Methods of transferring a substrate during a semiconductor device fabrication process include receiving the substrate at a mobile robot, moving the mobile robot with the substrate, and aligning the mobile robot with a mobile robot interface device, transferring the substrate from the mobile robot to the mobile robot interface device, and while transferring the substrate from the mobile robot to the mobile robot interface device, charging a battery of the mobile robot.

A substrate loading apparatus includes a pickup apparatus configured to move a magazine in a first direction, a second direction and a third direction, an elevator defining a plurality of waiting spaces, a stage configured to support the magazine, and an insert apparatus configured to transfer substrates in the magazine. At least one of the plurality of waiting spaces of the elevator is configured to selectively receive the magazine, and the pickup apparatus is spaced apart from the elevator and the stage in the third direction.

Apparatus and methods for determining wafer characters are disclosed. In one example, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a processing tool configured to process a semiconductor wafer; a device configured to read an optical character disposed on the semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is located at the apparatus for wafer fabrication; and a controller configured to determine whether the optical character matches a predetermined character corresponding to the semiconductor wafer based on the optical character read in real-time at the apparatus.

A transport facility includes a plurality of transport vehicles that travel in a travel area to transport articles, and a control system that controls the plurality of transport vehicles. The travel area includes a plurality of rechargeable points for recharging the plurality of transport vehicles, and a plurality of transfer points at each of which the plurality of transport vehicles transfer the articles. The control system performs a relay transport process. In the relay transport process, a relay point is selected from the plurality of transfer points, and a recharge point for recharging a first transport vehicle is selected from the plurality of rechargeable points. The relay point is a transfer point closest to the unload point on a transport path of the transport vehicle. The recharge point is selected from rechargeable points of the plurality of rechargeable points within a selection range from the relay point.

An overhead transport vehicle includes a transfer section to transfer an article to and from a load port included in equipment, sensors to emit detection waves downwardly to detect presence or absence of an obstacle, the sensors having different detection ranges from each other, and a controller configured or programmed to control the overhead transport vehicle. The transfer section includes a gripping section, a rotating section, and a lifting section. The controller, during transferring of the article by the transfer section, is configured or programmed to control the rotating section in accordance with a direction of accessing onto the load port such that the article is transferred in a specified direction and does not perform detection processing of one or more of the sensors having the detection ranges in which the equipment is included.

A support unit is provided. The support unit supports transport items, which include a first storage having two or more first vertices formed on a bottom thereof and a second storage having second vertices formed on a bottom thereof, but at different locations from the first vertices, and store articles including substrates or consumables for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and includes: a base part forming a bottom surface; first block parts provided on the base part and including first separation prevention surfaces, on which the first vertices are positioned, and which face or adjoin circumferential surfaces or corners of the first storage; and second block parts provided on the first block parts and including second separation prevention surfaces, on which the second vertices are positioned, and which face or adjoin circumferential surfaces or corners of the second storage.

The overhead transport vehicle includes: a winding drum configured to lift and lower a lifting part by winding and paying out a plurality of suspending members; at least one guide roller around which the suspending members paid out from the winding drum are wound; a body part supporting the winding drum and the guide roller; at least one position adjusting part configured to move a portion of each suspending member connected to the lifting part in a lifting direction by moving a relative position of the guide roller with respect to the body part; and a control part configured to control movement of the guide roller by the position adjusting part, based on information on an inclination of the lifting part.

Provided are an alignment jig, a side track buffer system including the same, and an alignment method using the same. The alignment jig includes a horizontal jig fixed to a bottom plate of a side track buffer to extend in a horizontal direction to a lower portion of the transfer rail, and a vertical jig fixed to the transfer rail to extend downward in a vertical direction so as to be adjacent to a top surface in the horizontal direction. A separation distance between an intersection point of the vertical jig and the horizontal jig and a central portion of the bottom plate is detected as a buffer separation distance, and a buffer frame is horizontally moved automatically or manually to allow the buffer separation distance to match a reference separation distance, so that the side track buffer is installed in an accurate position.

Storage systems and method of using the same are provided. An exemplary storage system according to the present disclosure includes a storage device including a plurality of storage locations arranged in an upright stadium shape and a plurality of load ports each movable to engage any of the plurality of storage locations.

A first container includes a pair of first held sections serving as a pair of held sections, and a second container includes a pair of second held sections serving as a pair of held sections. A first distance between the two first held sections is smaller than a second distance between the two second held sections. A first detector is configured to detect a detection target section in the first held sections and not detect the detection target section in the second held sections while a holder device is disposed at a holding reference position. A second detector is configured to detect a detection target section in the second held sections and not detect the detection target section in the first held sections while the holder device is disposed at the holding reference position.