APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COATING SUBSTRATES WITH APPROXIMATE PROCESS ISOLATION

摘要

Apparatus for coating a substrate may comprise two process compartments that flank a pump compartment. The pump compartment is in operable communication with the two process compartments and a pathway for pumping gas therefrom via pumps, and is sufficient for approximately isolating the gas associated with the one process compartment and the gas associated with the other process compartment relative to one another in association with a substrate coating process. The pump compartment may be so sufficient when the pathway length is less than two times the path length associated with one process compartment, the path length associated with the other process compartment, or the average of the two path lengths. Apparatus for pumping gas associated with a substrate coating process and methods associated with coating a substrate or pumping gas are also provided.