Patent ID: 7258520

Claim:
An apparatus for opening a substrate carrier comprising: a substrate transfer location having a support adapted to support a substrate carrier and an actuator mechanism positioned relative to the support so as to interact with an opening mechanism of a substrate carrier supported by the support; wherein the actuator mechanism is adapted to interface with the opening mechanism of the substrate carrier so as to employ a movement of the substrate carrier to actuate opening of the substrate carrier; wherein the support is a docking platform and the actuator mechanism is adapted to interface with the opening mechanism of the substrate carrier so as to employ a docking movement of the substrate carrier to actuate opening of the substrate carrier; a sensor adapted to sense a condition indicative of air flow directed so as to flow laminarly past the substrate carrier positioned on the docking platform; and a controller coupled to the sensor and the docking platform and adapted to move the docking platform so as to close a substrate carrier supported thereon if the sensor detects loss of the laminar air flow.