Patent ID: 7677859

Claim:
A substrate processing apparatus having a station for loading and unloading substrates from the apparatus, the station comprising: an aperture closure for sealing a loading and unloading aperture of the station, the aperture being configured for loading and unloading substrates from a substrate magazine; apparatus for removing a door of the substrate magazine and thus opening the substrate magazine, and for operating the aperture closure to open the aperture; an elevator for precisely positioning the open substrate magazine along a vertical axis within a usable range of motion; a buffer transport for positioning the substrate magazine along a second axis oriented in a second direction different from the vertical axis; and a shuttle for transporting the substrate magazine along a third axis oriented in a third direction different from the vertical and second directions; wherein the buffer transport is operative for moving the substrate magazine between a first position and a second position, wherein when in the first position the substrate magazine is seated onto a magazine support of the buffer transport and communicates with the aperture, and when moved to the second position the substrate magazine is offset from the first position and is buffered adjacent the aperture while remaining seated on the magazine support so that another substrate magazine is capable of being located at the first position in communication with the aperture, wherein the buffer transport is arranged so that each substrate magazine is individually movable between the first and second positions while the substrate magazine remains seated on the magazine support and wherein the first and second positions are horizontally coplanar.