Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of substrate processing modules connected to a substrate transport. The substrate transport has a housing and a substrate transport mechanism. The housing forms a substantially closed main transport chamber with doorways into the main transport chamber for the substrate processing modules. The transport mechanism has a substrate holder movably located in the transport chamber. The housing includes a front end extension that is connected to load locks. The front end extension has an aligner, a cooler, and a buffer directly connected to the housing and located in the front end extension in part of the main transport chamber.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier, for example, used for supporting and transporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced, stacked, relationship. The carrier is supported adjacent a chamber within the load lock. A multilevel end effector associated with the load lock chamber includes a plurality of spaced end effector sets, each set being adapted to support a wafer thereon and aligned with an associated wafer supported in the carrier. The plurality of wafers are engaged and simultaneously retrieved as a grouping, then held in the load lock chamber for subsequent transport, for example, one at a time, into an adjacent transport chamber for delivery to a specified one of a plurality of processing stations. A mini-environment may sealingly isolate the load lock chamber and the interior of the carrier from the surrounding atmosphere.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier used for supporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced relationship and transporting them in a particle free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent a load lock chamber also having a particle free environment. A multilevel end effector associated with the load lock chamber includes a plurality of spaced end effector sets, each set being adapted to support a wafer thereon and aligned with an associated wafer supported in the carrier. The plurality of wafers are engaged and simultaneously retrieved as a grouping, then held in the load lock chamber for subsequent transport, one at a time, into an adjacent transport chamber for delivery to a specified one of a plurality of processing stations. A mini-environment sealingly isolates the load lock chamber and the interior of the carrier from the surrounding atmosphere.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier used for supporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced relationship and transporting them in a particle free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent a load lock chamber which also has a particle free environment. A multilevel end effector associated with the load lock chamber includes a plurality of spaced end effector sets, each set being adapted to support a wafer thereon and aligned with an associated wafer supported in the carrier. The plurality of wafers are engaged and simultaneously retrieved as a grouping, then held in the load lock chamber awaiting further processing.