DE202019100333U1 - Production line comprising a continuous coating plant and a substrate carrier conditioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') comprising
- At least one PVD continuous coating equipment and / or at least one CVD coating system, substrates of substrate carriers (5) are carried in the coating system, wherein the substrate carrier coated together with the substrates on the substrate carriers during a coating steps of a method of manufacturing coated substrates with a layer be, and
a substrate carrier conditioning device (9) for removing the layer from the substrate carriers (5),
characterized in that
the production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') has a substrate carrier transport system (4) for transporting the substrate carriers (5) to the substrate carrier conditioning device (9), the substrate carrier conditioning device (9) comprising a layer-removing cleaning module (10, 10 ', 10'',10''', 10 ''''), the substrate carrier transport system (4) transporting the substrate carriers (5) back from the substrate carrier conditioning device (9) for a further coating step, wherein the substrate carrier Transport system (4) is configured to integrate a substrate carrier cleaning step in the manufacturing process.

Description

The present invention relates to a production line comprising at least one PVD continuous coating apparatus and / or at least one CVD continuous coating apparatus, wherein substrates of substrate carriers are carried in the coating system, wherein the substrate carriers together with the substrates on the substrate carriers during coating steps of a method of producing coated substrates with a Layer are coated, and a substrate carrier conditioning device for removing the layer from the substrate carriers. The invention is closely related to a method of manufacturing at least one layer of coated substrates having such a production line, the method comprising a coating step for depositing a layer on substrate carriers and on substrates on the substrate carrier in at least one PVD coating chamber and / or at least one CVD coating chamber has.

Production lines with continuous coating systems are used in the industrial production of coated substrates, for example in the production of solar cells. Smooth and cost-effective production is a requirement. High-quality layers that are free from particle-induced defects represent another requirement.

A substrate carrier can accommodate a plurality of substrates to realize a high production speed by simultaneously coating a plurality of substrates. Usually, the substrate carriers are also coated together with the substrates. The substrate carriers are used several times. According to the multiple coatings, a large layer thickness is formed on the substrate carrier. The large layer thickness can disrupt the production process.

Therefore, substrate carriers must be cleaned regularly. Various cleaning methods are known, for example chemical and mechanical. The cleaning of substrate carriers takes place, for example, in a cleaning department of the company or at an external service provider company. For the cleaning of a machine part different procedures are used, which are suitable for each specific cleaning object. DE 10 2010 060 664 A1 describes a mechanical cleaning and conditioning device with a vacuum suction jet device with a loaded with solid particles air flow. To clean a substrate carrier with such an ejector device, the substrate carrier has to be covered with sacrificial substrates in order to avoid erosion of edges of the substrate carrier.

The layers on the substrate carriers can flake off, resulting in disruptive particles or surface layer detachments (also called flakes, flakes or flakes). In order to remove loose or weakly adhering particles, devices are already known in the prior art which can remove loose particles during the passage of substrate carriers in continuous coating systems. WO 2013/017971 A1 describes a substrate and / or substrate carrier cleaning module with an ionizing air curtain generating device and a Partikelabsaugvorrichtung. DE 43 10 258 A1 describes a production line for producing a plasma polymer layer on headlight reflectors. This production line has a return path for workpiece carriers including a cleaning module in which baubles are removed by rotating brushes. Such tools do not remove the layers.

Particles are not the only problem associated with thick coatings on substrate supports. Partly, the layers are porous, so that the layers outside the coating chamber, when they come into contact with ambient air there, absorb humidity. In a subsequent evacuation this absorbed by the layer of water must be pumped out again. This takes time and ultimately reduces the speed of the manufacturing process. In such cases, it is desirable to keep the layer thicknesses on the substrate carriers small. Frequent cleaning of the substrate carrier outside the production line requires a large number of substrate carriers per production line and a complex substrate carrier logistics.

US 2015/0368793 A1 describes a processing arrangement in which, in addition to a processing area, a cleaning area for substrate carriers of a plurality of substrates is additionally present in a process chamber. The cleaning area includes a radiant heater for heating at least the surface of the substrate carriers to re-evaporate material deposited on the substrate carrier. Thermal evaporation is only possible with selected coating materials such as low-melting metals at high temperatures above 500 ° C and at the low pressure of a vacuum process chamber. In the vacuum coating chamber, an extra space must be provided for the cleaning area, whereby the coating chamber becomes large and the evacuation time becomes long. Large coating chambers with many built-in components are expensive to produce, they are evacuated only slowly and the maintenance of such chambers is expensive. In addition, various layers, such as metal oxide layers, can be included Temperatures in the range of 500 - 1000 ° C are not evaporated.

The object of the present invention is to propose a production line with continuous coating systems for a high production speed.

The object is achieved by a production line which has a substrate carrier transport system for transporting the substrate carriers to the substrate carrier conditioning device, the substrate carrier conditioning device comprising a layer-removing cleaning module, the substrate carrier transport system transporting the substrate carriers back from the substrate carrier conditioning device for use in a further coating step and wherein the transport system is configured to integrate a substrate carrier cleaning step into the manufacturing process.

The production line according to the invention incorporates a substrate carrier cleaning step into the manufacturing process by using the substrate carrier transport system to transport substrate carriers to the substrate carrier conditioning device where the substrate carrier is being cleaned. The substrate carrier, which has been conditioned in the substrate carrier conditioning device, is then recycled for further use in coating steps of the manufacturing process.

The transport system can be a partially or fully automatic system. In the continuous coating system according to the invention, less layer thickness is built up on the substrate carriers used than on the substrate carriers of conventional production lines from the prior art. By avoiding the formation of thick layer stacks on the substrate carriers, film flaking and particle formation are largely avoided. Less water is bound to the surface of the substrate carrier due to less porous material. The resulting advantages are short processing times, a fast substrate throughput and ultimately a fast, many substrates per unit time coating manufacturing process.

Since the substrate carriers are cleaned directly in the production line, they do not need to be removed from the production line and replaced by other, externally cleaned substrate carriers. The complex substrate carrier logistics, which was required in the prior art, is eliminated accordingly.

The substrate carrier conditioning device of the production line according to the invention has a layer-removing cleaning module. In the layer-removing cleaning module, the layer is at least partially removed from the substrate carrier. The layer on the substrate carrier may have been produced in one or more passes through the coating system. The ablation depends on various influencing variables, for example the material of the substrate carrier, the layer material and the cleaning method used. In some cases, the entire layer may be removed in one process step, e.g. by mechanical removal of the layer or by gradual etching of the layer thickness. It may be that only some of all layers are removed, leaving a coating on the substrate support after cleaning.

In some embodiments, the substrate support may be completely conditioned by the cleaning for the following coating process. In other embodiments, in addition to cleaning in the substrate carrier conditioning device, further conditioning steps are performed. Overall, the conditioning of the substrate carrier can be carried out in different sub-steps. Conditioning sub-steps may also be arranged before the cleaning step. Modules of the device may be associated with the process substeps. The substrate carrier conditioning device may have an aftertreatment module along the return path after the cleaning module. The aftertreatment module in one embodiment is a flush module that is disposed after an etch module and removes residue from the etch step performed in the etch module. In addition, the substrate carrier conditioning device may have a pretreatment module at the end of the return path section through the substrate carrier conditioning device. In the pretreatment module, the substrate carrier can be treated so that the subsequent coating and / or the subsequent cleaning as a result of the pretreatment in the pretreatment module proceeds in an improved manner. The pretreatment, in some other embodiments, is roughening, polishing, wetting, coating with the coating material, coating with an adhesive layer, or coating with an anti-adhesion layer.

In one embodiment, the production line according to the invention has at least one coating system with a substrate carrier transport device which has a processing path for transporting substrate carriers and substrates through at least one PVD coating chamber, the PVD coating plant and / or at least one CVD coating chamber of a CVD coating plant Substratträger- Recycling system, which returns substrates from a position behind the coating chamber, to a position in front of the coating chamber, wherein the return path of the substrate carrier extends in particular adjacent to the processing path, the substrate carrier recycling system comprising the substrate carrier conditioning device, wherein the return path through the conditioning device and through the layer-removing Cleaning module runs so that the substrate carrier recycling system in this example also works as a substrate carrier transport system.

A loading area of the coating installation may be arranged in front of the at least one coating chamber, and a substrate unloading area of the coating installation may be arranged behind the at least one coating chamber. Consequently, the loading area, a coating chamber or more than a coating chamber and the discharge area may be arranged in a straight line, as is common in continuous lines. In another embodiment, a handling system on one side of the coater is used alternately as a loading area and as an unloading area. After one pass along the processing path, the substrate carrier return system guides the substrate carriers through the coating system back to the beginning of the processing path for a further pass through the coating system.

The conditioning device is in this embodiment, a component of the coating system. The substrate carrier recycling system therein has not only the functions of returning substrate carriers after a coating pass of substrates back to the starting point for a coating pass of other substrates. In addition, the substrate carrier return system has the function of a substrate carrier transport system that transports the substrate carriers to and from the conditioning device.

The return path of the substrate carriers in the substrate carrier return system can be arranged in a plane below the plane in which the coating chamber is arranged and in which the coating of the substrates takes place. Depending on the local conditions in the production line, the return path may also be arranged next to the coating chamber in the same plane or in a plane above the coating chambers. The return path may in some embodiments be arranged partially adjacent to the processing path, in which embodiments the processing path is at least partially a bidirectional path. In some embodiments, a charging station is used both as a substrate loading area and as a substrate unloading area.

The production line according to the invention can have at least two coating plants, each of which has a transport device with a substrate carrier return system, wherein the substrate carrier transport devices of the coating plants are coupled to the substrate carrier transport system, which transports the substrate carriers to the conditioning device, as a common cleaning device for cleaning substrate carriers of both machines is configured.

In these embodiments, the conditioning device is commonly used to condition the substrate carriers of both coating equipment. The substrate carriers are effectively cleaned by means of the substrate carrier transport system, the substrate carrier is transported from the coating equipment to the conditioning apparatus and coupled to the coating equipment or to the substrate carrier return systems of the coating equipment. The substrate carrier may be sent to it after each pass to the substrate carrier conditioning device or after a few passes. The criterion of when cleaning is required for a substrate support may be a number of passes, an accumulated layer thickness, an incipient peel, or other parameter.

The layer-removing cleaning module may comprise at least one cleaning tool that mechanically removes the coating, namely a brush, a particle beam source or a high-pressure water jet source. Mechanical cleaning methods can be advantageously used, for example, if the layers to be removed adhere poorly to the substrate carrier or to an anti-adhesion layer on the substrate carrier, or if they are soft or brittle layers, which are removed much faster by the mechanical cleaning tool than the tool carrier itself.

In variants of the invention, the layer-removing cleaning module has at least one cleaning arrangement which ablates the coating chemically, in particular a spray head for an etching liquid or a distribution device for an etching medium vapor. With this cleaning arrangement, a liquid or a gaseous corrosive substance can be distributed as needed, so that the substrate carrier is processed and cleaned substantially over the entire surface. A uniform distribution of the etching substance along a line or surface can be achieved, for example, by using a linear slit nozzle or by an array of dot nozzles.

The substrate carrier conditioning device may be in its cleaning module or in a another module at least one plasma source or an antenna for electromagnetic radiation. The plasma generated by the plasma source may be provided to form etch-active radicals in an etchant vapor. The plasma may also be designed to generate ions, which in turn will sputter the layer from the substrate support. Various plasma sources are operated with DC or AC voltage. A plasma can also be used for the deposition of a layer, for example an anti-adhesion layer. An alternating voltage can also be coupled via an antenna into the cleaning arrangement without generating a plasma therein. For example, heating of a water-laden hygroscopic layer by microwave radiation may be provided, wherein evaporation of the water in the layer initiates detachment of the layer.

The layer-removing cleaning module may comprise a filled with an etchant liquid bath. The cleaning module can thus be designed as a kind of wet bench, wherein the substrate carrier to be cleaned is immersed in a liquid bath or successively in a plurality of liquid baths. The contact of the liquid in the liquid bath with the substrate carrier causes a cleaning, for example by etching. The layer-removing cleaning module may also include a liquid bath and an ultrasonic source. The ultrasound source can intensify the interaction between the liquid in the liquid bath and the substrate carrier or excite the substrate carrier or the layer located thereon to vibrate.

According to one embodiment of the continuous coating system according to the invention, the layer-removing cleaning module has at least one thermal cleaning arrangement, namely a heating device and / or a cooling device. The heater element of the heater may be, for example, an electrical resistance heater, a lamp array, an induction coil cooperating with a conductive substrate carrier, or a gas burner. The task of the heater may be to heat a cleaning medium, the substrate carrier or a coated and to be cleaned substrate carrier surface. The effect of heating may be to increase the activity of a cleaning agent. However, the heating can also serve to decompose the layer to be removed by the cleaning or an auxiliary layer, to evaporate or to melt. In some cases, heating also causes damage to an interface between the substrate carrier and the layer located thereon.

The thermal cleaning arrangement may comprise at least one laser. The light emitted by the laser light can be at least partially absorbed in the layer or under the layer and cause there by a local heating to a high temperature, an at least partial evaporation and a detachment of the layer. The laser can have a wavelength and power matched to the specific cleaning task. The laser beam can be focused or linear or two-dimensional widened.

The substrate carrier conditioning device may comprise a material collection device, wherein in the material collection device, the layer material removed from the cleaning module is collected. The materials used for the production of coated substrates should be well utilized and not wasted. During continuous production in the production line, a lot of material is deposited on the substrate deposits and removed in the cleaning process. Particularly with valuable layer materials, for example precious metals, a recovery of the layer residues removed during the cleaning is desirable. In the production line according to the invention, the recovery of raw materials is easy to implement, because in the cleaning device always the same layer is removed.

The production line according to the invention is designed to carry out a method for producing at least one layer-coated substrates in the production line, the method having at least one substrate carrier conditioning step carried out in the substrate carrier conditioning device and wherein the substrate carrier conditioning step comprises at least one process substep in which in a cleaning module the layer is at least partially removed from the substrate carrier. The cleaning step carried out within the production line contributes indirectly to high-quality, low-particle layers. The productivity of the process is increased over conventional processes and the costs associated with operating the continuous coating equipment are reduced as compared to prior art processes.

Various addressed features and options of the invention may be combined with one another at the discretion of one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

• 1 eine erfindungsgemäße Fertigungslinie mit einer Durchlaufbeschichtungsanlage mit einem Reinigungsmodul;
• 2 eine Fertigungslinie mit dem Reinigungsmodul und einem Nachbehandlungsmodul;
• 3 eine Fertigungslinie mit dem Reinigungsmodul, dem Nachbehandlungsmodul und einem Vorbehandlungsmodul;
• 4 eine Fertigungslinie mit zwei Durchlaufbeschichtungsanlagen und einem gemeinsamen Reinigungsmodul;
• 5 ein Reinigungsmodul mit Bürsten;
• 6 ein Reinigungsmodul mit einer Partikelstrahlquelle;
• 7 ein Reinigungsmodul mit einem Sprühkopf für Ätzflüssigkeit;
• 8 ein Reinigungsmodul mit einer Verteilvorrichtung für Ätzmitteldampf;
• 9 ein Reinigungsmodul mit einem Ätzmittel in eine Flüssigkeitsbad;
• 10 ein Reinigungsmodul mit Lasern;
• 11 ein Reinigungsmodul mit Plasmaquellen;
• 12 ein Reinigungsmodul mit Heizvorrichtungen und Kühlvorrichtungen;
• 13 ein Reinigungsmodul mit einer Ultraschallquelle und
• 14 ein Reinigungsmodul mit einer Wasserstrahlquelle.

The present invention will be further explained below with reference to figures; show it:

• 1 a production line according to the invention with a continuous coating plant with a cleaning module;
• 2 a production line with the cleaning module and an aftertreatment module;
• 3 a production line with the cleaning module, the aftertreatment module and a pretreatment module;
• 4 a production line with two continuous coating plants and a common cleaning module;
• 5 a cleaning module with brushes;
• 6 a cleaning module with a particle beam source;
• 7 a cleaning module with a spray head for etching liquid;
• 8th a cleaning module having an etchant vapor distribution device;
• 9 a cleaning module with an etchant in a liquid bath;
• 10 a cleaning module with lasers;
• 11 a cleaning module with plasma sources;
• 12 a cleaning module with heaters and cooling devices;
• 13 a cleaning module with an ultrasonic source and
• 14 a cleaning module with a water jet source.

1 shows purely schematically the production line 1 with a continuous coating plant 2 as an embodiment of the present invention. In the intended use of the production line 1 are in the substrate loading area 26 the substrates, for example, solar wafers, on substrate support 5 (shown in 4 - 13 ). The substrate carrier 5 may accommodate multiple substrates in some embodiments. Instead of several small substrates, the substrate carrier 5 also be designed for a large substrate, for example, a glass plate with an area in the order of a square meter. From the loading area 26 becomes the substrate carrier 5 in the continuous coating plant 2 along a processing path 3 method, so that essentially a continuous production process can be carried out in the production of the layer on the substrates. The production line 1 has a substrate carrier transport system comprising a substrate carrier transport device for transporting the substrate carriers 5 having the coating system. The actual coating takes place in a coating chamber 6 which is a PVD chamber. In other embodiments, it is a CVD chamber. Among the mentioned coarse categories of coating chambers are also other types of chambers, for example chambers for atomic layer depositions (ALD). In the illustrated embodiment, the substrates in the Substratträgerentladebereich 27 discharged from the substrate carrier.

Thereafter, the empty substrate carrier 5 from the substrate carrier return system 7 back to the substrate carrier loading area 26 transported, so that the substrate carrier 5 is available for the next use or run. In the production line according to the invention 1 Not only is the substrate carrier physically returned. In addition, the substrate carrier becomes of the substrate carrier conditioning device 9 through which the return path 8th runs, conditions or regenerates. Thus, the substrate carrier is also physically returned to a better condition than after the last coating. The conditioning includes cleaning that removes the layer so that the layer thickness on the substrate support 5 at the exit of the substrate carrier return system 7 lower than at its entrance. In extreme cases, the layer is completely through the layer-removing cleaning module 10 from the substrate carrier 5 away.

In the various figures, like reference characters designate like or similar items. The remarks on a figure are also applicable to other figures after appropriate consideration of existing differences.

2 schematically shows a production line according to the invention 1' , wherein the coating system 2 within the substrate carrier conditioning device 9 except a cleaning module 10 . 10 ' . 10 " . 10 ''' . 10 '''' also an aftertreatment module 11 having. In the aftertreatment module 11 may be another processing of the substrate carrier 5 as in the cleaning module 10 be carried out, for example, in the cleaning module 10 eliminated traces left behind.

In the embodiment of 3 has the substrate conditioning device 9 additionally a pretreatment module 12 on. In the pretreatment module 12 learns the substrate carrier 5 a pretreatment that provides an advantage in a subsequent coating and / or a subsequent cleaning. For example, the pretreatment may be a coating with an adhesive layer or an anti-adhesion layer or a sacrificial layer.

4 shows a production line 1''' with two coating systems 2 and a common conditioning device 9 for conditioning including cleaning of substrate carriers 5 from both coating systems 2 , In this embodiment of the invention, the substrate carrier conditioning device 9 an independent device, which has two coating systems 2 served. The substrate carrier transport system 4 is with the substrate carrier recycling systems 7 the coating plants 2 coupled. In the in 4 sketched embodiment, the substrate carrier transport system 4 fully automated. In other embodiments not shown, the substrate carrier transport system 4 Bins for substrate carriers to be cleaned 5 and signal outputs to operators who are the substrate carriers 5 manually to the substrate conditioning device 9 and after cleaning from there back to the coating plant 2 transport.

The 5 to 14 illustrate several different cleaning modules 10 . 10 ' . 10 " . 10 ''' . 10 '''' as the components of various embodiments of production lines according to the invention 1 . 1' . 1" . 1''' , The substrate carrier shown in a side view 5 is a perforated flat plate, of which only the small thickness but not its large surface can be seen, which receives the substrates. In the exemplary embodiment presented, the substrate carrier has substrate nests for inserting substrates, namely solar wafers. In various embodiments, the substrate carriers consist of different materials, for example a stainless steel, an aluminum alloy or a carbon fiber composite material. The substrate carrier 5 can rest on drive rollers which support the substrate through the cleaning module 10 transport. In the in 5 illustrated cleaning module 10 become the layers of brushes 13 ablated. The removed layer material is removed from the cleaning module by a suction device 10 away. The material of the brushes 13 , the rotational speed of the same and the pressure forces are adjusted so that a Schichtabtrag done, but that the substrate carrier 5 is not removed beyond a permissible level.

In 6 is another mechanical cleaning module 10 ' outlined. This is a mechanical Schichtabtrag using a particle beam source 14 which uses, for example, compressed air against the substrate carrier blasted sharp-edged particles in order to at least partially remove the layer there. The jet particles and the detached layer components are sucked off. 14 shows a further embodiment in which instead of the particle beam sources 14 water sources 25 be used.

In the cleaning module 10 " , this in 7 is shown is via spray heads 15 a liquid substance or etching liquid 16 For example, an acid or alkali which corrodes the layer to be removed, in the direction of the substrate support 5 sprayed to etch or otherwise remove the coating. 9 shows a cleaning module 10 '''' in which there is a liquid bath 19 with an etchant, wherein the substrate carrier 5 into the liquid bath 19 dips. In the embodiment of 13 , is a liquid bath with an ultrasonic source 24 coupled.

This in 8th illustrated cleaning module 10 ''' uses a vaporous chemical for cleaning. The etchant vapor 18 is from the distributor 17 as required over the surface of the substrate carrier 5 distributed. In the embodiment of 11 the cleaning module has plasma sources 21 which can ionize an etchant vapor and form chemically active radicals, so that the substrate carrier 5 can be etched free even at lower temperatures than without plasma. In this embodiment, the cleaning module is a suitably equipped vacuum chamber.

In the embodiment of 10 becomes the substrate carrier 5 cleaned by laser 20 Heat the layer locally quickly, so that it is at least partially detached. The stripping mechanism of the layer may also involve water or another low-temperature evaporative substance incorporated in the layer or disposed beneath the layer as an auxiliary layer on the substrate support.

In an exemplary embodiment, the substrate carrier is made of a stainless steel. The manufacturing process is essentially a sputtering process of 100 nm thick indium tin oxide (ITO) layers on both sides of the substrates. The substrate carrier is used for 50 passes. In this case, an ITO layer with a layer thickness of approximately 5 μm is formed on the substrate carrier. Then the substrate carrier becomes 5 cleaned in a separate laser cleaning device. It uses a CO ₂ laser with 100W of electrical power, which emits an infrared beam of light that is well absorbed by the ITO layer so that the layer is peeled off. By scanning, the entire surface of the substrate support 5 gradually cleaned, then the other side is cleaned. The removed layer material is collected to recycle the indium in the ITO layer. Another embodiment uses a fiber laser with a power of 1kW and a wavelength of about 1000 nm. The surface of the substrate carrier 5 is cleaned with a surface cleaning speed of 72 cm ² / s, so that one side of the substrate carrier is cleaned in 36 s. The type and power of the laser 20 can be applied to the layer material and to the Requirements to be adapted in the respective production line.

In the embodiment of 12 the cleaning is done by a thermal shock. This thermal shock is generated in the illustrated embodiment by rapid changes in temperature using heaters 22 and cooling devices 23 be initiated. The heater 22 in one example is a halogen lamp field. The cooling device in one embodiment is a liquid nitrogen spray device.

The described components can be combined with one another at the discretion of the person skilled in the art, even if the combination is not explicitly described. Randomly described features must not be misunderstood as a compelling combination of features.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 1 ', 1 ", 1' ''

production line

2

coating plant

3

processing path

4

Substrate carrier transport system

5

substrate carrier

6

coating chamber

7

Substrate carrier recirculation system

8th

return path

9

Substrate support conditioning device

10, 10 ', 10 ", 10' '', 10" "

layer-removing cleaning module

11

post-treatment module

12

pretreatment module

13

brush

14

Particle beam source

15

spray nozzle

16

etchant

17

distributor

18

Ätzmitteldampf

19

Etching agent in liquid bath

20

laser

21

plasma source

22

heater

23

cooler

24

ultrasound source

25

Water jet source

26

Substratträgerbeladebereich

27

Substrate carrier escape loading area

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102010060664 A1 [0004]
• WO 2013/017971 A1 [0005]
• DE 4310258 A1 [0005]
• US 2015/0368793 A1 [0007]

Claims (14)

Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') comprising - at least one PVD continuous coating equipment and / or at least one CVD coating system, wherein substrates of substrate carriers (5) are carried in the coating system, wherein the substrate carrier together with the substrates the substrate carriers are coated with a layer during a coating step of a production process of coated substrates, and a substrate carrier conditioning device (9) for removing the layer from the substrate carriers (5), characterized in that the production line (1, 1 ', 1 ") 1 ''') comprises a substrate carrier transport system (4) for transporting the substrate carriers (5) to the substrate carrier conditioning device (9), wherein the substrate carrier conditioning device (9) comprises a layer-removing cleaning module (10, 10', 10 '', 10 ''). ', 10''''), wherein the substrate carrier transport system (4), the substrate carrier (5) from the Substrattr agitator conditioning device (9) transported back for a further coating step, wherein the substrate carrier transport system (4) is configured to integrate a substrate carrier cleaning step in the manufacturing process. Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ") after Claim 1 , characterized in that the production line (1, 1 ', 1 ") comprises at least one continuous coating system with a substrate carrier transport device, comprising - a processing path (3) for transporting substrate carriers and thus of substrates through at least one PVD coating chamber (6) of a PVD Coating system (2) and / or by at least one CVD coating chamber (6) of a CVD coating system (2) and - a substrate carrier return system (7), which substrate carrier from a position behind the coating chamber (6) to a position in front of the coating chamber ( 6), wherein a return path (8) of the substrate carrier (5) runs in particular next to the processing path (2), wherein the substrate carrier return system (7) the Substratträgerkonditionierungsvorrichtung (9) and the layer-removing cleaning module (10, 10 ', 10'' , 10 ''',10''''), so that the substrate carrier return system (7) as substrate carrier Tra nsportsystem (4) works. Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after Claim 1 characterized in that the production line (1, 1 ', 1 ") comprises at least one coating unit (2) each having a substrate carrier transport device with a substrate carrier return system (7), the substrate carrier transport devices being coupled to the substrate carrier transport system (4), the substrate carrier (5) transported to the Substratträgerkonditionierungsvorrichtung (9), which is configured as a common conditioning tool for cleaning the substrate carrier (5) of the coating equipment (2). Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after at least one of Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the substrate carrier conditioning device (9) has an aftertreatment module (11), wherein the aftertreatment module (11) on the return path (8) behind the cleaning module (10, 10 ', 10'',10''', 10 '''') is arranged. Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after at least one of Claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that the substrate carrier conditioning device (9) comprises a pretreatment module (12) at the end of the return path (8) within the substrate carrier conditioning device (9). Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after at least one of Claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the layer-removing cleaning module (10, 10 ') at least one mechanically removing the coating cleaning tool, namely a brush (13), a particle beam source (14) or high-pressure water jet source (25). Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after at least one of Claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the layer-removing cleaning module (10 ", 10 ''') has at least one chemically coating removing the cleaning arrangement, namely a spray head (15) for an etchant (16) or a distributor device (17) for an etchant vapor (18) , Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Substratträgerkonditionierungsvorrichtung (9) comprises at least one plasma source (21) or an antenna for electromagnetic radiation. Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after at least one of Claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the layer-removing cleaning module (10 '''') has a filled with an etchant liquid bath (19). Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the layer-removing cleaning module (10, 10 '''') has a liquid bath and an ultrasound source (24). Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after at least one of Claims 1 - 5 , characterized in that the layer-removing cleaning module comprises at least one thermal cleaning arrangement, namely a heating device (22) and / or a cooling device (23). Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after at least one of Claims 1 - 5 , characterized in that the layer-removing cleaning module has at least one thermal cleaning arrangement with at least one laser (20). Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after Claim 12 , characterized in that the layer is an indium tin oxide layer on a stainless steel substrate carrier 5 and the laser (20) is a CO ₂ laser or a fiber laser. Production line (1, 1 ', 1 ", 1''') after Claim 1 , characterized in that the cleaning module (10, 10 ', 10 ", 10''', 10 '''') is followed by a material collecting device, wherein in the material collecting device of the cleaning module (10, 10 ', 10", 10 ''',10'''') removed layer material is collected.

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