The PVD apparatus includes a chamber, a plurality of stages, a first target holder, a power supply mechanism, and a shield. The plurality of stages are provided inside the chamber, and each of the plurality of stages is configured to place at least one substrate on an upper surface thereof. The first target holder is configured to hold at least one target provided for one stage, the target being exposed to a space inside the chamber. The power supply mechanism supplies power to the target via the first target holder. The shield is provided inside the chamber and a part of the shield is disposed between a first stage and a second stage in the plurality of stages, and between a first processing space on the first stage and a second processing space on the second stage.

A substrate processing device includes a housing connected to ground, a cathode stage that supports a substrate, an anode unit, and a gas feeding unit that feeds gas toward the first plate. The cathode stage is applied with voltage for generating plasma. The anode unit includes a first plate including first through holes and a second plate including second through holes that are larger than the first through holes. The second plate is located between the first plate and the cathode stage. The first plate produces a flow of the gas through the first through holes. The gas that has passed through the first through holes flows through the second through holes into an area between the second plate and the cathode stage. A distance between the first plate and the second plate is 10 mm or greater and 50 mm or less.

A PVD apparatus can be operated in a cleaning mode to remove material from an electrically conductive feature formed on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate with the electrically conductive feature formed thereon is positioned on a substrate support in a chamber of the PVD apparatus. A shutter is deployed within the chamber to divide the chamber into a first compartment in which the semiconductor substrate and the substrate support are positioned, and a second compartment in which a target of the PVD apparatus is positioned. A first plasma is generated in the first compartment to remove material from the electrically conductive feature and a second plasma is simultaneously generated in the second compartment to clean the target.

A processing system is provided, including a vacuum enclosure having a plurality of process windows and a continuous track positioned therein; a plurality of processing chambers attached sidewalls of the vacuum enclosures, each processing chamber about one of the process windows; a loadlock attached at one end of the vacuum enclosure and having a loading track positioned therein; at least one gate valve separating the loadlock from the vacuum enclosure; a plurality of substrate carriers configured to travel on the continuous track and the loading track; at least one track exchanger positioned within the vacuum enclosure, the track exchangers movable between a first position, wherein substrate carriers are made to continuously move on the continuous track, and a second position wherein the substrate carriers are made to transfer between the continuous track and the loading track.

Provided is a substrate processing system for improving productivity of processes. In this regard, the substrate processing system includes: a first chamber providing a space where at least one substrate is accommodated; a second chamber configured to transfer at least one substrate to the first chamber; and a temperature control unit configured to change a temperature of a gas in the second chamber.

A substrate processing system includes a load-lock module including load-lock module stages, a process module including process module stages, a vacuum transfer module that connects the load-lock module to the process module, a first transfer device that transfers substrates from the load-lock module stages to the process module stages, the first transfer device being provided in the vacuum transfer module, a second transfer device that transfers the substrates to the load-lock module stages, and a processor. The processor is configured to perform teaching a position at which the first transfer device receives the substrates from the load-lock module, teaching a position at which the first transfer device delivers the substrates to the process module, measuring shift amounts between the process module stages and the substrates mounted thereon, and correcting positions at which the second transfer device delivers the substrates to the load-lock module stages based on the measured shift amounts.

A vacuum process method for a magnetic recording medium having a surface protective layer for protecting a magnetic recording layer formed on a substrate includes a ta-C film forming step of forming a ta-C film on the magnetic recording layer, a transportation step of transporting a substrate on which the ta-C film is formed, a radical generation step of generating radicals by exciting a process gas, and a radical process step of irradiating a surface of the ta-C film with the radicals.

A vacuum lock for a vacuum coating plant comprises a chamber for receiving a substrate carrier, wherein the chamber comprises a first and a second inner surface. A conveyor is configured for conveying the substrate carrier. The vacuum lock comprises a flow channel assembly for evacuating and venting the chamber, the flow channel assembly being configured to cause a gas flow between both the first inner surface and a first substrate carrier surface facing the first inner surface and between the second inner surface and a second substrate carrier surface facing the second inner surface. The substrate carrier can be positioned between the first and the second inner surfaces such that a ratio of a first distance between the first inner surface and the first substrate carrier surface to a length (L) of the substrate carrier is smaller than 0.1, and a ratio of a second distance between the second inner surface and the second substrate carrier surface to a length (L) of the substrate carrier is smaller than 0.1.

A substrate accommodating unit is disposed adjacent to each of consecutively arranged vacuum transfer units. The substrate accommodating unit includes a hollow housing having, on one sidewall in an arrangement direction of the vacuum transfer units, a loading/unloading port for loading/unloading a substrate into/from the adjacent vacuum transfer unit, a vertically movable partition member disposed in the housing, and a driving mechanism for vertically moving the partition member. When an inner space of the housing is divided horizontally into a first space on a loading/unloading port side and a second space on an opposite side of the loading/unloading port side, the partition member is vertically moved from a state where the first space and the second space communicate with each other to thereby airtightly separate the first space and the second space with the partition member.

The present disclosure relates to a method and device for decreasing generation of surface oxide of aluminum nitride. In a physical vapor deposition process, the aluminum nitride is deposited on a substrate in a deposition chamber to form an aluminum nitride coated substrate. A cooling chamber and a cooling load lock module respectively perform a first stage cooling and a second stage cooling on the aluminum nitride coated substrate in vacuum environments, so as to prevent the aluminum nitride coated substrate with the high temperature from being exposed in an atmosphere environment to generate the surface oxide. The method and device for decreasing the generation of the surface oxide of the aluminum nitride can further eliminate crystal defects caused by that gallium nitride is deposited on the surface oxide of the aluminum nitride in the next process.