A bonding apparatus includes a first holder, a second holder, a mover, an optical system, an adjusting device and control circuitry. The first holder holds a first substrate. The second holder holds a second substrate. The mover brings a first one of the first holder and the second holder closer to a second one of the first holder and the second holder. The optical system images alignment marks provided on the first substrate and the second substrate. The adjusting device adjusts a depth of focus of the optical system. The control circuitry performs an approach processing and an imaging processing. In the approach processing, the control circuitry brings the first one closer to the second one. In the imaging processing, the control circuitry images, during the approach processing, the alignment marks, after locating the first substrate and the second substrate within the depth of focus of the optical system.

The present disclosure describes a semiconductor substrate processing system that places a semiconductor substrate in a process chamber using images captured by cameras positioned on the substrate. A controller for moving a semiconductor substrate includes a memory and a processor. The processor receives a first image from a first camera positioned on the semiconductor substrate and a second image from a second camera positioned on the semiconductor substrate. The first camera is different from the second camera. The processor also detects a first lift pin hole in the first image and a second lift pin hole in the second image, determines, based on a position of the first lift pin hole in the first image and a position of the second lift pin hole in the second image, an offset for the semiconductor substrate, and moves a robot holding the semiconductor substrate based on the offset.

A semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus comprising a frame forming a wafer load opening communicating with a load station for a substrate carrier disposed to hold more than one wafers vertically distributed in the substrate carrier for loading through the wafer load opening, a movable arm movably mounted to the frame so as to move relative to the wafer load opening and having at least one end effector movably mounted to the movable arm to load wafers from the substrate carrier through the wafer load opening, an image acquisition system including an array of cameras arranged on a common support and each camera fixed with respect to the common support that is static with respect to each camera of the array of cameras, wherein each respective camera is positioned with a field of view disposed to view through the wafer load opening with the common support positioned by the movable arm.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for measuring a gap between a support surface for a substrate and an opposing upper surface of a processing chamber. The methods comprise: disposing a sensor substrate at a location spaced between the support surface and the upper surface, the sensor substrate comprising a body having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side facing the support surface and the second side facing the upper surface, the first side having a first sensor and the second side having a second sensor; measuring, using the first sensor, a first distance between the first side and the support surface; measuring, using the second sensor, a second distance between the second side and the upper surface; and determining a gap between the support surface and the upper surface using the first distance and the second distance.

A bonding apparatus includes: a first holder configured to hold a first substrate; a second holder disposed to face the first holder and configured to hold a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate; an imaging unit including a first portion including a first objective lens that captures an image of a first mark formed on the first substrate held by the first holder, and a second portion including a second objective lens that captures an image of a second mark formed on the second substrate held by the second holder; and a mover configured to relatively move the imaging unit, first holder, and second holder in a region between the first holder and the second holder. In the imaging unit, an optical axis of the first objective lens and an optical axis of the second objective lens are not on a same straight line.

In an embodiment, a method includes: placing a wafer on an implanter platen, the wafer including alignment marks; measuring a position of the wafer by measuring positions of the alignment marks with one or more cameras; determining an angular displacement between the position of the wafer and a reference position of the wafer; and rotating the implanter platen by the angular displacement.

A processing method including a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a process substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the process substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the process substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the process substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the process substrate.

The present invention provides a teaching method of transfer equipment. The teaching method of transfer equipment comprises: a) installing a transfer robot in a groove position of a transfer chamber in which transfer target objects with a transferred object transferred are arranged; b) acquiring a first image through a vision camera installed in the transfer robot in a home position, reading the acquired image data, specifying the transfer target object preset to a teaching target, and deriving a first position coordinate for the transfer target object; c) moving the transfer robot to a position corresponding to the first position coordinate; and d) acquiring a second image for the transfer target object through the vision camera from the first position coordinate, and deriving a second position coordinate by reading the acquired image data.

An error-correctable planar stretching expansion device for chips includes a first film expansion mechanism, a second film expansion mechanism, a film pressing frame, a scanning camera, and an error correction mechanism. The error correction mechanism includes a correction disk, ejector pins, and a drive mechanism. The first film expansion mechanism and the second film expansion mechanism are employed to stretch a blue film globally. The scanning camera detects positions of chips on the blue film. The correction disk locally secures regions of the blue film where the chips are non-deviated by means of suction through holes. The ejector pins lift regions of the blue film where the chips are deviated and unsecured, thereby performing localized stretching of the blue film, thereby correcting the positions of the chips on the blue film and enabling precise adjustment of chip alignment.

Described is an apparatus for wafer handling and alignment. The apparatus can be used for at least handling and aligning wafers for subsequent processing by inspection stations or metrology instruments. The apparatus can include at least an end effector module, a pluck module, an alignment module, a chuck module, and a controller module.