Patent ID: 6325856
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: C23C,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A vacuum treatment system, comprising:an outer housing which defines a substantially cylindrical inner wall around an axis;at least two openings for treating or conveying-through a respective workpiece arranged along at least one great circle of the substantially cylindrical inner wall;one treatment, conveying or lock chamber respectively, operatively connected with the at least two openings;an inner housing which defines an essentially cylindrical outer wall and, together with the substantially cylindrical inner wall, forms a substantially cylindrical ring gap,a workpiece carrier carousel rotationally drivable about the axis in the ring gap and having at least two workpiece supports; anda feed device comprising driving devices movable in a radially drivable manner on the inner housing and aligned with the at least two openings, wherein the driving devices act into the ring gap and on respective ones of workpieces on said at least two workpiece supports brought in alignment with said openings by rotation of said carousel and each of said driving devices having a separate drive operable independently from the other separate drives has a separate drive.