Patent ID: 8070926

Claim:
A multi-chamber processing apparatus, comprising: a serially arranged plurality of processing chambers, each chamber including an inlet for insertion of magnetic and/or magneto-optical disks into said chamber, an inlet gate means, an outlet for withdrawal of magnetic and/or magneto-optical disks from said chamber, an outlet gate means, and means for supplying gas to said chamber and exhausting gas therefrom; buffer chambers operatively connecting each adjacent pair of processing chambers and including means for exhausting gas therefrom; means for transporting magnetic and/or magneto-optical disks to and through each of the processing chambers for respective processing therein; and a programmed computer means for controlling operation of said apparatus to provide the following operational sequence: performing a respective processing of at least one magnetic and/or magneto-optical disk in each of the processing chambers, while each inlet gate and each outlet gate of each processing chamber is in a closed position and gas is exhausted from each buffer chamber and optionally from each processing chamber; opening each of the inlet and outlet gates of each of the processing chambers and transporting the at least one magnetic and/or magneto-optical disk therein to the adjacent buffer chamber; closing the outlet gate of each of the processing chambers or reducing the gas conductance thereof, immediately after entry of the respective at least one magnetic and/or magneto-optical disk into the adjacent buffer chamber during transport; transporting each of the magnetic and/or magneto-optical disk through a respective buffer chamber and initiating a flow of a respective gas to each processing chamber; and closing the inlet gate of each processing chamber immediately upon completion of entry of the at least one magnetic and/or magneto-optical disk into the respective processing chamber.