A transport device includes a transport vehicle, a cover member, an invasion detection sensor, and a muting device configured to invalidate the invasion detection sensor. The transport vehicle includes a mounting section and a wagon section configured to support the mounting section and travel. The detection surface is disposed to intersect with the movement trajectory of the transport target. The muting device invalidates the invasion detection sensor in response to an affirmative detection result from a mount sensor and an affirmative detection result from a range detection sensor, and the muting device validates the invasion detection sensor in response to a negative detection result from the mount sensor or a negative detection result from the range detection sensor.

A method of etching a thin film includes: a first puddling operation of forming a first puddle of a chemical solution on a substrate by supplying and spreading the chemical solution on the substrate on which a thin film is formed; a first etching operation of partially etching the thin film using the chemical solution on the substrate; a first rinsing operation of supplying the chemical solution onto the substrate to rinse off the first puddle of the chemical solution and apply the chemical solution onto the substrate; a second puddling operation of forming a second puddle of the chemical solution on the substrate; a second etching operation of partially etching the thin film; and a second rinsing operation of supplying the chemical solution onto the substrate to rinse off the second puddle of the chemical solution on the substrate and apply the chemical solution on to the substrate.

An etching method includes a preparing step and a removing step. In the preparing step, a substrate is prepared which includes a first film, a second film stacked on the first film, and a hard mask stacked on the second film, such that the second film is etched with the hard mask having a formed pattern as a mask until the first film is exposed. In the removing step, the hard mask is removed using a fluorine-containing gas. Further, the removing step is executed for a time longer than a first time from a start of a supply of the fluorine-containing gas to a start of an etching of the hard mask, and shorter than a second time from the start of the supply of the fluorine-containing gas to a start of an etching of the first film.

A method for providing a pre-deposition treatment (e.g., of a work-function layer) to accomplish work function tuning. In various embodiments, a gate dielectric layer is formed over a substrate, and a work-function metal layer is deposited over the gate dielectric layer. In some embodiments, a first in-situ process including a pre-treatment process of the work-function metal layer is performed. By way of example, the pre-treatment process removes an oxidized layer of the work-function metal layer to form a treated work-function metal layer. In some embodiments, after performing the first in-situ process, a second in-situ process including a deposition process of another metal layer over the treated work-function metal layer is performed.

An information storage stores operation information regarding operations of an operating part group including a load port group, a processing unit group, and a transport mechanism. The operation information includes processing result information indicating a result of substrate processing performed by a substrate processing apparatus, and operational status information indicating temporal breakdowns of operational statuses of the substrate processing apparatus and operating parts included in the operating part group. The display controller displays the processing result information while arranging it according to an arrangement item selected from a predetermined arrangement item including an arbitrary operating period of the substrate processing apparatus. The display controller classifies the operational status information into broadly classified operational statuses and into specifically classified operational statuses and displays the classified operational status information. This enables an operator to easily recognize detailed operational statuses of the operating parts in association with the result of substrate processing.

A method of forming silicon within a gap on a surface of a substrate. The method includes use of two or more pyrometers to measure temperatures at two or more positions on a substrate and/or a substrate support and a plurality of heaters that can be divided into zones of heaters, wherein the heaters or zones of heaters can be independently controlled based on the measured temperatures and desired temperature profiles.

A substrate processing method includes a first oxidation step of heating a substrate at a first temperature by irradiation of light of a first intensity while supplying an oxygen gas or an ozone gas to the substrate, a first etching step of supplying an etching liquid to the substrate to make a surface layer of a molybdenum film that changed to molybdenum trioxide dissolve in the etching liquid, a second oxidation step of heating the substrate at a second temperature by irradiation of light of a second intensity while supplying the oxygen gas or the ozone gas to the substrate, and a second etching step of supplying the etching liquid to the substrate to make the surface layer of the molybdenum film that changed to the molybdenum trioxide dissolve in the etching liquid.

A wafer handling device is configured to transport a wafer tray. The wafer handling device includes a sucker module and a transporting apparatus. The sucker module includes a sucker body, at least one airtight assembly, and a pump. The sucker body includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a hole and a first air sucking hole. The second portion has a second air sucking hole. The airtight assembly is connected to the hole. The pump has a suction tube connected to the first air sucking hole and the second air sucking hole. The transporting apparatus is configured to move the sucker body. When the sucker body is connected to the wafer tray, the first portion, the second portion, and the wafer tray form an airtight space.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a mold layer on a substrate, forming a hardmask layer on the mold layer such that a portion of the mold layer is exposed, and using the hardmask layer to perform on the mold layer a cryogenic etching process. The cryogenic etching process includes supplying a chamber with a process gas including first and second process gases, and generating a plasma from the process gas. Radicals of the first process gas etch the exposed portion of the mold layer. Ammonium salt is produced based on the radicals etching the exposed portion of the mold layer. The second process gas includes an ROH compound. The R is hydrogen, a C1 to C5 alkyl group, a C2 to C6 alkenyl group, a C2 to C6 alkynyl group, or a phenyl group. The second process gas reduces a production rate of the ammonium salt.

Exemplary integrated cluster tools may include a factory interface including a first transfer robot. The tools may include a wet clean system coupled with the factory interface at a first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a load lock chamber coupled with the wet clean system at a second side of the wet clean system opposite the first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a first transfer chamber coupled with the load lock chamber. The first transfer chamber may include a second transfer robot. The tools may include a thermal treatment chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber. The tools may include a second transfer chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber. The second transfer chamber may include a third transfer robot. The tools may include a metal deposition chamber coupled with the second transfer chamber.