Patent ID: 7576831

Claim:
A method of maintaining a machine part arranged in an interior space of a machine, where the interior space is kept at a first pressure and is separated from an environment having a second pressure by a load lock, the method comprising: engaging the machine part with a first handler, wherein the first handler has either a plurality of tapered protrusions or a plurality of tapered grooves that substantially correspond to, respectively, a plurality of tapered grooves or a plurality of tapered protrusions located on the machine part; transporting the machine part from the interior space to the load lock using the first handler; disengaging the machine part from the first handler; engaging the machine part with a second handler, wherein the second handler has either a plurality of tapered protrusions or a plurality of tapered grooves that substantially correspond to, respectively, a plurality of tapered grooves or a plurality of tapered protrusions located on the machine part; transporting the machine part from the load lock to the environment using the second handler; disengaging the machine part from the second handler; performing maintenance on or replacement of the machine part; engaging the machine part with the second handler; transporting the maintained or replaced machine part from the environment to the load lock; disengaging the machine part from the second handler; engaging the machine part with the first handler; and transporting the maintained or replaced machine part from the load lock to the interior space; wherein the machine part is a substrate table configured to support a substrate or a gripper configured to grip and release the substrate and/or the substrate table.