There is provided a film forming apparatus, including: a processing chamber having a processing space in which a film forming process is performed on a substrate; a substrate support part configured to support the substrate inside the processing chamber; at least one sputtering particle emission part including a target and configured to emit sputtering particles to the substrate from the target; and at least one etching particle emission part configured to emit etching particles having an etching action with respect to the substrate, wherein the sputtering particles emitted from the at least one sputtering particle emission part are deposited on the substrate to form a film, and a portion of the film is etched by the etching particles emitted from the at least one etching particle emission part.

Energy is locally supplied to a cutting surface that is formed in an outer circumferential region of a wafer in a trimming step, before a grinding step of grinding the wafer. This can remove or repair at least part of a damage layer formed in the outer circumferential region of the wafer due to the trimming step. As a result, breakage of the wafer that originates from the outer circumferential region in the grinding of the wafer which has been subjected to the edge trimming and generation of dust in a step after this grinding can be suppressed.

A control apparatus is included in a film forming apparatus that includes: a rotation table disposed in a vacuum container and configured to rotate around a central shaft of a table surface, thereby revolving a substrate on a disposing surface provided on a part of the table surface; a stage configured to rotate around the central shaft of the disposing surface, thereby rotating the substrate on the disposing surface; and a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas into the vacuum container. The control apparatus includes: a display control unit configured to display a setting screen for setting a first parameter that controls a rotation of the substrate; and a process execution unit configured to form a film on the substrate while controlling the rotation of the substrate based on the set first parameter.

An apparatus for contactless transportation of a device in a vacuum processing system is described. The apparatus includes: a magnetic transportation arrangement for providing a magnetic levitation force (F.sub.L) for levitating the device, the magnetic transportation arrangement comprising one or more active magnetic units; a sensor for monitoring a motion of the device, and a controller configured for controlling the one or more active magnetic units based on a signal provided by the sensor.

When performing a liquid processing on a substrate W being rotated and removing a processing liquid by a cleaning liquid, a cleaning liquid nozzle 421 configured to discharge a cleaning liquid slantly with respect to a surface of the substrate W toward a downstream side of a rotational direction of the substrate W and a gas nozzle 411 configured to discharge a gas toward a position adjacent to a central portion side of the substrate W when viewed from a liquid arrival position R of the cleaning liquid are moved from the central portion side toward a peripheral portion side. A rotation number of the substrate is varied such that rotation number in a period during which the liquid arrival position R moves in the second region becomes smaller than a maximum rotation number in a period during which the liquid arrival position moves in the first region.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotary table configured to hold and rotate a substrate; an electronic component provided at the rotary table and configured to be rotated along with the rotary table; a first electrode unit provided at the rotary table and configured to be rotated along with the rotary table, the first electrode unit comprising multiple first electrodes electrically connected to the electronic component via multiple first conductive lines; an electric device configured to perform a power supply to the electronic component and a transmission/reception of signals; a second electrode unit comprising multiple second electrodes electrically connected to the electric device via multiple second conductive lines and arranged at positions respectively corresponding to the multiple first electrodes to be brought into contact with the multiple first electrodes; and an electrode moving device configured to connect/disconnect the first electrode unit to/from the second electrode unit.

The substrate has a plurality of chip regions each being provided with a structure to be a power device, and is provided with a to-be-processed film. The thickness profile of the to-be-processed film in the radial direction is measured by scanning with the sensor in the radial direction while the substrate is rotated. The average thickness of the thickness profile is calculated. At least one radial position where the thickness profile has an average thickness is extracted as at least one candidate position. At least one of the at least one candidate position is determined to be at least one measurement position. Processing liquid is supplied from a nozzle onto the to-be-processed film of the substrate while the substrate is rotated. The sensor monitors the time-dependent change in the thickness of the to-be-processed film in at least one measurement position while the substrate is rotated.

A scanning system includes a scanning chamber; a first rotary drive disposed in the scanning chamber and configured to rotate around a first axis; a second rotary drive disposed in the scanning chamber and configured to rotate around the first axis synchronously with the first rotary drive; and a bar-and-hinge system disposed in the scanning chamber and mechanically coupled to a substrate holder, the hinge system configured to translate a rotary motion of the first rotary drive and the second rotary drive to a planar motion of the substrate holder.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a first cleaning solution supply part for supplying a main surface of a substrate with an alkaline or acid first cleaning solution and a second cleaning solution supply part for supplying the main surface with a second cleaning solution containing a thickener and having a viscosity higher than that of the first cleaning solution. In a state where one cleaning solution out of the first cleaning solution and the second cleaning solution is present on the main surface, the other cleaning solution is supplied onto the main surface. It is thereby possible to more reliably remove unnecessary substances on the main surface of the substrate.

Embodiments described herein relate to a precision dynamic leveling mechanism for repeatedly positioning the pedestal within a process. The precision dynamic leveling mechanism includes bearing assemblies. Bearing assemblies having inner races forced against a pedestal assembly carrier and outer races forced against a guide adaptor provide nominal clearance between the inner races and outer races to allow the inner races and the outer races to slide on each other with minimal or no radial motion.