Patent ID: 7914248

Claim:
A substrate carrier transferring system comprising: an end effector having one or more end effector pins on a top surface thereof, and having one or more end effector flanges on a bottom surface thereof, wherein the end effector is adapted to support a substrate carrier by a bottom of the substrate carrier via the one or more end effector pins and support the substrate carrier by coupling the one or more end effector flanges to an overhead transfer flange of the substrate carrier; an intermediate support location; and a controller coupled to the end effector and adapted to: employ the end effector to support the substrate carrier by the overhead transfer flange of the substrate carrier via the one or more end effector flanges; transfer the substrate carrier from the end effector to the intermediate support location, wherein the intermediate support location supports the substrate carrier by the bottom of the substrate carrier; reposition the end effector proximate the bottom of the substrate carrier; employ the end effector to support the substrate carrier by the bottom of the substrate carrier via the one or more end effector pins; and transfer the substrate carrier from the intermediate support location.