Robot having end effector and method of operating the same

An end effector configured to be provided to an arm of a robot, comprising:

• a plurality of blade members for holding substrates, each of the blade members being configured to hold each of the substrates, and at least one of the blade members being configured to be movable relative to another blade member;
• a blade support unit configured to support the blade members, the blade support unit being configured to be driven integrally with the blade members by the robot;
• and
• blade drive means configured to move the at least one blade member relative to the another blade member, whereby a state in which a substrate holding face of the at least one blade member is positioned on a substrate holding side relative to a substrate holding face of the another blade member and a state in which the substrate holding face of the another blade member is positioned on the substrate holding side relative to the substrate holding face of the at least one blade member can be switched in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate held by each blade member,
• wherein each of the blade members has holding means configured to hold the substrate in order to prevent the substrate from being detached from the blade member upon transferring the substrate by the blade member,
• wherein the holding means includes an edge guide mechanism having a movable contact part configured to be in brought into releasable contact with an edge of the substrate, and
• wherein the edge guide mechanism of each of the blade members is configured to be driven independently with each other.