In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.

A substrate processing method includes: generating edge information indicating a relationship between a circumferential position around a center of a substrate and an outer edge position of a first film in a radial direction of the substrate based on an image obtained by capturing a peripheral edge region on a front surface of the substrate; setting an exposure map indicating a relationship between the circumferential position and a set value of an exposure width in the radial direction based on the edge information; forming a second film on at least the peripheral edge region of the front surface; obtaining warpage information of the substrate after the second film is formed; setting a relationship between the circumferential position and exposure position information of the substrate in the exposure map based on the warpage information; and exposing the second film in the peripheral edge region in accordance with the exposure map.

According to the present invention, a substrate is surrounded in a horizontal plane on an upper surface of a substrate support by a first abutting member located at a first reference position, a second abutting member located at a second reference position, and a third abutting member located at a third reference position. The three abutting members make tiny movements repeatedly to get closer to the substrate gradually while distances from the center of the substrate support are kept equally. While the abutting members make the movements of getting closer to the substrate, the abutting members abut on the substrate successively to move the substrate horizontally toward the center of the substrate support. As a result, at a time when the substrate is nipped with the three abutting members, the center of the substrate is aligned with the center of the substrate support to complete a centering operation.

A bonding apparatus configured to bond substrates comprises a first holder configured to vacuum-exhaust a first substrate to attract and hold the first substrate on a bottom surface thereof; a second holder disposed under the first holder, and configured to vacuum-exhaust a second substrate to attract and hold the second substrate on a top surface thereof; a mover configured to move the first holder and the second holder relatively in a horizontal direction; a laser interferometer system configured to measure a position of the first holder or the second holder which is moved by the mover; a linear scale configured to measure a position of the mover; and a controller configured to control the mover based on a measurement result of the laser interferometer system and a measurement result of the liner scale.

An apparatus for bonding a substrate includes: a bonding chuck including a base having the substrate on one surface; at least one vacuum region, on one surface of the bonding chuck, configured to provide a vacuum pressure for vacuum-absorbing the substrate; a plurality of first sensors on the one surface of the base; and at least one second sensor on an outer region of the base, wherein the plurality of first sensors are configured to measure a first distance from the plurality of first sensors to one surface of the substrate, and wherein the at least one second sensor is configured to measure a second distance from the at least one second sensor to one surface of the substrate.

A calibration object is transferred from a processing chamber to an aligner station by one or more robot arms. The calibration object has a first processing chamber orientation in the processing chamber and a second orientation at the aligner station. A first characteristic error value associated with a transfer path between the processing chamber and the aligner is determined based on the first processing chamber orientation and the second orientation of the calibration object at the aligner station. In response to detecting an object at the aligner station to be transferred to the processing chamber along the transfer path, the object is aligned by the aligner station to be placed in the processing chamber according to a target processing chamber orientation based on a target aligner orientation as adjusted by the first characteristic error value determined for the transfer path between the processing chamber and the aligner station.

A substrate transport method is employed in a substrate processing system including a plurality of processing chambers, a load lock chamber, a vacuum transport device provided in a vacuum transport chamber connecting the load lock chamber and the plurality of processing chambers and configured to simultaneously transport a plurality of substrates, and an atmospheric transport device provided in an atmospheric transport chamber and configured to transport a substrate from a carrier to the load lock chamber. The substrate transport method includes acquiring in advance a relative positional error for a case where the plurality of substrates are transported from the load lock chamber to the plurality of processing chambers and placed on a stage in the plurality of processing chambers, and placing the plurality of substrates on a stage in the load lock chamber, based on a transport path of the plurality of substrates and the relative positional error.

An apparatus configured to process a combined substrate in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other includes a holding member configured to hold the combined substrate; a removing member configured to separate at least a peripheral portion of the first substrate from the second substrate by being inserted between the first substrate and the second substrate; an elevating mechanism configured to adjust a relative height position of the removing member with respect to the holding member; and a controller configured to control an operation of the elevating mechanism. The controller controls the operation of the elevating mechanism such that the relative height position of the removing member with respect to a target insertion position of the removing member is adjusted in an entire circumference of the combined substrate.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate is provided herein. For example, the method comprises prior to processing a substrate, obtaining a first measurement at a first point along a surface of the substrate, in a process chamber processing the substrate in a presence of an electric field, subsequent to processing the substrate, obtaining a second measurement at the first point along the surface of the substrate, and determining whether substrate warpage occurred based upon analysis of the first measurement and the second measurement.

A system according to the present disclosure includes a first fixed rail segment, a second fixed rail segment aligned with the first fixed rail segment along a first direction, a rotatable rail joint disposed between the first fixed rail segment and the second fixed rail segment along the first direction, a hanger mechanically coupled to the rotatable rail joint, a powered rotational mechanism housed in the hanger. The rotatable rail joint includes at least one rotational rail that is aligned with the first fixed rail segment and the second fixed rail segment when the rotatable rail joint rotates to an alignment position is not aligned with the first fixed rail segment and the second fixed rail segment when the rotatable rail joint rotates out of the alignment position.