# US 10,121,686 B2 · Vacuum processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,686 B2 - Document ID: US10121686B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/908,452 - Filed: 2015-01-30 - Published: 2016-12-29 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-30 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Yoshifumi Ogawa; Masanori Kadotani; Masakazu Isozaki; Nobuhide Nunomura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121686B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - C23C 16/45561: {Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber} - F16K 51/02: specially adapted for high-vacuum installations - H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials} - F15B 20/008: {Valve failure} - F16K 31/1245: {with more than one valve} - F16K 31/128: servo actuated - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract The present invention provides a vacuum processing apparatus that includes gas supply means having a hard interlock of a pair of gas valves. The present invention provides a vacuum processing apparatus including: a gas supply unit that supplies gas, for performing vacuum processing using normally closed type air-driven valves, to a processing chamber where the vacuum processing is performed, the gas supply unit having an interlock function in which, when a first valve of a pair of the air-driven valves is opened, a second valve of the pair is closed, the gas supply unit including an air circuit that controls air for driving the air-driven valves, the air circuit being configured using an electromagnetic valve having a solenoid coil corresponding to each of the pair of the air-driven valves. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of pairs of normally closed air-driven valves; and a gas supply unit that supplies gas, for performing vacuum processing using the plurality of normally closed type air-driven valves, to a processing chamber where the vacuum processing is performed, the gas supply unit comprising an air circuit that controls air to drive the plurality of air-driven valves, the air circuit comprising a plurality of three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valves each having a solenoid coil and each coupled to one of a corresponding pair of the plurality of air-driven valves, each said three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valve being configured to generate air to drive open one of said plurality of air-driven valves, wherein said plurality of pairs of normally closed air-driven valves comprises a first pair of normally closed air-driven valves consisting of a last stage valve and a disposable gas valve, and at least a second and third pair of normally closed air-driven valves, each of said second and third pairs of normally closed air-driven valves comprising a respective supply valve and a respective purge valve, wherein the air circuit is configured such that when a first air-driven valve of said first pair of the plurality of pairs of normally-closed air-driven valves is opened, a second air-driven valve of said first pair of normally-closed air-driven valves is maintained closed, and wherein the air circuit is further configured to prevent any air-driven valve of said second and third pairs of normally closed air-driven valves from opening unless one of said last stage valve and said disposable gas valve of said first pair of normally closed air-driven valves opens. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply valve of the second pair of the plurality of air-driven valves is coupled to a flammable gas of said gas supply unit to control a supply of said flammable gas and the supply valve of the third pair of the plurality of air-driven valves is coupled to an oxidation gas of said gas supply unit to control a supply of said oxidation gas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the gas supply unit further comprises an interlock function implemented by an electric circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas supply unit is configured such that when a first air-driven valve of any of the first, second, or third pairs of the plurality of air-driven valves is opened, the second air-driven valve of the same pair is closed so as to prevent both the first and second air-driven valves of each of the first, second, and third pairs of valves from being open at the same time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air circuit further comprises a plurality of a second type of electromagnetic valve which is a two-position spring return type electromagnetic valve. ### Claim 6 A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of normally closed type air-driven valves; and a gas supply unit that supplies gas, using the plurality of normally closed type air-driven valves, to a vacuum processing chamber, wherein the gas supply unit comprises an air circuit that controls air which drives the plurality of normally closed type air-driven valves such that when a first air-driven valve of a pair of the normally closed type air-driven valves is opened, a second air-driven valve of the same pair is maintained closed, the air circuit comprising a three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valve having two solenoid coils, wherein each of two solenoid coils corresponds to each of the pair of the normally closed type air-driven valves, and wherein the three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valve is configured to generate said air which opens one of the pair of the normally closed type air-driven valves corresponding to the excited solenoid coil. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the air circuit further comprises a plurality of a second type of electromagnetic valve which is a two-position spring return type electromagnetic valve, and a pilot valve, and wherein each of the second type of electromagnetic valves supplies air, via the pilot valve, to each of the normally closed type air-driven valves corresponding to each of the second type of electromagnetic valves. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valve comprises a plurality of the three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valves, and wherein one of the plurality of the three-position spring return center exhaust type five-port electromagnetic valves generates air which drives the pilot valve.