Abstract: A semiconductor device producing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a carrier-holding stage for placing a carrier; first, second and third stages each for holding first and second boats one at a time, each boat holding one or more substrates; a boat transfer mechanism for transferring the boats among the first, second and third stages; and a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate(s) from the carrier to the boat held by the first stage. A controller controls the first stage, the boat transfer mechanism and the substrate transfer mechanism so that the boat transfer mechanism transfers one of the boats from the second stage to the first stage, the substrate transfer mechanism then transfers the substrate(s) from the carrier to the boat held by the first stage, and the first stage then moves the boat into the processing chamber for processing.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a housing, a process tube for performing variable batch processes on substrates, and product substrate carriers. The product substrate carriers have a capacity of a predetermined number of substrates. A number of the product substrates processed during one batch process are less than or equal to the predetermined number of the substrates. All of the product substrates contained in one product substrate carrier is processed in the process tube at a same time.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a housing, a process tube for performing variable batch processes on substrates, and product substrate carriers. The product substrate carriers have a capacity of a predetermined number of substrates. A number of the product substrates processed during one batch process are less than or equal to the predetermined number of the substrates. All of the product substrates contained in one product substrate carrier is processed in the process tube at a same time.

Abstract: Substrate positioning and substrate transporting are processed in parallel, thereby reducing substrate transfer apparatus wait time and improving substrate processing throughput. A substrate transfer apparatus 1 is configured in a single unit, a plural number of wafers W prior to notch alignment is transported at one time from a substrate accommodating container to a substrate alignment apparatus 22, and the plural number of notch aligned wafers is transported from the substrate alignment apparatus 22 to a boat 21. Two stages (upper and lower) of notch alignment units 4 and 5 that configure the substrate alignment apparatus 22 operate independently, and are capable of performing notch alignment, in total, on a number of wafers to be processed that is twice the number of wafers transported at one time by the substrate transfer apparatus 1.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a housing, a process tube for performing variable batch processes on substrates, and product substrate carriers. The product substrate carriers have a capacity of a predetermined number of substrates. A number of the product substrates processed during one batch process are less than or equal to the predetermined number of the substrates. All of the product substrates contained in one product substrate carrier is processed in the process tube at a same time.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a process room for treating one or more substrates, an antechamber of a loadlock type installed to be adjoined to the process room, and a buffer chamber installed to be adjoined to the antechamber, the buffer chamber being maintained at an atmospheric pressure while the one or more substrates are transferred from a carrier for accommodating the one or more substrates to the buffer chamber and at a vacuum condition while the one or more substrates are transferred from the buffer chamber to the antechamber. The buffer chamber is equipped with a loading port for loading the carrier at a top or a side portion thereof. The antechamber is equipped with a stocker for storing one or more product substrates or/and one or more dummy substrates therein. The elevator is arranged at a corner portion of the antechamber in order to reduce dead space.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a process tube for processing a plurality of substrates, two boats for accommodating the substrates, two boat elevators, a substrate transfer unit for loading and unloading the substrates into and from the boats when the boats are at the first position. In this apparatus, each boat elevator has one boat mounted thereon and each of the boat elevators carries a corresponding boat between a first position located below the process tube and two corresponding second positions. Each of the boat elevators performs loading and unloading the corresponding boat into and from the process tube at the first position. Further, in the apparatus, a center position of the process tube is disposed inside a triangle formed by connecting the substrate transfer unit and the two boat elevators.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes at least two processing units provided around a substrate transfer chamber including a substrate transfer device for transferring substrates, wherein said at least two processing units include at least one batch processing unit, an M number of product substrates being processed simultaneously in one batch process with M being set to be less than or equal to the number of product substrates carried by a product substrate carrier, and all the product substrates contained in a product substrate carried by the product substrate carrier being processed in one batch process of said at least one batch processing unit. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the step of sequentially processing plural product substrates in at least two processing units arranged around a substrate transfer chamber.

Abstract: Particles are prevented from clinging to the back of a wafer in the notch alignment of the wafer, and the problems encountered when a plurality of wafers were aligned all at once are solved. Three support poles 105 are erected on a turntable 103. The substrate outer periphery 104b of wafers 104 is supported by the tapered portions of support pins 107 protruding from the support poles 105. The turntable 103 is driven by a single motor 106, and all of the wafers 104 are rotated at once. During rotation, the notches 104a of all the wafers 104 are detected by an optical sensor 116 provided to a sensor pole 117, and the angular position thereof is stored. The wafers 104 are rotated on the basis of the angular position data, and notch alignment is performed successively, starting with the bottom wafer 104.

Abstract: Particles are prevented from clinging to the back of a water in the notch alignment of the wafer, and the problems encountered when a plurality of wafers were aligned all at once are solved. Three support poles 105 are erected on a turntable 103. The substrate outer periphery 104b of wafers 104 is supported by the tapered portions of support pins 107 protruding from the support poles 105. The turntable 103 is driven by a single motor 106, and all of the wafers 104 are rotated at once. During rotation, the notches 104a of al the wafers 104 are detected by an optical sensor 116 provided to a sensor pole 117, and the angular position thereof is stored. The wafers 104 are rotated an the basis of the angular position data, and notch alignment is performed successively, starting with the bottom wafer 104.

Abstract: Substrate positioning and substrate transporting are processed in parallel, thereby reducing substrate transfer apparatus wait time and improving substrate processing throughput. A substrate transfer apparatus 1 is configured in a single unit, a plural number of wafers W prior to notch alignment is transported at one time from a substrate accommodating container to a substrate alignment apparatus 22, and the plural number of notch aligned wafers is transported from the substrate alignment apparatus 22 to a boat 21. Two stages (upper and lower) of notch alignment units 4 and 5 that configure the substrate alignment apparatus 22 operate independently, and are capable of performing notch alignment, in total, on a number of wafers to be processed that is twice the number of wafers transported at one time by the substrate transfer apparatus 1.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a process tube for processing a plurality of substrates, two boats for accommodating the substrates, two boat elevators, a substrate transfer unit for loading and unloading the substrates into and from the boats when the boats are at the first position. In this apparatus, each boat elevator has one boat mounted thereon and each of the boat elevators carries a corresponding boat between a first position located below the process tube and two corresponding second positions. Each of the boat elevators performs loading and unloading the corresponding boat into and from the process tube at the first position. Further, in the apparatus, a center position of the process tube is disposed inside a triangle formed by connecting the substrate transfer unit and the two boat elevators.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a housing, a process tube for performing variable batch processes on substrates, and product substrate carriers. The product substrate carriers have a capacity of a predetermined number of substrates. A number of the product substrates processed during one batch process are less than or equal to the predetermined number of the substrates. All of the product substrates contained in one product substrate carrier is processed in the process tube at a same time.