Method for multichamber sheet-after-sheet type treatment

Claim 1

A sheet-after-sheet type treating method utilizing a multichamber sheet-after-sheet type treating apparatus including an inlet/outlet port capable of communicating with surrounding air through a first inlet/outlet port gate valve, which is independently controllable to maintain said inlet/outlet port at a predetermined pressure or at a pressure of said surrounding air; a platform connected to said inlet/outlet port via a second inlet/outlet port gate valve, which is independently controllable to maintain said platform at said predetermined pressure; a plurality of treating chambers respectively connected to said platform through corresponding treating chamber gate valves, which are independently controllable to maintain said treating chambers at said predetermined pressure; and a robot installed in said platform for exchanging materials to be treated between said inlet/outlet port and said respective treating chambers; said method comprising: a first exchanging step for exchanging a first treated material in a first treating chamber with a first untreated material in said inlet/outlet port while said treating chambers other than said first treating chamber are treating corresponding materials, said first exchanging step comprising the steps of: making substantially equal said pressure in said inlet/outlet port to said predetermined pressure of said platform; opening a first treating chamber gate valve interconnecting said first treating chamber and said platform after completion of treatment in said first treating chamber and while said first inlet/outlet port gate valve is closed; opening said second inlet/outlet port gate valve; removing said first treated material from said first treating chamber and placing said first treated material in said inlet/outlet port; removing said first untreated material from said inlet/outlet port and placing said first untreated material in said first treating chamber; closing said first treating chamber gate valve; and closing said second inlet/outlet port gate valve; a second exchanging step for exchanging said first treated material in said inlet/outlet port with a second untreated material from said surrounding air, said second exchanging step comprising the steps of: making substantially equal said pressure in said inlet/outlet port to said surrounding air; opening said first inlet/outlet port gate valve; removing said first treated material from said inlet/outlet port and placing said first treated material in said surrounding air; removing a second untreated material from said surrounding air and placing said second untreated material in said inlet/outlet port; and closing said first inlet/outlet port gate valve; and repeating said first and second exchanging steps for each of said plurality of treating chambers for sequentially treating said corresponding materials in said plurality of treating chambers.