Abstract
The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background informa tion supplied bythe inventors: “Manufacturing of modern materials often involve s various deposition techniques, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or phys ical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques, in which atoms of oneor more selected t ypes are deposited on a substrate held in low or high vacuum environments that a reprovided by vacuum processing (e.g., deposition, etching, etc.) chambers. Mat erials manufactured in thismanner may include monocrystals, semiconductor films , fine coatings, and numerous other substances usedin practical applications, s uch as electronic device manufacturing. Many of these applications depend onthe purity of the materials grown in the processing chambers. The advantage of main taining isolation ofthe inter-chamber environment and of minimizing its exposur e to ambient atmosphere and contaminantstherein gives rise to various robotic t echniques of sample manipulation and chamber inspection. Improvingprecision, re liability, and efficiency of such robotic techniques presents a number of techno logical challengesfor continuing progress of electronic device manufacturing. T his is especially pertinent given that thedemands to the quality of chamber man ufacturing products are constantly increasing.”
NETL
NSTL