초록 ▼

A vacuum deposition system is shown in the form of a sputtering system for rigid disk substrates which uses a single vacuum envelope and a single transport to avoid multiple pump downs or valved isolation structures during the multiple coating processes or the transfer of workpieces between conveyer

A vacuum deposition system is shown in the form of a sputtering system for rigid disk substrates which uses a single vacuum envelope and a single transport to avoid multiple pump downs or valved isolation structures during the multiple coating processes or the transfer of workpieces between conveyer devices. Work stations carried by a modular processing unit provide a slotted opening through which work pieces supported on the transport enter and leave the work station and which affords sufficient restriction to enable a processing gas atmosphere to be maintained within the work station that is above the pressure of the vacuum envelope while being isolated from the adjoining work stations. The work stations are supported on and readily releasable from the modular processing units to allow service and target replacement to occur offline. The work station process steps that are of longest duration are partitioned to be performed at multiple successive work stations to make work station processing times as equal as possible and enhance system throughput.

대표청구항 ▼

A vacuum deposition device including a plurality of consecutive processing stations comprising: an evacuated chamber within which a low, near vacuum pressure is maintained, said evacuated chamber having a pair of terminal end units comprising side entry load and unload lock stations; transport means

A vacuum deposition device including a plurality of consecutive processing stations comprising: an evacuated chamber within which a low, near vacuum pressure is maintained, said evacuated chamber having a pair of terminal end units comprising side entry load and unload lock stations; transport means for moving a rigid disk substrate through said evacuated chamber; first and second process chambers each extending within said evacuated chamber and mounted adjacent said transport means in a linear inline configuration on an axis generally perpendicular to the side entry load and unload stations and presenting a slotted opening through which said rigid disk substrate enters and exits said process chamber, said first and second process chambers being continuously open to said evacuated chamber through said slotted opening; and process gas supply means connected to each of said first and second process chambers to maintain a selected process gas atmosphere in said process chambers at higher pressure than the pressure of said evacuated chamber, said consecutive processing stations being mounted in spaced relation within said evacuated chamber whereby the process gas atmosphere of said consecutive processing stations are isolated from each other.