VACUUM PROCESSING APPARATUS

To provide a vacuum processing apparatus having a configuration in which the posture of a substrate to be processed can be changed in the middle of transferring the substrate to be processed between a plurality of vacuum chambers without causing an increase in the size of the vacuum chamber.SOLUTION: In a vacuum processing apparatus VM, a posture change unit that changes the posture of a substrate Sw is provided in an intermediate chamber Mc, and the posture-changed substrate is transferred from the intermediate chamber to a downstream chamber Dc by transfer means 2, 1b, and an upstream chamber Uc and the intermediate chamber are connected via first and second on-off valves 61 and 62, and a first connecting member 71, and the intermediate chamber and the downstream chamber are connected via third and fourth on-off valves 63 and 64 and the second connecting member 72. A vent line Vl is connected to the first and second connecting members, and the posture change unit includes rotating means 5 that rotationally drives the intermediate chamber around rotation shafts 3a and 3b provided in the intermediate chamber while holding the substrate in the intermediate chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3 【課題】複数の真空チャンバの間で被処理基板を移送する際に、真空チャンバの大型化を招くことなくその途中で被処理基板の姿勢を変更できる構成を持つ真空処理装置を提供する。【解決手段】真空処理装置ＶＭは、中間チャンバＭｃに基板Ｓｗの姿勢を変更する姿勢変更ユニットが設けられ、姿勢変更された基板が移送手段２，１ｂにより中間チャンバから下流側チャンバＤｃに移送され、上流側チャンバＵｃと中間チャンバとが、第１及び第２の開閉バルブ６１，６２と第１の連結部材７１とを介して連設され、中間チャンバと下流側チャンバとが、第３及び第４の開閉バルブ６３，６４と第２の連結部材７２とを介して連設される。第１及び第２の接続部材にベントラインＶｌが接続され、姿勢変更ユニットは、中間チャンバ内で基板を保持した状態で中間チャンバに設けられた回転軸３ａ，３ｂ回りに中間チャンバを回転駆動する回転手段５を備える。【選択図】図３