Shinko Electric Company, Ltd.

Other

Hiroyuki Oyobe

Masanao Murata

Tsuyoshi Tanaka

Teruya Morita

Toshiyuki Takaoka

Hiroaki Saeki

Hitoshi Kawano

Teppei Yamashita

Keiichi Matsushima

Zenta Nanpei

A load port for semiconductor equipment includes a transporting apparatus,and/or a moving apparatus,for respectively transporting a carrier base,and moving a cover,, using a smaller force until the carrier base,and/or the cover,reaches a predetermined position that is at a predetermined distance from an opening,of the equipment. This position is at a distance where it is no longer possible to catch a hand or other object between the carrier base,or cover,and the semiconductor equipment. Then, the carrier base,and/or the cover,is transported or moved towards the opening,by the transporting apparatus,and/or moving apparatus,respectively transporting the carrier base,and/or moving the cover,towards the opening,to completely close the opening,using a larger force.

Load port

A mechanical interface apparatus which is capable of loading semiconductor wafers stored in a sealed container into a processing apparatus without adversely affecting the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers due to exposure to external air or dust. When a sealed container 100 is placed on top of a processing apparatus 200, latch mechanisms 201 are activated to engage with a flange 103, so as to affix the container body 101. Then, valves 3 and 5 are opened to perform a gas purge, after which a drive mechanism provided inside a lock operating mechanism 220 is operated in order to withdraw lock arms 111 from concave portions 103a, thereby unlocking the bottom lid 110. Then, wafer cassettes 106 inside the container are lowered to a predetermined position by means of an in-apparatus elevator mechanism 202, and the wafer cassettes are loaded into the processing apparatus 200 by a cassette loading mechanism.

Mechanical interface apparatus

A conveying system provides a cassette accommodating workpieces; a container containing the cassette; a transferring device for conveying the cassette while supporting it or conveying the container which is empty or contains the cassette while supporting it, the transferring device having a supporting device for supporting the cassette. In the conveying system, a handle is provided on the upper surface of the container so that it is supported by the supporting device.

Conveying system

Growing community of inventors

Ise, Japan

Hiroyuki Oyobe