Patent ID: 6228439
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: C23C,G11B

Abstract:
A method for processing substrates comprising,placing at least one substrate in a substrate processing system having a plurality of processing chambers, at least two of said processing chambers being deposition chambers each having a deposition apparatus for depositing a thin film coating onto substrates within said deposition chamber and having a cleaning apparatus for removing film deposited onto the interior surfaces of said deposition chamber, said processing system further comprising a transport system for sequentially moving substrates between said processing chambers, said transport system comprising a plurality of individual carriages for holding substrates undergoing processing in said system, the total number of carriages of said transport system being less than the number of processing chambers such that at least one processing chamber is always empty;moving a first substrate into a first of said deposition chambers, while said second deposition chamber is kept empty;depositing a thin film coating onto said first substrate in said first deposition chamber and simultaneously cleaning interior surfaces of said second deposition chamber;transporting said first substrate from said first deposition chamber to said second deposition chamber, such that said first deposition chamber is empty;depositing a thin film coating on said first substrate in said second deposition chamber and simultaneously cleaning interior surfaces of said first deposition chamber.