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A robotic semiconductor handling system includes two robot arms for transferring substrates between processing, cooling, and storage stations. The first robot arm has a paddle-type end effector adapted such that it can support one substrate at a primary location as well as a second substrate at a se

A robotic semiconductor handling system includes two robot arms for transferring substrates between processing, cooling, and storage stations. The first robot arm has a paddle-type end effector adapted such that it can support one substrate at a primary location as well as a second substrate at a secondary staging location. The second robot arm is a Bernoulli-style wand that transfers a substrate from the primary location to the secondary one, and transfers substrates from either location to the process chamber. The use of the dual-location paddle allows for a significant reduction in cycle-time over a single paddle location and a Bernoulli wand system.

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1. A method of transferring thin, flat substrates between a load lock chamber and a process chamber comprising the steps of: moving a primary portion of a paddle end effector beneath a first substrate in a load lock chamber and retracting the paddle to transfer the substrate into a handling chamb

1. A method of transferring thin, flat substrates between a load lock chamber and a process chamber comprising the steps of: moving a primary portion of a paddle end effector beneath a first substrate in a load lock chamber and retracting the paddle to transfer the substrate into a handling chamber; moving the paddle end effector into a position beneath a Bernoulli end effector on a second robot arm into a position above the substrate to lift the substrate from the paddle end effector and; moving the paddle end effector into a position in which a secondary portion of the paddle end effector is beneath the Bernoulli end effector and depositing the substrate on a secondary portion of the paddle end effector. 2. The method of claim 1, including the steps of: removing a second, hot processed substrate from a process chamber with the Bernoulli end effector and transferring the hot substrate to the primary portion of the paddle end effector; moving the paddle end effector into a position in which the Bernoulli end effector is once more positioned above the substrate on the secondary portion of the paddle end effector and lifting the first substrate from the paddle end effector and; moving the Bernoulli end effector to transfer the first substrate into the process chamber. 3. The method of claim 2, including the step of moving said paddle end effector to deposit said hot substrate in a cooling station. 4. The method of claim 3, including the step of withdrawing the second substrate, when cooled, from the cooling station; moving the paddle end effector to deposit the second substrate in a load lock; and getting a third substrate from said load lock chamber. 5. The method of claim 2, including the steps of: moving the paddle end effector into a position in which the distal end of the paddle end effector is beneath a third substrate in the load lock chamber and withdrawing said third substrate into the handling chamber to a position beneath the Bernoulli end effector; moving the end effectors into alignment with a cooling station; lifting said third substrate with the Bernoulli end effector; and extending said paddle end effector toward said cooling station and transferring the third substrate to the secondary portion of the paddle end effector. 6. The method of claim 1, including rotating the end effectors to a position aligned with a cooling station between the first two moving steps; and extending the primary portion of the paddle into said cooling station when moving said secondary portion beneath said Bernoulli end effector. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps are performed with said end effectors mounted to be linearly movable with respect to each other and are rotatable as a single unit. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said steps are performed with said end effector mounted in a wafer handler and said handler is rotatably mounted in said handling chamber, with the load lock chamber, a process chamber and a cooling station being adjacent said handling chamber.