Device manufacturing apparatus and method of controlling same

Abstract

An apparatus for processing an article in order to manufacture a device includes a process chamber in which the article is processed; a relay chamber; a first load-lock chamber disposed between an outside of the apparatus and the relay chamber; a second load-lock chamber disposed between the relay chamber and the process chamber; a first adjusting mechanism configured to adjust atmosphere in the process chamber to a first atmosphere; and a second adjusting mechanism configured to adjust atmosphere in the relay chamber to a second atmosphere that is an intermediate atmosphere between the first atmosphere and atmosphere of the outside.

1 . An apparatus for processing an article in order to manufacture a device, said apparatus comprising: 
 a process chamber in which the article is processed;    a relay chamber;    a first load-lock chamber disposed between an outside of said apparatus and said relay chamber;    a second load-lock chamber disposed between said relay chamber and said process chamber;    a first adjusting mechanism configured to adjust atmosphere in said process chamber to a first atmosphere; and    a second adjusting mechanism configured to adjust atmosphere in said relay chamber to a second atmosphere that is an intermediate atmosphere between the first atmosphere and atmosphere of the outside.    
   
   
       2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said first adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust atmosphere in said process chamber to a first degree of vacuum as the first atmosphere, and said second adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust atmosphere in said relay chamber to a second degree of vacuum, which is an intermediate vacuum between the first degree of vacuum and a degree of vacuum at the outside, as the second atmosphere.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said first adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust atmosphere in said process chamber to an atmosphere of inert gas at a first density as the first atmosphere, and said second adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust atmosphere in said relay chamber to an atmosphere of the inert gas at a second density, that is an intermediate density between the first density and density of the inert gas at the outside, as the second atmosphere.  
   
   
       4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second load-lock chambers are configured so that capacity of said first load-lock chamber for accommodating the article is greater than that of said second load-lock chamber.  
   
   
       5 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said apparatus includes a plurality of said first load-lock chambers.  
   
   
       6 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said apparatus includes a plurality of said second load-lock chambers.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said apparatus includes a plurality of said first load-lock chambers having different capacities for accommodating the article.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust gas from said first load-lock chamber, wherein said exhaust mechanism is configured to change over exhaust rate based on degree of vacuum in said first load-lock chamber.  
   
   
       9 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a supply mechanism configured to supply inert gas into said first load-lock chamber, wherein said supply mechanism is configured to change over supply rate of the inert gas based on pressure in said first load-lock chamber.  
   
   
       10 . A method applied to an apparatus for processing an article in order to manufacture a device, the article being transferred from an outside of the apparatus into a process chamber where the article is processed, said method comprising steps of: 
 adjusting atmosphere in the process chamber to a first atmosphere;    adjusting atmosphere in a relay chamber, which is disposed between the process chamber and the outside, to a second atmosphere that is an intermediate atmosphere between the first atmosphere and atmosphere of the outside;    transferring the article from the outside into the relay chamber via a first load-lock chamber; and    transferring the article from the relay chamber into the process chamber via a second load-lock chamber.