A wafer processing method of the present invention includes mounting a wafer part on a chuck table, loading the wafer part on the chuck table, spraying, by a spray arm module, a first processing solution onto the wafer part to process the wafer part, spraying, by the spray arm module, a second processing solution onto the wafer part to process the wafer part, drying the wafer part on the chuck table, and unloading the wafer part from the chuck table.

Systems and techniques for determining and correcting inter-wafer misalignments in a stack of wafers transported by a wafer handling robot. An enhanced automatic wafer centering system is provided that may be used to determine a smallest circle associated with the stack of wafers, which may then be used to determine whether or not the stack of wafer meets various process requirements and/or if a centering correction can be made to better align the wafers with a receiving station coordinate frame.

There is provided a load port, including: a frame including an opening via which a transfer target object is capable of passing in a substantially horizontal posture; a load port door configured to engage with a container door capable of opening and closing a loading/unloading port of a storage container including slots capable of accommodating the transfer target object in a multi-stage manner, and to open and close the opening of the frame; and a mapping mechanism configured to map information on an accommodation state including presence or absence of the transfer target object in each of the slots in the storage container via the opening and the loading/unloading port.

A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a substrate processing part including a load port configured to place thereon a substrate accommodating vessel in which at least one substrate is accommodated, and configured to take out the at least one substrate from the substrate accommodating vessel and to perform a series of processes on the at least one substrate; and a controller configured to control an opening and closing of a lid of the substrate accommodating vessel, wherein the controller performs control to open the lid after the substrate accommodating vessel is placed on the load port, and the controller performs control to close the lid when an abnormality occurs in the substrate processing part and when none of the at least one substrate removed from the substrate accommodating vessel can be recovered to the substrate accommodating vessel after a predetermined period of time from the occurrence of the abnormality.

A holding mechanism includes a wafer holding section that holds a wafer under suction, and a frame support section that is disposed on the outer circumference of the wafer holding section and that supports a frame. The frame support section includes a permanent magnet.

The present application relates to a base frame of a substrate carrier, including a first vertical rod and a second vertical rod; a plurality of cross rods, being arranged along the lengthwise direction of the first vertical rod and the second vertical rod, and being connected between the first vertical rod and the second vertical rod; a first vertical rod extension, being connected to an end of the first vertical rod from which a substrate enters; and a second vertical rod extension, being connected to an end of the second vertical rod from which the substrate enters; and the first vertical rod extension and the second vertical rod extension are configured to accommodate at least one set of rollers for conveying the substrate therebetween.

A pre-jig wafer carrier disc installation/uninstallation device and a method thereof, including a first displacement mechanism, a wafer frame installation/uninstallation mechanism, a wafer installation/uninstallation mechanism, a mask installation/uninstallation mechanism and a robotic arm arranged around the first displacement mechanism. The said mechanisms sequentially stack the wafer frame, the wafer and the mask on the first displacement mechanism to form an assembly. An installation/uninstallation mechanism is disposed at a movable end of the robotic arm. The robotic arm drives the installation/uninstallation mechanism to remove and lock the assembly on an assembly carrier section of a carrier disc for successive processing. After the wafers are processed, the robotic arm drives the installation/uninstallation mechanism to move the assembly back onto the first displacement mechanism. The said mechanisms sequentially disassemble the assembly and recover the mask, the wafer and the wafer frame.

A substrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching a substrate station location, the system including a frame, a substrate transport connected to the frame, the substrate transport having an end effector configured to support a substrate, and a controller configured to move the substrate transport so that the substrate transport biases the substrate supported on the end effector against a substrate station feature causing a change in eccentricity between the substrate and the end effector, determine the change in eccentricity, and determine the substrate station location based on at least the change in eccentricity between the substrate and the end effector.

A processing system is provided, including a vacuum enclosure having a plurality of process windows and a continuous track positioned therein; a plurality of processing chambers attached sidewalls of the vacuum enclosures, each processing chamber about one of the process windows; a loadlock attached at one end of the vacuum enclosure and having a loading track positioned therein; at least one gate valve separating the loadlock from the vacuum enclosure; a plurality of substrate carriers configured to travel on the continuous track and the loading track; at least one track exchanger positioned within the vacuum enclosure, the track exchangers movable between a first position, wherein substrate carriers are made to continuously move on the continuous track, and a second position wherein the substrate carriers are made to transfer between the continuous track and the loading track.