Devices for vacuum deposition systems and systems for vacuum deposition

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a device for a vacuum deposition system, the device comprising: a movable body; and at least one deposition source mounted on the movable body; The present invention relates to a device comprising: at least one coating window associated with at least one deposition source and mounted on a movable body; and at least one cooling device connected to the at least one coating window and mounted on the movable body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to devices for a vacuum evaporation system and systems for vacuum evaporation.

Background Art

[0002] Systems for coating a film onto a substrate in a vacuum often use physical vapor deposition (PVD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes. In contrast to printing, the coating source has a required distance from the film. The coating process can only be aligned with the substrate within a limited range. As a result, in addition to the substrate, the inside of the vacuum chamber surrounding the source and the substrate is also coated. This allowed non-productive coating contaminates the surroundings. Therefore, regular cleaning is required.

[0003] To simplify cleaning, the chamber is usually provided with plates / components that can be easily replaced for cleaning. Specifically, the coating window used as a mask limits the coating on the substrate. To achieve high coating uniformity on the substrate, the edges of the coating window are thickly coated during the evaporation process. As a result, the coating window becomes hot. In a flexible coating system, the substrate is made of a temperature-sensitive film. The maximum temperature tolerance of the film and the temperature of the coating window limit the maximum coating speed.

[0004] In prior art systems, the substrate is cooled by a chill roll during coating. In known processes and equipment, the coating window is preferably connected to the chill roll to ensure sufficient cooling. This leads to difficult and costly assembly conditions. Specifically, the coating window cannot be removed from the system without considerable effort. The chill roll and shield move relative to each other, and cooling remains limited. This negatively impacts the productivity of the system, as periodic cleaning of the coating window coating is essential.

[0005] Prior art systems include a chamber with cooled coating rollers that move the substrate along the front of the PVD source. The coating source is on a trolley for moving the coating source out of the vacuum chamber (deposition chamber) for maintenance. The coating trolley closes the vacuum chamber. On the trolley are a magnetron cathode / coating source with a shield for receiving recoating (backcoating), other components, and a cooling system below the vacuum chamber. The shield is attached to the cooling system. A coating window is mounted inside the vacuum chamber for better cooling. Installation and removal are time-consuming. [Overview of the project]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide devices for vacuum deposition systems and systems for vacuum deposition that overcome the limitations mentioned in the prior art. One object of the present invention is to provide a coating window that is easily modifiable and remains low enough to achieve a high deposition rate. This object is achieved by the features of the independent claim. The dependent claims define preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0007] This disclosure provides a device for a vacuum deposition system, comprising: a movable body; at least one deposition source mounted on the movable body; at least one coating window associated with the at least one deposition source and mounted on the movable body; and at least one cooling device connected to the at least one coating window and mounted on the movable body.

[0008] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0009] Preferably, the movable body is movable so that it can be inserted into and withdrawn from the vacuum chamber of the vacuum deposition system.

[0010] Preferably, the movable body closes the vacuum chamber when it is fully inserted into the vacuum chamber.

[0011] Preferably, at least one coating window comprises a housing having an opening.

[0012] Preferably, the opening is located on the side of the coating window that faces the substrate to be coated (during use).

[0013] Preferably, the housing includes side walls that extend substantially in the direction of deposition.

[0014] Preferably, the housing includes a front wall that extends substantially perpendicular to the deposition direction.

[0015] Preferably, the front wall has an opening therein.

[0016] Preferably, at least one deposition source is configured to deposit material into the deposition space with the main deposition direction aligned toward the opening of at least one coating window.

[0017] Preferably, the housing of at least one coating window is configured to surround at least one deposition source in the deposition space such that material that is not deposited through the opening is deposited on the inside of the housing.

[0018] Preferably, each of the at least one coating window is associated with each of the at least one deposition sources.

[0019] Preferably, the device further comprises at least one shield located between at least one deposition source and at least one coating window, the at least one shield and the at least one coating window being connected to at least one cooling device.

[0020] In other words, according to a preferred embodiment, the shield is carefully designed to accept a large portion of the back coating, which is unused coating material, i.e., coating material that has not been deposited onto the substrate. This helps to reduce the heat of the coating window and overcome the limitations in coating speed of the prior art.

[0021] Preferably, at least one shield and at least one coating window are connected to separate cooling devices, or more preferably to one identical cooling device.

[0022] Preferably, at least one shield is configured to shield a portion of at least one coating window.

[0023] Preferably, at least one shield comprises a shield housing having a shield opening, the shield opening being aligned with the opening of at least one coating window.

[0024] Preferably, the shield housing is positioned between at least one deposition source and at least one coating window, at a predetermined distance from the coating window.

[0025] Preferably, the shield opening is larger than the opening of at least one coating window by a predetermined amount.

[0026] Preferably, the shield has substantially the same shape as the coating window.

[0027] Preferably, at least one cooling device is connected to at least one shield.

[0028] The present disclosure also provides a system for vacuum deposition, comprising a vacuum chamber, a substrate carrier located within the vacuum chamber and having a vacuum chamber cooling device configured to cool the substrate carrier, and a device for a vacuum deposition system as described above.

[0029] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features.

[0030] Preferably, the movable body is movable relative to the vacuum chamber such that the movable body can be inserted into and withdrawn from the vacuum chamber.

[0031] Preferably, the substrate carrier is configured to hold a substrate and is aligned with at least one coating window such that material can be deposited onto the substrate through the at least one coating window.

[0032] Preferably, the vacuum chamber cooling device and the at least one cooling device are separate devices.

[0033] Preferably, according to the above, the shield is mounted on a cathode trolley to facilitate maintenance. Connection to the cooling system is preferably ensured. The cooling efficiency is limited due to the long distance to the heat sink.

[0034] The disclosure also provides a device for a vacuum deposition system, comprising: at least one deposition source; at least one coating window associated with the at least one deposition source; at least one cooling device connected to the at least one coating window; and at least one shield located between the at least one deposition source and the at least one coating window, wherein the at least one shield and the at least one coating window are connected to the at least one cooling device.

[0035] In other words, according to a preferred embodiment, the shield is carefully designed to accept a large portion of the back coating, which is unused coating material, i.e., coating material that has not been deposited onto the substrate. This helps to reduce the heat of the coating window and overcome the limitations in coating speed of the prior art.

[0036] As outlined above, the shield is preferably formed such that a large portion of the back coating is received by the shield instead of the coating window. This reduces the amount of back coating on the coating window.

[0037] The shield is preferably positioned so that thermal deformation does not affect the coating process. Preferably, the shield is configured so that the high temperature of the shield does not lead to heating of the substrate.

[0038] The shield and coating windows, as well as their cooling, are preferably optimized to minimize substrate heating. This prevents the shield, rather than the coating windows, from becoming hot and deforming.

[0039] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to provide features that will be readily apparent by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Various embodiments disclose exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented as examples, not as limitations, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art reading this disclosure that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0040] Accordingly, this disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order and / or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of this disclosure. Thereafter, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and that this disclosure is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless otherwise specified.

[0041] The above and other embodiments, as well as their implementations, will be described in more detail in the drawings, description, and claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0042] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view along the coating direction according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view taken in the coating direction according to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along the coating direction according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view taken in the coating direction according to the embodiment shown in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0043] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view along the coating direction. Figure 1 shows a cooling coating roller 100 that moves the substrate 110 along the coating window 20. Figure 1 further shows the deposition source 10 and the cooling device 30.

[0044] Figure 2 shows the respective cross-sectional views, transverse to the coating direction, corresponding to the embodiments shown in Figure 1. The same reference numerals indicate the same elements and are not repeated.

[0045] As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the coating window 20 accommodates the entire back coating 40. Although not shown in the figures, the deposition source 10, the coating window 20, and the cooling device 30 are mounted on a movable body. The movable body is movable relative to a vacuum chamber (not shown), which contains cooled coating rollers 100 (also referred to as substrate carriers). The movable body opens and closes the deposition chamber (also referred to as the vacuum chamber).

[0046] The back coating 40 is a coating that has not reached the substrate, but rather is a coating deposited on the coating window 20. Therefore, the shape of the coating window 20 is preferably configured to accept all or at least a significant amount of the back coating 40.

[0047] In the embodiment, the cooled coating roller may be cooled by a vacuum chamber cooling device (not shown), which may differ from the cooling device 30 and may be located inside a vacuum chamber.

[0048] The coating window 20 has an opening toward the substrate 110 through which material is deposited. The coating window 20 comprises a side wall substantially oriented in the deposition direction and a front wall substantially perpendicular to the deposition direction (parallel to the substrate), the front wall comprising the opening. The first end of the coating window 20 is connected to the cooling device 30. The front wall is positioned on the second end of the coating window 20 opposite the first end.

[0049] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the coating direction. Figure 3 shows a cooling coating roller 100 that moves the substrate 110 along the coating window 20. Figure 3 further shows the deposition source 10, the cooling device 30, and the shield 50.

[0050] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, transverse to the coating direction, corresponding to the embodiments shown in Figure 3. The same reference numerals indicate the same elements and are not repeated. In general, the embodiments in Figures 3 and 4 are substantially identical to the embodiments in Figures 1 and 2 (except for the use of additional shielding), and therefore their respective descriptions are not repeated.

[0051] As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4, the shield 50 accommodates most of the back coating 40, while the coating window 20 accommodates only a small portion of the back coating 40. As a result, the shield 50 can become hot and deform without adversely affecting the process, while the coating window 20 does not heat up as much (for example, compared to the embodiment in Figure 1).

[0052] The shield 50 is located inside the coating window 20 and preferably at a predetermined distance from the coating window 20. As described above, the shield 50 is configured such that the majority of the back coating 40 is deposited on the shield 50, and only a small amount of the back coating 40 is deposited on the coating window 20, specifically around the opening of the coating window 20.

[0053] In one embodiment, the shield 50 includes a side wall that substantially follows the side wall of the coating window 20. In another embodiment, the shield 50 is located near the opening of the coating window 20, preferably at a predetermined distance from the opening of the coating window 20. This predetermined distance is preferably as small as possible and is selected so that the shield 50 does not adversely affect the coating process. This predetermined distance may vary over the range of the shield 50.

[0054] In other words, the shield 50 has an opening in its front wall, which may be slightly larger than the opening provided in the coating window 20. There may be a gap between the opening in the shield 50 and the opening in the coating window 20. It is this gap that receives some (small) amount of back coating 40, which allows the back coating 40 to reach the coating window 20 as described above.

[0055] In this embodiment, the coating window 20 may be provided with a heat sink soldered to the substrate area. This may allow for a larger amount of coating.

[0056] Considering the above, using a cooling device 30 and / or a shield 50 to directly cool the coating window 20 (located on a movable body) allows for an integrated coating window 20 that can be modified with less effort. In addition, compared to conventional methods, the coating window 20 is expected to remain at a lower temperature during the process. This allows for operation at higher power or higher coating speeds. This improves product quality and increases productivity.

[0057] While various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples and not as limitations. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of this disclosure. However, such those skilled in the art will understand that this disclosure is not limited to the illustrated exemplary architectures or configurations and can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as those skilled in the art will understand, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0058] Any reference to elements in this specification using designations such as “first,” “second,” etc., should be understood as not generally limiting the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used in this specification as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or instances of elements. This does not mean that references to a first element and a second element mean that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0059] Various modifications to the implementations described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Thus, this disclosure is not limited to the implementations shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope that coincides with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A device for a vacuum deposition system, A portable main unit, At least one deposition source (10) mounted on the movable main body, A coating window (20) associated with the at least one deposition source (10) and mounted on the movable body, At least one cooling device (30) connected to the at least one coating window (20) and mounted on the movable body, The system comprises at least one shield (50) located between the at least one deposition source (10) and the at least one coating window (20), A device for a vacuum deposition system, wherein the at least one shield (50) and the at least one coating window (20) are connected to the at least one cooling device (30), and the at least one shield (50) and the at least one coating window (20) are preferably connected to separate cooling devices (30), or more preferably to one identical cooling device (30).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is movable so as to be able to insert the movable body into and withdraw it from the vacuum chamber of a vacuum deposition system.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one coating window (20) comprises a housing having an opening.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one deposition source (10) is configured to deposit a material in the deposition space with the main deposition direction aligned toward the opening of the at least one coating window (20).

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the housing of the at least one coating window (20) is configured to surround the at least one deposition source (10) in the deposition space such that a material that is not deposited through the opening is deposited on the inside of the housing.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one coating window (20) is associated with each of the at least one deposition source (10).

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one shield (50) is configured to shield a large portion of the at least one coating window (20).

8. The device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one shield (50) comprises a shield housing having a shield opening, the shield opening being aligned with the opening of the at least one coating window (20).

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the shield housing is positioned at a predetermined interval between the at least one deposition source (10) and the at least one coating window (20).

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the shield opening is larger by a predetermined amount than the opening of the at least one coating window (20).

11. A system for vacuum deposition, Vacuum chamber and A substrate carrier (100) having a vacuum chamber cooling device located within the vacuum chamber and configured to cool the substrate carrier (100), A system comprising the device described in claim 1.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the movable body is movable so as to be able to insert the movable body into the vacuum chamber and withdraw it from the vacuum chamber.

13. The system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the substrate carrier (100) is configured to hold a substrate (110), and the substrate carrier (100) is aligned with the at least one coating window (20) so that a material can be deposited onto the substrate (110) through the at least one coating window (20).

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the vacuum chamber cooling device and the at least one cooling device (30) are separate devices.

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