There is provided a technique that includes: loading an m-th substrate into a process chamber, wherein m is an integer less than n; forming a film on the m-th substrate by heating the m-th substrate in the process chamber; unloading the m-th substrate from the process chamber; waiting for a predetermined time in the process chamber, in a state where the substrates are not present in the process chamber, after the act of unloading; loading a next substrate, which is one of the n substrates to be processed next, into the process chamber, after the act of waiting; and forming a film on the next substrate by heating the next substrate in the process chamber.

A semiconductor processing system comprises a first, a second, and a third process module assembly. The third process module assembly is between the first and the second process module assemblies, and includes an opening for providing substrates to be processed in the various process module assemblies. The process modules are arranged laterally relative to the opening. The first and second process module assemblies each include an associated transfer chamber, an associated substrate transfer device, and a plurality of associated process modules attached the associated transfer chamber. The third process module assembly may include an associated transfer chamber, an associated substrate transfer device, and a single associated process module attached to the associated transfer chamber. The processing system is configured to sequentially load substrates into the process module assemblies neighboring the third process module assembly, and lastly load substrates into the process module of the third process module assembly.

A rotational indexer is provided that may be rotated to move semiconductor wafers or other items between various stations arranged in a circular array; the items being moved may be supported by arms of the indexer during such movement. The rotational indexer may be further configured to also cause the items being moved to rotate about other rotational axes to cause rotation of the items relative to the arms supporting them.

Apparatus and methods for automatically handling die carriers are disclosed. In one example, a disclosed apparatus includes: at least one load port each configured for loading a die carrier operable to hold a plurality of dies; and an interface tool coupled to the at least one load port and a semiconductor processing unit. The interface tool comprises: a first robotic arm configured for transporting the die carrier from the at least one load port to the interface tool, and a second robotic arm configured for transporting the die carrier from the interface tool to the semiconductor processing unit for processing at least one die in the die carrier.

A batch processing oven includes a processing chamber, a magnet, and a rack. The processing chamber includes a gas inlet on a first side and a gas outlet on a second side opposite the first side, the gas inlet is configured to direct a hot gas into the processing chamber and the gas outlet is configured to exhaust the convective energy in parallel with the radiative energy from the walls. The magnet is arranged such that its north pole will be formed on the first side of the processing chamber and its south pole will be formed on the second side of the processing chamber. The rack is configured to be positioned between the first and second ends of the processing chamber and is configured to support a plurality of vertically spaced-apart substrates.

A substrate cleaning line and a substrate cleaning system including the same are disclosed. The substrate cleaning line may include a chamber portion including a plurality of cleaning chambers to clean a substrate, and a first return robot to load, unload, or transfer the substrate from or to the plurality of cleaning chambers, wherein the cleaning chambers may be stacked on each other in a vertical direction.

A workpiece handling system includes a carrier, a lower imaging device, and a transfer mechanism. The carrier is configured to carry at least one workpiece. The lower imaging device is disposed beside the carrier. The transfer mechanism is movably disposed over the lower imaging device and the carrier, wherein the transfer mechanism includes an end effector configured to pick and place the at least one workpiece and an upper imaging device disposed beside the end effector. A method of calibrating a workpiece handling system and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package are also provided.

A substrate analysis apparatus is provided. The substrate analysis includes: an interlayer conveying module configured to transport a first FOUP; an exchange module which is connected to the interlayer conveying module, and configured to transfer a wafer from the first FOUP to a second FOUP; a pre-processing module configured to form a test wafer piece using the wafer inside the second FOUP; an analysis module configured to analyze the test wafer piece; and a transfer rail configured to transport the second FOUP containing the wafer and a tray containing the test wafer piece. The wafer includes a first identifier indicating information corresponding to the wafer, the test wafer piece includes a second identifier indicating information generated by the pre-processing module which corresponds to the test wafer piece, and the analysis module is configured to analyze the first identifier and the second identifier in connection with each other.

A process control method of a substrate processing apparatus includes monitoring a process status of each process chamber of a plurality of process chambers, determining a shift-to-idle process chamber to be shifted from a process state to an idle state among the plurality of process chambers, storing a first to-be-processed substrate in a storage, associated with the shift-to-idle process chamber, among a plurality of storages provided in a transfer chamber, and transferring the first to-be-processed substrate stored in the storage to the shift-to-idle process chamber in accordance with a shift to the idle state of the shift-to-idle process chamber.

A method and apparatus for reducing cool-down times within a cool-down chamber are described herein. The method and apparatus include a process chamber, a transfer chamber, a dual-handled transfer robot within the transfer chamber, and a cool-down chamber. The dual-handled transfer robot it utilized to transfer a substrate between the process chamber and the cool-down chamber. The amount of time the substrate is disposed on the dual-handled transfer robot before being moved into the cool-down chamber is multiplied by a correction factor and subtracted from an original cool down time to achieve an adjusted cool down time. The adjusted cool down time is determined separately for each substrate being cooled within the cool-down chamber.