A substrate treating method for treating substrates with a substrate treating apparatus having an indexer section, a treating section and an interface section includes performing resist film forming treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section and performing developing treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section.

Replaceable contact pads of end effectors are provided. The contact pads support substrates in electronic device manufacturing. The contact pad includes a contact pad head having a contact surface configured to contact a substrate, a shaft coupled to the contact pad head, the shaft including a shaft indent formed between an underside of the contact pad head and a shaft end, and a circular securing member received around the shaft and seated in the shaft indent and configured to secure the contact pad to the end effector body. End effectors including replaceable contact pads and maintenance methods are described, as are additional aspects.

The system, method and apparatus described relates generally to a device related to substrate storage and processing. In one example embodiment to methods, apparatus, and systems of a substrate storage and processing module improving upon existing devices used in one or more instances for substrate transportation, sorting, and cleaning. The single piece design system may contain and support substrates in a method, reducing strain on its contents by utilizing an innovative support system without the use of standard clamping techniques and, in this or other iterations, such stacking methods may minimize chaffing of surfaces. Thus the device is vastly improved in its ability to preserve pristine conditions of contained substrates.

A wafer transfer apparatus is provided. In a minimum transformed state where a robot arm is transformed such that a distance defined from a pivot axis to an arm portion, which is farthest in a radial direction relative to the pivot axis, is minimum, a minimum rotation radius R, is set to exceed ½ of a length B in the forward and backward directions of an interface space, the length B corresponding to a length between the front wall and the rear wall of the interface space forming portion, and is further set to be equal to or less than a subtracted value obtained by subtracting a distance L0 in the forward and backward directions from the rear wall of the interface space forming portion to the pivot axis, from the length B in the forward and backward directions of the interface space (i.e., B/2<R≤B−L0).

A system includes a light emitter attached to a destination chamber, the light emitter to emit a collimated light beam across an entrance to the destination chamber. The system includes an end effector attached to a distal end of an arm of a robot. The system includes a two-dimensional (2D) area sensor disposed on the end effector at a location that coincides with the collimated light beam while the end effector reaches within the destination chamber. The 2D area sensor is to detect a location of the collimated light beam incident on a surface of the 2D area sensor and transmit, to a controller coupled to the robot, sensing data including the location.

A wafer transfer apparatus is provided. In a minimum transformed state where a robot arm is transformed such that a distance defined from a pivot axis to an arm portion, which is farthest in a radial direction relative to the pivot axis, is minimum, a minimum rotation radius R, is set to exceed ½ of a length B in the forward and backward directions of an interface space, the length B corresponding to a length between the front wall and the rear wall of the interface space forming portion, and is further set to be equal to or less than a subtracted value obtained by subtracting a distance L0 in the forward and backward directions from the rear wall of the interface space forming portion to the pivot axis, from the length B in the forward and backward directions of the interface space (i.e., B/2<R≤B−L0).

A system includes a light emitter attached to a destination chamber, the light emitter to emit a collimated light beam across an entrance to the destination chamber. The system includes an end effector attached to a distal end of an arm of a robot. The system includes a two-dimensional (2D) area sensor disposed on the end effector at a location that coincides with the collimated light beam while the end effector reaches within the destination chamber. The 2D area sensor is to detect a location of the collimated light beam incident on a surface of the 2D area sensor and transmit, to a controller coupled to the robot, sensing data including the location.

Replaceable contact pads of end effectors are provided. The contact pads support substrates in electronic device manufacturing. The contact pad includes a contact pad head having a contact surface configured to contact a substrate, a shaft coupled to the contact pad head, the shaft including a shaft indent formed between an underside of the contact pad head and a shaft end, and a circular securing member received around the shaft and seated in the shaft indent and configured to secure the contact pad to the end effector body. End effectors including replaceable contact pads and maintenance methods are described, as are additional aspects.

A wafer transfer apparatus is provided. In a minimum transformed state where a robot arm is transformed such that a distance defined from a pivot axis to an arm portion, which is farthest in a radial direction relative to the pivot axis, is minimum, a minimum rotation radius R, is set to exceed 1/2 of a length B in the forward and backward directions of an interface space, the length B corresponding to a length between the front wall and the rear wall of the interface space forming portion, and is further set to be equal to or less than a subtracted value obtained by subtracting a distance L0 in the forward and backward directions from the rear wall of the interface space forming portion to the pivot axis, from the length B in the forward and backward directions of the interface space (i.e., B/2<RBL0).

A wafer transfer apparatus is provided. In a minimum transformed state where a robot arm is transformed such that a distance defined from a pivot axis to an arm portion, which is farthest in a radial direction relative to the pivot axis, is minimum, a minimum rotation radius R, is set to exceed of a length B in the forward and backward directions of an interface space, the length B corresponding to a length between the front wall and the rear wall of the interface space forming portion, and is further set to be equal to or less than a subtracted value obtained by subtracting a distance L0 in the forward and backward directions from the rear wall of the interface space forming portion to the pivot axis, from the length B in the forward and backward directions of the interface space (i.e., B/2<RBL0).