Patent ID: 6746196
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A vacuum processing system comprising:a vacuum processing vessel; a load-lock chamber enclosed with a case having a vacuum-side gate valve provided between said chamber and said vacuum processing vessel, and an atmosphere-side gate valve provided on a side opposite to said vacuum-side gate valve, said chamber being communicated with an interior of said vacuum processing vessel via said vacuumside gate valve; a transfer arm, provided in said load-lock chamber, for carrying an object to be processed, in and out of said vacuum processing vessel; and first and second buffers, provided in said load-lock chamber, for temporarily supporting thereon said object, wherein said first buffer is arranged on a side of said vessel, and said second buffer is arranged on a side of said atmosphere-side gate valve, said first and second buffers and said vessel being arranged along a single straight line, and said transfer arm has an arm portion that can bend or stretch, and a supporting portion for supporting thereon said object, said supporting portion moving continuously along a linearly-moving route corresponding to said straight line, while maintaining an attitude of said supporting portion, in accordance with bending or stretching of said arm portion.