Load port

• Main Authors: NANPEI ZENTA, TAKAOKA TOSHIYUKI, MATSUSHIMA KEIICHI, MURATA MASANAO, TANAKA TSUYOSHI, OYOBE HIROYUKI, SAEKI HIROAKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.02.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CONVEYING; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

A load port for semiconductor equipment includes a transporting apparatus 18 and/or a moving apparatus 30 for respectively transporting a carrier base 14 and moving a cover 15, using a smaller force until the carrier base 14 and/or the cover 15 reaches a predetermined position that is at a predetermined distance from an opening 16 of the equipment. This position is at a distance where it is no longer possible to catch a hand or other object between the carrier base 14 or cover 15 and the semiconductor equipment. Then, the carrier base 14 and/or the cover 15 is transported or moved towards the opening 16 by the transporting apparatus 18 and/or moving apparatus 30 respectively transporting the carrier base 14 and/or moving the cover 15 towards the opening 16 to completely close the opening 16 using a larger force.