Patent ID: 6487793
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B01J,B41J,C23C,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of using a conveyor system for processing substrates in plural vacuum processing chambers, the conveyor system including:a loader; a vacuum loader; and double lock chambers, having an loader side and a vacuum loader side, and having a gate valve for said loader side and another gate valve for said vacuum loader side, wherein said vacuum loader has (1) a transfer chamber connected to the double lock chambers via the another gate valve; (2) a conveyor structure; and (3) the plural vacuum processing chambers; the method comprising the steps of: (a) transferring selectively substrates to be processed, from said loader to either of said double lock chambers; (b) providing a vacuum in said either of the double lock chambers; (c) transferring substrates to be processed, one by one, from said either of the double lock chambers to at least one of said plural vacuum processing chambers, via said transfer chamber; (d) processing substrates in at least one of said plural vacuum processing chambers; and (e) after said processing, transferring processed substrates, one by one, from said at least one of said plural vacuum processing chambers to either of said double lock chambers, via said transfer chamber, wherein a surface of a substrate which is processed is maintained horizontal during transfer from said loader to said plural vacuum processing chambers, and said substrate is treated in said plural vacuum processing chambers with said surface thereof which is processed being oriented horizontally.