Patent ID: 8455368

Claim:
A method for operating one or more electronic device manufacturing systems comprising: performing a series of electronic device manufacturing process steps with a process tool, wherein the process tool produces effluent as a byproduct; abating the effluent with an abatement tool; supplying an abatement resource to the abatement tool from a first abatement resource supply; changing an abatement resource supply from the first abatement resource supply to a second abatement resource supply, wherein the second abatement resource supply is a backup supply to the first abatement resource supply and wherein changing the abatement resource supply comprises: interrupting a flow of the abatement resource from the first abatement resource supply; and beginning a flow of the abatement resource from the second abatement resource supply; and continuing to perform the series of process steps with the process tool, while changing, and after changing, the abatement resource supply, wherein prior to the changing of the abatement resource supply the first abatement resource supply is used as a primary abatement resource supply for a first abatement tool; and the second abatement resource supply is used as a primary abatement resource supply for a second abatement tool and a backup supply to the primary abatement resource supply of the first abatement resource supply; and after the changing of the abatement resource supply the first abatement resource supply is idle; and the second abatement resource supply is used as both the primary abatement resource supply for the second abatement tool and as a secondary abatement resource supply for the first abatement tool at the same time.