Provided is an equipment front end module which can effectively control internal humidity by efficiently circulating an inert gas. The equipment front end module comprises: a module chamber; a side storage installed on a first surface of the module chamber and capable of storing a plurality of substrates therein; an inert gas supplier configured to supply an inert gas into the module chamber, a first exhaust line configured to connect the side storage and an exhaust device; and a flow rate controller installed in the first exhaust line. The inert gas passes through the side storage from the module chamber and flows along the first exhaust line, and the flow rate controller controls a flow rate of the inert gas passing through the side storage.

A system of processing a substrate includes an atmospheric-pressure transfer chamber, at least one vacuum processing chamber, at least two load-lock modules, a vacuum transfer chamber, a plurality of load ports, and a first transfer mechanism and a second transfer mechanism. The load ports are attached to the atmospheric-pressure transfer chamber and detachable containers are mounted on the load ports, respectively. A controller controls the first transfer mechanism and the second transfer mechanism to concurrently transfer a used consumable from the containers to the vacuum processing chamber through the atmospheric-pressure transfer chamber and one of the load-lock modules and to transfer a used consumable from the vacuum processing chamber through the vacuum transfer chamber and another one of the load-lock modules.

A first transfer device and a second transfer device are configured to transfer a first substrate and a second substrate in a normal pressure atmosphere. A third transfer device is configured to transfer the first substrate and the second substrate in a decompressed atmosphere. A load lock chamber has accommodation sections allowed to accommodate therein the first substrate and the second substrate, and is allowed to switch an inside of the accommodation sections between the normal pressure atmosphere and the decompressed atmosphere. Multiple gates are respectively disposed on three different sides of the load lock chamber, and allowed to open or close the load lock chamber. The first transfer device, the second transfer device, and the third transfer device carry the first substrate and the second substrate into/out of the load lock chamber through different gates among the multiple gates.

Exemplary integrated cluster tools may include a factory interface including a first transfer robot. The tools may include a wet clean system coupled with the factory interface at a first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a load lock chamber coupled with the wet clean system at a second side of the wet clean system opposite the first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a first transfer chamber coupled with the load lock chamber. The first transfer chamber may include a second transfer robot. The tools may include a dry etch chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber. The tools may include a second transfer chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber. The second transfer chamber may include a third transfer robot. The tools may include a process chamber coupled with the second transfer chamber.

The invention provides a semiconductor processing machine, which comprises a plurality of chambers, at least one of the chamber is a load-lock chamber, and the load-lock chamber comprises a bottom surface and a top lid opposite to the bottom surface; and a gas pipeline is connected with the top lid of the load-lock chamber.

A semiconductor processing station includes first and second chambers, and a cooling stage. The second chamber includes a cooling pipe disposed inside the second chamber, and an external pipe. The cooling pipe includes a first segment disposed along a sidewall of the second chamber, and a second segment disposed perpendicular to the first segment and located above a wafer carrier in the second chamber. An end of the second segment is connected to an end of the first segment. The external pipe is connected to the second segment distal from the end of the second segment to provide a fluid to flow through the cooling pipe from an exterior to an interior of the second chamber. The fluid discharges toward the wafer carrier through the first segment. The first chamber is surrounded by the second chamber and the cooling stage, and communicates between the cooling stage and the second chamber.

A substrate process station includes a housing including a transport region and process region. The process station further includes a magnetic levitation assembly disposed in the transport region configured to levitate and propel a substrate carrier. The magnetic levitation assembly includes a first track segment including first rails disposed in the transport region and below the process region, wherein the first rails each include a first plurality of magnets. The process station further includes a pedestal assembly comprising a pedestal disposed within the housing. The pedestal is moveable between a pedestal transfer position and a process position, wherein the pedestal is disposed between the first rails in the pedestal transfer position to receive a substrate from the substrate carrier, and wherein the pedestal is moveable between the first rails to position the received substrate in the process region in the process position.

A transfer apparatus includes a first vacuum transfer module; a first transfer robot disposed in the first vacuum transfer module and at least one ring. In addition, a second vacuum transfer module is provided; and a second transfer robot is disposed in the second vacuum transfer module. A tubular connecting module is disposed between the first vacuum transfer module and the second vacuum transfer module. Further, the first vacuum transfer module, the second vacuum transfer module and the tubular connecting module are arranged along a first direction, with the tubular connecting module having a first length in the first direction, and the first length is smaller than the diameter of the wafer. A wafer support is rotatably attached to the tubular connecting module and at least three ring supporting members outwardly extend from the wafer support to support the at least one ring.

Process condition management facilitates the combination of dry development and etching into a single process chamber; eliminating the necessity for a post-dry development bake step during semiconductor manufacturing. Methods and apparatuses for rapidly instituting a large drop in process chamber pressure allow thermal dry development and an O.sub.2 flash treatment or thermal dry development and plasma hardmask open operations to take place without wafer transfer.

Apparatus and techniques are described herein for use in manufacturing electronic devices, such as can include organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices. Such apparatus and techniques can include using one or more modules having a controlled environment. For example, a substrate can be received from a printing system located in a first processing environment, and the substrate can be provided a second processing environment, such as to an enclosed thermal treatment module comprising a controlled second processing environment. The second processing environment can include a purified gas environment having a different composition than the first processing environment.