Importance

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Abstract

A substrate processing system includes a substrate handling chamber and an integrated load lock chamber. The load lock chamber has a gated inlet for the transfer of a substrate into and out of the load lock chamber and a gated port for transferring a substrate between the load lock chamber and the substrate handling chamber. The substrate handling chamber includes a staging shelf that is positioned above the load lock chamber and a substrate handler for moving a substrate between the load lock chamber and the staging shelf. In use, a first substrate is placed at a load lock station that is located inside the load lock chamber. The first substrate is moved from the load lock station to a staging shelf located inside the substrate handling chamber. A second substrate is moved from a cooling station in the substrate handling chamber to the load lock station. A third substrate is moved from a substrate processing chamber to the cooling station. Preferably, after the third substrate is moved to the cooling station, the first substrate is moved from the staging shelf to the processing chamber. The second substrate is removed from the load lock chamber and the cycle is repeated.

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First Claim