A system includes a plurality of spindle arms located above a plurality of stations in a processing chamber to transport a semiconductor substrate between the stations. The spindle arms reside in the processing chamber during processing of the semiconductor substrate. The system comprises first gas lines arranged below the stations to supply a purge gas. The system comprises second gas lines extending upwards from the first gas lines to supply the purge gas to the spindle arms during the processing of the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber.

The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer device for sensing deflection of an end-effector and a substrate processing apparatus having the same. The substrate transfer device includes: an end-effector extending in a first direction and supporting a substrate; an end-effector hand connected with one side in the first direction of the end-effector; a horizontal movement unit connected with the end-effector hand and moving the end-effector in the first direction; and a deflection sensing unit including a light emitting part and a light receiving part, which are respectively disposed at both sides of a movement path of the end-effector, and sensing deflection of the end-effector.

A fixture, for example, comprised in a semiconductor processing system, includes a standoff arranged for fixation relative to a reaction chamber of a semiconductor processing system. A slide member is slidably supported by the standoff and is translatable along a carrying axis extending into the reaction chamber. A male threaded member depends from the slide member and is rotatable about a seating axis that is angled relative to the carrying axis. A paddle member depends from the male threaded member, defines along the carrying axis, is fixed relative to slide member along the carrying axis to carry a component of a process kit into the reaction chamber using translation of the slide member, and is free relative to the slide member along the seating axis to seat the process kit component within the reaction chamber using rotation of the male threaded member.

The overhead traveling vehicle system includes a track having a plurality of first rails extending in an X direction and a plurality of second rails extending in a Y direction arranged in a grid, and a traveling vehicle traveling on a pair of the first rails adjacent to each other in the Y direction and traveling on a pair of the second rails adjacent to each other in the X direction, in which each of the first rail and the second rail has a first surface on which a cell recognition mark is disposed and a second surface on which a position recognition mark is disposed, the second surface, when viewed from a center of a cell in plan view, being disposed outside the first surface and being inclined toward the traveling vehicle side with respect to the first surface.

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus with improved throughput by reconsidering a configuration of an apparatus including a batch type module and a single wafer type module. In a single wafer processing region according to single wafer processing of a processing block of the present invention, a buffer unit to and from which both a first transfer mechanism and a center robot can hand over and receive a substrate(s) is provided. Therefore, the first transfer mechanism can collectively hand over and receive processed substrates and unprocessed substrates via the buffer unit. Therefore, a potential of the first transfer mechanism is drawn out, and the substrate processing apparatus having a high throughput can be provided.

A processing method of processing multiple chips using an electrostatic carrier, which includes a main body having conductivity and provided with multiple through holes in a thickness direction thereof; and an insulating layer formed on a front surface of the main body, includes arranging and placing the multiple chips on a holding surface of the electrostatic carrier; supplying power to the main body to electrically charge the main body; and bringing an earth wire into contact with the chip to generate an electrostatic force between the chip and the main body.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a transfer block, a processing block, and a buffering unit. The transfer block includes a bulk transporting mechanism that stores substrates into a carrier, and a first orientation converting mechanism that converts the substrates into a vertical orientation. The processing block includes a batch processing area, a single-wafer processing area, a single-wafer transporting area, and a batch substrate transporting area. In the batch processing area, batch processing baths and a second orientation converting mechanism for converting the substrates into a horizontal orientation are provided. In the single-wafer processing area, for example, a single-wafer processing chamber is provided. In the single-wafer transporting area, a center robot-ER is provided. In the batch substrate transporting area, a first transporting mechanism is provided. The bulk transporting mechanism-HER transports the substrates to the first orientation converting mechanism IS, and transports the substrates from the buffering unit.

A substrate processing system includes a substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate, a substrate transfer mechanism including a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate, an imaging device provided in the substrate transfer mechanism and configured to image a monitoring target member inside the substrate processing apparatus, and a controller. The controller is configured to cause the imaging device to image multiple portions of the monitoring target member, including a central portion facing a center of the substrate during processing and a peripheral edge portion facing a peripheral edge side of the substrate during the processing, by moving the substrate holder, and calculate, for each of the multiple portions of the monitoring target member, a physical amount indicating a state of the corresponding portion based on an imaging result.

The substrates supported in substrate holders are carried on holder carriers in a manner, that their extended surfaces are exposed to the surrounding atmosphere along an extended surface of the holder carriers. The holder carriers include an axis traverse to their extended surface. The substrates on a holder carrier are vacuum treated in a vacuum treatment chamber. This chamber communicates via a gate valve with a transfer vacuum chamber. A holder carrier with substrates in the vacuum treatment chamber is exchanged with a holder carrier carrying untreated substrates from the transfer vacuum chamber 23 by means of an exchange robot. During treatment in the vacuum treatment chamber, holder carriers with treated substrates and holder carriers with untreated substrates are exchanged in the transfer vacuum chamber through a gate valve. The transfer vacuum chamber acts as a load-lock.

An overhead transport vehicle includes a traveling cart configured to move in a first direction by traveling on a pair of first rails adjacent to each other in a second direction, and move in the second direction by traveling on a pair of second rails adjacent to each other in the first direction, a body configured to swivel with respect to the traveling cart, a transfer device configured to swivel together with the body with respect to the traveling cart and to move an article, and a controller configured or programmed to swivel the body so that when the traveling cart starts traveling, an orientation of the article held by the transfer device is constant with respect to a travel direction of the traveling cart.