Processing arrangement and method for conditioning a processing arrangement

Abstract

Processing arrangement (100), comprising: • a process chamber (102) for processing a substrate within a processing area (111); • an insulating structure (106) which is arranged between the processing area (111) and an inner chamber wall (102w) of the process chamber (102) for thermally insulating the processing area (111) from the process chamber (102), wherein the insulating structure (106) is at least partially gas-permeable such that a process gas (110) from the processing area (111) can flow out of the processing area (111) through the insulating structure (106) in the direction of the inner chamber wall (102w); • a gas channel (108) which is arranged between the insulating structure (106) and the inner chamber wall (102w) for pumping out the process gas (110) which flows through the insulating structure (106); • a vacuum pump arrangement (216) for evacuating the gas channel (108); • a process gas guide (214) for introducing the process gas (110) into the processing area (111), wherein the process gas guide (214) and the vacuum pump arrangement (216) are configured such that a lower pressure is provided in the gas channel (108) than in the processing area (111); • a heating structure (408) for heating the insulating structure (106), wherein the insulating structure (106) is arranged partially or completely between the heating structure (408) and the processing area (111); and • a processing device for processing a substrate (220) within the processing area (111).

Description

[0001] Various embodiments relate to a processing arrangement and a method for conditioning a processing arrangement.

[0002] In general, many different methods are used to process substrates. Examples of substrates that can be used are glass panes, plastic plates, metal strips, foils, wafers, workpieces, or the like. The substrates can be processed, for example, using a processing device, e.g. coated using a coating device, cleaned or structured using an etching device, subjected to a temperature treatment using a heating device and / or a cooling device, or the like. The substrates are conventionally processed in at least one processing area in a process chamber. Examples of process chambers that can be used are a vacuum process chamber, an atmospheric pressure process chamber, or an overpressure process chamber. The substrates can be processed individually or as a group.

[0003] In general, it may be necessary to provide predefined process conditions in a processing area of ​​a process chamber, e.g., a substrate in the processing area may be heated to a predefined temperature, exposed to a process gas, exposed to a material vapor from coating material, or material may be removed from a substrate (e.g., by means of etching, grinding, etc.). It may be necessary or helpful for the water partial pressure in the processing area to be as low as possible (i.e., illustratively, the amount of water vapor in the processing area is low), since water may, for example, disrupt coating processes or other processes.

[0004] Furthermore, it can be helpful to thermally insulate a processing area in a process chamber, i.e. to provide a thermal insulation structure within the process chamber. A thermal insulation structure can, for example, consist of a porous material which has low thermal conductivity. However, a porous material can bind a large amount of water comparatively strongly (as an adsorbate on the inner surface of the porous material), so that conditioning the process chamber, i.e. clearly running up the processes (for example after maintenance of the system) until the desired or required conditions prevail, can take a comparatively long time. For example, it may be necessary to bake out the process chamber from the inside, including the thermal insulation structure, for several hours and to pump it out until the residual gas partial pressure of the water is within a desired range.

[0005] DE 10 2017 116 650 A1 discloses a processing arrangement having a process chamber for processing a substrate within a processing area.

[0006] One aspect of various embodiments can be clearly seen in providing a processing arrangement and a method for operating (e.g., for conditioning) a processing arrangement, which make it possible to achieve the required or desired process conditions as quickly and cost-effectively as possible during operation (e.g., during initial commissioning and / or after maintenance) of the processing arrangement. This can be achieved, on the one hand, by means of a correspondingly configured bake-out of the process chamber (in particular, the bake-out of thermal insulation arranged in the process chamber) and, on the other hand, by means of a correspondingly provided gas flow in the processing region. These measures can be implemented individually or simultaneously, for example, to efficiently remove water vapor or other interfering gases from the processing region or the process chamber.

[0007] According to various embodiments, a processing arrangement can comprise the following: a process chamber for processing a substrate within a processing region, wherein the process chamber has an upper chamber wall, a lower chamber wall, and two lateral chamber walls; an insulating structure arranged between the processing region and each of the upper chamber wall, the lower chamber wall, and the two lateral chamber walls for thermally insulating the processing region, wherein the insulating structure is configured to be gas-permeable at least in sections such that a process gas can flow out of the processing region through the insulating structure in the direction of each of the upper chamber wall, the lower chamber wall, and the two lateral chamber walls;and a gas channel arranged between the insulating structure and each of the upper chamber wall, the lower chamber wall, and the two lateral chamber walls for pumping out the process gas; a vacuum pump arrangement for evacuating the gas channel; and a process gas guide for introducing the process gas into the processing region. According to various embodiments, a method for conditioning the processing arrangement may comprise: providing a first pressure in the gas channel, wherein the first pressure is lower than the second pressure provided in the processing region; and pumping out the process gas from the processing region through the insulating structure.

[0008] According to various embodiments, a method for operating (e.g., for conditioning) a processing arrangement may comprise the following: operating a heater arrangement and / or a processing device within a processing region of the processing arrangement and thereby heating a surface of an insulating structure exposed toward the processing region to a first temperature; subsequently, operating the heater arrangement and / or the processing device and thereby heating the surface of the insulating structure exposed toward the processing region to a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature. Subsequently, for example, a substrate may be processed (e.g., coated) in the processing region (e.g., in a coating region).

[0009] According to various embodiments, a processing arrangement can comprise the following: a process chamber for processing a substrate within a processing region; an insulating structure arranged between the processing region and an inner chamber wall of the process chamber for thermally insulating the processing region from the process chamber; wherein the insulating structure is configured to be gas-permeable at least in sections such that a process gas can flow from the processing region in the direction of the inner chamber wall through the insulating structure and out of the processing region; a gas channel arranged between the insulating structure and the inner chamber wall for pumping out the process gas flowing through the insulating structure; a vacuum pump arrangement for evacuating the gas channel;a process gas guide for introducing the process gas into the processing region, wherein the process gas guide and the vacuum pump arrangement are configured such that a lower pressure is provided in the gas channel than in the processing region; a heating structure for heating the insulating structure, wherein the insulating structure is arranged partially or completely between the heating structure and the processing region; and a processing device for processing a substrate within the processing region.

[0010] According to various embodiments, a method for operating (e.g., conditioning) a processing arrangement may comprise the following: operating a heater arrangement and / or a processing device within a processing region of a processing arrangement and thereby heating a surface of an insulating structure exposed toward the processing region; and, simultaneously, additionally heating the insulating structure by means of a heating structure, wherein the insulating structure is partially or completely arranged between the heating structure and the processing region. Subsequently, for example, a substrate may be processed (e.g., coated) in the processing region (e.g., in a coating region).

[0011] Examples of embodiments are shown in the figures and are explained in more detail below.

[0012] It shows Fig. 1 shows a processing arrangement in a schematic side or cross-sectional view, according to various embodiments; Fig. 2 shows a processing arrangement in a schematic side or cross-sectional view, according to various embodiments; Fig. 3A is a schematic flow diagram of a method for operating a processing arrangement, according to various embodiments; Fig. 3B shows various temperature distributions in a thermal insulation during annealing and after annealing of the insulation, according to various embodiments; Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B each shows a detailed representation of a processing arrangement in a schematic side or cross-sectional view, according to various embodiments; Fig. 5A is a schematic flow diagram of a method for operating a processing arrangement, according to various embodiments; and Fig. 5B shows various temperature distributions in a thermal insulation during annealing and after annealing of the insulation, according to various embodiments.

[0013] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology such as "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "fore," "rear," etc., will be used with reference to the orientation of the described figure(s). Since components of embodiments can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.It is understood that the features of the various exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined with one another unless specifically stated otherwise. The following detailed description is therefore not to be construed in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0014] Throughout this description, the terms "connected," "attached," and "coupled" are used to describe both a direct and an indirect connection, a direct or indirect connection, and a direct or indirect coupling. In the figures, identical or similar elements are provided with identical reference numerals where appropriate.

[0015] According to various embodiments, the method described herein can be used for operating (e.g., conditioning) a processing arrangement for vacuum systems in a pressure range from, for example, 0.1 mbar up to atmospheric pressure or up to overpressure. If the processing arrangement is to be operated in a pressure range below the respective atmospheric pressure, the process chamber is accordingly configured as a vacuum chamber.

[0016] Conventionally, vacuum chambers and their internals are baked out for operation in the high and ultra-high vacuum range. For systems operating in this low pressure range, special materials must be used for all internals that emit little outgassing in this pressure range. Metals with low vapor pressure are therefore not used. Cavities that cannot be sufficiently evacuated are also avoided, as these can create a so-called virtual leak, which generally prevents efficient system operation. Therefore, porous materials are not used in these systems operating in the high and especially ultra-high vacuum range.

[0017] In high-vacuum applications, shield plates are traditionally used for thermal insulation. These can be arranged in multiple layers relative to one another. These shield plates prevent heat transfer based on thermal radiation, for example. A gap between two adjacent shield plates prevents heat transfer based on thermal conduction, for example.

[0018] However, as soon as the pressure reaches values ​​around 0.1 mbar and above up to atmospheric pressure, heat conduction and increasingly also free convection heat transfer via the gas in the process chamber come into play, so that, for example, shielding plates alone cannot provide sufficient thermal insulation.

[0019] In these pressure ranges, thermal insulation can be achieved cost-effectively using temperature-stable, highly porous, usually ceramic materials. However, this has the disadvantage that, due to the very large internal surface area of ​​the thermal insulation, long conditioning times may be necessary for water desorption. Especially when only very small amounts of water vapor contamination in the process gas atmosphere can be tolerated, water vapor desorption can take several tens of hours in practice, depending on the requirements for the permissible water vapor partial pressure, which, for example, significantly reduces plant availability.

[0020] Measures to shorten conditioning times, particularly with regard to possible water desorption inside the process chamber, are described in detail below. Furthermore, measures suitable for eliminating or reducing the influence of water desorption on the process gas atmosphere within the process environment are described.

[0021] Fig. 1 illustrates a processing arrangement 100 which, according to various embodiments, is configured such that an influence of, for example, desorbed water vapor on the process gas atmosphere in the processing arrangement 100 can be eliminated or reduced.

[0022] According to various embodiments, the processing arrangement 100 can have a process chamber 102 for processing a substrate (i.e., illustratively, a suitable process material) within a processing area 111. The processing area 111 is provided within the process chamber 102 accordingly for processing, e.g., coating, one or more substrates. For this purpose, a processing device, e.g., a coating device, can be used, for example (not shown). A substrate can, for example, be positioned stationary in the processing area 111 or can be continuously transported through the processing area 111. The transport of a substrate to be processed can take place by means of a suitable transport device, e.g., by means of transport rollers, transport belts, etc. (not shown), e.g., along a direction perpendicular to the illustrated directions 101, 103.

[0023] Without limiting its generality, the process chamber may, for example, have an upper chamber wall 102o, a lower chamber wall 102u, and two lateral chamber walls 102s. The upper chamber wall 102o, the lower chamber wall 102u, and the two lateral chamber walls 102s may, for example, be individual chamber walls that are connected to one another (e.g., welded) to form a closed chamber wall. Similarly, the upper chamber wall 102o, the lower chamber wall 102u, and the two lateral chamber walls 102s may each be sections of a closed, circumferential chamber wall.

[0024] The process chamber 102 or the chamber wall of the process chamber 102 can have any suitable geometric shape, e.g. the process chamber 102 or the chamber wall of the process chamber 102 can have a substantially rectangular or other polygonal cross-section, as for example in Fig. 1. Similarly, the process chamber 102 or the chamber wall of the process chamber 102 may have a circular or elliptical cross-section, or other suitable cross-sectional shapes.

[0025] According to various embodiments, the processing arrangement 100 may include an insulating structure 106 (also referred to as thermal insulation or thermal isolation), which is arranged between the processing region 111 and each of the upper chamber wall 102o, the lower chamber wall 102u, and the two lateral chamber walls 102s. Illustratively, the insulating structure 106 is arranged relative to the chamber wall of the process chamber 102 such that the processing region is thermally insulated from the outside.

[0026] According to various embodiments, the insulating structure 106 may comprise a thermally insulating material. For example, the insulating structure 106 may comprise or consist of a ceramic material. Furthermore, the insulating structure 106 may comprise or consist of a porous material, e.g., a porous ceramic. Furthermore, the insulating structure 106 may comprise a multilayer material, wherein at least one of the layers is thermally insulating. Furthermore, the insulating structure 106 may be configured in the form of a multilayer radiation shield.

[0027] According to various embodiments, the insulating structure 106 can be configured to be gas-permeable at least in sections such that a process gas 110 can flow out of the processing region 111 through the insulating structure 106 in the direction of the upper chamber wall 102o, the lower chamber wall 102u and the two lateral chamber walls 102s.

[0028] Illustratively, a gas flow distribution can be provided within the processing region 111, which is directed away from the processing region 111 on all sides. This can prevent or reduce the spread of water vapor, which, for example, is desorbed from the insulating structure 106, toward the processing region 111. Illustratively, an overpressure relative to an external region (formed between the insulating structure 106 and the process chamber 102) can be provided within the processing region 111 by means of the insulating structure 106.

[0029] According to various embodiments, the processing arrangement 100 may include a gas channel 108 for collecting the process gas 110 flowing through the insulating structure 106. The gas channel 108 may be arranged between the insulating structure 106 and the chamber wall of the process chamber 102, e.g., between the insulating structure 106 and the upper chamber wall 102o, the lower chamber wall 102u, and the two lateral chamber walls 102s.

[0030] According to various embodiments, the gas channel 108 may be arranged relative to the gas-permeable insulating structure 106 in such a way that the process gas flowing through the insulating structure can be pumped out.

[0031] According to various embodiments, the gas channel 108 can be provided with a sufficiently large cross-section so that a pressure drop across the length of the gas channel 108 is negligibly small compared to the pressure drop across the gas-permeable insulating structure 106. Thus, the gas channel 108 can be pumped out, for example, at one or more arbitrary locations, while simultaneously ensuring that the process gas 110 flows out of the processing region 111 through the insulating structure 106. According to various embodiments, the gas channel 108 can have one or more pumping openings 108p. If multiple pumping openings 108p are used to pump the process gas 110 out of the gas channel 108, they do not have to be arranged on all sides of the processing region 111, but can be arranged on only one, only two, or only three sides of the processing region 111.

[0032] Illustratively, the extraction of the process gas can be relocated to the exterior of the process chamber 102. A sufficient number of outflow openings in the insulating structure 106 ensures, for example, that the desorbed water vapor does not reach the process material. According to various embodiments, a plurality of through-openings can be provided in each section 106o, 106u, 106s of the insulating structure 106 arranged in the region of the chamber walls 102o, 102u, 102s. According to various embodiments, the insulating structure 106 can have an arrangement of through-holes, wherein at least one through-hole (e.g., with a diameter or width of 1 cm) per 100 cm 2 surface is provided. Furthermore, the insulating structure 106 can comprise a porous, gas-permeable material, e.g., an open-pore ceramic.

[0033] According to various embodiments, the insulating structure 106 can also comprise a plurality of insulating tiles that are assembled to form a substantially closed insulating structure 106. A gap through which the process gas can flow can remain between each two adjacent insulating tiles. Furthermore, at least one through-hole can be provided in each of the insulating tiles, allowing process gas to flow through the at least one through-hole.

[0034] According to various embodiments, a porous material may have a porosity of more than 10%, e.g., a porosity in a range of about 10% to about 90%, e.g., in a range of about 50% to about 90%.

[0035] According to various embodiments, the insulating structure 106 may also include a plurality of through holes and / or gaps (also referred to as outflow openings) arranged in a predefined grid or pattern.

[0036] If the respective outflow openings are arranged at a distance from one another, the inner insulation surfaces of the insulation structure 106 are, for example, flowed around by the process gas in a laminar manner, whereby the desorbed water vapor is thus absorbed or the process material is shielded from the desorbed water vapor. The prerequisite is that the pressure is sufficiently high so that a viscous flow is achieved. For this purpose, a pressure of at least 1 mbar can be provided, for example, in the processing area 111. The pressure can be controlled or regulated by means of a process gas supply and a correspondingly configured gas flow control or gas flow regulation. At the same time or alternatively, the pumping of the process gas from the processing area 111 or the gas channel 108 can also be controlled or regulated, e.g. by means of a control or regulation of the suction power.

[0037] According to various embodiments, the processing arrangement 100 can be configured such that a substrate in the processing region 111 can be flowed over as homogeneously as possible with a process gas (e.g. a carrier gas and / or a material vapor), wherein as far as possible no (interfering) gas can penetrate from the outside into the processing region 111 or no (interfering) gas can flow from the insulating structure 106 inwards towards the processing region 111.

[0038] According to various embodiments, the gas channel 108 may be arranged in a ring-shaped circumferential manner, as for example in Fig. 1. Alternatively, the gas channel 108 may also be segmented.

[0039] Fig. Figure 2 illustrates a processing arrangement 100 in a schematic view according to various embodiments. The processing arrangement 100 can be configured in a similar manner to the processing arrangement shown in Fig. 1. According to various embodiments, a process gas can be introduced into the process chamber 102 within the processing area 111, e.g., by means of a process gas guide 214.

[0040] According to various embodiments, a vacuum pump assembly 216 may be used to evacuate or pump out the gas channel 108.

[0041] According to various embodiments, the insulating structure 106 and the gas channel 108 can be or become configured such that the flow resistance through the outflow openings 206 of the insulating structure 106 is greater than through the gas channel 108 (e.g., more than twice as large or more than ten times as large). According to various embodiments, a diameter or a width of the gas channel 108 can be greater than a diameter or a width of the respective outflow openings 206 of the insulating structure 106 (e.g., more than twice as large or more than ten times as large). According to various embodiments, an opening cross-sectional area of ​​the gas channel 108 can be larger than an opening cross-sectional area of ​​the respective outflow openings 206 of the insulating structure 106 (e.g., more than twice as large or more than ten times as large).Thus, for example, the suction conditions in the processing area 111 can be or become stabilized due to the different flow resistances.

[0042] Desorption of water, which in the case of porous insulation materials can occupy very large internal surfaces, can be expelled by annealing. The desorption progress is a function of time and temperature. Temperature, in particular, is known to have a significant influence on the desorption rate. Furthermore, temperature essentially defines the binding energy of the remaining adsorbed particles. This means that particles that are still adsorbed after high-temperature annealing are essentially strongly bound to the surface and thus hardly leave the surface at lower temperatures, leading to a drastic decrease in the desorption rate after annealing.

[0043] According to various embodiments, the internals in the process chamber 102 and / or at least sections of the process chamber 102 itself can be heated above a later operating temperature, so that the water is desorbed at a high rate. After a predefined holding time at elevated temperature, the lower process temperature can be set.

[0044] The desorption rate can be reduced by several orders of magnitude. This approach allows for water vapor partial pressures to be achieved that would require extremely long pumping times without annealing.

[0045] According to various embodiments, a processing arrangement 100 is provided which is configured such that its internal components, in particular a thermal insulation structure 106, can be heated thoroughly in the shortest possible time so that, as described above, the water and other adsorbates can be efficiently expelled during annealing. This particularly applies to the shield insulations and insulating materials used in high-vacuum technology, e.g., porous ceramic materials, or other insulating structures 106.

[0046] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 2, a substrate 220 (e.g., any suitable process material) may be positioned in the processing area 111. After conditioning the processing arrangement 100, the substrate 220 may be processed in the processing area 111 by means of a correspondingly configured processing device (not shown).

[0047] Fig. 3 illustrates a schematic flow diagram of a method 300 for operating or conditioning a processing arrangement, according to various embodiments.In this case, the method 300 for operating the processing arrangement 100 described above can comprise, for example, the following: operating a heater arrangement (which is configured, for example, to heat the insulating structure 106 directly or indirectly) and / or a processing device (which is configured to process a substrate in the processing region 111, wherein the insulating structure 106 is heated simultaneously) within the processing region 111 and thereby heating a surface of the insulating structure 106 exposed toward the processing region 111 to a first temperature; and, subsequently, in 320, operating the heater arrangement and / or the processing device and thereby heating the surface of the insulating structure 106 exposed toward the processing region 111 to a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature.

[0048] In other words, the method 300 may, for example, comprise: in 310, operating a heater arrangement and / or a processing device within a processing region 111 of a process chamber 102 and thereby heating a surface of an insulating structure 106 exposed toward the processing region 111, which surface, for example, surrounds the processing region 111, to a first temperature; and in 320, operating the heater arrangement and / or the processing device and thereby heating the surface of the insulating structure exposed toward the processing region to a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature.

[0049] Subsequently, for example, a substrate can be processed (e.g. coated) in the processing area (e.g. in a coating area).

[0050] According to various embodiments, the internals in the process chamber 102 are heated from the direction of the processing region 111, i.e., clearly from the inside. For this purpose, a heater arrangement and / or another processing device (e.g., a coating device) can be operated in or on the processing region 111. Processing devices, such as magnetrons for magnetron sputtering, electron beam evaporators, thermal evaporators, or the like, can, for example, themselves generate sufficient heat to heat the processing region 111. A heater arrangement can, for example, be used in addition to a processing device or be part of the processing device.

[0051] The heater located inside the thermal insulation heats, for example, an inner side of the insulating structure 106, e.g., the inner sheets of a multi-layer shield insulation or the inner surface of an insulating material. While the inner shield layers or the near-surface areas of the insulating material can be heated to the annealing temperature relatively quickly, the outer shield layers or insulating material areas only reach higher temperatures after a longer period of time.

[0052] Fig. 3B shows an exemplary diagram of the heating behavior 300a of a ceramic insulation with medium thermal mass (thermal conductivity 0.35 W / m·K, density 800 kg / m 3; specific heat capacity 1000 Ws / kg·K), according to various embodiments. In this example, the ceramic insulating structure 106 has a thickness of 100 mm. According to various embodiments, the insulating structure 106 may have a thickness in a range from approximately 50 mm to approximately 500 mm.

[0053] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 3B, the temperature of the inside of the insulating structure 106 (at 0 mm in the diagram) quickly adjusts to the heating temperature when heated from the inside. However, it may be difficult to efficiently heat the outside of the insulating structure 106 (at 100 mm in the diagram) when the insulating structure 106 is heated only from the inside.

[0054] After a few hours, an equilibrium temperature distribution 300b is reached, for example, as shown for a heating temperature of 600°C. The equilibrium temperature distribution 300b is established, for example, after a heating period of approximately 3 hours. It can be seen that heating an insulating structure 106 can require a comparatively long heating time and that the outer side of the insulating structure 106 may not be heated sufficiently to efficiently expel the water from the insulating structure 106.

[0055] According to various embodiments, materials can be used as insulation that enable much faster heat-up times. These materials have, for example, a low density or high porosity. However, such materials may be mechanically less stable and, for example, tend to release particles without sealing. If the materials used are not inherently stable, cassettes can be provided, for example, that hold the insulation and cover the insulation surface with suitable materials, at least on the side facing the process. The use of these materials can be economically disadvantageous due to the increased effort required. In principle, insulation materials should be sought that enable minimization of energy costs while providing good thermal insulation. Furthermore, the heat capacity of the insulation material should be as low as possible. This can shorten heat-up times.

[0056] Depending on various designs, it is possible to allow for a short cooling time, allowing system maintenance to be carried out without long waiting times. For insulation concepts, the advantages and disadvantages described above can be weighed depending on the specific application.

[0057] To shorten the water desorption process, targeted overheating 300c of the insulating structure 106 can be performed, specifically across the entire thickness of the insulating structure 106. This is initially possible, for example, by heating at a temperature of, for example, 700°C over a period of, for example, approximately 3 hours. In this process, the insulating structure 106 is brought across its entire thickness to a temperature that is higher than the temperature under process conditions (e.g., 600°C). Higher annealing temperatures accelerate desorption. The limit temperature of the heater and the process internals, for example, limits the maximum possible heating temperature.

[0058] In the following, embodiments of a processing arrangement 100 are described which make it possible to significantly accelerate the desorption process. According to various embodiments, an additional heater is used to heat the insulating structure 106 in the outer region. By heating the insulating structure 106 from two opposite sides, considerably higher temperatures can be achieved in the insulation volume, as in Fig. 5B is illustrated, and this within much shorter times, in the example shown in half the time.

[0059] The higher the temperature of the insulating structure 106, the more effectively the desorption can occur, according to the Arrhenius behavior with respect to temperature and time. At temperatures significantly above the equilibrium temperature distribution in the insulating structure 106, the holding time at elevated temperatures can therefore be significantly shortened, increasing plant availability.

[0060] According to various embodiments, heating of the insulating structure 106 can take place in the outer region, i.e. in a region of the insulating structure 106 facing away from the processing region 111. According to various embodiments, for example, the outer region can be or become covered with a surface heating system. To heat the insulating structure 106, for example, a heating cable laid in a meander shape can be used. So-called mineral-insulated heating cables can be used in this case. Furthermore, at least one heating wire made of Kanthal can be used, e.g., an alloy comprising iron, chromium, and aluminum, or a copper / nickel-based alloy. For example, a bare heating wire can be or become laid, wherein a heating wire carrier is used (this can be the insulation, for example), wherein the heating wire carrier can be made, for example, of electrically insulating material and is high-temperature resistant.Individual heaters can also be used. Since a homogeneous temperature distribution across the lateral extent of the insulation structure 106 is not required, comparatively large distances between the heaters can be selected to keep the investment costs as low as possible. The outer heaters can be shielded to minimize radiation toward the process chamber 102 or the chamber wall. This shielding can be achieved using one or more layers of sheet metal. According to various embodiments, the chamber wall cooling can be adapted to the increased heat load during overheating. The heaters can also advantageously be embedded in trenches incorporated into the outer insulation surface. In individual cases, the heaters can also be sensibly embedded into the insulation volume, for example, in recesses, cavities, etc.

[0061] Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B each illustrate a processing arrangement in a schematic detailed view, according to various embodiments. The processing arrangement 100 may comprise a process chamber 102 for processing a substrate within a processing region 111, for example, a process chamber 102 as described above. Furthermore, the processing arrangement 100 may comprise an insulating structure 106, for example, an insulating structure 106 as described above, wherein the insulating structure 106 is arranged between the processing region 111 and an inner chamber wall 102w of the process chamber 102 for thermally insulating the processing region 111 from the process chamber 102.

[0062] According to various embodiments, the processing arrangement 100 may include a heating structure 408 for heating the insulating structure 106, wherein the insulating structure 106 is partially or completely arranged between the heating structure 408 and the processing region 111.

[0063] A thermal shield 410 may be arranged between the heating structure 408 and the chamber wall 102w of the process chamber 102.

[0064] For example, in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 4B, a heater arrangement 418 may be arranged on a first side of the insulating structure 106 (e.g., on an inner side 106i facing the processing region 111). With this heater arrangement 418, the insulating structure 106 can be heated from a first direction. Furthermore, the heating structure 408 may be arranged on a second side of the insulating structure 106 opposite the first side (e.g., an outer side 106a facing away from the processing region 111).

[0065] According to various embodiments, the heater arrangement 418 may be a separate heater that serves only to heat the insulating structure 106, or the heater arrangement 418 may be part of a processing device by means of which substrates are processed, e.g., coated, in the processing region 111.

[0066] Fig. 5A illustrates a schematic flow diagram of a method 500 for operating or conditioning a processing arrangement, according to various embodiments. For example, for operating the processing arrangement 100 described above, the method 500 may comprise: in 510, operating a heater arrangement 418 and / or a processing device within the processing region 111 and thereby heating a surface of the insulating structure 106 exposed toward the processing region 111; and, simultaneously, additionally heating the insulating structure 106 by means of the heating structure 408.

[0067] Fig. 5B shows in an exemplary diagram the heating behavior 300a, 300b, 300c of a ceramic insulation of medium thermal mass, as described above, and additionally a heating behavior 500a in the case that an additional heating structure 408 is used, as in Fig. 4A, Fig. 4B and as may be done according to method 500.

[0068] As in Fig. 5B, the outside of the insulating structure 106 can thus also be brought to a sufficiently high annealing temperature so that, for example, water or other adsorbates can be expelled from the insulating structure 106. Curve 500a clearly shows an exemplary annealing profile for temperatures of 700°C on the inside of the insulating structure 106 (at 0 mm) and 400°C on the outside of the insulating structure 106 (at 100 mm). Temperature profile 500a is established after a heating time of approximately 1.5 hours, i.e., the insulating structure 106 can be heated through considerably more quickly compared to temperature profile 300c for one-sided heating of the insulating structure 106 at 700°C and a heating time of 3 hours.

[0069] In the following, various examples are described which relate to what has been described and illustrated above.

[0070] Example 1 is a processing arrangement 100 comprising: a process chamber 102 for processing a substrate within a processing area 111, the process chamber 102 having an upper chamber wall 102o, a lower chamber wall 102u and two side chamber walls 102s; an insulating structure 106, which is arranged between the processing region 111 and each of the upper chamber wall 102o, the lower chamber wall 102u and the two lateral chamber walls 102s for thermally insulating the processing region 111, wherein the insulating structure 106 is configured to be gas-permeable at least in sections such that a process gas 110 can flow out of the processing region 111 through the insulating structure 106 in the direction of each of the upper chamber wall 102o, the lower chamber wall 102u and the two lateral chamber walls 102s;and a gas channel 108, which is arranged between the insulating structure 106 and each of the upper chamber wall 102o, the lower chamber wall 102u and the two lateral chamber walls 102s for pumping out the process gas 110 flowing through the insulating structure 106.

[0071] The insulating structure 106 can have an upper section 106o, which is arranged between the processing region 111 and the upper chamber wall 102o, as well as a lower section 106u, which is arranged between the processing region 111 and the lower chamber wall 102u, and two lateral sections 106s, each arranged between the processing region 111 and the two lateral chamber walls 102s, for thermally insulating the processing region 111 from the process chamber 102. The insulating structure 106 can have channels, through-holes, or gaps (also referred to as outflow openings) extending from the inside to the outside, through which a gas can flow through the insulating structure 106. The insulating structure 106 can extend along the inner wall of the chamber. The insulating structure 106 can substantially completely surround the processing region 111 (e.g., radially to the transport direction).

[0072] In Example 2, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 1 may further include that the insulating structure 106 and the gas channel 108 are configured such that the flow resistance through the insulating structure 106 is greater than through the gas channel 108. The flow resistance through the insulating structure 106 may be more than twice as great or more than ten times as great as through the gas channel 108.

[0073] In Example 3, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 1 or 2 may further comprise that the gas channel 108 has at least one pump-out opening 206 for pumping out the gas channel 108 by means of a vacuum pump arrangement 216.

[0074] In Example 4, the processing arrangement 100 according to any one of Examples 1 to 3 may further comprise a process gas guide 214 for introducing the process gas 110 into the processing region 111.

[0075] In Example 5, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 4 may further include a vacuum pump arrangement 216 for evacuating the gas channel 108. According to various embodiments, the vacuum pump arrangement 216 may be coupled to the gas channel 108 directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more vacuum supply pipes).

[0076] In Example 6, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 5 may include that the process gas guide 214 and the vacuum pump arrangement 216 are configured such that a pressure of more than 1 mbar is provided in the processing region 111. Furthermore, the process gas guide 214 and the vacuum pump arrangement 216 may be configured such that a lower pressure is provided in the gas channel 108 (e.g., in any region within the gas channel 108) than in the processing region 111.

[0077] In Example 7, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 6 may include that the vacuum pump arrangement 216 is configured to access the gas channel 108 only from one side of the process chamber 102.

[0078] In Example 8, the processing arrangement 100 according to any one of Examples 1 to 7 may further include a heating structure 408 for heating the insulating structure 106.

[0079] In Example 9, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 8 may include that the insulating structure 106 is partially or completely arranged between the heating structure 408 and the processing region 111.

[0080] According to various embodiments, the heating structure 408 can be arranged on an outer side of the insulating structure 106. Furthermore, the heating structure 408 can be partially or completely embedded in the insulating structure 106.

[0081] Example 10 is a processing arrangement 100 comprising: a process chamber 102 for processing a substrate within a processing region 111; an insulating structure 106 arranged between the processing region 111 and an inner chamber wall 102w of the process chamber 102 for thermally isolating the processing region 111 from the process chamber 102; and a heating structure 408 for heating the insulating structure 106, wherein the insulating structure 106 is arranged partially or completely between the heating structure 408 and the processing region 111.

[0082] In Example 11, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 10 may comprise that the insulating structure 106 is configured to be gas-permeable at least in sections such that a process gas 110 can flow out of the processing region 111 through the insulating structure 106 in the direction of the inner chamber wall 102w and out of the processing region 111.

[0083] In Example 12, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 11 may further comprise a gas channel 108 arranged between the insulating structure 106 and the inner chamber wall 102w for pumping out the process gas 110 flowing through the insulating structure 106.

[0084] In Example 13, the processing arrangement 100 according to any one of Examples 1 to 12 may further comprise a processing device for processing a substrate 220 within the processing region 111.

[0085] In Example 14, the processing arrangement 100 according to any one of Examples 1 to 12 may further comprise a coating device for coating a substrate 220 within the processing area 111.

[0086] In Example 15, the processing arrangement 100 according to Example 14 may include that the coating device is configured to introduce a powdered material into the processing region 111 by means of the process gas 110 and to evaporate the powdered material within the processing region 111 for coating the substrate by means of the evaporated material.

[0087] According to various embodiments, the process gas 110 according to the preceding examples may be or comprise an inert gas (e.g., argon, helium, nitrogen, etc.) or a reactive gas (e.g., oxygen, hydrogen, etc.).

[0088] Example 16 is a method of conditioning a processing arrangement 100 according to any one of Examples 1 to 15, the method comprising: operating a heater arrangement 418 and / or a processing device within the processing region 111 and thereby heating a surface of the insulating structure 106 exposed to the processing region 111 to a first temperature; and then, operating the heater arrangement 418 and / or the processing device and thereby heating the surface of the insulating structure 106 exposed to the processing region 111 to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

[0089] According to various embodiments, the first temperature may be more than 50°C or more than 100°C higher than the second temperature. According to various embodiments, the first temperature may be provided for a heating duration of more than 1 hour. According to various embodiments, the second temperature may be in a range from approximately 400°C to approximately 650°C.

[0090] Example 17 is a method of conditioning a processing arrangement 100 according to any one of Examples 8 to 12, the method comprising: operating a heater arrangement 418 and / or a processing device within the processing region 111 and thereby heating a surface of the insulating structure 106 exposed to the processing region 111; and, concurrently, additionally heating the insulating structure 106 by means of the heating structure 408.

[0091] According to various embodiments, the heating from the inside may be carried out at a higher temperature than the additional heating from the outside by means of the heating structure 408.

Claims

[1] Processing arrangement (100), comprising: • a process chamber (102) for processing a substrate within a processing area (111); • an insulating structure (106) which is arranged between the processing region (111) and an inner chamber wall (102w) of the process chamber (102) for thermally insulating the processing region (111) from the process chamber (102), wherein the insulating structure (106) is configured to be gas-permeable at least in sections such that a process gas (110) can flow out of the processing region (111) in the direction of the inner chamber wall (102w) through the insulating structure (106) out of the processing region (111); • a gas channel (108) arranged between the insulating structure (106) and the inner chamber wall (102w) for pumping out the process gas (110) flowing through the insulating structure (106); • a vacuum pump arrangement (216) for evacuating the gas channel (108); • a process gas guide (214) for introducing the process gas (110) into the processing area (111), wherein the process gas guide (214) and the vacuum pump arrangement (216) are arranged such that a lower pressure is provided in the gas channel (108) than in the processing area (111); • a heating structure (408) for heating the insulating structure (106), wherein the insulating structure (106) is arranged partially or completely between the heating structure (408) and the processing region (111); and • a processing device for processing a substrate (220) within the processing area (111). [2] Processing arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the insulating structure (106) and the gas channel (108) are arranged such that the flow resistance through the insulating structure (106) is greater than through the gas channel (108). [3] Processing arrangement (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas channel (108) has at least one pumping opening (206) for pumping the gas channel (108) by means of the vacuum pump arrangement (216). [4] Processing arrangement (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the process gas guide (214) and the vacuum pump arrangement (216) are arranged such that a pressure of more than 1 mbar is provided in the processing area (111). [5] Processing arrangement (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vacuum pump arrangement (216) is arranged such that it accesses the gas channel (108) only from one side of the process chamber (102). [6] A method for conditioning a processing arrangement (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processing arrangement (100) further comprises a heater arrangement (418) within the processing area (111), the method comprising: • Operating the heater arrangement (418) and / or the processing device within the processing region (111) and thereby heating a surface of the insulating structure (106) exposed to the processing region (111) to a first temperature; and subsequently, • Operating the heater arrangement (418) and / or the processing device and thereby heating the surface of the insulating structure (106) exposed towards the processing region (111) to a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature. [7] A method for conditioning a processing arrangement (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the processing arrangement (100) further comprising a heater arrangement (418) within the processing area (111), the method comprising: • Operating the heater arrangement (418) and / or the processing device within the processing region (111) and thereby heating a surface of the insulating structure (106) exposed to the processing region (111); and, at the same time, • additional heating of the insulating structure (106) by means of the heating structure (408). [8] A method for conditioning a processing arrangement (100), the processing arrangement comprising: • a process chamber (102) for processing a substrate within a processing area (111), the process chamber (102) having an upper chamber wall (102o), a lower chamber wall (102u) and two lateral chamber walls (102s); • an insulating structure (106) which is arranged between the processing area (111) and the upper chamber wall (102o), the lower chamber wall (102u) and the two lateral chamber walls (102s) for thermally insulating the processing area (111), wherein the insulating structure (106) is designed to be gas-permeable at least in sections such that a process gas (110) can flow out of the processing area (111) through the insulating structure (106) in the direction of the upper chamber wall (102o), the lower chamber wall (102u) and the two lateral chamber walls (102s); • a gas channel (108) which is arranged between the insulating structure (106) and the upper chamber wall (102o), the lower chamber wall (102u) and the two lateral chamber walls (102s) for pumping out the process gas (110); • a vacuum pump arrangement (216) for evacuating the gas channel (108); and • a process gas guide (214) for introducing the process gas (110) into the processing area (111); the method comprising: • Providing a first pressure in the gas channel (108) by means of the vacuum pump arrangement (216), wherein the first pressure is lower than the second pressure provided in the processing area (111); and • Pumping the process gas out of the processing area (111) through the insulating structure (106).

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