Provided are cleaning methods and systems to remove unintended metallic deposits from electroplating apparatuses using reverse current deplating techniques. Such cleaning involves positioning a cleaning (deplating) disk in an electroplating cup similar to a regular processed substrate. The front surface of the cleaning disk includes a corrosion resistant conductive material to form electrical connections to deposits on the cup's surfaces. The disk is sealed in the cup and submerged into a plating solution. A reverse current is then applied to the front conductive surface of the disk to initiate deplating of the deposits. Sealing compression in the cup may change during cleaning to cause different deformation of the lip seal and to form new electrical connections to the deposits. The proposed cleaning may be applied to remove deposits formed during electroplating of alloys, in particular, tin-silver alloys widely used for semiconductor and wafer level packaging.

There is provided a system for processing a substrate under a depressurized environment. The system comprises: a processing chamber configured to perform desired processing on a substrate; a transfer chamber having a transfer mechanism configured to import or export the substrate into or from the processing chamber; and a controller configured to control a processing process in the processing chamber. The transfer mechanism comprises: a fork configured to hold the substrate on an upper surface; and a sensor provided in the fork and configured to measure an internal state of the processing chamber. The controller is configured to control the processing process in the processing chamber on the basis of the internal state of the processing chamber measured by the sensor.

A transfer robot includes a movable mechanism, a support base moved by the movable mechanism, a horizontal arm pivotable relative to the support base around a first vertical axis, a motor in the horizontal arm to pivot the arm, and a hand disposed above the arm and rotatable relative to the arm around a second axis parallel to the first axis. The hand holds a planar workpiece placed thereon. The arm includes a rotation stage for holding the planar workpiece placed thereon. The rotation stage is rotatable around a third axis parallel to the first axis and movable vertically along the third axis. The hand has a holding center corresponding to the center of the planar workpiece, where the holding center is moved along a rotational trajectory extending across the third axis in plan view. The rotation stage is rotated by the motor provided in the horizontal arm.

The present disclosure provides a substrate transfer apparatus. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the substrate transfer apparatus includes: a planar motor provided in a transfer chamber and having coils arranged therein; a transfer unit movable on the planar motor; and a control unit configured to control an energization of the coils. The transfer unit includes two bases having magnets arranged thereon and configured to be movable on the planar motor, a substrate support member configured to support a substrate, and a link mechanism configured to connect the two bases and the substrate support member to each other.

A travel robot for moving a substrate transfer robot in a vacuum chamber, includes: a travel arm platform through which coupling holes are formed, wherein an elevating drive shaft is inserted into a lower space of one of the coupling holes; a first travel arm part including a (1_1)-st and a (1_2)-nd travel link arms; a second travel arm part including a (2_1)-st and a (2_2)-nd travel link arms, wherein travel driving motors and speed reducers are installed in the (1_1)-st and the (2_1)-st travel link arms; and a transfer robot coupling part engaged with the (1_2)-nd and the (2_2)-nd travel link arms, wherein a rotation driving motor built thereon is engaged with the substrate transfer robot by a rotation drive shaft.

A lower-surface center region of a substrate held by a first holder is cleaned by a cleaner. A lower-surface outer region of the substrate rotated by a second holder is cleaned by the cleaner. A mobile base provided with the second holder and the cleaner is moved in a horizontal plane such that a reference position of the first holder coincides with a center axis of the second holder in a plan view when the substrate is received and transferred between the first holder and the second holder, and is moved in the horizontal plane such that the cleaner overlaps with the lower-surface center region of the substrate held by the first holder and a center axis of the cleaner coincides with a first portion different from a center of the substrate in the plan view when the lower-surface center region is cleaned.

Provided is a support unit including a support plate on which the substrate is placed, and a support protrusion provided on the support plate and separating the substrate from the support plate, wherein the support plate includes a first protrusion protruding from an upper surface of the support plate, wherein the first protrusion is provided in a support region provided by the support protrusion.

A substrate treating apparatus is provided. The substrate treating apparatus includes an atmospheric pressure transfer module provided with a first transfer robot having a first hand with a substrate placed thereon; a vacuum transfer module provided with a second transfer robot having a second hand with a substrate placed thereon; a load-lock chamber positioned between the atmospheric pressure transfer module and the vacuum transfer module, and having an inner space convertible between an atmospheric pressure and a vacuum atmosphere; a process chamber coupled to the vacuum transfer module and treating the substrate; and a ring carrier supported by the first transfer robot or the second transfer robot for a transfer of a ring member. The ring carrier comprises a plate having the ring member placed thereon and at least one leg protruding from a bottom surface of the plate and placed at the first hand or the second hand.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a plasma processing system, comprising: a transfer chamber, the transfer chamber including a plurality of sidewalls, each sidewall being connected with a plurality of process chambers; each process chamber including a base therein, the base including a central point; wherein at least two process chambers connected to a same sidewall form one process chamber group, wherein a first distance is provided between the central points of two bases in a first process chamber group, and a second distance is provided between the central points of two bases in a second process chamber group, the first distance being greater than the second distance; and the transfer chamber comprises a mechanical transfer device; a rotating pedestal includes two independently movable robot arms thereon, the two robot arms; and the two robot arms both include a plurality of rotating shafts and a plurality of rotating arms, wherein a remote rotating arm of each robot arm further includes an end effector for holding a substrate. The mechanical transfer device according to the present disclosure may simultaneously retrieve and place the substrate in the process chamber group with the first distance and the substrate in the process chamber group with the second distance.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a frame and a transport apparatus connected to the frame. The transport apparatus has an upper arm link, a forearm link rotatably coupled to the upper arm link about an elbow axis, at least a third arm link rotatably coupled to the forearm about a wrist axis, and an end effector rotatably coupled to the third arm link about a knuckle axis. A two degree of freedom drive system is operably connected to at least one of the upper arm link, the forearm link, and the third arm link for effecting extension and retraction of the end effector wherein a height of the end effector is within the stack height profile of the wrist axis so that a total stack height of the end effector and wrist axis is sized to conform within a pass through of a slot valve.