EP2321844A1 - Coating system - Google Patents
Coating systemInfo
- Publication number
- EP2321844A1 EP2321844A1 EP09782212A EP09782212A EP2321844A1 EP 2321844 A1 EP2321844 A1 EP 2321844A1 EP 09782212 A EP09782212 A EP 09782212A EP 09782212 A EP09782212 A EP 09782212A EP 2321844 A1 EP2321844 A1 EP 2321844A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- coating
- substrates
- process stations
- plant according
- cleaning
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
- H01L21/67207—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
- H01L21/67213—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process comprising at least one ion or electron beam chamber
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
- C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
- C23C16/54—Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
- H01L21/67161—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the layout of the process chambers
- H01L21/67167—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the layout of the process chambers surrounding a central transfer chamber
Definitions
- the invention relates to a system for coating substrates, in particular a vacuum coating system for coating silicon wafers, in particular for photovoltaics.
- a coating system In a coating system, the process steps necessary for coating a substrate are carried out in succession.
- Known systems work either in a continuous process, in which substrates continuously pass through the system, or in so-called batch mode in which a large wafer lot is loaded into the vacuum system, processed and then discharged.
- the present invention provides a coating system, in particular a vacuum coating system, which operates in clock mode and in which the substrate flow is not necessarily, but preferably in a circle.
- the coating installation has a lock for Bc or unloading of the substrate and at least two independently operating coating cameras for stationary coating, which are each connected to a plasma source.
- one or more heating stations are provided.
- a working under vacuum handling is provided; this can be embodied, for example, in the form of a turntable which, by means of a rotation, conveys the substrates from one process station to the next and thus generates a circular substrate flow.
- a certain batch size of substrates is statically coated. For example, four silicon wafers can be processed simultaneously.
- One or more functional layers can be applied, such as a combined anti-reflection and passivation layer for polycrystalline or monocrystalline solar cells.
- the coating can be on be divided into several individual steps, for example, three or more steps. For each coating step, a plasma source is provided.
- Each plasma source is individually controllable and forms a separate coating room.
- Each coating room has an independent vacuum generation system and an adjustable gas supply.
- the substrates are preferably coated by the plasma-chemical decomposition of the gases introduced into the source (PECVD, PJasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition).
- silicon nitride Si 3 N 4
- SiH 4 precursor silane
- NH 3 reactive gas ammonia
- the coating is preferably carried out from bottom to top, so that no particles fall on the substrate; However, a top-down coating is also possible.
- a further process station for heating the wafers is preferably provided.
- the substrate heating is preferably carried out by thermal radiation through a battery of infrared heaters.
- a free position may also accommodate either an additional heater, a cooling station, another coating source, or in principle any other process station.
- the sequence of the function of the individual process stations is adapted to the overall process. selectable.
- the plant or machine described can be integrated into larger production lines. That The substrates are taken over by another machine, where upstream process steps take place, and handed over to the following machines, which process the substrates completely. In such production lines, it is common to connect the individual machines via additional transport facilities. In the present invention, these transport devices may already be integrated. In addition to the pure transport, the transport devices can also take over the orientation of the substrates and the transfer into a clocked sequence in the manner of a more generally usable handling device. Both are not necessarily guaranteed by the upstream machine.
- the substrate flow is preferably in a circle, so that in contrast to a linear Machine for feeding and discharging the substrates only one chamber is needed. It is also required only one handling or handling, which also serves for loading and unloading the lock. Furthermore, this approach minimizes the footprint of the machine. By a preferably small lot size of substrates to get out with a small lock, which can be quickly evacuated or flooded. Also, the volume of the process chambers and thus the consumption of process gases is minimized.
- the substrates rest during the entire coating process in a stationary manner under a likewise stationary source.
- the static principle offers the advantage that the coating parameters can be changed over time. Therefore, it is possible to have a gradient layer in a single coating chamber, i. a layer that varies in its thickness in terms of its physical properties, can be applied.
- Variation of the layer properties are additionally generated within the individual steps.
- Such a coating system is particularly suitable for enabling new cell concepts in photovoltaics.
- the uniformity of the layer must be controlled only along a line (perpendicular to the travel path).
- the uniformity on the substrate surface is achieved by the constant driving speed.
- the problem of the flat homogeneity by special gas distributor for reactive and Precursorgas as well as by an adapted geometry the pump cross section are solved.
- the distribution of both gases, as well as the pump power are then superimposed with the predetermined distribution of the plasma density so that maximum homogeneity over the surface to be coated is achieved.
- the plant preferably uses an etching process for its self-cleaning.
- a cleaning gas is introduced via at least one gas distributor.
- the cleaning also takes place plasma-assisted.
- This self-cleaning can be done inline, without noticeable downtime (interruption) and without staffing requirements.
- some or all of the process chambers are preferably made with suitable materials which are resistant to the cleaning gas.
- the production in the machine is interrupted. In the system according to the invention, however, this interruption can be compensated.
- the wafers which are delivered by the upstream machine with a given cycle time to during the cleaning interval (duration: a few minutes) are buffered in a buffer.
- a coating interval takes place (duration: a few tens of minutes).
- the intermediate wafers are processed in addition to the still delivered wafers.
- the coating machine described here operates with an actual cycle time tj, where t 1 ⁇ t 0 .
- the transfer to the following machine happens in a similar way: additionally processed wafers are buffered and delivered only during the cleaning interval.
- the machine thus operates at an effective cycle time, which is also to and gives a certain output of wafers per hour, which is the same for all components within the entire production line.
- the advantage is that the cleaning takes place without apparent downtime of the plant and does not affect the rest of the production chain.
- the system can be connected as a module with other modules in parallel, which can be the output multiplied.
- This modular expandability makes it easy to integrate the Aniagen concept into existing overall production lines whose output is predetermined. Also, a sequential interconnection of several modules is possible with thicker layers, complex layer systems or layer systems of materials with low deposition rate apply.
- the present invention provides an economical system in which parts such as locks and loading functions are in a balanced relationship to the actual process chambers.
- the footprint for the system is minimized and optimally utilized. Times for the necessary pumping and flooding of the lock and the sliding of the substrates into the Beschichrungshuntn and for loading the substrates can be minimized.
- the layer properties can be specifically influenced by gradients or layer systems. Furthermore, the effort, in particular the personnel requirements for cleaning the system can be minimized or even eliminated.
- the output of the system can be increased. The cleaning of the plant should not block the rest of the production chain, a continuous output should be guaranteed.
- the following advantages in particular can be achieved: short cycle times, optimized consumption of the starting materials, a small steep surface of the plant, flexibility in the layered architecture and thus suitable for future cell concepts in which this situation can be decisive, high layer homogeneity, lower personnel requirements, low Downtime, high productivity, flexibility in output (production performance), easy process control, and closed-loop control.
- silicon wafers In addition to silicon wafers, other substrates of suitable dimensions can be coated. An arrangement with double-sided coating of substrates is also possible. There is no restriction on the process gases.
- the silicon nitride layer can be deposited with all other reaction gases or gaseous or evaporative convertible into the gas phase precursors, provided that they provide the required elements Si and N.
- any other layer can be applied as long as its constituents are processable by piasrna assisted chemical vapor deposition.
- the plant In addition to the coating, the plant can also be used to substrates through To clean or structure the described etching process.
- Figure 1 is a plan view of a coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 shows a lock with a four-pack wafer for use in a coating installation according to an embodiment of the present invention
- Figure 3 shows a loading and unloading handling device for use with a coating system according to a Ausrhrungungsform of the present invention.
- a coating installation 1 has a lock 2 with a lock handling device (handling device) 3 and a plurality of process stations 4 to 8. About the lock handling 3 with lock cover a Substratlos is transferred into the lock 2 of the coating system 1. A corresponding lock 2 with four-wafer lot is shown in FIG.
- the substrates or wafers 10 are arranged on a transporting carrier 11 in groups of four substrates. This transport carrier 1 1 is transferred into the lock chamber 2.
- the coating installation of the illustrated embodiment has three coating chambers 5 to 7 and a heating station 8.
- a free process station 4 is provided, in which - as needed - an additional heating station, a cooling station or another or different Bc harshungshunt can be used.
- the transport carriers 11 with the substrates 10 are transferred in the coating installation 1 on a rotary indexing table (turntable) 9 between the process stations.
- FIG. 3 shows a handling device with which the coating installation according to the present invention can be integrated into an existing production line.
- the via a in the production line integrated delivery belt 13 on or removed substrates 10, in particular wafers are about a turntable 15 and a loading and Entladehandling 14 supplied to the coating system according to the invention and - after completion of Bc harshung - returned to the production line for further processing back.
- the substrates or wafers 10 coming from the delivery belt 13 are received, for example, in groups of four substrates each in a transport carrier 11 shown in FIG.
- the substrates 10 are then transported on a turntable 15 to a loading and Entiadehandling 3 of FIG. 1 (lock handling), from which they are introduced via a lock 2 shown in Fig. 1 in the coating system 1.
- the substrates 10 are transported with the Transportcarriem 11 turn on the loading and unloading 3 from Fig. 1 (Schissen handling) on the turntable 15 and from this with the loading and Entiadehandling 14 back to the delivery tape
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
- Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE102008045249 | 2008-09-01 | ||
DE102009018700.6A DE102009018700B4 (en) | 2008-09-01 | 2009-04-23 | Coating line and method for coating |
PCT/EP2009/060994 WO2010023221A1 (en) | 2008-09-01 | 2009-08-26 | Coating system |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2321844A1 true EP2321844A1 (en) | 2011-05-18 |
Family
ID=41606276
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP09782212A Withdrawn EP2321844A1 (en) | 2008-09-01 | 2009-08-26 | Coating system |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20110195199A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2321844A1 (en) |
DE (2) | DE102009018700B4 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010023221A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP5431901B2 (en) * | 2008-12-26 | 2014-03-05 | キヤノンアネルバ株式会社 | Inline vacuum processing apparatus, control method for inline vacuum processing apparatus, and method for manufacturing information recording medium |
DE102009040997A1 (en) | 2009-09-10 | 2011-04-21 | Singulus Technologies Ag | High pressure vaporizing cell for coating a substrate, comprises an interior area that is suited to reject steam of coating materials and is formed in such a way that steam atoms do not strike down itself in the operation of the cell |
DE102012201953A1 (en) | 2012-02-09 | 2013-08-14 | Singulus Technologies Ag | Method and device for passivation of solar cells with an aluminum oxide layer |
DE102019213591A1 (en) * | 2019-09-06 | 2021-03-11 | Singulus Technologies Ag | TREATMENT PLANT AND PLASMA TREATMENT PROCESS |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3915117A (en) * | 1973-11-22 | 1975-10-28 | Balzers Patent Beteilig Ag | Vacuum coating apparatus |
EP0737968A1 (en) * | 1995-04-13 | 1996-10-16 | Balzers und Leybold Deutschland Holding Aktiengesellschaft | Transport device |
Family Cites Families (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5882165A (en) * | 1986-12-19 | 1999-03-16 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Multiple chamber integrated process system |
JP2644912B2 (en) * | 1990-08-29 | 1997-08-25 | 株式会社日立製作所 | Vacuum processing apparatus and operating method thereof |
DE19622403C1 (en) * | 1996-06-04 | 1997-11-20 | Siemens Ag | Device for producing a layer on the surface of at least one substrate by CVD |
TW418429B (en) * | 1998-11-09 | 2001-01-11 | Tokyo Electron Ltd | Processing apparatus |
JP2001127135A (en) * | 1999-10-27 | 2001-05-11 | Shibaura Mechatronics Corp | Vacuum treatment apparatus |
TW523943B (en) * | 2001-12-26 | 2003-03-11 | Ritdisplay Corp | Deposition apparatus of organic light emitting device |
US8545159B2 (en) * | 2003-10-01 | 2013-10-01 | Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd. | Apparatus having conveyor and method of transferring substrate using the same |
US20070134821A1 (en) * | 2004-11-22 | 2007-06-14 | Randhir Thakur | Cluster tool for advanced front-end processing |
US20070008141A1 (en) * | 2005-07-11 | 2007-01-11 | Micropower Electronics Inc. | Battery identification system and method |
US20070080141A1 (en) * | 2005-10-07 | 2007-04-12 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Low-voltage inductively coupled source for plasma processing |
US8187679B2 (en) * | 2006-07-29 | 2012-05-29 | Lotus Applied Technology, Llc | Radical-enhanced atomic layer deposition system and method |
-
2009
- 2009-04-23 DE DE102009018700.6A patent/DE102009018700B4/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2009-08-26 US US12/737,900 patent/US20110195199A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2009-08-26 DE DE202009018759U patent/DE202009018759U1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2009-08-26 EP EP09782212A patent/EP2321844A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2009-08-26 WO PCT/EP2009/060994 patent/WO2010023221A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3915117A (en) * | 1973-11-22 | 1975-10-28 | Balzers Patent Beteilig Ag | Vacuum coating apparatus |
EP0737968A1 (en) * | 1995-04-13 | 1996-10-16 | Balzers und Leybold Deutschland Holding Aktiengesellschaft | Transport device |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See also references of WO2010023221A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2010023221A1 (en) | 2010-03-04 |
DE102009018700A1 (en) | 2010-03-04 |
DE102009018700B4 (en) | 2020-02-13 |
US20110195199A1 (en) | 2011-08-11 |
DE202009018759U1 (en) | 2013-01-28 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
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17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20110316 |
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AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: AL BA RS |
|
RIN1 | Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected) |
Inventor name: HOHN, OLIVER Inventor name: WOHLFART, PETER Inventor name: CORD, BERNHARD Inventor name: SICHMANN, EGGO Inventor name: BINKOWSKA, PATRICK Inventor name: RUETH, EDGAR Inventor name: KEMPF, STEFAN Inventor name: ROOS, BJOERN Inventor name: BECKER, WOLFGANG Inventor name: REISING, MICHAEL Inventor name: HUBER, MARCO |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20180713 |
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STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20190910 |