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 substrate processing method includes: transferring, by a first transfer arm, a wafer lot including a plurality of substrates to a processing bath in which the plurality of substrates in the wafer lot are immersed and processed collectively; receiving, by a second transfer arm, the wafer lot from the first transfer arm, and immersing the wafer lot in an immersion bath in which the plurality of substrates in the wafer lot are immersed collectively; and transferring, by a third transfer arm, the plurality of substrates in the wafer lot to a delivery table one by one. The immersion bath is disposed outside a movement range of the first transfer arm such that the first transfer arm is operated independently from the third transfer arm.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a first substrate processing portion and a transfer mechanism. The first substrate processing portion processes substrates one by one by immersing each of the substrates in a vertical posture in a first processing liquid. The transfer mechanism receives the substrate in a horizontal posture, changes a posture of the substrate from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture, and carries the substrate in the vertical posture into the first substrate processing portion. The first substrate processing portion includes a processing bath and a substrate placement mechanism. The processing bath has a capacity corresponding to a single substrate. In the processing bath, only the single substrate in the vertical posture is disposed and the first processing liquid is stored. The substrate placement mechanism receives the substrate from the transfer mechanism and places only the single substrate in the vertical posture in the first processing liquid.

A batch processing oven includes a processing chamber, a magnet, and a rack. The processing chamber includes a gas inlet on a first side and a gas outlet on a second side opposite the first side, the gas inlet is configured to direct a hot gas into the processing chamber and the gas outlet is configured to exhaust the convective energy in parallel with the radiative energy from the walls. The magnet is arranged such that its north pole will be formed on the first side of the processing chamber and its south pole will be formed on the second side of the processing chamber. The rack is configured to be positioned between the first and second ends of the processing chamber and is configured to support a plurality of vertically spaced-apart substrates.

A substrate transfer method performed in a substrate processing apparatus including a transfer mechanism group configured to transfer a substrate into a carrier via a module group and an exposure apparatus is provided. The transfer mechanism group includes a first transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate in an order of a pre-stage module, the exposure apparatus, and a first post-stage module, and a second transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate in an order of the first post-stage module, a heating module, a developing module, and a second post-stage module, and a post-stage transfer mechanism. The substrate transfer method includes acquiring a section transfer time required to transfer the substrate to a next transfer section; and performing a carry-in or a carry-out of the substrate into/from the exposure apparatus based on a maximum section transfer time, which is the longest in the acquired section transfer times.

A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.

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.

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.