carrier; the carrier purge chamber and the FI chamber; or the FI chamber and the substrate carrier, while the carrier door of the substrate carrier is closed.

The present invention relates to a buffer chamber unit for wafer processing equipment.

A substrate processing method is provided. The substrate processing method includes placing a substrate storage container storing a substrate on a load port; automatically determining a type of the substrate stored in the placed substrate storage container; by referring to a storage unit that stores a parameter data set related to a transport condition for each substrate type, controlling transport of the substrate stored in the substrate storage container based on the parameter data set corresponding to the automatically determined type of the substrate to process the substrate, and, after automatically determining the type of the substrate, and before transporting the substrate stored in the substrate storage container, performing mapping based on conditions set in the parameter data set to detect an abnormality of the substrate stored in the substrate storage container.

An electronic device manufacturing system may include a factory interface having a controlled environment. The electronic device manufacturing system may also include a load port coupled to the factory interface. The load port may be configured to receive a substrate carrier thereon and may include purge apparatus and a controller. The controller may be configured to operate the load port such that any air located around and between a substrate carrier door and the load port is at least partially or entirely purged, thus reducing or preventing contamination of the controlled environment upon the opening of the substrate carrier door by the load port. Methods of operating a factory interface load port are also provided, as are other aspects.