Patent ID: 6714832
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of operating a vacuum processing system, including a plurality of processing units arranged in at least two groups in accordance with each of a plurality of recipes according to a preset recipe relation, for processing wafers, each of said at least two groups having at least two of said processing units therein, one transferring unit for carrying the wafers from a plurality of cassettes and a control unit for controlling said processing units and said one transferring unit, wherein said at least two groups of processing units are connected to said one transferring unit and at least one of the wafers is processed using said at least two groups of said processing units according to the preset recipe relation, said method comprising the steps of:judging whether each of said plurality of processing units of said at least two groups is in a operable condition or an inoperable condition; separating inoperable ones of said processing units of said at least two groups judged in said judging step; carrying wafers into operable ones of the respective groups of said processing units using said one transferring unit; performing an automatic operation for wafer processing in accordance with the recipe therefor using only said operable processing units of the respective group; and interlocking said separated inoperable processing units from the outside for subjecting them to maintenance work.