Electrostatic chucks with reduced current leakage and methods of dicing semiconductor wafers are described. In an example, an etch apparatus includes a chamber, and a plasma source within or coupled to the chamber. An electrostatic chuck is within the chamber. The electrostatic chuck includes a conductive pedestal having a plurality of notches at a circumferential edge thereof. The electrostatic chuck also includes a plurality of lift pins corresponding to ones of the plurality of notches.

A substrate bonding apparatus includes a substrate susceptor to support a first substrate, a substrate holder over the substrate susceptor to hold a second substrate, the substrate holder including a plurality of independently moveable holding fingers, and a chamber housing to accommodate the substrate susceptor and the substrate holder.

Disclosed are focus rings, substrate processing apparatuses including the same, and substrate processing methods using the same. The focus ring comprises a first ring formed around an axis that extends in a first direction and a second ring separate from the first ring and formed around the axis. A portion of an inner lateral surface of the second ring is in contact with a portion of an outer lateral surface of the first ring. When viewed from a cross-sectional view from a direction perpendicular to the axis, a first angle between the outer lateral surface and the first direction is different from a second angle between the inner lateral surface and the first direction.

An apparatus including at least one drive; a first robot arm having a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector. The first upper arm is connected to the at least one drive at a first axis of rotation. A second robot arm has a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector. The second upper arm is connected to the at least one drive at a second axis of rotation which is spaced from the first axis of rotation. The first and second robot arms are configured to locate the end effectors in first retracted positions for stacking substrates located on the end effectors at least partially one above the another. The first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors from the first retracted positions in a first direction along parallel first paths located at least partially directly one above the other. The first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors in at least one second direction along second paths spaced from one another which are not located above one another. The first upper arm and the first forearm have different effective lengths. The second upper arm and the second forearm have different effective lengths.

Described are apparatus and methods for processing a semiconductor wafer so that the wafer remains in place during processing. The wafer is subjected to a pressure differential between the top surface and bottom surface so that sufficient force prevents the wafer from moving during processing, the pressure differential generated by applying a decreased pressure to the back side of the wafer.

A chuck assembly includes a chuck base including a lower base and an upper base that is on the lower base, a ceramic plate on the upper base, an isolator ring enclosing an outer sidewall of the lower base, a focus ring on an edge portion of the lower base and the isolator ring, the focus ring enclosing an outer sidewall of the upper base, and a pad that is between the edge portion of the lower base and the focus ring. The pad may contain a nonmetal conductive material.

A substrate support for a substrate processing chamber includes a baseplate, an edge ring arranged on the baseplate, a seal arrangement located between the edge ring and the baseplate that is configured to define an interface between the edge ring and the baseplate, and at least one channel in fluid communication with the interface and configured to supply a heat transfer gas to the interface.

A substrate holder for curving a substrate the substrate holding including a fixing plate for fixing the substrate, curving means for curving the fixing plate, wherein the fixing plate is constituted such that the curvature of the substrate can be adjusted in a targeted manner, as well as a corresponding method.

A plurality of substrate support pins are erected on a susceptor that holds a semiconductor wafer that is an object being treated. The plurality of substrate support pins are set in a ring shape at equal intervals. A flash lamp irradiates the semiconductor wafer supported by the plurality of substrate support pins with flash light to heat the semiconductor wafer. The radius of a setting circle in which the plurality of substrate support pins are set is made larger as the pulse width of flash light emitted from the flash lamp decreases. To irradiate the semiconductor wafer with flash light while having the semiconductor wafer supported by the plurality of substrate support pins can prevent cracking of the semiconductor wafer despite possible abrupt deformation of the semiconductor wafer due to the flash-light irradiation.

Provided is a plasma film-firming apparatus including: a chamber configured to accommodate a substrate therein; a substrate pedestal configured to disposed the substrate thereon within the chamber; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas including a film-forming gas into the chamber; an exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust an inside of the chamber; and a plasma generating unit configured to generate plasma in the chamber. The substrate pedestal includes a pedestal body having a smaller diameter than that of the substrate and including a placement surface, and an annular adjustment member disposed outside the pedestal body. The adjustment member is replaceably installed. A plurality of adjustment members having various steps are provided at a position outside the substrate as the adjustment member, and among the plurality of adjustment members, an adjustment member is selected and used according to a processing condition of a plasma processing.