The present invention generally provides a processing system having a
robot assembly which includes a multiple sided robot blade that can
support a substrate on at least two sides thereof and associated methods
to transfer one or more substrates in a processing system. An unprocessed
substrate can be supported on the blade while a processed substrate is
retrieved from a location to which the unprocessed substrate is to be
delivered. The processing throughput rate is increased by reducing the
movements required by the robot to exchange processed substrates and
unprocessed substrates, thus decreasing the swap time.