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:
Jun. 01, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 15, 2000
Tomoyuki Kawano, Yamaguchi, JP;
Kouji Nishihata, Tokuyama, JP;
Tetsuya Tahara, Hikari, JP;
Shoji Okiguchi, Kudamatsu, JP;
Hideki Yamasaki, Kudamatsu, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A vacuum process apparatus has a plurality of cassettes for holding samples; a transporting means for transporting the samples; a plurality of vacuum process chambers each for processing samples one by one; an evacuation means for evacuating the vacuum process chambers; a load chamber and an unload chamber communicating with the vacuum process chambers; and an apparatus control means for controlling transporting and processing of the samples. The apparatus control means operates to measure a time period of transporting each of the samples and a time period of processing in each of the vacuum process chambers, and determines a next extracting order of extraction of the samples from the plurality of cassettes based on the measured time periods.