An Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) having a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) dock and a tool access port, includes a robotic wafer handling system configured to transfer silicon wafers between a FOUP coupled to the FOUP dock and a process tool positioned for access via the tool access port. An air curtain system inside the EFEM is positioned to produce an air curtain across the tool access port while the port is open, acting to isolate the interior of the EFEM from the tool environment, and prevent passage of airborne contaminants into the EFEM via the access port.

A substrate transfer device and method as well as a photolithography apparatus are disclosed. The device includes a motion platform and a plurality of transfer stages which are arranged side-by-side along a first direction are configured to transfer substrates in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The motion platform includes a base table and a plurality of motion tables in movable connection with the base table. Each of the transfer stages is connected to, and movable in the first direction with, a corresponding one of the motion tables. A pre-alignment assembly for pre-alignment and positional adjustments of the substrates is provided on the motion platform and on the transfer stages. When one of the transfer stages is unloading a first substrate, another one of the transfer stages receives a second substrate and effectuates its first- and second-directional pre-alignment with the aid of the pre-alignment assembly.

The present disclosure provides a multi-substrate handling system having an alignment apparatus capable of positioning each of a set of substrates in predetermined orientations for transfer. A buffer chamber is configured to receive and condition the set of substrates which are disposed on a substrate carrier. A first transfer assembly is configured to transfer the set of substrates to and from the buffer chamber and is capable of transferring each of the set of substrates from the alignment apparatus to the carrier in the buffer chamber. The carrier includes a plurality of modules capable of securing the set of substrates. The system includes a second transfer assembly having at least two robots configured to transfer the carrier of the set of substrates between the buffer chamber and a process chamber. The process chamber is capable of processing the set of substrates using different process parameters for each substrate.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate, the apparatus including a stage configured to hold and move the substrate, a conveying unit configured to hold and convey the substrate between conveying unit and the stage, an accumulation unit configured to accumulate control information concerning the stage and the conveying unit which is generated by processing the substrate, and a determination unit configured to determine a conveying procedure when conveying the substrate between the stage and the conveying unit by selecting one of a plurality of conveying procedures which can be set for the stage and the conveying unit based on control information accumulated in the accumulation unit.

Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus including a coating module, an exposure module, a plurality of developing modules, and a transfer unit that performs transfer of a substrate between the modules. The plurality of developing modules include a plurality of post-exposure bake units that perform a bake process on a substrate on which an exposure process is completely performed in the exposure module. The substrate treating apparatus further includes a controller that controls the transfer of the substrate by the transfer unit. When transferring a substrate from the exposure module to the plurality of post-exposure bake units, the controller performs control to select a post-exposure bake unit in which the least delay time occurs, among the plurality of post-exposure bake units and to transfer the substrate to the selected post-exposure bake unit.

The inventive concept relates to a substrate treating method including measuring an alignment state of a substrate placed on a hand of a transfer unit that transfers the substrate, transferring the substrate to a substrate alignment unit by the transfer unit when the alignment state of the substrate is faulty, and aligning a location of the substrate by the substrate alignment unit, wherein the substrate treating method includes temporarily correcting the location of the substrate before the substrate is loaded on the substrate alignment unit when it is measured in the measuring of the alignment state that the alignment state of the substrate exceeds a sensor reading range.

An apparatus for transferring a target, such as a substrate or a substrate support structure onto which a substrate has been clamped, from a substrate transfer system to a vacuum chamber of a lithography system. The apparatus comprises a load lock chamber for transferring the target into and out of the vacuum chamber. The load lock chamber comprises a first wall with a first passage providing access between a robot space and the interior of the load lock chamber, a second wall with a second passage providing access between the interior of the load lock chamber and the vacuum chamber, and plurality of handling robots for transferring the targets comprising: a first handling robot movable within the robot space to access the substrate transfer system and the first passage; and a second handling robot movable within the load lock chamber to access the first passage and the second passage.

A lithographic apparatus comprising a substrate storage module having a controllable environment for protecting lithographically exposed substrates from ambient air. The substrate storage module is configured to store at least twenty substrates and the substrate storage module is an integral part of the lithographic apparatus. The substrate storage module may be used to protect substrates from ambient air during stitched lithographic exposures.

A carrier system and method carries an object to an object mounting member provided with an object mounting section. The system includes: a measurement device which obtains information related to a flatness of the object; a carrier member that carries the object; and a controller which controls a driving speed of the carrier member using the information related to the flatness of the object obtained by the measurement device.

A substrate treatment apparatus includes a transport part to transport a transparent rectangular substrate, a substrate support part to support the substrate, light generators to irradiate two different lights onto the moving substrate, and sense the irradiated lights, and a controller to determine a posture of the substrate with reference to the sensed lights and control the transport part such that the substrate is seated on the substrate support part in a default posture that is preset. The controller determines the posture of the transparent rectangular substrate with respect to the default posture using a time difference between a time point at which a first light of the two different lights is not transmitted through an edge of the transparent rectangular substrate and a time point at which a second light of the two different lights is not transmitted through the edge of the transparent rectangular substrate.