DE202008015862U1 - Device for reversing the charging of sputter coating equipment in clean rooms - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for reversing the charging of a sputter coating installation, in particular for coating a photovoltaic module, in clean rooms, with the following features:
a) a transport frame (11) for receiving a substrate wafer (19) of a photovoltaic module,
b) a rotating device with means for supporting the transport frame (11), with means for rotating the transport frame (11) and with means for transporting the transport frame (11) on different lanes 25, 27,
c) means for accurately aligning the rotator with respect to the sputter coating equipment;
d) a detection device (18) for testing a sputtering process.

Description

The The invention relates to a device for reversing the loading of Sputter coating systems.

A Variety of technical devices of our everyday Need requires a sputter coating during manufacture. We find these layers in hard disks of computers, CD storage media and LCD flat screens. Sputter bearings, modern heat protection glass, Mirrors, halogen spotlights or car headlights. All these useful Things can not be realized without coatings by sputtering.

The Anglo-Saxon word sputtering (English "to sputtering") refers to the process of sputtering. Meet Argon ions on a cathode (the so-called target) on which a typical electrical voltage of 500 volts is applied. When striking The ions are dissolved atoms from the cathode and condense in the environment, which leads to the growth of a layer. Important components for the sputter coating are the so-called magnetrons (a cathode with integrated magnet system) and a vacuum chamber (recipient).

In In many cases it is the one to be coated Material around large glass plates.

The Production and further processing of such large shock-sensitive Plates also become larger in the manufacture of flat screens Design and in large quantities required.

modern Flat screens increasingly displace the old CRT monitors and are getting cheaper and cheaper.

she based on the TFT / LCD technology. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display = Liquid crystal display) stands for the Use of liquid crystals in the individual pixels of the screen and TFT stands for "Thin Film Transistor ". The TFT, s are the smallest Transistor elements showing the alignment of the liquid crystals and thus control their translucency.

One Flat screen display consists of numerous pixels. Each pixel in turn consists of 3 LCD cells (sub-pixels), respectively the colors red, green and blue. A 15-inch tall Screen (measured diagonally) contains about 800,000 pixels or about 2.4 million LCD cells.

But Photovoltaic elements also need to be produced Sputtering equipment. Modern glass facades are not overlooked Sign of modern architecture. However, these are not just many a functional element of a building but increasingly serve also for solar power generation. Tailor-made solar modules enable tailor-made integration in building grids and profiles. Semitransparent solar cells but also opaque solar cells with transparent areas, photovoltaic glazing floods the light appear. The solar cells take over frequently the desired effect of sun and glare protection.

The Production of such photovoltaic systems requires working condition especially in the production of semiconductors and integrated electronic circuits are common. These so-called However, cleanroom conditions make in the manufacture of photovoltaic systems In addition, the handling in terms of area large impact sensitive glass plates required.

Either for the production of photovoltaic elements as TFT screens also require so-called rice rooms.

One Clean room, or a clean dream, is a space in which the concentration airborne particles is regulated. He is so constructed and is used so that the number of people brought into the room, or in the room resulting and deposited, particles smallest possible is and other parameters such as temperature, humidity or air pressure be regulated as needed.

The Production of large screens, however, currently requires in clean rooms special machines for handling the this required large-area thin Glass plates.

usable are for this purpose primarily multi-axis industrial robots.

The Application of various designs of multi-axis industrial robots in the production technology of the most different products is to State of the art to be expected.

Such Industrial robots are usually used in large halls for transport but can use bulky and heavy loads also used profitably in the production of smaller machine parts become. In all cases it depends on the reproducible Accuracy of the movements of the individual acquisition processes, Transport movements and settling operations.

Under which circumstances these movements take place is unimportant in many cases. So it usually does not matter which Ge Such a sequence of movements causes noise development, or whether such a process involves dust movements or a greater or lesser leakage of lubricant. Also, an inevitable abrasion of moving and friction causing machine parts is usually irrelevant.

All otherwise, such natural concomitants are included to work in a contaminated environment, such as in the food processing industry, in the pharmaceutical industry or even in the production of semiconductors in cleanrooms.

So is out of the EP 1 541 296 A1 a handling device, such as an industrial robot for use in contaminated environment known with a number of acted upon by a flushing medium rinsing in the field of drive units of the manipulator. In such a device, the problem to be solved is to further develop the device in such a way that a reliable applicability of the handling device in a contaminated environment in a structurally simple and thus in particular cost-effective manner is possible.

Solved This task is accomplished by having a plurality of groups of Drive units each assigned their own washroom is (claim 1).

The Environment in which such an industrial robot can be used should indeed be more sensitive to contamination compared to a normal environment and therefore also makes higher demands on the constructive Design, but such special requirements are not compare with the conditions as in clean rooms Are regulation.

From the DE 10 2007 009 924 A1 Furthermore, a continuous coating system, a method for producing crystalline thin films and solar cells, and a solar cell are known.

This known continuous coating plant is based on the task one for the deposition of high quality crystalline thin films to provide a suitable continuous coating machine, which is suitable for Mass production of high quality crystalline silicon layers is suitable, wherein the number of necessary process steps is not is very high.

• a) einer eine Zufuhröffnung zum Zuführen eines zu beschichtenden Substrats und einer, eine Abfuhröffnung zum Abführen des beschichteten Substrats aufweisenden, Vakuumkammer,
• b) einer physikalischen Gasphasenabscheidungseinrichtung zum Beschichten einer Oberfläche des Substrats,
• c) einem Laserkristallisationssystem zum gleichzeitigen Beleuchten wenigstens einer Unterteilfläche einer momentan beschichteten Teilfläche der Oberfläche des Substrats mit wenigstens einem Laserstrahl,
• d) mit einer Transporteinrichtung zum Transportieren des Substrats in Durchlaufrichtung von der Zufuhröffnung zu der Abfuhröffnung und zum kontinuierlichen oder diskontinuierlichen Bewegen des Substrats während dessen Beschichtung in der Durchlaufrichtung.

This problem is solved by a continuous coating system with

• a) a supply port for supplying a substrate to be coated and a vacuum chamber having a discharge port for discharging the coated substrate;
• b) a physical vapor deposition device for coating a surface of the substrate,
• c) a laser crystallization system for simultaneously illuminating at least one lower part surface of a currently coated partial surface of the surface of the substrate with at least one laser beam,
• d) with a transport device for transporting the substrate in the direction of passage from the feed opening to the discharge opening and for continuously or discontinuously moving the substrate during its coating in the passage direction.

at However, some sputtering operations is a repeated application of sputtering material of different or the same composition required. For this purpose, then several consecutively arranged different sputtering systems required but spatially seen a lot of space. If you assign different ones Sputtering systems spatially crowded together On, not only space but also energy is saved. In this Case, however, the substrate to be coated must be reversed to get into the area of another sputtering machine again.

A transport device for re-coating the same substrate in the same sputtering system is this known system from the DE 10 2007 009 924 A1 not to be taken.

Of the Device according to the invention, or the inventive Method is therefore the object of the transport large thin glass plates to and from a sputtering system under clean room conditions an easily executable turn, a Inspection of the first sputtering process and a renewed supply to the same sputtering plant or another part of a manufacturing plant enable.

These The object is achieved with a device according to claim 1.

The Device according to the invention is hereinafter described in more detail.

It show in detail:

1 : a device according to the invention in a perspective view,

2 FIG. 2: a device according to the invention viewed from a side surface, FIG.

3 : a cross section of the erfindungsge device,

4 : a view from below,

5 : the device according to the invention in the composite of different lanes.

In the 1 a device according to the invention is shown in a perspective view from the side of the possibility of detection of a substrate wafer ago. It basically consists of a frame construction from that in the 1 the swivel base 1 for the turning device and the frame 2 the rotating device are designated.

In the 2 is a device according to the invention viewed from a narrower side surface seen ago. From that in the 1 shown swivel base 1 for the turning device is the turntable located within the rotating device 4 to recognize in the middle, being in this illustration left and right of the turntable 4 one vertical support each 3 the turning device are arranged and wherein the right has the corresponding reference numeral. Below the turntable 4 is the transmission 5 drawn the rotary device.

Symmetrical to the centerline of the turntable 4 are on the two vertical supports 3 one transport roller drive each 9 , A transport roller carrier shown in cross-section 8th and a transport roller stored therein 7 to recognize. As from the representation of 4 can be seen, is only one role 7 on each side with a transport roller drive 9 Mistake. Preferably, however, each of the four transport rollers 7 its own transport roller drive 9 (Servo drive) on.

On the left side of the 2 is just a transport frame 11 with a substrate disc stored in it 19 shown in cross section. The transport frame 11 runs in the lower area on the left transport roller 7 , which is not designated here, and is in the upper area with its guide rail 12 guided. To the position of the transport frame 11 in the field of transport rollers 7 to capture serves on the left in the 2 the rear position sensor 10 and on the right side the front position sensor 6 , Since in the representation of the 2 the respective position sensors lie one behind the other, only one sensor could be shown here.

On the right side of the 2 are those on the head frame 15 the guiding and fixing device attached rear fixing cylinder 13 and front fixing cylinder 14 shown, which fix here no transport frame. On the left side of the 2 For reasons of clarity, these fixing cylinders are not designated.

On each side of a vertical support 3 which, like on the left side of the picture 2 It can be seen, a transport frame 11 with a substrate disc detected by this 19 facing, there is a detection device 18 ,

The detection device 18 has the same area as a substrate disk 19 what in the presentation of the 2 only at the height can be seen, and has sensing elements that can check the result of the previous sputtering process. The sensing elements may operate in the manner of a scanner or the entire area of a substrate wafer 19 check photometrically. Below the turntable 4 is the contact 22 shown, on the one hand allows an undisturbed rotation of the rotating device and on the other hand, a trouble-free transmission of the detection device 18 as well as the sensors supplied data and general control data guaranteed.

The 3 shows a cross section of the device according to the invention in the longitudinal direction. In addition to the already described turntable 4 , the substrate disk 19 as a solid surface and contacting 22 here is the rotation frame carrier 20 and the drive 17 represented for the rotating device. For a defined control of the rotating device is the rotation sensor 16 required to detect the angle of rotation.

The 4 shows a view of the entire turning device from below. In this illustration, the main thing is the supply hose 21 to recognize with the control cables and cables for electrical power supply.

The 5 shows the device according to the invention in the composite of the lanes on which the transport frame 11 with the respective substrate discs 19 via the rotating device to reverse the feeding of the sputtering system 26 be transported. The two-lane diversion lane 27 leads here on the one hand the substrate discs 19 to the sputtering plant and then the substrate disks 19 , who have finally completed the sputtering process, back to the further manufacturing process. The two-lane roadway 25 guides the substrate disks from and to the sputtering machine 26 , All lanes have transport rollers at regular intervals 7 on, which can be driven in groups or individually. For clarity, these are transport roles 7 in the 5 not shown. Because the temperature differences between the sputtering system 26 , and thus the roadway 25 , and the turning device can be very large, are at this point the sensors 23 and 24 intended. The sensors 23 detect the alignment of the carriageway 25 with the respective lane of the rotary device. The sensors 24 additionally detect the thermal deformation of the two branches of the roadway 25 , The same applies to the leadership of the guide rail 12 of the respective transport frame 11 , On a separate presentation of the measures necessary here has been omitted, as this is apparent to a person skilled in the art. Required corrections are made via a fine adjustment by the drive 17 the turning device.

In the 5 are in the lower left corner, for example, other lanes 27 located. The double arrow drawn in this area makes it clear that, in addition to the previously described carriageways 25 . 26 even more lanes 27 can be operated by the device according to the invention. This is particularly important because in a clean room high costs incurred for the creation of clean room conditions and therefore there is always lack of space in such areas. The rotating device shown can therefore serve as part of a larger system additionally as a connection station of numerous other processes. The possibility of precise and fast alignment of lanes in different directions for a transport frame 11 with a large substrate plate 19 As loading is therefore an important application of the device according to the invention.

Overall, it is ensured by the measures described that the transport of the transport frame 11 from and to the sputtering plant 26 without warping such a frame, and thus the risk of damage to a substrate wafer 19 , he follows.

1

swivel base for the turning device

2

frame the turning device

3

vertical support the turning device

4

turntable

5

transmission the turning device

6

front Position sensor (rollers)

7

transport roller

8th

Transport roller carrier

9

Transport roller drive (Servomotor)

10

rear Position sensor (rollers)

11

transport frame

12

guide rail

13

rear fixing cylinder

14

front fixing cylinder

15

head frame the guiding and fixing device

16

sensor for the twist angle and emergency stop

17

drive the turning device (servomotor)

18

detection for the substrate disk

19

substrate wafer

20

Rotating frame carrier

21

supply hose

22

contact

23

sensor for detecting the escape of a roadway

24

sensor for the detection of thermal deformations

25

roadway

26

Sputter

27

Egress road

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list The documents listed by the applicant have been automated generated and is solely for better information recorded by the reader. The list is not part of the German Patent or utility model application. The DPMA takes over no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• - EP 1541296 A1 [0019]
• - DE 102007009924 A1 [0022, 0026]

Claims (8)

Apparatus for reversing the charging of a sputter-coating installation, in particular for coating a photovoltaic module, in clean rooms, having the following features: a) a transport frame ( 11 ) for receiving a substrate wafer ( 19 ) of a photovoltaic module, b) a rotating device with means for holding the transport frame ( 11 ), means for rotating the transport frame ( 11 ) and means for transporting the transport frame ( 11 ) on different lanes 25 . 27 c) means for accurately orienting the rotating means with respect to the sputter coating equipment; d) detecting means ( 18 ) for testing a sputtering process. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for supporting the rectangular transport frame ( 11 ) from a rear fixing cylinder ( 13 ) and a front fixing cylinder ( 14 ) in the upper area left and right, and the storage on two transport rollers ( 7 ) in the lower area left and right. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for rotating the transport frame ( 11 ) from a servomotor ( 17 ) in conjunction with a sensor ( 16 ) exists for detecting the rotation angle. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for transporting the transport frame ( 11 ) from roadways 25 . 27 exist in the lower area at regular intervals with transport rollers 7 are fitted, at the top of regularly installed fixing cylinder 13 . 14 the tour through the transport wheels 7 complete. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for precise alignment of the rotating device with respect to the respective roadway 25 . 25 based on measured values of sensors 23 . 24 through a fine adjustment of the drive 17 the rotating device takes place. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mechanically moving parts emission-free encapsulated and made of abrasion resistant material. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rollers ( 7 ) are each provided with its own servo drive. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring of the positioning of the substrate wafer ( 19 ) additionally via laser and / or corresponding sensors.