A support ring for supporting a semiconductor wafer in a boat of a vertical furnace used in processing of the semiconductor wafer includes a semicircular segment. The semicircular segment has an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface, a radial inner wall defining an inner radius, and a radial outer wall defining an outer radius. The support ring further includes protrusions in the upper surface of the semicircular segment. The protrusions extend above the upper surface.

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus capable of blocking particles falling from a lower portion of a substrate to a surface of a lower substrate.

The substrate processing apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment may include a substrate boat including a plurality of hollow plates coupled to a plurality of rods in a multistage manner, wherein a plurality of substrates are respectively loaded on the plurality of hollow plates, a reaction tube having an accommodation space in which the substrate boat is accommodated, a gas supply part configured to supply a process gas into the reaction tube from one side of the reaction tube, and an exhaust part configured to exhaust a process residue in the reaction tube from the other side of the reaction tube. Each of the hollow plates may include an edge portion defining a hollow portion vertically passing therethrough.

A wafer boat for supporting a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a furnace is disclosed. The wafer boat includes a set of fingers each having a contact protuberance which contacts and supports a semiconducting wafer. The contact protuberances may be arranged in a rotationally symmetric pattern about the wafer boat.

A substrate processing apparatus includes an inner tube configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates and having a first opening portion; an outer tube surrounding the inner tube; a movable wall movably provided in the inner tube or between the inner tube and the outer tube and having a second opening portion; a gas supply part configured to supply a processing gas into the inner tube; an exhaust part provided outside the movable wall and configured to exhaust the processing gas supplied into the inner tube through the first opening portion and the second opening portion; and a pressure detection part configured to detect a pressure inside the inner tube.

A support ring for supporting a semiconductor wafer in a boat of a vertical furnace used in processing of the semiconductor wafer includes a semicircular segment. The semicircular segment has an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface, a radial inner wall defining an inner radius, and a radial outer wall defining an outer radius. The support ring further includes protrusions in the upper surface of the semicircular segment. The protrusions extend above the upper surface.

Systems and methods for transferring solar cells while maintaining a controlled micro-environment are provided. In particular, such systems provide automated loading and unloading of solar cells by use of a conveyor and elevator within a tank receptacle sealingly connected with a solar cell carrying pods and a flow tube of solar cell components in a solar cell fabrication process. The tank receptacle can include one or more ports for sealingly and operably coupling with a cover of a solar cell carrying pod, each port having an elevator for withdrawing a removable base of the pod along with a solar cell carrying cassette into the tank and a conveyor to facilitate loading and/or unloading of solar cells with the cassette by coordinated movement of the elevator and conveyor. Such systems can further include a robotic arm having a gripper and nozzle to maintain a micro-environment within the pod during transport.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a tube assembly having an inner space in which substrates are processed and assembled by laminating a plurality of laminates, a substrate holder configured to support the plurality of substrates in a multistage manner in the inner space of the tube assembly, a gas supply unit installed on one side of the tube assembly to supply a process gas to each of the plurality of substrates in the inner space; and an exhaust unit connected to the tube assembly to exhaust the process gas supplied into the inner space, the substrate processing apparatus that induces a laminar flow to supply a uniform amount of process gas to a top surface of the substrate.

A substrate stack holder, a container comprising a plurality of substrate stack holders, and a method for parting a substrate stack. The substrate stack holder includes (a) a holding and separating device for (i) holding a substrate stack during a parting process in which the substrate stack is split into a first substrate stack part and a second substrate stack part, said substrate stack comprised of a first substrate, a second substrate, and a connecting region therebetween, and (ii) separating the first substrate stack part from the second substrate stack part after the parting process; and (b) a fixing device for receiving and fixing the separated first and second substrate stack parts.

A substrate liquid treatment apparatus includes an inner tank configured to store a treatment liquid and having an upper opening, an outer tank disposed outside the inner tank, and a lid movable between a close position for closing the upper opening of the inner tank and an open position for opening the upper opening of the inner tank. The lid includes a main portion that covers the upper opening of the inner tank when the lid is positioned at the close position, and a splash shielding portion connected to the main portion. When the lid is positioned at the close position, the splash shielding portion extends from a position higher than an upper end of a side wall of the inner tank adjacent to the splash shielding portion to a position which is lower than the upper end of the side wall and which is on the outer tank side of the side wall.

According to some embodiments, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a first boat and a second boat, each of the first boat and the second boat having two support rings respectively provided at a top end and a bottom end thereof and a plurality of pillars provided between the top support ring and bottom support ring and spaced apart from one another. The pillar is provided with support protrusions on which a semiconductor substrate can be placed, and vertical positions of upper surfaces of the support protrusions of the second boat are lower than positions of upper surfaces of the support protrusions of the first boat. The semiconductor apparatus is configured to lift the second boat such that the positions of the upper surfaces of the support protrusions provided in the second boat are positioned above the positions of the upper surfaces of the support protrusions provided in the first boat.