An adjustable joint for insertion into a linkage of a substrate handler utilized for substrate processing. The adjustable joint allows for adjusting the pitch and roll of an attached link. Such adjustment may permit aligning a pickup surface of an end effector to a desired plane. Once adjusted, the joint may be fixed to maintain the desired orientation of the attached link. The adjustable joint allows for correcting deflection of a pickup surface of an end effector relative to a desired pickup plane due to, for example, drooping caused by high temperature usage, mechanical tolerances and/or installation errors.

A system includes a robot configured to transfer either one of a substrate and an edge ring within a substrate processing system, a substrate aligner configured to adjust a rotational position of either one of the substrate or the edge ring relative to an end effector of the robot, and a carrier plate configured to support the edge ring. The robot is configured to retrieve the carrier plate with the end effector, retrieve the edge ring using the carrier plate supported on the end effector, and transfer the carrier plate and the edge ring to the substrate aligner.

A semiconductor process transport apparatus including a drive section with at least one motor, an articulated arm coupled to the drive section for driving articulation motion, a machine controller coupled to the drive section to control the at least one motor moving the articulated arm from one location to a different location, and an adapter pendant having a machine controller interface coupling the adapter pendant for input/output with the machine controller, the adapter pendant having another interface, configured for connecting a fungible smart mobile device having predetermined resident user operable device functionality characteristics, wherein the other interface has a connectivity configuration so mating of the fungible smart mobile device with the other interface automatically enables configuration of at least one of the resident user operable device functionality characteristics to define an input/output to the machine controller effecting input commands and output signals for motion control of the articulated arm.

A method for calibration including determining a temperature induced offset in a pedestal of a process module under a temperature condition for a process. The method includes delivering a wafer to the pedestal of the process module by a robot, and detecting an entry offset. The method includes rotating the wafer over the pedestal by an angle. The method includes removing the wafer from the pedestal by the robot and measuring an exit offset. The method includes determining a magnitude and direction of the temperature induced offset using the entry offset and exit offset.

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 substrate support device relating to technology disclosed in the description of the present application includes: a holding plate for opposing a substrate bowable by being heated by irradiation with flash light; and a plurality of substrate support pins provided on the holding plate and being for supporting the substrate, wherein the plurality of substrate support pins are arranged at locations where a volume of a space between the holding plate and the substrate in an unbowed state and a volume of a space between the holding plate and the substrate in a bowed state are equal to each other. Breakage of the substrate can be suppressed in a case where the substrate is bowed by flash light.

There is provided a technique for suppressing interference between processes respectively performed in the plurality of reactors. According to one aspect thereof, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a first vessel including a transfer port and a process chamber; a second vessel adjacent to the first vessel and communicating with the first vessel via the transfer port; a lid for closing the transfer port; a seal arranged between the transfer port and the lid; and a controller for controlling the inner pressure of the first vessel to be lower than the inner pressure of the second vessel with the transfer port closed by the lid while the substrate is processed in the process chamber and the inner pressure of the first vessel to be higher than the inner pressure of the second vessel after the substrate is processed and before the first vessel comes into communication with the second vessel.

An under-floor charging station can be mounted under a floor such that a top plate of the under-floor charging station is substantially flush with a top surface of the floor without touching the ground. Openings in the top plate allow charging elements to extend when in use to charge a mobile robot, and to retract under the floor when not in use. The retractable charging elements prevent tripping hazards and allow the mobile robot to move freely throughout a clean room. Moreover, because the charging elements can be retracted in an unobtrusive position when the under-floor charging station is not in use, the under-floor charging station is permitted to be positioned in locations in the clean room that allow the mobile robot to continue working while charging and/or allow non-stop running of the mobile robot.

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.

The present invention proposes a substrate processing apparatus, a transport device, and the like capable of properly implementing processing even when a malfunction occurs in a sensor for detecting that an object such as a substrate is properly positioned. The substrate processing apparatus is equipped with a controller configured to accept a predetermined external input if a first sensor does not detect that a substrate is properly positioned in a first holding mechanism when the substrate is transferred from a second holding mechanism to the first holding mechanism and to allow the substrate to be processed or transported using the first holding mechanism based on the predetermined external input being performed regardless of the detection by the first sensor.