The treating arrangement (900) for an epitaxial reactor (1000) comprises: a reaction chamber (100) for treating substrates, a transfer chamber (200) adjacent to the reaction chamber (100), for transferring substrates placed over substrates support devices, a loading/unloading group (300) at least in part adjacent to the transfer chamber (200), arranged to contain a substrates support device with one or more substrates, a storage chamber (400) at least in part adjacent to the load-lock chamber (300), having a first storage zone (410) for treated and/or untreated substrates and a second storage zone (420) for substrates support devices without any substrate, at least one external robot (500) for transferring treated substrates, untreated substrates and substrates support devices without any substrate between said storage chamber (400) and said loading/unloading group (300), at least one internal robot (600) for transferring substrates support devices with one or more substrates between said loading/unloading group (300) and said reaction chamber (100) via said transfer chamber (200).

The treating arrangement (900) for an epitaxial reactor (1000) comprises: a reaction chamber (100) for treating substrates, a transfer chamber (200) adjacent to the reaction chamber (100), for transferring substrates placed over substrates support devices, a loading/unloading group (300) at least in part adjacent to the transfer chamber (200), arranged to contain a substrates support device with one or more substrates, a loading/unloading chamber (400) at least in part adjacent to the loading/unloading group (300), having a first storage zone (410) for treated and/or untreated substrates and a second storage zone (420) for substrates support devices without any substrate, at least one external robot (500) for transferring treated substrates, untreated substrates and substrates support devices without any substrate between said loading/unloading chamber (400) and said loading/unloading group (300), at least one internal robot (600) for transferring substrates support devices with one or more substrates between said loading/unloading group (300) and said reaction chamber (100) via said transfer chamber (200); wherein said external robot (500) comprises an articulated arm (510) arranged to handle both treated substrates and untreated substrates as well as substrates support devices.

An apparatus, system and method for providing a stationary chuck for positionally maintaining an associated inprocess wafer. The stationary chuck may include a base plate having, on an upper surface thereof, a plurality of machined concentric ridges that form a series of concentric circular zones; a silicon carbide coating on the upper surface of the base plate; and a plurality of silicon carbide inlays capable of being bonded onto the silicon carbide coating in the concentric circular zones.

Systems and techniques for reducing or eliminating particulate contamination from wafer handling robots configured for vertical translation are disclosed. In one such technique, a collar may be provided having an aperture through it through which the turret of a wafer handling robot may be extended or retracted. The collar may have one or more radial gas passages. Gas directed at the turret from the radial passage(s) may turn downward when it strikes the turret and may act to prevent or discourage gas from within the base of the wafer handling robot from escaping through the aperture. In another technique, a bellows may be affixed to the bottom of the turret and to the bottom of the base such that the volume of the base occupied by the turret and the bellows remains generally fixed regardless of the degree to which the turret is extended from the base.

A vacuum substrate transport apparatus including a frame, a drive section having a drive axis, at least one arm, having an end effector for holding a substrate, having at least one degree of freedom axis effecting extension and retraction, and a bearing defining a guideway that defines the axis, the bearing including at least one rolling load bearing element disposed in a bearing case, interfacing between a bearing raceway and bearing rail to support arm loads, and effecting sliding of the case along the rail, and at least one rolling, substantially non-load bearing, spacer element disposed in the case, intervening between each of the load bearing elements, wherein the spacer element is a sacrificial buffer material compatible with sustained substantially unrestricted service commensurate with a predetermined service duty of the apparatus in a vacuum environment at temperatures over 260° C. for a specified predetermined service period.

Provided is a tower lift, including: a body; a first carriage module and a second carriage module configured to be movable in a vertical direction along the body and each support objects to be transferred; a driving unit comprising a driving belt which vertically moves the first carriage module and the second carriage module and on which the first carriage module or the second carriage module is mounted; and a gap adjusting unit adjusting a gap between the first carriage module and the second carriage module.

A wafer processing apparatus of an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an equipment front end module (EFEM), a wafer transfer chamber, a wafer processing chamber, and a wafer transfer arm. In addition, the EFEM may include an atmosphere control chamber configured to store a wafer carrier accommodating wafers, an upper air supplier configured to supply air into the atmosphere control chamber, an EFEM chamber under the atmosphere control chamber, a load lock arranged to be vertically overlapped by at least a portion of the EFEM chamber, and an EFEM arm configured to transfer the wafer carrier.

An EFEM is provided with a circulation path including a substrate transfer space formed inside a housing and a return path configured to return gas flowing from one side to the other side of the substrate transfer space, the EFEM including: a partition wall configured to separate the substrate transfer space and the return path; a capture part provided in the return path having a higher pressure than the substrate transfer space in a state in which the gas circulates through the circulation path, and configured to capture particles contained in the gas flowing through the return path; and a connecting pipe configured to guide the gas flowing inside a predetermined device arranged in the substrate transfer space to the return path, wherein the connecting pipe is connected to the return path on an upstream side of the capture part in a gas flow direction.

A wafer access assembly, a wafer access device and a wafer carrier are provided. The wafer access device includes a base, a shaft, a plurality of couple plates, a plurality of arms, and a stretchable component. The base includes a groove. The shaft extends into the groove and is capable of sliding into the groove. The plurality of couple plates mounting on the shaft. Each of the plurality of couple plates includes a plate body and a through hole on the plate body for the shaft passing through. Each of the plurality of arms is extended from an end of each of the plurality of couple plates. The stretchable component includes a plurality of connecting side walls connecting adjacent couple plates together. The plurality of stretchable component are capable of changing a distance between adjacent couple plates.

A substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate includes a substrate receptacle placing unit configured to place thereon a substrate receptacle accommodating therein the substrate to be processed; and a storage zone provided adjacent to the substrate receptacle placing unit to store therein the substrate receptacle. The storage zone includes multiple storages which are vertically arranged in multiple levels and configured to place and store thereon the multiple substrate receptacles horizontally. The substrate receptacle is transferred between a first storage of the multiple storages at an uppermost position and a ceiling travelling vehicle configured to be moved above the substrate processing apparatus. A second storage of the multiple storages under the first storage is configured to place and store the substrate receptacle thereon such that a direction of the substrate receptacle on the second storage is different from a direction of the substrate receptacle on the first storage.