In-line type film forming apparatus and method for manufacturing magnetic recording medium

1. An in-line type film-forming apparatus comprising:

a plurality of chambers that perform a film-forming process;

a carrier in which a holder holding a substrate as a film-forming target inside the plurality of chambers is installed; and

a conveying device that sequentially conveys the carrier between the plurality of chambers,

wherein the carrier comprises a support base, a first supporting member that is installed to the support base, a second supporting member that is installed to the first supporting member, and a third supporting member that is installed to the second supporting member and has a structure in which the holder is installed to the third supporting member,

wherein the first supporting member is supported to be displaceable in a direction along an attaching face of the support base in accordance with growth of the first supporting member due to thermal expansion in a horizontal direction,

wherein the second supporting member is supported to be displaceable in a direction along an attaching face of the first supporting member in accordance with growth of the second supporting member due to thermal expansion in the horizontal direction,

wherein the holder is supported to be displaceable in a direction along an attaching face of the third supporting member in accordance with growth of the holder due to thermal expansion in a vertical direction, and

wherein, out of the first supporting member, the second supporting member, the third supporting member, and the holder, any one member is supported to be displaceable in a direction negating growth of the other members in the horizontal direction and/or the vertical direction.

2. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in accordance with the growth of the second supporting member due to thermal expansion in the horizontal direction, the second supporting member is supported to be displaceable along an attaching face of the first supporting member in a direction negating the growth of the first supporting member due to thermal expansion in the horizontal direction.

3. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in accordance with the growth of the holder due to thermal expansion in the horizontal direction, the holder is supported to be displaceable along an attaching face of the third supporting member in a direction negating the growth of the first and second supporting members due to thermal expansion in the horizontal direction.

4. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in accordance with the growth of the holder due to thermal expansion in the vertical direction, the holder is supported to be displaceable along an attaching face of the third supporting member in a direction negating the growth of the first and second supporting members due to thermal expansion in the vertical direction.

5. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein a direction along an attaching face of the first supporting member for the support base and a direction along an attaching face of the second supporting member for the first supporting member are the horizontal direction, and

wherein a direction along an attaching face of the holder for the third supporting member is the vertical direction or a direction intersecting the horizontal direction.

6. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein displacement of the second supporting member, which is due to thermal expansion, is larger than that of the first supporting member, and displacement of the holder, which is due to thermal expansion, is larger than that of the second supporting member.

7. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the third supporting member is formed from a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is smaller than those of the first and second supporting members.

8. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holder comprises a hole portion used for arranging the substrate on the inside and a plurality of supporting arms installed to the periphery of the hole portion so as to be elastically transformable and holds the substrate inserted into the inside of the supporting arms so as to be freely detachable or attachable while an outer peripheral portion of the substrate is brought into contact with the plurality of the supporting arms.

9. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein groove portions with which the outer peripheral portion of the substrate is engaged are disposed in tip end portions of the plurality of the supporting arms.

10. The in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying device comprises a driving device that drives the carrier in a non-contact manner and a guiding device that guides the carrier driven by the driving device.

11. A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, the method comprising:

forming at least a magnetic layer on the surface of the substrate by using the in-line type film-forming apparatus according to claim 1 .