Coating apparatus and coating method

Abstract

The present application relates to a coating apparatus and a coating method. The coating apparatus comprises: a chamber; a carrier plate, which is located in the chamber, wherein the carrier plate is used for allowing a substrate to be placed thereon, and the carrier plate is insulated from the chamber; a bias device, which comprises a bias power supply and a detection unit, wherein the bias power supply is electrically connected to the carrier plate, so as to provide a bias voltage to the carrier plate, and the detection unit is used for measuring a current value of the carrier plate during coating; a coating device, which comprises a target and a coating power supply, wherein the coating power supply is used for applying a voltage to the target during coating; and a control unit, which is connected to the bias device and the coating power supply, and is used for synchronously turning off the output from the bias power supply and the output from the coating power supply after receiving an arc signal sent by the detection unit. When the charge accumulation between the substrate and the carrier plate meets an arc trigger condition, the current rises. When the current value measured by the detection unit exceeds a preset current value, the detection unit determines an arc signal, and sends the arc signal to the control unit, and the control unit synchronously turns off the output from the bias power supply and the output from the coating power supply.

Description

Coating equipment and coating methods Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of integrated circuit technology, and in particular to a coating equipment and coating method. Background Technology

[0002] In the coating process chamber, the substrate is placed on a carrier plate, which is insulated from the process chamber. During the coating process, a large number of charged particles, mainly electrons, accumulate on the carrier plate. A large number of electrons can easily induce an electric arc between the carrier plate and the substrate, resulting in substrate defects.

[0003] In related technologies, grounding the carrier plate is typically used to allow electrons on the carrier plate to flow to the ground terminal, thus avoiding excessive electron accumulation. However, this results in uneven potential on the substrate, affecting the coating quality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a coating equipment and coating method to improve coating quality. On one hand, a coating equipment is provided, comprising:

[0005] cavity;

[0006] A carrier plate is located inside the cavity and is used to place the substrate. The carrier plate is insulated from the cavity.

[0007] The biasing device includes a biasing power supply and a detection unit. The biasing power supply is electrically connected to the carrier plate to provide a biasing voltage to the carrier plate. The detection unit is used to detect the current value of the biasing circuit during coating. When the current exceeds a preset current value, an arc signal is determined and the arc signal is sent to the control unit.

[0008] A coating apparatus includes a target material and a coating power supply, wherein the coating power supply is used to apply voltage to the target material during coating.

[0009] The control unit is connected to the biasing device and the coating power supply. After receiving the arc signal sent by the detection unit, the control unit synchronously shuts off the output of the biasing power supply and the coating power supply.

[0010] In one embodiment, the control unit controls the duration for which the bias power supply and the coating power supply output are turned off to be between 10µs and 1000µs.

[0011] In one embodiment, the carrier plate is provided with a guide rail, and the bottom of the cavity is provided with a plurality of bias rollers. The bias rollers are engaged with the guide rail to allow the carrier plate to move on the plurality of bias rollers. The bias rollers are connected to the bias power supply.

[0012] In one embodiment, the bias roller includes:

[0013] The support base contacts the cavity;

[0014] A bias feed interface is located on the surface of the support base and is used to connect the bias power supply;

[0015] A transmission component is located on the side of the bias roller away from the support base, used to connect with the guide rail, and the transmission component is electrically connected to the bias feed interface.

[0016] In one embodiment, the coating apparatus includes:

[0017] The vacuum feed electrode is electrically connected to the bias power supply and the bias feed interface.

[0018] In one embodiment, the bottom of the cavity is provided with an insulating roller, which is engaged with the guide rail. The coating equipment includes alternating transition cavities and deposition cavities, and the bottom of each transition cavity is provided with an insulating roller.

[0019] In one embodiment, at the bottom of the deposition chamber, the bias rollers and the insulating rollers are arranged alternately.

[0020] In one embodiment, when the detection unit detects a current value exceeding a preset current value, the control unit shuts off the bias power supply and simultaneously shuts off the coating power supply. After a preset time period of shutting off the bias power supply, the control unit restores the output of the bias power supply and the coating power supply.

[0021] In one embodiment, the bias power supply can output a pulse voltage, and when the detection unit detects the on / off signal of the pulse voltage, it sends the signal to the control unit so that the control unit controls the coating power supply and the bias power supply to be switched on and off synchronously to achieve synchronous pulse.

[0022] In one embodiment, the absolute value of the bias voltage provided by the bias power supply to the carrier plate is greater than the floating potential of the carrier plate.

[0023] On the one hand, a coating method is provided, applied to the aforementioned coating equipment, comprising:

[0024] The coating power supply is controlled to deliver power to the target material, and the gas is ionized to generate plasma for coating. The bias voltage device is controlled to provide bias voltage to the carrier plate, forming a bias circuit of bias power supply-carrier plate-plasma-ground.

[0025] Detect the current value of the bias circuit;

[0026] When the current value of the carrier exceeds the preset current value, an arc signal is determined and sent to the control unit. The control unit then simultaneously shuts off the output of the bias power supply and the coating power supply.

[0027] After a preset shutdown time, the outputs of the bias power supply and the coating power supply are synchronously restored.

[0028] The aforementioned coating equipment and method utilize a bias power supply electrically connected to a carrier plate to provide a bias voltage, while a detection unit monitors the current value on the substrate side. When the charge accumulation between the substrate and the carrier plate meets the arc triggering condition, the current increases. When the current value detected by the detection unit exceeds a preset current value, an arc signal is identified and sent to the control unit. The control unit synchronously shuts off the bias power supply and the coating power supply output for a preset time, and then synchronously resumes the output, suppressing the release of arc energy. This protects the substrate and improves the coating quality. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the prior art;

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the substrate;

[0032] Figures 3, 4a, and 4b are schematic diagrams of coating equipment provided in different embodiments;

[0033] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a carrier plate provided in one embodiment;

[0034] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a bias power supply connection provided in an embodiment;

[0035] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the bias power supply usage provided in one embodiment;

[0036] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the use of a bias power supply provided in an embodiment;

[0037] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a coating device provided in another embodiment;

[0038] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a bias roller provided in an embodiment;

[0039] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus provided in another embodiment;

[0040] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the bias device, the control unit and the coating device provided in an embodiment;

[0041] Figure 13 is a flowchart of a coating method provided in one embodiment.

[0042] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: Metal roller - 10; Coating equipment - 100; Cavity - 110; Transition cavity - 111; Deposition cavity - 112; Carrier plate - 120; Guide rail - 121; Bias device - 130; Coating device - 140; Target material - 141; Coating power supply - 142; Bias roller - 150; Support base - 151; Bias feed interface - 152; Transmission component - 153; Support component - 154; Bearing - 155; Insulating screw sleeve - 156; Insulating pad - 157; Vacuum feed electrode - 160; Insulating roller - 170; High temperature resistant wire - 180; Support - 190; Substrate - 200; Electronics - 300; Control unit - 400. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this application will be thorough and complete.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0045] It is understood that the terms “first,” “second,” etc., used in this application may be used herein to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0046] In each embodiment, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in each embodiment according to the specific circumstances.

[0047] It is understood that the term "connection" in the following embodiments should be understood as "electrical connection," "communication connection," etc., if the connected circuits, modules, units, etc., have electrical signal or data transmission with each other.

[0048] It is understandable that "at least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least a part of an element" refers to part or all of an element.

[0049] When used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” may also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising / including” or “having,” etc., specify the presence of the stated features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Meanwhile, the term “and / or” as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0050] Spatial relation terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “under,” “above,” “above,” etc., are used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figure and other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relation terms also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, an element or feature described as “below,” “under,” or “below” other elements or features would be oriented “above” other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary terms “below” and “under” can include both above and below orientations. Furthermore, the device may also include other orientations (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other orientations), and the spatial descriptive terms used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0051] Embodiments herein are described with reference to schematic diagrams that serve as preferred embodiments of this specification. Therefore, embodiments of this specification should not be limited to the specific shapes shown in the schematic diagrams, but include shape deviations and do not limit the scope of this specification.

[0052] As described in the background section, referring to Figures 1 and 2, a large number of charged particles, mainly electrons, can easily generate electric arcs at the carrier plate 120, thus affecting the quality of the substrate 200. As an example, the target 141 is a cylindrical target. When preparing the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) film for a heterojunction solar cell using physical vapor deposition (PVD), in the suspended state of the carrier plate 120, due to the conductivity difference between the substrate 200 (e.g., a silicon wafer) and the carrier plate 120 (e.g., a metal carrier plate), a potential difference exists between them during the coating process. When a poor circuit is formed between the substrate and the carrier plate, electrons 300 can easily move at the carrier plate 120, forming a large current, resulting in arcing at the edge of the substrate 200 (e.g., point A in Figure 2). At this time, the electric arc generated between the substrate 200 and the carrier plate 120 is sufficient to break down the substrate 200, causing the substrate 200 to be unusable and scrapped. Furthermore, the electric arc between the substrate 200 and the carrier plate 120 cannot be suppressed.

[0053] In related technologies, grounding the carrier plate 120 is typically used to allow electrons 300 on the carrier plate 120 to flow from the carrier plate 120 to the grounding terminal, thereby avoiding excessive accumulation of electrons 300. Specifically, a metal roller 10 is provided below the carrier plate 120, and the carrier plate 120 is grounded through the metal roller 10. However, this can have serious negative effects. For example, it can lead to uneven potential distribution on the substrate 200, resulting in poor uniformity of the deposited film layer, which in turn aggravates surface damage to the product and affects battery conversion efficiency. In addition, it may also lead to poor target material utilization.

[0054] Based on this, in one embodiment, referring to FIG3, a coating apparatus 100 is provided. The coating apparatus 100 includes a cavity 110, a carrier plate 120, a biasing device 130, a control unit 400, and a coating device 140.

[0055] The cavity 110 has an accommodating space. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on the size, shape, or other parameters of the cavity 110.

[0056] Referring to Figure 5, the carrier plate 120 is located within the cavity 110. The carrier plate 120 is used to place the substrate 200, and the carrier plate 120 is insulated from the cavity 110. As an example, the material of the carrier plate 120 includes a conductive material, for example, the material of the carrier plate 120 includes metals such as copper or aluminum. Referring to Figures 4a and 4b, the carrier plate 120 and the bottom of the cavity 110 may be provided with an insulating support 190.

[0057] The biasing device 130 includes a biasing power supply and a detection unit. The biasing device 130 can be located inside the cavity 110 or outside the cavity 110.

[0058] The control unit 400 is connected to the biasing device and the coating power supply. After receiving the arc signal sent by the detection unit, the control unit 400 synchronously shuts off the output of the biasing power supply and the coating power supply.

[0059] Referring to Figure 6, a bias power supply is electrically connected to the carrier plate 120 to provide a bias voltage to the carrier plate 120. The bias power supply can be a constant voltage power supply. As an example, the bias power supply provides a negative bias voltage to the carrier plate 120. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on the voltage value of the bias power supply.

[0060] The detection unit is used to detect the current value on the substrate side during coating. As an example, the current value on the substrate side can be the current value of the substrate circuit on the substrate. When the sputtering end coating power supply 142 is turned on, it outputs power to the target 141, and the gas in the cavity 110 is ionized to generate plasma. At this time, the substrate circuit is a load circuit between the bias power supply, the carrier plate 120, the plasma, and ground.

[0061] The coating apparatus 140 includes a target 141 and a coating power supply 142.

[0062] The target 141 can be a sputtering target. For example, the sputtering target can be a planar target. It should be noted that the sputtering target can also be a cylindrical target or other types of targets, without further limitation here.

[0063] The coating power supply 142 is used to apply voltage to the target 141 during coating. As an example, it can be understood that the coating apparatus 140 may also include external wiring, and the target 141 and the external wiring may together form a cathode.

[0064] The control unit is connected to the biasing device 130 and the coating power supply 142. Furthermore, referring to Figure 13, when the current value detected by the detection unit exceeds a preset current value, an arc signal is determined and sent to the control unit 400. The control unit 400 simultaneously shuts off the output of both the biasing power supply and the coating power supply 142. The preset current value is the current value at which an arc is about to occur. As an example, the preset current value can be from 100 mA to 20 A. Of course, the preset current value can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0065] Referring to Figure 7, during coating, after the coating power supply 142 and the bias power supply are turned on, the gas inside the cavity 110 is ionized to generate plasma. Simultaneously, a large number of electrons gradually accumulate on the carrier plate 120. In this embodiment, the bias power supply is electrically connected to the carrier plate 120 to provide a bias voltage to the carrier plate 120, while the detection unit detects the current value on the substrate side. When the charge accumulation between the substrate and the carrier plate meets the arc triggering condition, the current rises. When the current value detected by the detection unit exceeds a preset current value, an arc signal is determined and sent to the control unit. The control unit 400 simultaneously shuts off the output of the bias power supply and the coating power supply 142. At this time, referring to Figure 8, after the coating power supply and the bias power supply are turned off, the carrier plate is in a suspended state. Electrons on the carrier plate 120 will naturally dissipate due to the lack of continuous supply, thereby reducing the possibility of arcing, eliminating the arcing ratio between the substrate and the carrier plate 120, protecting the substrate, and improving the coating quality.

[0066] If the current value detected by the detection unit does not exceed the preset current value, the film deposition can continue. The above detection process can be integrated into a computer and controlled by a program.

[0067] Of course, in another embodiment, the bias power supply can also be controlled to be electrically connected to the substrate to provide bias voltage to the substrate. In this case, the detection unit detects the current value of the substrate circuit on the substrate.

[0068] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 4a and 4b, the carrier plate 120 can be fixed in the chamber and fed with a bias power supply via direct or indirect wiring. In this case, the coating equipment 100 can include multiple coating power supplies 142. Referring to Figure 4a, the bias device 130 can be connected to each coating power supply 142 via the control unit 400, or it can be connected to a set of coating power supplies 142. Meanwhile, referring to Figure 4b, exemplarily, during multi-cathode sputtering, one or more cathodes can be connected to the control unit 400 and the bias device 130 according to the target material type (including the same material and different materials) and current contribution, while one or more cathodes are not connected to the control unit 400 and the bias device 130. That is, the coating equipment 100 has independent coating power supplies 142, which are not connected to the control unit 400 and the bias device 130, and continuously perform the coating process.

[0069] In another example, referring to Figures 9 and 11, the carrier plate 120 can move within the cavity 110. In this case, the bias power supply can be directly connected to the carrier plate 120, or the bias power supply can be electrically connected to the carrier plate 120 through rollers, thereby avoiding poor contact or frictional wear between the bias power supply and the carrier plate 120.

[0070] For example, referring to Figure 5, the carrier plate 120 is provided with guide rails 121, which are located on opposite sides of the carrier plate 120. The bottom of the cavity 110 is provided with multiple bias rollers 150, which are engaged with the guide rails 121 to allow the carrier plate 120 to move on the bias rollers 150. Simultaneously, the bias rollers 150 are connected to a bias power supply.

[0071] Specifically, please refer to Figure 10. The bias roller 150 includes a support base 151, a bias feed interface 152, and a transmission component 153.

[0072] The support base 151 is in contact with the cavity 110. At this time, the support base 151 can be insulated from the cavity 110; of course, the support base 151 can also be non-insulated from the cavity 110. As an example, the material of the support base 151 can be rubber or plastic. Further, please refer to Figure 10 for a schematic diagram of the support base 151.

[0073] The bias feed interface 152 is located on the surface of the support base 151, and the bias feed interface 152 is used to connect wires to electrically connect to the bias power supply. For example, the bias feed interface 152 can be located on the surface of the support base 151, in which case an insulating screw sleeve 156 can be provided between the bias feed interface 152 and the support base 151.

[0074] The transmission component 153 is used to connect the guide rail 121 of the carrier plate 120. It is understood that the material of the transmission component 153 may include conductive metals such as copper, aluminum, or tungsten.

[0075] Furthermore, the bias roller 150 may also include a metal support 154 and a bearing 155. The support 154 and bearing 155 are electrically connected to the bias feed interface 152 and the transmission component 153. Exemplarily, the support 154 extends from inside the support base 151 to the transmission component 153, in which case an insulating pad 157 is provided between the support 154 and the support base 151. The bearing 155 is located on the side of the support 154 closer to the transmission component 153, facilitating the rotation of the transmission component 153.

[0076] In one example, the bias feed interface 152 is located inside the cavity 110. Referring to Figure 9, the coating apparatus 100 also includes a vacuum feed electrode 160. The vacuum feed electrode 160 can be located on the cavity 110 and electrically connected to the bias power supply and the bias roller 150. Specifically, one end of the vacuum feed electrode 160 can be located outside the cavity 110 to connect to the bias power supply, and the other end can be located inside the cavity 110 to connect to the bias feed interface 152 of the bias roller 150. As an example, the vacuum feed electrode 160 may include a ceramic housing and an internal copper electrode, with the bias power supply connected to the copper electrode of the vacuum feed electrode 160.

[0077] Referring to Figures 9 and 11, the vacuum feed electrode 160 can be connected to a bias power supply and one or more bias rollers 150. Alternatively, the vacuum feed electrode 160 can be connected to multiple bias power supplies and multiple bias rollers 150. Exemplarily, the vacuum feed electrode 160 can be connected to the bias feed interface 152 of each bias roller 150 via a high-temperature resistant wire 180.

[0078] In another example, the bias feed interface 152 is located outside the cavity 110. In this case, the bias power supply can also supply power to the carrier plate 120 through the support member 154 and bearing 155 of the bias roller 150. It is understood that the bias feed interface 152 in this embodiment is not limited to that shown in FIG10, as long as the position of the bias power supply connecting the bias roller 150 is insulated from the cavity 110 and can be effectively electrically connected to the carrier plate 120.

[0079] In this embodiment, a bias roller 150 is electrically connected to a bias power supply and a carrier plate 120. The transmission component 153 of the bias roller 150 is connected to the carrier plate 120 by the weight of the carrier plate 120 and / or the substrate itself, so that the bias power supply can supply power to the carrier plate 120 in a better way.

[0080] In one embodiment, an insulating roller 170 may also be provided inside the cavity 110. The insulating roller 170 may be made entirely of insulating material. The shape and size of the outer shell of the insulating roller 170 may be the same as the shape and size of the bias roller 150, so that the insulating roller 170 also mates with the guide rail 121.

[0081] Referring to Figure 11, the coating apparatus 100 also includes alternating transition chambers 111 and deposition chambers 112. In the direction of movement of the carrier plate 120, the length of the carrier plate 120 is shorter than the length of the transition chamber 111, so that the carrier plate 120 does not span the two chambers, thus ensuring that the chambers with different targets and different processes do not interfere with each other.

[0082] The deposition chamber 112 can be a cavity 110 for depositing the film. In this case, the transition chamber 111 serves as a transition, and no target material 141 is placed inside the transition chamber 111. The transition chamber 111 can be a cavity 110 between two adjacent deposition chambers 112, or the transition chamber 111 can surround the deposition chamber 112.

[0083] The bottom of the transition cavity 111 can consist entirely of insulated rollers 170. It is understood that there is no target material 141 inside the transition cavity 111, therefore the bottom of the transition cavity 111 can consist entirely of insulated rollers 170. The bottom of the deposition cavity 112 can consist entirely of bias rollers 150, or the bottom of the deposition cavity 112 can have alternating arrangements of insulated rollers 170 and bias rollers 150, thereby reducing costs.

[0084] Furthermore, the position of the bias roller 150 within the deposition chamber 112 is related to the width of the chamber and the length of the carrier plate 120. When it is necessary for the carrier plate 120 to be in contact with one or more bias rollers 150 within the deposition chamber 112, the position of the bias roller 150 within the deposition chamber 112 is such that the carrier plate 120 can contact one or more bias rollers 150 within the deposition chamber 112.

[0085] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 8 and 12, the coating power supply 142 and the bias power supply can be switched on and off synchronously. That is, after the control unit 400 receives the arc extinguishing signal from the detection unit, it synchronously turns off the bias power supply and the coating power supply 142 output for a preset time and then synchronously resumes the output.

[0086] The preset duration can range from 10µs to 1000µs. Of course, the preset duration can also be adjusted in real time, as long as there is sufficient time for the accumulated electrons to dissipate. This embodiment does not impose a specific limitation on the range of the preset duration.

[0087] As an example, the biasing device 130, the coating power supply 142, and the control unit 400 can be connected via communication (e.g., a hardwired connection is provided between the biasing device 130, the coating power supply 142, and the control unit 400) and exchange data. In this case, when the detection unit detects a current value greater than a preset current value, it determines it as an arc signal and sends this information to the control unit 400. The control unit 400 controls the coating power supply 142 to synchronously shut off its output along with the biasing power supply, thereby preventing the arc energy from being released and rapidly reducing the possibility of arc-induced ablation of the silicon wafer edge.

[0088] In this embodiment, the coating power supply 142 and the bias power supply may be switched on and off asynchronously. At the same time, this embodiment does not impose specific restrictions on the switching sequence of the coating power supply 142 and the bias power supply.

[0089] Furthermore, the bias power supply 130 can output a pulse voltage in pulse mode, and the coating power supply 142 can optionally add a synchronization pulse on top of the power supply synchronization shutdown. It can be understood, exemplarily, that in pulse mode, the bias power supply 130 supplies power to the cathode normally, and the substrate 200 is normally coated. When the synchronization pulse is activated, the detection unit receives the on / off signal of the pulse voltage from the bias power supply 130, and the control unit 400 synchronously switches the coating power supply 142 on and off after receiving the pulse voltage on / off signal, thus achieving pulse synchronization. During the synchronization pulse, the number of charged particles generated by the cathode fluctuates periodically with the coating power supply 142, and the number of electrons on the surface of the substrate 200 also fluctuates periodically. When the pulse is turned off, the number of charged particles decreases, making it difficult for charged particles to accumulate rapidly.

[0090] This embodiment achieves a better reduction of electrons on the carrier plate 120 by synchronously switching the coating power supply 142 and the bias power supply on and off. Furthermore, setting a synchronization pulse can also achieve a timed reduction of electrons on the carrier plate 120. Of course, this embodiment does not impose specific limitations on the parameters of the pulse voltage.

[0091] In one embodiment, the absolute value of the bias voltage supplied by the bias power supply to the carrier 120 is greater than the floating potential of the carrier 120.

[0092] When the absolute value of the bias voltage supplied by the bias power supply to the carrier 120 is less than the floating potential of the carrier 120, the carrier 120 remains at the floating potential. In this case, the bias power supply has little effect on the carrier 120 (or the substrate).

[0093] When the absolute value of the bias voltage supplied by the bias power supply to the carrier 120 is greater than the floating potential of the carrier 120, the carrier 120 is at a set negative potential. At this time, by adjusting this negative potential, the voltage drop of the sheath layer on the surface of the carrier 120 can be controlled, reducing the bombardment energy of high-kinetic-energy negative ions (mainly sputtering byproduct oxygen negative ions) on the substrate surface during the TCO thin film deposition process. The negatively potentialed carrier 120 repels negative ions, thereby effectively slowing down negatively charged particles and reducing the number of negatively charged particles arriving, thus reducing the damage to the product caused by the bombardment of negatively charged particles and improving the performance of the substrate device. Of course, this potential cannot be too high, as excessively high potential will result in strong argon ion bombardment, which could damage the device.

[0094] It is understood that the coating equipment 100 described above can also take other forms, and is not limited to the forms already mentioned in the above embodiments, as long as it can achieve the function of a coating equipment. Furthermore, the coating equipment 100 in this application is not limited to magnetron sputtering; other coating equipment containing charged particles can also use this method.

[0095] Based on the same inventive concept, in one embodiment, referring to FIG13, a coating method is provided, which can be applied to the coating apparatus 100 in any of the foregoing embodiments. During coating, the coating method includes the following steps:

[0096] Step S100: Control the bias device 130 to provide a bias voltage to the carrier plate 120.

[0097] Step S200: Detect the current value of the carrier plate 120.

[0098] Step S300: When the current value of the carrier board 120 exceeds the preset current value, the bias power supply and the coating power supply 142 are simultaneously turned off.

[0099] Step S400: After the bias power supply and coating power supply 142 have been turned off for a preset duration, the output of the bias power supply and coating power supply 142 is synchronously restored.

[0100] In step S100, the biasing device includes a bias power supply and a detection unit. The bias power supply is electrically connected to the carrier plate 120 to provide a bias voltage to the carrier plate 120. The coating power supply 142 is controlled to deliver power to the target material, and the gas ionization generates plasma for coating. The biasing device 130 is controlled to provide a bias voltage to the carrier plate 120, forming a biasing circuit of bias power supply-carrier plate 120-plasma-ground.

[0101] In step S200, during coating, the detection unit detects the current value on the carrier plate 120 side. As an example, the current value on the carrier plate 120 side can be the current value of the bias circuit on the carrier plate 120. When the sputtering end coating power supply 142 is turned on, the gas in the cavity is ionized to generate plasma. At this time, a load circuit is generated between the bias power supply 120, the carrier plate 120, the plasma, and ground.

[0102] In step S300, when the current value detected by the detection unit exceeds the preset current value, an arc signal is determined and sent to the control unit 400. The control unit 400 simultaneously shuts off the output of the bias power supply and the coating power supply 142.

[0103] In step S400, the preset shutdown duration is set in the control unit. When the shutdown duration of the bias power supply and the coating power supply 142 reaches the preset duration, the control unit 400 restores the output of the bias power supply and the coating power supply 142.

[0104] In this embodiment, when the current value detected by the detection unit exceeds the preset current value, the control unit 400 turns off the bias power supply and the coating power supply 142, and the carrier plate is in a suspended state. As a result, the electrons on the carrier plate 120 will diffuse and be lost due to the lack of continuous supply, thereby reducing the number of electrons on the carrier plate 120, thereby reducing the possibility of arcing, eliminating the arcing ratio between the substrate and the carrier plate 120, protecting the substrate, and improving the coating quality.

[0105] In addition, the coating power supply 142 and the bias power supply can be switched on and off asynchronously, that is, the control unit 400 can only turn off the coating power supply 142 or the bias power supply.

[0106] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowchart of Figure 13 are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise expressly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some of the steps in Figure 13 may include multiple steps or multiple stages, which are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and the execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0107] The coating method in this embodiment can be applied to a terminal environment, and the terminal can be, but is not limited to, various personal computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It is understood that all or part of the processes in the coating method of this embodiment can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware.

[0108] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "some embodiments," "other embodiments," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples.

[0109] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0110] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A coating equipment, characterized in that, include: cavity; A carrier plate is located inside the cavity and is used to place the substrate. The carrier plate is insulated from the cavity. The biasing device includes a biasing power supply and a detection unit. The biasing power supply is electrically connected to the carrier plate to provide a biasing voltage to the carrier plate. The detection unit is used to detect the current value of the biasing circuit during coating. When the current exceeds a preset current value, an arc signal is determined and the arc signal is sent to the control unit. A coating apparatus includes a target material and a coating power supply, wherein the coating power supply is used to apply voltage to the target material during coating. The control unit is connected to the biasing device and the coating power supply. After receiving the arc signal sent by the detection unit, the control unit synchronously shuts off the output of the biasing power supply and the coating power supply.

2. The coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit controls the duration for which the bias power supply and the coating power supply output are turned off to be between 10µs and 1000µs.

3. The coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carrier plate is provided with a guide rail, and the bottom of the cavity is provided with multiple bias rollers. The bias rollers are engaged with the guide rail to allow the carrier plate to move on the multiple bias rollers. The bias rollers are connected to the bias power supply.

4. The coating equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bias roller includes: The support base contacts the cavity; A bias feed interface is located on the surface of the support base and is used to connect the bias power supply; A transmission component is located on the side of the bias roller away from the support base, used to connect with the guide rail, and the transmission component is electrically connected to the bias feed interface.

5. The coating equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The coating equipment includes: A vacuum feed electrode is located on the cavity and is used to electrically connect the bias power supply and the bias feed interface.

6. The coating equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the cavity is provided with an insulating roller, which is connected to the guide rail. The coating equipment includes alternating transition cavities and deposition cavities, and the bottom of each transition cavity is provided with an insulating roller.

7. The coating equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, At the bottom of the deposition chamber, the bias rollers and the insulating rollers are arranged alternately.

8. The coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the detected current value exceeds the preset current value, the control unit shuts off the bias power supply and simultaneously shuts off the coating power supply. After a preset time period of shutting off the bias power supply, the control unit restores the output of the bias power supply and the coating power supply.

9. The coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bias power supply can output a pulse voltage, and when the detection unit detects the on / off signal of the pulse voltage, it sends the signal to the control unit so that the control unit controls the coating power supply and the bias power supply to be switched on and off synchronously to achieve synchronous pulse.

10. The coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The absolute value of the bias voltage provided by the bias power supply to the carrier plate is greater than the floating potential of the carrier plate.

11. A coating method, applied to the coating equipment according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, include: The coating power supply is controlled to deliver power to the target material, and the gas is ionized to generate plasma for coating. The bias voltage device is controlled to provide bias voltage to the carrier plate, forming a bias circuit of bias power supply-carrier plate-plasma-ground. Detect the current value of the bias circuit; When the current value of the carrier board exceeds the preset current value, an arc signal is determined and sent to the control unit. The control unit then simultaneously shuts off the output of the bias power supply and the coating power supply. After a preset shutdown time, the outputs of the bias power supply and the coating power supply are synchronously restored.

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