# US 8,740,205 B2 · Conveyor and deposition apparatus, and maintenance method thereof

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,740,205 B2
- Document ID: US8740205B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/596,264
- Filed: 2008-04-15
- Published: 2010-05-27
- Granted: 2014-06-03
- Earliest claimed: 2007-04-16
- Assignees: Ulvac, Inc.
- Applicants: Koji Ishino; Hajime Nakamura; Mayako Matsuda; Takaaki Shindou; Takaharu Koshimizu
- Inventors: Koji Ishino; Hajime Nakamura; Mayako Matsuda; Takaaki Shindou; Takaharu Koshimizu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8740205B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/3306: {Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece}
- B65G 49/061: {Lifting, gripping, or carrying means, for one or more sheets forming independent means of transport, e.g. suction cups, transport frames (suction means as load-engaging elements attached to the lifting or lowering gear of cranes B66C1/02; suction cups for attaching purposes F16B47/00; suction cups on gripping heads B25J15/0616; suction cups in general B65G47/91; suction cups combined with cutting means on vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; devices for turning sheets B65G49/067; suspending devices B65G49/066)}
- B65G 49/062: {Easels, stands or shelves, e.g. castor-shelves, supporting means on vehicles; (vehicles adapted to carry glass sheets B60P3/002; storing articles B65G1/00 or A47B53/02; packaging for glass sheets B65D85/48)}
- B65G 49/063: {Transporting devices for sheet glass}
- B65G 49/068: {Stacking or destacking devices; Means for preventing damage to stacked sheets, e.g. spaces (stacking in general B65G57/00; destacking in general B65G59/00; spacer sheets in general B65H)}
- C23C 14/34: Sputtering
- C23C 14/50: Substrate holders
- C23C 14/56: Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
- H10P 72/0452: {characterised by the layout of the process chambers}
- H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers}
- H10P 72/0478: {the substrates being processed being not semiconductor wafers, e.g. leadframes or chips}
- H10P 72/3308: {Vertical transfer of a single workpiece}
- B65G 2249/02: Controlled or contamination-free environments or clean space conditions
- Y10T 29/49817: with other than ancillary treating or assembling
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- 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)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A conveyor and a deposition apparatus, and a maintenance method thereof are disclosed. The conveyor includes a frame; a lower support mechanism for supporting a carrier on which is longitudinally mounted a substrate and for transferring the carrier; and an upper support mechanism for supporting the carrier, in which the frame comprises a lower frame and an upper frame, and in which the lower support mechanism is provided on the lower frame and the upper support mechanism is provided on the upper frame, the upper frame and the lower frame being configured to be separately movable. Therefore, with the rotational movement of the upper frame, it is possible to arrange a cathode member in a space formed above the lower frame. This can make the spacing between the deposition treatment passage and the carrier transfer passage small. As a result, it is possible to make an inner court of the deposition apparatus narrow. Therefore, in the conveyor capable of transferring a carrier and in the deposition apparatus including the conveyor and further including a vacuum treatment apparatus and a transfer system, it is possible to make the installation area thereof small and narrow.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A conveyor for transferring a carrier which holds a substrate, comprising:
a frame having a lower frame and an upper frame;
a lower support mechanism provided on an upper surface of the lower frame for supporting a bottom edge portion of the carrier from below; and
an upper support mechanism provided on a lower surface of the upper frame for supporting a top edge portion of the carrier from above;
lower support mechanism and the upper support mechanism hold the carrier substantially upright therebetween; and wherein the upper frame and the lower frame being configured to be separately rotatable in a horizontal direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the lower frame is supportedly fixed on a floor surface, and the upper frame is joined to any one of vertical shafts that support the lower frame on the floor surface, the upper frame being configured to be rotationally movable about the vertical shaft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the upper support mechanism supports the carrier in a non-contact manner.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The conveyor according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first roller that rolls along the floor surface while supporting the upper frame on the floor surface is provided on a near side in a rotational movement direction of the upper frame;
a second roller that rolls along the floor surface while supporting the upper frame on the floor surface is provided on a far side in the rotational movement direction of the upper frame; and
wherein the second roller is configured to be movable to a position that does not interfere with the lower frame when the upper frame is rotationally moved.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein
the carrier includes a first magnet attached on the top edge thereof,
the upper support mechanism include a pair of second magnets provided on the lower surface of the upper frame so that the first magnet of the carrier is arranged therebetween, and
a N pole of one of the second magnets is opposed to a N pole of the first magnet and that a S pole of the other one of the second magnets is opposed to a S pole of the first magnet.