Methods and apparatus for transporting substrate carriers

A conveyor system adapted for use in delivering substrate carriers within a semiconductor device manufacturing facility comprising:

• a ribbon that forms a closed loop along at least a portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility, the ribbon adapted to:
• be flexible in a horizontal plane and rigid in a vertical plane;
• transport a plurality of substrate carriers within the at least a portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility;
• and
• continuously rotate;
• wherein the ribbon comprises:
• a vertical portion adapted to support substrate carriers;
• and
• a horizontal portion that extends outward from the vertical portion so as to create a supporting surface adapted to support a weight of the ribbon.

A conveyor system adapted for use in delivering substrate carriers within a semiconductor device manufacturing facility comprising:

• a ribbon that forms a closed loop along at least a portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility, the ribbon adapted to:
• be flexible in a horizontal plane and rigid in a vertical plane;
• and
• continuously rotate;
• and
• a plurality of supports rigidly coupled to the ribbon, each support adapted to support and transport a substrate carrier within the at least a portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility;
• wherein the ribbon comprises:
• a vertical portion adapted to support substrate carriers;
• and
• a horizontal portion that extends outward from the vertical portion so as to create a supporting surface adapted to support a weight of the ribbon.

A conveyor system adapted for use in delivering substrate carriers within a semiconductor device manufacturing facility comprising:

• a ribbon that forms a closed loop along at least a portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility;
• and
• a plurality of supports rigidly coupled to the ribbon, each support adapted to support and transport a single carrier within the at least the portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility;
• wherein the ribbon comprises:
• a vertical portion adapted to support substrate carriers;
• and
• a horizontal portion that extends outward from the vertical portion so as to create a supporting surface adapted to support a weight of the ribbon.

A method of transporting substrate carriers comprising:

• forming a closed loop along at least a portion of a semiconductor device manufacturing facility with a ribbon, the ribbon adapted to be flexible in a horizontal plane and rigid in a vertical plane and having:
• a vertical portion adapted to support substrate carriers;
• and
• a horizontal portion that extends outward from the vertical portion so as to create a supporting surface adapted to support a weight of the ribbon;
• and
• transporting a substrate carrier within the at least a portion of the semiconductor device manufacturing facility with the ribbon.