A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device uses a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a turn table allowing placement of at least first and second semiconductor substrates and being capable of moving positions of the first and the second semiconductor substrates by turning, a first film forming chamber, and a second film forming chamber. The first and the second film forming chambers are provided with an opening capable of loading and unloading the first and the second semiconductor substrates by lifting and lowering the first and the second semiconductor substrates placed on the turn table. The method includes transferring the first and the second semiconductor substrates between the first and the second film forming chambers by turning the turn fable and lifting and lowering the first and the second semiconductor substrates placed on the turn table; and forming a stack of films above the first and the second semiconductor substrates.

An apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a wafer transfer mechanism, a first gas source, a second gas source and a reuse gas pipe. The vacuum chamber is divided into at least three reaction regions including a first reaction region, a second reaction region and a third reaction region. The wafer transfer mechanism is structured to transfer a wafer from the first reaction region to the third reaction region via the second reaction region. The first gas source supplies a first gas to the first reaction region via a first gas pipe, and a second gas source supplies a second gas to the second reaction region via a second gas pipe. The reuse gas pipe is connected between the first reaction region and the third reaction region for supplying an unused first gas collected in the first reaction region to the third reaction region.

A vacuum chamber having a vacuum chamber; at least one processing region arranged in the vacuum chamber; and a substrate holding arrangement for transporting and/or positioning a substrate or multiple substrates in the processing region, wherein the substrate holding arrangement has: a first drive train with a first substrate holder, the first substrate holder being configured to rotatably hold one or more substrates, a second drive train with a first support arm, wherein the first substrate holder is held rotatably by the first support arm, a third drive train with a second substrate holder, the second substrate holder being configured for rotatably holding one or more substrates, and a fourth drive train with a second support arm, wherein the second substrate holder is held rotatably by the second support arm, and wherein the first, second, third and fourth drive trains are each configured to be controllable independently of one another.

Embodiments of the invention provide a method for atomic layer etching (ALE) of a substrate. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate, and alternatingly exposing the substrate to a fluorine-containing gas and an aluminum-containing gas to etch the substrate. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a metal oxide film, exposing the substrate to a fluorine-containing gas to form a fluorinated layer on the metal oxide film, and thereafter, exposing the substrate to an aluminum-containing gas to remove the fluorinated layer from the metal oxide film. The exposing steps may be alternatingly repeated at least once to further etch the metal oxide film.

An objects detecting method for a vacuum processing apparatus equipped with: a processing unit including a vacuum container having therein a processing chamber in which a wafer is processed, and an exhaust pump that exhausts gas in the processing chamber; a vacuum transfer unit including a transfer chamber in which the wafer is transferred; and a connection pipe including a passage through which the wafer can be transferred between the processing chamber and the transfer chamber, includes: an objects collecting process of increasing an internal pressure of the transfer chamber to be higher than an internal pressure of the processing chamber to generate a gas flow in the passage from the transfer chamber toward the processing chamber, transferring the wafer to a position straddling the transfer chamber, the passage, and the processing chamber, and holding the wafer for a predetermined time; and an objects detecting process of detecting objects adhering to a surface of the wafer.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including at least one load module including a load port on which a substrate container is located, a plurality of substrates being mountable on the substrate container; at least one loadlock module including a loadlock chamber directly connected to the substrate container, the loadlock chamber interchangeably having atmospheric pressure and vacuum pressure, a first transfer robot within the loadlock chamber, and a substrate stage within the loadlock chamber, the plurality of substrates being mountable on the substrate stage; a transfer module including a transfer chamber connected to the loadlock chamber, a second transfer robot within the transfer chamber, and a substrate aligner within the transfer chamber; and at least one process module including at least one process chamber connected to the transfer module.

A substrate processing method includes forming a liquid film of an alkaline processing liquid on a substrate by supplying the alkaline processing liquid having a reduced oxygen concentration onto the substrate; and etching the substrate by rotating the substrate while supplying the alkaline processing liquid in a state that the liquid film having a given thickness is formed on the substrate.

A substrate processing system comprises an edge computing device including processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to process an image or video captured by camera(s) of at least one of a substrate and a component of the substrate processing system. The component is associated with a robot transporting the substrate between processing chambers of the substrate processing system or between the substrate processing system and a second substrate processing system. The cameras are located along a travel path of the substrate. The instructions configure the processor to transmit first data from the image to a remote server via a network and to receive second data from the remote server via the network in response to transmitting the first data to the remote server. The instructions configure the processor to operate the substrate processing system according to the second data in an automated or autonomous manner.

A method for forming a fully self-aligned via is provided. A workpiece having a pattern of features in a dielectric layer is received into a common manufacturing platform. Metal caps are deposited on the metal features, and a barrier layer is deposited on the metal caps. A first dielectric layer is added to exposed dielectric material. The barrier layer is removed and an etch stop layer is added on the exposed surfaces of the first dielectric layer and the metal caps. Additional dielectric material is added on top of the etch stop layer, then both the additional dielectric material and a portion of the etch stop layer are etched to form a feature to be filled with metal material. An integrated sequence of processing steps is executed within one or more common manufacturing platforms to provide controlled environments. Transfer modules transfer the workpiece between processing modules within and between controlled environments.

Methods for pre-cleaning substrates having metal and dielectric surfaces are described. The substrate is exposed to a strong reductant to remove contaminants from the metal surface and damage the dielectric surface. The substrate is then exposed to an oxidation process to repair the damage to the dielectric surface and oxidize the metal surface. The substrate is then exposed to a weak reductant to reduce the metal oxide to a pure metal surface without substantially affecting the dielectric surface. Processing tools and computer readable media for practicing the method are also described.