Magnetron Sputtering Coating System for Uniform Film Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional magnetron-sputtering coating method for large display substrates results in non-uniform film deposition due to isolation areas between targets, leading to defects like Mura phenomenon, which affects the performance and quality of the display substrate.
Innovation Solution
A magnetron-sputtering coating system and method where a substrate carrier reciprocates relative to a target set within a sputtering chamber, alternating non-sputtering and sputtering areas, with controlled movement speed and gas supply to ensure uniform film deposition, using a driving device with rollers and position sensors to manage the substrate's movement and pressure within the chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple targets are concatenated to form a target set for coating large display substrates, then the coating area is increased, but the non-sputtering area between targets causes film non-uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate carrier is made movable instead of stationary, reciprocating between different positions during the coating process. This dynamic movement allows the substrate to receive material from multiple targets sequentially, compensating for the non-sputtering gaps between targets and achieving uniform film thickness across the entire large-area substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate carrier performs periodic reciprocating motion, moving back and forth between different coating zones. This periodic movement ensures that each area of the substrate is exposed to sputtering from different targets at different time intervals, distributing the material deposition more evenly and eliminating the non-uniformity caused by static target gaps.
2Adaptability or versatility
If targets are isolated from each other for independent control, then each target can be controlled individually, but the isolation creates non-sputtering areas that reduce film quality
Solution Approach 1:
By making the substrate carrier movable and reciprocating it during coating, the system maintains the benefits of isolated target control while dynamically compensating for the gaps between targets. Each target can still be controlled independently, but the substrate's movement ensures continuous and uniform material deposition across all target regions.
3Productivity
If the substrate carrier moves too quickly during reciprocation, then productivity is improved, but the film uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes the reciprocation speed parameter within a specific range (0.5-2 mm/s) to achieve the best balance between productivity and film uniformity. This parameter optimization ensures that the substrate moves fast enough to maintain production efficiency but slow enough to allow sufficient material deposition from the plasma body, maintaining film quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a more uniform and stable film with improved performance, as the non-sputtering areas are supplemented during reciprocation, and the relative movement speed is optimized to match the plasma body's speed, enhancing the quality of the coated film compared to conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
magnetron-sputtering coating system... a target set consisting of a plurality of targets... configured to support a substrate to be coated with a film
Implementation Method 2
a relative movement speed between the substrate carrier and the target set is slower than a speed of atoms or an atomic cluster within a plasma body upon the substrate being coated with a film
Data Source
AI summary
It is provided a magnetron-sputtering coating system including a sputtering chamber. The sputtering chamber therein includes: a set of target, formed by concatenating a plurality pieces of target; a substrate carrier, arranged to be opposite to the target set, and support a substrate to be coated with a film; and a driving device, arranged to drive the substrate carrier to reciprocate in a direction of the arrangement of the target.