A focus ring adjustment assembly of a system for processing workpieces under vacuum, where the focus ring may include a lower side having a first surface portion and a second surface portion, the first surface portion being vertically above the second surface portion. The adjustment assembly may include a pin configured to selectively contact the first surface portion of the focus ring, and an actuator operable to move the pin along the vertical direction between an extended position and a retracted position. The extended position of the pin may be associated with the distal end of the pin contacting the first surface of the focus ring and the focus ring being accessible for removal by a workpiece handling robot from the vacuum process chamber.

Disclosed is a processing apparatus. The processing apparatus includes: a load port in which a conveyance container accommodating a plurality of semiconductor wafers is placed; a dummy wafer storage area in which a conveyance container accommodating a plurality of dummy wafers is placed; a normal-pressure conveyance room in which a first conveyance arm is installed; an equipment that processes the plurality of semiconductor wafers in a state where the semiconductor wafers and the dummy wafers which are conveyed are placed in slots, respectively; and a controller that controls each component of the processing apparatus. The controller classifies the dummy wafers accommodated in the conveyance container into a plurality of groups, and controls the first conveyance arm to preferentially convey the dummy wafers within one of the classified groups to the equipment and, in replacing the dummy wafers, to perform replacement of the dummy wafers group to group as classified.

A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.

Buffer chamber including robots, a carousel and at least one heating module for use with a batch processing chamber are described. Robot configurations for rapid and repeatable movement of wafers into and out of the buffer chamber and cluster tools incorporating the buffer chambers and robots are described.

A substrate processing tool configured for performing integrated substrate processing and substrate metrology, and methods of processing a substrate. The substrate processing tool includes a substrate transfer chamber, a plurality of substrate processing chambers coupled to the substrate transfer chamber, and a substrate metrology module coupled to the substrate transfer chamber. A substrate processing method includes processing a substrate in a first substrate processing chamber of a substrate processing tool, transferring the substrate from the first substrate processing chamber through a substrate transfer chamber to a substrate metrology module in the substrate processing tool, performing metrology on the substrate in the substrate metrology module, transferring the substrate from the substrate metrology module to a second substrate processing chamber through the substrate transfer chamber, and processing the substrate in the second substrate processing chamber.

The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a debonding and cleaning apparatus. The apparatus has a debonding module configured to separate semiconductor substrates from carrier substrates. A first cleaning module is configured to clean surfaces of a first plurality of the semiconductor substrates and a second cleaning module is configured to clean surfaces of a second plurality of the semiconductor substrates. The apparatus also has a first substrate handling module including a first robotic arm in communication with the debonding module and a second substrate handling module including a second robotic arm that is located between the first cleaning module and the second cleaning module. The second substrate handling module is configured to transfer the first plurality of the semiconductor substrates to first cleaning module and to transfer the second plurality of the semiconductor substrates to the second cleaning module.

A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a stage, a light source, an optical assembly, a light receiver, and controller circuitry. The stage includes a first placing surface on which a substrate is to be placed, and a second placing surface that surrounds the first placing surface and on which a focus ring is to be placed. The optical assembly focuses light from the light source on a lower surface position, which is a position of a lower surface of the focus ring placed on the second placing surface. The light receiver receives light from the lower surface position. The controller circuitry detects at least one of a presence and an absence of the focus ring on the second placing surface, based on light received by the light receiver.

A substrate processing system is disclosed which includes a processing chamber comprising a susceptor having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a groove formed in the first surface adjacent to a perimeter thereof, and a substrate support structure including a plurality of carrier lift pins, each of the plurality of carrier lift pins movably disposed in an opening formed from the second surface to the first surface, wherein the opening is recessed from the groove.

The purpose of the present invention is to accurately deal with a variety of processing conditions and variations thereof, and to improve total throughput by efficiently operating a conveyance arm device in accordance with the processing conditions, even during cleaning. When a first wafer is loaded on a load-lock chamber, a conveyance-sequence category for operating each of a number of steps for a conveyance arm device capable of operating during cleaning is selected in accordance with processing conditions of the wafer, and a plurality of operation patterns are selected, combined and scheduled. The conveyance arm device is controlled in accordance with the scheduled conveyance sequence to control substrate conveyance.