Patent ID: 8610121

Claim:
A system for combinatorial processing of a plurality of regions on a substrate comprising: a first line and a second line, wherein the first line is operable for combinatorial processing of a plurality of discrete regions on a substrate using locally uniform processing, wherein the combinatorial processing comprises varying at least one of a material, a unit process, a processing condition, or a process sequence in a combinatorial manner among the plurality of regions; wherein each of the plurality of discrete regions is defined by a processing cell enclosing a corresponding discrete region; wherein a bottom surface of a side of the processing cell provides a seal against the surface of the substrate; and wherein the processing cell includes a sealed upper surface coupled to the side surfaces to isolate processing regions defined above one of the discrete regions from an external environment; wherein the second line is operable for non-combinatorial processing in a substantially uniform manner across the plurality of discrete regions and areas between the plurality of discrete regions; and wherein the substrate can be moved between the first line and the second line for sequential processing.