GAS FLOW CONTROL IN A SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM

摘要

A substrate processing system can include an evacuable chamber (6, 8) adjacent a process chamber and back-to-back process chambers (10), or other combinations of evacuable chambers and process chambers. The processing system includes various isolation valves (28, 30, 32, 34) disposed between adjacent chambers, as well as gas flow valves (48, 50, 52, 60, 62, 64, 66) and vacuum valves (80, 82, 84, 86, 88). A controller (90) controls the respective positions of the various gas flow valves and vacuum valves depending, in part, on whether the various isolation valves are in their open or sealed positions. By controlling the positions of the valves, the flow of gas to and from the different chambers can be controlled, for example, to help maximize throughput, increase efficiency, and reduce the like-lihood of cross-contamination between chambers, especially for the processing of large glass substrates for dispay devices.