A wafer transfer system can include a wafer gripper for picking and placing semiconductor devices. In an embodiment, the wafer gripper can include a first portion, a second portion and a laminate between the first and second portion. In one embodiment, the first portion can comprise glass or tempered glass, where the first portion having at least one vacuum hole and is configured to receive the semiconductor device. In an embodiment, the second portion can include glass or tempered glass, the second portion having configured to use low air pressure from a closed vacuum to vacuum a wafer. In an embodiment, the laminate can bond the first portion to the second portion.

The disclosure provides an adjustable device including plates and at least two adjustable modules connect with two adjacent of the plates. The adjustable module can stretch or shrink to change a distance between plates. The disclosure also provides an adjustable storage box including an upper cover and a lower cover. A storage space is formed by the upper cover and the lower cover and for the accommodating of the adjustable device. When the upper cover moves upward relative to the lower cover, the adjustable modules changes from a compression state to a stretch state and increase a distance between plates. Whereby, it is easy to pick and place object when a distance of two adjacent plates increases. The overall volume of the adjustable device is reduced when a distance of two adjacent plates decrease, thereby saving the working space.

Generation of dust from a peripheral portion of a substrate can be suppressed, and a processed substrate can be suppressed from being adversely affected by a pre-processed substrate. Further, an actual elevation state of the member configured to be moved up and down to support the substrate can be investigated. A substrate transfer device includes a first supporting portion, a second supporting portion and an elevating mechanism. The first supporting portion and the second supporting portion are configured to support a substrate from below the substrate. The elevating mechanism is configured to elevate the second supporting portion up and down between a first position higher than a height of the first supporting portion and a second position lower than the height of the first supporting portion. The substrate transfer device further includes a detecting mechanism configured to detect an elevation state of the second supporting portion.

This disclosure enables high-productivity fabrication of porous semiconductor layers (made of single layer or multi-layer porous semiconductors such as porous silicon, comprising single porosity or multi-porosity layers). Some applications include fabrication of MEMS separation and sacrificial layers for die detachment and MEMS device fabrication, membrane formation and shallow trench isolation (STI) porous silicon (using porous silicon formation with an optimal porosity and its subsequent oxidation). Further, this disclosure is applicable to the general fields of photovoltaics, MEMS, including sensors and actuators, stand-alone, or integrated with integrated semiconductor microelectronics, semiconductor microelectronics chips and optoelectronics.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including at least one load module including a load port on which a substrate container is located, a plurality of substrates being mountable on the substrate container; at least one loadlock module including a loadlock chamber directly connected to the substrate container, the loadlock chamber interchangeably having atmospheric pressure and vacuum pressure, a first transfer robot within the loadlock chamber, and a substrate stage within the loadlock chamber, the plurality of substrates being mountable on the substrate stage; a transfer module including a transfer chamber connected to the loadlock chamber, a second transfer robot within the transfer chamber, and a substrate aligner within the transfer chamber; and at least one process module including at least one process chamber connected to the transfer module.

A method includes initiating a gas flow of a first gas parallel to a wall of an interface module to create an air curtain across an opening defined in the wall. The method includes moving an interface door to reveal the opening, wherein the air curtain restrains a second gas within the interface module from passing through the opening. The method includes transferring a semiconductor wafer through the opening and moving the interface door to cover the opening. The method includes halting the gas flow of the first gas after moving the interface door to cover the opening.

A cooling method is a method of cooling a processed substrate in a state of being held by a substrate holder, the method including: a first cooling step of cooling the substrate by supplying a gas toward the substrate holder disposed at a reference position; a stopping step of stopping supply of the gas; and a second cooling step of cooling the processed substrate held in a lower portion of the substrate holder.

An integrated robotic mechanism is disclosed for improving transport equipment, integrating an object movement with other functionalities such as alignment or identification. The disclosed integrated robot assembly can comprise a multiple end effector for moving a plurality of workpieces, a single end effector for moving a single workpiece, a rotation chuck incorporated on the robot body to provide alignment capability, and an optional identification subsystem for identify the object during transport. The present invention robot assembly can be used in a sorter or stocker equipment, in processing equipment, and a transfer system.

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.

Electronic device manufacturing systems, robot apparatus and associated methods are described. The systems, apparatus and methods are configured to efficiently retrieve and place substrates from N substrate supports (where N>2). The robot apparatus includes at least N end effectors plus one end effector (N+1) or plus two end effectors (N+2) enabling the robot to sequentially retrieve and place substrates within one or more process chambers during a single cycle (e.g., without having to return to a load lock or other location to place proceed substrates and retrieve unprocessed substrates).