Substrate carrier transport, sorting and loading/unloading

A substrate stocker system, comprising:

• a high density storage chamber that comprises one or more high density containers or stacks of one or more substrates, each substrate being supported on a respective carrier wherein the high density containers or stacks are in a closed position;
• one or more low density containers, each low density container being configured to store one or more substrates and carriers;
• one or more opener stations, each opener station configured to send or receive one or more stacks or containers from at least one high density storage chamber and one or more substrates from the low density containers, each opener station comprising one or more separator modules for changing one or more distances between corresponding one or more adjacent substrates in the high density containers or stacks;
• at least one robot wherein the one or more robots are configured to move:
• one or more containers or stacks between the high density storage chamber, and the one or more opener stations;
• and
• one or more substrates between the one or more high density open position high density containers or stacks and the one or more low density containers.