A method of using a polishing system includes securing a wafer to a support, wherein the wafer has a first diameter. The method further includes polishing the wafer using a first polishing pad rotating about a first axis, wherein the first polishing pad has a second diameter greater than the first diameter. The method further includes rotating the support about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis after polishing the wafer using the first polishing pad. The method further includes polishing the wafer using a second polishing pad after rotating the support, wherein the second polishing pad has a third diameter less than the first diameter. The method further includes releasing the wafer from the support following polishing the wafer using the second polishing pad.

An apparatus configured to join electronic components to an electronic substrate includes a chamber housing including a tunnel extending through multiple processing zones, a conveyor configured to transport electronic substrates in the tunnel through the multiple processing zones, and a heat detection system including at least one temperature sensor coupled to the chamber housing. The at least one temperature sensor is configured to detect temperatures of the electronic substrates passing proximate to the at least one temperature sensor. The apparatus further includes a controller coupled to the multiple processing zones, the conveyor and the heat detection system. The controller is configured to receive temperature data from the heat detection system.

The present disclosure provides an electrochemical deposition apparatus set. The electrochemical deposition apparatus set includes: an electrochemical deposition device configured to form an electrochemical deposition film layer on an area to be coated of a substrate; an antioxidation treatment device located on a side of the electrochemical deposition device and configured to performing antioxidation treatment on the substrate formed with the electrochemical deposition film layer; a transmission device configured to carry the substrate and drive the substrate to move at least from the electrochemical deposition device to the antioxidation treatment device.

A processing fluid supplying method includes: supplying a processing fluid of a gaseous state to a circulation line; generating a processing fluid of a liquid state by cooling the processing fluid of the gaseous state in the circulation line; branching the processing fluid of the liquid state from the circulation line to a branch line; and generating a processing fluid of a supercritical state by heating the processing fluid of the liquid state in the circulation line.

A substrate processing system for performing processing on a plurality of substrates. The substrate processing system comprises: a processing unit comprising a plurality of processing modules each configured to perform a predetermined process; a transfer unit having a transfer device configured to transfer a substrate to each of the plurality of processing modules; a loading/unloading unit configured to hold a plurality of substrates and load/unload a substrate to/from the processing unit; and a controller configured to control the processing unit, the loading/unloading unit, and the transfer unit. The controller controls the transfer unit to transfer to the plurality of processing modules in a serial manner a plurality of substrates that are sequentially loaded from the loading/unloading unit to the processing unit, the controller further comprises a standby mode setting unit configured to set a standby period of the substrate at an appropriate timing depending on a content of the process.

In some examples, an exclusion ring locates a substrate on a substrate-support assembly in a processing chamber. An example exclusion ring comprises an inner edge portion to cover an edge of a substrate in the processing chamber and an outer edge portion to support the exclusion ring on the substrate support assembly in the processing chamber. The outer edge portion may include an outer edge of the exclusion ring. A separation zone extending between the inner edge portion and the outer edge of the exclusion ring includes an undercut in an undersurface of the exclusion ring. In some examples, a cooling gas is directed at the exclusion ring while the exclusion ring is located at a station or during an indexing operation performed by the exclusion ring within a processing tool.

Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus including a coating module, an exposure module, a plurality of developing modules, and a transfer unit that performs transfer of a substrate between the modules. The plurality of developing modules include a plurality of post-exposure bake units that perform a bake process on a substrate on which an exposure process is completely performed in the exposure module. The substrate treating apparatus further includes a controller that controls the transfer of the substrate by the transfer unit. When transferring a substrate from the exposure module to the plurality of post-exposure bake units, the controller performs control to select a post-exposure bake unit in which the least delay time occurs, among the plurality of post-exposure bake units and to transfer the substrate to the selected post-exposure bake unit.

Methods and apparatuses for performing cycles of aspect ratio dependent deposition and aspect ratio independent etching on lithographically patterned substrates are described herein. Methods are suitable for reducing variation of feature depths and/or aspect ratios between features formed and partially formed by lithography, some partially formed features being partially formed due to stochastic effects. Methods and apparatuses are suitable for processing a substrate having a photoresist after extreme ultraviolet lithography. Some methods involve cycles of deposition by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and directional etching by atomic layer etching.

A substrate processing apparatus includes an indexer block and a processing block adjacent to the indexer block in a lateral direction of the indexer block. A plurality of processing block layers are stacked in an up-down direction in the processing block. The indexer block includes a container holding portion and a first transfer robot that transfers a substrate between the substrate container held by the container holding portion and the processing block. Each of the processing block layers includes a plurality of processing units, a substrate placing portion, a dummy-substrate housing portion, and a second transfer robot that transfers a substrate between the substrate placing portion and the plurality of processing units and that transfers a dummy substrate between the dummy-substrate housing portion and the plurality of processing units.

Methods of manufacturing memory devices are provided. The methods decrease the thickness of the first layers and increase the thickness of the second layers. Semiconductor devices are described having a film stack comprising alternating nitride and second layers in a first portion of the device, the alternating nitride and second layers of the film stack having a nitride:oxide thickness ratio (N.sub.f:O.sub.f); and a memory stack comprising alternating word line and second layers in a second portion of the device, the alternating word line and second layers of the memory stack having a word line:oxide thickness ratio (W.sub.m:O.sub.m), wherein 0.1(W.sub.m:O.sub.m)<N.sub.f:O.sub.f<0.95(W.sub.m:O.sub.m).