Patent ID: 7934898

Claim:
A processing system comprising: a docking wall having a plurality of docking openings; a carrier loading system on a first side of the docking wall, with the carrier loading system having: first and second adjacent rows of carrier loading positions at a loading deck level; with the first row accessible by a first overhead loading system, for lowering a carrier into a loading position in the first row; a shuttle actuator positioned to move a carrier to or from a position in the first row to or from a position in the second row; a carrier loader positioned to receive a carrier from the shuttle actuator, at the second row; a lift actuator linked to the carrier loader for lifting and lowering the carrier loader; at least one robot on a second side of the docking wall, opposite from the first side; at least one processing chamber accessible by the robot; and the second row of carrier loading positions accessible by a second overhead loading system, for removing the carrier from the lift actuator, wherein the second row of carrier loading positions is in between the first row of carrier loading positions and the docking wall.