An apparatus for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a lower electrode for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode. The apparatus is a confinement ring that includes a lower horizontal section extending between an inner lower radius and an outer radius of the confinement ring. The lower horizontal section includes an extension section that bends vertically downward at the inner lower radius, and the lower horizontal section further includes a plurality of slots. The confinement ring further includes an upper horizontal section extending between an inner upper radius and the outer radius of the confinement ring and a vertical section that integrally connects the lower horizontal section with the upper horizontal section. The extension section of the lower horizontal section is configured to surround the lower electrode when installed in the plasma processing chamber.

A maintenance apparatus includes a case and a maintenance mechanism. The case includes an opening having a size corresponding to a second gate of a vacuum processing apparatus including a processing chamber having a first gate through which a substrate is loaded and unloaded and the second gate different from the first gate. The case is attachable to the second gate while maintaining airtightness. The maintenance mechanism is provided in the case and is configured to perform at least one of an operation of detaching a consumed part in the processing chamber through the opening, an operation of attaching a replacement part in the processing chamber and an operation of cleaning the processing chamber.

A ring storage station used for delivering a consumable part to a substrate processing system includes a housing that includes a base plate and a rotating plate disposed over the base plate. An end-effector opening is disposed at a first side of the housing and a service window opening is disposed at a second side of the housing. A set of finger support structures is connected to the rotating plate. Each finger support structure includes a support column and support fingers disposed thereon. At least two of the set of columns have support fingers with index pins to radially align consumable parts when disposed in the ring storage station. In one configuration, consumable parts may be designed to match the rotation angle engagement to ensure catching the angle alignment between ring storage and process module.

An electrostatic chuck includes a chuck plate configured to mount a substrate, an insulation pillar provided outside the chuck plate, the insulation pillar having a pin hole formed therein, a first movable ring provided on the insulation pillar, surrounding a side of the chuck plate, a second movable ring configured to cover at least a part of an upper portion of the first movable ring, and a driving pin configured to move in the pin hole of the insulation pillar in a vertical direction, the driving pin overlapped by at least a part of the first movable ring and at least a part of the second movable ring in the vertical direction. The driving pin is configured to drive the first movable ring and the second movable ring in the vertical direction or to drive the second movable ring in the vertical direction.

A substrate support for use in a reaction chamber includes a base, and an in-situ electrostatic chuck. The chuck includes a first electrode in an upper portion of the chuck that is configured to hold a wafer to an upper surface of the upper portion by a first electrostatic attractive force under a condition of a first voltage is applied to the first electrode, and a second electrode that opposes an upper surface of the base and is configured to hold the chuck to the base by a second electrostatic attractive force under a condition that a second voltage is applied to the second electrode. Under a condition that the second voltage is not supplied to the second electrode, the second electrostatic attractive force is not present and the chuck is freed to be replaced in-situ without also removing the base and without exposing the reaction chamber to external atmosphere.

A storage container for accommodating an annular member having a notch on at least one of an outer circumference and an inner circumference thereof is disclosed. The storage container comprises a base plate on which the annular member is placed. The base plate comprises a plurality of guide pins that protrude from the base plate and are configured to position the annular member. The plurality of guide pins include a pin engaged with the notch.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and apparatuses for a substrate processing assembly with a low processing volume. In disclosed embodiments, a processing volume may include a processing space adjacent to a substrate being processed on a substrate support as well as a volume of the processing chamber surrounding and below the substrate support. In some embodiments, the total processing volume is 15 liters or less in certain embodiments, resulting in lower gas usage and faster processing times than conventional approaches. In some embodiments, the distance between the substrate and a target, electrode, chamber lid, or showerhead face is 35 mm or less in certain embodiments. In certain embodiments, the processing chamber has a dedicated pump for pumping the chamber to a processing pressure as well as evacuating the chamber after processing of the substrate.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a transfer system comprising a transfer robot configured to transfer a transfer target object by an end effector based on an operation instruction, and a controller configured to output the operation instruction to the transfer robot, wherein at least any one of the end effector and the transfer target object has at least any one of a sensor and a camera, the controller calculates a relative position between the end effector and the transfer target object based on at least any one of a detected result of the sensor and a captured result of the camera, and the controller determines a teaching position of the end effector with respect to the transfer target object based on the relative position, and outputs the operation instruction to the transfer robot such that the end effector is disposed at the teaching position.

The disclosure relates to an apparatus for forming patterns on a surface of a substrate plate by a sputtering process, and the apparatus comprises a first vacuum chamber, a sputtering source inside the first vacuum chamber, and an arrangement to place a mask between the sputtering source and the surface of the substrate plate. The disclosure also relates to a method for forming patterns on a surface of a substrate plate by a sputtering process.

A method of forming a radio frequency (RF) strap for use in a process chamber is provided. The method includes positioning a core strap including a first material that is electrically and thermally conductive in a first electrochemical bath. The first electrochemical bath includes a first solvent and a first plating precursor. The method further includes forming a first protective coating on an outer surface of the core strap, removing the first solvent and the first plating precursor from the core strap having the first protective coating formed thereon, post-treating the core strap having the first protective coating formed thereon, positioning the core strap having the first protective coating formed thereon in a second electrochemical bath, and forming a second protective coating on an outer surface of the first protective coating. The first protective coating includes nickel, the second electrochemical bath includes a second solvent and a second plating precursor, and the second protective coating includes gold.