| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the throughput of an apparatus by increasing the speed of putting a workpiece in/out of the apparatus in the case when the environment inside the apparatus is largely different from the environment outside the apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: An environment regulating mechanism is provided with a processing chamber 15 regulated to a high vacuum for processing a processing object, a relay chamber 7 regulated to an environment closer to the atmospheric pressure outside the apparatus than the degree of vacuum of the processing chamber 15, load lock chambers 2a and 2b of a carrying-in part, a load lock chamber 10 of a processor, and regulating mechanisms 5a, 5b, 8, 13 and 14 regulating the environment of each part of them individually. The environment of the load lock chambers 2a and 2b of the carrying-in part is regulated between the outside environment and the environment in the relay chamber 7. Then, a wafer is carried into the relay chamber 7 from outside through the load lock chambers of the carrying-in part. Moreover, the environment of the load lock chamber 10 of the processor is regulated between the environment of the relay chamber 7 and the environment of the processing chamber 15. Then, the wafer is conveyed to the processing chamber from the relay chamber through the load lock chamber of the processor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI |
