An orientation chamber is provided. The orientation chamber includes a substrate holder, an orientation detector, and a purging system. The substrate holder is configured to hold a substrate. The orientation detector is configured to detect an orientation of the substrate. The purging system is configured to inject a cleaning gas into the orientation chamber and remove contaminants from the substrate. The purging system includes a gas regulator adjusting a volume of the cleaning gas supplied into the orientation chamber according to a detection signal output from a gas detector which indicates a content of a specific gas contaminant outgassed from the substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a controller 61 configured to perform a first recipe and a second recipe in parallel. Each of the first recipe and the second recipe includes a first transfer processing of transferring a substrate from a transit unit 14 to a liquid processing unit 17, a liquid processing, a second transfer processing of transferring the substrate from the liquid processing unit 17 to a drying unit 18 and a drying processing. The controller 61 determines, while the first recipe on a first substrate in substrates is being performed, when the second recipe on a second substrate in the substrates is started, a start timing of the first transfer processing of the second substrate such that a time period of the second transfer processing of the first substrate does not overlap with a time period of the second transfer processing of the second substrate.

A die sorter tool may include a first conveyor, and a first lane to receive, from one or more load ports and via the first conveyor, a carrier with a set of dies. The die sorter tool may include a die flip module to receive the carrier from the first lane, manipulate one or more dies of the set of dies by changing orientations of the one or more dies, and return the one or more dies to the carrier after manipulating the one or more dies and without changing positions of the one or more dies within the carrier. The die sorter tool may include a second conveyor, and a second lane to receive, via the second conveyor, the carrier from the die flip module, and provide, via the first conveyor, the carrier to the one or more load ports.

Provided is a substrate processing system for improving productivity of processes. In this regard, the substrate processing system includes: a first chamber providing a space where at least one substrate is accommodated; a second chamber configured to transfer at least one substrate to the first chamber; and a temperature control unit configured to change a temperature of a gas in the second chamber.

A method of preparing a self-aligned via on a semiconductor workpiece includes using an integrated sequence of processing steps executed on a common manufacturing platform hosting a plurality of processing modules including one or more film-forming modules, one or more etching modules, and one or more transfer modules. The integrated sequence of processing steps include receiving the workpiece into the common manufacturing platform, the workpiece having a pattern of metal features in a dielectric layer wherein exposed surfaces of the metal features and exposed surfaces of the dielectric layer together define an upper planar surface; selectively etching the metal features to form a recess pattern by recessing the exposed surfaces of the metal features beneath the exposed surfaces of the dielectric layer using one of the one or more etching modules; and depositing an etch stop layer over the recess pattern using one of the one or more film-forming modules.

The present disclosure relates to a wafer processing apparatus and a wafer transfer method. The wafer processing apparatus includes: a first machine; a second machine, including a manipulator, the manipulator transfers a wafer to the machine through a connection port; the connection port is provided between the first machine and the second machine; door panels, provided on the first machine and used to close the connection port; a detector, for detecting a current position of the door panel; a driver, connected to the door panel, for driving the door panel to move to open or close the connection port; and a controller, connected to the detector, the driver and the manipulator, for controlling the door panel to move according to the current position of the door panel to open or close the connection port, and control the manipulator to transfer the wafer.

In an embodiment, a system, includes: a first pressurized load port interfaced with a workstation body; a second pressurized load port interfaced with the workstation body; the workstation body maintained at a set pressure level, wherein the workstation body comprises an internal material handling system configured to move a semiconductor workpiece within the workstation body between the first and second pressurized load ports at the set pressure level; a first modular tool interfaced with the first pressurized load port, wherein the first modular tool is configured to process the semiconductor workpiece; and a second modular tool interfaced with the second pressurized load port, wherein the second modular tool is configured to inspect the semiconductor workpiece processed by the first modular tool.

The present invention provides a substrate treating apparatus. The substrate treating apparatus includes: a liquid treatment chamber configured to treat a substrate with a liquid; a drying chamber configured to dry the liquid-treated substrate; a transfer robot configured to transfer the substrate between the liquid treatment chamber and the drying chamber, and including a hand which is movable along an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis and is rotatably driven based on the Z-axis, and on which the substrate is placed; an optical system configured to photograph a form of a liquid film of the substrate, in which when the substrate is transferred from the liquid treatment chamber to the drying chamber, the substrate is wetted with a chemical liquid and is transferred by the transfer robot in a state of being formed with a liquid film formed; and a controller configured to measure the form of the liquid film photographed by the optical system.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an alignment mark evaluation method and an alignment mark evaluation system. The alignment mark evaluation method includes: setting a process step code of a wafer with an alignment mark to be evaluated as an evaluation code; obtaining a current process step code of the wafer; if it is detected that the current process step code is the evaluation code, switching a step to be executed to an alignment mark evaluation step; and executing the alignment mark evaluation step to evaluate the alignment mark to be evaluated.

A system for maintaining a device in a semiconductor manufacturing environment that includes a controller configured to determine a distance travelled by the device within the semiconductor manufacturing environment, where the device has a feature that selectively engages a carrier configured to carry a semiconductor wafer such that the device moves the semiconductor wafer to different processing stations within the semiconductor manufacturing environment. The system also includes an inspection component configured to inspect the device responsive to the distance travelled by the device exceeding a distance threshold, a repair component configured to repair the device responsive to a repair indication from at least one of the controller or the inspection component, and a cleaning component configured to clean the device responsive to a clean indication from at least one of the controller or the inspection component.