The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining the position of a substrate within a closed chamber, wherein the substrate is moved within the chamber by a transport system comprising at least one rotating shaft. A load-converting element is provided adjacent to at least one of the rotating shafts, wherein the load-converting element detects a load acting on the at least one rotating shaft and converts it into an electrical parameter. While no substrate is present on the at least one rotating shaft, a first output signal corresponding to a first value of the electrical parameter is measured. The output signal is then monitored and a presence of the substrate on the at least one rotating shaft is detected when the output signal differs from the first output signal by at least a predetermined amount.

A supporting and transferring mechanism and a supporting and transferring device are provided. The supporting and transferring mechanism includes a gas supply portion, a supporting ball and an accommodating portion. An accommodating space is formed in the accommodating portion and the supporting ball is provided in the accommodating space. The gas supply portion is communicated with the accommodating portion to supply a gas of preset pressure into the accommodating space, so as to lift the supporting ball in the accommodating space such that a part of a surface of the supporting ball protrudes out of the accommodating portion. The part of the surface of the supporting ball protruding out of the accommodating portion supports and transfers the plate-like article.

A substrate processing device includes shafts, rollers, a gas blowing unit, bearings, and s suction unit. The shafts include internal spaces and first through holes communicated with the internal spaces. The rollers are attached to the shafts to be rotatable about axes of the shafts for conveying a substrate. The gas blowing unit is configured to blow gas to the substrate carried by the rollers. The bearings support the shafts to be rotatable and include second through holes communicated with the first through holes of the shafts. The bearings include inner rings fitted on the shafts, outer rings opposed to outer peripheries of the inner rings, respectively, and rolling components disposed between the inner rings and the outer rings. The suction unit is configured to suck air in the internal spaces of the shafts.

To provide: a guide roller, whereby a replacement operation time can be shortened, guide roller position adjustment operations are not needed, and an equipment stop time can be reduced, and which contributes to suppression of productivity deterioration; and a substrate transfer apparatus provided with the guide roller. A substrate transfer apparatus (1) is provided with transfer rollers (3); a plurality of transfer shafts (2) that are provided with the transfer rollers (3); a guide roller (5) that guides a substrate (10); and a roller holding section (6) having a supporting shaft (62) that supports the guide roller (5) at one end. A contact section (52) of the guide roller (5) in contact with the substrate (10) can be separated from other sections (a base section (51) and a nut section (53)).

A product conveyance apparatus includes an actuator, a movement portion, a first position detection portion, a second position detection portion, and a controller. The controller performs a process of causing the actuator not holding a product to move to a predetermined position, detecting the position of the actuator and storing the position as a first position, a process of causing the actuator to move on a basis of a movement instruction value and hold the product, causing the actuator holding the product to move to the predetermined position, detecting the position of the product held by the actuator, and storing the position as a second position, and a process of correcting and updating the movement instruction value on a basis of difference between the first position and the second position.

A drop batch builder is provided for organizing a plurality of glass sheets into a desired batch arrangement on a conveyor. The drop batch builder includes an upper conveyor line and a lower conveyor line. The upper conveyor has a drop region configured to drop a first glass sheet from the upper conveyor line downwardly onto the lower conveyor line, whereupon the lower conveyor line is configured to convey the first glass sheet along the lower path of substrate travel to the overpass region where the first glass sheet is positioned under the upper conveyor line. Methods of using a drop batch builder are also provided.

A test device is disclosed for verifying the accuracy of a pick and place process. The test device includes a surface configured to receive components, and a ferromagnetic layer located under the surface. A system is further disclosed including the test device and a plurality of components each including a magnetic element, the plurality of components configured to be received by a plurality of pockets of the test device. A method of picking and placing a component onto the test device is further disclosed.

The present disclosure generally relates to a method and apparatus for loading, processing, and unloading substrates. A processing system comprises a load/unload system coupled to a photolithography system. The load/unload system comprises a first set of tracks having a first height and a first width, and a second set of tracks having a second height and a second width different than the first height and first width. An unprocessed substrate is transferred from a lift pin loader to a chuck along the first set of tracks on a first tray while a processed substrate is transferred from the chuck to the lift pin loader along the second set of tracks on a second tray. While a first tray remains with a substrate on the chuck during processing, the load/unload system is configured to unload a processed substrate and load an unprocessed substrate on a second tray.

The present disclosure proposes a substrate transporting device having a drive motor configured to drive the drive shaft, transporting belts driven by the drive shaft and configured to transport glass substrates at an operating speed when the drive shaft is driven by the drive motor, a rail arranged between the transporting belts, and a pushing block arranged on the rail and moving along a transporting direction of the glass substrates at a moving speed in accordance with the operating speed of the transporting belts, for pushing the glass substrate to shift horizontally along the transporting direction of the glass substrate to prevent the glass substrate from being crooked. In this way, the orientation of the glass substrate is corrected, and the accuracy of the transportation of the glass substrate is ensured. The occurrence of machine disorder due to a crooked glass panel is reduced as well.

A drop batch builder is provided for organizing a plurality of glass sheets into a desired batch arrangement on a conveyor. The drop batch builder includes an upper conveyor line and a lower conveyor line. The upper conveyor has a drop region configured to drop a first glass sheet from the upper conveyor line downwardly onto the lower conveyor line, whereupon the lower conveyor line is configured to convey the first glass sheet along the lower path of substrate travel to the overpass region where the first glass sheet is positioned under the upper conveyor line. Methods of using a drop batch builder are also provided.