Reduced capacity carrier, transport, load port, buffer system

A semiconductor workpiece processing system comprising:

• an overhead gantry feeder shuttle that interfaces with and crosses the travel direction of at least one of an interbay transport section and an intrabay transport section for transporting the substrate holding containers between the at least one of an interbay transport section and an intrabay transport section and at least one fixed substrate holding container storage, where the at least one fixed substrate holding container storage disposed above the at least one substrate processing tool;
• a transport section configured to transport substrate holding containers overhead the at least one substrate processing tool, the transport section
• being configured to interface, overhead the at least one substrate processing tool, with at least the at least one fixed substrate holding container storage so that substrate holding container transfer between the transport section and the at least one substrate holding container storage is overhead the at least one substrate processing tool, and
• being configured to transport substrate holding containers between the at least one substrate holding container storage and the at least one substrate processing tool;
• wherein the transport section includes at least one overhead gantry disposed above the at least one substrate processing tool and defining at least two independent intersecting and horizontally coplanar transport axes effecting transport of the substrate holding container with two degree of freedom motion in a horizontal plane of motion.