Vacuum Processing Apparatus And Vacuum Processing Method

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.

1 . A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing;   a vacuum carriage which carries the sample into and out of the vacuum processing chamber;   a switchable chamber capable of being switched between atmosphere and vacuum for carrying the sample into and out of the vacuum processing chamber;   a cassette supporter which supports a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples;   a waiting cassette supporter capable of supporting in atmosphere a waiting cassette that differs from the cassette supported on the cassette supporter;   an atmospheric carriage capable of moving vertically for taking out a sample from a given cassette supported on the cassette supporter; and   a controller performing control for carrying an unprocessed sample taken out of the given cassette by the atmospheric carriage via the switchable chamber and the vacuum carriage into the vacuum processing chamber, for carrying the processed sample taken out of the vacuum processing chamber to the waiting cassette, and for returning the processed sample from the waiting cassette to the given cassette in a state where no unprocessed sample exists in the given cassette while processing a sample in the vacuum processing chamber.   
     
     
         2 . A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing;   a vacuum carriage which carries the sample into and out of the vacuum processing chamber;   a switchable chamber capable of being switched between atmosphere and vacuum for carrying the sample into and out of the vacuum processing chamber;   a cassette supporter which supports a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples;   a waiting cassette supporter capable of supporting in atmosphere a waiting cassette that differs from the cassette supported on the cassette supporter;   an atmospheric carriage capable of moving vertically for taking out a sample from a given cassette supported on the cassette supporter; and   a controller performing control for carrying an unprocessed sample taken out of the given cassette by the atmospheric carriage to the waiting cassette, for carrying an unprocessed sample in the waiting cassette or an unprocessed sample in the given cassette via the switchable chamber and the vacuum carriage into the vacuum processing chamber, and for carrying the processed sample processed in the vacuum processing chamber into the given cassette from where the sample was taken out in a state where no unprocessed sample exists therein, while processing a sample in the vacuum processing chamber.   
     
     
         3 . A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing;   a vacuum carriage which carries the sample into and out of the vacuum processing chamber;   a switchable chamber capable of being switching between atmosphere and vacuum for carrying the sample into and out of the vacuum processing chamber;   a cassette supporter which supports a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples;   a waiting cassette supporter capable of supporting a waiting cassette that differs from the cassettes supported on the cassette supporter;   an atmospheric carriage capable of moving vertically for taking out a sample from a given cassette supported on the cassette supporter; and   a controller performing control for carrying an unprocessed sample taken out of the given cassette by the atmospheric carriage via the switchable chamber and the vacuum carriage into the vacuum processing chamber, for carrying the processed sample taken out of the vacuum processing chamber to the waiting cassette, and for returning the processed sample from the waiting cassette to the given cassette in a stage where no unprocessed sample exists in the given cassette while processing a sample in the vacuum processing chamber.   
     
     
         4 . A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of vacuum processing chambers for subjecting a sample to vacuum processing;   a vacuum carriage which carries the sample into and out of the vacuum processing chamber;   a switchable chamber capable of being switched between atmosphere and vacuum for carrying the sample into and out of the vacuum processing chamber;   a cassette supporter which supports a plurality of cassettes capable of housing samples;   a waiting cassette supporter capable of supporting a waiting cassette that differs from the cassette supported on the cassette supporter;   an atmospheric carriage capable of moving vertically for taking out a sample from a given cassette supported on the cassette supporter; and   a controller performing control for carrying an unprocessed sample taken out of the given cassette by the atmospheric carriage to the waiting cassette, for carrying an unprocessed sample in the waiting cassette or an unprocessed sample in the given cassette via the switchable chamber and the vacuum carriage into the vacuum processing chamber, and for carrying the processed sample processed in the vacuum processing chamber into the given cassette from where the sample was taken out in a stage where no unprocessed sample exists therein, while processing a sample in the vacuum processing chamber.