Vacuum processing apparatus

Claim 2

A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: an electrode member which is electrically insulated from a wall of a vacuum chamber and is supplied with an AC voltage for generating a plasma by a glow discharge in said vacuum chamber; a substrate holder, disposed above said electrode, for supporting at least one substrate to be processed by said plasma, said substrate holder having a rear surface and said substrate holder being disposed such that said rear surface thereof is located opposite and faces said electrode member; a shaft for supporting said substrate holder so that the substrate holder is relatively displaceable with respect to the electrode member; and means connected to said shaft for varying the distance between said electrode member and said substrate holder so as to control a DC bias to be generated on the surface of said substrate holder or the surface of said substrate with respect to said applied AC voltage and to thereby control generation of a plasma on the surface of the electrode member or the rear surface of the substrate holder so as to provide cleaning thereof.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means comprises means for providing linear movement of the shaft along the axis thereof and means for rotating the shaft around the axis thereof.

Claim 4

A CVD apparatus comprising an electrode member fixed to a wall of a pressure reduced chamber, a drive shaft extending slidably and rotatably through said electrode member, a substrate holder mounted on an end portion of said drive shaft positioned in said pressure reduced chamber, a first linear drive means for moving said drive shaft along the axis thereof, a rotary drive means for rotating said drive shaft, a plurality of pins arranged to be slidably inserted into a plurality of holes provided on said electrode member for lifting each substrate, a second linear drive means for driving the substrate lifting pins along the axes thereof, and a plurality of openings provided in said substrate holder for alignment with said holes and for receiving said substrate lifting pins.

Claim 5

A CVD apparatus comprising an electrode member fixed to a wall of a pressure reduced chamber, a drive shaft extending slidably and rotatably through said electrode member, a substrate holder mounted on an end portion of said drive shaft positioned in said pressure reduced chamber, a first linear drive means for moving said drive shaft along the axis thereof, a rotary drive means for rotating said drive shaft, a plurality of pins arranged to be slidably inserted into a plurality of holes provided on said electrode member for lifting each substrate, a second linear drive means for driving the substrate lifting pins along the axes thereof, and a plurality of openings provided in said substrate holder for alignment with said holes and for receiving said substrate lifting pins.

Claim 6

A CVD apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said rotary drive means is fixed on a vacuum seal member for sealing in a vacuum tight manner and rotatably supporting said drive shaft.

Claim 7

A CVD apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first and second linear drive means are provided on a common base plate which is coupled to said electrode member or the wall of said pressure reduced chamber by guide members.

Claim 8

A CVD apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said each guide member is slidably supported on linear bearings.

Claim 9

A CVD apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said drive shaft is hollow, and said apparatus further includes a rotary joint for circulating a temperature control medium through said drive shaft.

Claim 10

A CVD apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising supporting arms one end of each of which is mounted perpendicularly on one end of the associated lifting pin, the other end of the each supporting arm extending into a slot formed in the outer peripheral portion of said electrode member and being moved through the associated one of slots formed on the outer peripheral portion of said substrate holder and positioned in alignment with the other end of said supporting arms.

Claim 11

A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum chamber; an electrode member mounted within said vacuum chamber and electrically insulated from a wall of said vacuum chamber; means for supplying AC voltage to said electrode member so as to generate a plasma by a glow discharge in said vacuum chamber; a substrate holder for supporting at least one substrate to be processed by said plasma and disposed within said vacuum chamber above said electrode member so that, in operation, a DC bias for said AC voltage is generated on the surface of said substrate holder or on the surface of said substrate, said substrate holder having a rear surface and said substrate holder being disposed such that said rear surface thereof is located opposite and faces said electrode member; a shaft for supporting said substrate holder so that the substrate holder is relatively displaceable with respect to the electrode member; and means connected to said shaft for varying the distance between said electrode member and said substrate holder so as to control the DC bias to be generated on the surface of said substrate holder or the surface of said substrate and to thereby control generation of a plasma on the surface of the electrode member or on the rear surface of the substrate holder so as to provide cleaning thereof.

Claim 12

A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum chamber; an electrode member mounted within said vacuum chamber and electrically insulated from a wall of said vacuum chamber; means for supplying AC voltage to said electrode member so as to generate a plasma by a glow discharge in said vacuum chamber; a substrate holder for supporting at least one substrate to be processed by said plasma and disposed within said vacuum chamber above said electrode member so that, in operation, a DC bias for said AC voltage is generated on the surface of said substrate holder or on the surface of said substrate, said substrate holder having a rear surface and said substrate holder being disposed such that said rear surface thereof is located opposite and faces said electrode member; a shaft for supporting said substrate holder so that the substrate holder is relatively displaceable with respect to the electrode member; and means connected to said shaft for varying the distance between said electrode member and said substrate holder so as to control the DC bias to be generated on the surface of said substrate holder or the surface of said substrate and to thereby control generation of a plasma on the surface of the electrode member or on the rear surface of the substrate holder so as to provide cleaning thereof.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means comprises means for providing linear movement of the shaft along the axis thereof and means for rotating the shaft around the axis thereof.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for supplying said AC voltage comprises means for supplying said voltage only to said electrode member.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for supplying said AC voltage comprises a single AC voltage source connected to said electrode member and said substrate holder.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for varying the distance between said electrode member and said substrate holder comprises means for setting the distance between said electrode member and said substrate holder to be smaller than a predetermined value so that the surface of said substrate holder and the portions in the vicinity thereof are cleaned by bombardment of the plasma produced on the surface of said substrate holder or of the substrate.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for varying the distance between said electrode member and said substrate holder comprises means for setting the distance said electrode member and said substrate holder so as to be larger than a predetermined value so that the rear portion of said substrate holder, said electrode member and the portions located in the vicinity thereof are cleaned by bombardment of the plasma produced in the space between said substrate holder and said electrode member.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said shaft is hollow and said apparatus further comprises a rotary joint for circulating a temperature control medium through said shaft.