Abstract: The present invention provides an endless conveyor belt for conveying articles within a high temperature environment, such as a sputtering apparatus. A sputtering apparatus employs endless conveyor belts mounted on power operated pulleys to convey articles within the high temperature environment of such an apparatus. The conveyor belt comprises an elongated, spring-like member having two opposed ends. The spring-like member is prevented from stretching by either a tubular wire braid within which the spring-like member is received in a close fitted engagement or, one of more cables located within the spring-like member. In case of the tubular wire braid covered spring-like member, the ends are joined by wire end loops connected to the opposed ends of the spring-like member which are in turn connected by a link.

Abstract: Mechanisms for supporting, rotating, cooling and energizing a cylindrical target structure in a magnetron through supports at each end of the target structure. Two specific configurations are described. Particular arrangements of magnets are provided within the target cylinder. Two adjacent rotating target cylinders may optionally be employed in order to increase the rate of depositing sputtered material on a substrate. The various features of this invention are particularly adapted for a large-scale cylindrical magnetron used for sputtering coatings on architectural glass panels, automobile windshields and the like, but are also advantageous for use in coating very small substrates.

Abstract: A gate valve for sealing an opening in the wall of a vacuum processing chamber is disclosed. The valve includes a gate having a pair of wheels mounted on opposite ends of the gate and a curved track aligned and shaped to guide the wheels through an angle so that the plane of the gate is rotated out of the path of substrates as the gate moves between its sealing and open positions. The curvature of the track should be sufficient to rotate the gate through an angle of at least 60.degree., and preferably 75.degree. to 105.degree., in order to minimize the dimension of the chamber normal to the direction of substrate travel.