SPUTTERING APPARATUS AND SPUTTERING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sputtering apparatus capable of preventing any sputtering condition in a vacuum film deposition chamber from being fluctuated even when opening a gate valve between a supply chamber and the vacuum film deposition chamber, or a gate valve between the vacuum film deposition chamber and a delivery chamber. SOLUTION: The sputtering apparatus has a conveying device in which a supply chamber 5, a vacuum film deposition chamber 4 and a delivery chamber 6 are connected to each other in one row via gate valves GV7, GV8, and substrates 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e are continuously conveyed among the supply chamber 5, the vacuum film deposition chamber 4, and the delivery chamber 6. The pressure in the supply chamber 5 or the delivery chamber 6 is adjusted so that the pressure in the vacuum film deposition chamber 4 is not fluctuated when conveying the substrates by opening the gate valve between the supply chamber 5 and the vacuum film deposition chamber 4, or the gate valve between the vacuum film deposition chamber 4 and the delivery chamber 6. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT