Vacuum processing apparatus and operating method therefor

A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

• a vacuum processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed in vacuum;
• means for effecting a dry cleaning in an inner portion of said vacuum processing chamber after said substrate to be processed is processed;
• storage means for storing said substrate to be processed and a dummy substrate, said storage means being maintained, at all times during said processing of said substrate to be processed and during said dry cleaning of said dummy substrate, under an air atmosphere;
• transfer means for transferring said substrate to be processed and said dummy substrate between said storage means and said vacuum processing chamber;
• and
• control means for controlling said transfer means to as to transfer selectively said substrate to be processed and said dummy substrate from said storage means to said vacuum processing chamber, such that said substrate to be processed is transferred at a time for said processing to be performed and said dummy substrate is transferred at a time required to perform said dry cleaning.

A vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers for which dry cleaning is effected therein after substrates to be processed are processed therein in vacuum, said apparatus comprising:

• first storage means for storing said substrates to be treated and second storage means for storing dummy substrates, said first and second storage means being disposed in the air atmosphere during duration of processing, in a vacuum, the substrates in said vacuum processing chamber;
• conveyor means for transferring both (1) said substrates to be processed between said first storage means and said vacuum processing chambers, and (2) said dummy substrates between said second storage means and said vacuum processing chambers;
• and
• control means for controlling said conveyor means so as to transfer said dummy substrates from said second storage means to said vacuum processing chambers and from said vacuum processing chambers to said second storage means respectively before and after said dry cleaning of said vacuum processing chambers.

A vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers for which dry cleaning is effected therein after substrates to be processed are processed therein in vacuum, said apparatus comprising:

• first storage means for storing said substrates to be treated and second storage means for storing dummy substrates, said first and second storage means being disposed in the air atmosphere;
• conveyor means for transferring both (1) said substrates to be processed between said first storage means and said vacuum processing chambers, and (2) said dummy substrates between said second storage means and said vacuum processing chambers, said conveyor means having (a) a first buffer means for receiving said substrates to be processed from said first storage means in the air atmosphere and supplying, in vacuum, received substrates to said vacuum processing chamber, and for receiving, in vacuum, processed substrates from said vacuum processing chamber and supplying received processed substrates to said first storage means in the air atmosphere, and (b) a second buffer means for receiving said dummy substrates for cleaning from said second storage means in the air atmosphere and supplying, in vacuum, received dummy substrates to said vacuum processing chamber, and for receiving, in vacuum, used dummy substrates from said vacuum processing chamber and supplying used dummy substrates to said second storage means in the air atmosphere;
• and
• control means for controlling said conveyor means so as to transfer said dummy substrates from said second storage means to said vacuum processing chambers and from said vacuum processing chambers to said second storage means respectively before and after said dry cleaning of said vacuum processing chambers.

A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

• a vacuum processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed in vacuum;
• means for effecting a dry cleaning in an inner portion of said vacuum processing chamber after said substrate to be processed is processed;
• storage means for storing said substrate to be processed and a dummy substrate, said storage means being maintained, at all times during said processing of said substrate to be processed and during said dry cleaning of said dummy substrate, under an air atmosphere;
• transfer means for transferring said substrate to be processed and said dummy substrate between said storage means and said vacuum processing chamber, wherein said transfer means is for transferring, under the air atmosphere, said substrates to be processed and said dummy substrates between said storage means and said vacuum processing chamber;
• and
• control means for controlling said transfer means to as to transfer selectively said substrate to be processed and said dummy substrate from said storage means to said vacuum processing chamber, such that said substrate to be processed is transferred at a time for said processing to be performed and said dummy substrate is transferred at a time required to perform said dry cleaning.

A vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers for which dry cleaning is effected therein after substrates to be processed are processed therein in vacuum, said apparatus comprising:

• first storage means for storing said substrates to be treated and second storage means for storing dummy substrates, said first and second storage means being disposed in the air atmosphere;
• conveyor means for transferring both (1) said substrates to be processed between said first storage means and said vacuum processing chambers, and (2) said dummy substrates between said second storage means and said vacuum processing chambers;
• and
• control means for controlling said conveyor means so as to transfer said dummy substrates from said second storage means to said vacuum processing chambers and from said vacuum processing chambers to said second storage means respectively before and after said dry cleaning of said vacuum processing chambers, said control means including means for judging the timing of dry cleaning of said vacuum processing chambers, judgment of the timing of dry cleaning being made with a sensor for measuring intensity of plasma light transmitted through said vacuum processing chambers.

A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising:

• at least one cassette holder, for storing at least one wafer to be processed;
• another cassette holder for storing at least one dummy wafer;
• wafer locking structure for holding wafers in a gas atmosphere during a first time period and in a vacuum during a second time period;
• evacuating structure for evacuating said wafer locking structure;
• gas introduction structure for introducing a gas into the wafer locking structure;
• first transfer structure for transferring the at least one wafer to be processed and the at least one dummy wafer between (1) the at least one cassette holder or the another cassette holder and (2) the wafer locking structure, the first transfer structure being under a gas atmosphere;
• at least one wafer treating chamber for treating the at least one wafer to be processed in a vacuum;
• and
• second transfer structure, adapted to transfer said at least one wafer to be processed and said at least one dummy wafer between said wafer locking structure and said at least one wafer treating chamber, said second transfer structure being adapted to provide said transfer of said at least one wafer to be processed and said at least one dummy wafer between the wafer locking structure and the at least one wafer treating chamber while the at least one wafer to be processed and said at least one dummy wafer, being transferred by the second transfer structure, are maintained in a vacuum.

A method of operating processing apparatus having at least one wafer treating chamber for treating at least one wafer to be processed in a vacuum, comprising the steps of:

• disposing at least one cassette holder, for storing the at least one wafer, in a gas atmosphere;
• disposing another cassette holder, for storing at least one dummy wafer, in a gas atmosphere, the at least one cassette holder and the another cassette holder being cassette holders of the processing apparatus;
• and
• transferring said at least one wafer and said at least one dummy wafer between said cassette holders and the at least one wafer treating chamber, by way of a wafer locking structure, wherein said wafer locking structure has a gas therein when the at least one wafer and the at least one dummy wafer are transferred between said cassette holders and said wafer locking structure, and wherein said wafer locking structure has a vacuum therein when said at least one wafer and said at least one dummy wafer are transferred between the at least one wafer treating chamber and said wafer locking structure.