REDUCED CAPACITY CARRIER AND METHOD OF USE

摘要

A substrate transport apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a casing and a door. The casing is adapted to form a controlled environment therein. The casing has supports therein for holding at least one substrate in the casing. The casing defines a substrate transfer opening through which a substrate transport system accesses the substrate in the casing. The door is connected to the casing for closing the substrate transfer opening in the casing. The casing has structure forming a fast swap element allowing replacement of the substrate from the apparatus with another substrate without retraction of the substrate transport system and independent of substrate loading in the casing.

主权项

1. A method of transporting a substrate comprising:
providing a casing adapted to form a controlled environment therein, the casing being sized to hold more than one substrate therein and defining a sealable substrate transfer opening through which substrates are moved in and out of the casing, the casing having holding stations located in the casing, each of which is capable of holding a substrate where at least one of the holding stations is a substrate holding station holding the substrate when the casing is in a loaded condition where at least one substrate is loaded in the casing, and at least another of the holding stations provides a discretionary holding station; optionally holding another substrate with the discretionary holding station when the casing is in the loaded condition; and selectably switching each of the at least one substrate holding station and the at least other holding station between being the substrate holding station and being the discretionary holding station.