SUBSTRATE SHIFTING DEVICE

摘要

PURPOSE:To mitigate the force applied to a substrate to be shifted for making the delivery of the substrate smooth by a method wherein a holding mechanism is provided between a substrate holding hand and a driving mechanism so that the substrate holding hand may be shifted to offset the force applied to the substrate corresponding to the force. CONSTITUTION:A coil spring 8 provided to be laid between a substrate holding hand 1 and a holder 6 turns the holder 6 and said holding hand 1 in thetar direction as shown in figure by 180 degrees so that a semiconductor wafer 5 and the holding hand 1 may be held in floating state when the semiconductor wafer 5 is held looking downward. The semiconductor wafer 5 with its surface 5b looking downward is shifted to a wafer boat with an air cylinder 9 stopped as well as the substrate holding hand 1 and the semiconductor wafer 5 kept in the floating state. Consequently, the semiconductor wafer 5 can be prevented from being damaged by pressing it against the wafer boat due to the vertical shifting of the substrate holding hand 1 in the floating state.