The substrate has a plurality of chip regions each being provided with a structure to be a power device, and is provided with a to-be-processed film. The thickness profile of the to-be-processed film in the radial direction is measured by scanning with the sensor in the radial direction while the substrate is rotated. The average thickness of the thickness profile is calculated. At least one radial position where the thickness profile has an average thickness is extracted as at least one candidate position. At least one of the at least one candidate position is determined to be at least one measurement position. Processing liquid is supplied from a nozzle onto the to-be-processed film of the substrate while the substrate is rotated. The sensor monitors the time-dependent change in the thickness of the to-be-processed film in at least one measurement position while the substrate is rotated.

A semiconductor processing system includes a processing chamber configured to perform a semiconductor manufacturing process on each of a plurality of wafers. The processing chamber includes at least one consumable component, and a substrate handling module located proximate the processing chamber and in communication with the processing chamber via a wafer access port. The wafer handling module includes a wafer handling robot configured to transfer each of the wafers between to the substrate handling module and the processing chamber through the wafer access port, and an optical diagnostic system including an optical sensor configured to detect an optical signal from the at least one consumable component. A controller is configured to cause the processing chamber to perform the semiconductor manufacturing process on each respective wafer and to cause the optical diagnostic system to detect the optical signal during a time when the processing chamber is not performing the semiconductor manufacturing process on the wafers.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method for transferring a wafer, and an apparatus for controlling transferring a wafer. The apparatus for transferring a wafer includes a transfer chamber, at least one process chamber, a first detection unit, and a control unit, wherein the transfer chamber is provided therein with a transfer unit; the at least one process chamber is in connect with the transfer chamber, and a chamber door is provided at a connect position; the first detection unit includes a first transmit end and a first receive end, the first transmit end is provided on one of the transfer unit and the chamber door, and the first transmit end is provided on the other one of the transfer unit and the chamber door.

A substrate processing apparatus processes a surface of a substrate with a processing fluid and includes a support tray in which a concave part for housing the substrate is provided on an upper surface thereof; a storage container in which a cavity is formed, wherein the support tray may be stored in a horizontal posture in the cavity; and a fluid supply part supplying the processing fluid to the cavity, wherein the storage container has a flow path which receives the processing fluid and discharges the processing fluid in a horizontal direction into the cavity from a discharge port that opens on a side wall surface of the cavity and toward the cavity, and a lower end position of the discharge port in a vertical direction is the same as or higher than a position of the upper surface of the support tray stored in the cavity.

A transfer apparatus including a frame, multiple arms connected to the frame, each arm having an end effector and an independent drive axis for extension and retraction of the respective arm with respect to other ones of the multiple arms, a linear rail defining a degree of freedom for the independent drive axis for extension and retraction of at least one arm, and a common drive axis shared by each arm and configured to pivot the multiple arms about a common pivot axis, wherein at least one of the multiple arms having another drive axis defining an independent degree of freedom with respect to other ones of the multiple arms.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber having a substrate input port, a support disposed in the process chamber and on which a substrate is mounted, an inner edge ring disposed adjacent to the support and having a smaller width than that of the substrate input port, and an outer edge ring disposed adjacent to the inner edge ring and having a greater width than that of the substrate input port.

Examples of a substrate treatment apparatus include a plurality of load ports, a front-end module adjacent to the plurality of load ports, a plurality of load lock chambers adjacent to the front-end module, the plurality of load lock chambers include a plurality of wafer housing slots, a wafer handling chamber adjacent to the plurality of load lock chambers, a first wafer transfer device in the front-end module, a second wafer transfer device in the wafer handling chamber, and a controller including a processor and a memory configured to cause the processor to execute a program stored in the memory, or including a dedicated circuitry, to issue a command to a wafer moving device to move a wafer between the plurality of load lock chambers when predetermined wafer transfer conditions are satisfied.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a batch processor configured to collectively process a lot including plural substrates; a single-wafer processor configured to process the substrates included in the lot one by one; and a transport portion configured to deliver the substrates one by one between the batch processor and the single-wafer processor. The batch processor includes a processing tank configured to store a processing liquid including a rinsing liquid. The transport portion includes a fluid supplier configured to supply, after receiving the substrates included in the lot in the processing tank and until delivering the substrates to the single-wafer processor, a low surface tension fluid having a lower surface tension than the rinsing liquid to at least one of the processing tank and the substrates.

Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus that performs a heat treatment to a substrate. The apparatus includes the following elements: a heat treating plate; a casing that produces a heat treatment atmosphere by the heat treating plate; a movable top board that is movable between a ceiling surface of the casing and the heat treating plate; and a controller that causes the movable top board to be moved to a raised position when the substrate is loaded/unloaded, and causes the movable top board to be moved to a lowered position when the substrate is placed on the heat treating plate for performing the heat treatment, thereby controlling the lowered position for every substrate.

There is provided a method of automatically supervising a transfer operation of a transfer device including an optical sensor, the optical sensor having a light emitting part and a light receiving part provided in a head of a holding part for holding a substrate, the method including: acquiring a change in intensity of a first reflected light reflected off a first object by radiating a light from the light emitting part toward the first object below the holding part and receiving the first reflected light reflected off the first object by the light receiving part, while horizontally moving the holding part; and specifying an end position of the first object based on the change in intensity of the first reflected light.