Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium and substrate retainer assembly

A substrate processing method comprising:

• (a) placing a plurality of substrates on a primary boat provided with a plurality of first support structures and accommodating the plurality of substrates in a process vessel, wherein at least one first support structure among the plurality of first support structures is provided for each of the plurality of substrates;
• (b) processing the plurality of substrates in the process vessel while a rotator provided with a rotation shaft configured to support the primary boat rotates the primary boat;
• and
• (c) lifting at least one among the plurality of substrates apart from at least one among the plurality of first support structures by elevating a plurality of second support structures upward relative to the primary boat, wherein the plurality of second support structures are provided to be movable in a vertical direction relative to the primary boat,
• wherein a driver is used in (c), the driver comprising:
• a linear motion shaft configured to be capable of linearly moving in an axial direction of the rotation shaft;
• a transmission structure configured to be capable of transmitting a linear motion of the linear motion shaft to the plurality of second support structures;
• and
• an actuator configured to be capable of lifting a lower surface of the linear motion shaft in the axial direction by applying an upward force onto the lower surface of the linear motion shaft, and
• wherein the actuator and the lower surface of the linear motion shaft are spaced apart from each other in (b).

A substrate retainer assembly, comprising:

• a primary boat configured to be capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates in a process vessel while the plurality of substrates are arranged in a vertical direction, and provided with a plurality of first support structures, wherein at least one first support structure among the plurality of first support structures is provided for each of the plurality of substrates;
• a plurality of second support structures provided to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the primary boat;
• a rotator provided with a rotation shaft configured to rotatably support the primary boat;
• and
• a driver configured to be capable of lifting at least one among the plurality of substrates apart from at least one among the plurality of first support structures by elevating the plurality of second support structures upward relative to the primary boat,
• wherein the driver comprises:
• a linear motion shaft configured to be capable of linearly moving in an axial direction of the rotation shaft;
• a transmission structure configured to be capable of transmitting a linear motion of the linear motion shaft to the plurality of second support structures;
• and
• an actuator configured to be capable of lifting a lower surface of the linear motion shaft in the axial direction by applying an upward force onto the lower surface of the linear motion shaft, and
• wherein the actuator and the lower surface of the linear motion shaft are spaced apart from each other when the upward force is not applied by the actuator onto the lower surface of the linear motion shaft.