Patent ID: 8794896

Claim:
A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum processing chamber in which a predetermined processing is performed on a target object under a depressurized pressure; a load lock chamber configured such that an interior atmosphere of the load lock chamber is changed between a substantially atmospheric state and a depressurized state to perform a transfer of the target object between the vacuum processing chamber and a space in the atmospheric state; an atmospheric transfer chamber connected to the load lock chamber; and a zonal airflow generating unit provided between the load lock chamber and the atmospheric transfer chamber, wherein the zonal airflow generating unit includes: a frame-shaped main body positioned outside the atmospheric transfer chamber between the load lock chamber and the atmospheric transfer chamber, the main body having an opening which horizontally passes through the main body to form a passageway through which the target object is transferred between the atmospheric transfer chamber and the load lock chamber; an air blowing portion, provided at an upper portion of the main body and configured to blow a zonal laminar flow of air or inert gas vertically downward from a position substantially even with or higher than a top end of the passageway; and an air suctioning portion, provided at a lower portion of the main body and configured to suction, by vacuum force, the air or the inert gas from the air blowing portion at a position substantially even with or lower than a bottom end of the passageway, wherein the air suctioning portion includes: a suction opening; and an impeller rotatably installed at the suction opening, and wherein the impeller is configured to convert the zonal laminar airflow into a vortex so that the zonal laminar airflow converted into the vortex is vertically blown downward and into the air suctioning portion while pulling gas surrounding the vortex into the air suction opening.