| 摘要 |
<p>PURPOSE:To realize a variety of transfer operations without increasing the transfer time by a method wherein a substrate-holding arm mechanism is constituted of a plurality of supporting arms, all of which are controllable collectively or selectively. CONSTITUTION:When a semiconductor wafer is heat-treated by using, e.g., a heat- treatment furnace 52, a wafer cassette housing part 60 is turned and moved. Cassettes 62a, 62b and the like are directed toward a transfer apparatus 1 and a wafer port 54 is moved to the apparatus 1 by using a port elevator 50. An enclosure 10 is moved to the upper and lower directions. Substrate-supporting arms 12a to 12e are advanced and retreated collectively. Five wafers are simultaneously raised. The port 54 is transferred in a mutually horizontal state from the cassettes 62a and the like. When the wafers are transferred to an arrangement for test use inside the port 54, they are transferred one by one. That is to say, one out of clutches 32a to 32e is connected, and only the supporting arm corresponding to it is advanced and retreated. After this transfer operation has been finished, the port 54 is taken out from the furnace 52 and the wafers are transferred from the port 54 to the cassettes 62a, 62b by using the apparatus 1. Thereby, a variety of transfer operations can be executed without increasing the transfer time.</p> |
