Patent ID: 9412633
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: H01L

Claim Text:
1. A workpiece transfer system for use with a plurality of workpieces and at least one process module structured to conduct a predetermined processing operation on the workpiece, the workpiece transfer system comprising: a workpiece storage unit structured to store the plurality of workpieces; and a transfer mechanism structured to move the workpiece storage unit in a moving direction; a plurality of robots arranged in the moving direction of the workpiece storage unit, each of the plurality of robots being structured to transfer a workpiece of the plurality of workpieces between the workpiece storage unit and one of the at least one process module, wherein a transfer direction of the workpiece between the workpiece storage unit and the one of the workpiece process module is approximately perpendicular to the moving direction; wherein the workpiece storage unit is one of a plurality of workpiece storage units placed so as to be stacked in a vertical direction, wherein the transfer mechanism is one of a plurality of transfer mechanisms structured to move each of the plurality of said workpiece storage units, and a number of robots in the plurality of robots is equal to or greater than a number of workpiece storage units in the plurality of workplace storage units; wherein each of the plurality of robots comprises: the plurality of said robots are placed in the moving direction of the workpiece storage units; the plurality of said workpiece storage units are placed below the plurality of said robots; and a lower limit position of each moving range of the end effector provided to each of the plurality of said robots is lowered in a stepwise manner in the transfer direction of the workpiece storage units, and the lower limit position is set according to an elevation of each of the plurality of said workpiece storage units.