Patent ID: 7367139
Filing Date: 2008-05-06
Classification: F26B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber to provide processing to a substrate; a processing chamber gate valve installed on the processing chamber and capable of allowing the substrate to pass therethrough; a plurality of movable load lock chambers; a plurality of preparatory chamber gate valves, each of which is installed on the corresponding load lock chamber and capable of allowing the substrate to pass therethrough; a preparatory chamber moving mechanism for moving the load lock chambers individually or in an interlocking relation so that the processing chamber gate valve and the preparatory chamber gate valve approach each other or move away from each other; a vacuum sealing portion which is provided in a peripheral edge portion of the processing chamber gate valve and is expandable and shrinkable, to vacuum seal a gap between the processing chamber gate valve and the preparatory chamber gate valve which are set close to each other during expansion; a substrate transporting mechanism for transporting the substrate between the processing chamber and the load lock chamber through the both gate valves and the vacuum sealing portion in a state in which the processing chamber gate valve and the preparatory chamber gate valve are set close to each other; an evacuating section for evacuating each of the load lock chambers; and a venting section for venting each of the load lock chambers.