Patent ID: 7187994

Claim:
In an independent automated semiconductor specimen fabrication station that includes processing components which perform programmed fabrication processing operations on a semiconductor specimen in a protected environment and is constructed to interface with ancillary equipment coupled to the fabrication station within an allowable spatial envelope specified by industry standards, one of the processing components including a specimen handling device for transporting semiconductor specimens to and from processing components of the fabrication station, a method of integrating onto the fabrication station a process diagnostic tool to allow it to perform on the semiconductor specimen a processing operation that otherwise would not be performed by the processing components to thereby make the fabrication station more efficient and flexible to use, comprising: positioning the process diagnostic tool in registration within the allowable spatial envelope of the fabrication station to effect an interface in compliance with the specified industry standards; causing the specimen handling device to provide to the process diagnostic tool a specimen device previously presented to the fabrication station for processing but not undergoing a current operation performed by the processing components of the fabrication station; and coordinating control of process operations performed by the fabrication station and the process diagnostic tool so that they perform separate process operations on different semiconductor specimens previously presented to the fabrication station for processing.