BigPatents India

Vacuum treatment installation is provided for flat substrates of large edge lengths, which are conducted to and treated in an at least substantially perpendicular position . The treatment installation comprises a vacuum chamber with at least two treatment chambers , distributed over the circumference and open at the chamber side, a series of interlocks and a rotatable configuration of substrate holders (13) within the vacuum chamber with a driving mechanism (1) for the sequential rotation and radial movement of the substrate holders (13) relative to the treatment chambers. In order to decrease the placement area, the chamber volumes and the evacuation times, to simplify the handling, and especially to decrease the contamination hazard of the substrates by spalled-off layer particles, it is proposed that the substrate holders (13) are connected to the driving mechanism (1) in their lower regions via connecting rods (8), and that at least the lower pivot bearings of the connecting rod configurations (8) are disposed below a horizontal center line (M) of the height (H) of the bearing surface of the substrate holders (13). All pivot bearings are preferably disposed below the horizontal center line (M). Alternatively, parallelogram connecting rod configurations suspended on extension arms (4) can be disposed or trapezoidal connecting rod configurations can be placed onto a rotary table. The substrate transport takes place free of frames and preferably in the upward direction sloped at an angle between 1 and 20 degrees with respect to the rotational axis. (FIG1).