Patent ID: 8048259

Claim:
A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum vessel having a processing chamber; a transfer chamber connected to the vacuum vessel, via a connection tunnel, to transfer a sample to the processing chamber inside the vacuum vessel; and a cover member removably disposed inside the connection tunnel to cover an internal wall of the connection tunnel, the cover member comprising a pair of plate spring members coupled to mutually opposing top and bottom of the internal wall of the connection tunnel to contact thereto, and a pair of connecting blocks which are disposed at and linked with both ends of the pair of plate spring members at upper and lower portions thereof, the connecting blocks pressing the upper and lower portions toward the top and bottom of the internal wall of the connection tunnel to tightly contact top and bottom surfaces thereof with the internal wall face of the connection tunnel at both end portions in a widthwise direction thereof; wherein each connecting block is provided with an adjustment mechanism provided to adjust the height of the connecting block between the top and bottom surfaces of the connecting block relative to the top and bottom of the internal wall of the connection tunnel, the top and bottom surfaces and outer surfaces of the plate spring members disposed between the top surfaces or between the bottom surfaces being pressed to tightly contact with the internal wall face of the connection tunnel.