Patent ID: 8852411

Claim:
A sputtering apparatus, comprising: a preheating chamber; a deposition chamber; a connection assembly connecting the preheating chamber to the deposition chamber, the connection assembly comprising a connection member defining a passage in communication with the preheating chamber and the deposition chamber and a partition plate moveably coupled to the connection member, the partition plate configured for selectively closing or opening the passage; a first support assembly received in the preheating chamber; a second support assembly received in the deposition chamber; each first and second support assembly comprising an upper base, a lower base, a plurality of seat members, and at least two connection posts interconnected between the upper base and the lower base, the upper base defining a plurality of cutouts, the seat members rotatably mounted on the lower base and aligned with the cutouts, each seat member comprising a hollow receiving post defining a slot in a sidewall thereof, a support post moveably and rotatably received in the receiving post, a lever bar pivotally connected to the sidewall in the slot by a pivot and being rotatable about the pivot, and a drive post moveably received in the slot, the drive post and the support post coupled to opposite ends of the lever bar and being movable along a longitudinal axis of the receiving post with the rotation of the lever bar, each seat member being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the receiving post; a plurality of posts capable of mounting on each of the first and second support assemblies and configured for fixing the workpieces, each post comprising a rod body portion having a first end and an opposite second end, an engagement portion at the first end having a greater size than that of the rod body portion, and a protrusion extending from the second end, the engagement portion engaging in the cutouts, the second end received in the receiving post and resting on the support post, and each drive post configured for abutting against the protrusion of the corresponding post thus driving the post to revolve when the receiving post rotates; and a transferring robot arranged in the preheating chamber, the transferring robot configured for demounting the posts from the two supporting assemblies and mounting the posts on the two supporting assemblies and transferring the posts between the preheating cavity and the deposition cavity.