A cassette handling tool according to the present invention utilizes a mobile cart for handling and transporting wafer cassettes. At one end of the cart is a holder which is adapted for holding and carrying wafer cassettes. At an opposite end of the cart is a handle by which an operator can manipulate the position and orientation of the cassette holder.
A vehicle (10) for transporting a container (12) and for loading and unloading a load port (14) is disclosed. The vehicle (10) comprises a frame (16), a container holder (26) mounted to the frame (16), and front wheels (18) and rear wheels (20) mounted to the frame (16). The front wheels (18) are movable with respect to the rear wheels (20), so that the critical footprint of the vehicle is reduced during loading and unloading. The vehicle is particularly useful in personal guided systems and methods for loading and unloading wafer containers.
A material handling and transport system and process for moving a substrate carrier between storage and processing destinations are provided. The system includes a vehicle that runs on a support structure, such as a pathway or a track assembly supported on the floor, which may be in a pressurized tunnel. A carrier nest on the vehicle receives and supports the carrier. A lifting mechanism on the vehicle vertically raises and lowers the carrier nest. A load port support surface is disposed vertically above the support structure. The carrier is raised through an opening in the load port support surface. A load port nest on the load port support surface receives and supports the carrier adjacent a selected destination. A carrier manipulation mechanism manipulates the carrier over the load port nest. The lifting mechanism then lowers the carrier onto the load port nest. The system is particularly suited for handling and transporting semiconductor wafer carriers.
A material handling and transport system and process for moving a substrate carrier between storage and processing destinations are provided. The system includes a vehicle that runs on a support structure, such as a pathway or a track assembly supported on the floor, which may be in a pressurized tunnel. A carrier nest on the vehicle receives and supports the carrier. A lifting mechanism on the vehicle vertically raises and lowers the carrier nest. A load port support surface is disposed vertically above the support structure. The carrier is raised through an opening in the load port support surface. A load port nest on the load port support surface receives and supports the carrier adjacent a selected destination. A carrier manipulation mechanism manipulates the carrier over the load port nest. The lifting mechanism then lowers the carrier onto the load port nest. The system is particularly suited for handling and transporting semiconductor wafer carriers.
Disclosed is an automatic semiconductor wafer applying apparatus capable of lightly easily stacking and loading ring frames onto a frame supply section. This apparatus has the following construction. An adhesive tape unwound from a tape roll is applied to a lower surface of the ring frame supplied to a tape applying position. The applied adhesive tape is cut out along the ring frame. The ring frame having the adhesive tape applied thereto is transported to a wafer applying position. A semiconductor wafer is applied onto the adhesive tape of the ring frame. In this apparatus, a frame supply truck movable with the ring frames stacked and held thereon is arranged so that it can be pushed/transported into and pulled out/transported from the frame supply section. A lift unit for receiving, lifting and supplying a group of ring frames stacked on the pushed and transported frame supply truck is installed in the frame supply section.
