An apparatus including a multi-station processing chamber with a top plate and a bottom portion encloses stations each including a pedestal assembly. A spindle centrally located between the stations is configured to rotate about a central axis, and is electrically connected to the bottom portion. An actuator controls movement of the spindle in the Z-direction. An indexer connected to the spindle rotates with the spindle, and includes extensions each configured to interface with a corresponding substrate for substrate transfer. An electrically conductive interface movably connected to the top plate provides an RF return path. Another actuator coupled to the grounding interface controls movement of the electrically conductive interface in the Z-direction. The electrically conductive interface moves downwards in the Z-direction to make contact with the indexer when each of the plurality of extensions is parked and the spindle is moved to a lower position during plasma processing.

A substrate processing system includes a vacuum transfer module and a plurality of process modules defining respective processing chambers. The plurality of process modules includes a first row of the process modules arranged on a first side of the vacuum transfer module and a second row of the process modules arranged on a second side of the vacuum transfer module opposite the first side. Each of the plurality of process modules includes a gas box arranged above the process module and configured to selectively supply at least one gas and/or gas mixture into the processing chamber of the process module and a radio frequency (RF) generator configured to generate RF power to create plasma within the processing chamber. The RF generator is arranged above the process module and the gas box and the RF generator are arranged side-by-side above the process module.

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a chamber body defining a transfer region. The systems may include a lid plate seated on the chamber body. The lid plate may define a first plurality of apertures and a second plurality of apertures. The systems may include a plurality of lid stacks equal to a number of the first plurality of apertures. Each lid stack may include a choke plate seated on the lid plate along a first surface of the choke plate. The choke plate may define a first aperture axially aligned with an associated aperture of the first plurality of apertures. The choke plate may define a second aperture axially aligned with an associated aperture of the second plurality of apertures. The choke plate may define protrusions extending from each of a top and bottom surface of the choke plate that are arranged substantially symmetrically about the first aperture.

A heat treatment apparatus includes a heating unit, a chamber, an exhaust unit, a partition unit and a switching unit. The heating unit supports and heats a substrate on which a film of a processing liquid is formed. The chamber surrounds the substrate supported by the heating unit. The exhaust unit is configured to discharge a gas from an inner space of the chamber through a discharge opening located near the heating unit. The partition unit is configured to partition the inner space of the chamber into a first space where the substrate on the heating unit is exposed and a second space located above the first space. The switching unit is configured to switch between a first state where the gas is discharged by the exhaust unit through the first space and a second state where the gas is discharged by the exhaust unit through the second space.

A substrate processing method includes: a holding step of carrying a substrate into an inside of a chamber and holding said substrate; a supply step of supplying a fluid to the substrate on the inside of the chamber; an imaging step of sequentially imaging the inside of the chamber by a camera to acquire image data; a condition setting step of specifying a monitoring target and changing an image condition based on the monitoring target; and a monitoring step of performing a monitoring process on the monitoring target based on the image data having the image condition corresponding to the monitoring target.

A substrate processing method includes: a holding step of carrying a substrate into an inside of a chamber and holding said substrate; a supply step of supplying a fluid to the substrate on the inside of the chamber; an imaging step of sequentially imaging the inside of the chamber by a camera to acquire image data; a condition setting step of specifying a monitoring target and changing an image condition based on the monitoring target; and a monitoring step of performing a monitoring process on the monitoring target based on the image data having the image condition corresponding to the monitoring target.

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, the substrate processing apparatus including: a first processing module group including a plurality of first processing modules; a plurality of first transfer modules, each first transfer module being connected to a respective one of the plurality of first processing modules; a second processing module group including a plurality of second processing modules; and a plurality of second transfer modules, each second transfer module being connected to a respective one of the plurality of second processing modules. The plurality of first transfer modules are disposed above the plurality of second processing modules, and the plurality of second transfer modules are disposed below the plurality of first processing modules.

An atomic layer deposition apparatus comprising a first single substrate process chamber, a second single substrate process chamber, and a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate between the first and the second process chamber. Wherein both the first and second single substrate process chambers are bounded by a bottom part and a top part for accommodating a substantially flat substrate between them.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a loading and unloading unit having a first side surface through which a container accommodating a substrate is loaded and unloaded, and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface, a substrate transport unit extending along a first horizontal direction perpendicular to the second side surface, and a plurality of batch processing units adjacent to one another along a longitudinal direction of the substrate transport unit. Each of the plurality of batch processing units includes a processing container configured to accommodate and process a plurality of substrates, a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas into the processing container, and an exhaust unit configured to exhaust the gas inside the processing container. A first maintenance area, used for attending to a maintenance of the plurality of batch processing units, is provided above the exhaust unit.

Provided is a system including a microwave source configured to generate microwaves, a branch apparatus including an input port connected to the microwave source, first and second chambers configured to process a wafer by using the microwaves, a first filter configured to transfer the microwaves to or cut off the microwaves from the first chamber, and connected to a first output port of the branch apparatus, and a second filter configured to transfer the microwaves to or cut off the microwaves from the second chamber, and connected to a second output port of the branch apparatus.