Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus includes vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing, a vacuum carriage, a switchable chamber, a cassette support for supporting a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples, and a waiting cassette support for supporting a waiting cassette that differs from the cassettes supported on the cassette support and capable of having a number of samples. An atmospheric carriage enables carrying a sample among a given cassette of the plurality of cassettes or the waiting cassette. A controller effects control for carrying unprocessed and processed samples among the given cassette, the waiting cassette and the vacuum processing chamber, so that a mixture of both processed and unprocessed samples does not exist in the given cassette or the waiting cassette.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus includes vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing, a vacuum carriage, a switchable chamber, a cassette support for supporting a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples, and a waiting cassette support for supporting a waiting cassette that differs from the cassettes supported on the cassette support and capable of having a number of samples. An atmospheric carriage enables carrying a sample among a given cassette of the plurality of cassettes or the waiting cassette. A controller effects control for carrying unprocessed and processed samples among the given cassette, the waiting cassette and the vacuum processing chamber, so that a mixture of both processed and unprocessed samples does not exist in the given cassette or the waiting cassette.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus and method in which the apparatus includes vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing, a vacuum carriage, a switchable chamber, a cassette support for supporting a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples, and a waiting cassette support for supporting a waiting cassette that differs from the cassettes supported on the cassette support and capable of having a number of samples. An atmospheric carriage enables carrying a sample among a given cassette of the plurality of cassettes or the waiting cassette. A controller effects control for carrying unprocessed and processed samples among the given cassette, the waiting cassette and the vacuum processing chamber, so that a mixture of both processed and unprocessed samples does not exist in the given cassette or the waiting cassette.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus and method includes at least one vacuum processing chamber, at least one carriage for carrying the sample from a given cassette into and out of the vacuum processing chamber. A controller performs carriage control for carrying the sample taken out of the given cassette into the vacuum processing chamber, and for carrying the processed sample out of the vacuum processing chamber. A waiting cassette support supports a waiting cassette in which an unprocessed sample from the given cassette or a processed sample from the given cassette after vacuum processing is placed so as to prevent the processed and unprocessed sample from being mixed with each other.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus includes vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing, a vacuum carriage, a switchable chamber, a cassette support for supporting a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples, and a waiting cassette support for supporting a waiting cassette that differs from the cassettes supported on the cassette support and capable of having a number of samples. An atmospheric carriage enables carrying a sample among a given cassette of the plurality of cassettes or the waiting cassette. A controller effects control for carrying unprocessed and processed samples among the given cassette, the waiting cassette and the vacuum processing chamber, so that a mixture of both processed and unprocessed samples does not exist in the given cassette or the waiting cassette.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus and method in which the apparatus includes vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing, a vacuum carriage, a switchable chamber, a cassette support for supporting a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples, and a waiting cassette support for supporting a waiting cassette that differs from the cassettes supported on the cassette support and capable of having a number of samples. An atmospheric carriage enables carrying a sample among a given cassette of the plurality of cassettes or the waiting cassette. A controller effects control for carrying unprocessed and processed samples among the given cassette, the waiting cassette and the vacuum processing chamber, so that a mixture of both processed and unprocessed samples does not exist in the given cassette or the waiting cassette.

Abstract: The invention provides a vacuum processing apparatus and vacuum processing method capable of improving the yield factor of a product.

Abstract: A method of operating vacuum processing equipment that includes multiple sets of apparatus for performing a succession of different processes on individual wafers, an apparatus for transporting said wafers, and an apparatus for controlling said processing apparatus sets and said transport apparatus, and has at least two sets of wafer processing routes including multiple sets of said processing apparatus; wherein it is possible to judge whether each set of said processing apparatus for performing various processes is in a valid or invalid status for operation, to electrically disconnect only the processing apparatus whose operational status has been judged to be invalid, to reconstruct said processing routes by using the processing apparatus whose operational status has been judged to be valid, and to process said wafers by using only said processing apparatus which is valid for operation.

Abstract: A method of operating vacuum processing equipment that includes multiple sets of apparatus for performing a succession of different processes on individual wafers, an apparatus for transporting said wafers, and an apparatus for controlling said processing apparatus sets and said transport apparatus, and has at least two sets of wafer processing routes including multiple sets of said processing apparatus; wherein it is possible to judge whether each set of said processing apparatus for performing various processes is in a valid or invalid status for operation, to electrically disconnect only the processing apparatus whose operational status has been judged to be invalid, to reconstruct said processing routes by using the processing apparatus whose operational status has been judged to be valid, and to process said wafers by using only said processing apparatus which is valid for operation.

Abstract: A method of operating vacuum processing equipment that includes multiple sets of apparatus for performing a succession of different processes on individual wafers, an apparatus for transporting said wafers, and an apparatus for controlling said processing apparatus sets and said transport apparatus, and has at least two sets of wafer processing routes including multiple sets of said processing apparatus; wherein it is possible to judge whether each set of said processing apparatus for performing various processes is in a valid or invalid status for operation, to electrically disconnect only the processing apparatus whose operational status has been judged to be invalid, to reconstruct said processing routes by using the processing apparatus whose operational status has been judged to be valid, and to process said wafers by using only said processing apparatus which is valid for operation.