Protective device for a coating system, and coating system

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective device (10) for a coating system (100), said coating system (100) comprising a recipient (110) having a reaction volume (114) enclosed by a wall (112) of the recipient (110) for receiving a source arrangement (120) having one or more source materials (122) and a substrate arrangement (130) having one or more substrates (132), wherein, by irradiating laser light (300) onto at least one of the one or more source materials (122), at least one of the one or more substrates (132) can be coated using the corresponding source material (122). The invention also relates to a coating system (100) having such a protective device.

Description

[0001] Max Planck Society for the Advancement of M29314PWO - To / Pr

[0002] Sciences eV

[0003] Protective device for a coating system and coating system

[0004] The invention relates to a protective device for a coating system, the coating system comprising a receiver with a reaction volume enclosed by a wall of the receiver for receiving a source arrangement with one or more source materials and a substrate arrangement with one or more substrates, wherein at least one of the one or more substrates can be coated by irradiating at least one of the one or more source materials with laser light using the corresponding source material. The invention further relates to a coating system with such a protective device according to the invention.

[0005] Coating systems, in which substrates or any other surface are coated with thin layers, are widely used in modern technology. For the coating process, the surfaces to be coated are usually arranged in receivers. The materials intended for coating are also provided in the receiver as material sources. There, the materials are heated and vaporized, using various methods such as simple electric heating, inductive heating, electron beam heating, or heating or ablation by laser radiation.In particular, using a receiver as the environment for the coating process allows for especially simple and precise control of the environmental parameters for the respective coating reaction, particularly regarding the atmosphere within the receiver, for which parameters such as pressure, composition, and / or temperature can be adjusted. This enables exceptionally high coating quality and highly reproducible coating results.

[0006] During coating processes, such as the waxing of aggressive starting materials or in aggressive gas atmospheres, or for processes involving aggressive intermediate or end products, the recipient may be affected. Furthermore, particularly when using laser radiation for vaporization, sublimation, ablation, or sputtering of the source material, high temperatures of 3000 °C or more can occur inside the recipient. Such high temperatures can also permanently damage the recipient. The service life of such a recipient is reduced, and a correspondingly damaged recipient must be replaced or at least repaired and / or renewed.

[0007] Based on the disadvantages described above, the task is therefore to create a protective device for a recipient of a coating system, which can extend the service life of the recipient used.

[0008] The foregoing problem is solved by the claims. In particular, the problem is solved by a protective device according to the first aspect of the invention and by a coating system according to the second aspect of the invention. All features and advantages described with regard to the protective device according to the first aspect of the invention can also be provided by a coating system according to the second aspect of the invention, insofar as this is technically reasonable and feasible.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a protective device for a coating system, the coating system comprising a receiver with a reaction volume enclosed by a wall of the receiver for receiving a source arrangement with one or more source materials and a substrate arrangement with one or more substrates, wherein at least one of the one or more substrates can be coated by irradiating laser light onto at least one of the one or more source materials using the corresponding source material.The protective device according to the invention is characterized in that the protective device can be arranged in the reaction volume and has a blocking surface as well as a positioning device for arranging the blocking surface, wherein the blocking surface has a blocking effect on particles and / or thermal radiation and can be arranged in the reaction volume by the positioning device in such a way that, during operation of the coating system, the blocking surface is positioned between the source arrangement and the wall of the recipient.

[0010] The protective device according to the invention is intended for use in a coating system. In this coating system, one or more source materials are used to coat one or more substrates. When reference is made below to a source material or a substrate, this also always includes, where technically feasible and practical, an embodiment with multiple source materials or multiple substrates.

[0011] In the coating system, the coating process takes place inside a receiver. This receiver, with its wall, encloses a reaction volume in which at least one source arrangement and one substrate arrangement are located. The source arrangement is designed to receive one or more source materials, and the substrate arrangement is designed to receive one or more substrates. "Receiving" within the meaning of the invention specifically means that the source materials and substrates can be arranged in a fixed or movable position and orientation within the reaction volume, both absolutely and relative to each other.Since source material in a gas or plasma phase moves essentially in a straight line within the receiver, the source and substrate arrangements are preferably positioned and oriented towards each other in the reaction volume without any intervening blocking elements. Source material emanating from the source arrangement can thus reliably reach the substrate provided by the substrate arrangement.

[0012] In contrast, during coating processes under a reaction atmosphere with a non-negligible gas pressure, diffusion of the source material through the reaction atmosphere predominates; in this case, the source material does not necessarily move in a straight line. Therefore, any positioning and orientation of the substrate arrangement relative to the source arrangement can be used, particularly one optimized for the desired coating process.

[0013] As mentioned above, laser light is frequently used in coating systems to heat source material, causing it to vaporize, ablate, and / or sputter. High temperatures, for example, exceeding 3000 °C, can occur during these processes. These temperatures are primarily exhibited by the heated source material. Examples of source materials with melting points above 3000 °C include metals such as tantalum (Ta, 3017 °C) or tungsten (W, 3422 °C), or compounds such as titanium carbide (TiC, 3140 °C) or niobium carbide (NbC, 3500 °C).

[0014] The source material, thus provided, moves in a straight line from the source arrangement through the recipient and at least partially comes into contact with a surface of the substrate, thereby coating the substrate using the source material. This coating may be preceded by reactions between the source material and other, similarly provided, source materials and / or with components of a reaction atmosphere within the reaction volume.

[0015] During operation of the coating system, two main factors can cause damage to the recipient. Firstly, the source material moves not only towards the substrate but also in all possible spatial directions, unless shaded by the source array. This leads to an unwanted coating of the recipient's walls, which can alter its properties. In particular, the interaction between the recipient and the laser radiation can be affected or even impaired, as coatings can significantly change a surface's reflectivity and / or absorption capacity.On the other hand, the high temperatures occurring in the reaction volume, or the associated thermal radiation, can directly damage the recipient, for example, if it contains materials that are sensitive to this thermal radiation. Structural damage to the recipient cannot be ruled out in this case.

[0016] The protective device according to the invention can help to mitigate or even completely prevent such damage to the recipient. For this purpose, the protective device according to the invention has a blocking surface that can be positioned within the reaction volume, and thus inside the recipient, via a positioning device of the protective device.

[0017] A blocking surface within the meaning of the invention is, in particular, a surface of a component. The positioning device is designed and configured for arranging the blocking device in the reaction volume. For this purpose, the positioning device can be connected to the corresponding component whose surface forms the blocking surface. A one-piece and / or integral design of the positioning device and the corresponding component is also conceivable. For example, the entire protective device can also be arranged in the reaction volume via the positioning device. In other words, a mounting section of the protective device can also constitute a positioning device within the meaning of the invention.

[0018] According to the invention, the blocking surface is designed to block thermal radiation and / or particles. Particular emphasis is placed on the fact that the thermal radiation is emitted by the heated source material, and that the corresponding particles are vaporized and / or sputtered source material. "Blocking" within the meaning of the invention means, in particular, that the blocking surface is opaque to at least 30%, more specifically at least 60%, and preferably at least 90%, of the thermal radiation or particles incident on the blocking surface.

[0019] Preferably, the blocking surface can also be designed to block, and in particular reflect, not only thermal radiation but also the laser light used in the coating system. By appropriately arranging the blocking surface, it can then be prevented, for example, that laser light reflected from the source material and / or the source arrangement strikes the wall of the recipient and damages it.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the invention, the blocking surface is positioned in the reaction volume between the source arrangement and the wall of the receiver by means of the positioning device. This ensures that both thermal radiation emitted by the heated source material and vaporized and / or sputtered source material emanating from it in the form of particles are blocked by the blocking surface and do not reach the wall of the receiver. The blocking capacity of the blocking surface is greater the larger the solid angle it covers as seen from the source arrangement.

[0021] In summary, the protective device according to the invention can reduce the exposure of the recipient of the coating system during operation. Thermal radiation and particles emanating from a source material are intercepted and thus blocked by the blocking surface of the protective device. The impact of thermal radiation and particles on a wall of the recipient, which could lead to damage, can thereby be at least reduced, and with a sufficiently large and oriented blocking surface, even essentially prevented.

[0022] Furthermore, the protective device according to the invention can be provided that the blocking surface for the thermal radiation is at least partially reflective, preferably being oriented at least section by section perpendicular to the direction of the source arrangement for reflecting the thermal radiation. Reflecting the incident thermal radiation through the blocking surface offers essentially two advantages. Firstly, it prevents the thermal radiation from being absorbed by the blocking surface or the component that carries the blocking surface. This avoids heating the blocking surface, which could lead to damage to the blocking surface. Secondly, the source material loses energy through the emission of thermal radiation, which then has to be replaced by the irradiation of laser light.Reflection of the thermal radiation, which occurs at least partially, and in the preferred orientation of the blocking surface perpendicular to the direction of incidence, even substantially completely, back towards the source material, can counteract this energy loss of the source material. The efficiency of the entire coating system can thus be increased by using a protective device according to the invention.

[0023] The protective device according to the invention can also be designed such that the positioning device includes a drive device for actively changing the positioning and / or orientation of the blocking surface. A drive device within the meaning of the invention particularly comprises the actual drive, which, for example, includes an electric motor and / or pneumatically or hydraulically driven components. A manual drive from outside the recipient is also conceivable. Blocking the thermal radiation and particles emanating from the source material leads to heating and coating of the blocking surface, especially since complete reflection of the thermal radiation usually does not occur. It can often happen that the thermal stress and / or coating of the blocking surface resulting from the blocking is not uniform, but rather locally intensified.By actively changing the positioning and / or orientation of the blocking surface, such local concentrations can be balanced out. This can prevent local damage to the blocking surface.

[0024] Furthermore, the protective device according to the invention can also be provided that the protective device can be reversibly arranged and / or fixed within the coating system, and / or that the blocking surface can be reversibly arranged and / or fixed within the protective device. In other words, the protective device and / or at least the blocking surface can be moved wholly or partially within the coating system or even wholly or partially removed from it. This allows, for example, a clean area of ​​the blocking surface that was not previously used for blocking to be appropriately positioned and / or oriented to block thermal radiation and / or particles. Alternatively or additionally, the blocking surface can also be cleaned. This also makes it possible to replace the protective device or the blocking surface with a new, unused protective device or blocking surface.This can shorten the service life of the coating system during which no coating of the substrate is possible.

[0025] Furthermore, the protective device according to the invention can be characterized in that the blocking surface is formed as part of a continuous cladding surface of a protective element of the protective device, wherein, in the installed state, the cladding surface extends at least sectionally around and along a connecting line between the source arrangement and the substrate arrangement and surrounds a protective volume that extends at least from the source arrangement to the substrate arrangement and in which the source arrangement and the substrate arrangement are arranged. Since, when the source material is in a gas or plasma phase, the source material moves in a straight line from the source arrangement, in these cases the source arrangement and the substrate arrangement are preferably arranged facing each other in the reaction volume.The source material, which actually coats the substrate, moves at least essentially along the line connecting the source and substrate arrangements. However, even in coating processes under high gas pressure, where diffusion dominates the movement of the source material, such a relative arrangement of the substrate to the source can be advantageous, as it can minimize the distance the source material has to travel. As explained above, the blocking capacity of the blocking surface increases with the size of the solid angle it covers as seen from the source.The solid angle covered by a blocking surface, arranged at least partially around, preferably completely around, this connecting line and extending from the source arrangement to the substrate arrangement, can be maximized. These requirements for the geometry of the blocking surface can be met particularly easily by providing a protective element that encloses a protective volume, with a surface of the protective element facing the protective volume acting as the blocking surface. By positioning both the source arrangement and the substrate arrangement within this protective volume, the covered solid angle can be further increased.

[0026] According to a further development of the protective device according to the invention, it can also be provided that the protective element is tubular in design. A tube, for example a cylindrical body extending along a central axis and having an internal cavity that is also rotationally symmetrical about the central axis, represents a particularly simple form of a protective element that fulfills the aforementioned geometric requirements.

[0027] Furthermore, the protective device according to the invention can be further developed in such a way that the protective element comprises one or more of the following materials, preferably consisting of one of the following materials:

[0028] Glass, especially quartz glass, high-melting-point glass with a softening point > 500 °C, sapphire or polycrystalline aluminum oxides, ceramics

[0029] This list is not exhaustive, so other materials can also be used for the protective element, provided they are technically feasible and practical. Glass and sapphire, for example, have the advantage of being transparent to visible light, thus enabling observation and analysis of film growth, e.g., using cameras or pyrometers. This allows for particularly easy laser light penetration through the protective element material onto the source material. A protective element made of ceramics allows for use at higher temperatures compared to glass and sapphire. Ceramic aluminum oxide, in turn, is a particularly easy-to-process and especially cost-effective material for the protective element.

[0030] Furthermore, the protective device according to the invention can also be further developed by having the cladding surface have one or more coupling openings for the irradiation of the laser light onto the one or more source materials. It is preferable to provide that at least one coupling opening is available for each beam of laser light and / or for each of the existing source materials.

[0031] Particularly in the case of protective devices that are not transparent to the laser light used in the coating system, such as ceramics or aluminum oxide, these coupling openings allow the laser light to pass through the protective element and onto the corresponding source material undisturbed. However, such coupling openings are also advantageous for materials that are at least partially transparent to the laser light used, such as glass or sapphire, since the laser light is affected, particularly attenuated and / or dilated, with each passage through matter. Thus, even for protective elements made of these transparent materials, undisturbed laser light can be directed onto the corresponding source material.

[0032] According to an alternative or additional development, the protective device according to the invention can also be characterized in that the outer surface has one or more first insertion openings for inserting or removing one or more source materials and / or the source arrangement, and / or that the outer surface has one or more second insertion openings for inserting or removing one or more substrates and / or the substrate arrangement. As described above, the source arrangement and the substrate arrangement are located within the protective volume, and thus inside the protective element. Access to the source arrangement and / or the substrate arrangement is provided by corresponding insertion openings without requiring the removal of the protective element or even the entire protective device.This significantly simplifies the replacement of individual source materials and / or the entire source arrangement. The same applies to the replacement of individual substrates and / or the entire substrate arrangement.

[0033] Furthermore, the protective device according to the invention can be further developed such that the protective element comprises a first receiving device for the form-fit and / or force-fit arrangement of the source arrangement and / or a second receiving device for the form-fit and / or force-fit arrangement of the substrate arrangement. In this way, the source arrangement and / or the substrate arrangement can be arranged within the reaction volume by the protective element. Additional components for arranging the source arrangement and / or the substrate arrangement are therefore unnecessary or can at least be reduced. Overall, this simplifies the entire structure of the coating system, which in turn reduces costs.

[0034] Furthermore, in a further development of the protective device according to the invention, the protective element can be designed in two parts, wherein a first part of the protective element carries the outer surface, and a second part, when installed, extends at least partially in a tube-like manner along a beam path of a substrate heating laser. Modern coating systems can also provide for heating one or more substrates during the coating process. Preferably, a specially adapted laser light is used for this heating, which shines onto the substrate from a rear side of the substrate arrangement facing away from the source arrangement, thereby heating it.

[0035] By means of a two-part protective element, which, in addition to a first part with the previously described cladding surface, has a second part that extends at least partially along a beam path of this substrate heating laser, the advantages described above with regard to the first part of the protective element can also be extended to the substrate heating laser. The second part of the protective element covers, in particular, as large a solid angle as possible into which thermal radiation is emitted, emanating from the back of the respective substrate. This prevents the heating of an area of ​​the recipient wall struck by this thermal radiation.

[0036] According to a second aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a coating system comprising a receiver with a reaction volume enclosed by a wall of the receiver for receiving a source arrangement with one or more source materials and a substrate arrangement with one or more substrates, wherein at least one of the substrates can be coated by the corresponding source material by irradiating at least one of the one or more source materials with laser light. The coating system according to the invention is characterized in that a protective device according to the first aspect of the invention is arranged in the reaction volume.By using the protective device according to the first aspect of the invention, all the features and advantages described above with reference to the protective device according to the first aspect of the invention can be achieved with the coating system according to the second aspect of the invention.

[0037] Furthermore, the coating system according to the invention may feature a recipient made of glass, or preferably consisting of glass. Glass materials are particularly resistant to certain aggressive environments, such as those that can occur during the growth of layers from aggressive starting materials, in aggressive gas atmospheres, or during processes involving aggressive intermediate or end products, especially compared to commonly used metal materials like stainless steel, aluminum, or aluminum alloys. In particular, unwanted chemical reactions and / or corrosion processes can occur with metallic recipients in such environments. Glass materials are therefore particularly suitable for recipients of coating systems, as they also enable processes with aggressive reaction environments.

[0038] The coating system according to the invention can also be designed such that the receiver has a mounting section, wherein the receiver is mechanically fixed in the coating system only via this mounting section. This mounting section can, for example, be provided by a flange. This type of mounting and mechanical fixing of the receiver avoids thermal stresses and mechanical loads that can occur during assembly with multiple fixing points. This has proven advantageous for receivers made of a glass material.

[0039] In this sense and beyond, the coating system according to the invention can also be characterized in that the recipient is connected to external devices, preferably exclusively, via decoupling devices. Besides the recipient and the laser source, a coating system usually includes other external devices, such as pumps, valves, and / or gas supplies. Many of these devices, in turn, have components that generate their own movements, such as vibrations. By providing decoupling devices, the connection of these external devices can be mechanically decoupled. Mechanical stress on the recipient can be reduced or, preferably, completely eliminated.

[0040] Such decoupling devices can, for example, incorporate bellows as key components. Preferably, these decoupling devices are also metal-free. Teflon bellows, in particular, have proven to be especially suitable as decoupling devices.

[0041] The coating system according to the invention can also be characterized in that the recipient is arranged in a casing, with a space formed between the recipient and the casing, and furthermore, the coating system includes a cooling system for generating a fluid flow in the space to cool the recipient. Due to the use of laser light to provide the source material for the coating, high temperatures can occur in the reaction volume. This can at least indirectly lead to a high temperature load on the recipient, which can be mitigated by the fluid flow.

[0042] By providing an enclosure and the resulting space between the enclosure and the recipient, cooling the recipient can be achieved particularly easily. The cooling system generates a fluid flow that flows through this space and thus past the recipient. Suitable fluids include gases such as air, nitrogen, or noble gases. Alternatively, liquids such as water or liquid nitrogen can also be used. Thermal energy is transferred from the recipient to the fluid flow and ultimately carried away. This results in a particularly simple yet effective cooling of the recipient.

[0043] The coating system according to the invention can be further developed such that the cooling system is configured to generate a vacuum and / or overpressure, wherein the vacuum and / or overpressure causes the fluid flow in the gap. A vacuum draws the fluid flow through the gap. An overpressure, on the other hand, which can be generated, for example, simply by introducing a fluid into the gap to create the fluid flow, forces the fluid flow through the gap. In addition to the alternative use of vacuum or overpressure, a combination is also possible according to the invention, whereby an overpressure forces a fluid into the gap at one end, while a vacuum is generated at the opposite end, which draws the fluid or the fluid flow back out of the gap.

[0044] The use of negative pressure offers the advantage that even in the event of small leaks, any potential contamination of the fluid flow does not escape into the ambient air. Furthermore, negative pressure ensures that, in the event of a leak from the receiver, any escaping gases are extracted and do not leave the casing.

[0045] Overpressure, especially overpressure already created by introducing the fluid, has the advantage that complex pumps or conveying systems are usually not required. Using overpressure thus represents a cost-effective way to generate a fluid flow through the space.

[0046] According to a further development of the coating system according to the invention, it can also be provided that at least one guide plate and / or at least one bore for controlled guidance of the fluid flow in the space is arranged. Guide plates and / or bores allow for particularly easy control of the flow direction and / or speed of the fluid flow in the space. For example, this allows sections of the receiver that require particularly high cooling capacity to be cooled more effectively.

[0047] Furthermore, the coating system according to the invention can also be further developed by the fact that the coating system has a monitoring device for monitoring properties of the fluid flow, wherein the monitoring device in particular monitors at least one of the following criteria:

[0048] - Composition,

[0049] - Pressure

[0050] - Temperature,

[0051] - Mass flow rate,

[0052] - Speed.

[0053] This list is not exhaustive, so the fluid flow can also be monitored for other properties. All these properties allow conclusions to be drawn about the operation of the coating system. For example, a change in the composition and / or pressure of the fluid flow can indicate leaks in the receiver. A change in the temperature of the fluid flow can, for instance, indicate problems with the laser power. Mass flow and velocity of the fluid flow should normally be constant during operation; changes in these values ​​can therefore indicate leaks in the encapsulation and / or blockages in the fluid flow path.

[0054] Furthermore, the coating system according to the invention can also be characterized in that the coating system has a changing device for changing the source materials in the source arrangement and / or the entire source arrangement, the changing device having a changing arm that can be actuated from outside the recipient with a changing tool arranged thereon, wherein the changing arm is mounted in a changing bearing of the changing device so as to be linearly displaceable along a displacement direction and pivotable about an axis transverse to the displacement direction, and wherein the changing tool is pivotably articulated on the changing arm about an axis transverse to the displacement direction, wherein furthermore the changing arm is displaceable into the interior of the recipient, and wherein preferably the changing device is also designed for changing the substrates in the substrate arrangement and / or the entire substrate arrangement.The interchangeable device makes replacing source material or even the entire source assembly particularly easy. Its linear adjustability, combined with the ability to tilt perpendicular to the direction of movement, ensures that various positions within the receiver can be reached safely and precisely. In particular, by appropriately dimensioning the adjustability and tilting capability, it is possible not only to access source materials or the source assembly itself, but also to replace substrates or the entire substrate assembly using the same device.

[0055] The present invention is described below with reference to the figures. Elements with the same function and mode of operation are designated with the same reference numerals. The figures schematically show:

[0056] Fig. 1 A coating system according to the invention,

[0057] Fig. 2 A protective device according to the invention, Fig. 3 A changing device of a coating system according to the invention,

[0058] Fig. 4 Another view of the changing device from Fig. 4, and

[0059] Fig. 5 The changing tool of the changing device from Fig. 4 in two different states.

[0060] Fig. 1 schematically shows a possible embodiment of a coating system 100 according to the invention. The central component of the coating system 100 is a receiver 110. In the preferred embodiment, this is made of a glass material and mechanically fixed via a single fastening section 116. This allows the stresses on the receiver 110 caused by thermal radiation, which could lead to structural impairment or even destruction due to the glass material used, to be reduced, particularly during the operation of the coating system 100.

[0061] Other external devices 172, for example pumps, valves, or gas supplies, are coupled to the receiver 110 via decoupling devices 170. The decoupling devices 170 ensure mechanical decoupling of the receiver 110 from the respective external device 172. This decoupling is of great importance, for example, for pumps, which could transmit vibrations to the receiver 110 due to their internal moving components. Laser sources 180, on the other hand, which do not have any internally moving mechanical elements, do not necessarily need to be coupled to the receiver 110 via decoupling devices 170; simple laser windows 182 are usually sufficient. Metal-free bellows, such as those made of Teflon, have proven particularly advantageous for the decoupling devices 170. The laser light 300 provided by the laser sources 180 (see Fig.2) Source materials 122 are vaporized or sputtered in the reaction volume 114 enclosed by a wall 112 of the recipient 110, and substrates 132 are then coated with these source materials 122 (see again Fig. 2). To reduce the stress on the recipient 110, in particular from thermal radiation emanating from the source materials 122 and from unwanted coating by vaporized source material 122, a protective device 10 according to the invention is positioned in the reaction volume 114. A detailed description of a possible protective device follows below with reference to Fig. 2.

[0062] During operation of the coating system 100, heating of the recipient 110 cannot usually be completely avoided, even with the use of a protective device 10 according to the invention. A casing 150 for the recipient 110, as shown by way of example in Fig. 1, can reduce this heating and protect the surroundings from escaping radiation or contamination. For this reason, the recipient 110 can be arranged in a casing 150 as shown. A space 152 is formed between the casing 150 and the recipient 110. This space can be used to guide a fluid flow 162 provided by a cooling system 160. Suitable fluids for this fluid flow 162 include gases such as air, N2, or noble gases, or liquids such as water or liquid nitrogen.

[0063] Advantageously, the fluid flow 162 can be drawn through the space 152 by a negative pressure generated by the cooling system 160 and / or forced through this space 152 by a positive pressure, thereby preventing or at least reducing contamination of the fluid flow 162. Alternatively or additionally, as also shown in Fig. 1, guide plates 154 or bores 156 can be arranged in the space 152 to direct the fluid flow 162 even more precisely. Further monitoring of the properties of the fluid flow 162, for example, composition, temperature, mass flow rate, and / or velocity, allows conclusions to be drawn about the condition of the coating system 100 and thus enables control of the operation of the coating system 100.

[0064] Fig. 2 shows the protective device 10 arranged in the reaction volume 114 of the receiver 110. The illustration of further components of the coating system 100 is limited to the two partially shown laser sources 180 and indicates the corresponding laser windows 182 in the wall 112 of the receiver.

[0065] The two laser sources 180 each provide laser light 300, which is directed onto a source material 122 positioned in the reaction volume 114 by the source arrangement 120. The respective source material 122 is thereby vaporized, ablated, or sputtered, then moves in a straight line through the reaction volume 114 and at least partially collides with a substrate 132, which is also arranged in the reaction volume 114 by a substrate arrangement 130. In this way, the substrate 132 can be coated, the actual composition of the coating further depending on the number and type of source materials 122 used and the reaction atmosphere present in the reaction volume 114.

[0066] Due to the incident laser light 300, the source materials 122 heat up. Depending on the type of source material 122, temperatures exceeding 3000 °C can be reached. Thermal radiation emanating from the heated source materials 122 or substrates 132 can place a high load on the wall 112 of the receiver 110, especially if it is made of glass. Furthermore, the direction of movement of the vaporized, ablated, or sputtered source material 122 is not limited to the direction of the substrate arrangement 130, but can also occur in any other direction within the hemisphere accessible by the source arrangement 120. This can result in an unwanted coating of the wall 112 of the receiver 110, which in turn can cause stress on the receiver 110, potentially leading to its destruction.

[0067] To keep these stresses away from the recipient 110, the coating system 100 according to the invention incorporates a protective device 10. The protective device 10 has, in particular, a blocking surface 22 positioned between the source arrangement 120 and the wall 112 of the recipient 110. Since the blocking surface 22 blocks particles and thermal radiation, the wall 112 of the recipient 110 can be shielded from these particles and the thermal radiation by the blocking surface 22. This reduces the damaging effects of the particles and the thermal radiation.

[0068] Preferably, the protective device 10 or at least the blocking surface 22 can be arranged and / or fixed reversibly. This allows for the replacement of a worn protective device 10 or blocking surface 22 that can no longer guarantee the protection of the recipient 110.

[0069] The protective device 10, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a protective element 20. The protective element 20 can, for example, be made of high-melting-point glass or sapphire. Alternatively, embodiments made of ceramics or aluminum oxide are also conceivable. This protective element 20 is tubular in shape, and a first part 24 of the protective element 20 comprises a protective volume 32.

[0070] The protective volume 32 extends along a connecting line 200 at least between the source arrangement 120 and the substrate arrangement 130. The protective volume 32 is enclosed by an inner cladding surface 30 of the first part 24 of the protective element 20, the cladding surface 30 extending substantially completely around the connecting line 200. To nevertheless allow the laser light 300 to reach the source materials 112 with as little interference as possible, one or more coupling openings 40 can be provided in the cladding surface 30. In particular, this cladding surface 30 constitutes the blocking surface 22 of the protective device 10. In this way, it can be ensured that the wall 112 of the receiver 110 can be protected as completely as possible from particles and thermal radiation emanating from the source materials 122.

[0071] In addition to the first part 24, the protective element 20 can also have a second part 26, which also extends in a tubular fashion on the side of the substrate arrangement 130 facing away from the source arrangement 120, and thus encloses the beam path of a substrate heating laser. Thermal radiation emanating from the heated substrate 132 can be efficiently blocked by this second part 26 of the protective element 20.

[0072] In particular, the blocking surface 22, and additionally the second part 26 of the protective element 20, can also be designed to reflect thermal radiation. This allows, for example, the thermal radiation to be reflected back into the protective volume 32, thus heating it up. The energy required to heat the source materials 122 or the substrates 132 can thereby be reduced.

[0073] The protective element 20, and thus the blocking surface 22, is arranged in the reaction volume 114 via a positioning device 70. This positioning device 70 can, as shown, also serve as the mounting device for the entire protective device 10. Furthermore, the positioning device 70 can also include a drive device 72, shown schematically, which enables active changing of the positioning and / or orientation of the blocking surface 22.

[0074] In addition to the coupling openings 40 already described above, insertion openings 50, 60 can also be provided in the outer surface 30. A first insertion opening 50 allows individual source materials 122 or the entire source assembly 120 to be placed within the protective volume 32. For this purpose, the protective element 20 has a correspondingly shaped first receiving device 52 with which the source assembly 120 can be attached by positive locking and / or frictional locking. The first receiving device 52 is preferably metal-free, for example made of sapphire or boron nitride (BN).

[0075] Analogous to the first insertion opening 50, a second insertion opening 60 can also be provided, this time for arranging a substrate 132 or the entire substrate assembly 130. For this process as well, the protective element 20 has a correspondingly shaped second receiving device 62 with which the substrate assembly 130 can be secured by positive and / or force-fit. The second receiving device 62 is also preferably metal-free, for example made of sapphire or boron nitride (BN).

[0076] In order to be able to insert the source arrangement 120 or the substrate arrangement 130 through the insertion openings 50, 60 as described above, without having to open the recipient, the coating system 100 according to the invention can have a suitable changing device 140.

[0077] One possible embodiment of such a changeover device 140 is shown in Figures 3 to 5. Figures 3 to 5 will therefore be described together below, with particular reference to and discussion of specific illustrations. The basic schematic overall structure of such a changeover device 140 is shown in Figure 3. In addition to the changeover device 140, a lift 190 with four arrangement levels 192, 194, 196, 198 is also shown. The lift can be moved or shifted along a travel direction 220 so that all arrangement levels 192, 194, 196, 198 can be reached by the changeover device 140. In the illustrated embodiment, a source arrangement 120 is positioned in the second arrangement level 194, while the first, third, and fourth arrangement levels 192, 196, 198 are each unoccupied.

[0078] The exchange device 140 has an exchange arm 142 that is linearly displaceable in an exchange bearing 146 along a displacement direction 210. The exchange bearing 146 can, for example, be attached to a side wall of the casing 150 (see Fig. 1, although not shown there). This essentially divides the exchange device 140, and in particular the exchange arm 142, into an inner part and an outer part, which can be actuated, in particular, from outside the coating system 100.

[0079] One end of the exchange arm 142 carries an exchange tool 144. This exchange tool 144 can preferably be used to insert or remove either a source arrangement 120 or a source material 122 (Fig. 3, Fig. 5A), or a substrate arrangement 130 or a substrate (Fig. 5B) via the corresponding insertion opening 50, 60 into or out of the protective element 20 of the protective device 10. It should be noted that in Fig. 3 the exchange tool 144 is shown in the position of the unoccupied first arrangement plane 192.

[0080] In order to engage both the first insertion opening 50 (Fig. 5A) and the second insertion opening 60 (Fig. 5B) in the reaction volume 114 with the interchangeable tool 144, the interchangeable arm 142 is not only slidably mounted in the decoupling device 170, but also pivotably mounted about an axis transverse to the direction of movement 210. This is illustrated by way of example in Fig. 4. For the sake of clarity, the elevator 190 (see Fig. 3) is not shown in Fig. 4. To compensate for this tilting of the interchangeable arm 142, the interchangeable tool 144 is also mounted on the interchangeable arm 142 so as to be tiltable about an axis transverse to the direction of movement 210. In this way, for example, it is possible to ensure that the respective directions of engagement in the two insertion openings 50 and 60 are aligned parallel to each other.

[0081] Reference sign

[0082] 10 Protective device

[0083] 20 protective elements

[0084] 22 Blocking area

[0085] 24 Part One

[0086] 26 Part Two

[0087] 30 lateral surface area

[0088] 32 protective volumes

[0089] 40 Coupling opening

[0090] 50 first insertion opening

[0091] 52 first recording device

[0092] 60 second insertion opening

[0093] 62 second recording device

[0094] 70 Positioning device

[0095] 72 Drive device

[0096] 100 coating system

[0097] 110 recipients

[0098] 112 wall

[0099] 114 reaction volume

[0100] 116 Mounting section Source arrangement Source material Substrate arrangement Substrate Change device Change arm Change tool Change bearing Sheathing Space Guide plate Bore Cooling system Fluid flow Decoupling device Equipment Laser source Laser window Lift First arrangement level Second arrangement level Third arrangement level 198 Fourth arrangement level

[0101] 200 Connecting line 210 Direction of movement

[0102] 220 Direction of travel

[0103] 300 laser lights

Claims

Max Planck Society for the Advancement of M29314PWO - To / Pr Sciences eV Claims 1. Protective device (10) for a coating system (100), the coating system (100) comprising a receiver (110) with a reaction volume (114) enclosed by a wall (112) of the receiver (110) for receiving a source arrangement (120) with one or more source materials (122) and a substrate arrangement (130) with one or more substrates (132), wherein at least one of the one or more substrates (132) can be coated by irradiating at least one of the one or more source materials (122) with laser light (300) using the corresponding source material (122), characterized in that the protective device (10) can be arranged in the reaction volume (114) and comprises a blocking surface (22) and a positioning device (70) for arranging the blocking surface (22),wherein the blocking surface (22) has a blocking effect on particles and / or thermal radiation and can be arranged in the reaction volume (114) by the positioning device (70) such that, during operation of the coating system (100), the blocking surface (22) is positioned between the source arrangement (120) and the wall (112) of the recipient (110).

2. Protective device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking surface (22) for the thermal radiation is at least partially reflective, wherein preferably the blocking surface (22) is oriented at least section by section transversely to the direction to the source arrangement (120) for reflecting the thermal radiation.

3. Protective device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the positioning device (70) has a drive device (72) for actively changing the positioning and / or the orientation of the blocking surface (22).

4. Protective device (10) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the protective device (10) can be reversibly arranged and / or fixed in the coating system (100), and / or that the blocking surface (22) can be reversibly arranged and / or fixed in the protective device (10).

5. Protective device (10) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the blocking surface (22) is formed as part of a continuous lateral surface (26) of a protective element (20) of the protective device (10), wherein in the installed state the lateral surface (26) extends at least sectionally around a connecting line (200) and along this connecting line (200) between the source arrangement (120) and the substrate arrangement (130) and surrounds a protective volume (32) which extends at least from the source arrangement (120) to the substrate arrangement (130) and in which the source arrangement (120) and the substrate arrangement (130) are arranged.

6. Protective device (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the protective element (20) is tubular in shape.

7. Protective device (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the protective element (20) comprises one or more of the following materials, preferably consisting of one of the following materials: Glass, especially quartz glass, high-melting-point glass with a softening point > 500 °C Sapphire or polycrystalline aluminum oxide ceramics 8. Device according to one of the preceding claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the cladding surface (26) has one or more coupling openings (40) for the irradiation of the laser light (300) onto the one or more source materials (122).

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the outer surface (26) has one or more first insertion openings (50) for inserting or removing one or more source materials (122) and / or the source arrangement (120), and / or that the outer surface (26) has one or more second insertion openings (60) for inserting or removing one or more substrates (132) and / or the substrate arrangement (130).

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the protective element (20) is a first receiving device (52) for positively and / or force-fit arrangement of the source arrangement (120) and / or has a second receiving device (62) for positively and / or force-fit arrangement of the substrate arrangement (130).

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims 5 to 10, characterized in that the protective element (20) is formed in two parts, wherein a first part (24) of the protective element (20) carries the outer surface (26), and a second part (26) in the installed state extends at least partially in a tube-like manner along a beam path of a substrate heating laser (132).

12. Coating system (100) comprising a recipient (110) with a reaction volume (114) enclosed by a wall (112) of the recipient (110) for receiving a source arrangement (120) with one or more source materials (122) and a substrate arrangement (130) with one or more substrates (132), wherein at least one of the one or more substrates (132) can be coated by the corresponding source material (122) by irradiating laser light (300) onto at least one of the one or more source materials (122), characterized in that a protective device (10) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 11 is arranged in the reaction volume (114).

13. Coating system (100) according to claim 12, characterized in that the recipient (110) has a glass material, or preferably consists of the glass material.

14. Coating system (100) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, that the recipient (110) has a fastening section (116), wherein the recipient (110) is mechanically fixed in the coating system (100) only via this fastening section (116).

15. Coating system (100) according to one of the preceding claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the recipient (110) is connected, preferably exclusively, to external devices (172) via decoupling devices (170).

16. Coating system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 12 to 15, characterized in that the recipient (110) is arranged in a casing (150), wherein an intermediate space (152) is formed between the recipient (110) and the casing (150), wherein the coating system (100) further comprises a cooling system (160) for generating a fluid flow (162) in the intermediate space (152) for cooling the recipient (110).

17. Coating system (100) according to claim 16, characterized in that the cooling system (160) is designed to generate a negative pressure and / or positive pressure, wherein the negative pressure and / or positive pressure causes the fluid flow (162) in the space (152).

18. Coating system (100) according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that at least one guide plate (154) and / or at least one bore (156) for controlled guidance of the fluid flow (162) in the space (152) is arranged in the space (152).

19. Coating system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the coating system (100) has a monitoring device for monitoring properties of the fluid flow (162), wherein the monitoring device in particular monitors at least one of the following criteria: - Composition, - Pressure - Temperature, - Mass flow rate, - Speed.

20. Coating system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 12 to 19, characterized in that the coating system (100) has a changer device (140) for changing the source materials (122) in the source arrangement (120) and / or the entire source arrangement (120), the changer device (140) having a changer arm (142) operable from outside the recipient (110) with a changer tool (144) arranged thereon, wherein the changer arm (142) is mounted in a changer bearing (146) of the changer device (140) so as to be linearly displaceable along a displacement direction (210) and pivotable about an axis transverse to the displacement direction (210), and wherein the changer tool (144) is pivotably articulated to the changer arm (142) about an axis transverse to the displacement direction (210), wherein furthermore the changer arm (142) extends into the interior of the recipients (110) are displaceable, and wherein preferably the changing device (140) also for changing the substrates (132) in the substrate arrangement (130) and / or the entire substrate arrangement (130).

Images