In an embodiment, a system includes: a cassette comprising a slit opening configured to house a wafer; a blade configured to move the wafer to and from the slit opening by extending into the slit opening, wherein a blade thickness of the blade is at most ⅖ of a height of the slit opening and wherein the blade is configured to secure the wafer within a pocket on the blade that is at least ⅔ of a wafer thickness of the wafer.

Provided is an electrostatic capacitance sensor which can remove an influence of a noise occurring from a static eliminator or a driving source and accurately perform measurement even on electrostatic capacitance detected by a thin-type detection unit which can be passed to a finger surface of a wafer transfer robot. The present invention is provided with an AC supply source which supplies an AC voltage to a detection unit, a parasitic capacitance compensation circuit, an operational amplifier, a differential amplifier, a phase detection means, and a low pass filter. An operational amplification output terminal is connected to an inversion input terminal of the differential amplifier through a first band pass filter, the AC supply source is connected to a non-inversion input terminal of the differential amplifier through a second band pass filter, an output terminal of the differential amplifier is connected to an input terminal of the phase detection means, and the phase detection means takes, as a reference signal, an AC signal output from the AC supply source.

A robot gripper for moving wafer carriers and packing materials and a method of operating the same are provided. The robot gripper includes two opposing clamp assemblies. The two clamp assemblies are configured to move close to or away from each other. Each of the clamp assemblies includes a movable support pin at a bottom of the clamp assembly.

A method for annealing a wafer includes loading the wafer to a fork of a delivering robot in an annealing apparatus, wherein the wafer is in contact with a vibration-detecting sensor on the fork; rotating the fork between a heating plate and a cooling plate of the annealing apparatus; outputting, by the vibration-detecting sensor, a first signal in response to a motion of the fork of the delivering robot when the wafer is loaded on the fork; and providing, by a circuitry of the annealing apparatus, a response in response to the first signal.

A transport module for loading and unloading a process module of a semiconductor production device includes a housing, which has a chamber that can be evacuated. The chamber has an opening that can be closed in a gas-tight manner by a closure device, which opens out into a first coupling duct associated with the transport module. The first coupling duct is connected with a flange plate using an elastic intermediate element, wherein the flange plate can be seated in a plane parallel, sealing manner on a flange plate of a second coupling duct associated with the process module. After opening the closure device, an evacuated loading and unloading duct to the process module is created. An inner and outer mounting section of the intermediate element is spaced apart from one another in the radial direction, with respect to the axis of the first coupling duct, by a deformation zone.

A conveyance device includes a plate-shaped main body that faces a plate-shaped object to be conveyed, a plurality of recesses formed in the plate-shaped main body to face an outer circumferential portion of the plate-shaped object to be conveyed, a plurality of discharge channels formed inside the main body, and a plurality of movement restriction members formed on the main body to contact with and to restrict lateral movement of the plate-shaped object to be conveyed. One each of the plurality of discharge channels is connected to one each of the plurality of recesses, and a swirling flow is formed in the plurality of recesses by fluid supplied from the plurality of connected discharge channels. In each of the plurality of recesses, a portion of an opening not covered by the plate-shaped object to be conveyed is covered by one of the plurality of movement restriction members.

In an embodiment, a wafer pod includes: a cavity configured to receive and store a wafer; an alignment fiducial within the cavity, wherein: the alignment fiducial comprises two lines orthogonal to each other, and the alignment fiducial is configured to be detected by a robotic arm alignment sensor disposed on a robotic arm, wherein the alignment fiducial defines an alignment orientation for a robotic arm gripper hand to enter into the cavity.

A transfer apparatus including a frame, multiple arms connected to the frame, each arm having an end effector and an independent drive axis for extension and retraction of the respective arm with respect to other ones of the multiple arms, a linear rail defining a degree of freedom for the independent drive axis for extension and retraction of at least one arm, and a common drive axis shared by each arm and configured to pivot the multiple arms about a common pivot axis, wherein at least one of the multiple arms having another drive axis defining an independent degree of freedom with respect to other ones of the multiple arms.

An end effector, which is connected to a wafer transfer robot, includes a main member, a sensor and a lid. The main member has a first room on a side thereof, in which the sensor is received. The lid is fixed to the main member to cover the sensor. The sensor transmits a vibration signal to a central controller when the main member is vibrating. The end effect may work in a narrow space to transfer wafers and still keep high sensible and precise detection of vibration.

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.