Wafer aligner in center of front end frame of vacuum system

A method of handling a wafer in a vacuum processing system, comprising the steps of:

• (a) moving the wafer in a single motion in a first direction from a cassette into a chamber space of a chamber, the chamber being disposed between the cassette and a load lock chamber in the vacuum processing system, the chamber having a first opening in communication with the cassette and a second opening in communication with the load lock chamber;
• (b) transferring the wafer in a single motion in a second direction to a wafer aligner mounted substantially at a middle portion of the first chamber space;
• (c) orienting the wafer within a plane;
• (d) removing the wafer in a single motion in a third direction from the wafer aligner;
• and
• (e) inserting the wafer in a single motion in a fourth direction into the load lock chamber.

A vacuum processing system, comprising:

• a transfer chamber having an interior space;
• a first wafer mover disposed within the interior space;
• a second wafer mover disposed within the interior space;
• a load lock chamber cooperatively engaged with the transfer chamber for receiving one or more wafers, the transfer chamber being disposed between a cassette and the load lock chamber, the transfer chamber having a first opening in communication with the cassette and a second opening in communication with the load lock chamber;
• a vacuum chamber attached to the load lock chamber and adapted to receive the wafers from the load lock chamber;
• a wafer aligner mounted substantially at a middle portion of the interior space of the transfer chamber and adapted to orient the wafers within a plane, wherein the wafer aligner is disposed between the first wafer mover and the second wafer mover;
• the first wafer mover and the second wafer mover are adapted to independently access the wafer aligner on opposing sides of the wafer aligner;
• the first wafer mover is adapted to insert a first wafer into the wafer aligner from a first side of the wafer aligner and remove the first wafer from the wafer aligner on the first side of the wafer aligner;
• and
• the second wafer mover is adapted to insert a second wafer into the wafer aligner from a second side of the wafer aligner and remove the second wafer from the wafer aligner on the second side of the wafer aligner.

A vacuum processing system, comprising:

• a transfer chamber having an interior space;
• a first wafer mover disposed within the interior space;
• a second wafer mover disposed within the interior space;
• a load lock chamber cooperatively engaged with the transfer chamber for receiving one or more wafers, the transfer chamber being disposed between a cassette and the load lock chamber, the transfer chamber having a first opening in communication with the cassette and a second opening in communication with the load lock chamber;
• a vacuum chamber attached to the load lock chamber and adapted to receive the wafers from the load lock chamber;
• a wafer aligner mounted substantially at a middle portion of the interior space of the transfer chamber and adapted to orient the wafers within a plane, wherein the wafer aligner is disposed between the first wafer mover and the second wafer mover;
• the first wafer mover and the second wafer mover are adapted to independently access the wafer aligner on opposing sides of the wafer aligner;
• the first wafer mover is adapted to insert a wafer into the wafer aligner from a first side of the wafer aligner;
• and
• the second wafer mover is adapted to remove the wafer from the wafer aligner on a second side of the wafer aligner.