Patent ID: 7194821

Claim:
A vacuum processing apparatus that requires at least one of break-in discharge and aging for a vacuum processing chamber after at least one of wet cleaning, component replacement of the vacuum chamber and vacuum evacuation of the vacuum processing chamber, and before processing of a workpiece to be processed in the vacuum processing chamber, the apparatus comprising: a high precision absolute pressure gauge which measures pressure in the vacuum processing chamber during evacuation thereof; a wide range gauge capable of measuring a wide range of pressures which measures pressure in the vacuum processing chamber during evacuation thereof; analysis means for performing analysis by comparing a prescribed value of a pressure trend predetermined by using a pressure trend measured by the high precision absolute pressure gauge and the wide range gauge during vacuum evacuation of the vacuum processing chamber and for determining whether the vacuum evacuation is satisfactory; and a controller which controls starting of at least one of the break-in discharge and aging for the vacuum processing chamber upon a determination by the analysis means that the vacuum evacuation is satisfactory even when an actual pressure which is measured is not below the prescribed value so as to enable reduction of time for initiating processing of the workpiece to be processed after the at least one of wet cleaning, component replacement of the vacuum processing chamber and vacuum evacuation of the vacuum processing chamber.