JP2017519109A - Flat edge design for improved uniformity and longer edge life - Google Patents

Abstract

An edge exclusion mask for layer deposition on a substrate is described. The edge exclusion mask includes an edge region having edges that are adapted to have a tilt angle of 20 ° or less with respect to the substrate. [Selection] Figure 2A

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate to a mask for layer deposition and a method and apparatus for layer deposition utilizing the mask. Embodiments described herein relate in particular to an edge exclusion mask having a flat edge and a method and apparatus for depositing a layer using an edge exclusion mask having a flat edge, specifically on a substrate. The present invention relates to a mask structure configured to deposit a layer, an apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate, and a method for depositing a layer on a substrate.

  Several methods are known for depositing material on a substrate. For example, the substrate can be coated by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and the like. The process is performed in a processing apparatus or process chamber in which the substrate to be coated is placed. Deposited material is fed into the apparatus. Multiple materials, and their oxides, nitrides or carbides can also be used for deposition on the substrate.

  The coated material can be used in several applications and several technical fields. For example, one application is in the field of microelectronics, such as producing semiconductor devices. Also, substrates for displays are often coated by a PVD process. Further applications include insulating panels, organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels, TFT substrates, color filters, and the like.

  In the coating process, it may be beneficial to use a mask, for example, to better define the area to be coated. In some applications, only a portion of the substrate should be coated and the portion that should not be covered is covered by a mask. In some applications, such as large area substrate coating equipment, it may be beneficial to exclude the edge of the substrate from the coating. For example, the exclusion of an edge with an edge exclusion mask can provide an uncoated substrate edge and prevent coating of the back side of the substrate. For example, LCD TV layer deposition as one of many other applications requires an uncoated substrate edge. The above mask covers this area of the substrate. However, masking or blocking with a mask can lead to additional additional shadowing effects of arriving atoms, molecules and clusters, resulting in unreliable layer thickness and sheet resistance uniformity.

  However, the mask in the material deposition process, which can be an edge exclusion mask, is also exposed to the deposition material because the mask is located in front of the substrate. The effects of uncoated and coated masks can be complex and can depend on the material to be deposited.

  In view of the above, embodiments described herein provide a mask, particularly an edge exclusion mask, a layer deposition apparatus comprising an edge exclusion mask, and an edge of a substrate that can overcome at least some of the problems in the art. Provide a method for masking.

  In light of the above, independent claims 1, 11 and 13 provide an edge exclusion mask, apparatus and method for layer deposition on a substrate. Further aspects, advantages and features of this embodiment are evident from the dependent claims, the description and the attached drawings.

  According to one embodiment, an edge exclusion mask for layer deposition on a substrate is provided. The edge exclusion mask includes an edge region having edges that are adapted to have a tilt angle of 20 ° or less with respect to the substrate.

  According to a second embodiment, an edge exclusion mask for layer deposition on a substrate is provided. The edge exclusion mask includes an edge region having an edge adapted to have a tilt angle of 20 ° or less relative to the substrate, and the edge region has a thickness of 3 mm or less at a distance of 5 mm from the edge, in particular It has a thickness of 2 mm or less.

  According to another embodiment, an apparatus for layer deposition on a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a chamber for layer deposition, an edge exclusion mask with an edge region having an edge adapted to have a tilt angle of 20 ° or less with respect to the substrate, and deposition for depositing the material forming the layer. Including sources.

  According to another embodiment, a method for layer deposition on a substrate is provided. The method includes masking a portion of a substrate with an edge exclusion mask comprising an edge region having an edge that is adapted to have a tilt angle of 20 ° or less relative to the substrate, and a layer on the substrate. Depositing the material.

  A more detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, briefly summarized above, may be obtained by reference to the embodiments so that the above-described features of the embodiments can be understood in detail. The accompanying drawings relate to embodiments of the invention and are described below.

Fig. 2 shows a mask structure normally used for masking the edge of a substrate according to the state of the art. Shown is a scenario of layer deposition on a normal mask structure, in particular on an edge exclusion mask, according to the state of the art. FIG. 6 illustrates an edge exclusion mask having flat edges, according to embodiments described herein. FIG. FIG. 6 illustrates a mask structure, such as an edge exclusion mask, according to embodiments described herein. FIG. FIG. 4 shows a side cross-sectional view of a mask structure, in particular, an edge exclusion mask having flat edges, according to embodiments described herein. FIG. 6 illustrates a mask structure, such as an edge exclusion mask, according to embodiments described herein. FIG. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of layer deposition on a substrate, according to embodiments described herein. FIG. FIG. 4 illustrates an apparatus for layer deposition on a substrate utilizing an edge exclusion mask, according to embodiments described herein. FIG.

  Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments described herein, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. Within the following description of the drawings, the same reference numbers refer to the same components. Only the differences with respect to the individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided for explanation of the present embodiment and is not intended to limit the present embodiment. Moreover, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used in or with other embodiments to yield still another embodiment. This description is intended to include such modifications and variations.

  According to some embodiments, a mask structure or “edge exclusion mask” should be understood as a mask covering at least the edges of the substrate to be coated. The mask may be composed of several parts or portions, which can form a frame that defines one or more apertures. The frame of the mask may likewise have several frame parts or frame parts. This can be advantageous because frames assembled from various parts are believed to be more cost effective in production than monolithic frames.

  An edge exclusion mask is desirable when the edge of the substrate is to be kept free or nearly free of deposited material. This may be the case if only a defined area of the substrate is to be coated for subsequent use and / or handling of the coated substrate. For example, a substrate used as a display component should have a predetermined dimension. Large area substrates are coated with an edge exclusion mask to shadow the edges of the substrate and / or to prevent backside coating of the substrate. This approach allows reliable and consistent coating on the substrate.

  According to embodiments described herein, the edge exclusion mask includes an edge region having edges. The edge is then adapted to have a tilt angle of 20 ° or less with respect to the substrate. Therefore, when the deposition material is deposited on the mask, the aperture boundary is less affected by the deposition material on the mask. According to another embodiment, an apparatus and method includes an edge exclusion mask as described above.

  Thus, the embodiments described herein can reduce shadowing effects, thereby providing coating homogeneity and increased edge life when using an edge exclusion mask in the deposition process. To do.

According to some embodiments, the large area substrate may have a size of at least 0.67 m ² . The size can be from about 0.67 m ² to about 8 m ² , more specifically from about 2 m ² to about 9 m ² , or even 12 m ² . The substrate on which mask structures, apparatus and methods are provided according to embodiments described herein is a large area substrate, as described herein. For example, the large area substrate or carrier is GEN 4.5 corresponding to about 0.67 m ² substrate (0.73 m × 0.92 m), GEN 5 corresponding to about 1.4 m ² substrate (1.1 m × 1.3 m). GEN7.5 corresponding to about 4.29 m ² substrate (1.95 m × 2.2 m), GEN 8.5 corresponding to about 5.7 m ² substrate (2.2 m × 2.5 m), or about 8.7 m It can even be GEN10 corresponding to ² substrates (2.85 m x 3.05 m). Larger generations such as GEN11 and GEN12 and corresponding substrate areas can be implemented as well.

  The substrate can be made from any material suitable for material deposition. For example, the substrate can be glass (eg, soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, etc.), metal, polymer, ceramic, composite material, carbon fiber material, or any other material or combination of materials that can be coated by a deposition process. Can be made from a material selected from the group consisting of:

  According to some embodiments, the term “mask structure”, “edge exclusion mask” or “mask portion” refers to a single mask, such as a carbon fiber material or a metal such as aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, invar, etc. Used for materials. A mask covers a portion of the substrate to be coated. A mask is placed between the substrate to be coated and a source of deposition material such as a crucible, target.

  The edge exclusion mask is about 1 ‰ to about 5% of the area of the substrate, specifically between about 5 ‰ and about 1%, and even more particularly between about 1% and about 2% of the area of the substrate. Can cover. According to some embodiments, the area of the substrate that is covered, shadowed, or masked by the edge exclusion mask is located around the substrate.

  According to some embodiments, the term “mask opening” should be interpreted as a window of the mask through which the deposition material can pass during the deposition process. A “mask aperture” can also be represented as a coating window because it defines the area of the substrate on which the coating material is deposited. The perforation boundary or inner boundary is defined by the limits of the covering window. For example, if the mask is fresh or freshly cleaned and not yet used in the deposition process, the aperture boundary consists of the mask material. If a mask is used in the deposition process and the deposition material is deposited on the mask, the aperture boundary can be the limit of the coating window by the deposition material on the mask.

  According to different embodiments, the edge exclusion mask may be utilized for PVD deposition processes, CVD deposition processes, or combinations thereof. The edge of the mask can affect nearby atoms, molecules and clusters. These effects can be more complex since “streams of material” can be affected by turbulence and the like, and edges cannot always be considered sharp cut-off edges. In particular, more complex effects overlap from adjacent sides at the corners.

  FIG. 1A shows an example of a substrate 100. The outermost edge of the substrate is represented by 110. The edge 110 can also be described as the outermost line of the substrate beyond which the substrate material breaks. The edge 120 of the substrate may include the perimeter of the substrate. The edge 120, as used herein, can be a region that includes the edge 110 of the substrate. The edge 120 may have a width W that extends from the edge 110 onto the surface of the substrate 100. The edge 120 may be defined on the substrate being processed by an edge exclusion mask 140 that is utilized during the deposition of one or more layers on the substrate 100. Edge 120 defines the overlap between the edge exclusion mask and the substrate.

  The width W is symmetrical about the entire substrate, ie, each corner region and each side may have the same width, but may vary from side to side depending on the application of the substrate. According to some embodiments, the edge of the substrate may be defined by the apertures of the mask used to coat the substrate. For example, the opening of the edge exclusion mask affects the area of the substrate to be coated and covers the area of the substrate such as the edge. Thus, the edge of the substrate can be defined as the area of the substrate that is covered by the edge exclusion mask and not covered during the coating process in which the edge exclusion mask is used.

  The mask reduces or prevents material deposition on the edge of the substrate. However, masking or blocking with a mask can lead to additional additional shadowing effects of arriving atoms, molecules and clusters, resulting in unreliable layer thickness and sheet resistance uniformity. In particular, the four corners of the substrate are affected by the additional shadowing effect, since the two shadowing parts meet each other at these points.

  In FIG. 1B, the generation of a layer on the mask 140 is illustrated. The mask is covered with a continuous layer 400 after one or more deposition processes. Here, the lines indicate the growth of the deposited material on the mask 140. After the first deposition period, a layer 401 is formed on the mask 140. Layer 401 will be coated on the surface of the mask facing the deposition source arrangement. The second deposition period results in layer 402, which extends to the edge of the mask in a greater amount than layer 401. Layer 402 will provide further growth of the overlap region between the substrate and the mask. This growth causes a shadowing effect on the substrate, resulting in unreliable layer thickness, unreliable sheet resistance uniformity and reduced mask edge lifetime. The same result applies for the third deposition period resulting in layer 403. Although FIG. 1B refers to three deposition periods resulting in three layers on the mask, it should be understood that this concept of the shadowing layer is a continuous process.

  In view of the above, FIG. 1B illustrates a possible problem when using a conventional edge exclusion mask during the deposition process. Thus, due to the deposition of material on the mask, the boundary of the mask aperture is affected by the deposited material on the mask that provides a shadowing effect. Further, for example, vibration or other acceleration of the masking arrangement during masking of the substrate in the carrier results in the generation of particulates from the coating layer 400. Since the generation of microparticles cannot be controlled, undesirable microparticles can also be added to the substrate surface to be treated. Thus, the design of the mask structure and in particular the edge of the mask can have undesirable effects during maintenance and / or processing of the substrate.

  The edge design of the embodiments described herein has a very flat shape in the region close to the substrate. Therefore, when the deposition material is deposited on the mask, the aperture boundary is less affected by the deposition material on the mask. As a result, the embodiments described herein can reduce the shadowing effect and result in coating homogeneity on the substrate and increased edge life when using an edge exclusion mask in the deposition process.

  Thus, the edge design of the embodiment described herein, shown in FIG. 2A, reduces the effect of edge contour / shape and allows better uniformity and extended edge life compared to conventional edge designs. To do.

  With reference to FIG. 2A, an edge exclusion mask 240 for layer deposition on the substrate 100 comprising an edge region 201 having an edge 200 is shown. Edge region 201 corresponds to the region of the mask adjacent to the substrate and ends on edge 200. Edge 200 is preferably a flat edge, and as used herein, “flat edge” refers to a shallow, low-thickness edge. A first surface 210 facing the substrate and an opposite surface 220 facing the deposition source arrangement are also shown. The first surface is adapted to receive various arrangements, such as a support arrangement, a protective shield, a substrate carrier, or a cooling frame. The opposite surface may protect the underlying arrangement from being covered. The opposite surface may be exposed to a deposition source and covered with a deposition material to form a layer of coating material on the edge exclusion mask 240. As shown in FIG. 2A, one or more different regions may be provided in the edge exclusion mask 240. For example, the peripheral region 203 may correspond to a mask region extending from the outer periphery of the mask. Another region, for example the intermediate region 202, may correspond to the region of the mask that extends between the edge region 201 and the peripheral region 203. According to an alternative embodiment, the intermediate region can be avoided. By avoiding the intermediate region, the peripheral region 203 can correspond to the region of the mask that extends from the outer periphery of the mask to the edge region 201.

  Thus, this embodiment reduces the non-homogeneity of the coating on the substrate, preferably in the outer region of the substrate, by reducing or eliminating shadowing effects that can occur if the thickness of the edge region of the mask is too large. Or remove. For example, the edge design of the embodiments described herein provides 5% coverage uniformity at a distance of 10 mm to the edge.

  Further, according to another embodiment, the edge of the edge exclusion mask may have an inclination angle of 20 ° or less with respect to the substrate, and in particular, the edge has an inclination angle of 15 ° or less with respect to the substrate. More specifically, the edge may have a tilt angle of 10 ° or less with respect to the substrate. The angle of inclination of the edge can be selected taking into account the geometry and orientation characteristics of the deposition source.

  According to different embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the edge region of the edge exclusion mask can have a thickness of 3 mm or less at a distance of 5 mm from the edge, in particular The edge region may have a thickness of 2 mm or less, and more particularly the edge region may have a thickness of 1 mm.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the opposite surface 220 can have two or more different tilt angles relative to the first surface 210. Further, according to different embodiments, the two or more different tilt angles may be between 0 ° and 70 °, in particular, the two or more different tilt angles may be between 10 ° and 50 °. There may be, and more particularly, two or more different tilt angles may be between 20 ° and 45 °.

  An edge exclusion mask having two or more different tilt angles has the advantage of providing a sufficient thickness while providing a low thickness edge area with flat edges. A sufficient height of the edge exclusion mask is necessary to receive different arrangements such as support arrangements, protective shields, substrate carriers or cooling frames. A low-thickness edge region with a flat edge has shadowing effects that can occur if the mask edge region is too thick, as is the case with current edge exclusion masks that have only one tilt angle. By reducing or eliminating, non-homogeneity of the coating on the substrate is reduced or eliminated. A low thickness edge region with a flat edge further extends the lifetime of the edge.

  According to different embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the peripheral region may have a tilt angle of 5 ° or less with respect to the substrate, in particular, the peripheral region may be a substrate Can have a tilt angle of 2 ° or less, and more particularly the peripheral region can have a tilt angle of 0 ° to the substrate. According to another embodiment, the intermediate region can have a tilt angle of 30 ° to 70 ° with respect to the substrate, in particular the intermediate region has a tilt angle of 40 ° to 60 ° with respect to the substrate. More particularly, the intermediate region may have a tilt angle of about 45 ° relative to the substrate.

  After a predetermined number of deposition operations, the coating material on the mask, and more particularly on the opposite surface of the mask, can separate the particulates that are formed. The particulates move in an uncontrolled manner, for example on the substrate or to other parts of the deposition facility. These particulates can have detrimental effects on the treated substrate and in some cases even damage them.

  According to the embodiments described herein, a mask having protrusions on the surface is provided to compensate for this effect, which may reduce the separation of particulates. FIG. 2B shows an edge exclusion mask 240 having an opposite surface 220. The opposite surface 220 can comprise protrusions 215, in particular 70% or more of the opposite surface can comprise protrusions, and more particularly 90% or more of the opposite surface can comprise protrusions. As shown in FIG. 2B, the edge exclusion mask 240 can be comprised of two or more mask portions that can form a frame. If the edge exclusion mask 240 is comprised of more than one mask portion, the first surface 210 facilitates engagement of the two or more mask portions by the connection 260, as shown in FIG. 2A. Can be adapted as such. The two or more mask portions may further have an adjustable overlap region between the two or more mask portions.

  FIG. 3 shows a side view of the substrate 100 where the edge of the substrate is shadowed by the mask 240. The mask is provided with a gap 300 between 2 mm and 8 mm from the substrate. That is, the portion of the mask that shadows the substrate surface is not in contact with the substrate surface. According to other embodiments, the mask may be in direct contact with the substrate. For example, there may be no gap, or the gap may be 0 mm to 8 mm. Arrow 305 in FIG. 3 indicates the coating material to be deposited during deposition.

  According to another embodiment that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the thickness uniformity at the corners of the coated area of the substrate is improved by an edge exclusion mask having notches in the corners. can do. As a result, the shadowing effect of the edge exclusion mask at the corners, which can be added together, resulting in insufficient layer thickness, can be reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an edge exclusion mask 240 having an opening in the center of the mask frame may be provided. The aperture may have a protrusion. That is, the mask frame may have a recess or notch at the four corners compared to the rest of the mask. This is shown, for example, in a corner region 442 where the overlap width Wc of the mask 240 and the substrate, that is, the distance between the boundary of the mask forming the opening and the edge 110 of the substrate is The width Ws of the overlap between the mask 240 and the substrate at the side portion 440 of the frame, that is, the distance between the boundary of the mask forming the opening and the edge 110 of the substrate is short. The corner region 442 can have a length L and a width H, for example, 2 cm to 6 cm, preferably 3 cm to 5 cm. According to another embodiment, the length and width may be equal on each side or different. For example, they may have approximately the same proportion of the total length of the sides of each mask.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first overlap, i.e. the first width Ws, is between 2 mm and 8 mm, in particular between 3 mm and 6 mm. possible. As another optional embodiment, the second overlap, ie the width Wc, can be 0.0 mm to 4 mm, in particular 1 mm to 3 mm. The edge of the substrate is defined as the area of the substrate where the deposition material should be kept almost free or the thickness of the layer of deposition material is reduced to a value of at least 25% compared to the unmasked portion of the substrate. obtain.

  According to some embodiments, there may even be a negative overlap, i.e. a gap, in the corner area. Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the area of the substrate deposited inside the edge of the uncoated or substantially uncoated substrate may be rectangular. Thus, an edge exclusion mask that deviates slightly from the rectangle is provided to compensate for higher-order shadowing effects at the corners.

  An edge exclusion mask according to embodiments described herein having a low thickness edge region with a flat edge may exhibit less stability than an edge exclusion mask having a high thickness. According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the edge exclusion mask can include one or more lips spaced along the perimeter of the mask. . The lip has the advantage of improving the shape stability of the mask structure. Therefore, the edge exclusion mask of the present embodiment enables stability regardless of the low-thickness edge region having a flat edge.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the edge exclusion mask is an L-shaped member, eg, a thickness, toward the cooling frame to which it is attached. May be upright as a thin member such as 10 mm or less. The L shape may allow connection of the mask to the adapter to the cooling frame.

  According to a further embodiment, a method for depositing a layer of material on a substrate is provided. FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of the described method. A substrate can be prepared in the chamber of the deposition apparatus. According to some embodiments, the substrate may be a large area substrate as described above, and the deposition apparatus may be a deposition chamber as exemplarily shown in FIG.

  The masking arrangement is moved toward the substrate within chamber 612 and a portion of the substrate, eg, the edge of the substrate, is covered 502 by the mask. According to the embodiments described herein, the masking comprises an edge exclusion mask that includes an edge region having edges as described herein. The mask provides apertures with protrusions that allow the deposition material to pass through during the deposition process. An example of such an edge exclusion mask is described with respect to FIGS. After masking the substrate, a layer is deposited 504. Here, the shadowing effect is reduced, so that the coating uniformity on the substrate is improved and the edge life is extended. This is because the edges are kept free or nearly free of deposited material.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a method of depositing a layer of material on a substrate and a mask covering the edge of the substrate is used for large area substrates. Is done. According to a further embodiment, the deposited layer is a metal layer or a ceramic layer.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus for layer deposition on a substrate, according to embodiments described herein. The deposition apparatus 600 is adapted for a deposition process, such as a PVD or CVD process, and includes a chamber 612 for layer deposition. One or more substrates 100 are shown placed on the substrate transport device 620. According to some embodiments, the substrate support may be movable to allow adjustment of the position of the substrate 100 within the chamber 612. In particular, for large area substrates as described herein, deposition can be performed having a vertical substrate orientation or an essentially vertical substrate orientation. The transport device may have a lower roller 622 driven by one or more drivers, eg, motors. The driver can be connected to the roller 622 by a shaft for rotating the roller, for example, one motor can drive more than one roller by connecting the roller with a belt, gear system, etc. It is.

Roller 624 can be used to support the substrate in a vertical or essentially vertical position. The substrate may be vertical or may be slightly off the vertical position, for example up to 5 °. Large area substrate having a substrate size of 1m ² ~9m ² is very thin, e.g., less than 1 mm, for example, even 0.7mm or 0.5 mm. In order to support the substrate and provide the substrate in a fixed position, the substrate is provided in a carrier during processing of the substrate. Thus, the substrate can be transported by a transport system including, for example, a plurality of rollers and a driver while being supported in a carrier. For example, a carrier having a substrate therein is supported by a roller 622 and roller 624 system.

  A source of deposition material (not shown) is provided in the chamber 612 facing the side to be coated of the substrate. A source of deposition material provides a deposition material to be deposited on the substrate. According to the embodiments described herein, the source of deposition material is a target having a deposition material thereon or any other arrangement that allows the material to be released for deposition on the substrate 100. It's okay. The material source may be a rotating target. According to some embodiments, the material source may be movable to position and / or replace the source. According to other embodiments, the material source may be a planar target.

  According to some embodiments, the deposition material may be selected according to the deposition process and the subsequent use of the coated substrate. For example, the source deposition material may be a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic materials, metals such as aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, copper, silicon, indium tin oxide, and other transparent conductive oxides. An oxide layer, nitride layer or carbide layer that can contain such a material is supplied by supplying material from the source or by reactive deposition, ie the material from the source is oxygenated from the process gas, nitrided It can be deposited by reacting with an element such as an object or carbon. According to some embodiments, thin film transistor materials such as silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum oxynitride can be used as the deposition material.

  The deposition apparatus 600 includes a masking arrangement that includes a mask structure 240. According to some embodiments, the mask 240 is an edge exclusion mask that includes an edge region 201 having an edge 200 that is adapted to have a tilt angle of 20 ° or less relative to the substrate. The edge exclusion mask ensures that the edge of the substrate 100 is not covered with the deposition material. As an example, the material can be sputtered or vaporized. According to the embodiments described herein, the edge of the substrate 100 remains free of deposited material due to the edge exclusion mask 240.

  In FIG. 6, the left edge exclusion mask is shown to include individual frame portions 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609 and 610 that are connected to form a mask frame. The mask structure, particularly for large area substrates, can be essentially L-shaped and includes at least four corner portions 601, 603, 606, and 608, including corner regions or at least significant portions of corner regions, and corners. The portions will be connected and provided with side portions forming a mask frame. The frame portions 601-610 can be arranged in a splice arrangement. The tongue joint arrangement provides a fixed position of the frame portions relative to each other. Further, according to some embodiments described herein, the frame portion tongue-and-groove arrangement allows movement of the frame portions away from each other. The tongue joint arrangement allows the frame portions to slide away from each other without causing a gap through which the deposited material can pass. For simplicity, only the left mask structure 240 is shown with portions 601-610. Similarly, more than one or all mask structures in the processing system may comprise more than one portion forming a mask frame.

  According to exemplary embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more chambers 612 can be provided as a vacuum chamber. The chamber is adapted to process and / or coat the substrate in a vacuum environment. The pressure can be less than 10 mbar, for example between 1 × 10 −7 mbar and 1 × 10 −1 mbar. Thus, the deposition system can be connected to a vacuum flange 613, and the pressure in the processing chamber 612, eg, a pressure of lx10-7 mbar, low enough to allow the deposition system to operate for a particular application. Can include a pumping system (not shown). The pressure during deposition (ie deposition pressure), such as a PVD process, can be between 0.1 Pa and 1 Pa. For certain embodiments, such as PVD applications, where the process gas comprises at least one of argon and oxygen or nitrogen, the partial pressure of argon can be between 0.1 Pa and 1 Pa, oxygen, hydrogen and The partial pressure of nitrogen can be between 0.1 Pa and 1 Pa. The pressure range for CVD applications may be about two orders of magnitude greater, particularly at the high pressure end of the above range.

  According to some embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a method and apparatus for layer deposition on a substrate is provided for edge exclusion as described above with respect to FIGS. 2A-4. Includes a mask.

  While the foregoing is directed to the embodiments described herein, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, the scope of which is Determined by range.

Claims (14)

  An edge exclusion mask (240) for layer deposition on a substrate (100) comprising an edge region (201) having an edge (200), wherein the edge is inclined at an angle of 20 ° or less with respect to the substrate An edge exclusion mask (240) adapted to have   The mask according to claim 1, wherein the edge region (201) has a thickness of 3 mm or less, in particular a thickness of 2 mm or less, at a distance of 5 mm from the edge (200).   The mask comprises a first surface (210) facing the substrate and an opposite surface (220) facing a deposition source arrangement, the opposite surface (220) being 2 to the first surface (210). The mask according to claim 1, wherein the mask has two or more different inclination angles.   The mask of claim 3, wherein the two or more different tilt angles are between 0 ° and 70 °.   The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an intermediate region (202).   The mask according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate region has an inclination angle of 40 ° to 60 °.   The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a peripheral region (203).   The mask according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface of the mask comprises a protrusion (215).   Two or more mask portions (601-610) are provided, the two or more mask portions have an overlap region, and the overlap region between the two or more mask portions is adjustable The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 8.   10. A mask according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mask comprises one or more lips spaced along the perimeter of the mask. A method for layer deposition on a substrate, comprising:
Masking a portion of the substrate with an edge exclusion mask (240) comprising an edge region (201) having an edge (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 10;
Depositing the material of the layer on the substrate.   The method of claim 11, wherein the deposited layer is a metal layer or a ceramic layer. An apparatus (600) for layer deposition on a substrate, comprising:
A chamber (612) for layer deposition therein;
An edge exclusion mask (240) comprising an edge region (201) having an edge (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
An apparatus (600) comprising a deposition source for depositing the material forming the layer.   The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the deposition source is configured to deposit a metal or ceramic material.

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