FOUP door transfer system

A device (12) to pick up at least one disc-shaped semi-conductor wafer (11) from a container (14) of such wafers on one side (15) of an aperture (13) in the transfer station (10) of a semi-conductor wafer processing plant, the device being situated in the space (16) on the opposite side (17) of the said aperture, the device incorporating a moving shutter (1) designed to move between a first, closed aperture, position and a second, open aperture, position allowing access to the interior of the container, a means of moving (18) this shutter between these first and second positions, the said movement taking place, at least in part, in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of the aperture, the said device is identifiable in that it incorporates:

• means of picking up (2) at least one semi-conductor wafer (11) by partially entering the container below a wafer and then picking up the wafer by its rim,
• means of moving (3) the said pick-ups (2) between the space on the second side of the aperture and the first side, and back again,
• means of linking (4) the said shutter with the said pick-up mechanism,
• the said pick-ups (2) incorporate first (6) and second (7) moving arms designed to adopt an initial position in which they lie approximately parallel and a second position in which they form a specific angle (α) to one another such that they form a flat, support structure for the semi-conductor wafer (11).