Particle monitoring apparatus and vacuum processing apparatus

1. A particle monitoring apparatus comprising:

a light source configured to emit plural light fluxes in at least a one-dimensional array having a given intensity;

a projecting optical system configured to convert the plural light fluxes in the at least one-dimensional array emitted from the light source into a band-shaped light flux, to lead the light flux into a flow passage of a given gas stream so that the given gas stream passes the band-shaped light flux, and to partially superpose the plural light fluxes in the at least one-dimensional array emitted from the light source to form a substantially uniform light intensity distribution of the band-shaped light flux in a widthwise direction;

a light detector configured to detect intensity of light;

a detecting optical system configured to lead light scattered by particles contained in the gas stream and passing the light flux to the light detector; and

a particle detector configured to determine sizes of the particles passing the light flux based on intensities of the scattered lights detected by the light detector and to count the number of the particles passing the light flux for a given period.

2. The particle monitoring apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the projecting optical system comprises plural optical systems provided in a number corresponding to that of the plural light fluxes emitted from the light source and adapted for leading the plural light fluxes, respectively.

3. A particle monitoring apparatus comprising:

a light source configured to emit a light having a given intensity;

a projecting optical system configured to convert the light emitted from the light source into a band-shaped light flux and to lead the light flux onto a flow passage of a given gas stream so that the given gas stream may pass the band-shaped light flux;

a light detector configured to detect the intensity of the light;

a detecting optical system configured to lead the light scattered by particles contained in the gas stream and passing the light flux to the light detector; and

a particle detector configured to determine sizes of the particles passing the light flux based on intensities of the scattered lights detected by the light detector and to count the number of the particles passing the light flux for a given period, wherein

the light intensity of the band-shaped light flux is set to have an almost uniform distribution in a horizontal direction, and

the light source comprises at least two light sources, and the projecting optical system is configured to divide the light flux emitted from each of the light sources into plural light fluxes, to make divided light fluxes of one light source adjacent to those of corresponding different light source(s) to partially superpose the adjacent divided light fluxes with each other and to make almost uniform the light intensity distribution of the band-shaped light flux in the band-widthwise direction.

4. The particle monitoring apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises at least two light sources, and the projecting optical system is configured to divide the light flux emitted from each of the light sources into plural light fluxes, to make divided light fluxes of one light source adjacent to those of corresponding different light source(s) to partially superpose the adjacent divided light fluxes with each other and to make almost uniform the light intensity distribution of the band-shaped light flux in the band-widthwise direction.

5. The particle monitoring apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the particle detector comprises a memorizing unit configured to preliminarily memorize correlation between the sizes of the particles passing the gas stream passing area and the intensities of the scattered lights detected by the light detector, and the correlation memorized in the memorizing unit is defined by successively passing plural kinds of test particles each having a different known size through the gas stream passing area, independently detecting the intensities of the scattered lights with the light detector when each of the plural kinds of test particles pass the gas stream passing area, determining a frequency distribution in the light intensities detected by the light detector, determining the correlation between the size of each of the plural kinds of the particles and the detected light intensities of the scattered lights by the particles having such sizes based on the frequency distribution, replacing one kind of the test particles by another kind of the test particles having a known different size and passing said another kind of the test pieces through the gas stream passing area and determining the intensities of the scattered lights when the said test particles passed, and determining the correlation between the size of another kind of the test particles and the detected light intensities of the scattered lights, and repeating the above latter step.

6. A particle monitoring apparatus comprising:

a light source configured to emit plural light fluxes in at least a one-dimensional array having a given intensity;

a projecting optical system configured to convert the plural light fluxes in the at least one-dimensional array emitted from the light source into a band-shaped light flux, to lead the light flux into a flow passage of a given gas stream so that the given gas stream passes the band-shaped light flux, and to partially superpose the plural light fluxes in the at least one-dimensional array emitted from the light source to form a substantially uniform light intensity distribution of the band-shaped light flux in a widthwise direction;

a light detector configured to detect intensity of light;

a detecting optical system configured to lead light scattered by particles contained in the gas stream and passing the light flux to the light detector; and

a particle detector configured to determine sizes of the particles passing the light flux based on intensities of the scattered lights detected by the light detector, wherein the light intensity of the band-shaped light flux is set to have an almost uniform distribution in a horizontal direction.

7. A vacuum processing apparatus, which is configured to perform a given processing upon an object disposed in a given vacuum atmosphere inside a vessel, said vacuum processing apparatus including the particle monitoring apparatus set forth claim 1 .

8. A vacuum processing apparatus, which is configured to perform a given processing upon an object disposed in a given vacuum atmosphere inside a vessel, said vacuum processing apparatus comprising the particle monitoring apparatus set forth claim 3 .

9. A vacuum processing apparatus, which is configured to perform a given processing upon an object disposed in a given vacuum atmosphere inside a vessel, said vacuum processing apparatus comprising the particle monitoring apparatus of claim 1 in an exhaust section.

10. A vacuum processing apparatus, which is configured to perform a given processing upon an object disposed in a given vacuum atmosphere inside a vessel, said vacuum processing apparatus comprising the particle monitoring apparatus of claim 3 in an exhaust section.