MIXED PLATFORM APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING - Patent application

Abstract

An electronics manufacturing system and method is provided that provides a mainframe configuration for processing substrates of different sizes. An electronics manufacturing system (200) includes a main frame (202) that connects one or more processing chambers of various sizes. A different number of processing chambers are connected to each facet (i.e., sidewall) (204a-204d) of the main frame. The processing chambers connected to one facet are different in size from the processing chambers connected to the other facets. One processing chamber (212) of a first size is connected to the first facet (204c), two processing chambers (210) of a second size, each different from the first size, are connected to the second facet (204a), and three processing chambers (211) of a third size, each different from the first and second sizes, are connected to the third facet (204b). The main frame may have a square or rectangular shape.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 882,795, filed on September 26, 2013, entitled "MIXED - PLATFORM APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING" (Serial No. 21215 / L), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002]

[0002] The present invention generally relates to the manufacture of electronic devices, and more specifically to apparatus, systems, and methods for a mixed - platform for substrate processing.

Background Art

[0003]

[0003] Conventional electronic device manufacturing systems may include a mainframe around which a plurality of processing chambers and load - lock chambers are arranged. The mainframe may typically have several sidewalls (commonly referred to as "facets") to which an equal number of generally equally - sized processing chambers and / or load - lock chambers are connected. For example, the mainframe may have four facets, the first facet may be connected to two load - lock chambers, and the other three facets may each be connected to two generally equally - sized processing chambers. Such a mainframe configuration is typically provided to enable selectively and interchangeably arranging various processing chambers and / or load - lock chambers around the mainframe. However, the types and sequences of substrate processing that can be performed within an electronic device manufacturing system may be limited by such a mainframe configuration.

[0004]

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for apparatus, systems, and methods for providing other substrate - processing mainframe configurations.

Summary of the Invention

[0005]

[0005] According to a first embodiment, an electronic equipment manufacturing system is provided. The electronic equipment manufacturing system comprises a main frame having a transfer chamber and a plurality of facets defining the side walls of the transfer chamber, each of the plurality of facets being configured to be connected to one or more processing chambers or load lock chambers, each of the plurality of facets having one or more substrate access ports, a first facet of the plurality of facets having a first number of substrate access ports, and a second facet of the plurality of facets having a second number of substrate access ports, the second number being different from the first number.

[0006]

[0006] According to a second embodiment, another electronic device manufacturing system is provided. The electronic device manufacturing system comprises a main frame having a transfer chamber and a plurality of facets defining the side wall of the transfer chamber; a first processing chamber connected to a first facet of the plurality of facets and having a first facet-side dimension; and a second processing chamber connected to a second facet of the plurality of facets and having a second facet-side dimension different from the first facet-side dimension.

[0007]

[0007] According to a third aspect, a method for assembling an electronic equipment manufacturing system is provided. A method comprising: providing a main frame having a transfer chamber and a plurality of facets defining the side wall of the transfer chamber; connecting a first chamber to a first facet of the plurality of facets, wherein the first chamber has a first facet-side dimension; and connecting a second chamber to a second facet of the plurality of facets, wherein the second chamber has a second facet-side dimension different from the first facet-side dimension.

[0008]

[0008] Further aspects, features, and advantages of embodiments of the present invention may become readily apparent from the following detailed description, which describes and illustrates numerous exemplary embodiments and implementations, including the best mode intended for carrying out the invention. The present invention may further include other embodiments and different embodiments, some of which may be modified in various ways, as long as they do not depart from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description should be considered illustrative and not restrictive. The present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009]

[0009] The drawings described below are for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way.

[0010] [Figure 1] A schematic top view of an electronic equipment manufacturing system relating to prior art is shown. [Figure 2] A schematic top view of a mixed platform electronic equipment manufacturing system according to an embodiment is shown. [Figure 3] A simplified partial orthographic projection of the main frame facet of Figure 2 according to this embodiment is shown. [Figure 4] A flowchart shows a method for assembling an electronic equipment manufacturing system according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011]

[0014] Hereafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the accompanying drawings will be referenced in detail. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts.

[0012]

[0015] In one embodiment, the electronic equipment manufacturing system may include a main frame having a transfer chamber and several facets defining the side walls of the transfer chamber. In some embodiments, the main frame may have a square or rectangular shape. One or more load lock chambers may be connected to one facet of the main frame, and one or more processing chambers may be connected to each of the other facets of the main frame. The processing chambers may perform various substrate processing operations, and the processing chambers connected to different facets do not need to be the same size. Furthermore, each main frame facet may not be configured to be connected to an equal number of processing chambers and / or load lock chambers. For example, one facet may be configured to be connected to only one processing chamber of a first size, and a second facet may be configured to be connected to two processing chambers, each of which is of a different size than the first, and so on. One or more substrate access ports on each facet may cause the load lock chamber and processing chambers, respectively, to interact with the transfer chamber, thereby enabling the transfer of substrates between them. The substrate access ports may be dimensioned and positioned on each facet to accommodate the number and size of chambers that can be connected to each facet. An electronic manufacturing system having such a mainframe can enable a wider range and more diverse sequence of substrate processing to be performed in a single system, thus improving the versatility, capability, and / or efficiency of such an electronic manufacturing system. In other embodiments, methods for assembling an electronic manufacturing system are provided, as will be described in more detail below in relation to Figures 1 to 4.

[0013]

[0016] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a known electronic device manufacturing system 100 relating to the prior art. The electronic device manufacturing system 100 may include a main frame 102 configured to process substrates and having four facets 104a-d. The main frame 102 may include a transfer chamber 106, and the facets 104a-d may define the side walls of the transfer chamber 106. Each of the facets 104a-d may have a pair of substrate access ports 105, configured to allow a horizontally oriented substrate to pass through. The substrate 108 may be a semiconductor wafer, a glass plate or panel, and / or other workpiece used to manufacture electronic devices or circuit components. Each substrate access port 105 may be, for example, an elongated slot or slit formed in the side wall of the transfer chamber 106, and may include, for example, a slit valve or other suitable device for opening and closing the substrate access port 105.

[0014]

[0017] Each of the facets 104a-d may be connected to a set of either a processing chamber 110 or a load lock chamber 114. Each processing chamber 110 and load lock chamber 114 may have a chamber port corresponding to the respective substrate access port 105. The transfer chamber 106, processing chamber 110, and / or load lock chamber 114 may each be operated under vacuum pressure. Each processing chamber 110 may perform the same or different processes on the substrate 108, including, for example, deposition, oxidation, nitriding, etching, polishing, cleaning, lithography, etc. Other processes may be performed within it.

[0015]

[0018] The main frame 102 may further include a robot assembly 118 within a transfer chamber 106. The robot assembly 118 may be configured to transfer one or more substrates 108 from the processing chamber 110 and the load lock chamber 114, respectively. The load lock chamber 114 may be connected to a factory interface 120 which can be connected to one or more FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods) 122. Each FOUP 122 may be a container having a built-in cassette for holding multiple substrates. Each FOUP 122 may have a front opening interface configured for use with the factory interface 120. The factory interface 120 may have a buffer chamber 124 and one or more robot assemblies (not shown) configured to transfer substrates via linear, rotational, and / or vertical motion between the FOUP 122 and the load lock chamber 114. The substrates may be transferred between the FOUP 122 and the load lock chamber 114 in any order or direction. The load lock chamber 114 may be a batch-type or single-board-type load lock chamber. The controller 126 may control the operation of the robot assembly 118 and / or the electronic equipment manufacturing system 100.

[0016]

[0019] As shown in the figure, the main frame 102 has the same number of processing chambers 110 of approximately equal size connected to each facet 104a-c as the number of processing chambers connected to each facet 104a-c, and a load lock chamber 114 typically connected to facet 104d. The board access ports 105 are also typically of the same size, and each facet 104a-d typically has the same number of board access ports 105. In other known electronics manufacturing systems, the main frame may consist of another equal number of chambers connected to each facet, for example, three load lock chambers connected to one facet and three processing chambers connected to each of the other facets. Such known electronics manufacturing systems having a generally symmetrical main frame configuration of load lock chambers and processing chambers may be limited to the types and sequences of board processing that can be performed in a single electronics manufacturing system.

[0017]

[0020] Figure 2 shows an electronic equipment manufacturing system 200 according to one or more embodiments. The electronic equipment manufacturing system 200 may be configured to process multiple substrates 108 simultaneously. The electronic equipment manufacturing system 200 may include a main frame 202 having four facets 204a-d. The main frame 202 may include a transfer chamber 206, and facets 204a-d may define the side walls of the transfer chamber 206. The main frame 202 may generally have a square or rectangular shape. In other embodiments, the main frame 202 may have other suitable shapes and / or a number of facets.

[0018]

[0021] In some embodiments, facet 204a may have a pair of substrate access ports 205a, facet 204b may have three substrate access ports 205b (only one of which is labeled), facet 204c may have one substrate access port 205c, and facet 204d may have three substrate access ports 205d (two of which are labeled). Each substrate access port 205a-d is configured to allow a horizontally oriented substrate 108 to pass through. Each substrate access port 205a-d may be, for example, an elongated slot or slit formed in the side wall of the transfer chamber 206. Each substrate access port 205a-d may include a slit valve configured to open and close the substrate access port 205a-d. The slit valve may be any suitable conventional structure, such as an L-motion slit valve. Other suitable devices may be used to open and close the substrate access ports 205a-d.

[0019]

[0022] Each board access port 205a-d may be of a different size. For example, as shown in Figures 3A-3D, each board access port 205a may have a width W305a, each board access port 205b may have a width W305b, and each board access port 205c may have a width W305c. The width W305a may be different from the width W305b, and the width W305c may be different from both the width W305a and the width W305b. Each board access port 205d labeled 305d1-d6 in Figure 3D may have a width W305d (and as will be further described below in relation to the load lock chambers 214, 215, and 216). The width W305d may be the same as or different from the width W305b. The width of each board access port 205a-d is such that it is at least possible for the board 108 to pass through. Various sizes of substrate access ports may enable the robot assembly 218 to reach various areas within the chamber connected to one of the facets 204a-d. In some embodiments where a facet has two or more substrate access ports, the substrate access ports may not be laterally centered within the facet and / or may not be equidistant from each other, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B. In some embodiments where a facet has a single substrate access port, the substrate access port may be laterally centered within the facet, for example, or offset, as shown in Figures 2 and 3C.

[0020]

[0023] In other embodiments, each facet 204a–d may have a different number, size, and / or combination of board access ports than those shown in Figures 2 and 3A–3D, provided that the width of the facet is appropriate to accommodate that number, size, and / or combination of board access ports. For example, in some embodiments, facet 204b may have one board access port 205c instead of three board access ports 205b. In other embodiments, one facet may have one board access port 205a and one board access port 205b, while another facet may have one board access port 205b and one board access port 205c. Provided that the facets have appropriate widths, various combinations of board access ports may be possible. This makes it possible to customize the mainframe 202 to connect to a specific type and number of desired processing chambers and load lock chambers, as described below.

[0021]

[0024] Returning to Figure 2, each facet 204a–d may be connected to one or more processing chambers or load lock chambers. The transfer chamber 206, and each processing chamber and load lock chamber, may be operated under vacuum pressure. In some embodiments, each processing chamber may represent a different stage or phase of substrate processing. In other embodiments, two or more processing chambers may perform the same processing for simultaneous parallel substrate processing, thereby improving substrate throughput within the electronic equipment manufacturing system 200.

[0022]

[0025] In some embodiments, facet 204a may be coupled to a set of processing chambers 210, which may be similar to or identical to processing chamber 110. The processing chambers 210 may each be of substantially the same size and may perform the same or different substrate processing, such as etching, chemical vapor deposition, or physical vapor deposition. Other processing may be performed by one or both of the processing chambers 210. Each processing chamber 210 may have a chamber port corresponding to its respective substrate access port 205a. The processing chambers 210 may each have a facet-side dimension, which in some embodiments may be the width W204a (labeled for only one processing chamber 210) of the processing chamber 210. In some embodiments, the width W204a may be, for example, about 1.2 meters. The facet-side dimension may alternatively be a width W305a (FIG. 3A) corresponding to the chamber port width of the processing chamber 210.

[0023]

[0026] In some embodiments, facet 204b may be connected to a processing chamber 211. The processing chamber 211 may be a pedestal chamber with three pedestals (i.e., it may accept up to three substrates 108 for simultaneous processing). The processing chamber 211 may have three chamber ports, each corresponding to one of the three substrate access ports 205b. In some embodiments, the processing chamber 211 may have a facet-side dimension that may be the width W204b of the processing chamber 211. In some embodiments, the width W204b may be, for example, about 2.4 meters, and the width of facet 204b may also be at least about 2.4 meters. The facet-side dimension of the processing chamber 211 may alternatively be a width W305b (Figure 3B) that may correspond to the chamber port width of the processing chamber 211. In some embodiments, the processing chamber 211 may be a DSM (dielectric systems and modules) chamber. The processing chamber 211 may be any other suitable type of processing chamber.

[0024]

[0027] In an alternative embodiment, facet 204b may be connected to three processing chambers (as indicated by the dotted line dividing processing chamber 211 into three processing chambers 211a, 211b, and 211c). In such an alternative embodiment, one of the three processing chambers 211a, 211b, and 211c may have a facet-side dimension that in some embodiments may be about one-third of the width W204b, which may be about 800 mm. The facet-side dimension of each of the processing chambers 211a, 211b, and 211c may alternatively be a width W305b (Figure 3B), where width W305b may correspond to the chamber port width of processing chambers 211a, 211b, and 211c. The three processing chambers 211a, 211b, and 211c may each perform the same substrate processing or different substrate processing.

[0025]

[0028] In some embodiments, facet 204c may be coupled to processing chamber 212. Processing chamber 212 may be larger than processing chambers 210 and / or 211 and may have a chamber port corresponding to substrate access port 205c. Processing chamber 212 may, in some embodiments, have a facet-side dimension that may be the width W204c of processing chamber 212. In some embodiments, width W204c may be longer than about 1.2 meters, may be shorter than the width of facet 204c, and may, in some embodiments, be about 2.4 meters. The facet-side dimension of processing chamber 212 may alternatively be a width W305c (FIG. 3B) that may correspond to the chamber port width of processing chamber 212. In some embodiments, processing chamber 212 may be an epitaxial chamber. In other embodiments, processing chamber 212 may be any other suitable type of processing chamber.

[0026]

[0029] In some embodiments, facet 204d may be connected to load lock chambers 214, 215, and 216. Load lock chambers 214, 215, and 216 may be batch-type or single-substrate-type load lock chambers. In some embodiments, load lock chamber 214 may be a stacked load lock chamber, load lock chamber 215 may be a triple-stacked load lock chamber, and load lock chamber 216 may be a single-volume load lock chamber. Each load lock chamber 214, 215, and 216 may have one or more chamber ports corresponding to their respective substrate access ports 205d. For example, a stacked load lock chamber 214, which may have two separate substrate volumes as shown in Figure 3D, may have two vertically oriented chamber ports corresponding to substrate access ports 305d1 and 305d2, respectively. A triple-stacked load lock chamber 215, which may have three separate substrate volumes, may have three vertically oriented chamber ports corresponding to substrate access ports 305d3, 305d4, and 305d5, respectively. A single-volume load lock chamber 216 may have a single chamber port corresponding to substrate access port 305d6. In other embodiments, any one or more load lock chambers 214, 215, and / or 216 may be stacked load lock chambers, triple-stacked load lock chambers, and / or single-volume load lock chambers. Furthermore, in some embodiments, any one or more load lock chambers 214, 215, and / or 216 may be processing-capacity chambers. That is, any one or more load lock chambers 214, 215, and / or 216, or any one of the volumes located therein, may be capable of performing substrate preheating, mitigation, or cooling processes.

[0027]

[0030] The mainframe 202 may further include a robot assembly 218 within a transfer chamber 206. The robot assembly 218 may be configured to transfer one or more substrates 108 to and from processing chambers 210, 211 (or alternatively 211a-c), and 212, and load lock chambers 214, 215, and 216, respectively. The robot assembly 218 may be configured to transfer the substrates 108 directly from any one chamber to any other chamber of the mainframe 202. In some embodiments, the substrates 108 may be transferred by the robot assembly 218 in any order or direction. In some embodiments, the robot assembly 218 may have dual transfer blades that can independently extend and retract into and from any chamber of the mainframe 202, thereby increasing system throughput by enabling simultaneous parallel substrate transfer. In some embodiments, the robot assembly 218 may have only a single transfer blade and / or may be a SCARA (Selective Adaptable Articulated Robot Arm) robot. Alternatively, the robot assembly 218 may be any suitable mechanism for transferring the substrate between the chambers of the main frame 202.

[0028]

[0031] In some embodiments, processing chambers 210, 211 (alternatively 211a-c), and 212 may be positioned relative to each other to minimize the movement of the robot assembly 218 and the transfer time of the substrate 108 moving from one chamber to the next. Such positioning can increase substrate throughput and improve yield by reducing the time between subsequent processing and the possibility of particle contamination during substrate transfer.

[0029]

[0032] The load lock chambers 214, 215, and 216 may be connected to the factory interface 220, and a first vacuum interface may be provided between the factory interface 220 and the transfer chamber 206. In some embodiments, the load lock chambers 214, 215, and 216 can increase substrate throughput by alternately communicating with the transfer chamber 206 and the factory interface 220, respectively. That is, one volume of one load lock chamber 214, 215, or 216, or any one volume of a stacked or triple-stacked load lock chamber, may communicate with the transfer chamber 206, while the other load lock chambers 214, 215, or 216, or any other volume of a stacked or triple-stacked load lock chamber, may communicate with the factory interface 220. Substrate transfer between the factory interface 220, the load lock chambers 214, 215, or 216, and the transfer chamber 206 may be carried out in any other suitable manner.

[0030]

[0033] The factory interface 220 may be connected to one or more FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods) 222. Each FOUP 222 may be a container having a built-in cassette for holding multiple substrates. Each FOUP 222 may have a front opening interface configured for use with the factory interface 220. In other embodiments, any suitable type of pod and / or load port may be used instead of the FOUPs 222. The factory interface 220 may have a buffer chamber 224 and one or more robot assemblies (not shown) configured to transport substrates via linear, rotational, and / or vertical motion between the FOUPs 222 and the load lock chambers 214, 215, and 216. The substrates may be transported between the FOUPs 222 and the load lock chambers 214, 215, and 216 in any order or direction.

[0031]

[0034] The electronic equipment manufacturing system 200 may have a suitable number of other FOUPs 222 and / or load lock chambers. In some embodiments, the number of load lock chambers connected to facet 204d may be independent of the number of processing chambers connected to any one of facets 204a-c. For example, the number of load lock chambers may differ from the maximum number of processing chambers connected to a facet. Furthermore, in some embodiments, up to four processing chambers may be connected to a single facet, depending on the size of the main frame 202 relative to the size of the four processing chambers. In some embodiments, the main frame 202 may not have any chambers connected to each chamber position located on facets 204a-d.

[0032]

[0035] The controller 226 may control the processing and transfer of the substrates 108 within and through the electronic manufacturing system 200. The controller 226 may be, for example, a general-purpose computer and / or may include a microprocessor or other suitable CPU (central processing unit), memory for storing software routines that control the electronic manufacturing system 200, input / output peripherals, and support circuits (e.g., power supply, clock circuit, robot assembly 218 drive circuit, cache, and / or equivalent). The controller 226 may be programmed to process one or more substrates sequentially through, for example, each of the processing chambers 210, 211 (alternatively, 211a-c), and 212. In other embodiments, the controller 226 may be programmed to process the substrates in any desired order through the processing chambers 210, 211 (alternatively, 211a-c), and 212. In yet another embodiment, the controller 226 may be programmed to omit and / or repeat the processing of one or more substrates in one or more processing chambers 210, 211 (alternatively, 211a-c), and 212. Alternatively, the controller 226 may be programmed to process one or more substrates in the electronic manufacturing system 200 in any suitable manner.

[0033]

[0036] In some embodiments, two electronic equipment manufacturing systems 200 may be clustered. That is, one facet of each mainframe 202, for example, facet 204b of the first mainframe 202 and facet 204d of the second mainframe 202, may be connected to the same pass-through chamber for transporting substrates between the two electronic equipment manufacturing systems 200. This can further improve the versatility, capability, and / or efficiency of such electronic equipment manufacturing systems.

[0034]

[0037] Figure 4 shows a method 400 for assembling an electronic equipment manufacturing system according to one or more embodiments. In processing block 402, method 400 may include providing a transfer chamber and a main frame having a plurality of facets defining the side walls of the transfer chamber. For example, the main frame may be the main frame 202 of Figure 2, having facets 204a-d defining the side walls of the transfer chamber 206.

[0035]

[0038] In processing block 404, the first chamber may be connected to the first facet of the main frame. The first chamber may have the first facet-side dimension. The first facet-side dimension may be, for example, the facet-side width of the chamber or the width of the substrate access port for the first chamber. In some embodiments, the first chamber may be, for example, a processing chamber 210 connected to facet 204a, and the first facet-side dimension may be the width W204a of the processing chamber 210 or the width W305a of the substrate access port 205a.

[0036]

[0039] In processing block 406, method 400 may include connecting a second chamber to a second facet of the main frame. The second chamber may have second facet-side dimensions that are different from the first facet-side dimensions. The second facet-side dimensions may be, for example, the facet-side width of the chamber or the width of the substrate access port for the second chamber. In some embodiments, the second chamber may be, for example, a processing chamber 212 connected to facet 204c, and the second facet-side dimensions may be the width W204c of the processing chamber 212 or the width W305c of the substrate access port 205c.

[0037]

[0040] The processing blocks of Method 400 may be executed or performed in an order and sequence not limited to the order and sequence shown and described. For example, in some embodiments, processing block 404 may be executed after processing block 406 or simultaneously with processing block 406.

[0038]

[0041] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the embodiments of the invention described herein have a wide range of practical applications. Many embodiments and adaptations of the invention beyond those described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent configurations, are evident or reasonably suggested from the invention and the foregoing description of the invention without departing from the substance or scope of the invention. For example, while an exemplary mixed platform electronics manufacturing system is shown in Figure 2, other suitable configurations of the mixed platform process and load lock chamber may be used in an electronics manufacturing system according to one or more embodiments of the invention. Therefore, although the invention has been described in detail herein in relation to specific embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is illustrative only and is prepared to present examples of the invention and to provide a complete and possible disclosure of the invention. This disclosure is not intended to limit itself to any particular apparatus, apparatus, assembly, system, or method of disclosure, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An electronics manufacturing system, comprising: a mainframe comprising a transfer chamber and a plurality of facets defining sidewalls of the transfer chamber, each of the plurality of facets configured to be coupled to one or more processing chambers or load lock chambers, each of the plurality of facets having one or more substrate access ports; a first facet of the plurality of facets having a first number of substrate access ports; and The electronics manufacturing system, wherein a second facet of the plurality of facets has a second number of substrate access ports, the second number being different from the first number.

2. 2. The electronics manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein a third facet of the plurality of facets has a third number of substrate access ports, the third number being different from the first number and different from the second number.

3. 2. The electronics manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein a first substrate access port of a first facet of the plurality of facets has a first size, and a second substrate access port of a second facet of the plurality of facets has a second size, the second size being different from the first size.

4. 4. The electronics manufacturing system of claim 3, wherein a third one of the substrate access ports of a third facet of the plurality of facets has a third size, the third size being different from the first size and different from the second size.

5. An electronics manufacturing system, comprising: a main frame including a transfer chamber and a plurality of facets defining sidewalls of the transfer chamber; a first processing chamber coupled to a first facet of the plurality of facets and having a first facet-side dimension; and a second processing chamber coupled to a second facet of the plurality of facets and having a second facet-side dimension different from the first facet-side dimension; An electronic device manufacturing system comprising:

6. 6. The electronics manufacturing system of claim 5, further comprising: a third processing chamber coupled to a third facet of the plurality of facets, the third processing chamber having a third facet-side dimension different from the first facet-side dimension and different from the second facet-side dimension.

7. The electronics manufacturing system of claim 5 , wherein a first facet of the plurality of facets is coupled to a different number of processing chambers than a second facet of the plurality of facets.

8. 8. The electronics manufacturing system of claim 7, wherein the second facet of the plurality of facets is coupled to a different number of processing chambers than a third facet of the plurality of facets, and the third facet of the plurality of facets is coupled to a different number of processing chambers than the first facet of the plurality of facets.

9. 6. The electronics manufacturing system of claim 5, wherein a fourth processing chamber and a fifth processing chamber are coupled to the first facet of the plurality of facets, the fourth processing chamber and the fifth processing chamber each having a facet-side dimension approximately equal to the first facet-side dimension of the first processing chamber.

10. 6. The electronics manufacturing system of claim 5, wherein a plurality of load lock chambers are coupled to a fourth facet of the plurality of facets, and at least one of the plurality of load lock chambers is a stacked load lock chamber, a triple stacked load lock chamber, or a load lock chamber with processing capabilities.

11. 1. A method of assembling an electronics manufacturing system, comprising: providing a main frame comprising a transfer chamber and a plurality of facets defining sidewalls of the transfer chamber; coupling a first chamber to a first facet of the plurality of facets, the first chamber having a first facet-side dimension; and coupling a second chamber to a second facet of the plurality of facets, the second chamber having a second facet-side dimension different from the first facet-side dimension; A method comprising:

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are each processing chambers for processing one or more substrates.

13. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling a third chamber to a third facet of the plurality of facets, the third chamber having a third facet-side dimension different from the first facet-side dimension and different from the second facet-side dimension.

14. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling a plurality of load lock chambers to a fourth facet of the plurality of facets, at least one of the load lock chambers being a stacked load lock chamber, a triple stacked load lock chamber, or a load lock chamber with processing capability.

15. coupling a fourth chamber and a fifth chamber to the first facet of the plurality of facets, the fourth chamber and the fifth chamber each having a facet-side dimension approximately equal to the first facet-side dimension of the first chamber; and connecting a sixth chamber to the second facet of the plurality of facets, the sixth chamber having a sixth facet-side dimension approximately equal to the second facet-side dimension of the second chamber; The method of claim 11 further comprising:

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