Patent ID: 7208411

Claim:
A method comprising: a. transferring a substrate having a low-k layer from a loader module to a front transfer module without exposing the substrate to the environment, wherein the loader module comprises a plurality of loadlocks; b. transferring the substrate from the front transfer module to a first supercritical module without exposing the substrate to the environment, wherein the front transfer module is coupled to a plurality of supercritical modules; c. cleaning the substrate in the first supercritical module; d. transferring the substrate from the first supercritical module to the front transfer module without exposing the substrate to the environment; e. transferring the substrate from the front transfer module to a back transfer module without exposing the substrate to the environment, wherein the front transfer module is coupled to the back transfer module; f. transferring the substrate from the back transfer module to a first deposition module without exposing the substrate to the environment, wherein the back transfer module is coupled to a plurality of deposition modules; and g. depositing a film on the substrate in the first deposition module.