Patent ID: 6886272
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: B01J,B41J,C23C,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for generating a plasma in each of said chambers; at least one cassette mount table for mounting at least one cassette storing substrates and at least one cassette storing dummy substrates, in the atmosphere; an atmospheric transfer device for transferring said substrates and said dummy substrates in the atmosphere, being capable of moving at least vertically and being capable of being controlled such that any of said substrates and any of said dummy substrates can be taken out of any location in the cassettes mounted on said at least one cassette mount table; and a control means (a) for transferring substrates and said dummy substrates from any location in any of said cassettes mounted on said at least one cassette mount table in the atmosphere to the vacuum processing chambers via said atmospheric transfer device, and (b) for transferring said substrates and said dummy substrates in said vacuum processing chambers to original positions within original cassettes, at which respective substrates and dummy substrates were located prior to transfer to the vacuum processing chambers, via said atmospheric transfer device.