WAGER TRANSPORT APPARATUS

摘要

PURPOSE:To smoothly insert and take out a wafer by detecting the position of a wafer storing groove of a wafer cassette, and inserting a fork in the groove, thereby to insert and take out the wafer in a wafer transport apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. CONSTITUTION:A wafer cassette 3 is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a hand device 14 is adapted to put in and out a wafer 4 for the apparatus to contribute to conveying the wafer between the apparatus and another place. The hand device 14 includes a pressing plate 15 for a wafer 4 and an adsorption pad 16. The device 14 is mounted in such a manner as to advance and retreat to and from the cassette 3 by a motor 10 of a stage 17. Further, a fork 1 adapted to advance and retreat by a motor 12 is mounted on the stage 17. The fork 1 has an edge portion 1a on the upper outside, which is placed on the lower edge portion of a storing groove 3b of the cassette 3, whereby the fork 1 is correctly inserted in the storing groove 3b. The stage 17 is moved up and down, with the fork 1, a groove detecting sensor 2 and the hand device 14 placed thereon, by an elevating mechanism 18 through an automatic connecting mechanism 19.