Patent ID: 8444364

Claim:
An inline substrate processing system, comprising: a vacuum processing chamber; a first loadlock chamber coupled to a first side of the vacuum processing chamber; a second loadlock chamber coupled to a second side of the vacuum processing chamber, opposite the first side; a first exchange station coupled to the first loadlock opposite the vacuum processing chamber; a second exchange station coupled to the second loadlock opposite the vacuum processing chamber; a first exchange mechanism positioned in the first exchange station and operable to load fresh substrates into the first exchange station and remove processed substrates from the first exchange station; wherein the second exchange station comprises a substrate flipping mechanism; wherein the substrate flipping mechanism comprises: a frame; a plurality of pivots rotatably coupled to the frame; a plurality of substrate holders, at least one of the substrate holders coupled to each of the pivot; a rotating driver coupled to the pivots and rotating the pivots synchronously; and, wherein each of the first and second loadlock chambers comprises: an upper hanger structured to support at least one substrate; a lower hanger structured to support at least one substrate; and, a transport mechanism structured to move the upper and lower hangers into and out of the vacuum processing chamber.