真空镀膜设备拥有一个包含至少一个阴极真空室系统

1、114,261,80845Apr.14,1981UntedStatesPate毗WalterOTHERPUBLICATIONS54VACUUMCOATINGAPPARATUSWITHCONTINUOUSORINTERMIHENTTRANSPORTMEANS75Inventor:HeinzWalter,Hanau,Fed.Rep.ofGermany73Assignee:Leybold-HeraeusGmbH,Cologne,Fed.Rep.ofGermanypiAppl.No.:971,275P2Filed:Dec.0,1978?301ForeignApplicationPriorityData

2、51 Int.Cl?3C23C15/00;C23C13/1052 U.S.118/324;204/298?Oct-12,1978DEFed.Rep.ofGermany-2844491118/733;118/729?118/725?118/719;118/50358FieldofSewch118/49.1,50.1,48,118/49,324,503,719,729,725,733,715;204/29856 ReferencesCitedU.S.PATENTDOCUMENTS3,132,9665/1964Hughesetal.18/324?3；288;70011/1966Needhametal

3、204/2983:596:2857/1971Gottwald118/3243;873;0253/1975Quarnstrom118/3243；931;7891/1976KakeietaL.118/503.?.?.?.?.?4,062)31912/1977Roth?al.204/298412/1978533731?Bialkoetal.204/2984,149.92312/1978Ueharaet204/298?7/1949Fed.Rep.ofGermany8416267/1965Fed.,Rep.ofGermany11833375/1969Fed.,Rep.ofGermany12369003/

4、1974Fed.Rep.ofGermany24151?92/1976Fed.Rep.ofGermany.FOREIGNPATENTDOCUMENTS242.430Byrne,T.M.etal.,IBMTech.Disci.Bulletin,pp.1034-1036,vol.13,No.4,10/1970.PrimaryExaminerCktkslBowers,Jr.Attorney,Agent,?rf/>wsprung,Felfe,Horn,Lynch&Kramer57 ABSTRACTVacuumcoatingapparatushavingavacuumchamberconta

5、iningatleastonecathodesystemandhavingasystemforthecontinuousorintermittenttransportofsubstratesduringthecoating.Thetransportsystemincludesflexible,endlessconveyormeansinpairsguidedinthemanneroftwoparallelchaindrivesoverwheelpairspositionedatadistancefromoneanotherintheformationoftwostraightruns.Thes

6、ubstratesarefastenedtotheconveyorssoastobemovableparalleltothecathodesystem.Thestraightrunsofeachendlessconveyorisguidedverticallyatleastintheareaofthecathodesystems.?Qaims,7DrawingFiguresFIG.USPafenfApr14-1981FQ.3Sheef3of64M61)808?9?3?1861VI.idvludvads.nU)535073rtHnrk-110thedangerofcontamina-VACUUM

7、COATINGAPPARATUSWITH4,261,8082alsorunverticallytoreduceisthoughtofisCOINUOUSORINTEKMInTRANSPORTtion,butinthiscaseevidentlyallthatsubstratesinaverticalpositiononthehorizontaltransportsystem.ForstackingchamberscontainingsubStratemagazinesorvacuumlocksaretobesituatedatbothendsofthesputteringchamber.How

8、ever，thedangerofcontaminationcannotbereducedinthedescribedmannertothedesirabledegree.Contaminationapparentlywasnotveryimportantinthisknownapparatus,sincetheembodimentpresentedisalaboratorysystemwhosevacuumchamberiscomposedtoanimportantdegreeofaglassreceptacle.Intheapplicationofthisprincipleofconstru

9、ctiontoalargeindustrialinstallation,theamountofspacerequiredinthehorizontaldirectionisgreat，thecathodesarepoorlyaccessible,andthesealingofthegapsintheindividualpartitionsofthevacuumchamberisveryunsatisfactoryunlessthetransportsystemishorizontallyguidedwithgreatprecision.Butevenintheevaporationtypede

10、positingsystemsfrequentlycitedforpurposesofComparison,thehorizontaldirectionoftransporthasbeenusedwheneverMEANSBACKGROUNDThisinventionrelatestoavacuumcoatingapparatushavingavacuumchamber,havingatleastoliecathodesysteiA,andhavingasystemforthecontinuoustrans-5portofthesubstratesduringthecoatingprocess

11、,includingendlesstransportmeaisdisposedAair-wise,whichar?guidedinthemanneroftWoparallelchaindrivesoversetsoftwowheelssetapartfromoneanother，therebyformingtwostraightruns,andtowhichtheiosubstratescanbefastenedthusenablingthesubstratestobemovedparalleltothecathodesystem.Invacuumcoatingapparatuswhichar

12、edesignedforahighthroughput，thebainproblemliesinipreciseandtrouble-freetransportofthelargestpossiblenum:15berofsubstratesperunitoftimethroughtheactualcoatingzoneor,insomecasesthroughapluralityofcoatingzones,andinsomecasesthroughstillotherpretreitmentandafter-treatmentzones.ItcanbeasSumedthatsuchtrea

13、tmentzonescontainedwithina20relativelylargervacuumchamberareseparatedoneanothereitherbytheirprincipleofoperation,and/orbyspecialshielding,partitionwalls,etc.Examplesoftreatmentstationsirecathodesputteringcathodicetchingsystemsorglowdischargesystems,25preheatingandafterheatingstations,etc.Inlargeindu

14、s-triaHnstaSations，thecontnuousorintermittenttransportofsubstratescailsforappropriatemechanicalconstructionmeasures,whichinevitablyproduceatleastsomedetritus,andinevitably,too,sonieofthecoating30materialcondensesupon?heinternalpartsoftheapparatus，andafteratimeitbeginstoflakeoff，resultinginthedangero

15、fcontaminationofthesubstrates.Whenvacuumchambersaredividedforthepurposeofdifferentprocesssteps，itiscustomarytosepaTatGthecompartmentsbymeaiisofflapvalves.Thisnecessitates35separatetransportsystemsf°reachchamberandcom-plGxelectricalcontrolandsynchronization.Itisalsopossibletopassthesubstratesinc

16、ludingtheirtransportmeansthroughanumberofchibers,inwhichcasethepartitionwaliscontainslotsforthepas-40sage?fthesubstratesandtheseslotsarefilled?ascompletelyaspossiblebythesubstrateframessoastopreventcontamination.Thepassageofthesubstratethroughthepartitionwalls，howGver，requireshighprecisioninthetrans

17、portmeans.InadditiOn，forthe45poseofatteiningshortpump-downtime,thevolumeOfthechambermUstberGducedtoaminimum.TheserequirementsareinsomewaysdiametricaUyopposed，atieastinlargeindustrialplants，sothatcontinuOUslyorintermittentoperatingacuumcoatinginstaia50havehithertonOtbeenwidelyusedinpractice.GermanDDS

18、No.2,415,19?hasdisGlosedacoatingsystemofthegeneralclassdescribedabove,whichconsistssubstantiallyofasingle，hollow-cylindricalcathodesystem,i,e"anodeandCathodeareconstructed55asportionsoftheperipheryofahollowcylindersurroundingthesputteringzoneandprovidedwithapluralityoflongitudinalslits.TheSubst

19、ratesaretrAnsportedbymeansofahorizontalchainconveyorthrough&segmentatthebottomoftpehorizontal,60holloW-cylindricalcathodesystempreferablyinthehorizontalpositionsothattheycantecoatedononesideonly.Thismeans,ofcourse,thatthesubstratescanflexiblecontinuousconveyormeansareused:ThusitisknownfromGerman

20、Pat.No.1,183,337tosuspendpJate-likesubstratesfromahorizontalorslightlyinclinedframeandtocarrythemintheverticalpositionsuccessivelythroughavacuumevaporationZonebymeansofahorizontaltransportchain.Asaresult，veryirregularcoatingdensitydistributionsareproduced,sincethevaporparticlesstrikethesubstratesurf

21、aceatdifferentanglesineachpositionofthesubstratesandwithrespecttoeachunitofthesurfaceofthesubstrate.GermanPat.No.1,236,9如hasfurthermoredisclosedavacuumevaporationapparatushavingaconveyorchaincirculatingsubstantiallyinthehorizontaldirection.Intheareaofthebottomrunofthechain,apluralityofplate-likesubs

22、tratesarearrayedincloseorderinaverticalpositionandpickedupbythetransportchainatcertainintervals.Theupperrunofthechainpassesoverapluralityofevaporatingcrucibles.Inordertoobtainauniformdistriliutionofthecoatingthickness，thesubstrateswhilebeingcarriedbytheu?perrunofthechain，mustbeturnedtoahorizontalpos

23、itionbyaspecialguidingmeans.OnlyinthismanneritispossibletOvapOrcoatthesubstratesononesideonly.Thesimul-taneGusvaporcoatingoftheuppersurface,forexamplebymeansOfspecialvaporguidingmeans,hasprovenimpracticaldegpitenunierousattempts.WithregardtospicerequirementandthedifficultiesinvolvedifthevacuumChambe

24、risdividedintosmallerchambers，thesamedisadvantagesareencounteredasinthemethodpreviouslydescribed.Itisalsoknowntofastensubstratestocylindricaldrumswhoseaxis?shorizontal.Vapordepositioninthiscasehowever，tafcesplaceonlyonasMallportionofthecircumferenceofthedrum，becausetherestofitservesonlyasamagazinean

25、dtheheightandbreadthofadrumhaveanunfavorableinfluenceonthedimensionsandvolumeofthevacuumchamber.SuchanapparatusisthesubjectmatterofGermanPat.No.841,26?Lastly,GermanDASNo.2,420,430alsodisclosestheconstructionofcylindricaldrumsasholders。fWadeshapedsubstrates.Thedrumhowever，servesonlyasamagazinefortheb

26、ladeswhicharealignedradiallywiththedrumaxis，andfortheirtransportForthepurpose65ofcoatingbyvacuumdeposition,thebladesareindivid-34,261,8084canbeprovidedinanyuallyshiftedfromthedrumintocoatingchambersingcathodesorheatingmeansdesiredsequence.Itisespeciallyadvantagoustomakethehorizontaldistance?etweenth

27、eendlessconveyormeansorbetweenthewheelsofeachset，greaterthanthehorizontalwidthofthecathodesystem.Thiseffectivelypre.ventstheendlesstransportmeansfrombeingc.atedtogetherwiththesubstiates.rOrthepulposeofincreasingproductioncapacity,theapparatusOftheinventionCaAbeadvantageouslydevelopedbyprovidingatthe

28、bottomendofthevacuumchamberinthevicinityofthebottomwheels，afeedchambercontainingatleastonesubstratemagazine,andwithameansforattachingthemandameansfordetachingthemfromtheconveyormeansflTheattachinganddetachingmeansmeanscaninaverysimplemannerconsistofpushrodswhicharetheprolongationofhydraulicorpneumat

29、icactuators.Ifthesehydraulicorpneumaticactuatorsoperateintheverticaldirection，thesubstratescanbehookedontotheendlessconveyormeansandunhookedtherefrominanespeciallysimpleandreliablemannersincethisprocedureisperforniedinsubstantiallythesamedirectioninwhichthesubstratesaremoving.Inanarrangementofthiski

30、nd，separatemagazinescanbeusedfortheuncoatedsubstratesandthecoatedsubstrateswithinacommonlockchamberservingforboththeinsertionandtheremovalofthemagazines.Thussufficienttimeisallowedforpreheat-'vhiietheyareinasubstantiallyhorizontalposition.Thevapordepositionapparatusinvolvedisextraordinarilycompl

31、exinconstructionandinoperation;inaddition，itrequiresaconsiderableamountO?spaceduetothelargedrumdiameter.SUMMARYTheInventionprovidesavacuumcoatingapparatusofthekinddescribedinthebeginning,i.e.,onehaving10atleastonecathodesystem，inwhichsimultaneouscoatingonbothsideswillbepossible，withoutthedangerthatt

32、hesubstratesand/orthecathodesmightbecomecontaminated.Thisisaccomplishedinaccordancewiththeinven-15tion，inthevacuumcoatingapparatusdescribedinthebeginning,inthatthestraightsectionsofeachendlessconveyormeansareverticalatleastintheareaofthecathodesystem.Itis，ofcourseespeciallydesirableforthestraight20p

33、ortionsoftheendlessconveyormeanstobeverticalontheirentirelength，andthiscanbeaccomplishedmostsimplybydisposingthepairsofwheelsoverwhichtheendlessconvGyormeansisguidedsuchthatonewillbeverticallyabovetheother.Itistobenotedhowever，25thatadeviationfromtheexclusivelyverticalguidanceofthetransportmeanscanb

34、edesirableif，forexample，thecathodesystemistobecombinedwithavacuumhigh-frequencycathodes,direct-currentcathodesetch-whoseoutlineevaporationsystem.30DESCRIPTIONThesubjectoftheinventionisacompletedeparturefromthedesignprinciplesoftheprioraftandiSdistinguishedbythefollowingadvantages:Theprincipaldimensi

35、onsofthevacuumchamberaresubstantially35verticalsothatonlyasmallamountoffloorspaceisrequiredfortheapparatus.Thesputteringsurfacesofthecathodesystemorsystems,i.e7,thetagetsurfaces,arevertical,asarethesurfacesofthesubstAtes,atleastduringthesputteringprocess.Inthismanner,noimpu”ritiessuchasmightbeproduc

36、edfromthecathodesCanfallonthesubstratesorviceversa.Ifthecathodesystemisatwo-sidedsystem,itiseasilypossibletocOatbothsidesofthesubstratessimultaneously.Theterm“substrates"asusedhereinistobeunderstoodtoapply45notonlytosinglesubstratesoflargesurfacearea,foutalsotomultiplearraysofsubstratesfastened

37、tosubstrateframes.Two-sidedcoatingincludescasesinwhichsubstratesarearrangedinpairsbacktobacksothateachindividualsubstrateiscoatedononesideonlybutthe50twosubstratesarecoatedtogetherontheiroutwardlyfacingsurfaces.Examplesofsubstratesarelenses,mirrors,electricalcontacts,wafers,etcIfthedimensionsoftheap

38、paratusoftheinventionaresmall,i.e,ifthepump-downtimeisshort,theapparatuswillhaveahigAcapacityofproduction-hehexibleendlessconveyormeanswhichconsistpreferablyofendlesschainscarriedaroundappropriatesprocketsaresimpleandreliableindesign;evenifthesubstratesarecomparativelyheavy,theyrequirenoadditionalgu

39、id-60anceorsupportsothateveniithevacuumchamberisdividedthereisnodifficultyinvolvedwithregardtothesealingoftheslitsinthepartitionsadjaCnttheendlessconveyormeans.ThevaCuumchambercanthusbeequippedwithapluralityofpreferablyvariablesta-65tionsforthetreatmentofthesubstrates.Forexampie,ingandoutgassing.Las

40、tly,byaverticalarrangementofthetransportsystems,anespeciallysimpleandadvantageousdesignofthevacuumchambercanbeachievedbymakingthevacuumchambertoconsistofaframehavingtwodoorsdisposedoneoneachsideoftheframeandsubstantiallymatchingtheframeprofilewhilesomeofthefunctionalmeanssuchascathodesheatingstation

41、setc.aremountedonthedoors.ThesefunctionalmeansarethuseasilyaccessiblewhenthedoorsareopenedanadvanItagewhichisnottobeunderestimatedinviewoftheneedforthereplacementofthesputteringtarget.EmbodimentsandtheirmannerofoperationandadditionaladvantageswillbedescribedhereinafterwithreferencetoFIGS:1to7wherein

42、:FIG. 1 isaverticalcrosssectionthroughavacuumcoatingapparatusprovidingasideviewofthewheelsandthestraightsectionsofaflexibleendlessconveyormeansFIG. 2 isaverticalcrosssectionthroughthesubjectofFIG.1atarightanglethereto,i.e.,providingafrontviewofthetargetsurfacesoftwocathodesystemsandofthesubstratesur

43、faceswhicharetobecoated.3?1?isatopplanviewofthesubjectofFIGS.1and2withdoorsclosed(solidJines)anddoorsopen(brokenlines).FIGS.4and5arepartialviewsoftheinterioroftheapparatustoexplaintheinteractionofthesubstrateswiththeflexibleendlessconveyormeans.FIG. 6 showsthelowerendofthevacuumchamberofFIGS.1and2,w

44、ithanattachmentintheformofaloadingchambercontainingtwosubstratemagazinesandFIG. 7 isavariantofthesubjectofFIG.1inasimilarrepresentation,butwiththeadditionofavacuumvapordepositionsystem.InFIG.1thereisrepresentedavacuumchamber10whichconsistsofafralne11andtwodoors2?and13profilecorrespondssubstantiallyt

45、otheframeTobothdoorsarefastenedthemeansessentialtothecoatingprocessthatis，ondoor12,theouterliaofacathodicetchingsystem14,aheatingsystem15,andtheouterpartOfacath.desputteringsystem16.OntheopAtedoor13arefastenedtheparts17?and1?Ofcathodesputteringsystems17and18,andheatingmeAs19and20.Thedoors12and13arer

46、einforcedbyribs21againsttheatmosphericsure.ThecorrespondinginternalpartsI,16b,liband18?ofthecath?deSystems14,16,17and18arealsofastenedtotheframe11inamannernotshown,asarealsothereflectorsdradiationshields2223heatingmeans15,19and20.Thevacuumchamber10isdividedbyapartition24intoanupperchamber25andaJower

47、charaber2?.Intheuppeichamber25,thereisfastenedatthehighestpossfeiepointtotheverticalframeShaft27Withapairofwheelsofwhichonlythefrontwheel28isvisileinFIG.1,whileinFIG2therearwheel29isalsorepresentedIfllikemanner,thereisjournaledinthelowerchamber26ashaft30onwhiChthereisfastenedapairofwheelsofwhichonly

48、thefrontwheel?isvisibleinFIG.hwhileinFIG.2therearwheel32isalsotobeseen.Thesuctionconnection34leadingtoapumpset33leadsintothelowerchamber26,whileagasline36fortheproductionofasuablesputteringaleadsthroughagasvalve35intotheupperchamber25.Aflexibleendlessconveyormeans37and38ispassedaroundeachpairofwheel

49、s28-31and29-32,tively,anditGanbestconsistofarollerchain(FlG.4)，althGughitcanalsobeconstitutedtyanyotherslip-freedrivhgmeAsuchasforexAplefoallchainscogbelts,thelike.Substrates39aCattachedat?lstancestotheendlessconveyormeans37and38,andtheycanbeofnianydifferentshapesasdescribedabove.Thesubstratesare?to

50、theendlessconveyormeanssuchthattheirsurfaceswhicharetobecoatedassumeaverticapositionduetogravitylAFIG.1,thecourseoftheflexibleendlessconveyormeansisindicatedonlybytherepresentationofthesubstrates39andbythecorrespondingcircumferencesofwheels28and3iBythearrangementshown，verticalchmnsofsubstrates>ef

51、ormedintheembodimentssijpwninFIGS.1and?betweenthewheels28and31andwheels29and32withineachendlessconveyormeans2.Thecathodesystems14,16,17and18aredisposedwithrespecttotheendlesstransportmeansorwheels2831and232?suchthattheverticalAintheplanesofsymmetrybetweenthetargetsurfacesofthecathodesystemsbutlatera

52、llyoutsidioftheglowdischargearea.Inthepartition24aretheslotsand41whosecrosssectionisadaptedtotheAximumcrosssectionofendlessconveyormeansandsubstrates(substrateframes),sothatunirtipairedpassageisjustpossibleiftherunisrectilinear.Toimprovethesealingaction,oneorbothsidesoftheslotsareadjoinedbyverticall

53、ydisposedguideplateswhoseverticallengthcorrespondsAerahytoatleasttheverticalspacigbetweenSubstratesuspensionpoints.ThisW?1rewillalwaysbeoccupiedbyatleastonesubstrateorsubstrate?rame.InFIGS.1to3,heatingofthesubstrates39isperformedinthelowerchamier26bymeansoftheheatersand20_Thesubstratesurfaceisadditi

54、onallycleanedbythecathodicetchingsystem14_TheheatSi*15per-fomsadditionalheatingtoraisethesubstratetuetotheJevelrequiredfortheactualcoatingprocess.Afterleavingtheheater15thesubstratespasSthroughP4128蚱顿)81intotheupperchamber25wheretheycanfee,coatedbymeansofthecathodesystems16,17and18,5accordingtothede

55、siredproductcharacteristicsThe-partition34enablesdifferentpressurestointhetwochambers.Thesubstrates39emergefromchamber25throughslots4?backintothelowercham-foer26.Theturningoverofthesubstrates29atthetop0?oftheconveyorSystemrequires,ofcourse,thattheradiusdifferencebetweenthesemicircleofthesuspensionpo

56、ints42andtheshaft27beequaltoorgreaterthantheverticallengthofthesubstates39measuredfromthesuspensionjoints42-InFIG.2thereisshown15anotherdrivemotor幻withagearing私fortheupper27withwheejs;28and29.Theshaft27and3?areheldbybearings45intheverticalframewalls11?andIlkInFIGS.4and5thereisshownanendlessconveyor2

57、0means7?intheformofarollerchain(FIG.4)whichisprovidedatequalintervalswithhngers抵wZontallongitudinalaxesofthesehungers,whichareparalleltoShafts27and30,formthesuspensionpointswhosedistanceapartdependsonthe?erticallength25ofthesubstrateThedifferentshapeswhichthesUbstratescanassumeandthemannerinwhichtheyattachedtothehangers46islikewiserepresentedinFIGS.4and5.InFlG.4,asubstrate39?isrepresentedintheformofatransverseholder47havingaplurality30ofcontractsprings48which,aftercoating，?retobetheactualendproducts，whichwillbeusedinreedswitches.3?rep