Advanced low cost high throughput processing platform

In a system for processing wafers at least including a loadlock having a wafer station and a processing chamber having a processing station, an improvement comprising:

• a transfer arrangement including a swing arm arrangement having at least a first swing arm and a second swing arm configured for coaxial rotation about a common axis of rotation for use in transporting the wafers between the wafer station in the loadlock and the processing station in the processing chamber, said first and second swing arms being configured so that one of the swing arms can rotate toward the processing station while the other one of the swing arms independently rotates toward the wafer station.

In a system for processing wafers at least including a loadlock having a wafer station and a processing chamber having a processing station, an improvement comprising:

• a transfer arrangement including a swing arm configured for rotation about an axis of rotation for use in transporting the wafers between the wafer station and the processing station, said swing arm being configured to rotate in one direction by a first angular value from a home position to the processing station and to rotate in an opposite direction by a second angular value from the home position to reach the wafer station, and said first angular value is different from said second angular value.

In a wafer processing system in which at least one wafer is movable between a loadlock and a processing chamber, said wafer including a wafer diameter, a method comprising:

• arranging a transfer chamber for selective pressure communication with said loadlock and said processing chamber;
• and
• configuring said transfer chamber to include a configuration of lateral extents such that said wafer is movable through said transfer chamber between the loadlock and processing chamber along a wafer transfer path and said configuration of lateral extents causes said wafer, having said wafer diameter and moving along the wafer transfer path, to interfere with at least one of the loadlock and the processing chamber for any given position along the wafer transfer path.

In a system for processing wafers at least including a loadlock having a wafer station and a processing chamber having a processing station, a method comprising:

• configuring a transfer arrangement to include a swing arm arrangement having at least a first swing arm and a second swing arm configured for coaxial rotation about a common axis of rotation for use in transporting the wafers between the wafer station in the loadlock and the processing station in the processing chamber, said first and second swing arms being configured so that one of the swing arms can rotate toward the processing station while the other one of the swing arms independently rotates toward the wafer station.

In a system for processing wafers at least including a loadlock having a wafer station and a processing chamber having a processing station, a method comprising:

• configuring a transfer arrangement including a swing arm for rotation about an axis of rotation for use in transporting the wafers between the wafer station and the processing station, said swing arm being configured to rotate in one direction by a first angular value from a home position to the processing station and to rotate in an opposite direction by a second angular value from the home position to reach the wafer station, and said first angular value is different from said second angular value.