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US 5,515,986 AGranted
Plasma treatment apparatus and method for operating same
AssigneeBalzers Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsEmmanuel Turlot, Thierry Emeraud, Jacques Schmitt
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Abstract
An apparatus for plasma treating workpieces in vacuum includes a stack of plasma chambers (20). Handling of workpieces to and from the plasma chambers of the stack is performed in parallelism by one handling device and through lateral handling openings of the plasma chambers. The handling device is rotatable around an axis parallel to the handling openings of the plasma chambers and comprises transport apparatus simultaneously movable radially with respect to the axis of rotation towards and from the handling openings.
Claims27
Apparatus for vacuum plasma treatment, comprising
- a plurality of plasma chambers stacked one above the other, each of these chambers comprising
- a horizontal two-dimensionally extended electrode with a distributed arrangement of outlet openings which are connected to a gas reservoir arrangement with at least a reactive gas,
- a workpiece carrier for at least one workpiece disposed beneath and facing said electrode,
- a lateral handling opening,
- whereby the lateral handling openings are vertically and mutually aligned and open into a common chamber, wherein there is provided:
- a transport arrangement which extends vertically along the handling openings of the plasma chamber stack, said transport arrangement being rotatable around a vertical axis and comprises workpiece supports extending horizontally for simultaneously handling workpieces through said handling openings at said plasma chamber stack, said workpiece supports being linearly and horizontally movable.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.