Vacuum process apparatus

Abstract

The invention proceeds from a vacuum process apparatus for an article which is processed or treated, resp. at two stations, whereby each station has a charging and/or removing opening for the article. A transporting device is supported for rotation and includes a supporting portion which is successively moved onto the openings of the stations. The process plant is designed in such a manner that the surface normals determined by the surfaces of the openings and the space axis defined by the axis of rotation of the transport device do not run parallel and rather enclose together an angle of 90° or 45°. By such an arrangement it is possible to design extremely compact vacuum vapor deposition apparatuses having a plurality of individual stations, whereby additionally short transporting distances are obtainable and the volumes to be conditioned can be minimized.

1. A vacuum process apparatus for processing at least one workpiece,  comprising a chamber with:
 at least two openings defining respective opening areas for one of treating and handling said at least one workpiece thereat ; and  
 a transport device, comprising  having  
 a drive shaft rotatable around a rotational axis of said drive shaft;  
 at least two conveyors arranged at said transport device  for at least one workpiece each, said transport device comprising , and a transport arm for each conveyor projecting from  operatively associated with said drive shaft;  
 said arms being operatively coupled to said conveyors to move said conveyors independently of each other relative to said drive shaft and to have at least a radial movement component perpendicular to the drive shaft rotational axis via encapsulated, independent drives, said drives controlling closing and opening of said openings with movement of said conveyors relative to said drive shaft.  
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said openings defining an opening area each, with normals on said opening areas being warped with respect to said rotational axis. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said conveyors are additionally movable at least one of  parallel to said drive shaft and of normally with respect to said drive shaft . 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said conveyors, once positioned adjacent one of said openings by rotation of said transport device, are movable towards and from said opening in a normal direction of said opening areas. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein rotation of said transport device around said rotational axis substantially define a cone shaped trajectory surface with a cone opening angle with respect to said rotational axis of not more than 90°. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein each of said openings defines an opening area, with normals on said opening areas pointing in a direction of respective generatrix of said cone-shaped trajectory surface. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said openings are arranged along a circle cut by said cone-shaped trajectory surface by a geometric plane arranged perpendicularly to said rotational axis. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said transport device residing within said chamber further comprising at least one of a load lock chamber and of a station for treating said workpiece communicating by one of said openings with said chamber. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising gas inlet means and pumping means at least at one of said station and chambers. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said conveyors comprise a seal member for sealingly closing one of said openings when said at least one conveyor is rotated adjacent to said opening by said transport device. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said seal member is formed by a conveyor plate for said workpiece. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each said conveyor comprises a conveyor plate with a projecting positioning pin for positioning a disk shaped workpiece with a central bore. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising holding means for said workpiece on said conveyor plate. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , said holding means being formed by spring means acting radially with respect to said pin. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 1 , said workpiece being one of compact disk workpieces and of magneto-optical storage disk workpieces. 
     
     
       16. A vacuum chamber for processing at least one workpiece, comprising at least two openings defining respective opening areas for treating or handling said at least one workpiece thereat ; a transport device with a drive shaft for rotating said transport device around a rotational axis of said drive shaft; at least two conveyors arranged at said transport device for the workpiece thereat, said transport device further comprising , and a transport arm for each conveyor projecting from  operatively associated with said drive shaft; said arms  and each being operatively coupled to one of said conveyors to move said conveyors independently of each other relative to said drive shaft, said transport arms having at least a radial movement component relative to said drive shaft rotational axis via encapsulated independent drives. 
     
     
       17. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein each of said openings defines an opening area with, normals on said opening areas being warped with respect to said rotational axis. 
     
     
       18. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein said conveyors are additionally movable at least one of  parallel to said rotational axis and of normally with respect to said rotational axis . 
     
     
       19. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein said conveyors, once positioned adjacent one of said openings by rotation of said transport device, are movable towards and from said opening in a normal direction of said opening areas. 
     
     
       20. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein rotation of said transport device around said rotational axis substantially defines a cone-shaped trajectory surface with a cone opening angle with respect to said rotational axis of not more than 90°. 
     
     
       21. The chamber of  claim 20 , wherein each of said openings define an opening area with, normals on said opening areas pointing in a direction of respect generatrix of said cone-shaped trajectory surface. 
     
     
       22. The chamber of  claim 21 , wherein said openings are arranged along a circle intersected by said cone-shaped trajectory surface by a geometric plane arranged perpendicular to said rotational axis. 
     
     
       23. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of said conveyors comprise a seal member for sealingly closing one of said openings when said at least one conveyor is rotated adjacent to said opening by said transport device. 
     
     
       24. The chamber of  claim 23 , wherein said seal member is formed by a conveyor plate for said at least one workpiece. 
     
     
       25. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein said conveyors comprises a conveyor plate with a projecting positioning pin for positioning a disk shaped workpiece with a central bore. 
     
     
       26. The chamber of  claim 25 , further comprising holding means for said at least one workpiece on said conveyor plate. 
     
     
       27. The chamber of claim  16    26 , wherein said holding means is formed by spring means acting radially with respect to said pin. 
     
     
       28. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein said conveyors are configured to hold workpieces in the form of one of compact disk workpieces and of magneto-optical storage disk workpieces. 
     
     
       29. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein said conveyors comprise a support plate with an upstanding pin; spring loaded holding portions around said pin being biased radially outwardly with respect to said pin, and further comprising holding portions projecting outwardly with respect to said pin and being biased slightly outside the surface of said pin. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said closing is a sealing closing. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, for processing at least one disk- shaped workpiece, said conveyors are configured to hold at least one of said workpieces with a predetermined positioning of a disk plane thereof, and said drive shaft arranged to move said conveyors in a direction which is non - parallel to said disk plane.   
     
     
       32. The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said direction is perpendicular to said disk plane. 
     
     
       33. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein said closing is a sealing closing. 
     
     
       34. The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein, for processing at least one disk- shaped workpiece, said conveyors are configured to hold at least one of said workpieces with a predetermined positioning of a disk plane thereof, and said drive shaft arranged to move said conveyors in a direction which is non - parallel to said disk plane.   
     
     
       35. The chamber of  claim 34 , wherein said direction is perpendicular to said disk plane. 
     
     
       36. A vacuum chamber with at least two openings therein and a workpiece transport arrangement with which at least one workpiece within the chamber is selectively brought into a position adjacent to one of said openings, whereby the transport arrangement is provided within the chamber rotatably around a rotational axis and carries at least two members for holding a workpiece each, a rotation drive is provided to rotate said workpiece transport arrangement, and at least two displacement drives are provided for displacing said at least one workpiece each with respect to said transport arrangement whereby said members are selectively brought into a position aligned with one of said openings by rotation of said transport arrangement and from such position a workpiece is displaceable towards and from said opening by one of said displacement drives, and said member and said displacement drives are operatively mounted on said transport arrangement rotation drive, said displacement drive being arranged to control closing and opening of respective ones of said at least two openings. 
     
     
       37. The chamber of  claim 36 , wherein said members are arranged to perform the closing. 
     
     
       38. The chamber of  claim 36 , wherein the closing is a sealing closing. 
     
     
       39. The chamber of  claim 36 , wherein, for processing at least one disk- shaped workpiece, said members are configured to hold at least one of said workpieces with a predetermined positioning of a disk plane thereof, and said at least one disk - shaped workpiece is arranged to be displaceable by said displacement drive in a direction which is non - parallel to said disk plane.   
     
     
       40. The chamber of  claim 39 , wherein said direction is perpendicular to said disk plane. 
     
     
       41. A vacuum chamber with at least two openings and a workpiece transport arrangement with which at least one workpiece within the chamber is selectively brought into a position adjacent to one of said openings, whereby the transport arrangement is provided within the chamber rotatably around a rotational axis and carries at least two members for holding a workpiece each, a rotation drive is provided to rotate said workpiece transport arrangement, and at least two displacement drives are provided for displacing said at least one workpiece each with respect to said transport arrangement whereby said members are selectively brought into a position aligned with one of said openings by rotation of said transport arrangement and from such position a workpiece is displaceable towards and from said opening by one of said displacement drives in a direction with a radial component relative to said rotational axis, and said displacement drives are operable independently of each other so as to control closing and opening of said opening. 
     
     
       42. The chamber of  claim 41 , wherein the closing is a sealing closing. 
     
     
       43. The chamber of  claim 41 , wherein, for processing at least one disk- shaped workpiece, wherein said members are configured to hold said at least one workpiece with a predetermined positioning of a disk plane thereof, and said at least one disk - shaped workpiece is arranged to be displaced in a direction which is non - parallel to said disk plane.   
     
     
       44. The chamber of  claim 41 , wherein said direction is perpendicular to said disk plane. 
     
     
       45. A vacuum chamber, comprising
   at least two openings defining respective opening areas; and a transport device operatively arranged relative to the at least two openings and including a member movable relative to a rotational axis thereof, at least two conveyors for transporting at least one workpiece each, and at least one linear drive for each of said at least two conveyors being between said movable member and a respective conveyor of said at least two conveyors and configured to linearly move said respective conveyors relative to said movable member independently from other conveyors of said at least two conveyors, said at least one linear drives being arranged to control closing and opening of said at least two openings.     
     
     
       46. The chamber of  claim 45 , wherein the closing is a sealing closing. 
     
     
       47. The chamber of  claim 45 , wherein said at least one workpiece is a disk- shaped workpiece, and said at least one linear drive has a direction which is non - parallel to a plane of said disk - shaped workpiece.   
     
     
       48. The chamber of  claim 47 , wherein the direction is perpendicular to said plane. 
     
     
       49. The chamber of  claim 45 , wherein said at least one linear drive is encapsulated within said chamber. 
     
     
       50. A vacuum chamber with at least two openings and a workpiece transport arrangement with which at least one workpiece within the chamber is selectively brought into a position adjacent to one of said openings, whereby the transport arrangement is provided within the chamber rotatably around a rotational axis and carries at least one member for holding a workpiece, a rotation drive is provided to rotate said workpiece transport arrangement, and a sealed displacement drive is arranged between said transport arrangement and said at least one member for displacing a workpiece with respect to said transport arrangement, whereby said member is selectively brought into a position aligned with one of said openings by rotation of said transport arrangement and from such position a workpiece is displaceable towards and from said opening by said displacement drive, and said member and said displacement drive are operatively mounted relative to said transport arrangement rotation drive, said displacement drive being further arranged to control opening and closing of said opening. 
     
     
       51. The chamber of  claim 50 , wherein the closing is a sealing closing. 
     
     
       52. The chamber of  claim 50 , wherein said displacement drive is a linear drive. 
     
     
       53. The chamber of  claim 50 , wherein, for processing at least one disk- shaped workpiece, said member is configured to hold at least one of said workpieces with a predetermined positioning of a disk plane thereof, and said at least one disk - shaped workpiece is arranged to be displaceable by said displacement drive in a direction which is non - parallel to said disk plane.   
     
     
       54. The chamber of  claim 53 , wherein said offset direction is perpendicular to said disk plane. 
     
     
       55. A method of processing at least one workpiece, comprising the steps of
   rotating a transport device member around a rotational axis to bring the at least one workpiece adjacent an opening in a vacuum chamber having at least two openings, and        moving at least two conveyors with at least one movement component radial relative to said rotational axis, independently of each other relative to the transport device member so as selectively to move the at least one workpiece towards and away from the adjacent opening and thereby controlling opening and closing of said opening.     
     
     
       56. The method of  claim 55 , wherein the controlled closing is a sealing closing. 
     
     
       57. The method of  claim 55 , wherein the closing and opening is performed by the conveyors. 
     
     
       58. The method of  claim 55 , wherein the moving of the conveyors is in a linear direction. 
     
     
       59. The method of  claim 55 , wherein the moving of the conveyors is effected, for processing at least one disk- shaped workpiece, in a direction which is non - parallel to said disc - shaped workpiece.   
     
     
       60. The method of  claim 59 , wherein said direction is perpendicular to the plane.