Corrosion resistance of valves is enhanced, while ensuring the check valve function of the valves against an inflow of outside air. Disclosed is a substrate storage container that includes: a container body for storing at least one substrate; a lid for closing an opening of the container body; and at least one valve for controlling gas flow to the container body or from the container body. The at least one valve includes an elastic, non-metallic seal lip in a communication passage that extends in a first direction and communicates between an outside of the container body and an inside of the container body. The seal lip has an umbrella-like form which closes on one side in the first direction and opens on the other side in the first direction, the seal lip abutting an inner peripheral wall of the communication passage on the other side.

A cassette magazine for thin semiconductor wafers comprises first and second sidewalls, one or more rods or plates coupling the first and second sidewalls to one another, and a plurality of slot supports configured to support sides of the thin semiconductor wafers extending inward from both the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the plurality of slot supports having widths sufficient to cause a distance by which centers of the thin semiconductor wafers sag to be less than about 0.3 cm when the thin semiconductor wafers have thicknesses of about 100 μm and diameters of 200 mm.

A container for consumables includes multiple holding portions, a partition plate and a fixer. The multiple holding portions are configured to respectively accommodate the consumables, each of which is loaded into and unloaded from one direction. The partition plate includes a first portion formed to be disposed between a light emitting part and a light receiving part of a detector, and the partition plate is accommodated in one of the multiple holding portions. The fixer is configured to fix the container so that the consumables are arranged on a transfer path to be loaded into and unloaded from the multiple holding portions.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for affixing and/or removing a fastener from a wafer-carrying pod. The system includes a robotic arm with a screw tool assembly disposed at the far end of the robotic arm. The screw tool assembly includes a lower sleeve configured to receive a fastener. A screwdriver is disposed within an upper sleeve of the screw tool assembly, and a motor is provided to rotate the screwdriver. In use, the screw tool assembly is positioned over the fastener so the lower sleeve surrounds the fastener and the screwdriver engages the fastener. The screwdriver unscrews the fastener from the pod, and the fastener head is received within the lower sleeve.

Various embodiments herein relate to carriers for supporting one or more substrate as the substrates are passed through a processing apparatus. In many cases, the substrates are oriented in a vertical manner. The carrier may include a frame and vertical support bars that secure the glass to the frame. The carrier may lack horizontal support bars. The carrier may allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the substrates, without any need to provide precise gaps between adjacent pairs of substrates. The carriers described herein substantially reduce the risk of breaking the processing apparatus and substrates, thereby achieving a more efficient process. Certain embodiments herein relate to methods of loading substrates onto a carrier.

A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus, comprising a processing chamber, a wafer boat and a plurality of wafer supports. The wafer boat is configured to accommodate a plurality of wafers and is receivable in the processing chamber for depositing a layer on each wafer. The wafer boat comprises at least two wafer boat posts, wherein each wafer boat post comprises a plurality of slots. Each wafer support comprises a support area configured to support at least a circumferential edge of a wafer, and a flange circumferentially surrounding the support area. The flange is receivable in and supported by the slots and has a width to create a distance between the circumferential edge of the wafer and the wafer boat posts. The distance is such that the wafer boat posts do substantially not influence a layer thickness of the layer which is deposited on the wafer during processing of the wafer.

A cassette which receives a substrate, and a substrate receiving system including a chamber which receives a cassette in which a substrate is loaded are provided. The cassette which receives a substrate includes: a plurality of slot supports stacked in a first direction; and a frame connected to the plurality of slot supports and extending in the first direction, wherein the plurality of slot supports and the frame are opened in an outward direction to receive the substrate, and are closed in an inward direction after the substrate is received.

A wafer access assembly, a wafer access device and a wafer carrier are provided. The wafer access device includes a base, a shaft, a plurality of couple plates, a plurality of arms, and a stretchable component. The base includes a groove. The shaft extends into the groove and is capable of sliding into the groove. The plurality of couple plates mounting on the shaft. Each of the plurality of couple plates includes a plate body and a through hole on the plate body for the shaft passing through. Each of the plurality of arms is extended from an end of each of the plurality of couple plates. The stretchable component includes a plurality of connecting side walls connecting adjacent couple plates together. The plurality of stretchable component are capable of changing a distance between adjacent couple plates.

A system for degassing substrates provides reduced infrared sources in a degas chamber. In some embodiments, the system includes a degas chamber with a microwave source and an infrared temperature sensor positioned in a bottom of the degas chamber, at least one hoop with an annular shape that is configured to support or lift a substrate and is formed from at least one first material that is opaque to microwaves and has an emissivity of 0.1 or less, and at least one actuator with a movable vertical shaft. Each of the at least one actuator is attached under one of the hoops at an outer perimeter of the hoop. The portion of the movable vertical shaft that is exposed to microwaves from the microwave source in the degas chamber is formed from at least one second material that is opaque to microwaves and has an emissivity of 0.1 or less.

A stacking apparatus that stacks substrate and a second substrate includes: a plurality of holding members that hold the first substrate, wherein the plurality of bolding members correct positional misalignment of the first substrate relative to the second substrate by preset amounts of correction, and the plurality of holding members include holding members having the amounts of correction that are different from each other. The stacking apparatus may further include a carrying unit that carries a holding member that is selected from among the plurality of holding members and holds the first substrate from a position here the holding member is housed to a position where the first substrate is held.