A transfer apparatus including a frame, multiple arms connected to the frame, each arm having an end effector and an independent drive axis for extension and retraction of the respective arm with respect to other ones of the multiple arms, a linear rail defining a degree of freedom for the independent drive axis for extension and retraction of at least one arm, and a common drive axis shared by each arm and configured to pivot the multiple arms about a common pivot axis, wherein at least one of the multiple arms having another drive axis defining an independent degree of freedom with respect to other ones of the multiple arms.

A method and apparatus for processing a surface of a substrate with a cluster apparatus including a transport chamber and two or more process reactors connected to the transport chamber. The method further includes subjecting the surface of the substrate to a surface preparation step for providing a prepared substrate surface, providing an interface layer on the prepared substrate surface of the substrate for forming an interfaced substrate surface, and providing a functional layer on the interfaced substrate surface of the substrate. The process steps are carried out in at least two different process reactors connected to transport chamber the substrate is transported between the at least two process reactors via the transport chamber under vacuum atmosphere.

A wafer processing method includes a wafer accommodating step of accommodating a wafer in a vacuum chamber, a protective sheet disposing step of disposing a protective sheet on a front surface of the wafer, a decompression step of decompressing the inside of the vacuum chamber, after the wafer accommodating step and the protective sheet disposing step, a press-fitting step of pressing the protective sheet against a peripheral marginal area of the wafer in the vacuum chamber to press-fit the protective sheet to the peripheral marginal area, after the decompression step, and a conveying-out step of opening the vacuum chamber to atmosphere to bring the protective sheet into close contact with the front surface of the wafer by atmospheric pressure and conveying out the wafer, after the press-fitting step.

A substrate treating method for treating substrates with a substrate treating apparatus having an indexer section, a treating section and an interface section includes performing resist film forming treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section and performing developing treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section.

A substrate processing system installed on a floor face is provided. The substrate processing system includes a substrate transfer module, a supporting table including a top plate disposed separately from the floor face, a plurality of substrate processing modules disposed on the top plate and coupled to the substrate transfer module along a lateral side of the substrate transfer module, and a plurality of power units disposed below the top plate. Further, the plurality of power units correspond to the plurality of substrate processing modules, respectively, and each of the power units is configured to supply electric power to the corresponding processing module.

A substrate transport apparatus including, a torsional motion driver member having an exterior perimeter circumscribing an axis of rotation of the torsional motion driver member, and a torsional motion follower member including a body portion and a bearing collar rotatably coupled to the body portion, the torsional motion follower member being coupled to the torsional motion driver member with a dimensionally substantially invariant interface, wherein the bearing collar is decoupled from the exterior perimeter of the torsional motion driver member so that the exterior perimeter, as a whole, is free of the bearing collar.

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a factory interface and a load lock coupled with the factory interface. The systems may include a transfer chamber coupled with the load lock. The transfer chamber may include a robot configured to retrieve substrates from the load lock. The systems may include a chamber system positioned adjacent and coupled with the transfer chamber. The chamber system may include a transfer region laterally accessible to the robot. The transfer region may include a plurality of substrate supports disposed about the transfer region. Each substrate support of the plurality of substrate supports may be vertically translatable. The transfer region may also include a transfer apparatus rotatable about a central axis and configured to engage substrates and transfer substrates among the plurality of substrate supports. The chamber system may also include a plurality of processing regions vertically offset and axially aligned with an associated substrate support.

Semiconductor processing tools are provided that include a support framework, semiconductor processing chambers arranged along an axis, an attachment point connected to the support framework, and a detachable hoist system. Each chamber includes a base portion fixedly mounted relative to the support framework and a removable top cover including one or more hoisting features. The detachable hoist system includes a vertical member including a top end including a complementary attachment point and a bottom end including a movement mechanism supported by a floor. The complementary attachment point is detachably connected to the attachment point. The detachable hoist system further includes a hoist arm connected to the vertical member. The hoist arm is configured to pivot about a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to the axis, and includes one or more links and a hoist feature engagement interface configured to engage with the hoisting features of any of the removable top covers.

A substrate processing system comprises a module to perform an operation associated with processing a semiconductor substrate in the substrate processing system. The module includes a component used with the processing of the semiconductor substrate, and a file stored in the module. The file includes information about the component of the module. The substrate processing system comprises a controller to communicate with the module via a network of the substrate processing system. The controller receives the file from the module via the network, reads the information about the component from the received file, and maps, based on the information read from the received file, the component of the module to an option in an application used to configure the module. The controller automatically configures the component of the module using the option in the application to which the component of the module is mapped.

A method for providing a substrate coating comprises transferring a substrate to an enclosed ink jet printing system; printing organic material in a deposition region of the substrate using the enclosed ink jet printing system, the deposition region comprising at least a portion of an active region of a light-emitting device on the substrate; loading the substrate with the organic material deposited thereon to an enclosed curing module; supporting the substrate in the enclosed curing module, the supporting the substrate comprising floating the substrate on a gas cushion established by a floatation support apparatus; and while supporting the substrate in the enclosed curing module, curing the organic material deposited on the substrate to form an organic film layer.