Segmented Substrate Carrier Assembly for Precise Vacuum Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate carriers in vacuum coating systems lack precision in substrate positioning, leading to variations in the coating process that affect the quality of the coating results.
Innovation Solution
The development of a substrate carrier with precisely configured segments, featuring form-fit contours and a mounting device that ensures accurate alignment and assembly of substrates, reducing manufacturing and assembly deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional substrate carriers are used, then the coating process can be performed, but the substrate position varies leading to poor coating quality
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate carrier is divided into multiple segments that can be individually adjusted and precisely positioned. Each segment can be independently mounted and aligned, allowing for fine-tuning of substrate positions to achieve consistent coating quality across all substrates.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention allows for adjustment of mounting parameters such as position, orientation, and alignment of substrate segments. By changing these parameters, the substrate position precision can be optimized to meet high coating quality requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If substrate carrier segments are manually assembled, then assembly is simple, but manufacturing and assembly deviations increase
Solution Approach 1:
Form-fit contours are pre-configured on the substrate carrier segments during manufacturing. These pre-configured features guide the assembly process and automatically compensate for minor manufacturing deviations, reducing overall assembly deviation while maintaining simple assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The form-fit contours act as intermediary elements between mounting devices and substrate segments. These contours mediate the assembly process by providing precise geometric interfaces that reduce the impact of manufacturing variations on final assembly precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If high precision substrate positioning is implemented, then coating quality improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the substrate carrier into modular units with standardized form-fit contours, the invention achieves precise positioning without requiring a completely complex monolithic structure. Each segment can be independently manufactured and assembled, simplifying the overall system while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate carrier segment may include a carrier frame, a substrate holding device for holding a substrate, which is at least partially integrated into the carrier frame or mounted thereon; a mounting device adjacent to the carrier frame for mounting the substrate carrier segment, towards which the carrier frame tapers; and two form-fitting contours, which are configured complementary to one another and between which an outer side of the carrier frame opposite the mounting device is arranged.