摘要:
A semiconductor processing system which includes: a first semiconductor wafer cassette for housing semiconductor wafers; a first transfer pod for enclosing the first cassette airtightly, the first pod having a box-like pod body with an open bottom and a bottom plate detachably attached to the pod body for closing the bottom of the pod body; a wafer processing equipment having a first port for loading the cassette and a canopy covering the first port, the processing equipment processing the wafer in the first cassette when the cassette is loaded in the first port; and a first mechanism for transferring the first cassette between the first port of the processing equipment and the first pod without exposing the cassette and the wafers therein to outside contamination. The first transferring mechanism includes: a second port, provided on the canopy of the processing equipment at the position directly above the first port, for placing the first pod on the second port, the second port including a port assembly for attaching and detaching the bottom plate of the first pod to and from the pod body when the first pod is placed on the second port; and a first lift mechanism, arranged mainly between the first and second ports, for conveying the bottom plate of the first pod between the first and second ports when the bottom plate of the pod is detached from the pod body.
摘要:
There is disclosed a dusttight storage cabinet apparatus used for storing works such as wafer cassettes for containing semiconductor wafers. The storage cabinet apparatus includes: a housing having an entrance, formed in its front wall, for allowing works to come in and go out of the housing therethrough; an air supply duct for supplying the inside of the housing with clean air; a vertical rotation shaft rotatably disposed in the housing for turning about its longitudinal axis; a drive motor for turning the rotation shaft; and a rack assembly of a substantially cylindrical structure. The rack assembly is coaxially secured to the rotation shaft and has a plurality of compartments for storing the works therewithin. The compartments open radially outward and are partitioned off from one another so as to prevent cross contamination by dust among the compartments.
摘要:
A transfer system for transferring a SMIF pod.TM. in a clean room, in which the pod is adapted to contain a wafer cassette. The transfer system includes: at least one pair of SMIF arms.TM., the arms disposed adjacent to a semiconductor processing apparatus for transferring wafers, carried in the wafer cassette, into and out of the semiconductor processing apparatus; a transfer tube disposed near the arms; a vehicle adapted to carry the pod and adapted to move within the transfer tube; evacuation mechanism for evacuating the transfer tube to produce a negative pressure within the transfer tube so that the vehicle is moved along an axis of the transfer tube due to the negative pressure; and at least one pair of conveying mechanisms for conveying the vehicle between the transfer tube and respective arms.
摘要:
There is disclosed a robot used in a clean room and adapted to transport a wafer cassette containing semiconductor wafers. The robot includes: a guide rail disposed in the clean room; a robot body slidably connected to the guide rail for movement along the guide rail; and a first drive mechanism for driving the robot body along the guide rail. The robot body includes: a clamping hand for releasably clamping the wafer cassette; an arm assembly, extending between the guide rail and the clamping hand, for controlling the position of the clamping hand; and a wrist assembly, interposed between the arm assembly and the clamping hand, for adjusting the orientation of the clamping hand. The wrist assembly includes: a wrist frame connected via a horizontal pivot to the arm assembly for upward and downward movement, the wrist frame rotatably supporting the clamping hand for turning about an axis perpendicular to the horizontal pivot; a second drive mechanism for pivoting the wrist frame relative to the arm assembly; and a third drive mechanism for turning the clamping hand relative to the wrist frame.
摘要:
A railway carrier apparatus for semiconductor wafers which are contained in a wafer cassette is disclosed. This railway carrier apparatus includes: a carrier for carrying the wafer cassette; a guide rail, disposed along a line of travel of the carrier, for supporting the carrier to guide the carrier along the line of travel; and a drive mechanism for driving the carrier along the line of travel. The carrier includes; a carrier body slidably connected to the guide rail for movement along the guide rail; and a bedplate member, mounted on the carrier body, for supporting the wafer cassette on its upper face. The upper face of the bedplate member is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane in such a manner that one of its opposite side edges is positioned at a higher level than the other side edge.
摘要:
An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit that contains developer and that is detachable; and a detection member that includes a detected electrode and that moves around a rotation shaft in the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode that is provided on an outer side of the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor that detects an electrostatic capacitance between the detected electrode and the electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode and that outputs data related to the detected electrostatic capacitance, and a CPU that determines an amount of the developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the electrostatic capacitance sensor.
摘要:
A recording material determination apparatus includes a transmission unit configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave, a reception unit configured to receive an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmission unit and then via a recording material, and a control unit configured to cause the transmission unit to transmit an ultrasonic wave a plurality of times under different conditions, measure an output value a plurality of times, and determine the recording material based on the output values measured a plurality of times.
摘要:
By providing a step in a pressing member for pressing a recording material P to a reading surface of an image-pickup unit, surface images in a tight contact area and a non-tight-contact area are picked up. By identifying the type of the recording material P based on the two surface images, the accuracy of identifying the recording material is improved without using a plurality of sensors.
摘要:
The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit that contains developer and that is detachable; a detection member that includes a detected electrode and that moves around a rotation shaft in the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode that is provided on an outer side of the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor that detects an electrostatic capacitance between the detected electrode and the electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode and that outputs data related to the detected electrostatic capacitance, and a CPU that determines an amount of the developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the electrostatic capacitance sensor.
摘要:
The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit that is detachable and contains a developer, a detection member that includes an electrode to be detected and is rotatable around a rotation axis in the developing unit, an agitator that moves around the rotation axis in the developing unit; an electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode provided on an exterior of the developing unit, an electrostatic capacitance sensor that detects electrostatic capacitance between the electrode to be detected and the electrostatic capacitance sensor electrode, and outputs data on the detected electrostatic capacitance, and a CPU that determines an amount of developer in the developing unit based on the data output from the electrostatic capacitance sensor.