Devices and methods for transferring solar cells while maintaining a controlled environment are provided. Such devices can include a solar cell carrying pod adapted to support and maintain a stack of solar cells within a sealed micro-environment of inert gas. The solar cell carrying pod can further allow for ready removal of a solar cell carrier to facilitate automated transport of solar cells. The solar cell carrying pod can include a cover adapted to receive a solar cell carrier cassette securely mounted on a base that is sealably coupled with the cover to maintain solar cells within the carrier cassette in a sealed micro-environment for an extended period of time. The base can include a collet-operated gear train to facilitate unlocking and removal of the base from the cover in an automated process to facilitate large-scale solar cell fabrication.

A supporting shelf module includes a plurality of plastic supporting plates parallelly arranged in a height direction, and at least one pair of metal-made connectors located at two opposite ends of the supporting plates in the height direction. The connectors in one pair are correspondingly located in two horizontal planes perpendicular to the height direction. A wafer container is also disclosed, which includes a container body having at least two sets of the supporting shelf modules mounted therein, at least two top retaining brackets and at least two bottom retaining grooves provided on an inward side of a top and a bottom panel of the container body, respectively. The supporting shelf module has upper ends engaged with the top retaining brackets and lower ends engaged with and limited to the bottom retaining grooves in an engaging direction. Thus, the tolerance problem of the conventional wafer shelf can be solved.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a chamber that accommodates a boat; a transfer mechanism that is provided inside the chamber, and transfers a substrate; a first camera that captures an image of a support column of the boat and the substrate; a support member that is inserted through an opening formed in a wall surface of the chamber, and supports the first camera; and a driver that drives the support member in order to move the first camera between a standby position and a measurement position.

A wafer storage apparatus includes a wafer stacking portion that encloses an internal space with an open front side for receiving a plurality of wafers; a rear cover portion disposed on the back side of the wafer stacking portion; and a gas charging portion that includes a plurality of gas supply blocks disposed on the inner side of the rear cover portion, a plurality of gas supply pipes connected to the gas supply blocks via through holes in the rear cover portion, and a gas supply unit connected to the gas supply pipes.

The present invention describe a substrate handling system that exerts no or controllable external forces to hold substrates, does not contact front or back of the substrates, has minimum contact with side edge area of the substrate, can hold one or two substrate to each position, can be positioned in any orientation, and can be easily handled by human or robots. In the case that no deposition materials is desirable on the edge or sides of substrate, a self-aligned mask that can be attached to the substrate carrier is presented.

The present invention provides a display panel storing device, having a framework; two support frames, which are opposite to each other and slidably connected to the framework, for supporting a display panel therebetween; and a driving unit for driving the two support frames to move towards or away from each other to change the distance between the two support frames. The display panel storing device can simplify the adjustment procedure, increase efficiency, and reduce manpower cost, and is unnecessary to detect the symmetry of the two support frames.

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method using the same, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus that is capable of improving a flow of a process gas that is participated in a substrate processing process and a substrate processing method using the same. The substrate processing apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes a pre-chamber into a substrate is carried, a process chamber communicating with the pre-chamber and in which a substrate processing process is performed, a substrate boat including a plurality of partition plates that partition a loading space into which the substrate is loaded and to elevate, a gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas to the substrate through a plurality of injection nozzles provided in the process chamber, an exhaust unit configured to exhaust a gas through a plurality of suction holes defined in the process chamber, and a swap guide member provided in the pre-chamber and configured to place the substrate carried into the pre-chamber in the loading space that is partitioned by the plurality of partition plates.

A vertical heat treatment apparatus includes: a substrate holder including a column, substrate holding parts configured to hold the substrates, and gas flow guide parts installed in the column in a corresponding relationship with the substrates; an elevator stand configured to support the substrate holder and to load the substrate holder into the reaction vessel from below the reaction vessel; a rotating mechanism installed in the elevator stand and configured to rotate the substrate holder about a vertical axis; a process gas supply port and an exhaust port respectively formed at a rear side and a front side of a substrate holding region; and a plurality of baffle parts installed independently of the substrate holder so that the baffle parts protrude from the outside toward spaces between the gas flow guide parts adjoining each other and run into the spaces.

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.

A wafer boat includes a base, a plurality of support rods and a plurality of cantilever arms. The support rods are carried by the base. The support rods are disposed around a space above the base. The cantilever arms are carried by the support rods. At least two of the cantilever arms carried by at least one of the support rods are vertically spaced apart to define at least one slot for a wafer.