Differential exhaust system

Abstract

By improving the differential adjustment function of the differential pumping system, it becomes possible to perform rapid and highly accurate differential adjustments in response to changes in the pressure setting within the vacuum chamber during vacuum processing. [Solution] The differential pumping device is connected to a vacuum chamber that performs vacuum processing on a sheet substrate and transports the sheet substrate while performing differential pumping. It comprises a plurality of depressurization chambers arranged along the transport direction of the sheet substrate and capable of independently depressurizing and pumping, a plurality of low-conductance flow channels arranged between two adjacent depressurization chambers and having a gap through which the sheet substrate can be transported, and a gap adjustment unit provided in each of the low-conductance flow channels for adjusting the gap with the sheet substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a differential evacuation device that performs differential evacuation while conveying a sheet substrate.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a differential evacuation device has been used in a vacuum processing apparatus that performs various processes and film formation on a sheet substrate conveyed roll-to-roll in a vacuum chamber. This differential evacuation device is provided, for example, between a plurality of vacuum chambers having a pressure difference, maintains the processing environment in each vacuum chamber, and can feed a sheet substrate into each vacuum chamber while eliminating contamination between the plurality of vacuum chambers (see Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).

[0003] The basic structure of the differential evacuation device is to connect between a plurality of decompression chambers with a low-conductance flow path, evacuate each decompression chamber independently (differential evacuation), and use the low-conductance flow path and the decompression chamber as the conveyance path of the sheet substrate. At this time, the pressure setting of each decompression chamber is set according to the pressure difference between the vacuum chambers connected to both sides of the differential evacuation device, and the pressure is set to change stepwise from the decompression chamber on one end side to the decompression chamber on the other end side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Using the differential pumping system described above, it is possible to continuously perform operations while maintaining the vacuum and temperature conditions of each vacuum chamber, such as when transferring sheet substrates processed in one vacuum chamber to another, or when changing rolls of sheet substrates. In contrast, without a differential pumping system, it is necessary to vent each vacuum chamber to the atmosphere before transferring or changing sheet substrates. Therefore, by using a differential pumping system, the process required for nitrogen purging, which is necessary to restore the processing environment in the vacuum chambers and ensure the quality of the sheet substrates, can be eliminated. Furthermore, compared to not using a differential pumping system, production efficiency can be improved, and the processing quality of the sheet substrates can be enhanced by eliminating contamination through differential pumping.

[0006] However, conventionally, the differential performance of such differential exhaust systems has been adjusted solely by the exhaust volume of the differential exhaust. Therefore, when the pressure setting in the vacuum chamber changes due to changes in the thickness or material of the sheet substrate, it is difficult to quickly adjust the pressure in the decompression chamber accordingly. Furthermore, adjusting only the differential exhaust makes it difficult to achieve highly accurate differential pressure adjustment.

[0007] Furthermore, for example, when connecting a differential exhaust system to a vacuum drying apparatus that processes at a high degree of vacuum to unwind and wind a sheet substrate, the equipment performing the unwinding and winding of the sheet substrate is under atmospheric pressure, so the differential exhaust system needs to be able to handle a large differential pressure. For this reason, conventional differential exhaust systems have had to either provide many depressurization chambers or connect multiple differential exhaust systems in series to adjust the differential pressure, which has resulted in the unavoidable problem of increasing the size of the equipment.

[0008] The present invention aims to address these circumstances. Specifically, the objectives of the present invention are to improve the differential adjustment function of the differential exhaust system so that it can perform rapid and highly accurate differential adjustment in response to changes in the pressure setting in the vacuum chamber where vacuum processing is performed, and to enable space saving of the equipment even when dealing with large differential pressures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve these problems, the present invention has the following configuration. A differential exhaust device connected to a vacuum chamber for performing vacuum processing on a sheet substrate, which transports the sheet substrate while performing differential exhaust, comprising: a plurality of depressurization chambers arranged along the transport direction of the sheet substrate and capable of independently depressurizing and exhausting; a plurality of low-conductance flow channels arranged between two adjacent depressurization chambers and having a gap through which the sheet substrate can be transported; and a gap adjustment unit provided in each of the low-conductance flow channels for adjusting the gap with the sheet substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing an example configuration of a vacuum processing system that uses a differential pumping system. [Figure 2] An explanatory diagram showing an example configuration of a differential exhaust system (Example 1). [Figure 3] An explanatory diagram showing an example configuration of a differential exhaust system (second example). [Figure 4] Plan view of differential adjustment component (first example). [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the differential adjustment component shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the differential adjustment component shown in Figure 4 (modified example). [Figure 7] Plan view of differential adjustment component (second example). [Figure 8] An explanatory diagram showing an example configuration of a differential exhaust system (third example). [Figure 9] An explanatory diagram showing examples of differential exhaust system configurations (4 examples). [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a differential exhaust system. [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view of the differential adjustment component according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different figures indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanations in each figure will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] Figure 1 shows an example configuration of a vacuum processing apparatus to which a differential pumping system is applied. As shown in the figure, one end of each of the differential pumping systems 1 and 2 is connected to the vacuum chamber 101 of the vacuum processing apparatus 100, and the sheet substrate Sb is transported while performing differential pumping. The vacuum processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus that performs vacuum processing on the sheet substrate Sb, such as film deposition by vacuum deposition or sputtering, or drying and cooling, and is equipped with a vacuum chamber 101 that maintains an internal state of vacuum and temperature suitable for processing. Inside the vacuum chamber 101, equipment for performing various processing (not shown) is provided, as well as transport rollers (not shown) for roll-to-roll transport of the sheet substrate Sb.

[0013] In the example shown in Figure 1, an atmospheric pressure chamber U1 is located on the input side of the differential exhaust system 1, and an atmospheric pressure chamber U2 is located on the output side of the differential exhaust system 2. An unwinding device for unwinding untreated sheet substrate Sb is located in atmospheric pressure chamber U1, and an unwinding shaft 102 is installed therein. A winding device for winding treated sheet substrate Sb is located in atmospheric pressure chamber U2, and a winding shaft 103 is installed therein.

[0014] The sheet substrate Sb is drawn out from the atmospheric pressure chamber U1 where unwinding takes place and transported by the differential pumping device 1 into the vacuum chamber 101 of the vacuum processing device 100. After processing there, the sheet substrate Sb is drawn out by the differential pumping device 2 and transported to the atmospheric pressure chamber U2 where winding takes place. The replacement of the sheet substrate Sb (roll replacement) is performed under atmospheric pressure, with the attachment of the roll to the unwinding shaft 102 and the removal of the roll from the winding shaft 103 being carried out under atmospheric pressure.

[0015] In the example shown in FIG. 1, a differential exhaust device 1 is provided between the atmospheric pressure chamber U1 and the vacuum processing apparatus 100, and a differential exhaust device 2 is provided between the atmospheric pressure chamber U2 and the vacuum processing apparatus 100. Here, the differential exhaust device 1 and the differential exhaust device 2 are symmetric about the left and right. In the following description, only the configuration of the differential exhaust device 1 will be described, and duplicate description of the configuration of the differential exhaust device 2 obtained by reversing it left and right will be omitted.

[0016] The differential exhaust device 1 basically includes a plurality of decompression spaces arranged along the conveyance direction of the sheet base material Sb and low-conductance flow paths connecting the decompression spaces, and the decompression spaces and the plurality of low-conductance flow paths form the conveyance path of the sheet base material Sb. In the example of FIG. 1, since one end side of the differential exhaust device 1 is connected to the vacuum chamber 101 and the other end side is connected to the atmospheric pressure chamber U1, the plurality of decompression spaces are set to a pressure close to the vacuum pressure in the space close to the vacuum chamber 101, and are set to a pressure gradually approaching the atmospheric pressure as they approach the atmospheric pressure chamber U1.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the differential exhaust device 1 includes a plurality of decompression chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) that can be independently decompressed and exhausted as the above-described decompression spaces, and a plurality of low-conductance flow paths 12 (12A, 12B) are arranged between two adjacent decompression chambers 11. More specifically, a low-conductance flow path 12A for communicating the decompression chamber 11A and the decompression chamber 11B is provided, and a low-conductance flow path 12B for communicating the decompression chamber 11B and the decompression chamber 11C is provided.

[0018] The decompression chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) are formed in the housing 10, and each is provided with an exhaust port Ep. By individually decompressing and exhausting from each exhaust port Ep, the pressure of each decompression chamber 11 is independently set. The decompression chamber 11C closest to the vacuum chamber 101 is set to the lowest pressure, the decompression chamber 11A closest to the atmospheric pressure chamber U1 is set to the highest pressure, and the intermediate decompression chamber 11B is set to an intermediate pressure between the decompression chamber 11A and the decompression chamber 11C.

[0019] Furthermore, the depressurization chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) are arranged along the transport direction of the sheet substrate Sb, and together with the low-conductance flow channels 12 (12A, 12B) formed between them, they form a transport path for the sheet substrate Sb. Each of the depressurization chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) is provided with a transport roller R for transporting the sheet substrate Sb. The sheet substrate Sb enters the differential exhaust device 1 from the inlet Et connected to depressurization chamber 11A, and enters the vacuum chamber 101 through the connecting port Cp connected to depressurization chamber 11C.

[0020] The low-conductance flow paths 12 (12A, 12B) in the differential pumping system 1 have gaps that allow for the transport of the sheet substrate Sb while suppressing the flow of gas between adjacent depressurization chambers 11. By connecting adjacent depressurization chambers 11 with the low-conductance flow paths 12, each depressurization chamber 11 can be independently pressure-regulated, and the differential pumping performed in each depressurization chamber 11 can suppress contamination of the space connected by the differential pumping system 1 (vacuum chamber 101 and atmospheric pressure chamber U1).

[0021] The differential exhaust system 1 is equipped with a gap adjustment unit 20 in each of the multiple low-conductance flow paths 12 (12A, 12B) to adjust the gap between the flow path surface 20A of the low-conductance flow path 12 (12A, 12B) and the sheet substrate Sb. This adjustment can be performed manually or automatically using a servo motor or the like.

[0022] By adjusting the gap between the low-conductance flow paths 12 (12A, 12B), the flow rate of gas flowing between adjacent depressurization chambers 11 can be adjusted, and the differential pressure between the depressurization chambers 11 can be finely adjusted. Furthermore, by properly adjusting the distance between the flow path surface 20A and the sheet substrate Sb, the gap between the low-conductance flow paths 12 (12A, 12B) can be properly set while avoiding contact between the sheet substrate Sb and the flow path surface 20A.

[0023] The gap adjustment unit 20 includes a gap adjustment unit 20U, which comprises a differential adjustment component 21 having a flow channel surface 20A of a low-conductance flow channel 12 (12A, 12B) on one surface. The gap adjustment unit 20U includes a moving mechanism for moving the flow channel surface 20A in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet substrate Sb. In the illustrated example, the differential adjustment component 21, which has a flow channel surface 20A facing into the low-conductance flow channel 12 (12A, 12B) formed on its surface, is moved perpendicular to the plane of the sheet substrate Sb, thereby moving the flow channel surface 20A closer to or further away from one side of the sheet substrate Sb.

[0024] In the illustrated example, the mechanism for moving the differential adjustment component 21 is a manual mechanism. When the handle 22 is rotated manually, the adjustment shaft 23 moves perpendicular to the transport path of the sheet substrate Sb, and the differential adjustment component 21, which is fixed to the tip of the adjustment shaft 23, moves along with it.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the gap adjustment unit 20U can be installed on both the front and back sides of the sheet substrate Sb. In the illustrated example, a pair of differential adjustment components 21 are arranged in one low-conductance flow path 12 such that the flow path surfaces 20A face each other with the sheet substrate Sb in between, and a moving mechanism is provided to move each differential adjustment component 21. In this example, the low-conductance flow path 12 is formed between the facing flow path surfaces 20A. By providing the gap adjustment unit 20U on both the front and back sides of the sheet substrate Sb in this way, the gap adjustment range can be doubled, and the adjustment range for differential pressure can be broadened.

[0026] The differential adjustment component 21 in the gap adjustment unit 20U can be made up of, for example, a single rectangular parallelepiped or a combined component, with the widest rectangular surface serving as the flow path surface 20A. The flow path surface 20A of the differential adjustment component 21 can be provided with irregularities or other features that create resistance to the gas flow in order to further lower the conductance of the low-conductance flow path 12.

[0027] Figures 4 to 6 show examples of the shape of recesses provided on the flow path surface 20A of the differential adjustment component 21 (the X, Y, and Z directions in the figures indicate the following: the X direction is the conveying direction of the sheet substrate Sb, the Y direction is the width direction of the flow path perpendicular to the aforementioned conveying direction, and the Z direction is the gap direction of the flow path perpendicular to the aforementioned conveying direction). In this example, multiple recesses 21P are provided in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet substrate Sb (direction X in the figure) (direction Y in the figure), and one recess 21P is provided continuously along the conveying direction of the sheet substrate Sb (direction X in the figure). Furthermore, the sum of the width or cross-sectional area of ​​the recesses 21P in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet substrate Sb (direction Y in the figure) gradually decreases toward the adjacent low-pressure side depressurization chamber 11.

[0028] Specifically, when the differential adjustment component 21 is installed in the low-conductance flow path 12A, the groove width W1 in the cross section on the depressurization chamber 11A side (A1-A1 cross section) and the groove width W2 in the cross section on the depressurization chamber 11B side (B1-B1 cross section) are such that W1 > W2. Assuming that the groove depth d of the recess 21P is constant, the cross-sectional area of ​​the recess 21P in the A1-A1 cross section (W1·d) and the cross-sectional area of ​​the recess 21P in the B1-B1 cross section (W2·d) are such that W1·d > W2·d. In the illustrated example, the multiple parallel recesses 21P are arranged at a constant interval S along the Y direction shown in the illustration. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the recess 21P may be a rectangular cross-section as shown in Figure 5, or it may be an inverted trapezoidal cross-section with a taper on the groove wall surface as shown in Figure 6.

[0029] Figure 7 shows another example of a recess provided on the flow path surface 20A of the differential adjustment component 21 (the directions X, Y, and Z are the same as in Figures 4 to 6). In this example, a recess 21P with a width of W10 along the direction Y is formed diagonally toward the direction X, and the recess 21P crosses on the low-pressure side of the flow path surface 20A, resulting in a V-shape in plan view. In the cross section on the depressurization chamber 11A side (A2-A2 cross section), the total groove width of this recess 21P is W10 × 6, and in the cross section on the depressurization chamber 11B side (B2-B2 cross section), the total groove width is W20 × 3, and the relationship between the two is W10 × 6 > W20 × 3. By providing a recess 21P of this form on the flow path surface 20A, the flow of gas toward the low-pressure side can be suppressed, and the conductance performance of the low-conductance flow path 12 can be further reduced.

[0030] Figure 8 shows another configuration example of the differential exhaust system 1. In the illustrated example, the internal volume of the multiple depressurization chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) gradually decreases as they approach the vacuum chamber 101. That is, if the internal volume of depressurization chamber 11A is V1, the internal volume of depressurization chamber 11B is V2, and the internal volume of depressurization chamber 11C is V3, then V1 > V2 > V3. This allows for quick adjustment of the differential pressure between the depressurization chambers 11 by making the internal volume of depressurization chamber 11C, which is closer to the vacuum chamber 101 where the set pressure needs to be lower, smaller. Furthermore, as shown in the figure, providing a venturi structure Vt toward the low-pressure side of each depressurization chamber 11 makes differential pressure adjustment easier.

[0031] Figure 9 shows another configuration example of the differential exhaust system 1, in which the arrangement direction of the depressurization chambers 11 is changed. In this example, the conveying direction of the sheet substrate Sb and the arrangement direction of the depressurization chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) within the differential exhaust system 1 are arranged along the vertical direction perpendicular to the device mounting surface Bs. In this case, if the device mounting surface Bs is a horizontal plane, the conveying direction of the sheet substrate Sb and the arrangement direction of the depressurization chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) will be vertical. By adopting this arrangement configuration, the length dimension of the differential exhaust system 1 along the device mounting surface Bs can be shortened, and the vacuum processing apparatus 100 and the atmospheric pressure chamber U1 can be placed in close proximity, thereby making efficient use of the overall installation space of the device.

[0032] A more specific embodiment of the differential exhaust system 1 is described below. As shown in Figure 10, in the differential exhaust system 1 according to this embodiment, the intermediate depressurization chamber 11B is positioned lower than the positions of the high-pressure side depressurization chamber 11A and the low-pressure side depressurization chamber 11C, thereby providing a roller arrangement angle θ for the transport rollers R arranged in each depressurization chamber 11 (11A, 11B, 11C). As a result, the transport path of the sheet substrate Sb in a side view is V-shaped, and the transport direction of the sheet substrate Sb in the low-conductance flow path 12 where the gap adjustment section 20 is provided is inclined with respect to the horizontal. Such a differential exhaust system 1 can save space in the vertical and horizontal directions while ensuring sufficient length of the low-conductance flow path 12 where the gap adjustment section 20 is provided.

[0033] To achieve this arrangement of depressurization chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C), the differential exhaust device 1 forms two upward-facing openings in the U-shaped housing 10, and one downward-facing opening between them. The openings of each space are then closed with a cover 13 having an exhaust port Ep, thereby creating three depressurization chambers 11 (11A, 11B, 11C). Spaces 10T for forming low-conductance flow paths 12 are formed between depressurization chambers 11A and 11B, and between depressurization chambers 11B and 11C in the housing 10. A gap adjustment unit 20U is detachably installed in space 10T of the housing 10.

[0034] As described above, the gap adjustment unit 20U includes a differential adjustment component 21 as a component. By installing this gap adjustment unit 20U in the space 10T, a low-conductance flow path 12 is formed on the flow path surface 20A of the differential adjustment component 21. The gap adjustment unit 20U is a mechanical unit comprising a moving mechanism 24 that moves the differential adjustment component 21 closer to or further away from the sheet substrate Sb in the low-conductance flow path 12, and a drive unit (actuator) 25 for driving the moving mechanism 24.

[0035] A seal ring (O-ring) 26 is positioned around the differential adjustment component 21 (see Figure 11). The seal ring 26 ensures airtightness between the inner surface of the space 10T of the housing 10 and the side surface of the differential adjustment component 21, thereby suppressing leakage of the low-conductance flow path 12. The leak suppression effect can be further enhanced by using a double-layered seal ring 26.

[0036] The differential exhaust system 1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 10 includes a control unit 30. The control unit 30 automatically controls the adjustment operation of the gap adjustment unit 20U. Based on the output of a sensor unit 40 provided on the differential adjustment component 21, the control unit 30 controls the drive unit 25 to automatically adjust the gap between the flow path surface 20A in the differential adjustment component 21 and the sheet substrate Sb in the low-conductance flow path 12.

[0037] Figure 11 illustrates the sensor unit 40 provided on the differential adjustment component 21. One of the sensor units 40 is a gap detection sensor 41, which is composed of a laser displacement meter or the like. The gap detection sensor 41 emits laser light from a sensor window 44 through a quartz glass 43 provided in the detection space 42, and receives the light reflected by the sheet substrate Sb in the low-conductance flow path 12, thereby measuring the gap between the flow path surface 20A of the differential adjustment component 21 and the sheet substrate Sb. At this time, the quartz glass 43 provided in the detection space 42 is airtightly installed via a seal ring 43A. This prevents the low-conductance flow path 12 from leaking through the detection space 42.

[0038] In addition to the gap detection sensor 41 mentioned above, the sensor unit 40 can also be provided with a parallelism detection sensor 45. Multiple parallelism detection sensors 45 are distributed on the flow channel surface 20A to detect the parallelism between the flow channel surface 20A and the surface of the sheet substrate Sb. Here, by arranging multiple parallelism detection sensors 45 along the X and Y directions shown in the figure on the flow channel surface 20A, the inclination of the differential adjustment component 21 is adjusted so that the flow channel surface 20A is parallel to the surface of the sheet substrate Sb.

[0039] As shown in Figure 10, the control unit 30 can control multiple gap adjustment units 20U collectively. In this case, the control unit 30 can control the drive unit 25 independently or synchronously for the multiple gap adjustment units 20U. When controlling multiple gap adjustment units 20U, for example, the multiple gap adjustment units 20U can be controlled synchronously for the movement of the large differential adjustment component 21, and when performing control related to fine differential adjustment, the individual differential adjustment components 21 of the multiple gap adjustment units 20U can be controlled independently, enabling efficient differential adjustment.

[0040] The control unit 30 receives input from pressure gauges (not shown) that measure the pressure in each depressurization chamber 11, as well as output from a vacuum gauge (not shown) that measures the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber 101. As a result, if the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber 101 changes, the control unit 30 detects this and automatically controls the differential adjustment by controlling the gap adjustment unit 20U so that the pressure in each depressurization chamber 11 becomes the set pressure.

[0041] Furthermore, a sheet detection sensor 46, as shown in Figure 10, can be provided in the low-conductance flow channels 12 (12A, 12B) on the side opposite to the flow channel surface 20A of the differential adjustment component 21. The sheet detection sensor 46 is one of the sensor units 40 and detects the conveying state of the sheet and transmits a detection signal to the control unit 30. The control unit 30 can then control the differential adjustment according to the conveying state of the sheet substrate Sb.

[0042] The above description illustrates an example in which a differential pumping device 1(2) is installed between the vacuum processing device 100 and the atmospheric pressure chamber U1(U2). However, the differential pumping device 1(2) is not limited to the above example and can be installed between adjacent vacuum chambers in multiple vacuum processing devices with different vacuum states (reduced pressure states). In this case, the pressure settings of the multiple reduced pressure chambers 11 in the differential pumping device 1(2) are set according to the differential pressure of the adjacent vacuum chambers, and the differential pressure is adjusted so that the pressure increases in stages from the low-pressure side to the high-pressure side.

[0043] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the gist of the present invention are also included. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purpose and configuration. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1,2: Differential exhaust system 100: Vacuum processing equipment 101: Vacuum chamber 102: Outwinding shaft 103: Rewinding shaft U1, U2: Atmospheric pressure chamber Sb: Sheet substrate 10: Enclosure 11(11A,11B,11C): Depressurization chamber 10T: Space 12(12A,12B): Low conductance channel 13: Cover 20: Gap adjustment section 20A: Flow path surface 20U: Gap adjustment unit 21: Differential adjustment part 21P: Recess 22: Handle 23: Adjustment shaft 24: Moving mechanism 25: Drive unit 26: Seal ring 30: Control unit 40: Sensor unit 41: Gap detection sensor 42: Detection space 43: Quartz glass 44: Sensor window 45: Parallelism detection sensor 46: Sheet detection sensor Ep: Exhaust port R: Conveyor roller Et: Inlet Cp: Connection port Vt: Venturi structure

Claims

1. A differential exhaust device connected to a vacuum chamber that performs vacuum processing on a sheet substrate, which transports the sheet substrate while performing differential exhaust, The system comprises a plurality of depressurization chambers arranged along the conveying direction of the sheet substrate and capable of independent depressurization and exhaust, a plurality of low-conductance flow channels arranged between two adjacent depressurization chambers and having a gap through which the sheet substrate can be conveyed, and a gap adjustment section provided in each of the low-conductance flow channels for adjusting the gap with the sheet substrate, The gap adjustment section is, The low-conductance channel is provided with a gap adjustment unit that moves the channel surface closer to or further away from the sheet substrate, The aforementioned gap adjustment unit is A differential adjustment component having the aforementioned flow path surface on one surface, The differential adjustment component is provided with a moving mechanism that moves it in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet substrate, The gap adjustment unit is detachably mounted to the housing in which the depressurization chamber is provided. A sealing ring is positioned around the differential adjustment component to ensure airtightness with the housing. Differential exhaust system.

2. Each of the aforementioned depressurization chambers is provided with a conveying roller for transporting the sheet substrate. The differential exhaust device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying rollers are arranged at an angle such that the conveying direction of the sheet substrate in the low-conductance flow path is inclined with respect to the horizontal.

3. A differential exhaust device connected to a vacuum chamber that performs vacuum processing on a sheet substrate, which transports the sheet substrate while performing differential exhaust, The system comprises a plurality of depressurization chambers arranged along the conveying direction of the sheet substrate and capable of independent depressurization and exhaust, a plurality of low-conductance flow channels arranged between two adjacent depressurization chambers and having a gap through which the sheet substrate can be conveyed, and a gap adjustment section provided in each of the low-conductance flow channels for adjusting the gap with the sheet substrate, The gap adjustment section is, The low-conductance channel is provided with a gap adjustment unit that moves the channel surface closer to or further away from the sheet substrate, The aforementioned flow channel surface is Multiple parallel recesses are provided in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. A differential exhaust device wherein the recess is continuous along the transport direction, and the sum of the width or cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction gradually decreases toward the depressurization chamber on the low-pressure side.

4. A differential exhaust device connected to a vacuum chamber that performs vacuum processing on a sheet substrate, which transports the sheet substrate while performing differential exhaust, The system comprises a plurality of depressurization chambers arranged along the conveying direction of the sheet substrate and capable of independent depressurization and exhaust, a plurality of low-conductance flow channels arranged between two adjacent depressurization chambers and having a gap through which the sheet substrate can be conveyed, and a gap adjustment section provided in each of the low-conductance flow channels for adjusting the gap with the sheet substrate, The multiple depressurization chambers are, A differential pumping system in which the internal volume gradually decreases as it approaches the vacuum chamber.

5. The gap adjustment unit is provided on both the front and back sides of the sheet substrate, The differential exhaust system according to claim 1.

6. The gap adjustment unit includes a drive unit that drives the moving mechanism, The differential exhaust device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the drive unit based on the output of a sensor unit provided in the differential adjustment component.

7. The sensor unit is arranged in multiple locations on the flow channel surface to detect the parallelism between the flow channel surface and the surface of the sheet substrate. The differential exhaust system according to claim 6.

8. The differential exhaust device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit independently or synchronously with respect to a plurality of gap adjustment units.

9. A differential exhaust device connected to a vacuum chamber that performs vacuum processing on a sheet substrate, which transports the sheet substrate while performing differential exhaust, The system comprises a plurality of depressurization chambers arranged along the conveying direction of the sheet substrate and capable of independent depressurization and exhaust, a plurality of low-conductance flow channels arranged between two adjacent depressurization chambers and having a gap through which the sheet substrate can be conveyed, and a gap adjustment section provided in each of the low-conductance flow channels for adjusting the gap with the sheet substrate, A differential exhaust system in which the transport direction and the arrangement direction of the depressurization chambers are arranged along a vertical direction perpendicular to the device mounting surface.

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