Patent ID: 6345947
Filing Date: 2002-02-12
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A substrate arranging apparatus wherein a carrier is conveyed to the apparatus with a plurality of substrates held therein in a vertical attitude in a face-to-face disposition at constant intervals, said carrier having an upwardly and downwardly open internal through space, said apparatus comprising:a table having an upper surface with a vertical through opening, said upper surface being configured to support thereon said carrier with said internal through space of the carrier positioned above the vertical through opening of the table in a vertical alignment; a first horizontal support member for supporting substrates in a vertical attitude in a face-to-face disposition at constant intervals; second horizontal support members provided on opposite outer sides of said first horizontal support member, respectively; a first support mechanism that moves one of said first horizontal support member and said table vertically relative to each other such that said first horizontal support member moves vertically through and relative to said vertical through opening of the table and through and relative to said internal through space of the carrier supported on said table; a second support mechanism that moves said second horizontal support members vertically such that when the second horizontal support members are raised, the second horizontal support members engage only a first group of substrates among the substrates that are being supported by said first horizontal support member, and raise only the first group of substrates relative to a second group of substrates other than said first group; a rotating device that rotates said first horizontal support member which is supporting the second group of substrates through an angle of 180Â° relative to said second horizontal support members while said first group of substrates is being raised relative to the second group; and said second horizontal support members being movable downward after rotating the first horizontal support member to bring back said once raised first group of substrates to said position on said first horizontal support member in such a manner as to cause the substrates of the first group to be interposed between adjacent substrates of the second group, whereby all of the substrates on the first horizontal support member are disposed alternately with front surfaces of the substrates of the first group facing front surfaces of adjacent substrates of the second group and with back surface of the substrates of the first group facing back surface of adjacent substrates of the second group.