A polishing system for polishing a semiconductor wafer includes a wafer support for holding the semiconductor wafer, and a first polishing pad for polishing a region of the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer has a first diameter, and the first polishing pad has a second diameter shorter than the first diameter.

A transfer path is provided which is extended so as to be passed on a lateral side of a processing portion that processes a substrate. The substrate transferred between a container held by a holding unit and the processing portion passes through the transfer path. A first transfer robot carries the substrate into and out of the container held by the holding unit, and accesses a reception/delivery region arranged within the transfer path. A second transfer robot receives and delivers the substrate from and to the first transfer robot in the reception/delivery region, and carries the substrate into and out of the processing portion. A second transfer robot raising/lowering unit which raises and lowers the second transfer robot is arranged within the transfer path. The reception/delivery region and the second transfer robot raising/lowering unit are located between the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot.

A method is provided for self-aligned multi-patterning on a semiconductor workpiece using an integrated sequence of processing steps executed on a common manufacturing platform hosting one or more film-forming modules, one or more etching modules, and one or more transfer modules. A workpiece having a mandrel pattern formed thereon is received into the common manufacturing platform. A sidewall spacer pattern is formed based, at least in part, on the mandrel pattern, the sidewall spacer pattern having a plurality of second features separated by a second pitch distance with the first pitch distance being greater than the second pitch distance. The integrated sequence of processing steps is executed within the common manufacturing platform without leaving the controlled environment and the transfer modules are used to transfer the workpiece between the processing modules while maintaining the workpiece within the controlled environment. Broadly, forming a sidewall spacer pattern based on the mandrel pattern.

In one embodiment, a system includes a wafer-handling system of a semiconductor-manufacturing system. The wafer-handling system is configured to hold one or more wafers for processing. The system also includes one or more processing components configured to physically treat the one or more wafers; a controller configured to operate the processing components; and a text bot in communication with the semiconductor-manufacturing system and configured to respond to a user inquiry.

A system for monitoring contamination level of effluent of an offline brush conditioning system includes a first set of reservoirs configured to collect first effluents from corresponding portions of a first brush and a second set of reservoirs configured to collect second effluents from corresponding portions of a second brush, and the first and second effluents are from a fluid used to condition the first and second brushes that are configured to clean a surface of a semiconductor wafer. An effluent contamination monitor is configured to monitor contamination levels of the first and second effluents, wherein the monitored contamination levels may provide feedback for use in the brush conditioning.

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.

A substrate processing device includes a substrate holding table, an ultraviolet irradiator, a tubular member, a first gas supplying unit, and a second gas supplying unit. The ultraviolet irradiator is disposed facing to the substrate through an active space and configured to irradiate the substrate with ultraviolet light. The tubular member includes an inner surface surrounding a side surface of the substrate holding table, and at least one opening at a position facing to the side surface on the inner surface. The first gas supplying unit supplies gas to a space between the side surface of the substrate holding table and the inner surface of the tubular member through the at least one opening. The second gas supplying unit supplies gas to an active space between the substrate and the ultraviolet irradiator.

A poling apparatus for poling a polymer thin film formed on a workpiece carried by a workpiece carrier. The workpiece has grounding electrodes and grounding pads located at edges, and a thin film covering the grounding electrodes but exposing the grounding pads. The workpiece carrier has carrier electrodes located around the workpiece and inside grounding ports at the bottom. The poling apparatus includes, in a poling chamber, a poling source generating a plasma, a Z-elevator to raise the workpiece carrier toward the poling source using the grounding ports, and grounding mechanisms including downwardly biased electrical contacts which, when the workpiece carrier is raised by the Z-elevator, connect the grounding pads of the workpiece with the carrier electrodes, to ground the workpiece. The poling apparatus additionally includes preparation platform and transfer platform with conveyer systems with rollers and Z-elevators to move the workpiece carrier in and out of the poling chamber.

A plating apparatus for performing a plating process on a substrate includes a first robot chamber, a plating chamber, a first processing chamber, a second robot chamber, a first door, a second door, and a control module. The first robot chamber houses a first transfer robot for transferring a substrate. The first processing chamber houses a pre-process module. The second robot chamber houses a second transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the pre-process module and the plating module. The first door is arranged between the first robot chamber and the first processing chamber. The second door is arranged between the first processing chamber and the second robot chamber. The control module is configured to control opening and closing of the first door and the second door such that the first door and the second door do not simultaneously open.

An apparatus for processing a substrate may include a wet chamber, a dry chamber, a first transfer robot and a shared shutter. The wet chamber may be configured to process the substrate using a chemical. The dry chamber may be adjacent the wet chamber and configured to dry the substrate processed by the wet chamber. The first transfer robot may be configured to transfer the substrate between the wet chamber and the dry chamber. The shared shutter may be between the wet chamber and the dry chamber. A connection opening through which the substrate may be transferred may be formed between the wet chamber and the dry chamber. The shared shutter may be configured to open and close the connection opening.