A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank, a reservoir, a remover, a mixer, and a return path. Etching is performed on a substrate in the processing tank by immersing the substrate in a processing liquid containing a chemical liquid and silicon. The reservoir recovers and stores the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank. The remover recovers a portion of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank, and removes silicon from the recovered processing liquid. The mixer mixes the processing liquid stored in the reservoir with the processing liquid from which silicon has been removed by the remover. The processing liquid mixed by the mixer is returned to the processing tank through a return path.

A testing system includes: an inspection module including a plurality of levels of inspection chambers in each of which a tester part having a tester configured to perform an electrical inspection of an inspection object and a probe card is accommodated; an aligner module configured to align the inspection object with the tester part; an alignment area in which the aligner module is accommodated; and a loader part configured to load the inspection object into the alignment area and unload the inspection object out of the aligner module, wherein the inspection module is located adjacent to the alignment area.

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 is for cleaning a substrate transfer mechanism for loading a substrate into a heat treatment chamber for sublimating by-products by heat. The substrate transfer mechanism includes a holding unit for holding the substrate. The method includes repeatedly moving the holding unit into and out of the heat treatment chamber.

A substrate loading station including a frame forming a chamber configured to hold a controlled environment, a transfer robot connected to the frame and one or more substrate cassette holding locations each capable of having a substrate cassette holder disposed within the frame. Each of the one or more substrate cassette holding locations being configured to removably support a respective substrate cassette in a predetermined position for communication with the transfer robot to effect substrate transfer between a respective cassette and the transfer robot where the one or more substrate cassette holding locations are configured to effect the interchangeability of one or more substrate cassette holders with other substrate cassette holders for changing a substrate cassette holding capacity of the substrate loading station.

A transfer path is provided which is extended so as to be passed on a lateral side of a processing portion that processes a substrate. The substrate transferred between a container held by a holding unit and the processing portion passes through the transfer path. A first transfer robot carries the substrate into and out of the container held by the holding unit, and accesses a reception/delivery region arranged within the transfer path. A second transfer robot receives and delivers the substrate from and to the first transfer robot in the reception/delivery region, and carries the substrate into and out of the processing portion. A second transfer robot raising/lowering unit which raises and lowers the second transfer robot is arranged within the transfer path. The reception/delivery region and the second transfer robot raising/lowering unit are located between the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot.

In a vacuum processing apparatus, a load lock module includes a housing and substrate holding sections, the housing having first substrate transfer ports formed on one of right and left sides thereof and a second substrate transfer port formed on a rear side thereof, and each substrate holding section being configured to hold a substrate on a right or left side in the housing. Further, a normal pressure transfer chamber extends over or under the housing from one of the right and left sides of the housing to the other one thereof so that each first substrate transfer port is opened. The normal pressure transfer chamber includes a stacked transfer region that is a region overlapping the housing. Further, a normal pressure transfer mechanism transfers the substrate between each substrate holding section and a transfer container carried into each of loading/unloading ports via the stacked transfer region.

A processing system and a device manufacturing method that can perform manufacturing of an electronic device without stopping the entire manufacturing system, even when the processing state actually implemented on a sheet substrate by a processing device differs from the target processing state. A processing system for sequentially conveying a long, flexible sheet substrate along a length direction to each of a first through a third processing device to form a predetermined pattern on the sheet substrate, wherein the first through the third processing devices implement a predetermined process relating to the sheet substrate according to setting conditions set to each processing device, and when at least one from among the states of the actual processing implemented on the sheet substrate by each of the first through the third processing devices exhibits a processing error relative to a target processing state, changes other setting conditions, separate from the setting conditions exhibiting the processing error, according to the processing error.

A method is provided for self-aligned multi-patterning on a semiconductor workpiece using an integrated sequence of processing steps executed on a common manufacturing platform hosting one or more film-forming modules, one or more etching modules, and one or more transfer modules. A workpiece having a mandrel pattern formed thereon is received into the common manufacturing platform. A sidewall spacer pattern is formed based, at least in part, on the mandrel pattern, the sidewall spacer pattern having a plurality of second features separated by a second pitch distance with the first pitch distance being greater than the second pitch distance. The integrated sequence of processing steps is executed within the common manufacturing platform without leaving the controlled environment and the transfer modules are used to transfer the workpiece between the processing modules while maintaining the workpiece within the controlled environment. Broadly, forming a sidewall spacer pattern based on the mandrel pattern.

A system for connecting photovoltaic cells is disclosed. The system comprises a flexible component feeder source for feeding the photovoltaic cells to a process that couples them together; a vacuum conveyor for receiving at a first location the coupled photovoltaic cells and including openings through which a vacuum is applied to hold the coupled photovoltaic cells in place; a moving belt above the vacuum conveyor at a second location, where the vacuum conveyor and the moving belt are driven in a predetermined relation to one another for conveying the coupled photovoltaic cells from the first location to the second location; a vacuum source for applying a vacuum through the openings to cause the moving belt to apply a pressure to an upper surface of the coupled photovoltaic cells to compress the coupled photovoltaic cells; and a curing source at the second location for curing the compressed coupled photovoltaic cells.