A wafer supporting mechanism including: a wafer supporting table; and a movable part supported by the wafer supporting table, wherein the wafer supporting table includes a wafer supporting portion for transfer that stands up from a first surface opposing a back surface of a wafer to be placed and is provided further toward an inner side than an outer peripheral edge of the wafer to be placed, and the movable part includes a wafer supporting portion for film formation that is positioned further toward an outer peripheral side of the wafer to be placed than the wafer supporting portion for transfer and is relatively movable with respect to the wafer supporting table in a standing direction of the wafer supporting portion for transfer.

The invention relates to a packaging unit for substrates, a packaging stack having packaging units of this type and a method for packaging substrates. The packaging unit for substrates comprises a first substrate, a spacer and a second substrate. The spacer is placed on the first substrate and the second substrate is placed on the spacer. A respective metal deposit is applied to a surface of the first substrate and to a surface of the second substrate and a respective adhesive point is arranged on the two metal deposits. The spacer is placed on the first substrate in such a way that the spacer is only in contact with the first substrate outside of the adhesive point. The spacer is bridge-shaped. At least the first substrate comprises a plurality of individual substrates arranged next to one another and the spacer borders the individual substrates.

It is configured that a frame body is locked to a back panel by: inserting a number of first pins of the frame body into a number of first holes of the back panel; moving a fastening body outward by a moving mechanism of a lock mechanism; and fitting a notch into a concave portion at the tip of the first pin.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may include forming a stack structure by alternately stacking sacrificial layers and interlayer insulating layers on a substrate, forming channel structures extending through the stack structure, forming openings extending through the stack structure, forming lateral openings by removing the sacrificial layers exposed by the openings, and forming gate electrodes in the lateral openings. Forming the gate electrodes may include supplying a source gas containing tungsten (W) wherein the source gas is heated to a first temperature and is supplied in a deposition apparatus at the first temperature, supplying a reactant gas containing hydrogen (H) subsequently to supplying the source gas, wherein the reactant gas is heated to a second temperature and is supplied in the deposition apparatus at the second temperature, and supplying a purge gas subsequently to supplying the reactant gas.

A semiconductor device includes a circuit substrate, at least one semiconductor die, a first frame, and a second frame. The at least one semiconductor die is connected to the circuit substrate. The first frame is disposed on the circuit substrate and encircles the at least one semiconductor die. The second frame is stacked on the first frame. The first frame includes a base portion and an overhang portion. The base portion has a first width. The overhang portion is disposed on the base portion and has a second width greater than the first width. The overhang portion laterally protrudes towards the at least one semiconductor die with respect to the base portion. The first width and the second width are measured in a protruding direction of the overhang portion.

A wafer cassette includes a case, a plurality of wafer trays, and a plurality of transmission mechanisms. The wafer trays are disposed in the case. Each of the wafer trays includes a central opening, a first groove, and a second groove. The diameter of the second groove is greater than that of the first groove. A bottom surface of the second groove is higher than that of the first groove. The first and second grooves surround the central opening. Each of the transmission mechanisms is connected to the corresponding wafer tray to move the wafer tray between a pick-up position and a received position. Since the wafer tray has grooves with different diameters, the wafer tray is capable of receiving wafers with different sizes.

A substrate carrier unit includes a substrate carrier and a phase transition material. The substrate carrier defines an isolated space therein. The phase transition material is filled into the isolated space of the substrate carrier and has a melting point ranging between 18° C. and 95° C. The phase transition material is capable of absorbing thermal energy from the substrate carrier as latent heat to change the phase from solid to liquid.

Provided is a SiC substrate treatment method for, with respect to a SiC substrate (40) that has, on its surface, grooves (41), activating ions while preventing roughening of the surface of the substrate. In the method, an ion activation treatment in which the SiC substrate (40) is heated under Si vapor pressure is performed to the SiC substrate (40) has, on its surface, an ion implantation region (46) in which ions have been implanted, and has the grooves (41) provided in a region including at least the ion implantation region (46), thereby ions that are implanted in the SiC substrate (40) is activated while etching the surface of the substrate.

In accordance with various embodiments, provision is made of a substrate holding device, wherein the latter may comprise a carrier plate with a recess, the recess extending from an upper side of the carrier plate to a lower side of the carrier plate through the carrier plate, a holding frame, which has a frame opening and a support area, surrounding the frame opening, for holding a substrate in the recess, wherein the holding frame inserted into the recess lies on the carrier plate in sections.

A wafer sorting and stoking system provides automated storage and retrieval of wafer frames carrying semiconductor wafers. A wafer frame cassette is received at a transfer port from a transfer system. A robot arm retrieves the wafer frames from the cassette and stores each wafer frame in a respective storage slot in one of a plurality of storage towers. The storage location of each wafer frame is recorded. Each wafer frame can be selectively retrieved and loaded into a wafer frame cassette by the robot arm for further processing.