Apparatus and methods for vacuum chucking a substrate to a susceptor. The susceptor comprises one or more angularly spaced pockets are positioned around a center axis of the susceptor, the one or more angularly spaced pockets having an inner pocket and an outer pocket. The susceptor can be configured as an intermediate chuck having one or more pucks positioned within the inner pocket or as a distributed chuck having one or more pucks positioned within the outer pocket. The one or more pucks has a center hole, at least one radial channel and at least one circular channel having chuck holes for vacuum chucking a substrate.

In a CVD reactor and a method for the open-loop/closed-loop control of the surface temperature of substrates arranged therein, the substrates lie on substrate-retaining elements, which are each supported by a gas cushion. Actual values of the surface temperatures associated with a respective substrate-retaining element are successively measured and the surface temperatures are controlled in a closed-loop manner to a common value by varying the gas cushion height. After measuring each actual value of the surface temperature associated with a substrate-retaining element and using only the respective last-measured actual value of the surface temperatures of each substrate-retaining element, a first average value is calculated, a difference value associated with the substrate-retaining element is calculated, and an approximate actual value is calculated for each of the other substrate-retaining elements by adding the associated difference value to the first average value, said approximate actual value being used for the open-loop/closed-loop control.

An exclusion ring for semiconductor wafer processing includes an outer circumferential segment having a first thickness and an inner circumferential segment having a second thickness, with the first thickness being greater than the second thickness. The top surface of an inner circumferential segment and the top surface of the outer circumferential segment define a common top surface for the exclusion ring. A plurality of flow paths is formed within the outer circumferential segment, with each of the flow paths extending radially through the plurality of flow paths provides for exhaust of a wafer edge gas from the pocket where a wafer has an edge thereof disposed below part of the inner circumferential portion. The exhausting of the wafer edge gas from the pocket prevents up-and-down movement of the exclusion ring when bowed wafers are processed.

Susceptor assemblies comprising a susceptor base and a plurality of pie-shaped skins thereon are described. A pie anchor can be positioned in the center of the susceptor base to hold the pie-shaped skins in place during processing.

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a transfer region housing defining a transfer region fluidly coupled with a plurality of processing regions. A sidewall of the transfer region housing may define a sealable access for providing and receiving substrates. The systems may include a transfer apparatus having a central hub including a shaft extending at a distal end through the transfer region housing into the transfer region. The transfer apparatus may include a lateral translation apparatus coupled with an exterior surface of the transfer region housing, and configured to provide at least one direction of lateral movement of the shaft. The systems may also include an end effector coupled with the shaft within the transfer region. The end effector may include a plurality of arms having a number of arms equal to a number of substrate supports of the plurality of substrate supports in the transfer region.

Embodiments of substrate carriers and method of making the same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate carrier includes a substantially planar body; and a plurality of holding elements arranged on a surface of the substantially planar body, wherein the plurality of holding elements are configured to hold a plurality of substrates on the surface of the substantially planar body, and wherein the plurality of holding elements includes at least three holding elements disposed around a corresponding position of each of the plurality of substrates.

A transport system for transporting a plurality of objects between a storage container configured to store the plurality of objects and a processing apparatus configured to collectively process the plurality of objects held on a tray, including a mounting part on which the storage container is mounted, a stage on which the plurality of objects are mounted, a tray support part configured to support the tray, a first transport device configured to transport the plurality of objects between the storage container mounted on the mounting part and the stage, and a second transport device configured to transport the plurality of objects between the stage and the tray supported by the tray support part.

Carrier rings with radially-varied plasma impedance are provided herein. In some embodiments, a carrier ring may include an outer ring that holds a removable inner ring. The outer ring may be formed of a dielectric material such as ceramic. The inner ring may be formed of a metal such as aluminum to provide a desired impedance. In some other embodiments, a carrier ring is formed from a single piece with radially-varying impedances.

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a transfer region housing defining a transfer region fluidly coupled with a plurality of processing regions. A sidewall of the transfer region housing may define a sealable access for providing and receiving substrates. The systems may include a plurality of substrate supports disposed within the transfer region. The systems may also include a transfer apparatus having a central hub including a first shaft and a second shaft counter-rotatable with the first shaft. The transfer apparatus may include an eccentric hub extending at least partially through the central hub, and which is radially offset from a central axis of the central hub. The transfer apparatus may also include an end effector coupled with the eccentric hub. The end effector may include a plurality of arms having a number of arms equal to the number of substrate supports of the plurality of substrate supports.

Described herein is a technique capable of suppressing generation of particles by removing by-products in a groove of a high aspect ratio. According to one aspect of the technique, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; and a substrate support provided in the process chamber and including a plurality of supports where the substrate is placed, wherein the process chamber includes a process region where a process gas is supplied to the substrate and a purge region where the process gas above the substrate is purged, and the purge region includes a first pressure purge region to be purged at a first pressure and a second pressure purge region to be purged at a second pressure higher than the first pressure.