US 12,131,933 B2
Load port
Tatsuru Ogawa, Tokyo (JP); Yuki Ishihara, Tokyo (JP); and Toshiya Sugimoto, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Sinfonia Technology Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Sinfonia Technology Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Aug. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/880,555.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-129029 (JP), filed on Aug. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0039017 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/677 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67772 (2013.01) [H01L 21/67265 (2013.01); H01L 21/67778 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A load port, comprising:
a frame including an opening via which a transfer target object is capable of passing in a substantially horizontal posture;
a load port door configured to engage with a container door capable of opening and closing a loading/unloading port of a storage container including slots capable of accommodating the transfer target object in a multi-stage manner, and to open and close the opening of the frame; and
a mapping mechanism configured to map information on an accommodation state including presence or absence of the transfer target object in each of the slots in the storage container via the opening and the loading/unloading port,
wherein the mapping mechanism includes:
two mapping sensors configured to move up and down integrally with or independently of ascending/descending movement of the load port door when opening and closing the opening, and capable of detecting an end surface of the transfer target object without imaging and image processing by irradiating detection waves toward an inside of the storage container; and
a determination part configured to determine whether the accommodation state of the transfer target object is good or bad based on sensing information obtained by the two mapping sensors.