An apparatus for contactless transportation of a device in a vacuum processing system is described. The apparatus includes: a magnetic transportation arrangement for providing a magnetic levitation force (F.sub.L) for levitating the device, the magnetic transportation arrangement comprising one or more active magnetic units; a sensor for monitoring a motion of the device, and a controller configured for controlling the one or more active magnetic units based on a signal provided by the sensor.

A substrate guide of the present invention is provided on a carrier frame of a carrier which holds a substrate substantially vertically so that a surface of the substrate is in a substantially vertical direction and supports the substrate by being in contact with at least a peripheral edge end surface portion of the substrate. The substrate guide includes a base attached to the carrier frame, a substrate support which comes into contact with the peripheral edge end surface portion of the substrate held by the carrier and is attached to the base to be movable in a normal direction of the peripheral edge end surface portion in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate, and a force-applying member which applies a force to the substrate support toward the substrate with respect to the base.

A substrate guide of the present invention is provided on a carrier frame of a carrier which holds a substrate substantially vertically so that a surface of the substrate is in a substantially vertical direction and supports the substrate by being in contact with at least a peripheral edge end surface portion of the substrate. The substrate guide includes a base attached to the carrier frame, a substrate support which comes into contact with the peripheral edge end surface portion of the substrate held by the carrier and is attached to the base to be movable in a normal direction of the peripheral edge end surface portion in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate, and a force-applying member which applies a force to the substrate support toward the substrate with respect to the base.

A method includes transmitting a radiation toward an electrostatic chuck, receiving a reflection of the radiation, analyzing the reflection of the radiation, determining whether a particle is present on the electrostatic chuck based on the analyzing the reflection of the radiation, and moving a cleaning tool to a location of the particle on the electrostatic chuck when the determination determines that the particle is present.

An ophthalmic substrate conveyor and method of conveying ophthalmic substrates for vacuum deposition utilizes gravity and impulse action energy to convey an ophthalmic substrate to an adjacent vacuum deposition machine, for coating the ophthalmic substrate with an ophthalmic substance through physical vapor deposition. The conveyor provides a spring-loaded lens wheel that selectively retains the ophthalmic substrate during coating. The lens wheel rides a pair of inclined rails, urged by gravity, to a vacuum deposition machine that coats HEV absorbing material onto ophthalmic substrate. An escapement mechanism subassembly transfers impulse action energy to the lens wheel to regulate the speed and direction of the lens wheel across the inclined rails. A rotation servomechanism senses and rotates the lens wheel to the desired orientation during coating. A ring spreader actuator engages springs in the lens wheel to clamp and release the ophthalmic substrate. A control unit regulates servomechanism and ring spreader actuator.

A carrier transport system for transporting a carrier within a vacuum chamber is described. The carrier transport system includes a track assembly extending in a transport direction, the track assembly comprising: a first passive magnetic unit provided at a first vertical coordinate and extending in the transport direction, a second passive magnetic unit provided at a second vertical coordinate and extending in the transport direction, wherein the first passive magnetic unit and the second passive magnetic unit are configured to counteract the weight of the carrier; and a roller transportation track provided at a third vertical coordinate and comprising a plurality of rollers configured to support partial weight of the carrier, wherein a first vertical distance between the first vertical coordinate and the second vertical coordinate is larger than a second distance between the second vertical coordinate and the third vertical coordinate.

The present disclosure provides a sputtering reaction chamber and a process assembly of the sputtering reaction chamber. The process assembly includes a shield, and the shield includes an integrally formed body member and a cover ring member, wherein the body member may be in a ring shape. The cover ring member may extend from a bottom of the body member to an inner side of the body member and may be configured to press an edge of a to-be-processed workpiece when a process is performed. A cooling channel may be arranged in the cover ring member and the body member and may be configured to cool the cover ring member and the body member by transferring coolant. The process assembly of the sputtering reaction chamber and the sputtering reaction chamber provided by the present disclosure can reduce heat radiation of the process assembly to the to-be-processed workpiece and released gases and impurities to effectively reduce a whisker defect and improve a product yield.

The present disclosure provides a sputtering reaction chamber and a process assembly of the sputtering reaction chamber. The process assembly includes a shield, and the shield includes an integrally formed body member and a cover ring member, wherein the body member may be in a ring shape. The cover ring member may extend from a bottom of the body member to an inner side of the body member and may be configured to press an edge of a to-be-processed workpiece when a process is performed. A cooling channel may be arranged in the cover ring member and the body member and may be configured to cool the cover ring member and the body member by transferring coolant. The process assembly of the sputtering reaction chamber and the sputtering reaction chamber provided by the present disclosure can reduce heat radiation of the process assembly to the to-be-processed workpiece and released gases and impurities to effectively reduce a whisker defect and improve a product yield.

A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system is disclosed. The PVD system includes a pedestal configured to hold a semiconductor wafer, a cover plate configured to hold a target, and a collimator between the pedestal and the cover plate. The collimator includes a plurality of passages configured to pass source material travelling from the cover plate toward the pedestal at an angle less than a threshold angle with respect to a line perpendicular to a surface of the pedestal facing the cover plate, where the collimator is configured to block source material travelling from the cover plate toward the pedestal at an angle greater than the threshold angle, where a first passage of the plurality of passages has a first passage length, where a second passage of the plurality of passages has a second passage length, and where the first passage length is less than the second passage length.

A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system is disclosed. The PVD system includes a pedestal configured to hold a semiconductor wafer, a cover plate configured to hold a target, and a collimator between the pedestal and the cover plate. The collimator includes a plurality of passages configured to pass source material travelling from the cover plate toward the pedestal at an angle less than a threshold angle with respect to a line perpendicular to a surface of the pedestal facing the cover plate, where the collimator is configured to block source material travelling from the cover plate toward the pedestal at an angle greater than the threshold angle, where a first passage of the plurality of passages has a first passage length, where a second passage of the plurality of passages has a second passage length, and where the first passage length is less than the second passage length.