Patent ID: 7677180

Claim:
An apparatus for transporting a semiconductor wafer or lithographic reticles during processing, comprising: a plurality of track sections including a bottom surface and sidewalls, forming different routes within a process area, said routes including attachable turn sections, junction sections, and straight sections; a transport vehicle including a front steering truck adapted to travel on said plurality of track sections, main support wheels, and guide wheels; a plurality of computer controlled electro-magnets mounted on said front steering truck, said electro-magnets activated by said computer to propel said transport vehicle, initiate turns on said collection of track sections, and locate said vehicle; a plurality of permanent magnets mounted on said track sections' bottom surface and said sidewalls, where said permanent magnets on said bottom surface are separate magnets from said permanent magnets located on said sidewalls, said permanent magnets responsive to said electro-magnets when activated for steering said transport vehicle, such that said vehicle merges or diverges from one track section to another track section without coming in contact with said sidewalls of said track section; and air jets mounted to or within said plurality of track sections for supplying a cushion of air with force adequate to lift said transport vehicle off said plurality of track sections.