The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 07, 2025
Filed:
Sep. 18, 2020
Hitachi High-tech Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Takaharu Kinoshita, Tokyo, JP;
Hisanori Hayano, Tokyo, JP;
Tomoyuki Watanabe, Tokyo, JP;
Norifumi Ozaki, Tokyo, JP;
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An objects detecting method for a vacuum processing apparatus equipped with: a processing unit including a vacuum container having therein a processing chamber in which a wafer is processed, and an exhaust pump that exhausts gas in the processing chamber; a vacuum transfer unit including a transfer chamber in which the wafer is transferred; and a connection pipe including a passage through which the wafer can be transferred between the processing chamber and the transfer chamber, includes: an objects collecting process of increasing an internal pressure of the transfer chamber to be higher than an internal pressure of the processing chamber to generate a gas flow in the passage from the transfer chamber toward the processing chamber, transferring the wafer to a position straddling the transfer chamber, the passage, and the processing chamber, and holding the wafer for a predetermined time; and an objects detecting process of detecting objects adhering to a surface of the wafer.