EQUIPMENT FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF A BODY IN A TREATMENT STATION AND FOR TRANSFERRING THE BODY ITSELF.

Description

Description of the invention Having as its title * "APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE OF A BODY IN A TREATMENT STATION AND FOR TRANSFERRING THE BODY" a none VARIAR ASSOCIATES, INC; and Palo Alto, California (USA) Inventor; Paul Ernest Luacher. Deposited? ^ 20 5 5 7 Λ / Μ =0-0=0-0 The present invention relates generally to apparatus for controlling the temperature of a body in a holding station and for transferring said body from a carriage to said holding station, and more particularly to such apparatus in which, during the transfer of the carrier of said body between the carriage and the holding station, contact between pins or feet forming a thermocouple and a surface of the carrier which is also part of the thermocouple is prevented. It is necessary in many cases to transfer a body or object to a holding station at an inaccessible location. For example, in vacuum film processing, a body or object to be coated, such as a substrate, must be transferred between the outside and inside of a vacuum enclosure or container. In this manner, ...*·;* pico 11 substrate is fixedly mounted to a substrate holder*. » t ·• ·. Layer that is transported into the vacuum container by a trolley and which is transferred between the trolley and a processing station, where the films are deposited on the substrate. For certain applications, such as molecular beam epitaxial coating, it is necessary to maintain the substrate at a high and precisely controlled temperature. Typically, thermocouple junctions are used to control the substrate temperature. In one prior art arrangement, thermocouple junctions were formed by melting dissimilar metal wires into a bead that was then placed in contact with the substrate holder. It was found that the transfer of the substrate caused the junctions to wear and bend, and in the case of brittle materials, to fracture due to friction between the junction and the substrate holder. The temperature of the bead itself was also measured, and the generally relatively minimal contact between the bead and the substrate resulted in a decrease in precision and reproducibility.The problem of wire wear is particularly serious in molecular beam epitaxial deposition, a process that is carried out in an ultrahigh vacuum of -10 * on the order of 10 torr. In ultrahigh vacuums, there are naturally some gas molecules between the contact surfaces, and friction problems are serious when there is rubbing between the parts. Another problem that can arise is that radiant energy from a thermocouple-controlled substrate heater can propagate to the thermocouple itself, causing the thermocouple to derive a voltage that is not precisely related to the substrate temperature. This is particularly serious in the case of leaded thermocouples. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved type of apparatus for controlling the temperature of a body or object* which can be transferred from a cart to a treatment station while the body or object is located at the same transfer station. A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved type of mechanism for transferring a body or object between a processing station and a trolley. Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved type of apparatus for precisely and reproducibly controlling the temperature of a substrate located in a rotating enclosure or container at a processing station, which substrate is selectively conveyed to the processing station by a trolley device. An additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improved type of apparatus for transferring a body or object from a trolley to a treatment station in a vacuum environment and for controlling the temperature of the body or object by means of thermocouples which are not exposed to mechanical wear during the transfer and which give more precise and reproducible measurements. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a new and improved type of apparatus for transferring a body or object from a cart to a treatment station which includes a heater for the body or object, and a monitor of the temperature of said body or object, wherein the radiant energy from the heater is shielded by the temperature control apparatus itself. According to the present invention, the temperature of a body or object being transferred from a trolley to a treatment station is determined by mounting the body or object on a metal support. In one application, the body or object is a substrate to be coated using molecular beam epitaxial deposition techniques. In this application, the controlled temperature is sent to a conventional reaction combiner that applies current to an electric heater, which maintains the substrate at a predetermined elevated temperature. To control the temperature of the body or object, a pair of metal contact pins or pins at the treatment station selectively contact a surface of the substrate to form a pair of thermocouple junctions. A transfer structure, which is part of the treatment station and the carriage, transfers the substrate between a first position on the carriage and a second position on the treatment station.The transfer structure includes means for producing translational and rotational motion between the media and the processing station as the media is transferred. A key feature of the invention is that contact between the surface and the contact pins is prevented during the translational and rotational motions, so that no frictional engagement occurs between the contact pins and the media during this interval, and thus no damage to the contact pins and the media occurs during the transfer. The transfer structure is also designed so that there is minimal contact between the moving parts during the transfer operation, thereby reducing friction and wear between the parts and extending its life. According to a further feature of the invention t_ The thermocouple contact pins are shielded from the substrate heater while the substrate itself is in the curing or storage station. Shielding is achieved by providing the substrate holder with a central cavity into which the heater fits while the holder is held securely in the station. Shielding is achieved by forming the perimeter of the cavity in the shape of a rim or lip having a groove into which the contact pins fit while the holder is secured at the station. The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a top view and partly in section of a molecular beam epitaxial deposition system embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side view and partly in section of a carriage approaching a processing station with a substrate holder mounted thereon; Fig. 3 is a front view of the carriage illustrated in Fig. 2f, taken along line 3-3; - 7 • · · ····· • •«è· • φ fig.4 is a partial sectional view of the substrate carrier trolley and of the treatment station immediately • 0 φ · after the carriage has been translated into engagement with the processing station; Fig. 5 is a side view of the carriage, called the processing station, and the substrate holder when the substrate holder has been rotated into position on the processing station; Fig. 6 is a side view and part cross-section of the carriage, substrate holder, and processing station after the substrate holder has been transferred to the processing station; Fig. 7 is a front view of the carriage after the substrate has been transferred to the processing station, taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 0 is a front view of the processing station, taken along the line Θ-Θ of Fig. 2. Refer now to Fig. 1 of the attached drawings, which shows a vacuum-filled enclosure or container 11, maintained by a vacuum system (not shown) at a pressure of approximately 10 torr, which represents the basic vacuum required for molecular beam epitaxial deposition. The substrates to be coated with the material in the molecular beams are mounted on substrate holders 12, which are selectively positioned on processing stations 13, at diametrically opposite ends of a carriage 14 that rotates about an axis 15. The molecular beams are formed in ovens 16 and propagate into an appropriately positioned substrate on the support 12. A cryoscopic pump 17 is located near the ovens 16 and the substrates on the substrate holders.Included in the container or enclosure 11 are suitable shutters (not shown) to control the flow of molecular beams from the ovens 16 to the substrates, as well as to isolate the analyzing apparatus from the molecular beam as it is deposited on one of the substrates. The substrate is scanned by a multiplicity of instruments extending into the container or enclosure 11from positions shifted around the periphery of the same container or enclosure. These instruments include a reflection electron diffraction system comprising an electron gun 21 and a phosphor screen 22, which monitors the surface of a crystal substrate before and during epitaxial growth. In addition, an Auger electron spectrometer 23 allows the elemental composition of films or coatings formed on the substrate to be identified. A four-pole mass spectrometer (not shown) continuously monitors the composition of the residual gases as well as the electron beams within chamber 11. A cleaning ion gun 24 and a substrate profiling ion gun 25 extend from chamber 11. An observation light 26 is provided on the wall of the chamber 11 to determine what operations are being performed inside the chamber and to determine whether the substrate holders 12 are exactly in position on the processing stations 13.The apparatus previously described in connection with Fig. 1 is known to those skilled in this art. In accordance with the present invention, a new and improved type of mechanism 27 is provided for carrying a substrate carrier 12 from the environment outside the enclosure or chamber 11 to that inside the same enclosure or chamber and once inside said enclosure or chamber to a fixed position on the processing station 13, and for carrying the substrate carrier from the processing station and carrying it to the environment outside the chamber. The mechanism 27 includes a carriage 23, mounted on a movable and rotatable rod 29, moved by a magnetic transmission 51" located externally of the enclosure or chamber 11. The magnetic transmission 31 translates the carriage from the fixed position to the fixed position. *·· tion 28· with a dotted line bringing it into contact with:· the treatment station 13 and then rotates the trolley itself to collect and deposit the substrate holder / ## « is m # layer 12 in the treatment station 13. ## · • « * Initially, the carriage 28 is in the retracted position close to the vacuum door 32, while the support 12, on which the substrate is rigidly mounted, is inserted into the carriage. The door 32 is then closed and a roughing pump 34 is used to create a vacuum in region 33. After a sufficient vacuum (1 to 10 microns) has been created in region 33, the valve 35 is opened, located between region 33 and region 36, which is continuously evacuated by the ion pump 37, with which a vacuum is then created in region 33. Once a sufficient vacuum (10 to 10 Torr.) has been created in regions 33 and 36, the valve 38 is opened and the carriage 28 is drawn by the shaft 29 into the casing or chamber 11. After the substrate holder 12 has been placed in the processing station 13, an electric heater (not shown in Fig. 1) is activated. The current flowing through the electric heater is controlled in response to the temperature of the substrate holder 12, which is controlled by a thermocouple. The thermocouple % · ·• III Φ · • · • · ·• · · · • t· • » · · couple derives a voltage indicative of the temperature ······ ·* • ·· of the substrate holder 12, voltage which is supplied to a conventional heater reaction combiner. The mechanisms of the substrate holder 12, the processing station 13 and the carriage 28 are illustrated in Figs. 2 through 7. These mechanisms include the apparatus for transferring the substrate holder 12 between the carriage 28 and the station 13. The resistance heater for the substrates and the thermocouple junctions for temperature control are also illustrated in these figures. In general, the support 12 is formed in the form of a cup or cup of metal, preferably molybdenum, having a body portion 50 which includes a flat front face of circular cross-section 61, on which the substrate to be coated is mounted in a known manner. In the rear face of the body 60, adjacent to the face 61, a central cavity 62 is formed, generally maintained in coaxial relation with the axis of the shaft 29, while the support is rigidly mounted both in the carriage 28 and in the station 13", as well as during the transfer operation between the carriage and the station itself. The perimeter of the cavity 62 defines the internal surface of the annular lip or rim 63. In the face of the rim or lip 63 opposite the face 61, an annular groove 64 is provided which must be - 12 may be made of metal, although the support 12 is made of dielectric material. Bayonet pins 65« angularly offset from each other by 120° extend radially from the rim or lip 6j beyond the perimeter of the face 61. The body 60 incorporates a circular flange 66 which includes a shoulder or abutment 67, which may serve as a stop against a fixed part of the station 13, as described below. The flange 66 also serves as a barrier against the deposition of the molecular beams into the cup 72 and during a transfer operation aligns the body 60 along the wall of the cup 41. As more clearly illustrated in FIG.6. The carriage 28 includes an inner cup 41 and an outer cup 42, both of which cups 41 and 42 are coaxial with the shaft 29. The shaft 29 is rigidly connected to the cup 41 via the stem 43 which extends from the rear face of the cup 41 and is secured to the shaft 29 by a set screw 44. The cup 42 includes a sleeve 45 which is coaxial with the stem 43 and surrounds the latter, which sleeve is coupled to the stem by bearings 46. The cups 41 and 42 are normally held in a predetermined rotational position by a spring 47 having one end connected to the rear face of the cup by a notch 48 and a second end which is rigidly connected to the shaft 29. Min .·♦* »« · · ·• ·*·· attached to the sleeve 45 by a pin or stud 49. The tooth 48 extends through an arched slot formed in the rear face of the cup 42, a slot which has an angular extension of approximately 60°. ··*·.• · · ·1 Three slots 51 extend along the edge of the open face of the cup 41, each angularly offset by 120°. The slots 51 selectively receive the bayonet pins 55 on the carrier 12. The slots 51 include portions 52 that extend longitudinally parallel to the axis of the shaft 29, as well as slots or portions 53 that extend circumferentially partially around the cylindrical surface of the cup 41. Mounted adjacent to the slot 51 is a leaf spring 54 that extends in the same general direction as the circumferential slot portion 53. Leaf spring 54 includes a projection which extends longitudinally along the axis of shaft 29 toward processing station 13. The projection extends nearly to the edge of the slot portion 53 closest to the edge of cup 41 which is adjacent to station 13. The projection permits spring 54 to grip bayonet pin 65 when carrier 12 is rigidly mounted on carriage 28. Three equally spaced angular openings 53 extend from the edge of the open face of the cup 42. Each opening 55 is illustrated in Fig. 4. Each opening 55 includes a pair of facing shoulders 56 and 57, which extend longitudinally to the axis of the shaft 29. Between adjacent pairs of shoulders and extending the front face of cup 42 is a tapered surface 53 extending inwardly which aligns substrate holder 12 coaxially with shaft 25 and which manipulates the thermocouple probes during transfer of carrier 12 from carriage 26 to station 15. The spring 47 normally biases the cups 41 and 42, so that the portion 5? which extends longitudinally of the slot 51 is almost equidistant from the facing shoulders 56 and 57. Due to the tapering of the surface 56, the coaxial alignment of the support 12 is achieved even if the shaft 29 has a certain tendency to move slightly with respect to the station 13, which remains fixed during the transfer operation. Station 13 includes resistance heater 71, shown schematically in resistor form. The heater is rigidly mounted to station 13 and is fixedly positioned in cup 72, which during transfer is coaxial with shaft 29, so that heater 71 is located within cavity 62 when carrier 12 is rigidly attached to station 13. • ·• s · tense ··**• * ·• ee * Me « The dimensions of the carriage, the support, the station and the heater are such that during the transfer said heater cannot be touched by the support 12, thus avoiding problems of filament breakage which could otherwise occur during the transfer. Station 13 also includes retractable, axially extending dielectric pins 81, 82, and 83, which are normally biased so that their ends are coplanar, with pins 81 through 83 being angularly displaced from each other by 120°. Extending along the length of each pin 81 through 83 is a small metal wire that at one end of the pins is in the form of a coil 84. The metals of the wires of pins 81 and 82 differ from each other, so that thermocouple junctions with different electromotive shape properties are formed between the coils of wire 84 associated with pins 81 and 82 and the metal of the support 12 when the coils and the support are in contact with each other. In a preferred embodiment the two wires have different rhenium compositions, for example W5Re and V26Re.The substrate is quite massive and has sufficiently good thermal conductivity so that the temperature is essentially uniform throughout the substrate, where the electromotive force generated through the wire turns and the substrate is equivalent to that generated through a junction of the wire turns alone at the temperature of the substrate at their point of contact, thus permitting the use of ordinary thermocouple tables. A voltage develops across the wires extending through pins 81 and 82 which is indicative of the temperature of the substrate 12 and the substrate mounted thereon while the substrate and pins 81 through 83 are in contact.The wire coil of the remaining pin 83 is not electrically connected, but simply forms with the associated coils of pins 81 and 82 a flat, mechanically stable surface against which the inner face of the groove 84 of the support body 60 abuts. The electrical voltage generated between the wires extending through pins 81 and 82 is fed to a conventional feedback circuit, which supplies current to the resistance heater 71 whereby the flow of current to the heater maintains the substrate and the support 12 at a desired temperature. The particular physical arrangement of heater 71, support 12, and pins 81 and 82 substantially prevents the propagation of direct and reflected radiant energy from heater 71 to the thermocouple junctions established by pins 81 and 82 against body 60 of the support 12. As noted in FIG. 6, when support 12 is in position at station 13, there is no path line from heater 71 to the thermocouple junctions, but rather there is a shielding of the energy. i·1 already radiating between the heater 71 and the wire turns 84 of the pins 81 and 82 at the inner face of the groove 64. The shielding is due to the metal mass in the edge or lip 65 and to the relatively narrow and deep groove 64 in which the turns 84 are embedded.The metal mass prevents the direct propagation of radiant energy from the heater to the thermocouple junctions, while embedding the coils in the groove 64 substantially prevents the propagation of reflected radiant energy to the coils. Thanks to the shielding, the temperature controlled by the thermocouples associated with the pins 81 and 82 is not materially affected by the radiant energy coming from the heater 71 and precise temperature indications are obtained. An important feature of the invention is that the wire coils 84 do not contact the inner face of the groove 64 while the carrier 12 is being translated and / or rotated into position on the station 13. This significantly extends the life of the wire coils 64 and prevents scoring of the inner face of the groove. For these purposes, the pins or feet 81 through 83 are selectively retracted relative to the cup 72, which is rigidly mounted relative to the carriage 14. Each of the pins or feet 81 through 83 is rigidly mounted on a separate longitudinally extending sleeve 88. Opposite ends of each of the sleeves 88 abut one face of a floating annular plate 89 and one end of the compression spring 88. Each of the springs 87 is coaxial with and surrounds a narrow section 0 of the sleeve 88, one end of which extends into a longitudinal hole formed in the ring 85.Ring 85, which is rigidly mounted on carriage 14*, is in turn securely attached to one end of sleeve 86. Securely attached to the other end of sleeve 86 is an annular stop plate 92, which limits the forward movement of plate 89 and pins or feet 81 through 83. Cup 72 is rigidly mounted at station 13 by virtue of its connection by stud 93 to fixed plate 92. Cup 72 and plate 92 include aligned longitudinally extending holes that are angularly offset from each other by 120*, through which pins or feet 81 through 83 extend. Cup 72 is coaxial with sleeve 86 and hence with cups 41 and 42 during the transfer operation. The outside diameter of cup 72 is smaller than the inside diameter of cup 41 so that the latter can fit inside the former during the transfer operation. The inside diameter of cup 72 is larger than the outside diameter of the annular lip portion 63 and the shoulder 67 of the support body 60, so that said support body can fit inside cup 72. The outside diameter of cup 72 is approximately equal to the diameter of flange 66 on the support body 60, so that if necessary the cup can clamp against the support as the support is translated and / or rotated during the transfer operation. To enable station 13 to capture media 12, cup 42 includes three slots 94* angularly offset from one another by 120°. Each of the slots 94 is similar to the slots 51 of cup 41* in that it includes a longitudinally extending slot portion 93* as well as a circumferentially extending slot portion 96. The circumferentially extending slot portions 96 and 55 of slots 94 and 51 extend in the same direction, with the mechanism viewed sideways, as in FIG. 2. To understand the operation of the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 2 to Θ, a sequence of operations will now be described assuming that the support 12 is mounted on the , trolley 26t as illustrated in fig.2, that the support is transferred to the treatment station 13 by translation and rotation of the trolley, as indicated in figs.4 and 5 and that the support is finally positioned in the station 13 as illustrated in fig.6. As illustrated in FIG. 2, as the carriage 28 approaches station 13*, the carrier 12 is rigidly mounted on the carriage by virtue of the bayonet pins 65 being captured between the leaf springs 54 and the closed ends of the circumferentially extending slot portions 53. As the carriage 28 transports the carrier 12 into station 13, an eccentric acting surface at the forward end of the cup 42 abuts a cam or eccentric surface on the face of the plate 8?. The eccentric acting surface of the cup 42 transports the plate 8? into a retracted position against the bias of the springs 67, so that the pins or feet 81 through 83 are drawn into a retracted position (FIG. 4)* which is out of contact with the inner face of the slot 64.As the plate 89 and the pins or feet 81 through 83 are drawn into the retracted position, the bayonet pins 65 are translated through the longitudinally extending portion 95 of the slots 94. With plate 85 and pins or feet 81 through 83 in the fully retracted position and with bayonet pins 65 at the rear end of the longitudinally extending slot portions 95, shaft 29 is rotated, so that cup 41 and support body 60 are rotated by shaft 29, while outer cup 42 remains fixed. At this point, pin 65 rotates in portions 96 of slot 94 away from longitudinally extending groove portions 95 toward the closed end of circumferential groove portions 96. As cup 41 continues to rotate, pins 65 are brought to rest against spring 34. Eventually, the force of springs 34 is overcome and cup 41 rotates until stopped by pin 63 engaging the wall that is aligned with the lower edge (seen in FIG. 5J) of longitudinal groove portion 52.By this the bayonet pins 65 are captured in the grooved portions 96 and released from the grooved portions 53, whereby the carrier 12 is transferred to the processing station 13. The shaft 29 then transports the carriage 28 away from the processing station 13, whereby the springs 87 push the wire coils 84 of the pins or feet 91 to 83. • ***t» against the inside face of groove 64 to establish the thermocouple junctions and securely fasten the sub-·** * a _ * '*·*· ..*· pins or feet from Θ1 to 83 is stopped by the inner face of the groove 64, so that the plate 89 is in a slightly rearward position with respect to the plate 92, as illustrated in fig. 6. Due to the restoring force of the spring 47, following the withdrawal of the carriage from the station, the cup 42 rotates with respect to the cups 72 and 41, so that the cups 41 and 42 are once again aligned. To transfer the carrier 12 from station 13 to the carriage 28, the reverse sequence is followed, whereby the wire coils 84 are initially pushed away from the inner face of the grooves 64, the pins 65 are rotated relative to the groove portions 55 and 66, and are then captured between the spring 65 and the inner end of the circumferentially extending groove portions 55. The shaft 29 then transports the carriage 26 and the carrier 12 away from station 13, so that a new substrate carrier can be loaded into the carriage. Loading of the new substrate carrier onto the carriage is accomplished by a mechanism similar to that included in station 13. This mechanism is incorporated through door 32 on trolley 28 in the region

Claims

- 23 - .··· » ··· 33 · Alternatively, loading from the new substrate holder can be done by hand. It is to be understood that numerous modifications and variations can be envisaged with respect to the embodiment specifically described without departing from the scope of the invention. ··*##• #··· • * • · · · • * * ·• · · · • * * * ♦ • » 1• * · I ····• Φ * miiDefinition 1) Apparatus suitable for controlling the temperature of a body or object placed in a treatment station and for allowing the same body or object to be transferred from a trolley to the treatment station and vice versa, said apparatus comprising a metal holder for the body or object; a first and second metal contact pin in the processing station, said pins or feet being arranged to selectively contact a surface of the support, said first contact pin or foot and said surface forming once in contact a first thermocouple junction,said second contact pin or foot and said surface forming once in contact a second thermocouple junction, with said junctions having dissimilar properties, whereby a voltage indicative of the temperature of the body or object arises therebetween while the pins or feet and the surface are in contact with each other; said processing station including means for selectively holding the medium; said carriage including means for selectively holding the medium; said processing station and said carriage including means for transferring the medium between the carriage and the processing station,said transfer means* including means for producing a translational and rotational motion between the support and the processing station during a transfer of the support; and means for preventing contact between the surface of the support and the pins or feet during the rotational motion. 2) Apparatus as in claim 1), wherein the contact inhibiting means includes means for preventing contact between the surface of the support and the pins or feet during the translational and rotational motion; 3) Apparatus as in claim 2), wherein the inhibiting means includes a member in the station for controlling the translational motion of the pins or feet; said carriage including a transmission means for selectively translating the control member; means for normally urging the control member into a predetermined longitudinal position while the support is not in proximity to the processing station;whereby the pins or feet are in a chosen longitudinal position while the carriage moves the support into contact with the treatment station and capable of stressing the control organ so that the pins or feet «n-*, ···· · . · •* *·§· ·♦··· *.λ come into contact with the surface of the support after the support itself has been transferred to the treatment station and the carriage has been moved away from the treatment station itself,the transmission member#>e#; engaging the control member to bias the control member against the biasing means and retract the control member from the predetermined position as the carriage translates and rotates the support into fixed engagement with the processing station, whereby the pins or feet hold it away from the predetermined position as the carriage translates and rotates the support into fixed engagement with the processing station.

4. Apparatus as in claim 5), wherein the transfer means include a first cylindrical surface in the processing station, a second cylindrical surface on the carriage, means for maintaining said first and second cylindrical surfaces coaxial during transfer of the support, means for rotating one of said cylindrical surfaces relative to the other during transfer of the support,said support including rigidly mounted and outwardly extending bayonet pins, each of said surfaces including surfaces for selectively receiving the bayonet pins to permit translation and rotation of the bayonet pins during transfer of the support. b. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a heater in the enclosure for heating the support while the support is in the enclosure, and radiant energy shielding means positioned between the heater and the metal contact pins or feet to substantially prevent radiant heating by the heater of the contact pins or feet. 6) Apparatus as in 5)» wherein the support includes a cavity in the centre, into which the heater fits, while the support is held rigidly in the station,said screening means including a rim or lip having a surface forming the perimeter of the cavity, said rim or lip including a groove into which the contact pins or feet fit while the carrier is secured in the station.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1), wherein the transferring means includes a first cylindrical surface in the processing station, a second cylindrical surface on the carriage, means for maintaining said first and said second cylindrical surfaces coaxial during transfer of the carrier, means for rotating one of said cylindrical surfaces relative to the other during transfer of the carrier,said support in-*'·; 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7), wherein each of the slots in the second cylindrical surface has longitudinally and circumferentially extending portions, and further comprising spring means proximate to each of the circumferentially extending slot portions, said spring means selectively retaining the bayonet pins in position against a closed end of the circumferentially extending slot portion.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8), wherein each of the slots in the first cylindrical surface has portions that extend longitudinally and circumferentially,the circumferentially extending portions of the slots of the first and second cylindrical surfaces extending in the same direction with respect to their corresponding longitudinal slots during transfer of the carrier, as viewed from the side of the cylindrical surfaces.

10. Apparatus as in claim 7), wherein the transfer means includes a third cylindrical surface on the carriage, said third cylindrical surface being rotatable with respect to and coaxial with the second cylindrical surface, said third cylindrical surface comprising longitudinally extending shoulders, and spring means tending to maintain the second and third cylindrical surfaces at a predetermined angle to each other, said predetermined angle being such that the longitudinally extending portions of the carrier are approximately equidistant between a pair of facing shoulders,the closed ends of the circumferentially extending portions of the faces being clear of the shoulders while the second and third surfaces are at a predetermined angle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the third cylindrical surface is on a cup having tapered surfaces facing the treatment station, whereby the second cup is guided into coaxial relation with the first cup as the carriage is translated near the station.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a heater in the station for heating the carrier while the carrier is in the station, and radiant energy shielding means positioned between the heater and the metal contact pins or feet to prevent the carrier from heating. it eludes a cavity in the center, in which the re-s...* • ·»·* heater fits while the heater itself is held rigidly in the station,said shielding means including a groove into which the pins or contact pins fit while the holder is fixed in the station.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heater in the station for heating the holder while the holder is in the station, and radiant energy shielding means positioned between the heater and the metal pins or contact pins to substantially prevent radiant heating of the pins or contact pins by the heater.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the holder includes at its center a cavity into which the heater fits while the holder is rigidly held in the station, said shielding means including a rim or lip having a surface forming the perimeter of the cavity, said rim or lip including a groove into which the heater fits the pins or contact pins.wherein the support is a station in which pins or contact pins fit while the support is fixed in the station. 16) In combination with a vacuum enclosure or container, called a vacuum enclosure or container, including a substrate processing station, a substrate holder, a carriage adapted to carry the support from outside the vacuum enclosure or container into the vacuum enclosure or container and from there into the station and from the station to the outside of the enclosure or container, means adapted to selectively and fixedly mount the support in the station, means adapted to selectively and fixedly mount the support on the carriage, a heater in the station for heating the support and the substrate while they are fixed in the station,and in the station itself thermocouple means adapted to control the temperature of the support and substrate while the same are fixedly mounted in the station and adapted to derive a heater control signal, said thermocouple means including first and second metal contact pins or feet in the processing station, said pins or feet being arranged to selectively contact a surface of the support, said first contact pin or foot and said surface forming once in contact a first thermocouple junction, said second contact pin or foot and said surface forming once in contact a second thermocouple junction, said junctions. I ,···· · · * » ♦ · ♦ # » ♦· ** · · , tions presenting dissimilar properties, so that among the same- · *·. ,»·· ··*···· ​​: . : if so, a voltage indicative of the temperature of the body or object is derived while the pins or feet and the surface*"* ..·· • · * - - ^• m are in contact with each other, said treatment station,* • · « * is « ♦ • · · · * and said carriage including means for producing a translational and rotational motion between the support and the treatment station during transfer of the support, and means for preventing contact between the surface and the pins or feet during the rotational motion. 17) Combination as in claim 16), wherein the contact inhibiting means include means for preventing contact between the surface of the support and the pins or feet during the translational motion. 10) Combination as in claim 10),further comprising radiant energy shielding means positioned between the heater and the metal contact pins or feet adapted to substantially prevent heating of the contact pins or feet by radiant energy by the heater, 1. The apparatus of claim 1. wherein the holder includes at its center a cavity into which the heater fits while the holder is fixedly held in the station, said shielding means comprising a rim or lip having a surface forming the perimeter of the cavity, said rim or lip comprising a groove into which the contact pins or feet fit while the holder is fixed in the station. .·*!" *·· ·* 20} Apparatus for transferring an object or body ** "· ·# * · between a processing station and a carriage, comprising #··β *a support for the body or object, a first cylindrical surface in the processing station,a second cylindrical surface on the carriage, means for maintaining said first and second cylindrical surfaces coaxial during transfer of the carrier, means for rotating one of said cylindrical surfaces relative to the other during transfer of the carrier, said carrier including fixedly mounted and outward-extending bayonet pins, each of said surfaces including slots for selectively receiving the bayonet pins and for permitting translation and rotation therein of the bayonet pins during transfer of the carrier.

21. Apparatus as in claim 20), wherein each of the slots in the second cylindrical surface has longitudinally and circumferentially extending portions, and further including spring means proximate to each of the circumferentially extending slot portions,said spring means selectively holding the bayonet pins in position against a closed end of the circumferentially extending slot portion.

22. Apparatus as in claim 21 wherein each of the cylindrical slots has longitudinally and circumferentially extending portions, the circumferentially extending portions of the slots of the first and second cylindrical surfaces extending in the same direction with respect to their corresponding longitudinal slots during transfer of the carrier, as viewed from the side of the cylindrical surfaces.

23. Apparatus as in claim 20, further comprising a third cylindrical surface on the carriage, said third cylindrical surface being rotatable with respect to and coaxial with the second cylindrical surface,said third cylindrical surface comprising longitudinally extending shoulders and spring means tending to maintain the second and third cylindrical surfaces at a predetermined angle to each other, said predetermined angle being such that the longitudinally extending portions of the slot are approximately equidistant between a pair of facing shoulders, the ends closed by the longitudinally extending portions of the slots being distant from the shoulders while the second and third cylindrical surfaces are at the predetermined angle. 24) Apparatus as in claim 23), wherein the third cylindrical surface is on a sump having tapered surfaces facing the treatment station, so that the second cup is guided coaxially with the first cup while the carriage is moved in proximity to the station,cr * * and · **· · • · ··· ·* ·· • ♦ * * il,