Integrated intrabay buffer, delivery, and stocker system

A transport system within a semiconductor fabrication site, the site including a plurality of processing tool bays, and an interbay transport system for transferring a substrate-carrying container to a delivery position within a processing tool bay of the plurality of processing tool bays, the processing tool bay further including a plurality of semiconductor processing tools and a plurality of storage locations, the transport system comprising:

• at least one shuttle associated with the processing tool bay, said at least one shuttle including means for gripping the container and capable of translation vertically and horizontally, and said at least one shuttle capable of transferring the container between the delivery position, the plurality of processing tools, and the plurality of storage locations without hand off of the container.

A processing tool bay within a semiconductor fabrication site, at least a section of the processing tool bay comprising:

• a plurality of processing tools for processing semiconductor wafers, each processing tool of said plurality of processing tools including an input/output (I/O) port for transfer of a substrate-carrying container into and out of said each processing tool;
• and
• a plurality of storage locations for storing the substrate-carrying container, at least one storage location of said plurality of storage locations being in the same vertical plane as at least some of said I/O ports of said plurality of processing tools and said at least one storage location being located at least partially vertically above one I/O port of said at least some I/O ports.

A processing tool bay within a semiconductor fabrication site, the processing tool bay including a plurality of processing tools for processing substrates, each processing tool of said plurality of processing tools including an input/output port for transfer of a substrate-carrying container into and out of said each processing tool, at least a section of the processing tool bay comprising:

• a plurality of storage locations for storing the substrate-carrying container, at least one of said plurality of storage locations being positioned at least partially vertically above at least one input/output port of said plurality of processing tools;
• and
• a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate-carrying container around the process tool bay in a plane shared by said plurality of storage locations.

A processing tool bay within a semiconductor fabrication site, the processing tool bay including a plurality of processing tools for processing substrates, each processing tool of said plurality of processing tools including an input/output port for transfer of a substrate-carrying container into and out of said each processing tool, at least a section of the processing tool bay comprising:

• a plurality of storage locations for storing the substrate-carrying container, at least one of said plurality of storage locations being positioned at least partially vertically above at least one input/output port of said plurality of processing tools;
• and
• a transport system for transporting the substrate-carrying container around the process tool bay solely in a vertical plane.