US Patent 8177048 Vacuum processing apparatus

A vacuum processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber capable of keeping a first pressure lower than an atmospheric pressure, a driving source disposed in the vacuum chamber, an electric power supply mechanism including a primary side mechanism disposed outside the vacuum chamber for supplying electric power to the driving source and a secondary side mechanism disposed in the vacuum chamber for receiving the electric power from the primary side mechanism in a contactless relationship, and a vessel capable of accommodating airtightly the secondary side mechanism under a second pressure higher than the first pressure.