Patent ID: 7585141

Claim:
A load lock system comprising: a first load lock defining a first chamber; a second load lock defining a second chamber; and a vacuum pumping system configured to vacuum pump the first and second chambers, comprising: a valve manifold block positioned between the first and second load locks; a first conduit connected to the first load lock; a second conduit connected to the second load lock; a turbomolecular pump; a first valve, mounted in the valve manifold block, to connect the first chamber to an inlet of the turbomolecular pump through the first conduit in a first pumping mode; a second valve, mounted in the valve manifold block, to connect the second chamber through the second conduit to the inlet of the turbomolecular pump in a second pumping mode; a roughing pump; a first fast roughing valve mounted in the valve manifold block to connect the first conduit to an inlet of the roughing pump in a fast roughing cycle of the first pumping mode; a first slow roughing valve mounted in the valve manifold block to connect the first conduit to the inlet of the roughing pump in a slow roughing cycle of the first pumping mode; a second fast roughing valve mounted in the valve manifold block to connect the second conduit to the inlet of the roughing pump in a fast roughing cycle of the second pumping mode; and a second slow roughing valve mounted in the valve manifold block to connect the second conduit to the inlet of the roughing pump in a slow roughing cycle of the second mode.