Abstract: For heat conditioning flat panel glass substrates the substrates are directly exposed in vacuum to the radiation of lamps, the lamps being selected so that their spectral radiation characteristics (b, c) fit with the absorption characteristics (a) of the glass of the substrate.

Abstract: Vacuum processing plant with a small footprint for the surface treatment of large-area substrates in a virtually upright position, has a vacuum chamber containing a substrate carrier rotatable about a central axis and with at least one processing station mounted on its periphery. A transfer chamber is also mounted on its periphery and connects it to a load-lock chamber. A first transport mechanism moves the substrates from the transfer chamber in a radial direction in and out of the vacuum chamber, a second transport mechanism moves the substrates in a direction perpendicular to that of the first transport mechanism, between the transfer chamber and the load-lock chamber. A third transport mechanism moving in parallel with the second one doubles the transport capacity between the load-lock chamber and the transfer chamber.