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:
Sep. 09, 2003
Filed:
Feb. 25, 1999
Shinichi Hara, Kitakawabemachi, JP;
Yutaka Tanaka, Utsunomiya, JP;
Shigeru Terashima, Utsunomiya, JP;
Takayuki Hasegawa, Utsunomiya, JP;
Shin Matsui, Urawa, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A processing apparatus includes a sealed vacuum chamber which contains a processing portion; a pressure controlling system which keeps the internal pressure of the sealed vacuum chamber constant at a predetermined level by exhausting the ambient gas in the sealed vacuum chamber; and an ambient gas recirculating system which recirculates the ambient gas exhausted from the sealed vacuum chamber back into the sealed vacuum chamber; wherein the ambient gas recirculated by the ambient gas recirculating system is blown into the sealed vacuum chamber so that a gas flow is generated in a predetermined direction along the processing portion.