In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a tube assembly having an inner space in which substrates are processed and assembled by laminating a plurality of laminates, a substrate holder configured to support the plurality of substrates in a multistage manner in the inner space of the tube assembly, a gas supply unit installed on one side of the tube assembly to supply a process gas to each of the plurality of substrates in the inner space; and an exhaust unit connected to the tube assembly to exhaust the process gas supplied into the inner space, the substrate processing apparatus that induces a laminar flow to supply a uniform amount of process gas to a top surface of the substrate.

Semiconductor wafer carriers, methods for manufacturing the semiconductor wafer carriers, and methods for using the semiconductor wafer carriers. The semiconductor wafer carriers can include features for avoiding double-slotting, for preventing glove marks on semiconductor wafers, and for providing additional sitting and storage options for the wafer carrier. In some examples, a semiconductor wafer carrier includes multiple notched left-side rods that are parallel in a vertical direction and multiple notched right-side rods that are parallel in the vertical direction. The semiconductor wafer carrier includes one or more bottom rods. The left-side rods, the right-side rods, and the one or more bottom rods are joined to define semiconductor wafer slots.

Methods for processing semiconductor wafers, methods for loading semiconductor wafers into wafer carriers, and semiconductor wafer carriers. The methods and wafer carriers can be used for increasing the rigidity of wafers, e.g., large and thin wafers, by intentionally bowing the wafers to an extent that does not break the wafers. In some examples, a method for processing semiconductor wafers includes loading each semiconductor wafer into a respective semiconductor wafer slot of a semiconductor wafer carrier, horizontally bowing each semiconductor wafer, and moving the semiconductor wafer carrier into a processing station and processing the semiconductor wafers at the processing station while the semiconductor wafers are loaded into the semiconductor wafer carrier and horizontally bowed.

Semiconductor wafer carriers, methods for manufacturing the semiconductor wafer carriers, and methods for using the semiconductor wafer carriers. The semiconductor wafer carriers can include features for avoiding double-slotting, for preventing glove marks on semiconductor wafers, and for providing additional sitting and storage options for the wafer carrier. In some examples, a semiconductor wafer carrier includes multiple notched left-side rods that are parallel in a vertical direction and multiple notched right-side rods that are parallel in the vertical direction. The semiconductor wafer carrier includes one or more bottom rods. The left-side rods, the right-side rods, and the one or more bottom rods are joined to define semiconductor wafer slots.

Provided is a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method. The substrate processing system includes a polishing part for performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process on a substrate, a cleaning part for cleaning the substrate on which the polishing process is performed, and a substrate transferring part for transferring the substrate to the cleaning part before polishing the substrate in the polishing part. The substrate may be preparatorily cleaned in the cleaning part before the polishing process, and then enters the polishing part.

A drying holder holds a solar cell in an upright state, and is used in an electrode drying process. The drying holder is provided with a base part on which the solar cell is placed, and a support part that is disposed on the base part, and forms a support slot that is capable of accommodating the solar cell. Vents are formed on the base part and/or the support part.

A posture changing device changes the posture of a substrate from one of horizontal and vertical postures to the other posture. In the posture changing device, before transfer of the substrate between a vertical holder and a pusher, a controller controls a holder shifting mechanism on the basis of a warped state of the substrate to shift the position in the thickness direction of a horizontal holder by a shift distance from the vertical holder, the shift distance being determined on the basis of the warped state. Thus, it is possible to suitably transfer the substrate between the vertical holder and the pusher, even if the substrate is warped, while preventing the substrate from coming into contact with the horizontal holder.

In order to provide an improved introduction of high-frequency waves into a wafer boat, a plasma treatment apparatus for wafers, in particular for semiconductor wafers for semiconductor or photovoltaic applications, is provided, wherein the apparatus comprises a processing room for holding a wafer boat, the wafer boat having a plurality of electrically conductive carrier elements for the wafers, means of controlling or regulating a process gas atmosphere in the processing room, and at least one voltage source which can be connected with the wafer boat by means of a cable fed into the processing room. The cable is in the form of a coaxial cable with an inner conductor and an outer conductor, and a dielectric is provided between the inner conductor and the outer conductor in such a way that, when a high-frequency voltage is applied, the propagation speed and the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in the coaxial cable is reduced as opposed to the propagation speed and the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in a vacuum.

A substrate transport apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a casing and a door. The casing is adapted to form a controlled environment therein. The casing has supports therein for holding at least one substrate in the casing. The casing defines a substrate transfer opening through which a substrate transport system accesses the substrate in the casing. The door is connected to the casing for closing the substrate transfer opening in the casing. The casing has structure forming a fast swap element allowing replacement of the substrate from the apparatus with another substrate without retraction of the substrate transport system and independent of substrate loading in the casing.

Introduced here is a wafer separator configured to carry a semiconductor wafer with improved efficiency, protection, and reduced costs when utilized in the handling, transport, or storage of semiconductor components. The wafer separator may include a circular ring having an outer edge defining a periphery of the circular ring. The circular ring may include an inner edge defining a central opening of the circular ring. The wafer separator may include a first-right angled recess for receiving a semiconductor wafer that extends downward from a top surface of the circular ring. The wafer separator may also include a second right-angled recess for maintaining a gap beneath the semiconductor wafer when the semiconductor wafer is set within the first right-angled recess. In some embodiments, the wafer separator also includes interlock components for connecting the wafer separator to adjacent wafer separators.