In apparatus for charging and discharging substrates, substrates are disposed in a magazine or substance store and into the pre-chamber of a high-vacuum-processing-chamber which is made as a vacuum chamber, the magazine being pushed into a housing, which at its lower side provides an opening. The housing can be deposited with the magazine onto the upper part of the wall of the lower box, an air lock plate held below an opening in the upper part of the wall taking the magazine and lowering it into a lower position by means of a pair of lifting cylinders. After this the air lock plate with the magazine and the pair of lifting cylinders are movable laterally on a conveying-slide-carriage, until the air lock plate is positioned below the passage of opening in the bottom part of the vacuum chamber. Eventually the air lock plate can be moved so far up in a vertical direction, until the magazine is disposed in the pre-chamber and until the air lock plate, which is a little bigger, closes the opening of passage.
A method and apparatus for applying a coating to a continuous length of tubing. A coating chamber having entry and exit ports substantially encloses a portion of the tubing while permitting the tubing to pass continuously therethrough. Airflow into the coating chamber through the exit port strips excess coating material from the tubing surface. Air is withdrawn from the coating chamber by vacuum pumps through one or more separation chambers which separate entrained particles or droplets of coating material from the air. The coating chamber is preferably disposed at a distance from the separation chamber(s). The vacuum line connecting the coating chamber with the separation chamber(s) is preferably flexible or breakable. The separation chambers are preferably capable of being operated in series or in parallel. Adjustable masks are preferably provided at the entry and exit ports of the coating chamber. A seal is preferably provided at the entry port.
An improved door closure indicator is provided. The indicator operates on pressure levels read within a pressurized chamber rather than from proximity switches coupled between the chamber and the door. If the door seals to the chamber, pressure within the chamber will quickly change, and the change will be read on a pressure sensor indicative of the door closure. According to one example, the chamber can comprise a vacuum chamber and the pressure sensor can be a vacuum monitor. Once vacuum is detected, it is determined with more absolutism that the door is actually closed rather than having to rely upon switch operation and/or alignment of the door activation mechanism to proximity switches arranged on the chamber housing. The processing tool which embodies the chamber includes a chamber controller which incorporates various switches and relays which channel pressure readings taken from the chamber to a load controller, and also delays pressure readings after opening a half-gate valve operably coupled between a vacuum pump and the chamber.
An improved door closure indicator is provided. The indicator operates on pressure levels read within a pressurized chamber rather than from proximity switches coupled between the chamber and the door. If the door seals to the chamber, pressure within the chamber will quickly change, and the change will be read on a pressure sensor indicative of the door closure. According to one example, the chamber can comprise a vacuum chamber and the pressure sensor can be a vacuum monitor. Once vacuum is detected, it is determined with more absolutism that the door is actually closed rather than having to rely upon switch operation and/or alignment of the door activation mechanism to proximity switches arranged on the chamber housing. The processing tool which embodies the chamber includes a chamber controller which incorporates various switches and relays which channel pressure readings taken from the chamber to a load controller, and also delays pressure readings after opening a half-gate valve operably coupled between a vacuum pump and the chamber.
