A carrier system and method carries a plate-like object to an object mounting member provided with an object mounting section. The system includes an adjustment device that changes a shape of the plate-like object into a predetermined shape before the plate-like object is mounted onto the object mounting section. The plate-like object whose shape is changed into the predetermined shape is mounted onto the object mounting section.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing block in which a substrate is sequentially transferred and processed; a carry-in/out transfer mechanism that carrys-in/out the substrate with respect to modules; a carry-out module configured to place the substrate therein after the substrate is processed; a multi-module configured by a plurality of modules having a same order in which the substrate is transferred in the processing block; a main transfer mechanism that moves around in a transfer path provided in the processing block to deliver the substrate among the modules; and a controller that sets a first transfer schedule including determination of a number of modules to become transfer destinations of the substrate in the multi-module, and determination of a number of stay cycles which is a number of times that the main transfer mechanism moves around after the substrate is carried into the multi-module until the substrate is carried out.

Apparatus and methods are described for the automated transfer and storage of transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning/transmission electron microscope (STEM) lamella samples throughout a semiconductor manufacturing facility using existing automation infrastructure such as a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP). Also provided are wafer facsimiles corresponding to outer dimensions of semiconductor, data storage or solar cell wafers, wherein the facsimiles adapted to store, carry and/or provide a testing platform for testing of samples taken from semiconductor, data storage or solar cell wafers.

A substrate on which exposure processing has not been performed is carried into a placement cooling unit and cooled. The cooled substrate is held and carried out from the placement cooling unit by a transport device. In the case where an exposure device is able to receive the substrate, the substrate that has been carried out from the placement cooling unit is transported to the exposure device by the transport device. In the case where the exposure device is unable to receive the substrate, the substrate that has been carried out from the platform cooling unit is carried into a cooling buffer unit by the transport device. In the cooling buffer unit, a temperature of the substrate is maintained. After the exposure device becomes able to receive the substrate, the substrate is carried out from the cooling buffer unit and transported to the exposure device by the transport device.

A temperature control device and a temperature control method are provided. The temperature control device is located at an interface between a photoresist coating and developing machine and a lithography machine and includes: a temperature detection device, a gas flow generator and a controller. The temperature detection device and the gas flow generator are respectively connected to the controller. The temperature detection device is configured to detect an actual temperature at the interface in real time. The gas flow generator is at least configured to generate a gas flow sealing knife around the interface. The controller is configured to control the gas flow generator to generate the gas flow sealing knife responsive to that the actual temperature detected by the temperature detection device is not equal to the target temperature, to control the actual temperature at the interface to reach the target temperature through the gas flow sealing knife.

A gripper configured to transport a substrate in a lithographic apparatus, the gripper including: a main body with one or more engagement portions for engaging with a surface of the substrate, wherein a part of the main body, that is overlapped by a region of a substrate when the one or more engagement portions are engaged with the substrate, has a plurality of openings that extend through the main body in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

In order to improve the throughput performance and/or economy of a measurement apparatus, the present disclosure provides a metrology apparatus including: a first measuring apparatus; a second measuring apparatus; a first substrate stage configured to hold a first substrate and/or a second substrate; a second substrate stage configured to hold the first substrate and/or the second substrate; a first substrate handler configured to handle the first substrate and/or the second substrate; and a second substrate handler configured to handle the first substrate and/or the second substrate, wherein the first substrate is loaded from a first, second or third FOUP, wherein the second substrate is loaded from the first, second or third FOUP, wherein the first measuring apparatus is an alignment measuring apparatus, and wherein the second measuring apparatus is a level sensor, a film thickness measuring apparatus or a spectral reflectance measuring apparatus.

A method for creating a vacuum in a load lock chamber is provided. The method includes building an air-tight environment in the load lock chamber. The method further includes reducing the pressure in a gas tank to a predetermined vacuum pressure. The method also includes enabling an exchange of gas between the load lock chamber and the gas tank when the pressure in the gas tank is at the predetermined vacuum pressure so as to reduce the pressure in the load lock chamber to an adjusted vacuum pressure.

A system for a semiconductor fabrication facility includes a manufacturing tool including a load port, a maintenance tool including a first track and at least one maintenance crane on the first track, a rectangular zone overlapping with the load port, a plurality of first sensors on the first track and at corners of the rectangular zone configured to detect a location of the maintenance crane and generate a first location date, a transporting tool including a second track and a OHT vehicle on the second track, at least a second sensor on the OHT vehicle and configured to generate a second location data, at least a third sensor on the load port, and a control unit configured to receive the first location data and the second location data, and send signals to the second sensor and the third sensor or to cut off the signal to the second sensor.

The present disclosure generally relates to a method and apparatus for loading, processing, and unloading substrates. A processing system comprises a load/unload system coupled to a photolithography system. The load/unload system comprises a first set of tracks having a first height and a first width, and a second set of tracks having a second height and a second width different than the first height and first width. An unprocessed substrate is transferred from a lift pin loader to a chuck along the first set of tracks on a first tray while a processed substrate is transferred from the chuck to the lift pin loader along the second set of tracks on a second tray. While a first tray remains with a substrate on the chuck during processing, the load/unload system is configured to unload a processed substrate and load an unprocessed substrate on a second tray.