Provided is a FOUP transfer device for transferring FOUPs between load ports and which is capable of reducing remodeling work on a pre-installed conveyance device as much as possible. FOUP transfer devices 1-1, 1-2 are installed in the vicinity of the load ports of the conveyance device, comprising one or more load ports 18-1, 18-2, and transfer FOUPs 3 between the load ports 18-1, 18-2. The FOUP transfer devices 1-1, 1-2 have first optical I/O communication devices 31-3, 31-4 and are configured such that second optical I/O communication devices 31-1, 31-2 provided for the load ports 18-1, 18-2 are connected thereto, and so as to carry out, in place of the load ports 18-1, 18-2, the optical I/O communication carried out between the load ports 18-1, 18-2 and an OHT cart 11.

A measurement apparatus, a measurement compensation system, a measurement method and a measurement compensation method are provided. The measurement apparatus includes a jig wafer including: a wafer; a distance measuring sensor disposed on a front surface of the wafer and configured to measure a distance between the jig wafer and an upper electrode on the top of a reaction chamber after the jig wafer is placed on a wafer chuck of the reaction chamber; a horizontal sensor disposed on the front surface of the wafer and configured to measure the horizontal condition of the wafer chuck after the jig wafer is placed on the wafer chuck; and a data transmitting device connected with the distance measuring sensor and the horizontal sensor and configured to transmit the data measured by the distance measuring sensor and the data measured by the horizontal sensor.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes preparing a first substrate provided with a first pattern on a first surface, and a semiconductor chip having a second surface, and a third surface opposite to the second surface, and including a second pattern provided on the second surface, recognizing the first pattern from a position near the first surface among the first surface and an opposite surface thereof in the first substrate, recognizing the second pattern by transmitting through the semiconductor chip from a position near the third surface among the second surface and the third surface in the semiconductor chip, aligning the semiconductor chip and the first substrate based on a recognition result of the first pattern and the second pattern, and bonding the semiconductor chip to the first substrate so that the second surface faces the first surface.

Wafer alignment with restricted visual access has been disclosed. In an example, a method of processing a substrate for fabricating a solar cell involves supporting the substrate over a stage. The method involves forming a substantially opaque layer over the substrate. The substantially opaque layer at least partially covers edges of the substrate. The method involves performing fit-up of the substantially opaque layer to the substrate. The method involves illuminating the covered edges of the substrate with light transmitted through the stage, and capturing a first image of the covered edges of the substrate based on the light transmitted through the stage. The method further includes determining a first position of the substrate relative to the stage based on the first image of the covered edges. The substrate may be further processed based on the determined first position of the substrate under the substantially opaque layer.

A minimal contact end-effector is described that may be used for handling microelectronic and similar types of devices. In one example the end-effector has a vacuum pad to generate a lifting force and a standoff fastened to the vacuum pad. The standoff has a plurality of legs with chamfered edges to contact the edges of a microelectronic device to hold the device against the lifting force.

An embodiment comprises: a guide moving in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction; a transfer arm provided on the guide and loading spaced apart wafers; a laser emission unit disposed on the guide and emitting first laser beams at the spaced apart wafers loaded on the transfer arm; and a laser detection unit disposed below the transfer arm and collecting, from among the first laser beams, second laser beams having passed through gaps between the spaced apart wafers.

Metrology targets and methods are provided, which comprise at least two overlapping structures configured to be measurable in a mutually exclusive manner at least at two different corresponding optical conditions. The targets may be single cell targets which are measured at different optical conditions which enable independent measurements of the different layers of the target. Accordingly, the targets may be designed to be very small, and be located in-die for providing accurate metrology measured of complex devices.

A system and method for plating a workpiece are described. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a deposition chamber, a workpiece holder adapted for insertion into and removal from the deposition chamber, a shield with patterns of apertures corresponding to features on the workpiece, a shield holder also adapted for insertion into and removal from the deposition chamber and a positioning mechanism to position the workpiece in the workpiece holder such that the pattern of apertures on the shield will align with the corresponding features on the workpiece when the workpiece holder and shield holder are inserted into the deposition chamber.

The present invention is an IC chip mounting apparatus for mounting an IC chip at a reference position of an inlay antenna while conveying the antenna, the IC chip mounting apparatus including: a nozzle configured to suck an IC chip when located at a first position and to place the IC chip at the reference position of the antenna when located at a second position; a nozzle attachment to which the nozzle is attached; an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image of the IC chip sucked by the nozzle; and a correction amount determination unit configured to determine correction amounts for the IC chip sucked by the nozzle, based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit. The correction amounts includes a first correction amount for correcting an angle of the nozzle around the axis, a second correction amount for correcting a position of the antenna in a conveying direction of the antenna, and a third correction amount for correcting the position of the antenna in a width direction.

A method includes processing a substrate in a process chamber according to a recipe, wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a film or a feature after the processing. The method further includes generating a profile map of the first substrate. The method further includes processing data from the profile map using a first model, wherein the first model outputs at least one of an estimated mesa condition of a substrate support for the process chamber, an estimated lift pin location condition of the substrate support an estimated seal band condition of the substrate support, or an estimated process kit ring condition for a process kit ring for the process chamber. The method further includes outputting a notice as a result of the processing.