A laser irradiation apparatus (1) according to one embodiment includes a laser generating device (14) that generates a laser beam, a flotation unit (10) that causes a workpiece (16) that is to be irradiated with the laser beam to float, and a conveying unit (11) that conveys the floating workpiece (16). The conveying unit (11) conveys the workpiece (16) with the conveying unit (11) holding the workpiece (16) at a position where the conveying unit (11) does not overlap an irradiation position (15) of the laser beam. The laser irradiation apparatus (1) according to one embodiment makes it possible to suppress uneven irradiation with a laser beam.

An electronics manufacturing system includes a first substrate transfer via having position detection sensors to detect a position of a substrate in the first substrate transfer via and flow-controlled valves to inject inert gas through a floor and move the substrate in a predetermined direction with reference to the position within the first substrate transfer via by adjusting a pressure of the inert gas underneath the substrate. A processing chamber is coupled to the first substrate transfer via and having a pedestal with apertures and flow-controlled devices to inject inert gas through the apertures to receive the substrate from the first substrate transfer via and move the substrate into a second substrate transfer via after processing of the substrate.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for the treatment of wafers. Proposed is a transport of the wafers in vertical alignment through the process solution which is used for the treatment of the wafers, whereby an increase of the throughput, a simplified aftertreatment of the exhaust air as well as a reduction of the consumption of components of the process solution are made possible. The invention can, inter alia, be used in the production of solar cells or also of printed boards, for example printed boards for the electrical industry.

In a laser irradiation apparatus 1 according to one embodiment, each of first and second flotation units 30a, 30b includes a base 31, and a porous plate 32 bonded to an upper surface of the base 31 by an adhesive layer 34, the base 31 includes a rising portion 312 protruding upward at an outer periphery facing at least the gap, and the porous plate 32 includes a cutout portion 321 configured to fit to the rising portion 312, and the adhesive layer 34 is formed along an inner wall of the rising portion 312 having fitted to the cutout portion 321.

The present invention provides a vertical feeding and wafer inserting integrated machine, comprising a rack and a silicon wafer transfer device provided on the rack; a carrying-transporting water tank for carrying and transporting silicon wafers is provided on one end of the rack; the rack is further provided with a feeding unit for conveying the silicon wafers in the carrying-transporting water tank to a silicon wafer transfer belt a wafer inserting unit for inserting the silicon wafers into wafer baskets is provided on one end, away from the feeding unit, of the silicon wafer transfer device, and a wafer basket arraying mechanism is provided on the other end of the wafer inserting unit; and a washing manipulator for transferring grouped wafer baskets to a washing procedure is further correspondingly provided on the rack.

An atomic layer deposition apparatus, having a first series of high pressure gas injection openings and a first series of exhaust openings that are positioned such that they together create a first high pressure/suction zone within each purge gas zone, wherein each first high pressure/suction zone extends over substantially the entire width of the process tunnel and wherein the distribution of the gas injection openings that are connected to the second purge gas source and the distribution of the gas exhaust openings within the first high pressure/suction zone, as well as the pressure of the second purge gas source and the pressure at the gas exhaust openings are such that the average pressure within the first high pressure/suction zone deviates less than 30% from a reference pressure which is defined by the average pressure within process tunnel when no substrate is present.

A method of forming a material layer on a substrate comprises loading a substrate into a printing zone of a coating system using a substrate handler, printing an organic ink material on a substrate while the substrate is located in the printing zone, transferring the substrate from the printing zone to a treatment zone of the coating system, treating the organic ink material deposited on the substrate in the treatment zone to form a film layer on the substrate, and removing the substrate from the treatment zone using the substrate handler.

A cutting apparatus is provided. The cutting apparatus includes a processing chamber, a chuck table, a transferring mechanism, and a cleaning member. The chuck table is disposed in the processing chamber and configured to hold a workpiece on a chuck surface of the chuck table during a cutting process. The transferring mechanism is configured to transfer the workpiece to the chuck surface before the cutting process or transfer the workpiece away from the chuck surface after the cutting process. The cleaning member is disposed in the processing chamber, and is configured to move across and clean the chuck surface, driven by the transferring mechanism.

A laser processing apparatus includes: a stage 2 capable of levitating and transporting a substrate 3 by jetting gas from a front surface; a laser oscillator configured to irradiate a laser beam 20a onto the substrate 3; and a gas jetting port arranged at a position overlapping a focus point position of the laser beam 20a in plan view, and being configured to jet inert gas. The front surface of the stage 2 is constituted by upper structures 5a and 5b, and the upper structures 5a and 5b are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other and face each other. A gap between the upper structures 5a and 5b overlaps the focus point position of the laser beam 20a in plan view. A filling member 8 is arranged between the upper structures 5a and 5b so as to fill the gap between the upper structures 5a and 5b.

Proposed is a POD cleaning process including: separating an introduced POD into an inner POD and an outer POD; cleaning a separation POD, which results from the separation, within a cleaning sub-chamber; drying the separation POD, which undergoes the cleaning, within a drying chamber; vacuum-processing the separation POD undergoing the drying; and assembling the inner POD and the outer POD that undergo the vacuum processing, in which the cleaning and the drying are separately performed.