Patent ID: 7006888

Claim:
A method of processing a wafer in a semiconductor wafer processing system, comprising: introducing a wafer into a first load lock of a semiconductor wafer processing system, the semiconductor wafer processing system comprising: a buffer chamber enclosing a first robot; one or more processing chambers attached to the buffer chamber; a transfer chamber enclosing a second robot; one or more processing chambers attached to the transfer chamber, wherein at least one vapor deposition chamber is attached to the transfer chamber; a first load lock comprising a heating element and attached to the buffer chamber; and two or more transition chambers which separate the transfer chamber and the buffer chamber, the transition chambers each comprising a heating element disposed therein; partially preheating the wafer in the first load lock; transferring the wafer into one of the transition chambers and partially preheating the wafer in the transition chamber; transferring the wafer into one of the processing chambers attached to the transfer chamber; and then performing a vapor deposition on the wafer in the processing chamber.