Various approaches are provided for contamination-free vacuum transfer of samples. As one example, an apparatus includes a compartment configured to store multiple samples held by a cartridge removably coupled to the compartment, a sample port for transferring the cartridge between a charged particle system and a position within the compartment, and a valve configured to seal the compartment at vacuum pressure during transport of the multiple samples between charged particle systems. In this way, samples such as lamellae may be transferred between charged particle systems while maintaining the samples at vacuum pressure, thereby reducing the possibility of sample contamination during sample transfer.

A gas delivery system for substrate processing tool includes a first gas box configured to supply a first gas mixture including one or more gases selected from a first set of N gases to a first substrate processing chamber, where N is an integer greater than one. A second gas box is configured to selectively supply a second gas mixture including one or more gases selected from a second set of M gases to a second substrate processing chamber, where M is an integer greater than one. A third gas box is configured to supply a third gas to the first substrate processing chamber at a first concentration and to supply the third gas to the second substrate processing chamber at a second concentration. The third gas is incompatible with one or more gases in the first set of N gases and with one or more gas in the second set of M gases.

A processing chamber such as a plasma etch chamber can perform deposition and etch operations, where byproducts of the deposition and etch operations can build up in a vacuum pump system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber. A vacuum pump system may have multiple roughing pumps so that etch gases can be diverted a roughing pump and deposition precursors can be diverted to another roughing pump. A divert line may route unused deposition precursors through a separate roughing pump. Deposition byproducts can be prevented from forming by incorporating one or more gas ejectors or venturi pumps at an outlet of a primary pump in a vacuum pump system. Cleaning operations, such as waferless automated cleaning operations, using certain clean chemistries may remove deposition byproducts before or after etch operations.

A gate valve apparatus and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, in which a volume of a drive portion for driving a valve body is reduced, are provided. The gate valve apparatus includes a housing having an opening, a valve body configured to open and close the opening, and a drive portion configured to drive the valve body, in which the drive portion includes a first crankshaft including a first input shaft rotatably supported by a side wall of the housing and a first output shaft rotatably supported by the valve body, a second crankshaft including a second input shaft rotatably supported by the side wall of the housing and a second output shaft rotatably supported by the valve body, a rotation transmission portion configured to transmit rotation of the first input shaft to the second input shaft, and an actuator configured to rotate the first input shaft.

According to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process vessel in which a substrate is processed; an outer vessel configured to cover an outer circumference of the process vessel; a gas flow path provided between the outer vessel and the outer circumference of the process vessel; an exhaust path in communication with the gas flow path; an adjusting valve configured to be capable of adjusting a conductance of the exhaust path; a first exhaust apparatus provided on the exhaust path downstream of the adjusting valve; a pressure sensor configured to measure an inner pressure of the outer vessel; and a controller configured to be capable of adjusting an exhaust volume flow rate of the first exhaust apparatus by controlling the first exhaust apparatus based on a pressure measured by the pressure sensor.

A substrate processing apparatus and method for increasing substrate processing efficiency are provided. The substrate processing apparatus comprises a process chamber, in which a reaction gas is processed to have a first pressure therein, a first pumping module for pumping the process chamber to have a second pressure smaller than the first pressure, a second pumping module for pumping the process chamber to have a third pressure smaller than the second pressure, and a first automatic pressure control module for adjusting a magnitude of the second pressure by adjusting a pumping pressure of the first pumping module.

According to one embodiment, a plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, a plasma generator, a gas supplier supplying, a placement part, a depressurization part, and a supporting part. The supporting part includes a mounting part positioned below the placement part and provided with the placement part, and a beam extending from a side surface of the chamber toward a center axis of the chamber. One end of the beam is connected to a side surface of the mounting part. The beam includes a space connected to an outside space of the chamber. A following formula is satisfied, t1>t2, when a thickness of a side portion on the placement part side of side portions of the beam is taken as t1, a thickness of a side portion on an opposite side of the placement part side of the beam is taken as t2.

An apparatus includes an ion chamber and a valve assembly. The ion chamber may include a housing enclosing a gas and one or more electrodes. The valve assembly is coupled to the ion chamber allowing control of replacement of the gas within the housing.

Tin oxide film on a semiconductor substrate is etched selectively with an etch selectivity of at least 10 in a presence of silicon (Si), carbon (C), or a carbon-containing material (e.g., photoresist) by exposing the substrate to a process gas comprising hydrogen (H.sub.2) and a hydrocarbon (e.g., at a hydrogen/hydrocarbon ratio of at least 5), such that a carbon-containing polymer is formed on the substrate. In some embodiments an apparatus for processing a semiconductor substrate includes a process chamber configured for housing the semiconductor substrate and a controller having program instructions on a non-transitory medium for causing selective etching of a tin oxide layer on a substrate in a presence of silicon, carbon, or a carbon-containing material by exposing the substrate to a plasma formed in a process gas that includes H.sub.2 and a hydrocarbon.

Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include coupling a fluid conduit within a substrate support in a semiconductor processing chamber to a system foreline. The coupling may vacuum chuck a substrate with the substrate support. The methods may include flowing a gas into the fluid conduit. The methods may include maintaining a pressure between the substrate and the substrate support at a pressure higher than the pressure at the system foreline.