Dual Load Lock Chamber Throughput Optimization

The load lock chamber is segmented into multiple independent chambers (first load lock chamber and second load lock chamber), each capable of holding and processing substrates independently. This segmentation allows the transfer robot to move multiple substrates simultaneously across different chambers, increasing throughput without requiring multiple sequential trips between single chambers.

The patent introduces a vertical dimension to substrate storage by implementing multiple vertically spaced support surfaces within each load lock chamber. This multi-level arrangement allows substrates to be stacked vertically, enabling the robot to transfer multiple substrates in a single trip by accessing different vertical levels, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing horizontal space or trip count.

Each load lock chamber is equipped with dedicated heat transfer devices positioned to serve specific substrates locally. The first load lock chamber has heat transfer devices optimized for its substrates, and the second load lock chamber has separate heat transfer devices for its substrates. This local quality approach ensures that each substrate receives appropriate thermal treatment regardless of its position, maintaining processing uniformity while enabling multiple substrates to be processed simultaneously across different chambers.

The patent segments the substrate processing function by distributing substrates across multiple independent load lock chambers, each with its own heat transfer devices. This segmentation ensures that substrates in different chambers can be processed independently and uniformly, avoiding the uniformity issues that would arise from trying to heat multiple substrates at different distances within a single chamber.