A semiconductor wafer carrier structure includes a carrier body having a surface; a protective film covering the surface; a susceptor disposed on the carrier body; and a patterned coating film on the susceptor, wherein the patterned coating film has two or more different thicknesses, wherein patterns of the patterned coating film are symmetrically distributed with respect to a center of the susceptor.

Methods for aligning a processing chamber using a centering ring and processing chambers having the centering ring are describes. The method includes determining an average central position for the centering ring based on the concentricity of the centering with the support surfaces and adjusting average position of centering ring to a final position based on the average central position.

In one example, an electrostatic chuck comprises a chuck body having a top surface configured to support a substrate and a bottom surface opposite the top surface. The chuck body comprises one or more chucking electrodes, and one or more heating elements. The chuck body further comprises first terminals disposed on the bottom surface of the chuck body and coupled with the one or more heating elements, second terminals disposed on the bottom surface of the chuck body and coupled with the one or more chucking electrodes, and third terminals disposed on the bottom first surface of the chuck body and coupled with the one or more chucking electrodes.

A method for dry cleaning a susceptor is performed after a substrate is removed from a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus. In the method, a cleaning gas for dry cleaning is supplied to a first region including a substrate receiving region in the susceptor. The cleaning gas is regionally supplied to a second region where the cleaning gas is difficult to reach when the cleaning gas is supplied to the first region.

Apparatus and methods to process one or more wafers are described. A processing chamber comprises a first processing station comprising a first gas injector having a first face, a first emissivity and a first temperature, a second processing station comprising a second gas injector having a second face, a second emissivity and a second temperature, and a substrate support assembly comprising a plurality of substantially coplanar support surfaces, the substrate support assembly configured to move the support surfaces between the first processing station and the second processing station. When a wafer is on the support surfaces, a temperature skew of less than about 0.5° C. is developed upon moving the wafer between the stations in about 0.5 seconds.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber performing film-forming processing to a substrate; a substrate support that is provided in the process chamber and includes a plurality of mounting surfaces on which the substrate is mounted; and a detector that is disposed outside or inside the process chamber and detects a state of a film-forming material adhering to at least one of the plurality of mounting surfaces in a non-contact manner.

Metrology slot plates, processing chamber lids and processing chambers having metrology slot plates are described. Each of the metrology slot plates independently comprises one or more of a plate blank, a reflectometer, a capacitance sensor, a gas flow meter, a manometer, a pyrometer, a distance sensor (laser) or an emissometer.

A top lid capable of minimizing thermal deformation when a substrate processing temperature increases includes a support for supporting the top lid, the support protruding integrally from one surface of the top lid.

A wafer access assembly, a wafer access device and a wafer carrier are provided. The wafer access device includes a base, a shaft, a plurality of couple plates, a plurality of arms, and a stretchable component. The base includes a groove. The shaft extends into the groove and is capable of sliding into the groove. The plurality of couple plates mounting on the shaft. Each of the plurality of couple plates includes a plate body and a through hole on the plate body for the shaft passing through. Each of the plurality of arms is extended from an end of each of the plurality of couple plates. The stretchable component includes a plurality of connecting side walls connecting adjacent couple plates together. The plurality of stretchable component are capable of changing a distance between adjacent couple plates.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a disk including a plurality of electrostatic chucks periodically disposed at a constant radius from a central axis; a disk support supporting the disk; a DC line electrically connected to the plurality of electrostatic chucks through the disk support; and a power supply configured to supply power to the DC line. The DC line includes: a first DC line penetrating through the disk support from the power supply; a power distribution unit configured to distribute the first DC line to connect the first DC line to each of the plurality of electrostatic chucks; and a plurality of second DC lines respectively connected to the plurality of electrostatic chucks in the power distribution unit.