A substrate processing apparatus includes a first processing module including a first processing module, a second processing module, a first utility system adjacent to a back surface of the first processing module, and a second utility system adjacent to a back surface of the second processing module, a first exhaust box of the first utility system and a second exhaust box of the second utility system being disposed to face each other across a maintenance area located behind a part of the back surface of the first processing module that is close to the second processing module and behind a part of the back surface of the second processing module that is close to the first processing module, and a first supply box of the first utility system and a second supply box of the second utility system being disposed to face each other across the maintenance area.

A method for fault detection in a fabrication tool is provided. The method includes processing a semiconductor wafer in a fabrication tool according to a plurality of process events of a process run. The method further includes measuring humidity in the fabrication tool in at least one of the process events. The method also includes comparing the humidity measured in one of the process events with an expected humidity associated with the process event. In addition, the method includes based on the comparison, indicating an alarm condition when a difference between the measured humidity and the expected humidity exceeds a range of acceptable values associated with the process event.

There is provided a technique that includes a first controller configured to acquire event data generated at a time of transferring a substrate and alarm data generated at a time of occurrence of a transfer error, a recorder configured to, while recording a transfer operation of the substrate as first image data, record the transfer operation of the substrate as second image data having a higher resolution than the first image data, a second controller configured to store the first image data in a first memory based on the event data, and store the second image data in a second memory based on the alarm data, and an operating controller configured to display at least the first image data and the second image data. The second controller displays both the first image data and the second image data on a same screen.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate transfer device that transfers a substrate accommodated in a substrate transfer container to a substrate holder; a substrate holder transfer stage that introduces the substrate holder into a reaction container; a substrate transfer controller that obtains a film thickness measurement result of the substrate, and determines a placing position of the substrate in the substrate holder by a model created in advance from the film thickness measurement result and a transfer position setting circuit; an information processing circuit that analyzes an eccentricity state from a film thickness variation state when a film thickness measurement result is newly obtained; a learning function circuit that updates the model from the eccentricity state; and an optimization function circuit that updates the placing position of the substrate by an updated model and the transfer position setting circuit.

Described herein is a technique capable of improving a uniformity of a semiconductor manufacturing process by placing a substrate at an appropriate position on the basis of actual installation dimensions of a reaction tube. According to one aspect of the technique, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a boat on which substrates are placed; a process furnace including a reaction tube into which the boat is to be inserted, wherein a film is formed on the substrates placed on the boat in the reaction tube; and a substrate transport device configured to transfer the substrates into the boat, wherein the substrates are transferred into the boat by the substrate transport device referring to a virtual center axis of the reaction tube measured in advance.

Described herein is a technique capable of suppressing generation of particles and improving a throughput. According to one aspect of the technique, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a loading chamber accommodating a boat; an elevator configured to elevate and lower the boat; a boat exchanging device configured move the boat on the elevator to a first stand-by region and a second stand-by region; a first clean air supplier facing an unloading region in the loading chamber where the boat placed on the elevator is accommodated; a second clean air supplier facing the first stand-by region; and a third clean air supplier facing the second stand-by region, wherein a flow volume ejected from the clean air suppliers are individually controlled so as to form a predetermined air flow in a range of height in which the boat exchanging device in the loading chamber is provided.

There is provided a technique that includes: a heat generator installed for each of control zones and configured to raise an internal temperature of a reaction tube by heat generation; a circuit configured to equalize resistance values in the respective control zones, wherein the circuit is a parallel circuit and is configured such that an output variable element is installed in one or more of output circuits constituting the parallel circuit.

A wafer boat is described for the plasma treatment of disc-shaped wafers, in particular semiconductor wafers for semiconductor or photovoltaic applications, which has a plurality of plates positioned parallel to each other made of an electrically conductive material, which have at least one carrier for a wafer on each side which faces another plate and define a receiving space for the wafers on the plates. The wafer boat also has a plurality of spacer elements, which are positioned between directly adjacent plates in order to position the plates parallel to each other, wherein the spacer elements are electrically conductive. Also a plasma treatment apparatus for wafers and a method for the plasma treatment of wafers is described. The apparatus has a process chamber for the reception of a wafer boat of the previously described type, means for controlling or regulating a process gas atmosphere in the process chamber and at least one voltage source, which is connectable to the plates of the wafer boat in a suitable manner, in order to apply an electrical voltage between directly adjacent plates of the wafer boat, wherein the at least one voltage source is suitable for applying at least one DC-voltage or at least one low-frequency AC-voltage and at least one high-frequency AC-voltage. In the method, during the heating phase a DC-voltage or a low-frequency AC-voltage is applied to the plates of the wafer boat in such a way that the spacer elements heat up by current flowing therethrough, and during a processing phase a high-frequency AC-voltage is applied to the plates of the wafer boat, in order to generate a plasma between the wafers inserted into them.

A robot apparatus may include a first arm assembly configured to rotate about a first rotational axis. The first arm assembly may include a first end effector and a second end effector spaced by a first end effector pitch. A second arm assembly may be configured to rotate about the first rotational axis. The second arm assembly may include a third end effector and a fourth end effector spaced by a second end effector pitch, wherein the second end effector pitch is different than the first end effector pitch. Other apparatus, electronic device processing systems, and methods are disclosed.

A wafer bonding apparatus is provided includes a lower support plate configured to structurally support a first wafer on an upper surface of the lower support plate; a lower structure adjacent to the lower support plate and movable in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the upper surface of the lower support plate, an upper support plate configured to structurally support a second wafer on a lower surface of the lower support plate, and an upper structure adjacent to the upper support plate and movable in the vertical direction.