Methods of processing substrates based upon substrate orientation

1. Field of the Invention The present invention is generally directed to various methods of processing substrates based upon the substrate orientation. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining a defective die pattern of a process tool based upon an orientation of a semiconducting substrate in the tool during processing operations, positioning at least one subsequently processed semiconducting substrate in the process tool at an orientation selected to minimize defective die produced by the process tool, the selected orientation being based upon the determined defective die pattern of the process tool, and performing processing operations in the process tool on at least one subsequently processed substrate while at least one substrate is positioned in the process tool at the selected orientation. In another illustrative embodiment, the method comprises providing a plurality of semiconducting substrates to a processing tool, positioning each of the substrates within the tool at a selected orientation such that at least one electrical performance characteristic of at least one device formed on each of the substrates is optimized when a process operation is performed thereon in the process tool, and performing the processing operation on each of the substrates in the tool while each of the substrates is positioned at the selected orientation.