Patent ID: 6086676
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: C23C

Abstract:
A vacuum processing system comprising:a first vacuum chamber;at least one second vacuum chamber attached to the first vacuum chamber;a plurality of parts of the vacuum processing system presenting individual interlock signals;a plurality of subsystems of the vacuum processing system receiving combined interlock signals; andan interlock circuit having at least one programmable circuit for selecting the individual interlock signals, combining the selected individual interlock signals, and generating at least one of the combined interlock signals;wherein:the at least one programmable circuit includes a plurality of combining switches;a first condition of one of the individual interlock signals causes a corresponding one of the plurality of combining switches to indicate an interlock-okay signal;a second condition of the one of the individual interlock signals causes the corresponding one of the plurality of combining switches to indicate an interlock-not-okay signal;the at least one programmable circuit includes an output switch;the plurality of combining switches causes the output switch to output the at least one of the combined interlock signals.