Method for operating a plasma processing system by setting first process recipes for first station specifying initial gas flow rate, a change point, and a subsequent gas flow rate; setting second process recipes for second station specifying second gas flow rate; setting an initial estimate for gas leakage from the first station into the second station through the transport opening; and calculating a gas flow change for the second station using the initial gas flow rate and the subsequent gas flow rate of the first station, and the initial estimate; executing plasma processing simultaneously in the first station and the second station according to the first process recipe, the second process recipe and the gas flow change.

Embodiments of a substrate carrier are described. The substrate carrier includes a carrier tray having a deposition surface and a set of pedestal positions on the deposition surface. In some embodiments, the set comprises an N?M array of pedestal positions with N?1 and M?1. Each pedestal position is adapted to receive a corresponding substrate pedestal, and each pedestal has a working surface adapted to receive a substrate. One or more adjusters are positioned in a corresponding pedestal position. The adjuster can adjust a distance between the deposition surface and the working surface, an angular orientation of the working surface relative to the deposition surface, or both.

Embodiments of a substrate carrier are described. The substrate carrier includes a carrier tray having a deposition surface and a set of pedestal positions on the deposition surface. In some embodiments, the set comprises an N?M array of pedestal positions with N?1 and M?1. Each pedestal position is adapted to receive a corresponding substrate pedestal, and each pedestal has a working surface adapted to receive a substrate. One or more adjusters are positioned in a corresponding pedestal position. The adjuster can adjust a distance between the deposition surface and the working surface, an angular orientation of the working surface relative to the deposition surface, or both.

Work piece carrier device to be installed in a vacuum chamber of a vacuum treatment system, comprising: one carousel X with a diameter d.sub.X, one or multiple carousels Y.sub.m with a diameter d.sub.Ym<d.sub.X, which are mountable on carousel X one or multiple work piece supports Z.sub.n with diameters d.sub.Zn?d.sub.Ym, which are mountable on the one or multiple carousels Y.sub.m, two actuators A1 and A2.

A brake disk or drum has at least one working surface which opposes a braking member such as a brake pad or shoe. A plurality of spaced, raised island formations are provided across the working surface, with channels extending between the island formations. Each raised island formation has an outer surface which contacts a brake pad or brake shoe during braking.

A substrate support apparatus includes a housing and a plurality of spherical supports. The housing has a top surface, the top surface including a plurality of openings. The housing is configured to position the plurality of spherical supports within the plurality of openings so that topmost surfaces of the plurality of spherical supports are arranged in a plane above the top surface. A spherical support of the plurality of spherical supports is rotatable within the housing.

A holding device includes a plate-shaped member, a tubular member, and a connecting member. The tubular member is made of ceramic and is joined to plate-shaped member at an end thereof. The tubular member has, at an other end thereof, a flange portion having a first through-hole. The connecting member is disposed on the other side of the tubular member and has, in a third surface, which is an end face of the connecting member, a hole into which a fastening member inserted through the first through-hole in the flange portion is to be screwed. A specific portion, which is a portion in an outer edge line of a fourth surface of the tubular member, the portion overlapping a minimum virtual circle covering the fourth surface, is not in contact with the third surface of the connecting member.

A holding device includes a plate-shaped member, a tubular member, and a connecting member. The tubular member is made of ceramic and is joined to plate-shaped member at an end thereof. The tubular member has, at an other end thereof, a flange portion having a first through-hole. The connecting member is disposed on the other side of the tubular member and has, in a third surface, which is an end face of the connecting member, a hole into which a fastening member inserted through the first through-hole in the flange portion is to be screwed. A specific portion, which is a portion in an outer edge line of a fourth surface of the tubular member, the portion overlapping a minimum virtual circle covering the fourth surface, is not in contact with the third surface of the connecting member.

A vapor deposition device for forming a ceramic coating on a substrate, the device including a coating chamber, loading chambers, substrate support mechanisms, horizontal moving mechanisms, and reversing mechanisms, and configured as follows. The coating chamber and each loading chambers are connected individually to a vacuumizer and are connected to each other at their openings. In the coating chamber, an electron gun is provided that emits an electron beam with which the held ceramic raw material is irradiated. Each of the substrate support mechanisms includes left and right partition walls, a left substrate support plate on the left side of the left partition wall, and a right substrate support plate on the right side of the right partition wall. Each of the substrate support plates has multiple substrate mounting portions for mounting substrates thereon. The left and right substrate support plates are capable of revolving in a plane parallel to the left and right partition walls, and each of the multiple substrate mounting portions is capable of rotating. Each of the horizontal moving mechanisms is configured to cause the substrate support mechanism to move horizontally in the left-right direction between a vapor deposition position where one of the partition walls is in close contact with the opening and a reverse position where the left and right sides of the substrate support mechanism are reversed.

The soft magnetic material multilayer deposition apparatus includes a circular arrangement of a multitude of substrate carriers in a circular inner space of a vacuum transport chamber. In operation the substrate carriers pass treatment stations. One of the treatment stations has a sputtering target made of a first soft magnetic material. A second treatment station includes a target made of a second soft magnetic material which is different from the first soft magnetic material of the first addressed target. A control unit controlling relative movement of the substrate carriers with respect to the treatment stations provides for more than one 360? revolution of the multitude of substrate carriers around the axis AX of the circular inner space of the vacuum transport chamber, while the first and second treatment stations are continuously operative.