Sputter-coating system, and vaccuum valve, transport, and sputter source array arrangements therefor

Claim 1

High throughput sputter coating system for coating workpieces carried by an internal chamber conveyer which has a width several times the diameter of an individual sputtering source, and capable of interfacing with input and output conveyor means and air locks, comprising: a vacuum processing chamber having an entrance opening and an exit opening at opposite ends thereof; internal chamber conveyor means for carrying workpieces, said conveyor means extending between said entrance and exit openings; a first plurality of sputtering sources mounted within said vacuum processing chamber above said internal conveyor means and extending in a side-by-side array transversely to the direction of said internal conveyor means; first and second isolation valve means sealing said entrance and exit openings of said processing chamber, each of said isolation valves including a wide plate-like gate of width at least that of said internal conveyor means, and sealingly overlappable with the corresponding chamber opening, an elongated member affixed transversely across said gate and extending beyond the edges of said gate, means for supporting said gate at the ends of said elongated member, said means adapted to permit upward and downward movement in a first direction parallel to said chamber opening and limited inward and outward movement in a second direction normal to said chamber opening, means acting at the ends of said elongated member for applying closure force to said gate inwardly in said second direction toward said chamber opening, means connected to said elongated member for moving said gate up and down along said means supporting said gate; whereby said system may interface with input and output conveyors and air locks to accept workpieces which are advanced at high throughput rates through said valve means and into said chamber.