A work transfer system conveying a work basket in a programmed sequence to the processing tanks of an assembly thereof at various positions on a work bench. The system acts to transfer the basket to a selected tank and to properly orient the basket with respect to this tank before lowering the basket therein for processing for a given dwell period, at the conclusion of which the basket is hoisted from the tank and transferred to another tank where the procedure is repeated. Running parallel to the front side of the bench is a rail on which a robot rides, the robot supporting a hoist carriage which can be raised or lowered. Cantilevered from the carriage is a main arm articulated by an elbow shaft to a forearm that extends over the bench. The forearm is joined by a hand shaft depending therefrom to a hand that engages the handle of the work basket. A main arm motor acts to rotate the elbow shaft and thereby swing the forearm to a position generally aligning the basket with a selected tank therebelow. A forearm motor acts to turn the hand to properly orient the basket with respect to this tank before it is lowered therein by the hoist carriage.
Related Application
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 443,894, filed Nov. 23, 1982, entitled "Automated Work Transfer System ," now U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,454.
An apparatus for semiconductor wafers is disclosed which comprises a plurality of washing tanks for semiconductor wafers, air duct means defining blowing ports for discharging a flow of air over the washing tank, suction port means disposed opposite the blowing ports to remove the air after passing over the washing tank. And also the apparatus comprises ionizer means mounted on at least one side of the washing tank to ionize air flowing over the washing tank. Thus ionized air serves to neutralize electrostatic charge on surfaces of semiconductor wafers to thereby prevent dust or particles from sticking to the wafer surfaces.
This invention relates to an improved automatic processing system and process for handling delicate objects in a controlled, low particulate atmosphere, and an improved method for constructing such apparatus. This system is particularly useful in the wet processing of semiconductor wafers, integrated circuits and similar delicate electronic devices. This invention also relates to semiconductor wafers, integrated circuits and similar delicate electronic devices produced by the above processing system and process.
A semiconductor treatment apparatus has a gas-phase decomposing device for decomposing a gas-phase on a surface of a semiconductor substrate, a substrate supporting device for supporting the substrate, and a substrate transfer device for transferring the substrate between the gas-phase decomposing device and the substrate supporting device. The apparatus further has a liquid-drop applicator for applying a liquid-drop on the surface of the substrate supported by the substrate supporting device, with the liquid-drop being brought into contact with the surface of the substrate, and a liquid-drop preserving device for preserving the liquid-drop that has been applied to the surface of the substrate.
An apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device that can prevent chemical contamination attributed to contacting an external atmosphere, and a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device. The apparatus includes a cleaning chamber, a film deposition chamber for depositing a film on a layer cleaned in the cleaning chamber, and a transporter for transporting a substrate from the cleaning chamber to the film deposition chamber while preventing the substrate from being exposed to the external atmosphere.
An assembly is provided for processing container ends received from at least two sources by loading the container ends into trays and stacking the trays. The assembly has a transport device capable of engaging sticks of container ends in a pick-up area and providing the sticks to a plurality of corresponding loading areas such that sticks from different sources are placed in different loading areas. Sticks are provided to the pick-up area by supply subassemblies which receive continuous arrays of container ends from the sources, separate the arrays into sticks, and provide the sticks to the pick-up area. The tray loading subassembly is further capable of engaging and transporting an empty tray from a stack of empty trays to the loading areas such that a stack of trays may be formed. Once the desired stack of trays is formed, a discharge subassembly transports the stack from the loading area to a discharge area for subsequent removal and transport to a desired location.
