Patent ID: 7198678

Claim:
An apparatus for performing at least one processing operation on a substrate, comprising: a process chamber in which, in use, a processing operation takes place under reduced pressure, and a vacuum lock for placing the substrate from the surroundings into said process chamber without the reduced pressure in the respective process chamber being lost, the vacuum lock comprising a vacuum chamber bounded by a number of walls, a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum chamber, a supply opening provided in one of the walls, a process chamber opening in the process chamber, wherein the supply opening is externally closable with an outer cover and is closable from the vacuum chamber with an inner cover, the inner cover being configured to support a substrate and being displaceable within the vacuum chamber to said process chamber opening, a table in the vacuum chamber and in which the inner cover is placed, wherein the table is displaceable by a drive, wherein the drive is included in the vacuum chamber of the vacuum lock, wherein the drive comprises a plurality of magnets mounted on the table and at least one electromagnetic coil mounted on the walls of the vacuum lock, the coil being connected to a controllable power source for forming an alternating magnetic field for displacing the table.