Patent ID: 8439623

Claim:
A system comprising: a substantially linearly elongated transfer chamber having a first end and a second end; a plurality of processing modules connected to the substantially linearly elongated transfer chamber, each processing module performing one or more fabrication processes on a workpiece, the processing modules arranged for sequential processing of the workpiece in a sequence defining a substantially continuous linear sequence path extending between the first and second end of the substantially linearly elongated transfer chamber from a first processing module to a last processing module, the substantially linearly elongated transfer chamber being configured such that workpieces travel along the substantially continuous linear sequence path through the substantially linearly elongated transfer chamber for transfer between the processing modules; and at least one mid-entry point in the substantially linearly elongated transfer chamber disposed within the substantially continuous linear sequence path substantially in-line with and between the first processing module and the last processing module and between the first end and second end of the substantially linearly elongated transfer chamber so that the continuous linear sequence path extends through the at least one mid-entry point, the at least one mid-entry point configured to at least one of add, the workpiece to the substantially linear sequence path, and remove, the workpiece from the substantially linear sequence path, at the mid-entry point between the first end and second end of the substantially linearly elongated transfer chamber, wherein the mid-entry point is a module configured to cycle an atmosphere within the module between a processing atmosphere of at least one of the processing modules and an atmosphere external to the substantially linear sequence path and where the at least one of adding and removing the workpiece is substantially independent of the substantially continuous linear sequence path.