A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a loadlock module including a loadlock chamber in which a substrate container is received, wherein the loadlock module is configured to switch an internal pressure of the loadlock chamber between atmospheric pressure and a vacuum; and a transfer module configured to transfer a substrate between the substrate container received in the loadlock chamber and a process module for performing a semiconductor manufacturing process on the substrate, wherein the loadlock module includes a purge gas supply unit configured to supply a purge gas into the substrate container through a gas supply line connected to the substrate container; and an exhaust unit configured to discharge a gas in the substrate container through an exhaust line connected to the substrate container.

Examples of a substrate treatment apparatus include a plurality of load ports, a front-end module adjacent to the plurality of load ports, a plurality of load lock chambers adjacent to the front-end module, the plurality of load lock chambers include a plurality of wafer housing slots, a wafer handling chamber adjacent to the plurality of load lock chambers, a first wafer transfer device in the front-end module, a second wafer transfer device in the wafer handling chamber, and a controller including a processor and a memory configured to cause the processor to execute a program stored in the memory, or including a dedicated circuitry, to issue a command to a wafer moving device to move a wafer between the plurality of load lock chambers when predetermined wafer transfer conditions are satisfied.

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 processing system for processing a plurality of workpieces includes a transfer chamber in process flow communication with a first processing chamber and a second processing chamber, the transfer chamber having a first straight side, wherein the first process chamber includes at least one first processing station, and wherein the first processing chamber is disposed along the first straight side, wherein the second process chamber includes at least two second processing stations, wherein the second processing chamber is disposed along the first straight side, and wherein the second process chamber disposed in linear arrangement with the first process chamber along the first straight side, and wherein the transfer chamber includes at least one workpiece handling robot configured to transfer at least one workpiece to the at least one first processing station and the at least two second processing stations.

There is provided an EFEM, including: at least one load port; a housing closed by connecting the at least one load port to an opening provided on a side wall of the housing and configured to define, in the housing, a transfer chamber for transferring a substrate; a substrate transfer device disposed in the transfer chamber and configured to transfer the substrate; an inert gas supply unit configured to supply an inert gas to the transfer chamber; and a gas discharge unit configured to discharge a gas in the transfer chamber, wherein the at least one load port includes: an opening/closing mechanism capable of opening and closing a lid of a mounted FOUP; and an accommodation chamber kept in communication with the transfer chamber and configured to accommodate a part of the opening/closing mechanism.

There is provided a method of automatically supervising a transfer operation of a transfer device including an optical sensor, the optical sensor having a light emitting part and a light receiving part provided in a head of a holding part for holding a substrate, the method including: acquiring a change in intensity of a first reflected light reflected off a first object by radiating a light from the light emitting part toward the first object below the holding part and receiving the first reflected light reflected off the first object by the light receiving part, while horizontally moving the holding part; and specifying an end position of the first object based on the change in intensity of the first reflected light.

A gate valve provided in a boundary portion between two sections to block communication between the two sections, the gate valve includes a base, a first moving mechanism installed on the base and configured to move a first movement body along a first linear track, a second moving mechanism installed on the first movement body, and configured to operate at a timing different from the first moving mechanism and to move a second movement body along a second linear track orthogonal to the first linear track, and a valve body installed on the second movement body and configured to come into contact with a contact surface so as to perform sealing. One of the first linear track and the second linear track is parallel to a direction orthogonal to the contact surface.

A loadlock apparatus includes a loadlock chamber including a first opening and a second opening separated in a vertical direction; a first slit valve including a first valve plate configured to move between a first open position where the first opening is open and a first closed position where the first opening is closed, the first open position being a position moved downward from the first closed position; and a second slit valve including a second valve plate configured to move between a second open position where the second opening is open and a second closed position where the second opening is closed, the second open position being a position moved upward from the second closed position.

A substrate processing system includes a load-lock module including load-lock module stages, a process module including process module stages, a vacuum transfer module that connects the load-lock module to the process module, a first transfer device that transfers substrates from the load-lock module stages to the process module stages, the first transfer device being provided in the vacuum transfer module, a second transfer device that transfers the substrates to the load-lock module stages, and a processor. The processor is configured to perform teaching a position at which the first transfer device receives the substrates from the load-lock module, teaching a position at which the first transfer device delivers the substrates to the process module, measuring shift amounts between the process module stages and the substrates mounted thereon, and correcting positions at which the second transfer device delivers the substrates to the load-lock module stages based on the measured shift amounts.

A jig for teaching substrate handling in a semiconductor processing system includes a verification pin with a pin width and a disc body. The disc body has a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a thickness separating the second surface from the first surface of the disc body. The first and second surfaces define a verification aperture coupling the first surface to the second surface of the disc body. The verification aperture has an aperture width equivalent to the pin width of the verification pin to teach a transfer position by slidably receiving the verification pin in the verification aperture and a verification pin seat defined in a load lock of the semiconductor processing system while supported by a substrate transfer robot within the semiconductor processing system. Semiconductor processing systems and methods of teaching substrate handling in semiconductor processing systems are also described.