A substrate treating apparatus includes an indexer, a first processing section, a first transport mechanism, a second processing section, a second transport mechanism, a first mount table, a second mount table, and a controller. The first transport mechanism repeatedly performs a first cycle operation composed of three access operations (specifically, a first access operation, a second access operation, and a third access operation). The second transport mechanism repeatedly performs a second cycle operation composed of three access operations (specifically, a fourth access operation, a fifth access operation, and a sixth access operation).

A laser irradiation apparatus (1) according to an embodiment includes a laser generation device (14) configured to generate laser light, a levitation unit (10) configured to levitate an object to be processed (16) to which the laser light is applied, and a conveyance unit (11) configured to convey the levitated object to be processed (16). The conveyance unit (11) includes a holding mechanism (12) for holding the object to be processed (16) by absorbing the object to be processed (16), and a moving mechanism (13) for moving the holding mechanism (12) in a conveyance direction. The holding mechanism (12) includes a base (153) including a plurality of through holes (152), a plurality of pipes (145) each of which is connected to a respective one of the plurality of through holes (152), a vacuum generation device (144) configured to evacuate air from the plurality of pipes (145), and a plurality of absorption assistance valves (150) each of which is disposed in the middle of a respective one of the plurality of pipes (145), each of the plurality of absorption assistance valves (150) being configured to be closed when a flow rate of a gas flowing into the pipe (145) through the through hole (152) becomes equal to or higher than a threshold.

In a method for treating objects, the objects are transported through a basin by a transporting device. Treatment solution is introduced into the basin by way of at least one feeding device, which is provided with upwardly directed outlet openings. The treatment solution is sprayed upwards by the upwardly directed outlet openings to form jets of treatment solution. The objects are transported through the basin over the upwardly directed outlet openings and a downwardly facing surface of the objects is brought into contact with the jets of treatment solution during the transport of the objects through the basin. There is also described a treatment apparatus for carrying out such a method.

A printing device for printing substrates, such as circuit boards, wafers, or solar cells, has at least one movably mounted printing unit with a working surface on which the substrate to be printed can be placed. The printing unit is paired with a transport belt device, which has a supply roller with a transport belt wound thereon, a collection roller for winding up the transport belt, and two deflecting surfaces, in particular deflecting rollers, which are paired with the working surface. The transport belt is guided by the supply roller over one deflecting surface and onto the working surface in order to form a contact surface for the substrates, and by the working surface over the other deflecting surface to the collection roller. The deflecting surfaces can be moved together with the respective printing unit. The supply and collection rollers are held on the printing device in a stationary manner.

This invention relates to systems and methods that produce a treatment beam with a controllable beam size. This is accomplished by providing an auxiliary chamber in open fluid communication with the main process chamber. A nozzle is mounted in a recessed manner in the auxiliary chamber. The nozzle dispenses a treatment spray into the auxiliary chamber. The auxiliary chamber shapes and dispenses the treatment material as a treatment beam into the process chamber. In illustrative embodiments, control of process chamber pressure adjusts the beam size of a treatment beam used to treat the surface of one or more microelectronic substrates.

An apparatus for etching one side of a semiconductor layer, including at least one etching tank for receiving an electrolyte, a first electrode, which is arranged to make electrical contact with the electrolyte located in the etching tank during use, at least a second electrode, which is arranged to make indirect or direct electrical contact with the semiconductor layer, at least one electric current source, which is electrically conductively connected to the first and the second electrode to produce an etching current, and at least one transport apparatus for transporting the semiconductor layer relative to the etching tank in such a way that substantially only an etching side of the semiconductor layer that is to be etched can be wetted by the electrolyte located in the etching tank during use. The current source is formed as a variable current source, and that the apparatus has a controller for controlling the variable current source, wherein the apparatus is designed such that the etching current can be changed automatically by the controller during the etching operation. A method for etching one side of a semiconductor layer is also provided.

The present invention provides a technique to enable sufficient space saving in a transit-type vacuum processing device. The vacuum processing device 1 of the present invention has: a vacuum chamber 2 where a single vacuum ambience is formed; first and second processing regions 4 and 5 that are provided in the vacuum chamber 2 and have a processing source that performs processing on a planar process surface of a substrate 10; and a conveyance drive member 33 that forms a conveyance path for conveying the substrate 10 so as to pass through the first and second processing regions 4 and 5. The conveyance path is formed as a single annular path when the conveyance path is projected onto a plane (vertical plane) containing: a normal line of an arbitrary point on a process surface of the substrate 10 conveyed through the conveyance path, and a trajectory line drawn by the arbitrary point on the process surface of the substrate 10 when the substrate 10 passes straight through the first and second processing regions 4 and 5.

A bonding system for bonding a semiconductor element to a substrate is provided. The bonding system includes a substrate oxide reduction chamber configured to receive a substrate. The substrate includes a plurality of first electrically conductive structures. The substrate oxide reduction chamber is configured to receive a reducing gas to contact each of the plurality of first electrically conductive structures. The bonding system also includes a substrate oxide prevention chamber for receiving the substrate after the reducing gas contacts the plurality of first electrically conductive structures. The substrate oxide prevention chamber has an inert environment when receiving the substrate. The bonding system also includes a reducing gas delivery system for providing a reducing gas environment during bonding of a semiconductor element to the substrate.

In a film forming apparatus of the first embodiment, an infrared radiation apparatus and a thin film forming nozzle are separately disposed from each other so that heating treatment performed in a heating chamber and mist spray treatment performed in a film forming chamber are not affected by each other. The film forming apparatus of the first embodiment performs the heating treatment of infrared radiation of the infrared radiation apparatus in the heating chamber and then performs the mist spray treatment of the thin film forming nozzle in the film forming chamber.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a substrate rotator, a substrate edge metrology system, and a method of performing metrology on a substrate. The substrate rotator includes a body, a body actuator coupled to the body and configured to rotate the body, and a first and second gripper coupled to the body. The substrate rotator is configured to rotate one or more substrates. The substrate edge metrology system includes two metrology systems and the substrate rotator. The substrate edge metrology system measures side chips or other defects on all sides of the substrate. The method includes performing metrology on a first set of sides of the first substrate, rotating the first substrate by a first angle, and performing metrology on the second set of sides of the first substrate. The method allows for measuring side chips or other defects on all sides of the substrate.