Patent ID: 9254566
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: B25J,H01L,Y10S,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. An end effector configured to be provided to an arm of a robot, comprising: a plurality of blade members configured to respectively hold substrates, the blade members being configured such that each interval between the blade members is changeable; a blade support unit configured to support the plurality of blade members, the blade support unit being configured to be driven integrally with the plurality of blade members by the robot; and a blade drive unit configured to change the interval between the blade members by moving at least one of the plurality of blade members relative to another blade member, wherein a total thickness of the plurality of blade members in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate is reduced to be less than a predetermined thickness when the interval between the blade members is shortened by the blade drive unit, the predetermined thickness being set as a blade-insertable thickness defined between adjacent stages of multiple stages on which the substrates are placed, wherein each of the blade members has a holding unit configured to hold the substrate in order to prevent the substrate from being detached from the blade member upon transferring the substrate, wherein the holding unit includes an edge guide mechanism having a movable contact part configured to be brought into releasable contact with an edge of the substrate, wherein the edge guide mechanism of each of the blade members is configured to be driven independently with each other, and wherein the movable contact part is configured to be vertically moved together with the blade member.