Process apparatus and method and elevator mechanism for use in connection therewith

摘要

Methods and apparatus for transferring workpieces, such as silicon wafers, between a pair of cassettes involve simultaneously and conjointly indexing the cassettes such that the cassettes are incrementally lowered as the individual workpieces are removed from one cassette and delivered to the other cassette. Such indexing of the cassettes is achieved by a single elevator mechanism adapted to support both of the cassettes such that they are vertically and horizontally offset relative to each other.