| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an in-process transportation system between processing devices or between the processing device and a stocker, which can produce semiconductor wafers with productivity and economy enhanced to their maximum levels. SOLUTION: An in-process transportation system includes an automatic transfer device 105, an elevator mechanism 102 provided in front of a processing device 101, a partition wall 107 surrounding at least the lower side of the load part 102 from a front side thereof, a downflow means for generating a flow of clean air called downflow in a down direction, and transfer means for feeding the carrier cassette placed on the load port into the processing device and for feeding the carrier cassette out of the processing device onto the load port. Mounted on the automatic transfer device 105 is a carrier cassette 103 loaded with wafers 104. The device 105 movingly transfers the cassette along a path 111 up to a lower position of the load port 102 having a predetermined height. A semiconductor wafer is extracted from the carrier cassette transported into the processing device, processed, and then transported externally for production. |
