Movable microchamber system with gas curtain

A method of processing a substrate without exposing the substrate to a reactive gas present in an ambient environment outside of a microchamber, comprising:

• supporting the substrate on a movable stage assembly in the microchamber, wherein the microchamber is defined by a stationary top member and the movable stage assembly, the moveable stage assembly having an outer periphery and a ring member that defines, in combination with the stationary top member, a peripheral microchamber gap;
• introducing a first gas into the microchamber, wherein the first gas has either no substantial amount of the reactive gas or has a select amount of the reactive gas;
• introducing a second gas into a peripheral microchamber gap through the ring member and;
• moving the movable stage assembly relative to the stationary top member to cause the second gas to form a gas curtain adjacent the outer periphery of the stage assembly;
• and
• wherein the gas curtain substantially prevents the reactive gas in the ambient environment from entering the microchamber during the moving of the movable stage assembly.

A method of processing a substrate without exposing the substrate to a first gas present in an ambient environment, comprising:

• supporting the substrate on a movable stage assembly in a microchamber, wherein the microchamber is defined by a stationary top member and the movable stage assembly, the moveable stage assembly having an outer periphery and a ring member that defines, in combination with the stationary top member, a peripheral microchamber gap;
• forming a vacuum in the microchamber;
• introducing a second gas into the peripheral microchamber gap through the ring member;
• introducing a third gas into the microchamber, wherein the third gas includes at least one reactive gas;
• moving the movable stage relative to the stationary top member to cause the second gas to form a gas curtain adjacent the outer periphery, wherein the gas curtain substantially prevents the first gas in the ambient environment from entering the microchamber;
• and
• passing a first laser beam through a light-access feature in the stationary top member and into the microchamber to irradiate the substrate and the at least reactive gas of the third gas in the microchamber to modify the substrate.

A method of processing a substrate in a microchamber without altering a select amount of a reactive first gas present in microchamber, wherein the microchamber resides in an ambient environment that includes the reactive first gas, comprising:

• supporting the substrate on a movable stage assembly in the microchamber, wherein the microchamber is defined by a stationary top member and the movable stage assembly, the moveable stage assembly having an outer periphery and a ring member that defines, in combination with the stationary top member, a peripheral microchamber gap;
• introducing the select amount of the reactive first gas into the microchamber;
• introducing a second gas into a peripheral microchamber gap through the ring member;
• moving the movable stage relative to the stationary top member, thereby causing the second gas to form a gas curtain adjacent the outer periphery of the stage assembly, wherein the gas curtain substantially prevents the reactive first gas in the ambient environment from entering the microchamber and changing the select amount of the reactive first gas introduced into the microchamber.