Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus for performing predetermined vacuum processing on a processing surface of a to-be-processed substrate is made up of: a vacuum chamber having disposed therein a to-be-processed substrate and having formed, on an upper wall of the vacuum chamber, a mounting opening facing the processing surface where a direction in which the processing surface looks is defined as an upper side; a processing unit for performing therein vacuum processing; and a communication pipe having a predetermined length and being interposed between the vacuum chamber and the processing unit such that predetermined processing is performed, through the communication pipe, on the to-be-processed substrate inside the vacuum chamber. The processing unit has an engaging means to which is coupled a swing arm for swinging about a rotary shaft extending perpendicularly to a vertical direction for selectively engaging the vacuum chamber and the communication pipe or the processing unit and the communication pipe.

Abstract: Provided is a sputtering apparatus which is capable of suppressing a local temperature rise at an outer peripheral part of a to-be-processed substrate. The sputtering apparatus SM has: a vacuum chamber in which a target and the to-be-processed substrate Sw are disposed face-to-face with each other; a shield plate for enclosing a film forming space between the target and the to-be-processed substrate; and a cooling unit for cooling the shield plate. The shield plate has a first shield plate part which is disposed around the to-be-processed substrate and which has a first opening equivalent in contour to the to-be-processed substrate. The cooling unit includes a first coolant passage which is disposed in the first shield plate part and which has a passage portion extending all the way to the first shield plate part positioned around the first opening.

Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus for performing predetermined vacuum processing on a processing surface of a to-be-processed substrate is made up of: a vacuum chamber having disposed therein a to-be-processed substrate and having formed, on an upper wall of the vacuum chamber, a mounting opening facing the processing surface where a direction in which the processing surface looks is defined as an upper side; a processing unit for performing therein vacuum processing; and a communication pipe having a predetermined length and being interposed between the vacuum chamber and the processing unit such that predetermined processing is performed, through the communication pipe, on the to-be-processed substrate inside the vacuum chamber. The processing unit has an engaging means to which is coupled a swing arm for swinging about a rotary shaft extending perpendicularly to a vertical direction for selectively engaging the vacuum chamber and the communication pipe or the processing unit and the communication pipe.

Abstract: Provided is a sputtering apparatus which is capable of suppressing a local temperature rise at an outer peripheral part of a to-be-processed substrate. The sputtering apparatus SM has: a vacuum chamber [[1]] in which a target [[2]] and the to-be-processed substrate Sw are disposed face-to-face with each other; a shield plate [[5]] for enclosing a film forming space [[1a]] between the target and the to-be-processed substrate; and a cooling unit for cooling the shield plate. The shield plate [[5]] has a first shield plate part [[5a]] which is disposed around the to-be-processed substrate and which has a first opening [[51]] equivalent in contour to the to-be-processed substrate. The cooling unit includes a first coolant passage [[55]] which is disposed in the first shield plate part and which has a passage portion [[55a]] extending all the way to the first shield plate part positioned around the first opening.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus is provided with: a vacuum chamber having a target manufactured by sintering raw material powder; a magnet unit having a plurality of magnets disposed on the same surface above the target which is mounted on the vacuum chamber in a non-rotatable manner, in order to cause leakage magnetic field penetrating the target to function in uneven distribution on the sputtering surface; a rotary shaft which is disposed on the center line passing through the center of the target and is coupled to the magnet unit; and a drive motor for driving the rotary shaft to rotate, thereby rotating the magnet unit such that a function region of the leakage magnetic field on the sputtering surface revolves about an imaginary circle with the center of the target serving as the center.

Abstract: A cathode device includes a rotation plate to which a magnetic circuit is fixed, a rotation mechanism including a rotation shaft that rotates the rotation plate when receiving power from a motor, and a linear motion parallel link mechanism. The parallel link mechanism includes an end effector, six links each having a distal end and a proximal end, and three linear motion mechanisms. The end effector rotationally supports the rotation shaft, the distal ends of the links are connected to the end effector, the links radially extend from the end effector, and the linear motion mechanisms move the proximal ends of adjacent two of the links in one direction when receiving power from respective linear actuators. A controller controls a change in position of the rotation shaft performed by a cooperative operation of the linear actuators, and controls rotation of the rotation shaft operated by the motor.

Abstract: A cathode device (20) includes a rotation plate (26) to which a magnetic circuit (27) is fixed, a rotation mechanism (21) including a rotation shaft (25) that rotates the rotation plate (26) when receiving power from a motor (21M), a linear motion parallel link mechanism (22 to 24), and a controller (30). The linear motion parallel link mechanism (22 to 24) includes an end effector (24), six links (23) each having a distal end and a proximal end, and three linear motion mechanisms (22). The end effector (24) rotationally supports the rotation shaft (25). The distal ends of the links (23) are connected to the end effector (24). The links (23) radially extend from the end effector (24). The linear motion mechanisms (22) move the proximal ends of adjacent two of the links (23) in one direction when receiving power from respective linear actuators (22M).

Abstract: There is provided a cathode unit for a sputtering apparatus, having a construction in which a target can be replaced without opening a vacuum chamber to the atmosphere. The cathode unit having targets and being adapted to be mounted on a vacuum chamber has: a supporting frame mounted on an external wall of the vacuum chamber; an annular moveable base supported by the supporting frame in a manner to be movable toward or away from the vacuum chamber; a rotary shaft body rotatably supported by the movable base in a manner to be elongated through an inner space of the movable base in parallel with a sputtering surface of the target; provided an axial direction of the rotary shaft body is defined to be an X-axis direction, and a forward or backward direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction of the movable base is defined to be a Z-axis direction.

Abstract: There is provided a holding apparatus which is capable of rotatably holding, while cooling to a cryogenic temperature, a to-be-processed object in a vacuum chamber. A holding apparatus for rotatably holding, while cooling, a to-be-processed object in a vacuum chamber Vc, has a stage on which the to-be-processed object is placed, a rotary drive device for rotatably supporting the stage, and a cooling device for cooling the stage. Provided that a stage surface side on which the to-be-processed object is placed is defined as an upside, the rotary drive device has: a tubular rotary shaft body which is mounted on a wall surface of the vacuum chamber, in a penetrating manner, through a first vacuum seal; a connection member for connecting an upper end part of the rotary shaft body and a lower surface of the stage in a manner to define a space below the stage; and a driving motor for driving to rotate the rotary shaft body.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus is provided with: a vacuum chamber having a target manufactured by sintering raw material powder; a magnet unit having a plurality of magnets disposed on the same surface above the target which is mounted on the vacuum chamber in a non-rotatable manner, in order to cause leakage magnetic field penetrating the target to function in uneven distribution on the sputtering surface; a rotary shaft which is disposed on the center line passing through the center of the target and is coupled to the magnet unit; and a drive motor for driving the rotary shaft to rotate, thereby rotating the magnet unit such that a function region of the leakage magnetic field on the sputtering surface revolves about an imaginary circle with the center of the target serving as the center.

Abstract: There is provided a cathode unit for a sputtering apparatus, having a construction in which a target can be replaced without opening a vacuum chamber to the atmosphere. The cathode unit having targets and being adapted to be mounted on a vacuum chamber has: a supporting frame mounted on an external wall of the vacuum chamber; an annular moveable base supported by the supporting frame in a manner to be movable toward or away from the vacuum chamber; a rotary shaft body rotatably supported by the movable base in a manner to be elongated through an inner space of the movable base in parallel with a sputtering surface of the target; provided an axial direction of the rotary shaft body is defined to be an X-axis direction, and a forward or backward direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction of the movable base is defined to be a Z-axis direction.

Abstract: There is provided a holding apparatus which is capable of rotatably holding, while cooling to a cryogenic temperature, a to-be-processed object in a vacuum chamber. A holding apparatus for rotatably holding, while cooling, a to-be-processed object in a vacuum chamber Vc, has a stage on which the to-be-processed object is placed, a rotary drive device for rotatably supporting the stage, and a cooling device for cooling the stage. Provided that a stage surface side on which the to-be-processed object is placed is defined as an upside, the rotary drive device has: a tubular rotary shaft body which is mounted on a wall surface of the vacuum chamber, in a penetrating manner, through a first vacuum seal; a connection member for connecting an upper end part of the rotary shaft body and a lower surface of the stage in a manner to define a space below the stage; and a driving motor for driving to rotate the rotary shaft body.

Abstract: An articulated robot and a conveying device capable of increasing conveying speed are provided. An articulated robot conveys a workpiece from a first processing part to a second processing part linearly disposed with respect to the first processing part. The articulated robot includes: an extensible arm; and a grip part (3) provided on a lower side of a distal end of the arm and for gripping the workpiece, in which the grip part is advanced from its one end into the first processing part, and also the grip part is advanced from its another end opposite to the one end into the second processing part.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus including first and second chambers stacked one above the other; a first opening that is provided in a wall of the first chamber that faces the second chamber, and that allows a substrate to pass through the first opening; a second opening that is provided in a wall of the second chamber that is in communication with the first opening and that allows the substrate to pass through the second opening; an opening and closing member that is provided inside the first chamber so as to move up and down and that opens and closes the first opening; a substrate mounting member that is provided closer to the second chamber than the opening and closing member, and that moves the substrate between the first and second chambers; and a substrate processing member provided in the second chamber.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus including a first substrate holder and a second substrate holder capable of respectively holding substrates includes a first drive arm which has first and second end portions, and is rotatable with rotation of a first drive shaft, a second drive arm which has a third end portion spaced apart from the first end portion by a first distance, and a fourth end portion spaced apart from the second end portion by a second distance, and is rotatable with rotation of a second drive shaft coaxial with the first drive shaft, two first driven arms coupled to the first substrate holder, and two second driven arms coupled to the second substrate holder.

Abstract: The present invention provides an in-line type multi-chamber substrate processing apparatus which, with a simple configuration, can decrease influence of particles due to film peeling and enables installation of a number of processing chambers. In one embodiment of the present invention, a jointless arm of a transfer robot that has a substrate holding part 4a and performs rotational movement while maintaining a predetermined length of the arm is disposed inside a first process chamber capable of being evacuated. The first process chamber is configured to be able to transfer substrates from an adjacent second process chamber through an opening by the arm of the transfer robot. A holder as an arm retreating position and a substrate mounting position is positioned so as to overlap with a trajectory of the substrate holding part when the arm of the transfer robot rotates about a rotation axis.

Abstract: An articulated robot and a conveying device capable of increasing conveying speed are provided. An articulated robot conveys a workpiece from a first processing part to a second processing part linearly disposed with respect to the first processing part. The articulated robot includes: an extensible arm; and a grip part (3) provided on a lower side of a distal end of the arm and for gripping the workpiece, in which the grip part is advanced from its one end into the first processing part, and also the grip part is advanced from its another end opposite to the one end into the second processing part.

Abstract: A vacuum actuator includes a vacuum partition wall, the interior of which can be evacuated to a vacuum, a rotor supported by the vacuum partition wall to be free to rotate, a permanent magnet provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor, a coil opposed to the permanent magnet, and a stator provided with the coil. The stator and the vacuum partition wall are formed integrally with each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus including first and second chambers stacked one above the other; a first opening that is provided in a wall of the first chamber that faces the second chamber, and that allows a substrate to pass through the first opening; a second opening that is provided in a wall of the second chamber that is in communication with the first opening and that allows the substrate to pass through the second opening; an opening and closing member that is provided inside the first chamber so as to move up and down and that opens and closes the first opening; a substrate mounting member that is provided closer to the second chamber than the opening and closing member, and that moves the substrate between the first and second chambers; and a substrate processing member provided in the second chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides an in-line type multi-chamber substrate processing apparatus which, with a simple configuration, can decrease influence of particles due to film peeling and enables installation of a number of processing chambers. In one embodiment of the present invention, a jointless arm of a transfer robot that has a substrate holding part 4a and performs rotational movement while maintaining a predetermined length of the arm is disposed inside a first process chamber capable of being evacuated. The first process chamber is configured to be able to transfer substrates from an adjacent second process chamber through an opening by the arm of the transfer robot. A holder as an arm retreating position and a substrate mounting position is positioned so as to overlap with a trajectory of the substrate holding part when the arm of the transfer robot rotates about a rotation axis.