A wafer boat assembly including a boat, a pedestal, and a base. The boat includes a slot to hold a wafer and a rod including a gas line. The pedestal includes a first surface and a connection line coupled to the gas line. The base is on a second surface of the pedestal, rotates the pedestal, and supplies gas to the connection line. The boat is on the first surface of the pedestal. The gas flows along the gas line and is dispensed from a location where the rod contacts the wafer to levitate the wafer.

An apparatus for carrying a plurality of photovoltaic structures is provided. The apparatus can include a pair of end plates, a set of stationary posts coupling together the end plates, and a wafer-locking mechanism that can be engaged when the apparatus changes orientation. At least one stationary post can be shaped like a comb and have a first array of comb teeth for separating the photovoltaic structures. The wafer-locking mechanism can be configured to lock the photovoltaic structures in position, thereby preventing motion-induced damage to the photovoltaic structures.

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.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a boat configured to hold substrates by arranging the substrates in a horizontal posture and in multiple stages along a vertical direction; a plate-shaped member provided along an outer periphery of each substrate of the substrates held by the boat; and a driver configured to change a relative position between the boat and the plate-shaped member in the vertical direction.

A substrate boat for use in heat treatment of semiconductor wafers includes support rods and fingers for supporting a substrate in a horizontal orientation in process tools, e.g., furnaces. The substrate is supported in the substrate boat by groups of fingers lying in a common horizontal plane. The fingers contact the substrate at support locations on the back side of the substrate. The fingers have a plurality of different shapes and a substrate surface no contact region.

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.

A method includes identifying a wafer position for a plurality of die on a wafer, storing the wafer position for each of the plurality of die in a database, dicing the wafer into a plurality of singulated die, positioning each of the singulated die in a die position location on a tray, and storing the die position on the tray for each of the singulated die in the database. The database includes information including the wafer position associated with each die position. The tray is transported to a processing tool, and at least one of the plurality of singulated die is removed from the die position on the tray and processed in the processing tool. The processed singulated die is replaced in the same defined location on the tray that the singulated die was positioned in prior to the processing. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

An apparatus for carrying a plurality of photovoltaic structures is provided. The apparatus can include a pair of end plates, a set of stationary posts coupling together the end plates, and a wafer-locking mechanism that can be engaged when the apparatus changes orientation. At least one stationary post can be shaped like a comb and have a first array of comb teeth for separating the photovoltaic structures. The wafer-locking mechanism can be configured to lock the photovoltaic structures in position, thereby preventing motion-induced damage to the photovoltaic structures.

Disclosed is a substrate treating system. The substrate treating system includes an index unit having a port, on which a container containing a substrate is positioned, and an index robot, a process executing unit having substrate treating apparatuses for treating the substrate and a main transferring robot for transferring the substrate, and a buffer unit disposed between the process executing unit and the index unit and in which the substrate fed between the process executing unit and the index unit temporarily stays. Each of the index robot, the substrate treating apparatuses, the main transferring robot, and the buffer unit includes a conductive part contacting the substrate to remove static electricity of the substrate.

In various embodiments, a wafer box is provided. The wafer box may include a housing with a receiving space for receiving a stack comprising a plurality of wafers, each arranged above a housing base. The wafers are to be arranged with their main surfaces parallel to the housing base. The receiving space is delimited by the housing base and side walls arranged thereon. The wafer box may further include at least one base opening, arranged in the housing base, for receiving a guide structure of a wafer stacking aid. The guide structure is to be arranged in such a way that, on a side of the housing base on which the side walls are arranged, it extends out of the housing base in order to limit tilting of a wafer raised or lowered in the receiving space in a manner guided by the guide structure.