An article relay apparatus is located on an outside wall separating an interior and an exterior of a stocker and relays an article between the interior and an operator. The article relay apparatus includes an opening that faces and is open to an operator passage outside the outside wall, a placement table in a rear side in a depth direction of the opening and on which the article is to be placed, a first cover above the opening and on a front side in the depth direction of the opening, the first cover defining a portion of the outside wall, and a second cover that is located between the first cover and the opening, defines a portion of the outside wall, and has a shape extending downwardly toward a rear side in the depth direction.

Apparatus and methods for handling die carriers are disclosed. In one example, a disclosed apparatus includes: a load port configured to load a die carrier operable to hold a plurality of dies into a processing tool; and a lane changer coupled to the load port and configured to move at least one die in the die carrier to an input of the processing tool and transfer the at least one die into the processing tool for processing the at least one die.

A multiple die container load port may include a housing with an opening, and an elevator to accommodate a plurality of different sized die containers. The multiple die container load port may include a stage supported by the housing and moveable within the opening of the housing by the elevator. The stage may include one or more positioning mechanisms to facilitate positioning of the plurality of different sized die containers on the stage, and may include different portions movable by the elevator to accommodate the plurality of different sized die containers. The multiple die container load port may include a position sensor to identify one of the plurality of different sized die containers positioned on the stage.

The invention relates to 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. 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 semiconductor cassette universal load port. The universal load port comprises a frame, three pins coupled to the frame forming a first portion of a kinematic coupling system configured to locate a 12-inch semiconductor wafer cassette for access by a robot arm of an ultraviolet (UV) radiation (RAD) machine, a first bracket coupled to the frame, a second bracket coupled to the frame, and a chuck coupled to the frame, wherein the first and second bracket and the chuck are configured to locate an 8-inch semiconductor wafer cassette for access by the robot arm of the RAD UV machine.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of placement parts on which a substrate container is placed, a driving part configured to move the plurality of placement parts, a transport mechanism configured to load the substrate container into one of the plurality of placement parts and to unload the substrate container from one of the plurality of placement parts, and a controller configured to control the driving part and the transport mechanism so that by raising or lowering the transport mechanism while keeping a support of the transport mechanism unmoved in an initial position, the substrate container is delivered from one of the plurality of placement parts to the support of the transport mechanism, and the substrate container is delivered from the support of the transport mechanism to one of the plurality of placement parts.

A substrate processing system including a processing section arranged to hold a processing atmosphere therein, a carrier having a shell forming an internal volume for holding at least one substrate for transport to the processing section, the shell being configured to allow the internal volume to be pumped down to a predetermined vacuum pressure that is different than an exterior atmosphere outside the substrate processing system, and a load port communicably connected to the processing section to isolate the processing atmosphere from the exterior atmosphere, the load port being configured to couple with the carrier to pump down the internal volume of the carrier and to communicably connect the carrier to the processing section, for loading the substrate into the processing section through the load port.

A purge nozzle module for supplying nitrogen (N2) to a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus includes a nozzle body with a purge hole formed at a center thereof, and a vacuum pad combined with an upper side of the nozzle body, having a through hole connected to the purge hole formed therethrough, and making close contact with a bottom of a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) by a vacuum pressure.

Provided is sensor built-in filter structure arranged in a wafer accommodation container, comprising: a first filter; a second filter arranged closer to a wafer accommodation chamber of the wafer accommodation container than to the first filter; and a gas detection sensor arranged between the first filter and the second filter to detect a state of a gas.

A load port apparatus includes an installation section, a frame section, a first wheel, a second wheel, and a supporter. The installation section includes an installation surface for installing a container for containing a substrate. The frame section is disposed on one side of the installation section, extends upward from this one side, and includes a lower fixation unit located below the installation surface. The first wheel is attached below the installation section and has a first diameter. The second wheel is attached below the installation section and further away from the frame section than the first wheel and has a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. The supporter is attached below the installation section and further away from the frame section than the first wheel and has a vertically adjustable distance from the installation surface to a lower end of the supporter.