Patent ID: 7935187
Filing Date: 2011-05-03
Classification: C23C

Abstract:
1. A film forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of vacuum chambers connected in a vacuum state; a driving unit for moving a plurality of substrate holders; a retrieving stock chamber which is connected to a first vacuum chamber from among the plurality of vacuum chambers for storing a retrieved substrate holder; a feeding stock chamber for storing a replenishment substrate holder and feeding the replenishment substrate holder, the feeding stock chamber being connected to a second vacuum chamber from among the plurality of vacuum chambers; and a control unit which comprises a computer programmed to: (i) control the driving unit to move each of the substrate holders along a path through the plurality of vacuum chambers, (ii) control the driving unit to move at least one of the substrate holders, when the at least one of the substrate holders is in the first vacuum chamber, off of the path and to the retrieving stock chamber, and (iii) cause the replenishment substrate holder to be fed from the feeding stock chamber to the second vacuum chamber when a position on the path, from which the at least one of the substrate holders has been moved to the retrieving stock chamber, reaches the second vacuum chamber such that the replenishment substrate holder takes the place on the path of the at least one of the substrate holders that has been moved to the retrieving stock chamber, wherein each of the retrieving stock chamber and the feeding stock chamber includes a rotary table therein that is capable of rotating with a plurality of the substrate holders that are stored in the stock chamber, wherein the plurality of substrate holders that are stored in each of the retrieving stock chamber and the feeding stock chamber are arranged around a revolving shaft of the rotary table in a state in which principal surfaces of the plurality of substrate holders are in an upright position.