A substrate transfer system includes a main body on which a carrier configured to store a substrate is loaded, a first wheel assembly disposed inside the main body and configured to travel along a first rail extending in a first direction, a second wheel assembly disposed inside the main body and configured to travel along a second rail extending in a second direction different from the first direction, and a lift disposed inside the main body and configured to move the first wheel assembly up and down between a first lower position at which the first wheel assembly is in contact with the first rail and a first upper position higher than the first lower position, and to move the second wheel assembly up and down between a second lower position at which the second wheel assembly is in contact with the second rail and a second upper position higher than the second lower position.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an automated platform handling facility that leverages a robotic transportation device that is mobile and unmanned to individually transport, inspect, and repair a platform. The robotic transportation device may place a platform on its edge and move the platform from station to station based on individual inspections at each station. Each inspection may specify another station within the automated platform handling facility based on the current state of the platform. In this way, a platform may be moved between stations in a non-sequential, modular, and adaptive manner.

System and method for cross-fab wafer transportation are provided. An exemplary system includes a first control unit coupled to an associated first automatic material handling system (AMHS), the first AMHS includes a first overhead transport (OHT) track comprising a first portion and a first vehicle movable along the first OHT track and carrying a container, the container is operable to carry semiconductor wafers therein. The system includes a second control unit coupled to an associated second AMHS, the second AMHS includes a second OHT track comprising a second portion adjacent to the first portion and a second vehicle movable along the second OHT track. When the first vehicle is within the first portion of the first OHT track and the second vehicle is within the second portion of the second OHT track, the first and second vehicles are operable to transfer the container directly from the first vehicle to the second vehicle.

A traveling vehicle system includes a traveling path including a branching portion, a traveling vehicle to travel on the traveling path, and a controller. A specific area through which the traveling vehicle is allowed to pass on one of the traveling paths from an upstream side to a downstream side of the branching portion is in a portion within a blocking area including the branching portion. The controller is configured or programmed to transmit a passage permission for the blocking area to the traveling vehicle that issued the passage request for the blocking area if no other traveling vehicle is present in the blocking area, and to transmit a passage permission for the specific area to the traveling vehicle that issued the passage request for the specific area if no other traveling vehicle is present in the specific area. The traveling vehicle enters the blocking area or the specific area for which a passage permission has been acquired.

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.

A substrate transfer device includes a housing accommodating a carrier for storing a substrate, a carrier lifter moving the carrier in a vertical direction relative to an upper surface of the housing, a vertical stabilization unit connected to a lower part of the carrier lifter and reducing a vertical vibration of the carrier, a rotation stabilization unit connected to a lower part of the vertical stabilization unit and reducing rotation of the carrier, and a carrier holder connected to a lower part of the rotation stabilization unit. The carrier holder holds the carrier. The vertical stabilization unit includes an upper plate connected to the carrier lifter, a lower plate connected to the rotation stabilization unit, and a buffer disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate. The buffer contracts or relaxes to reduce the vertical vibration of the carrier.

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.

A transport device includes a transport vehicle, a cover member, an invasion detection sensor, and a muting device configured to invalidate the invasion detection sensor. The transport vehicle includes a mounting section and a wagon section configured to support the mounting section and travel. The detection surface is disposed to intersect with the movement trajectory of the transport target. The muting device invalidates the invasion detection sensor in response to an affirmative detection result from a mount sensor and an affirmative detection result from a range detection sensor, and the muting device validates the invasion detection sensor in response to a negative detection result from the mount sensor or a negative detection result from the range detection sensor.

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.

A transport facility equipped with an overhead transport vehicle, a ground transport vehicle, and a transport device includes a transfer section for an article to be transferred between the overhead transport vehicle and the transport device, the transfer section being on the upper side of a floor surface and separated from the floor surface. The overhead transport vehicle and the ground transport vehicle are configured to directly transfer an article therebetween, and the ground transport vehicle and the transport device are configured to transfer an article therebetween via the overhead transport vehicle and the transfer section.