Deposition system, set of shields, method of coating a substrate, and substrate

Abstract

A deposition system is described. The system includes a first vacuum chamber that houses a first deposition source, a substrate transportation track configured to move a substrate in a transport direction past the first deposition source, and a shield transportation track between the substrate transportation track and the first deposition source and configured to move a first shield in the transport direction in front of the substrate for shielding an edge region of the substrate. The shield includes a first shielding frame that surrounds a first main opening defining a device region on the substrate. A first monitoring opening is provided in the first shielding frame, the first monitoring opening being located adjacent to the first main opening and defining a first monitoring region on the substrate outside the device region.

Description

DEPOSITION SYSTEM, SET OF SHIELDS, METHOD OF COATING A SUBSTRATE, AND SUBSTRATETECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a generation of test structures or test elements in a deposition system, particularly an in-line deposition system. Embodiments of the present disclosure particularly relate to a deposition system, a set of shields, and a method of coating a substrate. Embodiments of the present disclosure particularly relate to the processing of substrates for display applications, such as substrates for OLED display manufacture, and particularly the generation of an OLED layer stack.BACKGROUND

[0002] Organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) are a special type of lightemitting diode in which the emissive layer includes a thin film of certain organic compounds. OLEDs are used in the manufacture of television screens, computer monitors, mobile phones, other hand-held devices, etc. for displaying information. OLEDs can also be used for general space illumination. The range of colors and brightness possible with OLED displays is greater than that of traditional LCD displays because OLED material emits light directly. The energy consumption of OLED displays is considerably less than that of traditional LCD displays.

[0003] Furthermore, the fact that OLEDs can be manufactured onto flexible substrates allows for still further applications. An OLED display may include, for example, layers of organic material situated between two electrodes, for example electrodes made of a metallic material. The OLED is typically placed between two glass panels, and the edges of the glass panels are sealed to encapsulate the OLED therein. Alternatively, the OLED can be encapsulated with thin-film technology, e.g. with a barrier film.

[0004] For manufacturing OLED devices but also for manufacturing other devices, a plurality of material layers is deposited on a substrate. The pluralityof material layers can be deposited by a corresponding plurality of deposition sources, e.g. evaporation sources. Deposition sources may deposit different materials, such that the deposition sources have individual source conditions, e.g. for optimized substrate processing. The individual source conditions are beneficially monitored. For example, layer thickness or layer uniformity of an individual source is beneficially monitored. In particular, operation-condition monitoring can be provided during manufacturing under production conditions.

[0005] In light of the above, it is beneficial to provide systems, a set of shields, apparatuses and methods that allow for individual monitoring of process conditions for different layers deposited on a substrate.SUMMARY

[0006] The invention is set out in the appended set of claims.

[0007] According to one embodiment, a deposition system is described. The system includes a first vacuum chamber that houses a first deposition source, a substrate transportation track configured to move a substrate in a transport direction past the first deposition source, and a shield transportation track between the substrate transportation track and the first deposition source and configured to move a first shield in the transport direction in front of the substrate for shielding an edge region of the substrate. The shield includes a first shielding frame that surrounds a first main opening defining a device region on the substrate. A first monitoring opening is provided in the first shielding frame, the first monitoring opening being located adjacent to the first main opening and defining a first monitoring region on the substrate outside the device region.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a set of shields for shielding a substrate in a deposition system is described. The deposition system may be a deposition system according to embodiments described herein. Each shield of the set configured to be movable in a transport direction and includes a shielding frame that surrounds a main opening for defining a device region on the substrate. A monitoring opening is provided in the shielding frame adjacent to the mainopening, the monitoring opening configured to define a respective monitoring region on the substrate outside the device region. The monitoring opening of each shield of the set is located at a unique position among the shields of the set.

[0009] According to one embodiment, a method of coating a substrate in a deposition system is described. The method includes moving a substrate on a substrate transportation track in a transport direction past a first deposition source, and moving a first shield on a shield transportation track in front of the substrate for shielding an edge region of the substrate from being coated by the first deposition source. The first shield includes a first shielding frame that surrounds a first main opening. The method further includes directing, by the first deposition source, a first material toward the substrate, the first material being deposited onto a device region defined by the first main opening and onto a first monitoring region outside the device region defined by a first monitoring opening provided in the first shielding frame adjacent to the first main opening.

[0010] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] So that the manner in which the above recited features can be understood in detail, a more particular description, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments. The accompanying drawings relate to embodiments and are described in the following:Fig. 1 schematically shows a deposition system according to embodiments in a plan view (upper part) and a set of shields according to embodiments in a front view (lower part);Fig. 2 schematically shows a front view of a shield of a deposition system according to embodiments;Fig. 3A schematically shows a first section of a shield and a substrate in a deposition system according to embodiments;Fig. 3B schematically shows a second section of a shield and a substrate in a deposition system according to embodiments;Fig. 4 schematically shows a monitoring opening of a shield that defines a monitoring region on a substrate in a deposition system according to embodiments;Fig. 5 schematically shows an edge region of a substrate according to embodiments having a plurality of material layers deposited thereon;Fig. 6 schematically shows a shadow zone generated while operating a deposition source in a deposition system according to embodiments;Fig. 7A to Fig. 7G show a deposition system according to embodiments, and a method of coating a substrate in a deposition system according to embodiments; andFig. 8 shows a method of coating a substrate in a deposition system according to embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. Within the following description of the drawings, the same reference numbers refer to same components. Generally, only the differences with respect to individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation and is not meant as a limitation. Further, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with other embodiments to yield yet a further embodiment. It is intended that the description includes such modifications and variations.

[0013] A process to manufacture OLED displays can include thermal evaporation of organic materials and deposition of organic materials on a substrate in a high vacuum. Depending on the display technology, a mask with a plurality of pixel openings (also referred to as a “fine metal mask” or FMM) can be used for patterning the organic layers onto the substrate during deposition, or, alternatively, pixels can be formed on the substrate without use of a fine metal mask.

[0014] A shield can be arranged in front of the substrate during the deposition for covering regions of the substrate that are not to be coated. In particular, the shield may be arranged in front of the substrate for covering one or more edge regions of the substrate. A shield that is provided to block evaporated material from reaching one or more edge regions of the substrate is also referred to herein as an “edge exclusion shield” or “edge exclusion mask”. The shield may be arranged in front of the substrate during the material deposition on the substrate by a deposition source. The edge exclusion shield may include a shielding frame, e.g., a shielding frame with a rectangular main opening that defines a “device region” of the substrate that is to be coated with devices, such as pixels, the shielding frame being configured to cover one or more substrate edges during material deposition.

[0015] If the substrate is movable relative to the deposition source for being coated in an in-line deposition process, the shield may be movable together with the substrate relative to the deposition source. In the latter case, the shield can also be referred to as a “movable shield”. A movable shield can mask the perimeter of a glass substrate, such as a rectangular glass substrate. The terms “edge exclusion mask”, “shield”, “moveable shield”, or “edge exclusion shield” may be used interchangeably to define a shield according to embodiments.

[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to substrate processing systems, deposition systems, substrate deposition systems, vacuum deposition systems and / or substrate processing apparatuses, particularly in-line systems and in-line apparatuses for depositing a plurality of materials subsequently on a substrate that is moved through the deposition system past a plurality ofdeposition sources. One or more movable shields for in-line processing are provided. In some embodiments, each movable shield may be associated to a respective deposition source.

[0017] Referring now to Fig. 1 , a deposition system 1000 according to embodiments is schematically illustrated in a plan view. The deposition system includes a first vacuum chamber 11 that houses a first deposition source 51 , and optionally one or more further vacuum chambers that may house one or more further deposition sources, e.g., a second deposition source 52. The deposition sources can be evaporation sources, particularly evaporation sources configured to coat vertically or essentially vertically oriented substrates. The first deposition source may include at least one distribution pipe with a plurality of nozzles, wherein the plurality of nozzles may be arranged in an essentially vertically extending row. The first deposition source may, for example, be a line source for vertical substrate coating. The first deposition source 51 may be configured to deposit a first material on the substrate, and the second deposition source 52 may be configured to deposit a second material on the substrate. A plurality of different materials, that may include one or more metals and / or one or more organic materials, can be deposited subsequently on the substrate for providing a layer stack in a device region of the substrate, e.g., an OLED layer stack.

[0018] The deposition system 1000 includes a substrate transportation track 13 configured to move a substrate 110 in a transport direction 140 past the first deposition source 51 and the optional further deposition sources. The substrate transportation track 13 may extend at least partially through the first vacuum chamber 11 and through optional further vacuum chambers and may include a substrate transportation system configured for substrate transport, e.g., a roller transportation system, one or more linear motors and / or a magnetic levitation system suitable for moving the substrate relative to the deposition sources. The substrate may be carried by a substrate carrier 720 during the transport and / or deposition.

[0019] The deposition system 1000 further includes a shield transportation track 12 extending between the substrate transportation track 13 and the first deposition source 51 in the first vacuum chamber 11 . The shield transportation track 12 is configured to move a first shield 100 in the transport direction 140 in front of the substrate 110 for shielding one or more edge regions of the substrate 110 and / or for shielding at least parts of the substrate carrier 720. The first shield 100 may be a movable shield, particularly a movable edge exclusion shield with a shielding frame for covering one or more edge regions of the substrate as described herein. The shield transportation track 12 may extend between the substrate transportation track 13 and the first deposition source 51 in the first vacuum chamber 11 and may include a shield transportation system, e.g., a roller transportation system, one or more linear motors and / or a magnetic levitation system suitable to move the first shield 100 in front of the substrate 110, such that one or more edge regions of the substrate are covered during coating with the first deposition source 51 , as is schematically depicted in FIG. 1.

[0020] The first shield 100 may be movable back and forth on the shield transportation track 12 in the transport direction 140, as is schematically indicated by arrows 14, such that subsequent substrates moved along the substrate transportation track 13 can be shielded by the first shield 100 during coating with the first deposition source 51 .

[0021] Specifically, the first shield 100 may be movable together with the substrate 110 relative to the first deposition source 51 . The first shield 100 can be moved at a (small) distance from and independently of the substrate on the shield transportation track 12. The distance between the first shield 100 and the substrate 110 during the movement past the first deposition source 51 may be small, e.g., 20 mm or less, particularly 10 mm or less, or even 6 mm or less, in order to provide a reliable shielding and to keep a shadowing effect small. A “shadowing effect” that leads to shadow zones on the substrate occurs if the deposition material propagates at an angle toward the substrate and a gap is provided between the substrate and the shield, and is illustrated in figures 4 to6 in further detail. In particular, an angled deposition direction may lead to a deposition of a ramped layer section on substrate regions behind the shield and / or to a deposition of a ramped layer section on uncovered substrate regions due to material blocking by edges of the shielding frame.

[0022] In embodiments described herein, the first shield 100 may not be attached to or otherwise mounted at the substrate or at a substrate carrier, but the first shield may rather be movable on a separate track independently of the substrate. Providing the first shield separate from the substrate is beneficial because an accumulation of different deposition materials on the first shield during a transport of the substrate past different deposition sources can be avoided. Accumulation of different deposition materials on a shield that is fixed at the substrate can lead to material flaking close to the device region of the substrate and to other effects that may negatively affect the deposition quality. Therefore, in implementations described herein, the first shield 100 can be associated to the first deposition source 51 and can remain in the first vacuum chamber 11 (e.g., moving back and forth on the shield transportation track 12, see arrows 14 in Fig. 1 ), even if the substrate is moved toward the second deposition source 52. However, a movability of the shield independently of the substrate on a separate track results in a gap between the shield and the substrate and, therefore, leads to shadowing effects under an angled deposition.

[0023] Shadowing effects complicate a reliable monitoring of layer properties, such as the thickness of a deposited layer, since a layer thickness on the substrate deposited near an edge of the shield may be different from a layer thickness in a center of the device region of the substrate. In particular, depending on the dimension of a gap between the shield and the substrate and depending on the opening angle of an evaporation plume emitted by the deposition source, the shadowing effects may cause ramped or non-constant layer regions near edges of the shield, which may make layer measurements in a border or edge region of the substrate unreliable and difficult.

[0024] Embodiments described herein deal with the above issues and enable a high deposition quality due to a provision of the shield(s) separately from the substrates and being movable on respective tracks, and at the same time a reliable monitoring or measuring of layer properties, particularly layer thicknesses.

[0025] The lower left part of Fig. 1 shows the first shield 100 (also simply referred to as “shield 100” herein, since a plurality of shields of the deposition system may have a similar configuration, such that details of a first shield may also apply to optional other shields) that is configured to cover an edge region of the substrate 110 during material deposition in a front view. Reference is also made to Fig. 2, illustrating the first shield 100 in further detail. The first shield 100 includes a first shielding frame 102 (also referred to herein as “shielding frame 102”) that surrounds a first main opening 112 (also referred to herein as “main opening 112”) defining a device region 120 on the substrate. Further, a first monitoring opening 130 is provided in the first shielding frame 102 adjacent to the first main opening 112, the first monitoring opening 130 defining a first monitoring region 121 on the substrate outside the device region 120. The material deposited in the first monitoring region 121 on the substrate can be used for measuring one or more properties of a first material layer deposited by the first deposition source 51 , particularly a layer thickness of the first material layer.

[0026] The substrate 110 (illustrated in dashed lines in Fig. 2) may be arranged behind the shield 100, such that one or more edge regions of the substrate 110 are covered by the shield 100. It should be noted that Fig. 2 is not strictly drawn to scale, and some dimensions may be exaggerated to help to understand the disclosure. As shown in the figures, the shield 100 includes the shielding frame 102. The shielding frame 102 may be and / or include a body of the shield 100. The shielding frame 102 defines the main opening 112, the main opening 112 being sized to define the device region 120 on the substrate 110. The shielding frame 102 may partially or entirely (as shown in the figures) surround the main opening 112. Edge regions of the substrate 110, particularlythe portions shown in Fig. 2 arranged behind the shielding frame 102, and / or a substrate carrier 720 can be substantially shielded by the shielding frame 102. Accordingly, the edge region of the substrate 110 is outside the device region 120 and is substantially shielded from a deposition material from the first deposition source. The edge region of the substrate may surround the device region 120. The “device region” of the substrate can be understood as a substantially or entirely continuous region of the substrate where a plurality of electronic, optic and / or optoelectronic devices are to be formed, such as OLED pixels and the respective electrical connections. The device region 120 may, for example, be rectangular and / or may have a surface area of 1 m2or more, particularly several square meters.

[0027] The device region 120 may be blanket coated with the first material emitted by the first evaporation source. A plurality of topographic / geometric structures, such as bars with overhangs may be formed on the substrate before the deposition. The geometric structures may enable a subsequent formation of (opto-)electronic devices, such as pixels, from the (blanket-)deposited layer stack, e.g. via patterning and / or etching.

[0028] In a typical deposition process, one or more material layer(s) may be deposited onto the surface of the substrate, particularly on the region of the substrate 110 unobstructed by the shielding frame, particularly onto the device region 120 defined by the main opening 112 in the shielding frame 102.

[0029] As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in addition to the main opening 112, a first monitoring opening 130 is provided in the shielding frame 102. The first monitoring opening 130 is located adjacent to the main opening 112. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the first monitoring opening 130 may be directly connected to the main opening 112, such that the main opening 112 and the first monitoring opening 130 form one common or unitary opening. The shielding frame 102 may partially or fully surround both the main opening 112 and the first monitoring opening 130. According to some embodiments, the first monitoring opening 130 is provided in close vicinity to the first main opening 112, particularly without a space in between.

[0030] In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the first monitoring opening 130 extends in a cutout-like manner from the main opening into the shielding frame, i.e., is arranged directly adjacent to the main opening in the shielding frame, such that the main opening and the first monitoring opening form one single interconnected opening. For example, the first monitoring opening 130 may be a C-shaped, U-shaped and / or substantially rectangular cutout that extends from the main opening into the shielding frame. As is shown in Fig. 2, the first monitoring opening may have the general shape of a (small) rectangular hole that is connected to an edge of the first main opening that may have the shape of a (large) rectangular hole.

[0031] The deposition material that is deposited on the substrate through the first monitoring opening 130 onto the first monitoring region 121 can also be referred to as a (first) indexed material. The indexed material can be used for monitoring, checking, or reviewing the quality of the layer deposition, for example by measuring the thickness of the material deposited by a specific deposition source through the first monitoring opening. Since the indexed material is deposited on the substrate outside the device region, the indexed material can be used for quality checks without negatively affecting the actual devices in the device region. Further, the thickness of (only) one indexed material deposited through the first monitoring opening can be measured independently of other deposition materials that may be present in the device region, e.g., deposited in the device region and / or in other monitoring regions before or after the indexed material, and / or independently of possible geometric structures in the device region that would complicate a thickness or uniformity measurement.

[0032] In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first main opening 112 has substantially a shape of a rectangle surrounded by the first shielding frame 102, and the first monitoring opening 130 extends in a C-shape, U-shape or rectangular shape from the first main opening into the first shielding frame. Such an arrangement of openings enables a reduction of the substrate size and the shield size(reducing the effect of shadowing effects as compared to a situation in which the monitoring opening is arranged distant from the main opening) while enabling a reliable monitoring of one or more layer properties.

[0033] The first main opening 112 may be a large opening having an opening size of, e.g., 1 m2or more, particularly 2 m2or more, and / or the first monitoring opening 130 may be a small opening having an opening size of, e.g., 0.05 m2or less, particularly 0.02 m2or less, 0.01 m2or less, particularly 50 cm2or less, 25 cm2or less, 10 cm2or less, or even 5 cm2or less. According to some embodiments, the first monitoring opening 130 may have an opening size of 1 cm2or more, 2 cm2or more, or even 4 cm2or more. The first monitoring opening 130 may be a rectangular opening with one open side, and the first monitoring opening may be connected to the (optionally rectangular) first main opening at the one open side.

[0034] In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate transportation track and the shield transportation track may extend essentially parallel to each other in the first vacuum chamber 11 to provide a distance between the substrate and the first shield during deposition of 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, particularly 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less. In particular, a gap between the substrate and (a shielding edge of) the first shielding frame may be 4 mm or more and 8 mm or less, particularly about 6 mm, during the substrate movement past the first deposition source. A gap in the above range is sufficiently large to enable a smooth shield movement separately from the substrate movement, while ensuring reasonably small shadowing effects.

[0035] In some embodiments, the deposition system further includes a second deposition source 52 and a second shield 100’ that is associated to the second deposition source 52, as is schematically depicted in the upper part of Fig. 1. The substrate transportation track 13 may extend past the second deposition source 52 and may be configured to move the substrate past the second deposition source 52 for depositing a second material on the substrate after deposition of the first material by the first deposition source 51. Thesecond material may be deposited in the device region 120 of the substrate over the first material deposited with the first deposition source.

[0036] The second shield 100’ may be configured to shield the edge region of the substrate during coating with the second deposition source 52 and may be configured to allow a deposition on the device region 120 of the substrate, just like the first shield 100. The second shield 100’ may be configured essentially corresponding to first shield 100 described above (apart from the location and optionally the shape of the respective monitoring opening), such that reference can be made to the above explanations, which are not repeated here.

[0037] Specifically, the second shield 100’ includes a second shielding frame 102’ that partially or completely surrounds a second main opening 112’ defining the device region 120 on the substrate, wherein a second monitoring opening 130’ is provided in the second shielding frame, particularly located adjacent to the second main opening 112’ and defining a second monitoring region 12T on the substrate outside the device region 120.

[0038] The position of the second monitoring opening in the second shielding frame is different from the position of the first monitoring opening in the first shielding frame by an offset. The offset is designed large enough, such that the second monitoring region 12T is spaced apart from the first monitoring region 121 or at least partially non-overlapping with the first monitoring region (despite shadowing effects, see below), as is schematically depicted in the lower middle part of Fig. 1 .

[0039] The second main opening 112’ of the second shield may have dimensions corresponding to the first main opening 112 of the first shield, such that both shields can define a corresponding device region on the substrate, and the second material can be deposited by the second deposition source in the device region 120 over the first material deposited by the first deposition source.

[0040] The second monitoring opening 130’ may be arranged in the second shielding frame 102’ adjacent to the second main opening 112’, particularly extending from the second main opening 112’ in a cutout-like matter into the second shielding frame. The second monitoring opening may have a shape similar to or corresponding to the shape of the first monitoring opening, but being located at a different position in the respective shielding frame. In some embodiments, the second monitoring opening 130’ may be positioned in the respective shielding frame such that the second material, but not the first material, is deposited in a measurement zone of the second monitoring region 12T, whereas the first material, but not the second material, is deposited in a measurement zone of the first monitoring region 121. In other words, the first and second materials may be deposited over each other in the device region, but not in respective measurement zones of the first and second monitoring regions. In Fig. 1 , the first monitoring region 121 is spaced apart from the second monitoring region 12T, but a partial overlap of the monitoring regions due to shadowing effects may alternatively be provided, as long as at least respective measurement zones of the monitoring regions include only one single deposition material. Accordingly, one or more properties of the deposited first material can be reliably checked, controlled and / or measured independently of other deposited materials (such as the second material), and one or more properties of the deposited second material can be reliably checked, controlled and / or measured independently of other deposited materials (such as the first material).

[0041] In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a set of shields including the first shield and the second shield and one or more further shields may be provided, each shield being associated to a respective deposition source and configured to shield an edge region of the substrate from being coated with material emitted by a respective deposition source. In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 1 , the set of shields further includes a third shield 100” associated to a third deposition source, the third shield 100” being configured analogously to the other shields and including a third shielding frame 112”, a third main opening, and a thirdmonitoring opening 130”, the third monitoring opening 130” being located in the third shielding frame 112” at a position different from the monitoring openings of the other shields. For further details of the third shield 100”, reference is made to the above explanations related to the first and second shields, which are not repeated here.

[0042] Each shield of the set of shields may be configured as follows: The shield includes a shielding frame that surrounds a main opening defining the device region on the substrate, wherein a monitoring opening is provided in the shielding frame, the monitoring opening defining a respective monitoring region on the substrate outside the device region. The monitoring opening may be located adjacent to the respective main opening, particularly extending into the respective shielding frame in a cutout-like manner from the respective main opening. The monitoring opening of each shield of the set may be located at a unique position among the shields of the set. Apart from the unique positions of the respective monitoring opening, the shields of the set can be configured similarly or identically. In particular, the main openings of the shields of the set may have similar or identical dimensions and / or shapes, such as to define one common device region on the substrate. The monitoring openings may optionally have different shapes and / or dimensions, which can - for example - be adapted to a specific opening angle or deposition material of the associated deposition source. Alternatively, at least some monitoring openings of the shields of the set may have similar or identical shapes and / or dimensions, as is schematically depicted in the lower part of Fig. 1 .

[0043] A set of shields according to embodiments described herein is schematically depicted in the lower part of Fig. 1 , wherein three shields are exemplarily illustrated, each shield being associated to a respective deposition source. The shields are movable in front of and together with the substrate 110 between the substrate transportation track and the respective deposition source for shielding an edge region of the substrate when the substrate moves past the respective deposition source. For example, each shield may have a support section configured to interact with a respective shield transportationsystem. The shields are respectively configured as described above with respect to the first shield of Fig. 2, with the monitoring opening of each shield of the set being located at a unique position among the shields of the set.

[0044] In particular, the monitoring opening of each shield may extend in a cutout-like manner, particularly in a C-shape, U-shape or rectangular shape, from the respective main opening into the respective shielding frame.

[0045] The configurations and dimensions of the shields of the set, particularly the dimensions of the main openings, may substantially correspond to each other except for the locations and optionally the shapes / dimensions of the monitoring openings.

[0046] In some embodiments, the unique positions of the monitoring openings in the shielding frames of the shields are chosen such that monitoring regions on the substrate defined by the monitoring openings respectively include a measuring zone on which only one material from the associated deposition source is deposited (see the lower right part of Fig. 1 ). In other words, only the material emitted by one single deposition source may be deposited in a measurement zone of each monitoring region on the substrate. Layer properties provided by each deposition source, such as a layer thickness, can be individually monitored, measured and / or checked.

[0047] Since the monitoring openings are located adjacent to the respective main opening, particularly if the monitoring openings are respectively connected to the main opening, a shadowing effect can be kept small and the size of the substrate and of the shield can be reduced as compared to a situation in which a monitoring opening would be provided distant from the main opening in front of a border region of the substrate. A more compact deposition system can be provided that allows a reliable monitoring of deposition properties.

[0048] In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the monitoring opening of each shield of the set is provided on a same side of the respective main opening in the respectiveshielding frame (e.g., all the monitoring openings of the set of shields of Fig. 1 are provided on a “left side” of the respective main opening), such as to define a plurality of monitoring regions (121 , 12T, 121 ”) arranged in a row on the substrate, in particular such as to define a plurality of monitoring regions arranged one above the other on a lateral border region of the substrate. If all the monitoring regions are arranged in the same border region of the substrate (e.g., on a lateral substrate edge in Fig. 1 , e.g., on the leading or trailing edge of the substrate during transport), a substrate with an overall smaller edge region can be provided, because only one edge of the substrate (where the monitoring regions are located) may have to be sized somewhat wider as compared to other substrate edges.

[0049] The unique positions of the monitoring openings in the shielding frames of the set of shields may be chosen such that the monitoring regions defined by the monitoring openings respectively comprise a measuring zone on which only one material from an associated deposition source is deposited, the one material being formed in the measuring zone at a thickness corresponding to a thickness of a blanket deposited layer of said material (particularly, not having a reduced thickness due to shadowing effects).

[0050] In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first monitoring opening 130 of the first shield 100 is located in the first shielding frame adjacent to the first main opening in the transport direction 140 and has an opening width (W) in the transport direction. The opening width (W) may be larger than a width of a shadow zone (e.g., larger by at least 2 mm or larger by at least 5 mm), wherein the width of the shadow zone is determined based on a gap distance between the first shield and the substrate and based on at least an opening angle (a) of the evaporation plume emitted by the first deposition source. Specifically, the width of the shadow zone can be calculated via the formula[(tan(a1 ) + tan(a2)) * gap width](see Fig. 6 for further details in this respect). The angle a is the full opening angle of an evaporation plume, and the angles a1 , a2 are two half-angles, respectively measured with respect to a normal to the substrate. If the opening width (W) of the first monitoring opening is smaller than the width of the shadow zone, the whole first monitoring region would be covered also by material emitted from other deposition sources and / or would be covered by a ramped layer section of the first material due to shadowing effects, such that there would be no measurement zone in the first monitoring region suitable for a reliable measurement of the properties of the first material layer. The above calculation of the width of the shadow zone assumes an equal opening angle of the evaporation plumes of several deposition sources and is, therefore, somewhat simplified. Optionally, the opening angles of the plumes of one or more further deposition sources can be considered.

[0051] According to some embodiments, the set of shields may include a plurality of shields, such as 5 or more shields, 6 or more shields, 7 or more shields, 8 or more shields, 9 or more shields, 10 or more shields, or even 11 or more shields. Each shielding frame of the plurality of shields may include a monitoring opening provided at a unique position with respect to the plurality of shields. The monitoring openings may be provided e.g. in the same edge region, such as in a lateral edge region (e.g., leading or trailing edge region in the transport direction) of the shield as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

[0052] For example, and not limited thereto, a material layer deposited in the measurement region may be tested for thickness, homogeneity, uniformity, and / or other quality control tests. The test may be performed as an operation in a deposition process and / or substrate manufacturing process, e.g. after the substrate has been processed to have one or more material layers deposited thereon. Based on the results of the test, process parameters may be adjusted. For example, a deposition source may be controlled, e.g. to adjust the deposition rate to arrive at a desired layer thickness. For example, a speed at which the substrate and / or the shield is transported past the deposition source(s) may be controlled, e.g. to arrive at a desired layer thickness.Beneficially, particularly since each measurement region is provided at a unique position, the material properties of individual layers may be monitored in a manufacturing process, despite the substrate having multiple material layers deposited in a layer stack.

[0053] According to embodiments, a substrate 110 processed in a deposition system may include a number of monitoring regions corresponding to the number of shields in the set of shields, and / or the number of deposition operations performed on the substrate. The monitoring regions may be provided in an edge region of the substrate, such as a common edge region, or even different edge regions. Beneficially, by providing the monitoring regions in the same edge region, substrate area utilization may be improved. In particular, all monitoring openings may be located in the same edge region so that a processed substrate includes a number of monitoring regions corresponding to the number of shields in the same edge region, such as a long side edge region or a broadside edge region of the processed substrate.

[0054] Referring now to Fig. 3A and 3B, sections along the lines A-A’ and B- B’ shown in Fig. 2 are illustrated. Fig. 3A shows a section through the shielding frame 102 at a position having the first monitoring opening 130. Fig. 3B shows a section through the shielding frame at a position where no monitoring opening is present. As shown in Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B, a portion of the substrate 110 below the first monitoring opening 130 is un-shielded by the shielding frame 102, while the portion below the position 132 is shielded by the shielding frame.

[0055] According to embodiments, the shield, particularly the shielding frame, may be provided at a defined distance from the substrate 110. For example, a deposition system according to embodiments may include a substrate transportation track and a shield transportation track defining the distance between the substrate and the shield, and / or configured for providing the shield at a defined distance from the surface of the substrate. In particular, the shielding frame may be provided so as to not contact the surface of the substrate to be shielded.

[0056] According to embodiments, the shielding frame 102 may be structurally stable, rigid and / or non-flexible. Beneficially, in a deposition process according to embodiments, the shield 100 may be transported independently from the substrate, particularly without contacting and / or being supported by the substrate or a structure connected to the substrate, such as a substrate carrier. A structurally stable shield may be obtained by providing a shielding frame including and / or being made of a rigid material, such as a metal, such as an aluminum alloy or a steel alloy, such as stainless steel.

[0057] According to embodiments, the shielding frame 102 may include a structural portion 210. The structural portion may extend from outer edges of the shielding frame 102 into an essentially central portion of the shielding frame 102. A thickness of the structural portion 210 may be 2 mm or more, 5 mm or more, 7 mm or more, 10 mm or more, 15 mm or more, such as about 18 mm or more.

[0058] According to embodiments, the shielding frame may include a tapered portion, the tapered portion extending from the structural portion to an inner edge 220 of the shielding frame, the inner edge 220 being adjacent the main opening 112 and / or the monitoring opening. In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B, the tapered portion may gradually reduce in thickness towards an inner edge 220, and result in the shielding frame having a thickness at the edge of 2 mm or less, 1 mm or less, or even 0.8 mm or less. Beneficially, a low thickness inner edge 220 may improve deposition characteristics of a material layer deposited at or around the edge region.

[0059] According to embodiments, a distance between the shielding frame and the substrate during a deposition operation may be 1 mm or more, 3 mm or more, or 4 mm or more. For example, the distance may be between 1 mm and 10 mm, particularly between 4 mm to 8 mm. It should be noted that, particularly since the shield can move independently from the substrate, the distance may particularly be controlled during the deposition operation on the substrate, and may differ e.g. during other operations, such as a transfer of the substrate to and / or from a vacuum chamber.

[0060] According to some embodiments, a surface of the shielding frame 102 opposite the surface of the substrate 110 may be essentially flat, and / or be provided essentially parallel to the surface of the substrate. In particular, the distance between the shielding frame 102 and the substrate 110 may be essentially constant in some embodiments.

[0061] As is evident by comparing Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B, the substrate 110 in the region of the A-A’ section below the first monitoring opening 130 shown in Fig. 3A is exposed, while the substrate 110 in the region of the B-B’ section, i.e. at the position 132, does not include a monitoring opening and is shielded by the shielding frame 102.

[0062] Referring now to Fig. 4, the first monitoring opening 130 is shown in further detail. Fig. 4 illustrates the results of a material layer deposition in a deposition process according to an embodiment, and particularly illustrates a first monitoring region 300 defined by the first monitoring opening 130. In particular, Fig. 4 may illustrate shadow and overlap effects observable in some deposition processes. As shown in Fig. 3A, the shielding frame 102 is provided at a distance from the substrate 110. Accordingly, deposition of a material layer may extend beyond the edges of the shielding frame 102, particularly beyond the device region 120 and / or the edges of the first monitoring opening 130. The effects causing a monitoring region to be different in size to the size of the monitoring opening will be explained in further detail with reference to Fig. 6.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 4, different zones may be definable for a material layer deposited onto a substrate 110 through and / or adjacent to the first monitoring opening 130 (corresponding considerations apply to the monitoring openings of other shields). The first monitoring opening 130 defines a first monitoring region 300 on the substrate. The first monitoring region 300 may be defined as any area on the substrate 110 onto which a material has been deposited through the first monitoring opening 130.

[0064] The first monitoring region 300 includes a measurement zone 310. The measurement zone 310 is suitable for measuring material properties of thematerial layer. For example, a material layer deposited in the measurement zone may correspond in thickness, material density, material composition, or the like, to the properties of the material layer in a material layer stack deposited in the device region 120. The measurement zone 310 may be smaller than the first monitoring region 300.

[0065] Adjacent to a region essentially defined by the edges of the first monitoring opening 130, the first monitoring region 300 includes a shadow zone 320. In the shadow zone 320, a material layer may be partially deposited, and / or deposited at a lower thickness than in the measurement zone 310. For example, in the shadow zone 320, the thickness of the material layer may be lower than the thickness of the material layer in the layer stack deposited in the device region. Accordingly, the shadow zone 320 may be less suitable for reliably measuring properties of the material layer.

[0066] Adjacent to an intersection between the first monitoring opening 130 and the main opening 112, the first monitoring region 300 may include an overlap zone 330 (the overlap zone being a particular type of “shadow zone”). In the overlap zone, a first material layer deposited through the first monitoring opening 130 may overlap with a second material deposited in a previous or subsequent deposition operation in which no monitoring opening is present at the shown substrate location. The overlap zone may be considered as a shadow zone for the materials deposited by other deposition sources. Accordingly, additional material layers may be present in the overlap zone 330, and the overlap zone 330 may be less suitable for reliably measuring properties of the material layer.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 4, the measurement zone 310 according to embodiments may be smaller than the first monitoring opening 130 and / or smaller than the first monitoring region 300. According to some embodiments, the measurement zone 310 may have a size of 50 % or less, 40 % or less, 30 % or less, 20 % or less, or even 10 % or less than the first monitoring region 300. For example, a measurement zone 310 may have a width (e.g. along the direction W shown in Fig. 1 ), of 10 mm or less, 7 mm or less, 5 mm or less, 3mm or less, or even 2 mm or less. A small monitoring region may beneficially improve the space utilization on the substrate, e.g. by increasing the area of the device region.

[0068] Referring now to Fig. 5, a processed substrate 400 is described. The processed substrate 400 may correspond to the substrate 110 after being processed in a deposition system according to embodiments. Fig. 5 shows a cross-section through the processed substrate 400 along the line A-A’ shown in Fig. 2.

[0069] In the given example, a first material layer 410 was deposited in a first deposition operation. In the first deposition operation, the first monitoring opening 130 was present in the shielding frame of the first shield 100 in front of the substrate region shown in Fig. 5. Accordingly, the first material layer 410 was deposited further into the edge region of the substrate 110 than e.g. a second material layer 420.

[0070] In a second deposition operation, a second material layer 420 was deposited onto the substrate. In the second deposition operation, a second shield having a shielding frame without a monitoring opening at the shown position was provided. Accordingly, the second material was not deposited into the edge region of the substrate.

[0071] According to embodiments, a processed substrate 400 may include the regions and / or zones as described with reference to Fig. 3, particularly a shadow zone 320, a measurement zone 310, an overlap zone 330, and / or the device region 120. It should be noted that the layer stack having the first material layer 410 and the second material layer 420 shown in Fig. 5 is exemplary, and further material layers may be provided, such as up to 11 layers, or even more than 11 layers. As shown in Fig. 5, the thickness of the material layer within the shadow zone 320 and / or the overlap zone 330 may be non-constant, particularly ramped, while the thickness of the material layer in the measurement zone 310 is essentially constant. The thickness of the first material layer 410 in the measurement zone 310 may correspond to thethickness of the first material layer 410 within the layer stack in the device region 120.

[0072] Referring now to Fig. 6, a substrate 110 in a deposition system 500 is shown during processing. Fig. 6 illustrates the origin of the shadow zones 320 (and / or the overlap zones 330) shown in Fig. 4.

[0073] The deposition system 500 includes a deposition source 510. The deposition source 510 may be one of a plurality of deposition sources, such as one of two or more deposition sources. The deposition source 510 is provided at a distance 522 from the substrate 110.

[0074] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the one or more deposition sources in the deposition system 500 can be evaporation sources, and particularly line sources extending essentially vertically. Organic material can be deposited on a substrate, for example, while the substrate moves past the deposition source 510 providing a line source. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more of the deposition sources may also be a metal source and / or inorganic source, for example for manufacturing a cathode of a device.

[0075] According to some embodiments, the material emitted from the deposition source 510 may travel, e.g., as a plume, such as a vapor plume and / or a particle plume, within the space between the deposition source and the substrate 110. The plume may have a shape, such as, but not limited to, an essentially conical shape. Properties of the plume, such as the shape of the plume, may be controlled by the deposition system 500, particularly by the deposition source 510. In particular, the deposition source may be configured for emitting the material to be deposited within an angle range limited by a maximum deposition angle, the maximum deposition angle being e.g. the angle defining the dimensions of the cone-like shape. In some embodiments, the maximum deposition angle may be isometric, e.g. be the same angle in all directions with reference to e.g. surface normal of the substrate.

[0076] According to embodiments, as shown in Fig. 6, the shadow zone 320 may result from the substrate and the shield traveling, in the transport direction 140, relative to the deposition source 510 while depositing material at an angle to a substrate normal. The deposition source deposits a material within an angle а, i.e. material is deposited within the angle range limited by a maximum deposition angle, and essentially no material is deposited outside the angle a. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the material is deposited in an angle between about -45° to about 45 ° with respect to a surface normal of the substrate. Likewise, the material may be deposited at an angle, particularly a maximum deposition angle, of about -30° to about 30°, about -40° to about 40°, about - 50° to about 50°, about -60° to about 60°, about -70° to about 70°. While the substrate 110 and the shielding frame 102 are in the position as shown in Fig. б, an edge 220 of the shielding frame 102 aligns with the maximum deposition angle a1 , wherein a1 may substantially correspond to a / 2. Accordingly, a material is deposited below the edge of the shielding frame, resulting in the left part of the shadow zone 320. Likewise, after the substrate 110 and the shielding frame 102 have moved past the deposition source in the transport direction 140, the edge 220 shields a portion of the substrate adjacent to the edge 220, providing the right part of the shadow zone 320.

[0077] In the simplified example shown in Fig. 6, the width of the shadow zone may be calculated by the following formula (1 ):(1 )(tan(c l) + tan(c 2)) w being the width of the shadow zone, a being the full opening angle of the deposition plume, a1 and a2 being two “half angles” of the deposition plume, respectively measured with respect to the substrate normal, and di being the distance 520 between the shielding frame and the substrate 110.In case of a vapor plume that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the substrate normal, a1 = a2 = a / 2, and formula (1 ) simplifies to w = 2 ■ d1- (tan(c / 2).

[0078] According to embodiments, the width of the overlap zone, such as the overlap zone 330 described with reference to Fig. 4, may be determined as described with reference to determining the width of the shadow zone 320, e.g. by applying formula (1 ). In some embodiments, the opening angles of the deposition plumes of the deposition sources may be similar or essentially equal. In the latter case, the widths of the overlap zone 330 and of the shadow zone 320 may be similar or essentially equal. In other cases, the opening angles of the deposition sources may be different, and the above formula can be adapted accordingly.

[0079] Beneficially, by calculating the width of the shadow zone 320 and / or the width of the overlap zone 330 according to formula (1 ), the dimensions of the first monitoring opening may be chosen to provide a measurement zone 310 optimized in size for both providing a reliable measurement, and providing maximum substrate area utilization. For example, an opening width of the first monitoring opening can be designed larger than the width of a shadow zone which can be determined according to above formula (1 ), in particular larger than the width of the shadow zone by at least 2 mm or more and 20 mm or less, particularly 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0080] Referring now to Fig. 7A to Fig. 7G, a deposition system 700 for processing a substrate 110 of a plurality of substrates is described. Features and / or properties of the deposition system 500 described with reference to Fig. 6 may apply to the deposition system 700. The deposition system 700 includes one or more vacuum chambers 702, a first deposition source 510 and, optionally, further deposition sources, provided in the one or more vacuum chambers 702. The first deposition source provides a first deposition area in a first angular direction and, optionally, a second deposition source provides a second deposition area. In the shown example, an idle shield 710 is associated with the first deposition source and configured to block evaporated material ina second angular direction of the first deposition source, e.g. by defining an aperture 750. The idle shield 710 may be optional. The system further includes a substrate transportation track 740 configured to move, by a translation, a substrate 110 of the plurality of substrates through the first deposition area and, optionally, a second deposition area; and a shield transportation track 730 between the substrate transportation track 740 and the first deposition source 510 configured to move, by a translation, a first shield 100 back and forth between a first shield position of the first deposition area and a second shield position of the first deposition area.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 7A, the substrate 110 can be carried on a substrate carrier 720. The substrate in FIGS. 7A to 7G is moved from left to right along the substrate transportation track 740. The substrate 110 is moved by translation, and particularly in a vertical orientation. The first shield 100 is moved in a first shield position. As shown in FIG. 7A, the first shield position is configured to protect at least a portion of the substrate and / or the substrate carrier from being coated. In the first shield position, the substrate 110 can be coated through the main opening of the shield 100.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 7B, the substrate 110 and the first shield 100 are moved through a deposition area of the first deposition source 510 for substrate processing. Material can be deposited on the substrate while the substrate and the shield are moved from left to right in FIG. 7B. The substrate carrier 720 and optionally a portion of the substrate, for example, an edge portion of the substrate, is protected from being coated by the shield 100. As shown in FIG. 7C, after processing of the substrate 110, the substrate, e.g. supported by the substrate carrier 720, is in a second substrate position relative to the deposition area of the first deposition source 510. The shield 100 is in a second shield position. As shown in FIG. 7D, the first deposition source 510 is rotated such that the plume of evaporated material is directed towards the idle shield 710. Rotating the first deposition source 510 may be optional. As shown in FIG. 7E, the substrate 110 is moved further along the transportation path, for example, towards a further deposition source (not shown). The first shield 100 isassociated with the first deposition source 510 and is moved back to the first shield position (see Fig. 7A). As shown in FIG. 7E, the first shield 100 can await a second substrate 110’ in the first shield position.

[0083] According to an embodiment, a method of processing a first substrate of a plurality of substrates in an in-line deposition system is provided. The method includes moving, by translation, the first substrate on a first substrate carrier in one or more vacuum chambers along a substrate transportation track in a first substrate position associated with a first deposition source; moving, by translation, a first shield in a first shield position configured to protect at least a portion of the first substrate and / or the first substrate carrier from being coated by the first deposition source; moving, by a translation, the first substrate on the first substrate carrier and the first shield, wherein the first substrate is moved through a first deposition area of the first deposition source for depositing material on the first substrate, wherein the first substrate is moved to a second substrate position and the first shield is moved to a second shield position, the second shield position being configured to protect at least a portion of the first substrate and / or the first substrate carrier from being coated by the first deposition source; moving, by a translation, the first substrate towards a second deposition area of a second deposition source; and moving, by a translation, the first shield from the second shield position back to the first shield position.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 7F, the first shield 100 and the second substrate 110’ can be moved in the deposition system, such that the first shield 100 is in the first shield position and the second substrate 110’ is in the first substrate position. Thereafter, the first deposition source 510 can be rotated from the second rotational position to the first rotational position, as illustrated in FIG. 7G. FIG. 7G corresponds to FIG. 7A, wherein a second substrate is in the first position. Accordingly, by repeating the sequence described above, a method can include moving, by a translation, a second substrate on a second substrate carrier and the first shield, wherein the second substrate is moved through the first deposition area of the first deposition source for depositing material on the second substrate. The first substrate on the first substrate carrier may bemoved towards a second shield (as illustrated in Fig. 1 ), which can be associated with a second deposition source. The first substrate can be moved through the second deposition area of the second deposition source for depositing a second material on the first substrate.

[0085] According to some embodiments, the deposition system 700 is configured for moving a first shield in front of and together with the substrate to shield the substrate while depositing a first material, and moving a second shield in front of and together with the substrate to shield the substrate while depositing a second material. For example, the first substrate shown in Fig. 7E may be transferred into a further vacuum chamber housing a second deposition source and a second shield 100’ similar to the first shield 100.

[0086] According to some embodiments, a substrate carrier 720 can include an electrostatic chuck (E-chuck) providing an electrostatic force for holding the substrate at the substrate carrier, and particularly at a support surface of the substrate carrier. For example, the substrate carrier includes an electrode arrangement configured to provide an attracting force acting on the substrate.

[0087] Referring now to Fig. 8, a method 800 of coating a substrate in a deposition system according to embodiments is described. The method may be performed in any of the deposition systems described herein, e.g., in the deposition system 1000 shown in Fig. 1. The operations 810 to 830 may be carried out essentially synchronously.

[0088] In operation 810, a substrate is moved on a substrate transportation track in a transport direction past a first deposition source.

[0089] In operation 820, a first shield is moved on a shield transportation track in front of the substrate for shielding one or more edge regions of the substrate and / or a substrate carrier from being coated by the first deposition source. The first shield may be configured as described herein. In particular, the first shield may include a first shielding frame that partially or completely surrounds a first main opening, wherein a first monitoring opening may be provided in the shielding frame.

[0090] In operation 830, a first material is directed by the first deposition source toward the substrate, particularly during the common movement of the substrate and the first shield according to operations 810 and 820. The first material may be deposited onto a device region of the substrate that is defined by the first main opening and onto a first monitoring region of the substrate outside the device region that is defined by a first monitoring opening provided in the first shielding frame adjacent to the first main opening.

[0091] The method 800 may be performed according to aspects and / or embodiments described herein with reference to a deposition system, particularly aspects of a shield and / or a set of shields according to embodiments described herein.

[0092] Beneficially, a thickness of the material deposited in the first monitoring region is indicative of a layer thickness of a first material layer, and / or may be indicative of other properties of the first material layer. According to embodiments, the method 800 may include measuring a property, particularly a thickness, of the first material layer in the first monitoring region after depositing the first material layer. In particular, the method 800 may include depositing a plurality of material layers onto the substrate, each deposition operation including the use of a different shield of the set of shields, each shield defining a unique monitoring region on the substrate. Accordingly, the method may include measuring a property of several, or even all the material layers deposited in the plurality of monitoring regions after depositing the material layers.

[0093] In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first shield is moved at a distance in a range from 2 mm to 10 mm from the substrate, particularly at a distance in a range from 4 mm to 8 mm.

[0094] The method may further include, after the deposition of the first material layer by the first deposition source: moving the substrate on the substrate transportation track past a second deposition source; moving asecond shield in front of the substrate for shielding one or more edge regions of the substrate from being coated by the second deposition source, the second shield comprising a second shielding frame that surrounds a second main opening; and directing, by the second deposition source, a second material toward the substrate, the second material being deposited onto the device region defined by the second main opening and onto a second monitoring region defined by a second monitoring opening provided in the second shielding frame.

[0095] The first monitoring region and the second monitoring region of the substrate may be spaced apart from each other or may be at least partially nonoverlapping relative to each other, as is schematically depicted in the lower part of Fig. 1. Each monitoring region may include a measurement zone, wherein the material deposited in the measurement zone by the respective deposition source is not affected by shadowing effects. In other words, a layer thickness in the measurement zone may correspond to a thickness of a blanket deposited layer of the respective material as, e.g., in a central region of the device region.

[0096] In some embodiments, the method may include sequentially depositing a plurality of different materials on the substrate by moving the substrate past a plurality of deposition sources in an in-line deposition system, wherein the plurality of materials are deposited over each other in the device region on the substrate to form a layer stack. On the other hand, only one material of the plurality of materials may be respectively deposited in measurement zones defined by monitoring openings of a set of shields as described herein.

[0097] A property, particularly a thickness, of the first material in the first monitoring region may be measured. Particularly, a property, particularly a thickness, of a plurality of different materials in a plurality of monitoring regions defined by a plurality of monitoring openings of a set of shields may be measured.

[0098] While the foregoing has been explained in a substrate deposition process utilizing a static deposition source and a shield and substrate moving relative to the deposition source, the benefits of the present disclosure may be likewise obtained in a process utilizing a static shield and substrate and a moveable deposition source.

[0099] According to another aspect, a substrate manufactured according to any of the methods described herein is provided. The substrate may be a substrate 110 described with reference to embodiments described herein. The substrate may be a substrate 110 after being processed, e.g. according a method described herein. For example, the substrate may be the processed substrate 400 described with reference to Fig. 5.

[0100] According to embodiments, the substrate may include at least 3 material layers deposited at least partially over one another in a device region of the substrate and deposited individually at least in parts of monitoring regions at positions in a border region of the substrate. Likewise, the substrate may include at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7, at least 8, at least 9, at least 10, or even at least 11 material layers deposited on top of each other in the device region and deposited individually in at least a part of a respective monitoring region. The monitoring regions may be arranged on the border region of the substrate in a row array.

[0101] According to embodiments, each of the material layers of a plurality of material layers may be incrementally deposited onto the device region 120 of the substrate 110.

[0102] The embodiments described herein can be utilized for deposition of materials, such as organic, inorganic or metallic materials, on large area substrates, e.g., for OLED display manufacturing. Specifically, the substrates, for which the structures and methods according to embodiments described herein are provided, may be large area substrates. For instance, a large area substrate can be GEN 4.5, which corresponds to a surface area of about 0.67 m2(0.73 m x 0.92 m), GEN 5, which corresponds to a surface area of about 1 .4m2(1 .1 m x 1 .3 m), GEN 7.5, which corresponds to a surface area of about 4.29 m2(1.95 m x 2.2 m), GEN 8.5, which corresponds to a surface area of about 5.7m2(2.2 m x 2.5 m), or even GEN 10, which corresponds to a surface area of about 8.7 m2(2.85 m x 3.05 m). Even larger generations such as GEN 11 and GEN 12 and corresponding surface areas can similarly be implemented. Half sizes of the GEN generations may also be provided in OLED display manufacturing.

[0103] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate thickness can be from 0.1 to 1.8 mm. The substrate thickness can be about 0.9 mm or below, such as 0.5 mm. The term “substrate” as used herein may particularly embrace substantially inflexible substrates, e.g., a glass plate or other substrates. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and the term “substrate” may also embrace flexible substrates such as a web or a foil. The term “substantially inflexible” is understood to distinguish over “flexible”. Specifically, a substantially inflexible substrate can have a certain degree of flexibility, e.g. a glass plate having a thickness of 0.9 mm or below, such as 0.5 mm or below, wherein the flexibility of the substantially inflexible substrate is small in comparison to the flexible substrates.

[0104] According to an aspect, a method of processing a substrate is described. The method includes shielding a portion of the substrate with a first shield, depositing a first material layer onto the substrate, the first material layer being deposited onto a device region defined by a main opening of the first shield, and a first monitoring region defined by a first cutout in the first shield, shielding a portion of the substrate with a second shield, depositing a second material layer onto the substrate, the second material layer being deposited onto a device region defined by a main opening of the second shield, and a second monitoring region defined by a second cutout in the second shield. The first monitoring region and the second monitoring region may be positioned at different positions on the substrate, the first monitoring region and the second monitoring region comprising a respective measurement zone, wherein thematerial deposited in the measurement zone defined by the first cutout being indicative of a layer thickness of the first material layer, and the material deposited in the measurement zone defined by the second cutout being indicative of a layer thickness of the second material layer.

[0105] While the foregoing is directed to some embodiments, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope, and the scope is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:1 . A deposition system, comprising: a first vacuum chamber that houses a first deposition source; a substrate transportation track configured to move a substrate in a transport direction past the first deposition source; a shield transportation track between the substrate transportation track and the first deposition source and configured to move a first shield in the transport direction in front of the substrate for shielding an edge region of the substrate; and the first shield, comprising: a first shielding frame that surrounds a first main opening defining a device region on the substrate, wherein a first monitoring opening is provided in the first shielding frame, the first monitoring opening being located adjacent to the first main opening and defining a first monitoring region on the substrate outside the device region.

2. The deposition system according to claim 1 , wherein the first monitoring opening extends in a cutout-like manner from the first main opening into the first shielding frame.

3. The deposition system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first main opening has substantially a shape of a rectangle surrounded by the first shielding frame, and the first monitoring opening extends in a C-shape, II- shape or rectangular shape from the first main opening into the first shielding frame.

4. The deposition system according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first main opening has an area of 1 m2or more, and the first monitoring opening has an area of 0.01 m2or less.

5. The deposition system according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate transportation track and the shield transportation track extend essentially parallel to each other in the first vacuum chamber to provide a distance between the substrate and the first shield during deposition of 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

6. The deposition system according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first monitoring opening is located in the first shielding frame adjacent to the first main opening in the transport direction and has an opening width (W) in the transport direction, the opening width (W) being larger than a width of a shadow zone determined based on a distance between the first shield and the substrate and based on an opening angle of at least an evaporation plume emitted by the first deposition source.

7. The deposition system according to any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a second shield that is associated to a second deposition source and configured to shield the edge region of the substrate during coating with the second deposition source, the second shield comprising a second shielding frame with a second monitoring opening for defining a second monitoring region outside the device region on the substrate.

8. The deposition system according to claim 7, wherein the second shield comprises: the second shielding frame that surrounds a second main opening, the second main opening having dimensions substantially corresponding to the first main opening of the first shield, wherein the second monitoring opening is provided in the first shielding frame and located adjacent to the second main opening.

9. The deposition system according to any of claims 1 to 8, comprising a set of shields comprising the first shield and at least two further shields, each shielding frame of the set of shields having a monitoring opening defining a respective monitoring region on the substrate provided at a unique position among the shields of the set.

10. The deposition system according to claim 9, wherein the monitoring opening of each shield of the set is provided on a same side of a respective main opening in a respective shielding frame, such as to define a plurality of monitoring regions arranged in a row on the substrate.11 . The deposition system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the unique positions of the monitoring openings in the shielding frames of the set of shields are chosen such that the monitoring regions defined by the monitoring openings respectively comprise a measuring zone on which only material from an associated deposition source is deposited.

12. The deposition system according to any of claims 1 to 11 , further comprising a substrate carrier with an electrostatic chuck for holding the substrate.

13. A set of shields for shielding a substrate in a deposition system, each shield of the set configured to be movable in a transport direction and comprising: a shielding frame that surrounds a main opening for defining a device region on the substrate, wherein a monitoring opening is provided in the shielding frame adjacent to the main opening, the monitoring opening configured to define a respective monitoring region on the substrate outside the device region, wherein the monitoring opening of each shield of the set is located at a unique position among the shields of the set.

14. The set of shields according to claim 13, wherein the monitoring opening of each shield extends in a cutout-like manner from the respective main opening into the respective shielding frame.

15. The set of shields according to claim 13 or 14, wherein configurations and dimensions of the shields of the set substantially correspond to each other except for a location of the respective monitoring opening.

16. A method of coating a substrate in a deposition system comprising: moving a substrate on a substrate transportation track in a transport direction past a first deposition source; moving a first shield on a shield transportation track in front of the substrate for shielding an edge region of the substrate from being coated by the first deposition source, the first shield comprising a first shielding frame that surrounds a first main opening; and directing, by the first deposition source, a first material toward the substrate, the first material being deposited onto a device region defined by the first main opening and onto a first monitoring region outside the device region defined by a first monitoring opening provided in the first shielding frame adjacent to the first main opening.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first shield is moved at a distance in a range from 2 mm to 10 mm from the substrate.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, further comprising: moving the substrate on the substrate transportation track past a second deposition source; moving a second shield in front of the substrate for shielding the edge region of the substrate from being coated by the second deposition source, the second shield comprising a second shielding frame that surrounds a second main opening; and directing, by the second deposition source, a second material toward the substrate, the second material being deposited onto the device region defined by the second main opening and onto a second monitoring region defined by a second monitoring opening provided in the second shielding frame, the first monitoring region and the second monitoring region being spaced apart from each other or at least partially non-overlapping relative to each other.

19. The method according to any of claims 16 to 18, comprising sequentially depositing a plurality of materials on the substrate by moving the substrate past a plurality of deposition sources, wherein the plurality of materials are deposited over each other in the device region on the substrate, while only one material of the plurality of materials is respectively deposited in measurement zones defined by monitoring openings of a set of shields that comprise the first shield.

20. The method according to any of claims 16 to 19, comprising: measuring a thickness of the first material in the first monitoring region. 21 . A substrate manufactured by the method according to any of the claims16 to 20.

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