A substrate processing method includes: receiving, by a transfer arm, a substrate from a batch processing section in which a plurality of substrates is collectively processed in a state where each of the plurality of substrates stands upright; disposing the substrate on a disposing unit including a pin, a first liquid film being formed on an upper surface of the substrate from a process in the batch processing section; supplying a pure water toward the upper surface of the substrate, thereby forming a second liquid film of the pure water on the upper surface of the substrate; stop supplying the pure water and maintaining the second liquid film on the upper surface of the substrate for a predetermined time, and transporting the substrate to a single wafer processing section in which the plurality of substrates are processed one by one in a horizontal state.

A method for reducing sticking of an object to a surface used in a lithography process includes receiving, at a control computer, instructions for a tool configured to modify the surface and forming, in a deterministic manner based on the instructions received at the control computer, a modified surface having a furrow and a ridge, wherein the ridge reduces the sticking by reducing a contact surface area of the modified surface. Another apparatus includes a modified surface that includes furrows and ridges forming a reduced contact surface area to reduce a sticking of an object to the modified surface, the ridges having an elastic property that causes the reduced contact surface area to increase when the plurality of ridges is elastically deformed.

A universal ring wafer support apparatus that includes at least one raised support to securely support different size wafers above and separated from the main body to enable dust particles and other contaminants to flow away from a wafer and through the main body to a back side thereof. The universal ring wafer support apparatus and the at least one raised support are formed of a highly conductive material while a top surface of the at least one raised support includes contact material(s) having a high gripping force to raise, grip and securely support a wafer thereon.

A substrate storing container includes a lid body side substrate support portion. The lid body side substrate support portion has support flat surfaces respectively configured to contact with peripheral surfaces of the edge portions of the plurality of substrates so as to support the substrates, and the support flat surfaces that contact with the peripheral surfaces of the edge portions of adjacent ones of the plurality of substrates have overlap portions adjacent to each other in a direction parallel to upper surfaces of the substrates.

A method including using a plurality of clamp electrodes of a substrate support to electrostatically secure a substrate during a process. The method further includes actively discharging a residual charge from the substrate after completion of the process based on at least one of contacting a backside of the substrate with a conductive lift pin or exposing the substrate to ultraviolet light. The method further includes raising a plurality of lift pins disposed in the substrate support to a first height to lift the substrate off of the substrate support after the discharging of the residual charge.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for manufacturing a substrate table. An example method can include forming a vacuum sheet including a plurality of vacuum connections and a plurality of recesses configured to receive a plurality of burls disposed on a core body for supporting an object such as a wafer. Optionally, at least one burl can be surrounded, partially or wholly, by a trench. The example method can further include using the vacuum sheet to mount the core body to an electrostatic sheet including a plurality of apertures configured to receive the plurality of burls. Optionally, the example method can include using the vacuum sheet to mount the core body to the electrostatic sheet such that the plurality of recesses of the vacuum sheet line up with the plurality of burls of the core body and the plurality of apertures of the electrostatic sheet.

A member for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes: a ceramic plate that has an upper surface including a wafer placement surface; a conductive base that is disposed on a lower surface of the ceramic plate; a first hole that extends through the ceramic plate; a second hole that extends through the conductive base; a porous plug that has an upper surface that is exposed from an upper opening of the first hole and a lower surface that is flush with or below an upper surface of the conductive base; an insulating pipe that has an upper surface that is located below the wafer placement surface and a lower surface that is located below the lower surface of the porous plug; and an integrally formed member that is obtained by integrally forming the porous plug and the insulating pipe.

Methods and apparatus reduce chucking abnormalities for electrostatic chucks by ensuring proper planarizing of ceramic surfaces of the electrostatic chuck. In some embodiments, a method for planarizing an upper ceramic surface of an electrostatic chuck assembly may comprise placing the electrostatic chuck assembly in a first planarizing apparatus, altering an upper ceramic surface of the electrostatic chuck assembly, and halting the altering of the upper ceramic surface of the electrostatic chuck assembly when an S.sub.a parameter is less than approximately 0.1 microns, an S.sub.dr parameter is less than approximately 2.5 percent, an S.sub.z parameter is less than approximately 10 microns for any given area of approximately 10 mm.sup.2 of the upper ceramic surface, or a pit-porosity depth parameter of greater than 1 micron is less than approximately 0.1 percent of area of the upper ceramic surface.

An electrostatic chuck includes a base plate and a ceramic dielectric substrate. The ceramic dielectric substrate has a first major surface. The first major surface includes at least a first region and a second region. At least one first gas introduction hole connected to at least one of multiple first grooves. The first grooves include a first boundary groove, and at least one first in-region groove. Multiple second grooves and at least one second gas introduction hole are provided in the second region. The second grooves are include a second boundary groove extending along the first boundary and are provided to be most proximal to the first boundary. A groove end portion-end portion distance between the first boundary groove and the second boundary groove is smaller than a groove end portion-end portion distance between the first boundary groove and the first in-region groove.

A semiconductor substrate carrying container, such as a front opening unified pod or shipping box, that includes a container shell having a plurality of walls, a front, and a rear, the plurality of walls defining an interior space that is sized to be able to receive a plurality of semiconductor substrates or trays, and a support structure configured to receive the plurality of semiconductor substrates or trays. The support structure includes at least one support wall that is formed by a plurality of corrugation portions provided along opposite sides of a centerline along a vertical plane at a center of the at least one support wall.