According to the present invention, a substrate is surrounded in a horizontal plane on an upper surface of a substrate support by a first abutting member located at a first reference position, a second abutting member located at a second reference position, and a third abutting member located at a third reference position. The three abutting members make tiny movements repeatedly to get closer to the substrate gradually while distances from the center of the substrate support are kept equally. While the abutting members make the movements of getting closer to the substrate, the abutting members abut on the substrate successively to move the substrate horizontally toward the center of the substrate support. As a result, at a time when the substrate is nipped with the three abutting members, the center of the substrate is aligned with the center of the substrate support to complete a centering operation.

A wafer detection unit includes: support pins that can support a semiconductor wafer; a resin part disposed at an end of each of the support pins, the resin part including a through hole; a light-emitting optical fiber disposed in a periphery of each of the support pins and inside the resin part, the light-emitting optical fiber having one end being exposed from a side in which the through holes of the resin parts face the semiconductor wafer; a light-receiving optical fiber disposed in a center portion of each of the support pins, the light-receiving optical fiber having one end facing a corresponding one of the through holes of the resin parts; a light-receiving sensor connected to an other end of each of the light-receiving optical fibers; and a controller that determines a presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer, based on a detection signal obtained from the light-receiving sensor.

The present invention proposes a substrate processing apparatus, a transport device, and the like capable of properly implementing processing even when a malfunction occurs in a sensor for detecting that an object such as a substrate is properly positioned. The substrate processing apparatus is equipped with a controller configured to accept a predetermined external input if a first sensor does not detect that a substrate is properly positioned in a first holding mechanism when the substrate is transferred from a second holding mechanism to the first holding mechanism and to allow the substrate to be processed or transported using the first holding mechanism based on the predetermined external input being performed regardless of the detection by the first sensor.

The present disclosure relates to a scanning holography-based substrate alignment apparatus and method, wherein the apparatus includes: a sample fixing unit including a plurality of holders configured to support substrates at different positions by fixing each of the substrates at both ends thereof, each of the substrates including a substrate and a chip; a sample transfer unit configured to move the substrates at the different positions supported by the plurality of holders to a specific position; a holographic information receiving unit configured to receive holographic information about the substrates at the different positions from a holographic optical apparatus; a substrate position determination unit configured to analyze the holographic information through a holographic signal processing apparatus to determine position information for the substrates at the different positions; and a substrate position re-aligning unit configured to re-align the substrates at the different positions using the position information.

There is a teaching method for a substrate transfer device is disclosed. The method includes moving a transfer arm to multiple set positions along a reference axis selected from multiple axes extending through a center and a periphery of a placing surface, and executing at each set position a cycle comprising: moving the transfer arm holding a substrate at a preset holding position; transferring the substrate from the arm to a placing table via lift pins; receiving the substrate back by the arm via the lift pins; and detecting a new holding position of the substrate. Based on the new holding position, it is determined whether the substrate was mounted on an edge portion. A target position for transfer from the arm to the placing table is determined according to the set positions for the reference axes, and the target position is set as the arm's set position.

A system includes a pattern recognition unit, a pick and place unit and a control unit. The pattern recognition unit determines an actual position of a connection area arranged on or above a substrate of a semiconductor module, the substrate being arranged on a base plate. The pattern recognition unit also determines an actual position of a first end of a terminal element attached to a housing arranged on the base plate, such that the substrate is arranged within a volume defined by the housing. The control unit determines a deviation between the actual position of the first end of the terminal element with respect to the actual position of the connection area. The pick and place unit moves to the actual position of the first end, picks up the first end of the terminal element, and subsequently moves the first end to the actual position of the connection area.

A light emitting element transfer system includes: a vacuum chamber for creating a vacuum atmosphere or removing the vacuum atmosphere therein, an alignment portion for aligning a first substrate and a second substrate inside the vacuum chamber, a bonding portion for applying heat and pressure to the aligned first substrate and second substrate and which is disposed adjacent to the alignment portion in a an arrangement direction and inside the vacuum chamber, and a first transfer portion movable in the vacuum chamber the arrangement direction, for transferring the first substrate or the second substrate to the alignment portion, and for transferring the aligned first substrate and second substrate from the alignment portion to the bonding portion.

A wafer boat system comprises a carrier and a plurality of holder rings configured to support a wafer in the carrier. Each of the holder rings has an annular body and ring projections projecting from said annular body for contact with the wafer. At the ring projections, a local surface area of the annular body is small compared to a circumferential average or median of the local surface area of the annular body, in particular so as to at least partly compensate for a surface area of the respective ring projection, thereby promoting evenness of vapor deposition on wafers supported on the holder rings in the carrier. The reduced local surface area is preferably realized by a relatively large inner radius of the annular body at the ring projection. The carrier may provide a reference structure for automated wafer positioning.

The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer device for sensing deflection of an end-effector and a substrate processing apparatus having the same. The substrate transfer device includes: an end-effector extending in a first direction and supporting a substrate; an end-effector hand connected with one side in the first direction of the end-effector; a horizontal movement unit connected with the end-effector hand and moving the end-effector in the first direction; and a deflection sensing unit including a light emitting part and a light receiving part, which are respectively disposed at both sides of a movement path of the end-effector, and sensing deflection of the end-effector.

A substrate transport robot system includes a substrate holding hand to hold a plurality of substrates, a robot arm, and a controller. The controller is configured or programmed to acquire an amount of deviation of placement of each of the plurality of substrates with respect to a predetermined reference position based on a detection result of a detector, and control a transport operation of the robot arm operable to transport the plurality of substrates based on an acquired amount of deviation such that each of the plurality of substrates is loaded separately into a mount and/or unloaded separately from the mount.