Vacuum processing apparatus and operating method thereof

A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

• a lock chamber connected to and arranged in an atmospheric air transfer portion;
• a first vacuum transfer vessel connected to and arranged in the lock chamber and transferring a sample in a decompressed transfer chamber therein;
• a first inactive gas supplying device for supplying an inactive gas into the first vacuum transfer vessel;
• a first vacuum exhaust device connected to the first vacuum transfer vessel;
• a first processing vessel connected to and arranged in the first vacuum transfer vessel and processing the sample in the decompressed processing chamber therein;
• a vacuum transfer intermediate chamber connected to and arranged in the first vacuum transfer vessel;
• a second vacuum transfer vessel connected to and arranged in the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber and transferring the sample in the decompressed transfer chamber therein;
• a second inactive gas supplying device for supplying the inactive gas into the second vacuum transfer vessel;
• a second vacuum exhaust device connected to the second vacuum transfer vessel;
• and
• a second processing vessel connected to and arranged in the second vacuum transfer vessel and processing the sample in the decompressed processing chamber therein, wherein
• in a state in which a gate valve leading to the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber is opened so that the first and second vacuum transfer vessels communicate with the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber, gas supply from the second inactive gas supplying device is stopped, the inactive gas is supplied from the first inactive gas supplying device to the first vacuum transfer vessel, vacuum exhaust by the first vacuum exhaust device is stopped, and the second vacuum transfer vessel is decompressed/exhausted by the second vacuum exhaust device.

A method of operating a vacuum processing apparatus having a plurality of vacuum transfer chambers connected through a vacuum transfer intermediate chamber and a plurality of vacuum processing chambers connected to the vacuum transfer chambers, respectively, wherein

• the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers are made to communicate through the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber;
• a purge gas is supplied to the vacuum transfer chamber connected to a lock chamber in the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers;
• and
• an inside of the transfer chamber of the vacuum transfer chamber which is far from the lock chamber is decompressed/exhausted.

A method of operating a vacuum processing apparatus provided with:

• a lock chamber connected to and arranged in an atmospheric air transfer portion;
• a first vacuum transfer vessel connected to and arranged in the lock chamber and transferring a sample in a decompressed transfer chamber therein;
• a first inactive gas supplying device for supplying an inactive gas into the first vacuum transfer vessel;
• a first vacuum exhaust device connected to the first vacuum transfer vessel;
• a first processing vessel connected to and arranged in the first vacuum transfer vessel and processing the sample in the decompressed processing chamber therein;
• a vacuum transfer intermediate chamber connected to and arranged in the first vacuum transfer vessel;
• a second vacuum transfer vessel connected to and arranged in the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber and transferring the sample in the decompressed transfer chamber therein;
• a second inactive gas supplying device for supplying the inactive gas into the second vacuum transfer vessel;
• a second vacuum exhaust device connected to the second vacuum transfer vessel;
• and
• a second processing vessel connected to and arranged in the second vacuum transfer vessel and processing the sample in the decompressed processing chamber therein, wherein
• when the sample is to be processed by using the first and second processing vessels, in a state in which a gate valve leading to the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber is opened so that the first and second vacuum transfer vessels communicate with the vacuum transfer intermediate chamber, gas supply from the second inactive gas supplying device is stopped, the inactive gas is supplied from the first inactive gas supplying device to the first vacuum transfer vessel, vacuum exhaust by the first vacuum exhaust device is stopped, and the second vacuum transfer vessel is decompressed/exhausted by the second vacuum exhaust device.