JP7117332B2 - Deposition apparatus for coating flexible substrates and method of coating flexible substrates - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to thin film deposition apparatus and methods, and in particular to apparatus and methods for coating flexible substrates with stacks of thin layers, particularly roll-to-roll (R2R) deposition systems. Some embodiments relate to apparatus and methods for respectively coating one or both major surfaces of a flexible substrate with a stack of layers, eg, for thin film solar cell manufacturing, thin film battery manufacturing, and flexible display manufacturing. A further embodiment relates to a method for aligning a thin film deposition device.

The processing of flexible substrates, such as plastic films or foils, is in high demand in the packaging, semiconductor and other industries. Processing can consist of coating the flexible substrate with materials such as metal, semiconductor, and dielectric materials, etching, and other processing operations performed on the substrate for each application. A system for performing this task generally includes a coating drum (eg, cylindrical roller) coupled to a processing system having a roller assembly for transporting the substrate. At least a portion of the substrate is coated on this coating drum. Roll-to-roll (R2R) coating systems can provide high throughput.

Here, coating processes such as CVD or PVD processes, in particular sputtering processes, can be used to deposit thin layers on flexible substrates. In a roll-to-roll deposition system, it is understood that a flexible substrate of considerable length, for example one kilometer or more, is fed from a storage spool, coated with a thin layer stack, and rewound on a take-up spool. Thin-film battery manufacturing as well as the display and photovoltaic (PV) industries are also increasing demand for roll-to-roll deposition systems. For example, in touch panel devices, flexible displays, and flexible PV modules, the demand for depositing suitable layers with R2R coaters is increasing as a result.

In some applications, a layer stack having two or more layers can be deposited on the first major surface of the flexible substrate. Sometimes a second stack of layers is deposited on a second major surface of the flexible substrate, opposite the first major surface. If both sides of the substrate have to be coated, the coating drum should be carefully designed and operated to avoid damaging the already coated substrate surface first while coating the second major side. .

In view of the above, a deposition apparatus is provided for coating one or both major surfaces of a flexible substrate with a stack of layers. The device has a high layer uniformity and a low number of defects per surface area, which overcomes at least some of the problems in the art.

In light of the above, a deposition apparatus for coating a flexible substrate, a method of coating a flexible substrate and a method of aligning a deposition apparatus according to the independent claims are provided. Further aspects, advantages and features are evident from the dependent claims, the description and the accompanying drawings.

According to embodiments described herein, a deposition apparatus for coating flexible substrates is provided. The deposition apparatus includes a first spool chamber containing a storage spool for supplying flexible substrates, a deposition chamber located downstream of the first spool chamber, the flexible substrates passing through the plurality of deposition units. a second spool chamber located downstream of the deposition chamber and containing a take-up spool for winding the flexible substrate after deposition; and a roller assembly configured to transport a flexible substrate from a first spool chamber to a second spool chamber along a partially convex and partially concave substrate transport path.

According to further aspects described herein, there is described a method of coating a flexible substrate with a stack of layers, particularly using the deposition apparatus described herein, the flexible substrate partially comprising: Substrates are transferred from the first spool chamber to the second spool chamber along a convex and partially concave substrate transfer path. The method comprises feeding a flexible substrate from a storage spool provided within a first spool chamber; depositing two first layers on a first major surface of the flexible substrate; and, after deposition, winding the flexible substrate onto a take-up spool provided within a second spool chamber.

According to one embodiment described herein, a method of aligning a deposition device is provided. The deposition apparatus includes a roller assembly configured to transport a flexible substrate from a first spool chamber to a second spool chamber along a partially convex and partially concave substrate transport path. there is In particular, methods are provided for aligning deposition devices according to embodiments described herein. The method comprises defining at least one guide roller of the roller assembly as a reference roller; and aligning the rotational axes of the two or more remaining guide rollers of the roller assembly.

Embodiments are also directed to apparatus for carrying out each of the disclosed methods and include apparatus parts for carrying out the features of each method described. The features of the method may be implemented using hardware components, using a computer programmed by appropriate software, by any combination of the two, or in any other manner. Further, embodiments are also directed to methods by which the described devices operate or are manufactured. The method includes method features for carrying out the functions of this device or for manufacturing portions of the device.

Some of the above and other detailed aspects of the embodiments are explained in the following description and partially illustrated with reference to the figures.
1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a deposition apparatus, according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a deposition apparatus, according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a deposition apparatus, according to embodiments described herein; FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a deposition apparatus, according to embodiments described herein; FIG. FIG. 2 shows a more detailed cross-sectional view of a deposition apparatus, according to embodiments described herein. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a heatable roller that may be used in some of the embodiments described herein; FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a coating drum that may be used with some of the embodiments described herein; FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a coating drum that may be used with some of the embodiments described herein; FIG. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged schematic view of a portion of a deposition chamber that may be used with some of the embodiments described herein; 1 shows a schematic diagram of an AC sputtering source that may be used in some of the embodiments described herein; FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a DC sputtering source that may be used in some of the embodiments described herein; FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a double DC planar cathode sputter source that may be used in some of the embodiments described herein; FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary schematic layout of a sequence of deposition units that may be provided around a coating drum within a deposition chamber, according to embodiments described herein; [0013] Figure 4 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method of coating a flexible substrate, according to embodiments described herein. [0013] Figure 4 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method of aligning a deposition device according to embodiments described herein.

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, 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. Generally, only the differences with respect to individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of illustration only and is not meant to be limiting. Furthermore, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with other embodiments to yield yet a further embodiment. be The description is intended to include such modifications and variations.

Note that the flexible substrates used in the embodiments described herein are typically bendable. The terms "flexible substrate" or "substrate" may be used interchangeably with the term "foil" or the term "web." Specifically, it should be understood that embodiments of the deposition apparatus described herein can be utilized to coat any type of flexible substrate, including, for example, flat substrates having uniform thickness. or to produce a coating pattern or coating structure in a predetermined shape on top of a flexible substrate or underlying coating structure. Electronic devices may be formed on the flexible substrate by, for example, masking, etching, and/or deposition. For example, the flexible substrates described herein include materials such as PET, HC-PET, PE, PI, PU, TaC, OPP, CPP, one or more metals, paper, combinations thereof, and hard substrates. Pre-coated substrates such as coated PET (eg HC-PET, HC-TaC) can be included. In some embodiments, the flexible substrate is a COP substrate with index-matched (IM) layers on both sides.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to apparatus and methods for coating flexible substrates with stacks of layers. A "stack of layers" as described herein may be understood to be two, three or more layers deposited alternately. The two, three, or more layers may be composed of the same material or may be composed of two, three, or more different materials. For example, a stack of layers may include one or more conductive layers (eg, metal layers) and/or one or more insulating layers (eg, dielectric layers). In some embodiments, the stack of layers can include one or more transparent layers (eg, SiO ₂ layers or ITO layers). In some embodiments, at least one layer of the stack of layers can be a conductive transparent layer (eg, an ITO layer). For example, an ITO layer may be beneficial in capacitive touch applications, eg for touch panels. In some embodiments, one or more layers may be patterned. In some embodiments, one or more _SiO2 layers are deposited on the first major surface of the substrate, followed by one or more ITO layers, optionally followed by one or more metal A layer (eg, a copper layer) may be deposited. In some implementations, the second major surface of the substrate may also be coated with the same layer stack or different layer stacks, for example in a deposition apparatus according to embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus can be configured for substrates that are 500m or longer, 1000m or longer, or several kilometers long. The width of the substrate may be 300 mm or more, specifically 500 mm or more, more specifically 1 m or more. According to one embodiment, the width of the substrate is about 1.4m. For example, a deposition apparatus configured for a substrate width of about 1.4 m can be configured to deposit one or more layers of ITO, eg, for capacitive touch application applications. According to another embodiment, the width of the substrate is about 1.7m. For example, a deposition apparatus configured for a substrate width of about 1.7 m can be configured to deposit one or more layers on a substrate, eg, for window film applications. The width of the substrate may be 3 m or less, in particular 2 m or less. Typically, the thickness of the substrate may be ≧20 μm and ≦1 mm, specifically from 50 μm to 200 μm.

According to some embodiments, some or all chambers of the deposition apparatus may be configured as evacuable vacuum chambers. For example, a deposition apparatus may include components or devices that enable creating or maintaining a vacuum in at least a portion of a processing system, such as a spool chamber and a deposition chamber. A deposition apparatus may include a vacuum pump, exhaust ducts, vacuum seals, etc. to create or maintain a vacuum in at least a portion of the deposition apparatus. For example, each chamber may have an individual corresponding vacuum pump or pumping station for evacuating the respective chamber. In some embodiments, two or more turbo vacuum pumps may be connected to at least one vacuum chamber, particularly each vacuum chamber of the deposition apparatus.

According to some embodiments, the vacuum chamber of the deposition apparatus is adapted to operate under vacuum conditions forming a vacuum-tight enclosure, i.e. no more than 10 mbar, in particular 1 mbar, during deposition. It can be evacuated to a vacuum with a pressure below, or even between 1×10 ⁻⁴ mbar and 1×10 ⁻² mbar or less. Different pressure ranges should be considered, especially for PVD processes such as sputtering, which can be performed in the 10 ⁻³ mbar range, and CVD processes, which are usually performed in the mbar range. Additionally, the vacuum chamber can be evacuated to a background vacuum at a pressure of 1×10 ⁻⁶ mbar or less. Background pressure refers to the pressure achieved by evacuating the chamber in the absence of any gas inlets.

FIG. 1 illustrates a deposition apparatus 100 for coating a flexible substrate 10 with a stack of thin layers. Deposition apparatus 100 includes multiple vacuum chambers that can be evacuated to sub-atmospheric pressure. The deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a first spool chamber 110, a deposition chamber 120 positioned downstream of the first spool chamber 110, and a second spool chamber 150 positioned downstream of the deposition chamber 120. . The first spool chamber 110 can be considered a vacuum chamber configured to house a storage spool on which flexible substrates are wound, and the second spool chamber 150 is a coated flexible substrate after deposition. It can be considered a vacuum chamber configured to house a take-up spool for taking up a substrate.

Deposition apparatus 100 may be configured such that flexible substrate 10 is guided from first spool chamber 110 to second spool chamber 150 along a substrate transport path. A substrate transport path may pass through the deposition chamber 120 . A flexible substrate may be coated with a stack of layers in deposition chamber 120 . A roller assembly or rollers comprising a plurality of rolls may be provided to transport the substrate along the substrate transport path. Two or more rollers, five or more rollers, or ten or more rollers of the roller assembly may be positioned between the storage spool and the take-up spool. In this disclosure, roller assemblies may also be referred to as winding/unwinding systems.

According to some embodiments herein, the substrate transport path may be partially convex and partially concave. In other words, the substrate transport path has some guide rollers contacting a first major surface of the flexible substrate and some guide rollers contacting a second major surface of the flexible substrate opposite the first major surface. It is partially curved to the right and partially curved to the left so that it touches the For example, the first guide roller 107 in FIG. 1 contacts the second major surface of the flexible substrate and the flexible substrate is guided by the first guide roller 107 (the "convex" portion of the substrate transport path). Bend to the left in between. The second guide roller 108 of FIG. 1 contacts the first major surface of the flexible substrate, and the flexible substrate is pushed to the right while being guided by the second guide roller 108 (the "concave" portion of the substrate transport path). bent in the direction Between the first spool chamber and the second spool chamber, the substrate transport path has a concave portion (i.e., the area where the first major surface of the substrate contacts the support surface) and a convex portion (i.e., the substrate A compact deposition apparatus may be provided which may also be suitable for two-sided deposition, since it changes direction several times in the area where the second major surface of the substrate contacts the support surface).

As used herein, the terms "upstream from" and "downstream from" mean that each chamber or component is connected to another chamber or component along the substrate transport path. It can indicate where it is relative to the element. For example, in operation, a substrate is guided along a substrate transport path from the first spool chamber 110 through the deposition chamber 120 and then to the second spool chamber 150 by the roller assembly. Thus, the deposition chamber 120 is positioned downstream of the first spool chamber 110 and the first spool chamber 110 is positioned upstream of the deposition chamber 120 . In operation, the substrate is first guided or conveyed past a first roller or first component and subsequently guided or conveyed past a second roller or second component. be. A second roller or second component is positioned downstream of the first roller or first component.

The first spool chamber 110 is configured to house a storage spool 112, which may be provided with the flexible substrate 10 wound thereon. In operation, the flexible substrate 10 can be unloaded from the storage spool 112 and transported along the substrate transport path from the first spool chamber towards the deposition chamber. The term "storage spool" described herein can be understood as a roll in which the flexible substrates to be coated are stored. Accordingly, the term "wind-up spool" described herein can be understood as a roll adapted to receive a coated flexible substrate. The term "storage spool" is also sometimes referred to herein as a "supply roll," and the term "wind-up spool" is also referred to herein as a "capture roll." (take-up roll)”.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a storage spool drive is provided for rotating the storage spool 112 to feed flexible substrates from the storage spool 112. can be In other words, storage spool 112 may be an actively driven roller.

As shown schematically in FIG. 1, deposition chamber 120 may be positioned immediately downstream of first spool chamber 110 . Alternatively, one or more additional vacuum chambers, such as cleaning chambers, may be positioned between first spool chamber 110 and deposition chamber 120 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a flexible substrate exiting the first spool chamber 110 through a passageway such as a slit may enter directly into the deposition chamber 120 .

First spool chamber 110 may be configured as a load lock chamber. In other words, the first spool chamber 110 can be flooded to replace the storage spools in the first spool chamber with new storage spools without compromising the vacuum in the remaining vacuum chambers. A passageway or aperture in the wall between the first spool chamber 110 and a vacuum chamber located downstream of the first spool chamber can be sealed. Thus, for example, other vacuum chambers, particularly deposition chambers, of deposition apparatus 100 can be kept evacuated while a flexible substrate is being pumped from a storage spool and the storage spool in the first spool chamber is being replaced.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the flexible substrate 10 is guided through openings (eg, slits) in respective walls that separate the vacuum chambers from each other. can be For example, a slit in the wall between two vacuum chambers can be adapted to guide the substrate from one vacuum chamber to the other. In some embodiments, the opening may be provided with a sealing device to at least substantially separate the pressure conditions of the two vacuum chambers connected by the opening. For example, if chambers connected by openings present different pressure conditions, the openings in the walls can be designed to maintain the respective pressures within the chambers.

According to embodiments described herein, for example, to separate a first spool chamber from a vacuum chamber located downstream thereof, at least one spool to separate two adjacent vacuum chambers from each other. A clearance sluice (sluice) or load lock valve may be provided. At least one gap sluice may be configured to allow the flexible substrate to pass therethrough. The gap sluice can be opened and closed to provide a vacuum seal. Thus, for example, the first spool chamber 110 can be evacuated while the deposition chamber 120 can be maintained under technical vacuum.

For example, a sealing device 105 positioned between the first spool chamber 110 and the deposition chamber 120 is shown schematically in FIG. However, it should be understood that additional sealing devices providing corresponding functionality may be provided between other adjacent vacuum chambers, such as deposition chamber 120 and second spool chamber 150 . Advantageously, therefore, the winding and delivery chambers (ie, the first spool chamber 110 and the second spool chamber 150) can be evacuated or evacuated separately, particularly separately from the deposition chambers.

Sealing device 105 may include an inflatable seal configured to press the substrate against a flat sealing surface. Thus, the opening in the wall between the first spool chamber 110 and the deposition chamber 120 can be sealed even when flexible substrates may reside within the opening. Opening and closing the sealed device may not require removal of the flexible substrate.

However, other devices or apparatus for selectively opening and closing the gap sluice may be utilized, and may be opened and closed (ie, substrate path opened and vacuum sealed) during substrate insertion. The gap sluice, which closes the vacuum seal upon insertion of the substrates, allows particularly easy exchange of substrates, as substrates from a new roll can be attached to substrates from the previous roll.

Although sealing devices, slits, openings, or spacing sluices are described in relation to guiding flexible substrates from a first spool chamber to subsequent vacuum chambers, the sealing devices, slits, and sluices described herein , openings, or spacing sluices may be used between other chambers or in portions of the deposition apparatus.

Deposition chamber 120 may include a coating drum 122 configured to guide flexible substrate 10 past multiple deposition units 121 . Coating drum 122 may be rotatable about axis of rotation 123 . The coating drum may include a curved substrate support surface, such as the outer surface of coating drum 122 . On this support surface the flexible surface can be guided past a plurality of deposition units 121 . While the flexible substrate is guided through the multiple deposition units 121, the flexible substrate may directly contact the substrate support surface of the coating drum. This substrate support surface may be cooled. The temperature of the flexible substrate may decrease during deposition when the flexible substrate is in direct thermal contact with the coating drum.

Flexible substrate 10 may be coated with one or more thin layers by multiple deposition units 121 . For example, the deposition units of the plurality of deposition units 121 may be arranged circumferentially around the coating drum 122 as shown schematically in FIG. Deposition chamber 120 may include two or more deposition units arranged next to each other along the substrate transport path. The first major surface of the flexible substrate may be coated while the second major surface of the flexible substrate opposite the first major surface, i.e. the back surface of the flexible substrate, contacts the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum. can.

As the coating drum 122 rotates, the flexible substrate is guided through the deposition unit. The deposition unit faces the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum so that the first major surface of the flexible substrate can be coated while passing through the deposition unit at a predetermined speed.

In some embodiments, one or more rollers, eg, guide rollers of a roller assembly, may be positioned between storage spool 112 and coating drum 112 and/or downstream of coating drum 122 . For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, two guide rollers are provided between storage spool 112 and coating drum 122 . At least one guide roller may be positioned in the first spool chamber and at least one guide roller may be positioned in the deposition chamber upstream of the coating drum 122 . In some embodiments, 3, 4, 5 or more, in particular 8 or more guide rollers are provided between the storage spool and the coating drum. The guide rollers may be active rollers or passive rollers.

As used herein, "active" rollers or rolls may be understood to be rollers provided with a drive or motor for actively moving or rotating the respective roller. For example, active rollers can be adjusted to provide a given torque or a given rotational speed. Typically, storage spool 112 and take-up spool 152 may be provided as active rollers. In some embodiments, the coating drum can be configured as an active roller. Additionally, the active rollers may be configured as substrate tension rollers configured to pull the substrate with a predetermined tension during operation. A "passive" roller as described herein can be understood as a roller or roll that does not have a drive to actively move or rotate the passive roller. Passive rollers may rotate due to the frictional forces of the flexible substrate, which may directly contact the outer roller surface during operation.

In the present disclosure, a "roll" or "roller" is a device provided with a surface that can come into contact with a flexible substrate or a portion of a flexible substrate while transporting the flexible substrate along a substrate transport path within a deposition apparatus. It can be understood that At least some of the rollers referred to herein may include circular shapes for contacting the flexible substrate prior to deposition or after deposition. A generally cylindrical shape may be formed about a straight longitudinal axis. According to some embodiments, the rollers are adapted to guide the substrate while it is being transported, e.g. during a deposition process or when the substrate is in the deposition apparatus. guide rollers. The roller may be configured as a spreader roller, ie an active roller adapted to provide a defined tension on the flexible substrate. Spreader rollers may also be referred to as k-rollers. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the spreader roller 117 may be arranged downstream, particularly immediately downstream, of the coating drum 122 . Additionally, the rollers described herein include processing rollers (e.g., coating drums that support flexible substrates during coating), deflection rollers that deflect substrates along curved substrate transport paths, adjustment rollers, storage spools, It may be configured as a take-up spool or the like.

In some embodiments, the at least one deflection roller may be configured to deflect the flexible substrate in a clockwise direction and the at least one deflection roller may be configured to deflect the flexible substrate in a counterclockwise direction. obtain. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first guide roller 107 deflects the flexible substrate in a counterclockwise direction (i.e., the flexible substrate bends to the left when moved along the substrate transport path). ), the second guide roller 108 deflects the flexible substrate in a clockwise direction (ie, the flexible substrate is bent to the right when moved along the substrate transport path). Here, the first guide roller 107 can rotate in a counterclockwise direction and the second guide roller 108 can rotate in a clockwise direction. A partially convex and partially concave substrate transport path may be provided. A guide roller that rotates in a clockwise direction while transporting a flexible substrate may be referred to herein as a "clockwise rotating roller" and a roller that rotates in a counterclockwise direction while transporting a flexible substrate. may be referred to herein as "counterclockwise rotating rollers".

In some embodiments, at least one guide roller (eg, first guide roller 107) contacts the first major surface of the substrate and at least one guide roller (eg, second guide roller 108). contacts the second major surface of the substrate, ie the surface opposite the first major surface. Therefore, it can be beneficial to clean both major surfaces of the flexible substrate to reduce the risk of winding and unwinding failures.

According to some implementations, the rollers described herein may be mounted on low-friction roller bearings, particularly with double-bearing roller configurations. Thus, the parallelism of the rollers of the transport apparatus described herein can be achieved, and transverse substrate "rocking" can be eliminated during substrate transport. Advantageously, therefore, the roller assembly described herein provides a high precision take-up/delivery system with low friction roller bearings.

In some embodiments, the guide rollers that guide the flexible substrate along the substrate transport path can be further configured to take tension measurements. According to typical embodiments, at least one tension measuring roller, eg a passive roller, may be provided in the deposition device. Beneficially, one, two or more tension measuring rollers can be provided on each side of the coating drum. These allow tension measurements on the winding and unwinding sides of the coating drum. Specifically, the tension-measuring roller can be configured to measure the tension of the flexible substrate. Accordingly, substrate transport can be better controlled, the pressure of the substrate on the coating drum can be controlled, and/or damage to the substrate can be reduced or avoided.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, multiple deposition units can be configured to coat the first major surface of the flexible substrate. A stack of layers may thus be deposited on the first major surface of the flexible substrate by a plurality of deposition units in the deposition chamber. In other words, according to some embodiments, only the first major surface of the flexible substrate may be coated with the stack of layers while transporting the flexible substrate along the substrate transport path through the deposition apparatus.

The flexible substrate with the coated first major side can be reloaded into the first spool chamber and transported through the deposition apparatus in a reverse orientation to also coat the second major side of the flexible substrate. . In a "flipped orientation" as described herein, the second major surface of the substrate (i.e., the other major surface relative to the first passage of the flexible substrate through the deposition apparatus) is aligned with the orientation of the flexible substrate as the substrate transports. While being transported along the path, it is directed towards a plurality of deposition units. Thus, guiding the same flexible substrate twice through the deposition apparatus allows for two-sided deposition on the flexible substrate. In some embodiments, a first stack of layers is deposited on a first major surface of the flexible substrate in a first pass through the deposition apparatus and a second stack of layers is deposited in a second pass through the deposition apparatus. is deposited on the second major surface of the flexible substrate in the passage of the. The stack of first layers and the stack of second layers may have corresponding thicknesses and/or corresponding material arrangements. In some embodiments, a flexible substrate having two coated major surfaces can be substantially symmetrical about a central plane of the substrate.

In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the coating drum can be actively driven. In other words, a drive may be provided for rotating the coating drum.

In some embodiments, one or more guide rollers 113 may be positioned downstream of the coating drum 122 and upstream of the second spool chamber 150 . For example, at least one guide roller is downstream of the coating drum 122 to guide the flexible substrate 10 toward the vacuum chamber (eg, toward the second spool chamber 150 located downstream of the deposition chamber 120). or at least one guide to guide the flexible roller generally tangentially to the substrate support surface of the coating drum to smoothly guide the flexible substrate onto the take-up spool 152. The rollers may be positioned in a second spool chamber 150 upstream of coating drum 122 . At least one or more of these guide rollers may have functions that are described in more detail below.

A second spool chamber 150 may be positioned immediately downstream of the deposition chamber 120 . In other embodiments, one or more vacuum chambers may be positioned between deposition chamber 120 and second spool chamber 150 . A second spool chamber 150 may be configured to house a take-up roll 152 for taking up the flexible substrate after deposition. Sealing devices may be provided on the walls between the vacuum chambers, in particular the walls separating the second spool chamber 150 from the deposition chambers. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, sealing device 105 is provided between deposition chamber 120 and second spool chamber 150 . Sealing device 105 may include an inflatable seal configured to press the substrate against the sealing surface. Thus, the opening in the wall between deposition chamber 120 and second spool chamber 150 can be sealed even when flexible substrates may reside within the opening. Opening and closing the sealed device may not require removal of the flexible substrate.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a take-up spool drive is provided to rotate the take-up spool 152 for taking up the flexible substrate. obtain. In other words, take-up spool 152 may be an active roller.

The second spool chamber 150 can be configured as a load lock chamber. Here, while the second spool chamber 150 may be flooded, the second spool chamber 150 may be flooded so that the take-up spool with the coated flexible substrate may be unloaded from the second spool chamber. Two spool chambers can be configured. To flood the second spool chamber 150, a passageway between the second spool chamber 150 and a vacuum chamber arranged upstream of the second spool chamber can be sealed via the sealing device 105. . Thus, the other vacuum chambers, and particularly the deposition chamber, of the deposition apparatus can be kept evacuated while the take-up spool is replaced with a new take-up spool. In some embodiments, the second spool chamber 150 includes a gap sluice or load, e.g., a sealing device, for opening and closing a passageway or slit between the second deposition chamber and the second spool chamber. It may include a lock valve. The substrate can remain in the opening while the sealing device is sealing.

During deposition, eg, when a sputter source is used, the deposition chamber 120 can be at medium or high vacuum (eg, pressure between 1×10 ⁻² mbar and 1×10 ⁻⁴ mbar). The pressure inside the deposition unit can be, for example, an order of magnitude higher than the pressure in the main space of the deposition chamber. For example, during sputter deposition, the pressure inside the sputter deposition unit can be about 5×10 ⁻³ mbar. The pressure inside the first spool chamber 110 and the second spool chamber 150 may be, for example, one or two orders of magnitude higher than the pressure in the deposition chamber during deposition. For example, the background pressure inside the first spool chamber and/or the second spool chamber can be between 10 ⁻¹ mbar and 10 ⁻³ mbar. One or more vacuum control units may be provided within, for example, at least one vacuum chamber and/or at least one deposition unit.

Before, during, and/or after deposition, particles can collect on the flexible substrate and, if not removed, can become dust and damage the surface of the substrate. In particular, when a flexible substrate having particles formed thereon comes into contact with the support surface of the guide roller, the surface of the substrate can be scratched or damaged. Such problems may also be referred to as "winding defects". More specifically, such defects are typically areas as small as 10 microns and locally wear away the deposited layer, or even the entire flexible substrate. Potential sources of these defects can be, for example, particles present on the flexible substrate of the storage spool and particles generated by the coating process and adhering to the substrate.

Several approaches have been taken to avoid the problem of winding defects. One approach is a system in which only one major surface of the flexible substrate, eg, the uncoated surface, is in direct contact with the roller surface during the deposition process. However, such a design may not be suitable for two-sided deposition processes and thin film deposition processes with advanced tension control. Specifically, in a deposition apparatus that includes a substrate transport path having both concave and convex portions, both major surfaces of the flexible substrate can be in direct contact with roller surfaces during transport. Therefore, it may be beneficial to clean one or both of the major surfaces of the substrate to reduce the risk of winding defects.

In some embodiments, to avoid winding defects, the deposition apparatus is designed to clean the substrate, particularly before the flexible substrate is wrapped around the roller or directly in contact with the roller surface under high tension. at least one cleaning device configured to

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first cleaning device is coated with a first major surface of the flexible substrate, e.g., a stack of layers A second cleaning device may be provided for cleaning a first major surface and/or a second cleaning device may be provided for cleaning a second major surface of the flexible substrate, e.g. a back surface of the flexible substrate opposite the first major surface. It can be provided for cleaning.

FIG. 2 illustrates a deposition apparatus 100 for coating a flexible substrate 10 including a first cleaning device 171 and a second cleaning device 172. As shown in FIG. Most features of the deposition apparatus 100 of FIG. 2 correspond to respective features of the deposition apparatus shown in FIG. Therefore, reference can be made to the above description and such description will not be repeated here.

A first cleaning device 171 may be provided for cleaning the first major surface of the flexible substrate and a second cleaning device 172 may be provided for cleaning the second major surface of the flexible substrate. A first cleaning device 171 and/or a second cleaning device 172 may be arranged upstream of the plurality of deposition units so as to be able to clean the surface of the flexible substrate prior to deposition within the deposition chamber. .

The first major side of the substrate can be the substrate surface that is continuously coated in the deposition chamber, and the second major side of the substrate can be the substrate surface opposite the first major side. In some embodiments, the second major surface may be an uncoated substrate surface, while in other embodiments, the second major surface may have been previously (e.g., the first surface through the deposition apparatus). in transit) may be coated. Particles or other types of contamination that may already be present on the first major surface of the flexible substrate can be removed prior to deposition, thereby improving the coating quality of the first major surface. Particles or other types of contamination that may already be present on the second major surface of the flexible substrate are removed before the second major surface (or coating already thereon) contacts the substrate support surface of the coating drum. can be removed, thereby avoiding winding defects.

In other embodiments only a first washing device may be provided or only a second washing device may be provided. For example, only the first major surface of the substrate may be cleaned, or only the second major surface that contacts the substrate support surface of the coating drum may be cleaned.

In some embodiments, the first cleaning device 171 and/or the second cleaning device 172 are downstream of the first spool chamber 110 and upstream of the deposition chamber 120, as shown in FIG. It can be located in a cleaning chamber 170 that can be provided. In other embodiments, the first cleaning device 171 and/or the second cleaning device 172 are provided inside the first spool chamber downstream of the storage spool 112 or the deposition chamber 120 upstream of the coating drum 122. good too. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, a separate wash chamber may not be provided. By providing the cleaning chamber 170, the advantage of better vacuum isolation between the first spool chamber 110 and the deposition chamber, which are typically flooded at regular intervals, can be realized. Specifically, the cleaning chamber can serve as a further gas separation region between the first spool chamber and the deposition chamber. In some embodiments, only a small passageway, such as a slit, may be provided between the cleaning chamber and the deposition chamber to guide the flexible substrate through. By housing the cleaning device within the cleaning chamber 170, components of the cleaning device can be more easily replaced, and contaminants produced by the cleaning process can be pumped out of the cleaning chamber without entering the deposition chamber. An additional advantage of obtaining

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, additional cleaning devices are additionally or alternatively provided at other locations along the substrate transport path. may For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a post-coating cleaning device 173 may be positioned downstream of multiple deposition units 121 . The post-coating cleaning device 173 may be configured to clean the surface of the coatings applied by the plurality of deposition units 121 onto the first major surface of the flexible substrate.

Cleaning may be performed immediately downstream of multiple deposition units 121 . This ensures that particles generated on the coating surface during coating are removed before the coating surface contacts the roller surface. As used herein, "directly downstream" may imply washing the flexible substrate immediately after coating without directing the flexible substrate to guide rollers or pulleys. A guide roller or pulley can apply pressure to the newly coated surface. The occurrence of winding defects can be reduced or avoided.

The purpose of the cleaning device may be to collect particles or other types of contaminants on the flexible substrate before winding or deflecting the substrate under high tension by the induction roller. For example, the flexible substrate is typically pulled around the coating drum with high tension to improve thermal contact between the flexible substrate and the coating drum. Therefore, cleaning the second major surface of the substrate upstream of the coating drum can be beneficial. The occurrence of winding defects can be reduced or completely avoided.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, after deposition and before contacting any guide rollers, the (freshly coated) first major surface of the flexible substrate 10 is cleaned by a post-coating cleaning device 173. . A post-coating cleaning device 173 is positioned immediately downstream of the plurality of deposition units 121 . Although not limited to any embodiment, the post-coating cleaning device is typically configured to clean the newly coated side of the flexible substrate.

In some embodiments, post-coating cleaning device 173 may be positioned such that post-coating cleaning device 173 contacts flexible substrate 10 at the location where flexible substrate 10 contacts coating drum 122 . In this case, the position at which the flexible substrate 10 is in contact with the coating drum 122 is, for example, downstream of the last deposition unit of the plurality of deposition units 121 circumferentially around the rotation axis 123 of the coating drum 122. . At least part of the deposition units, in particular more than half of the plurality of deposition units 121, may be positioned below the axis of rotation 123 of the coating drum 122, as shown in FIG.

At least part of the cleaning device may be configured as follows. It should be noted that post-coating cleaning devices are considered cleaning devices herein. The functionality of the cleaning device will be described in relation to the first cleaning device 171 . The first cleaning device 171 may include a particle displacement unit and a particle dissipation unit. The particle displacement unit is shown as a first adhesive roll 175 with an adhesive or tacky surface and the particle dissipation unit is shown as a second roll 176 with an adhesive or tacky surface. In some embodiments, the tackiness of the second adhesive roll 176 is higher than the tackiness of the first adhesive roll 175 (i.e., a second adhesive roll that adheres the particles to the second adhesive roll). The ability of the adhesive roll is higher than the ability of the first adhesive roll to adhere the particles to the first adhesive roll).

First cleaning device 171, including first adhesive roll 175 and second adhesive roll 176, may operate as follows. A first adhesive roll 175 is positioned in direct contact with the major surface of flexible substrate 10 to be cleaned. The first adhesive roll 175 typically rotates at the same circumferential speed as that of the opposing directing roller. A guide roller positioned on the opposite side provides a counter-pressure surface. The first adhesive roll 175 may be driven by the flexible substrate in frictional contact with the first adhesive roll 175 during operation of the deposition apparatus.

Due to the tackiness of the first adhesive roll 175, particles on the flexible substrate are collected by the tacky surface of the first adhesive roll. Thus, the particles temporarily adhere to the first adhesive roll and roll on the circumference of the first adhesive roll to the opposite side of the first adhesive roll. A second adhesive roll 176 is positioned in contact with the first adhesive roll 175 . Note that the second adhesive roll 176 typically does not contact the flexible substrate. Since the tackiness of the second adhesive roll is greater than that of the first adhesive roll, particles on the first adhesive roll adhere to the tacky surface of the second adhesive roll.

Thus, the particles will remain on the surface of the second adhesive roll, while the outer surface of the first adhesive roll will come back into contact with the flexible substrate again. This will result in no particles being present on the first adhesive roll when it contacts the flexible substrate. Therefore, contact between the first adhesive roll and the flexible substrate will not cause any damage. Rather, the particles are pooled on the second adhesive roll. From time to time the second adhesive roll may be replaced with a new second adhesive roll.

In some embodiments, the second cleaning device 172, the post-coating cleaning device 173, and possibly further cleaning devices may have corresponding settings. For example, the substrate support surface of coating drum 122 can act as a counter-pressure surface against the first adhesive roll of post-coating cleaning device 173 .

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the at least one coating device additionally or alternatively extends to cover the entire width of the flexible substrate. including lasers that obtain The expanded laser beam typically has sufficient energy to detach particles from the surface of the flexible substrate. Alternatively, the laser can be controlled by an automated particle localization system. An automated particle localization system may include a camera and a controller for analyzing captured images. The locating system may be positioned upstream of the corresponding cleaning device. A particle localization system can locate individual particles on the substrate. The laser can direct a laser beam to particles located on the flexible substrate.

In some embodiments, the laser beam is sufficient to separate the particles from the substrate. A further particle dissipating unit, such as a suction device, may be provided to permanently remove particles from the substrate. A suction device may be positioned downstream of the laser. In embodiments, the laser is controlled and manipulated such that particles are dissipated by the laser beam. In this case an additional storage device such as a suction device may not be required.

In some embodiments, a suction device can function as a cleaning device. Without being limited to this embodiment, it is generally possible to provide a further gas separation stage between the last deposition unit and the post-coating cleaning device arranged immediately downstream of that deposition unit.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the ionized particle beam generated by the ionized particle beam generation unit is additionally or alternatively described herein as It can function as one of the cleaning devices described. The ionized particle beam can be expanded to cover the entire width of the flexible substrate. For example, an array of air blades or nozzles can be provided as outlets. The stream of ionized particles can serve to separate the particles from the surface of the flexible substrate. The beam may contain or consist of nitrogen. Alternatively, the ionized particle beam can be controlled by an automated particle localization system. An automated particle localization system may include a camera and a controller for analyzing captured images.

Due to the potentially high temperatures during coating and due to the positioning of the post-coating cleaning device in the vicinity of the deposition process, the post-coating cleaning device should be at least 50°C, 70°C, or even 100°C or higher. can be configured to withstand temperatures of The temperature of the flexible substrate, or the temperature of the coating drum, may be -30°C to +100°C, in particular -15°C to +30°C, during operation, particularly during sputter deposition on the flexible substrate. .

Specifically, in deposition processes that can involve highly exothermic reactions, it may be desirable to cool the coating drum. In sputtering, the process heat is mainly related to the condensation energy of particles on the flexible substrate and heat due to ion bombardment. It may be desirable to avoid high temperatures of the flexible substrate. Accordingly, the coating drums disclosed in this disclosure may include a cooling unit (not shown), eg, a cooling unit configured to cool the coating drum to a temperature below 0°C.

Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the cleaning devices may include a cooling unit. Thus, the cleaning device can be maintained at a temperature that maintains an acceptable level of evaporation of unknown or unwanted gases from the cleaning device. Cleaning such a cleaning device is particularly beneficial when the deposition process is performed at high temperatures.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a pretreatment device 201 can be provided upstream of the plurality of deposition units 121, as illustrated in FIG. . For example, pretreatment device 201 may be located within deposition chamber 120 upstream of multiple deposition units 121 . In some embodiments, a pre-processing device 201 is positioned to pre-process the flexible substrate as it contacts the substrate-supporting surface of the coating drum 122 . In some embodiments, more than one pretreatment device may be provided. The pretreatment device 201 may be configured to activate the first major surface of the flexible substrate to promote adhesion of the stack of deposited layers. For example, the pretreatment device can include a DC glow discharge.

According to one embodiment, the pretreatment device 201 can include a plasma source, eg, an RF plasma source, configured to pretreat the flexible substrate with plasma. For example, pretreatment with plasma can result in surface modification of the substrate surface to improve adhesion of a film deposited on the substrate surface, or otherwise to improve the treatment. Substrate morphology can be improved.

According to another embodiment, the pretreatment device 201 can be an ion source, in particular a linear ion source (LIS). Pre-treatment device 201 may be configured to pre-clean the first major surface of the flexible substrate prior to coating the first major surface. The pretreatment device 201 is configured to direct a plasma jet toward the first major surface of the flexible substrate to burn off hydrocarbons and to activate the surface to promote adhesion of the deposited layer. obtain. In some embodiments, argon ions may be used to provide effective plasma cleaning of flexible substrates. In some embodiments, combinations of gases, such as argon ions and oxygen ions, may be used to provide effective plasma cleaning. In some embodiments, _N2 is also a viable gas, eg, for pretreatment of PI-based substrates.

In some embodiments, at least one discharge assembly may be provided for matching the charge on the flexible substrate. For example, one discharge assembly may be arranged upstream of the plurality of deposition units, for example in the first spool chamber, and optionally a further discharge assembly is arranged downstream of the plurality of deposition units. good too. For example, positive and/or negative charges can build up on flexible substrates, so it can be beneficial to provide a discharge assembly to improve the quality of processing results. Specifically, electrical charge may be generated while the flexible substrate is being pumped from the storage spool. Static charge can then remain on the flexible substrate even as it moves into the deposition chamber, which can attract airborne particles to the surface of the flexible substrate. Thus, by providing a discharge assembly as described herein, ions of opposite polarity can be supplied. Ions of opposite polarity migrate to the surface of the flexible substrate and neutralize the charge. Accordingly, a clean, discharged surface of the flexible substrate can be provided so that the quality of processing (eg, coating) of the substrate can be improved.

In this disclosure, the term "discharge assembly" is intended to represent any device capable of ionizing gas through an electric field. The discharge assembly can be a passive unit or an active unit, or both. Additionally, the discharge assembly may include one or more neutralization devices that may be connected to the power supply and control unit. One or more neutralizing devices may be provided as neutralizing lances with one or more spikes or as ionization lances. Furthermore, a power supply, in particular a high voltage power supply, can be connected to the neutralization device. This is because a high voltage is applied to one or more spikes to cause an electrical breakdown of the process gas and produce ions. The ions can move in the electric field toward the surface of the flexible substrate to neutralize the charge on the flexible substrate. The control unit can initiate commands or execute pre-programmed discharge profiles such that a stream of negatively charged or positively charged ions is generated by the neutralizing device. A stream of negatively charged or positively charged ions flows to the surface of the substrate such that ions of opposite polarity to the charge on the surface of the substrate migrate to the surface of the substrate and neutralize the charge thereon. can be sexualized.

Thus, according to embodiments described herein, the impact of particles on manufacturing yield can be reduced by using static charge reduction devices, such as the discharge assemblies described herein. Particulate material can be prevented from being attracted due to charging of the substrate caused by rolls used to transport the substrate during delivery. This helps keep the extrinsic contamination on the substrate surface at a certain level.

FIG. 3 illustrates a deposition apparatus 100 for coating flexible substrates 10 according to embodiments described herein. Most features of the deposition apparatus 100 of FIG. 3 correspond to respective features of the deposition apparatus shown in FIG. Therefore, reference can be made to the above description and such description will not be repeated here.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, an annealing unit 114 can be provided upstream of multiple deposition units 121 . Annealing unit 114 may be configured to heat or anneal flexible substrate 10 at a location upstream of multiple deposition units 121 . It may be beneficial to heat the flexible substrate delivered from the storage spool 112 to allow outgassing of the flexible substrate prior to deposition. Additionally, flexible substrates (eg, substrates comprising synthetic materials such as PET, HC-PET, PE, PI, PU, TaC, COP) can contain significant amounts of moisture. Degassing of moisture during the coating process under high vacuum conditions can adversely affect properties of the deposited layer stack (e.g. layer adhesion), optical uniformity, sheet resistance, and further layer properties. There is Therefore, it may be beneficial to anneal the flexible substrate upstream of multiple deposition units 121 .

Placing the annealing unit 114 in one of the one or more vacuum chambers upstream of the deposition chamber can reduce or avoid disruption of the vacuum conditions in the deposition chamber by the annealing process. For example, the annealing unit 114 can be provided within the first spool chamber 110 downstream of the storage spool 112, or the annealing unit 114 can be positioned between the first spool chamber 110 and the deposition chamber 120. It may be provided in an (optional) wash chamber.

In some embodiments, the annealing unit 114 may include at least one of a heatable roller 115 and a radiant heater 116 configured to direct thermal radiation toward the flexible substrate. In some embodiments, additional heating chambers with heating zones may be provided. In some embodiments, the flexible substrate may be annealed by annealing unit 114 to a temperature of 80° C. or higher, specifically 100° C. or higher, or even 150° C. or higher.

Heatable rollers 115 can be passive rollers adapted to guide the flexible substrate along the substrate transport path in the absence of an inherent roller drive, or active rollers. In some embodiments, the heatable roller can be a deflection roller for deflecting the flexible substrate by a predetermined deflection angle. In some embodiments, heatable roller 115 may be heated by a heat transfer medium such as oil or water. However, such rollers may require vacuum sealing of the rotary feedthrough for the transmission medium through the tube.

In some embodiments, an electrical heating device may be provided for heatable roller 115 . The heating device can include a first end and a second end, and the heating device can be held at the first end and the second end. An electrical heating device may be placed inside the heatable roller. In some embodiments, the heating device can be secured to the first end and the second end.

In some embodiments, the heating device can be a radiant heating device (infrared heating device, induction heating device, or the like). According to some embodiments, the electrical heating device can be a non-contact heating device. A non-contact heating device can bring the surface of the heatable roller to a defined temperature without contacting the flexible substrate. According to some embodiments, the heating device may have two ends and may be adapted to be supported, held or secured at both ends. In one embodiment, the heating device may have a substantially cylindrical form and the two ends of the heating device are the two ends of the longitudinal axis of the substantially cylindrical heating device.

In some embodiments, the deposition apparatus may be provided with a trap, eg, a cold trap, for collecting vapors outgassed from the flexible substrate, eg, by using heatable rollers. Specifically, traps for collecting outgassed vapors from the flexible substrate may be placed at opposing locations on the surface of the flexible substrate. For example, during heating of the flexible substrate by the annealing unit 114, moisture may evaporate from the surface of the flexible substrate.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of a heatable roller 115 that can be used in deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein. For example, heatable roller 115 may be used as a deflection roller immediately downstream of the storage spool, as illustrated in FIG. 3, or used as a deflection roller positioned further downstream along the substrate transport path. may In some embodiments, two or more heatable rollers may be provided in the first spool chamber 110 and/or other vacuum chambers, such as wash chambers downstream of the first spool chamber. Heatable roller 115 may include a roller surface 210 adapted to contact flexible substrate 10 . Roller surface 210 of heatable roller 115 may be adapted to guide the flexible substrate as a guide roller. Inside the heatable roller 115 an electrical heating device 220 is provided. Electric heating device 220 may be adapted to operate under vacuum conditions.

In FIG. 6 the outer surface of the electric heating device is labeled with reference numeral 225 . A first end 250 and a second end 260 of the electrical heating device 220 appear to lie in front of the substantially cylindrical shape of the heating device. A heating device may be held at a first end 250 and a second end 260 . According to some embodiments, the first end 250 is held by a first holding device 271 and the second end 260 is held by a second holding device 272 .

By supporting the electrical heating device on both ends, the heatable roller 115 including the electrical heating device 220 can be held stably during operation of the deposition apparatus, especially regardless of the weight of the flexible substrate. According to some embodiments, a higher accuracy of roller position is desirable to ensure reliable operation of the deposition apparatus 100 .

In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, annealing unit 114 can additionally or alternatively include radiant heater 116 . The radiant heater may be configured as a heating lamp, eg, an infrared lamp, in some embodiments. In some embodiments, radiant heater 116 may be positioned directly upstream or downstream of heatable roller 115 . For example, as shown in FIG. 3, annealing unit 114 may include heatable roller 115 and radiant heater 116 positioned immediately downstream of heatable roller 115 .

Radiant heater 116 may be configured to direct thermal radiation toward the flexible substrate as the flexible substrate is directed past radiant heater 116 . For example, one, two, or more guide rollers may be provided to guide the flexible substrate past the radiant heater 116 in one or two passes. Efficiency of degassing can be improved. For example, heating the flexible substrate to a temperature of 100° C. or higher, or even up to 150° C., ensures that the flexible substrate is degassed and pre-annealed prior to coating.

As shown schematically in Figure 3, the deposition apparatus 100 may further include a defect inspection device 154 for detecting defects in the flexible substrate after deposition. A defect inspection device 154 may be arranged downstream of the plurality of deposition units 121 . For example, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3, defect inspection device 154 may be provided within second spool chamber 150 . In other embodiments, more than one defect inspection device may be provided.

Defect inspection device 154 may be configured to detect defects such as winding defects or coating defects (eg, pinholes, cracks, or other openings) in stacks of layers deposited on flexible substrates. The defect inspection device 154 may be operated in-line, ie, after deposition of the stack of layers, along the substrate transport path to detect defects while transporting the flexible substrate. For example, newly coated layer stacks may be continuously inspected by defect inspection device 154 . Here, defect inspection device 154 may be configured to inspect the substrate under vacuum conditions, ie, while transferring the substrate through a vacuum chamber (eg, a second spool chamber).

Defects (e.g. pinholes, cracks or openings) in the stack of deposited layers having a size of 50 μm or less, in particular 30 μm or less, more particularly 15 μm or less, or even 5 μm or less, It can be detected using defect inspection device 154 . The size (eg, maximum diameter) and/or number of defects per surface area of one or more detected defects may be determined.

In some implementations, defect inspection device 154 may specifically be an optical defect inspection device that includes a light source 155 and a photodetector 156, such as a camera. It can be useful to estimate the number and approximate size of defects in a stack of deposited layers. Inspection of the coated substrate may be reasonable to confirm coating results. In some embodiments, the number of defects in the outermost layer of the stack of layers, which can be a metal layer such as a Cu layer, should be minimized. In some embodiments, defects with a size (eg, largest diameter) of 10 μm or larger can impair the functionality of the deposited layer stack. Accordingly, the defect inspection device may be configured to detect defects of size 10 μm or larger, or smaller.

In some embodiments, a deposition apparatus according to embodiments described herein can be configured to deposit a stack of layers on a first major surface of a flexible substrate, in particular the layers The outermost layer of the stack can be a metal layer, eg a Cu layer. The layer quality of the outermost layer is such that the outermost layer has substantially no defects or pinholes with a size of 30 μm or more, or the outermost layer has defects with a size of 15 μm to 30 μm per 625 cm ² surface area (A4 size area). Or it may have less than 10 pinholes and/or the outermost layer may have less than 15 defects or pinholes with a size of 5 μm to 15 μm per 625 cm ² surface area (A4 size area). Defect inspection device 154 may be configured to inspect the stack of coated layers for these or similar quality characteristics.

Defect inspection device 154 may be configured to make optical transmission measurements, particularly when inspecting non-transmissive layers such as metal layers. For example, a light source 155 may be provided on a first side of the flexible substrate and a photodetector 156 may be provided on the flexible substrate so that transmission measurements of the flexible substrate and/or layers deposited thereon may be performed. It may be provided on the second side. The increased transparency of the flexible substrate as measured by the photodetector indicates that the non-transmissive layer deposited on the flexible substrate may have defects such as pinholes or openings. means.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the defect inspection device 154 is positioned between the first and second guide rollers, i.e. the flexible substrate. , where the flexible substrate is not in direct contact with one of the guide rollers. For example, the light source 155 of the defect inspection device 154 can be provided on the first side of the flexible substrate such that the light beam generated by the light source 155 can be transmitted through the free span section of the flexible substrate. The photodetector 156 of the defect inspection device may be placed on the other side of the flexible substrate so that the photodetector 156 can detect the light beam propagating through the free span section of the flexible substrate. In some embodiments, the defect inspection device may be mounted between two guide rollers downstream of the deposition apparatus and upstream of the take-up spool, eg, immediately upstream of the take-up spool.

In some embodiments, the width of the light beam produced by light source 155 may be adapted to the width of the flexible substrate. Thereby, the flexible substrate can be inspected over the entire width of the flexible substrate, or at least over the entire width of the stack of deposited layers. For example, the width of the light beam may be 500 mm or more, specifically 1 m or more, more specifically between 1.2 m and 1.8 m. In some embodiments, the light source can be cooled using, for example, a cooling fluid (eg, water), particularly if the light source is located within a vacuum chamber. For example, water channels may be provided to cool the light source 155, particularly if the light source 155 is located within a vacuum chamber. For example, a supply tube may be provided for supplying a cooling medium (eg, water) into the vacuum chamber, including a vacuum feedthrough through the wall of the second spool chamber. Additionally, in some embodiments, a vacuum feedthrough may be provided to feed additional media (eg, electricity) into the vacuum chamber. For example, control and/or power supply cables for controlling and/or electrically driving the light sources and/or photodetectors may be guided through the wall of the vacuum chamber via one or more vacuum feedthroughs.

In some embodiments, the photodetectors 156, which may include one, two, three, or more cameras, are provided outside the vacuum chamber, e.g., on the walls of the vacuum chamber. It may be provided behind two, three or more windows. This allows easy access to the photodetector 156 for adjustment, alignment and maintenance. Additionally, if the photodetector 156 is located outside the vacuum chamber, no vacuum feedthrough may be provided to control and electrically drive the photodetector. Additionally, it may be difficult to provide the photodetector 156 inside the vacuum chamber, as the available space inside the vacuum chamber may be limited. Therefore, a more compact vacuum chamber can be provided.

Thus, in some embodiments, the light source 155 may be positioned inside the vacuum chamber, e.g., inside the second spool chamber 150, and the photodetector 156 may be positioned outside the vacuum chamber, e.g. may be located behind one or more windows in the wall of the spool chamber 150 of the . Alternatively, at least one of the light source and photodetector may be provided within the vacuum chamber, for example within the second spool chamber 150, for example in an atmospheric box located within the main volume of the vacuum chamber. It may be contained within an airtight enclosure. For example, two, three, or more windows may be provided in the top wall of the second spool chamber 150 or in the walls of the vacuum-tight enclosure so that the light beam propagating through the flexible substrate is separated from two windows. It may be directed upwardly through one or more windows toward two or more cameras of photodetector 156 . In some implementations, the photodetector 156 can be mounted on an adjustable bar outside the vacuum chamber so that the distance between the light source 155 and the photodetector 156 can be adjusted appropriately.

For example, depending on one or more parameters (eg, inspection width, number of cameras in the photodetector, focal length of the light beam, etc.), the photodetector is mounted at a fixed distance from the stack of deposited layers. That could be reasonable. Therefore, in some embodiments, a vacuum compatible camera may not be required. The described in-line defect inspection device enables high resolution and accurate defect detection in R2R deposition equipment.

In other embodiments, both light source 155 and photodetector 156 may be positioned outside the vacuum chamber, eg, behind one or more corresponding windows. For example, a reflector may be provided inside the vacuum chamber to retroreflect the light beam, thereby placing the light source 155 and the photodetector 156 on the same side of the flexible substrate, for example outside the vacuum chamber. be able to. In yet another embodiment, as shown schematically in FIG. 3, light source 155 and photodetector 156 may be located inside the vacuum chamber. However, further configurations of the defect inspection device are possible. This includes, for example, having the light source outside the vacuum chamber and the photodetector inside the vacuum chamber.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, as illustrated in FIG. Device 161 may further be included. In some embodiments, monitoring device 161 may be an in-line monitoring device that may be operable during operation of the deposition apparatus, especially under vacuum conditions. Specifically, monitoring device 161 may be configured to detect one or more properties of at least one layer deposited on the flexible substrate. For example, monitoring device 161 may be configured to detect and measure one or more properties of one or more layers deposited by multiple deposition units 121 .

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the monitoring device 161 can be positioned within the deposition chamber 120 downstream of the coating drum 122 . One or more guide rollers, such as active rollers and passive rollers, may be positioned between the coating drum and the monitoring device.

The monitoring device may be configured to measure at least one of electrical and optical properties of one or more layers deposited on the flexible substrate. For example, electrical properties related to electrical conductivity of one or more layers deposited on a flexible substrate can be measured. Specifically, the electrical sheet resistance of one or more layers deposited on a flexible substrate can be measured. In some embodiments, the electrical properties of one or more layers deposited on a substrate are determined by applying a potential or voltage between two spaced locations of the one or more layers and It can be measured by measuring the current flowing through one or more layers between the positions that are applied.

In some embodiments, an electrical property, such as sheet resistance, of one or more layers deposited on a substrate is induced by inducing localized currents, such as eddy currents, in one or more layers and induced It can be measured by measuring the intensity of the eddy currents. Measuring electrical properties of one or more layers deposited on a flexible substrate by inducing eddy currents in one or more layers can allow for spatially resolved measurements of electrical properties. have advantages. For example, the sheet resistance of the side regions of the flexible substrate can be measured by inducing and measuring eddy currents in the side regions of the flexible substrate. Similarly, the sheet resistance in the central region of the flexible substrate can be measured by inducing and measuring eddy currents in the central region of the flexible substrate. Furthermore, eddy currents can be induced in a non-contact manner. Therefore, the risk of damaging the coated substrate can be reduced.

In some embodiments, monitoring device 161 may alternatively or additionally be configured to measure one or more optical properties of one or more layers deposited on the flexible substrate. For example, the transmittance, reflectance, and/or color values of one or more layers can be measured. Coatings on substrates can be characterized by specific spectral reflectance and transmittance, as well as resulting color values, and aspects to consider for control of the deposition process are transmission and reflection during coating production. can be reliably measured in-line. Layer uniformity and/or layer thickness values may be subtracted from the measured transmittance and/or reflectance values.

Measuring reflectance for a moving flexible substrate can be difficult because even small deviations in the flatness of the substrate cause geometric changes in the path of the reflected beam to the detector, resulting in lead to erroneous measurement results. By measuring the reflectance at the point where the plastic substrate is in mechanical contact with the guide roller of the deposition apparatus, it is possible to ensure that the plastic substrate is in flat contact with the surface of the roller. A transmission measurement can be made at a position between the first roller and the second roller. The area between the first roller and the second roller may be referred to as the "free span" section of the flexible substrate.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the monitoring device 161 is configured to measure one or more optical properties of the flexible substrate or one or more coating layers. can be configured to In some embodiments, a monitoring device can include at least one spherical structure. The spherical structure may be an integrating sphere, eg an Ulbricht sphere. A ball structure may be positioned in the free span region between the first and second guide rollers. A spherical structure can provide uniform light scattering or diffusion inside the spherical structure. Light incident on the inner surface of the spherical structure can be evenly distributed inside the spherical structure. Scattered light emitted from the spherical structure through the port can be projected onto the flexible substrate to measure at least one optical property of the flexible substrate or one or more coating layers.

In some embodiments, the at least one monitoring device may include a layer measurement system (LMS), such as an optical layer measurement system, for measuring and evaluating coating results. Accordingly, embodiments may be used, e.g., for use with transparent or translucent flexible substrates or coating layers, for example, through the use of optical reflective and/or transmissive systems, to reduce the thickness of one or more deposited layers. It should be understood that it provides a measurement capability for evaluation.

In some embodiments, at least one monitoring device may be provided to measure the absolute thickness and/or thickness uniformity of one or more coating layers.

Furthermore, for particularly thin substrates (e.g., substrates having a thickness of 200 μm or less, or 100 μm or less, or 50 μm or less, such as about 25 μm), non-wrinkling substrate processing and/or substrate winding has been found to be beneficial. At the same time, it is difficult. According to some embodiments, one or more tension rollers and/or one or more tension-measuring rollers are used for wrinkle-free, tension-controlled take-up/delivery and/or transport ( or substrate winding/unloading and/or transport) with reduced wrinkling.

According to some embodiments described herein, the deposition device includes one or more tension rollers and one or more tension measuring rollers, as shown schematically in FIG. obtain. Accordingly, a roller assembly configured to guide and transport a flexible substrate along a substrate transport path can be operated with controlled tension. A tension roller may be understood to be an active roller including a drive for driving the roller, for example with an adjustable drive force. A tension-measuring roller may be understood to be a roller that includes a sensor that measures the tension of a portion of the flexible substrate that is guided over the roller surface. The enlacment angle of the flexible substrate 10 around the tension measuring roller is 90° or more, in particular 120° or more, or even up to 180°, in order to improve the certainty of the measurement result. obtain.

In some embodiments, at least one or more of the following rollers may be active rollers: storage spool 112 , coating drum 122 , and take-up spool 152 . Additional active rollers may be provided in some implementations. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, for example, a pull roller 181 may be provided within the deposition chamber. Active rollers are marked with curved arrows in FIG.

In some embodiments, a tension-measuring roller can be associated with at least one of the active rollers. In some embodiments, the two or more active rollers can each have an associated tension-measuring roller. In some embodiments, all but one of the active rollers may each have an associated tension-measuring roller. This single active roller, which may not have an associated tension-measuring roller, may be referred to herein as the "master roller." The transport speed of the flexible substrate along the transport path, also called "line speed", may be determined by the rotational speed of the master roller, which may rotate at a predetermined rotational speed.

The tension-measuring roller can be positioned upstream or downstream of the active roller associated with the tension-measuring roller. Typically, no further active rollers are provided between the active roller and the associated tension measuring roller. However, in some cases, one, two or more passive rollers may be provided between the active rollers and the associated tension measuring rollers. Specifically, active rollers and tension-measuring rollers may alternatively be provided along the substrate transport path, but passive rollers may or may not be positioned between them. .

As an example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a first tension measurement roller 184 is associated with the storage spool 112, a second tension measurement roller 185 is associated with the pull roller 181, and a third tension measurement roller 188 is associated with the storage spool 112. is associated with take-up spool 152 . A coating drum, which can also be an active roller, can be configured as a master roller. The master roller determines the transport speed of the flexible substrate and may not have an associated tension measuring roller. It should be understood that this arrangement is an exemplary setting. For example, in other embodiments another active roller may be configured as the master roller. Additionally, in some embodiments, more or less than three tension measuring rollers may be provided and/or more or less than one tension roller may be provided. The settings and respective positions of the tension measuring roller and pulling roller may be different in other embodiments. One of many possible settings for flexible substrate tension control is shown in FIG. 4 and described in detail.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, first tension measurement roller 184 is associated with storage spool 112 . The first tension-measuring roller 184 may be positioned downstream of the storage spool 112 and one, two, or more passive rollers may be positioned between the storage spool 112 and the first tension-measuring roller 184 . can be placed in between. For example, the first tension measuring roller 184 may be positioned within the deposition chamber 120 upstream of the next active roller, the coating drum 122 .

A set point (ie, target value) for the substrate tension at the position of the first tension measurement roller 184 can be preset. If the tension value measured by the first tension measurement roller 184 is above the set point, the torque value provided by the storage spool 112 drive may be decreased. If the tension value measured by the first tension measurement roller 184 is below the set point, the torque value provided by the storage spool 112 drive may be increased. Therefore, proper tension of the flexible substrate downstream of the storage spool can be ensured. Flexible substrate bursts, cracks, pinholes, or winding defects caused by extensive substrate tension can be avoided. Additionally, wrinkles, undulations, sagging, or defects due to excessive substrate temperature of the substrate caused by low substrate tension can be avoided.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, coating drum 122 may be a master roller that determines the transport speed of the flexible substrate along the substrate transport path. The rotation speed of the master roller can be set as appropriate. For example, the transport speed of the flexible substrate may be greater than or equal to 1 m/min and less than or equal to 5 m/min, specifically about 2 m/min. All other active roller drives along the substrate transport path may be tension controlled according to the measurements of the associated tension measurement rollers.

As shown schematically in FIG. 4, in some embodiments the second tension-measuring roller 185 may be associated with another active roller, such as tension roller 181 . A second tension measuring roller 185 may be positioned immediately downstream of the coating drum 122 and immediately upstream of the tension roller 181 . However, in other embodiments, one or more passive rollers may be positioned therebetween. For example, a second tension measuring roller 185 may be located within the deposition chamber 120 downstream of the coating drum 122 . A second tension measurement roller 185 may be configured to measure the substrate tension at a location downstream of the coating drum 122 .

A set point (ie, target value) for the substrate tension at the position of the second tension measurement roller 185 can be preset. If a tension value is measured by the second tension measuring roller 185 above the set point, the torque value provided by the drive of the tension roller 181 may be decreased. If the tension value measured by the second tension measuring roller 185 is below the set point, the torque value provided by the drive of the tension roller 181 may be increased. Therefore, proper tensioning of the flexible substrate around the coating drum can be ensured.

Note that high substrate tension can increase the risk of winding defects. For example, if the flexible substrate is pressed against the roller surface with high tension, scratches or other winding defects may occur. Therefore, low substrate tension can be beneficial at locations where the flexible substrate is in direct contact with the roller surface. On the other hand, if the flexible substrate is in close proximity to the cooled substrate support surface of the coating drum, high substrate tension around the coating drum is beneficial as it allows for more efficient cooling of the flexible substrate during deposition. obtain. Therefore, it is beneficial to tightly control the substrate tension along the substrate transport path.

Therefore, the target value for the second tension-measuring roller 185 may be higher than the target value for the first tension-measuring roller 184 . This is because a lower substrate tension between the storage spool 112 and the first tension measurement roller 184 can be beneficial to reduce the risk of winding defects, and a higher substrate tension between the coating drum 122 and the tension roller 181 can be beneficial. This is because substrate tension can be beneficial to improve thermal contact between the flexible substrate and the substrate support surface of coating drum 122 . For example, a target value for the second tension measuring roller 185, which may represent the intended substrate tension around the coating drum 122, may be greater than or equal to 100N and less than or equal to 900N, specifically 200N to 400N. In some embodiments, a substrate tension target of less than 200 N may be beneficial.

As shown schematically in FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, a third tension measurement roller 188 may be provided upstream and associated with take-up spool 152 . Depending on the tension value measured by the third tension measuring roller 188, the torque generated by the drive of the take-up spool 152 can be controlled. If the tension value measured by the third tension measurement roller 188 is above the set point, the torque value provided by the take-up spool 152 may be decreased. If the tension value measured by the third tension measurement roller 188 is below the set point, the torque value provided by the take-up spool 152 may be increased. Therefore, proper tensioning of the flexible substrate upstream of the take-up spool can be ensured.

It may be beneficial to provide one or more additional tension rollers, such as tension roller 181, to reduce substrate tension in the central section between the two active rollers. There is a long distance between two active rollers or they have several passive rollers between them. For example, in some embodiments, at least one tension roller may be positioned between the coating drum and the take-up spool. Additionally, providing one or more tension rollers may be beneficial in deposition apparatuses that provide a partially convex and partially concave substrate transport path. For example, changes in orientation of the substrate and large bend angles in various bend directions can add to the substrate tension so that it can be advantageous to provide additional active rollers. Additionally, providing additional tension rollers can have the advantage that the substrate tension can be set to different values at different regions along the substrate transport path as appropriate for each region.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of deposition apparatus 100, according to embodiments described herein. Deposition apparatus 100 includes multiple vacuum chambers including first spool chamber 110 , cleaning chamber 170 (optional), deposition chamber 120 , and second spool chamber 150 . Additionally, deposition apparatus 100 includes a roller assembly configured to transport the flexible substrate along the substrate transport path.

As shown schematically in FIG. 5, the vacuum chambers can be arranged in a substantially linear setup. In other words, the second chamber along the substrate transfer path, namely the cleaning chamber 170, may be located to one side, eg, the right side, of the first chamber along the substrate transfer path, namely the first spool chamber 110. . Similarly, a third chamber along the substrate transport path, deposition chamber 120 , may be positioned to one side, eg, the right side, of the second chamber, cleaning chamber 170 . Similarly, a fourth chamber along the substrate transfer path, second spool chamber 150 , may be positioned to one side, eg, the right side, of the third chamber, deposition chamber 120 . Thus, the vacuum chambers can be arranged in a substantially linear setting or in rows extending from left to right in FIG. Accordingly, the general direction of the substrate transport path may extend from left to right as well. However, the substrate transport path may, for example, curve downward and upward and/or rightward and leftward, or change direction several times within each vacuum chamber, as shown in FIG. obtain.

For example, in some embodiments the substrate transport path may alternatively curve downwards and upwards. Beneficially, therefore, space requirements may be reduced. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, the substrate transport path extends downward from storage spool 112 to heatable roller 115 . Heatable roller 115 may be a counterclockwise rotating roller. The substrate transport path may then curve upward toward guide roller 113, which may be a clockwise rotating roller. Guiding roller 113 may roll the flexible substrate downward again toward a deflection roller, which may be a counterclockwise rotating roller. A deflection roller may deflect the flexible substrate toward a slit in the wall between the first spool chamber 110 and the cleaning chamber 170 . For example, a sealing device 105 including an inflatable seal may be provided in the wall between the first spool chamber 110 and the wash chamber 170. In its path from heatable roller 115 to guide roller 113 or downstream of guide roller 113, the flexible substrate may be heated by radiant heater 116. FIG.

A clockwise rotating roller may contact the first major surface of the flexible substrate. The first major surface can be the major surface to be coated during each pass through the deposition apparatus. A counterclockwise rotating roller may contact a second major surface of the flexible substrate, which may or may not be the back surface of the substrate (which may or may not be the already coated surface). good). Accordingly, it may be beneficial to provide a first cleaning device 171 configured to clean a first major surface and a second cleaning device 172 configured to clean a second major surface. . A first cleaning device 171 and a second cleaning device may be positioned within the cleaning chamber 170 . The first cleaning device 171 and the second cleaning device 172 may be arranged directly upstream from the counterpart or directly downstream from the counterpart. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the roller surface of the counterclockwise rotating roller may serve as a pressure surface for the first cleaning device 171, and the roller surface of the clockwise rotating roller may serve as the pressure surface for the first cleaning device 171. It may also serve as a counter-pressure surface for two cleaning devices 172 . The clockwise rotating roller may deflect the flexible substrate toward an opening in the wall between cleaning chamber 170 and deposition chamber 120 . In order to improve the gas separation between the cleaning chamber 170 and the deposition chamber 120 and to avoid gases released by the cleaning device from entering the deposition chamber 120, a further sealing device is optionally provided for cleaning. It may be located on the wall between chamber 170 and deposition chamber 120 .

Within the deposition chamber 120, more than 2 and less than 5, especially 3 guide rollers may be provided upstream of the coating drum 122, where more than 2 and no more than 5, especially 3 guide rollers are provided for the coating. It may be provided downstream of the drum 122 . As described in more detail above, one of the guide rollers positioned upstream of the coating drum 122 may be configured as a first tension measurement roller 184 that may be associated with the storage spool 112 . A guide roller positioned immediately upstream of the coating drum 122 may be configured as a deflection roller to smoothly guide the flexible substrate 10 onto the substrate support surface of the coating drum 122 .

Furthermore, at least one of the guiding rollers arranged downstream of the coating drum 122 , in particular the guiding roller arranged directly downstream of the coating drum 122 , can be configured as a second tension measuring roller 185 . . Additionally, one of the guide rollers positioned downstream of the second tension measurement roller 185 may be configured as the pull roller 181 associated with the second tension measurement roller 185 . The concept of tension control has already been explained in more detail above and will not be repeated here. As shown schematically in FIG. 5, the substrate transport path may change direction several times from downstream of the coating drum 122 within the deposition chamber 120 . The turning of the substrate transport path can occur by providing the guide rollers with a wrap angle of 120° or more, specifically 150° or more, or even about 180° or more. For example, the wrap angle of the second tension measurement roller 185 can be about 180°. The flexible substrate can completely change orientation several times so that an overall compact set-up of the deposition apparatus can be achieved. In some embodiments, a monitoring device 161 may be provided within the deposition chamber 120 downstream of the coating drum 122 .

Further, in FIG. 5 two alternative winding passes are shown. Specifically, the roller assembly can be configured to provide a first take-up/delivery path, shown as a solid line, of the flexible substrate being guided through the deposition device. The first winding/delivery path configuration illustrated in FIG. 5 is useful for winding/delivering thick films. Additionally or alternatively, the roller assembly may be configured to provide a second take-up/delivery path 111 indicated by dashed lines. This dashed line shows the difference to the first winding/unloading path. Typically, the second take-up/delivery path may include more rollers than the first take-up/delivery path. The configuration of the second take-up/delivery path illustrated in FIG. 5 can be beneficial for the take-up/delivery of thin films.

A final guide roller in deposition chamber 120 may be configured as a deflection roller for deflecting the flexible substrate toward an opening in the wall between deposition chamber 120 and second spool chamber 150 . In some embodiments, a sealing device (optional) may be provided in the wall between deposition chamber 120 and second spool chamber 150 .

Among other things, according to some embodiments, the deposition apparatus described herein can have a modular design. For example, in some embodiments a second deposition chamber may be provided. In this case a connecting chamber may be provided between the first deposition chamber and the second deposition chamber. Additionally, a second spool chamber can be connected to the second deposition chamber. For example, connecting chambers may be arranged downstream of a first connecting chamber, eg, deposition chamber 120, and upstream of a second deposition chamber. The connecting chamber may include a connecting chamber inlet for receiving the flexible substrate from the first connecting chamber and a connecting chamber outlet for guiding the flexible substrate into the second deposition chamber. Therefore, gas separation between the first connecting chamber and the second deposition chamber can be improved. Position the flexible substrate at the connecting chamber exit so that the flexible substrate can pass smoothly into the second deposition chamber through a passageway (e.g., a small slit) between the connecting chamber and the second deposition chamber. One or more guide rollers may be arranged in the connecting chamber for deflecting in a direction.

In other embodiments, it may be reasonable to add a third deposition chamber. In this case, downstream of the second deposition chamber, a second connection chamber may be provided instead of the second spool chamber, the third connection chamber and the second spool chamber being the same as the second connection chamber. may be connected downstream of the Accordingly, the deposition device may be provided with a flange or a connecting base. This allows expansion of the deposition system by connecting additional vacuum chambers or by removing some of the vacuum chambers from the deposition system 100 shown in FIG. Therefore, it should be understood that additional vacuum chambers may be provided to extend the operating range of the deposition apparatus. Thus, the modular design of the deposition apparatus described herein allows for adjustment of the size of the base shape to meet user needs (eg, factory space requirements).

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, when the flexible substrate to be processed is provided on the storage spool 112 with an interleaf, the deposition apparatus: Interleaf modules (not explicitly shown) may be provided. Thus, an interleaf can be provided between adjacent layers of the flexible substrate to avoid direct contact of one layer of the flexible substrate with an adjacent layer of the flexible substrate on the storage spool. be able to. For example, first spool chamber 110 may include a first interleaf module for picking up an interleaf provided for protection of substrates on storage spool 112 . The interleaf module may include several interleaf guide rolls for guiding the interleaf to the interleaf take-up roll as the flexible substrate is delivered with the interleaf from the storage spool. Accordingly, the second spool chamber 150 may further include an interleaf module including an interleaf guide roll for guiding the interleaf supplied from the interleaf supply roll to the take-up spool 152 . Thus, the second interleaf module can supply the interleaf. This interleaf is wrapped with the processed substrate onto the take-up spool to protect the processed substrate on the take-up spool. The first spool chamber 110 and the second spool chamber 150 include retainers and/or receivers for mounting the interleaf pick roll and interleaf supply roll, respectively, and retainers for mounting the respective interleaf guide rolls. It should be understood that portions and/or receptacles may be provided.

The basic setup of the second deposition chamber may correspond to the setup of the first deposition chamber, namely deposition chamber 120, so reference can be made to the above description and will not be repeated here. Specifically, the tension of the substrate in the second deposition chamber can be controlled in a similar manner as in the first connecting chamber. However, in some embodiments, the pretreatment device 201, which may be provided upstream of the first plurality of deposition units in the first connecting chamber, may not be provided in the second deposition chamber. Further, in some embodiments, a monitoring device, such as monitoring device 161 described herein, may be provided only downstream of the second plurality of deposition units in the second deposition chamber. The second plurality of deposition units may be configured similarly to the first plurality of deposition units, ie, the plurality of deposition units 120 described herein. For example, in some embodiments, monitoring the stack of layers downstream of the second plurality of deposition units may be sufficient. Alternatively, a first monitoring device and a second monitoring device may be provided, which may be configured as the monitoring device 161 described herein. Further, in some embodiments, deposition units of the first plurality of deposition units may differ from deposition units of the second plurality of deposition units. After that, the second deposition chamber can have similar or identical settings as the deposition chamber 120 described herein.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a further sealing device can be provided on the wall between the second deposition chamber and the second spool chamber. . In some embodiments, a defect inspection device 154, described in more detail above, may be positioned upstream of the take-up spool 152 within the second spool chamber.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the coating drum 122, according to embodiments described herein. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the coating drum 122 has a curved substrate support surface 401 for contacting the flexible substrate 10 and an axis of rotation. A curved substrate support surface 401 that may be rotatable about 123 and may include a substrate guidance region 403, a group of gas outlets disposed within the curved substrate support surface 401 and adapted to emit a gas stream. 404, and a gas distribution system 405 that selectively supplies gas flow to a first subgroup of gas outlets 404 and selectively prevents gas from flowing to a second subgroup of gas outlets 404; , a first subgroup of gas outlets 404 includes at least one gas outlet within the substrate guiding region 403 and a second subgroup of gas outlets includes at least one gas outlet outside the substrate guiding region 403. A gas distribution system 405 may be included, including gas outlets.

Typically, coating drum 122 is rotatable about axis of rotation 123 . In some embodiments, coating drum 122 includes a stationary portion and, for example, a portion that is rotatable about the stationary portion. For example, the coating drum 122 may include an inner stationary portion (which in some embodiments may include a gas distribution system or components of a gas distribution system) and an outer rotating portion that rotates about the inner stationary portion.

According to some embodiments, coating drum 122 includes a curved substrate support surface 401 . A curved substrate support surface of coating drum 122 may be adapted to (at least partially) contact a flexible substrate during operation of deposition apparatus 100 . According to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, the curved substrate support surface can be a cylindrical surface of symmetry. Specifically, the curved substrate support surface may be selected from the group consisting of a cylindrical surface, a convex cylindrical surface, a conical surface, and a frusto-conical surface.

According to some embodiments, the curved substrate support surface 401 may contact the flexible substrate at contact locations during operation of the deposition apparatus. For example, due to the surface properties (such as roughness) of the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum, the substrate may come into point contact with the curved substrate support surface. A curved substrate support surface with roughness can mean that a microscopic representation of the curved substrate support surface "peaks and valleys" is visible. Point contact between the curved substrate support surface and the substrate occurs at locations where the curved substrate support surface roughness has "peaks". According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments, the roughness of the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum is typically between about 0.1 Rz and about 1.5 Rz, more typically can range between about 0.2 Rz and about 0.8 Rz. According to some embodiments, contact between the coating drum 122 and the substrate may allow movement of the substrate as the coating drum 122 rotates.

During operation, the substrate is guided across the substrate guidance area 403 of the curved substrate support surface 401 . In some embodiments, the substrate guidance region 403 can be defined as the angular extent of the coating drum 122 where the substrate contacts the curved substrate surface during operation of the coating drum, and is at the wrap angle of the coating drum. can cope.

In some embodiments, the wrap angle of the coating drum can be 120° or more, specifically 180° or more, or even 270° or more, as shown schematically in FIG. In some embodiments, the top portion of the coating drum may not contact the flexible substrate during operation, and the wrap area of the coating drum may cover at least the entire lower half of the coating drum. In some embodiments, the coating drum may be substantially symmetrically wrapped by the flexible substrate.

The exemplary embodiment of the coating drum shown in FIG. 7 further includes a group of gas outlets 404 positioned within the curved substrate support surface 401 . The gas outlets 404 are arranged to discharge gas from the gas distribution system 405 of the coating drum 122 at the locations where the respective gas outlets are located, particularly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the curved substrate support surface 401 . is adapted to In the coating drum embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the gas outlets are distributed over the circumference of the coating drum. In some embodiments, gas outlets 404 may be regularly distributed around the circumference of the coating drum.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, any individual gas outlet, any subgroup of gas outlets, or all gas outlets are open , holes, slits, nozzles, air ducts, injection valves, duct openings, orifices, injection orifices, outlets provided by porous material, and the like. According to some embodiments, the outlet is a recess in the surface, typically funnel-shaped or cup-shaped, and the recess is supplied with gas from the bottom or from the sides of the recess. The gas outlets of the coating drums described herein can also be openings in the porous layer. According to some embodiments, the gas outlets referred to herein may be of any suitable shape, such as substantially round, circular, oval, triangular, rectangular, square, polygonal, or irregular. It may have an irregular shape, such as a regular rounded shape, an irregular angular shape, a different shape for each gas outlet, and the like. According to some embodiments, the gas outlet does not protrude from the surface.

The coating drum 122 according to embodiments described herein further includes a gas distribution system 405 . According to some embodiments, gas distribution system 405 includes gas source 408 . A gas distribution system 405 allows the gas flow to be selectively supplied to a first subgroup of gas outlets. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a coating drum having a gas outlet 404 and a gas distribution system 405 provides gas flow to the gas outlet 404 in a substrate guidance region 403 of a curved substrate support surface. The gas outlets (temporarily) located within the substrate guidance region 403 may be designated as a first subgroup of gas outlets. According to some embodiments described herein, a gas distribution system 405 within the coating drum selectively prevents gas from flowing to the gas outlet of the coating drum outside the substrate guidance region 403. are adapted to Gas outlets located (temporarily) outside the substrate guiding region 403 may be denoted as a second sub-group of gas outlets.

During rotation of the coating drum any single gas outlet temporarily belongs to the first subgroup and the second subgroup. In other words, an open gas outlet may be closed at some later time, and vice versa. While the curved substrate support surface is rotating, the gas outlets entering the substrate guidance region 403 are either open or connected to a gas source. That is, the affiliation is changed to the first subgroup. While the curved substrate support surface is rotating, the gas outlets leaving the substrate guidance area are closed or disconnected from the gas source. That is, the affiliation is changed to the second subgroup.

The coating drum gas distribution system 405 may be adapted to selectively supply gas flow to defined gas outlets and prevent gas flow to defined gas outlets. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, the coating drum gas distribution system 405 includes a gas source 408 located within a stationary portion 406 of the coating drum 122 . The gas source 408 is sized to encompass the peripheral area of the stationary portion of the coating drum. The curved substrate support surface 401 of the coating drum can rotate about the axis of rotation 123 of the coating drum, and in particular can rotate about the stationary portion of the coating drum (including the gas source). .

According to some embodiments described herein, gas distribution system 405 may include gas channels 407 . A gas channel 407 can lead from a gas source 408 to a gas outlet 404 on the curved substrate support surface 401 when each gas outlet is within the substrate guidance region 403 . Gas channels may lead from a gas source 408 to a first subgroup of gas outlets 404 on the curved substrate support surface 401 . Gas distribution system 405 with gas source 408 and gas channel 407 can be described as partially rotating and partially stationary. Gas distribution system 405 selectively connects and disconnects gas channel 407 from gas source 408 while gas channel 407 rotates about gas source 408 . to enable.

According to some embodiments, gas distribution system 405 , specifically gas source 408 , provides gas flow to gas outlet 404 . In some embodiments, the gas flow supplied to gas outlet 404 by gas distribution system 405 is a gas flow that allows the flexible substrate to still contact curved substrate support surface 401 . For example, the gas flow can typically be between about 10 seem and about 400 seem, more typically between about 30 seem and about 300 seem. In some embodiments, the coating drum 122 typically produces between about 10 sccm/m ² and about 200 sccm/m ² , more typically about 30 sccm per unit area of the curved substrate support surface 401 . / ^m2 to about 120 sccm/ ^m2 . In one example, the coating drum may be adapted to a gas flow rate, which may typically be about 100 sccm/m ² per unit area of curved substrate support surface.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the number of gas outlets is , typically between 20 and 100, more typically between 40 and 100. According to some embodiments, the curved substrate support surface can be partitioned into a number of gas sections. In some embodiments, each gas section has several gas outlets. In some embodiments, the number of gas outlets in the substrate guidance area is between 5 and 20. The number of gas outlets for the porous layer of the coating drum can typically be at least 5000, more typically at least 6000, even more typically at least 8000. According to some embodiments, the number of gas outlets is between 20 and 100 or the coating drum comprises a porous layer providing gas outlets.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the gas outlets referred to herein have a cross-sectional size of between about 0.1 mm and about 1 mm. can have This cross-sectional size may be measured as the smallest cross-section of the gas outlet of the curved substrate support surface. In some embodiments, the gas outlet fluid conductance is typically between about 0.001 liters/second and about 0.1 liters/second, more typically between about 0.009 liters/second and It may be between about 0.05 liters/second. In one embodiment, the fluid conductance of the gas outlet may be approximately 0.01 liters/second.

According to some embodiments, during operation of the deposition apparatus, gas flow supplied in a direction toward the substrate results in a gas bearing, Among other things, it can lead to hydrodynamic or thermal gas bearings. In some embodiments, gas bearing can also refer to a kind of thin or small gas cushion outside the contact location between the substrate and the curved substrate support surface. A substrate in contact with the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum and having a gas bearing therebetween may have a contact position with the curved substrate support surface (e.g., due to the roughness of the curved substrate support surface). It may be understood that the contact may be made at the point where the contact is made) and may have a gas bearing between the contact locations. Between contact locations (such as regions or points of the curved substrate support surface) between the substrate and the curved substrate support surface, a gas flow emitted from the gas outlet may form a gas bearing. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the pressure in the gas bearing is typically between about 0.1 mbar and about 10 mbar during deposition, Typically between about 1 mbar and about 10 mbar.

In some embodiments, the gas bearing between the substrate and the curved substrate support surface controls the roughness of the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum and the substrate, particularly the contact between the substrate and the curved substrate support surface. Voids present due to roughness outside the location can be filled. The thickness of the gas bearing can correspond to the roughness of the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum and the substrate in contact with each other.

According to some embodiments, a plurality of gas bearings are formed between the substrate and the curved substrate support surface by the gas flow emitted from the gas outlet.

During deposition of a stack of layers on a substrate, for example, to cool or heat the substrate, one or more gas bearings between the substrate and the curved substrate support surface provide heat transfer between the coating drum and the substrate. Conductivity can be improved. For example, the coating drum may include a temperature control system, such as for cooling or heating the coating drum, illustrated as temperature control system 430 . A gas bearing supplied by the coating drum helps increase thermal conductivity between the substrate and the coating drum. In some embodiments described herein, the temperature of the flexible substrate can be kept below a specified upper limit during deposition.

The coating drum illustrated in FIG. 7 allows solving some of the problems of other systems. For example, the risk of substrate damage can be reduced because the substrate can be guided across the substrate support surface of the coating drum with lower substrate tension. Specifically, the enhanced thermal conductivity between the flexible substrate and the coating drum improves the cooling of the substrate, and for sufficient cooling efficiency, the substrate is directed toward the cooled substrate support surface with high substrate tension. It may not be necessary to pull A higher deposition rate (coating rate) increases the heat load towards the substrate. Adequate thermal contact between the substrate and the coating drum is beneficial to take advantage of high deposition rates (eg, to facilitate the coating process).

For example, the exemplary embodiment of coating drum 122 shown in FIG. 7 can be beneficially used in a two-sided deposition process. Here, a flexible substrate already coated on its first major side can be transported by a coating drum in order to also coat its second side. While coating the second major surface, the already coated first major surface may contact the curved substrate support surface 401 of the coating drum 122 . Thus, for example, there is a risk of damaging the already coated first major surface of the flexible substrate if the flexible substrate is guided with excessive tension over the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum or over the surface of another roller. can. According to some embodiments, the coated film on the first major side of the flexible substrate is already degassed prior to coating the second major side of the flexible substrate, for example via annealing unit 114. It is An evacuated surface may have a lower thermal conductivity. Coating drums according to embodiments described herein allow for increased thermal conductivity between the flexible substrate and the curved substrate support surface, particularly in two-sided deposition processes, of the evacuated web. Compensate for low heat transfer.

The coating drum 122 according to embodiments described herein includes a drive 410 (shown schematically in FIG. 7). The drive 410 is for rotating the coating drum and moving the substrate in contact with the coating drum during operation.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, gases for gas distribution system 405 include inert gases, argon, helium, nitrogen, hydrogen, silane, and It may be selected from the group consisting of any mixture of these. In some embodiments, the gas emitted from the gas outlet has a thermal energy of at least 0.01 W/mK, more typically at least 0.1 W/mK, even more typically at least 0.15 W/mK. It is a gas with conductivity.

The gas bearing that is formed while the substrate is in contact with the coating drum is small enough (i.e., contains a sufficiently low amount of gas) so as not to substantially affect the vacuum environment, or the coating It may be small enough to at least not interfere with the vacuum environment used for processing. For particularly sensitive processing, or where the risk of contamination of the vacuum environment must still be reduced, some embodiments may have additional features to actively prevent contamination of the vacuum environment.

For example, in some embodiments, a vacuum generating system (not shown in FIG. 7) can provide suction through gas channel 407 connected to the vacuum generating system. The vacuum generating system may provide suction in a direction away from the substrate and toward the vacuum generating system. Gases emitted from the gas source to form one or more hydrodynamic thermal bearings between the substrate and the coating drum can be removed with a vacuum generation system. For example, the gas can be removed before the substrate leaves substrate guidance region 403 . The vacuum environment of the coating drum is protected by a vacuum generation system.

FIG. 8 shows a coating drum 122 that can be used in deposition apparatuses according to embodiments described herein. The coating drum 122 of FIG. 8 is similar to the coating drum illustrated in FIG. Features described in connection with FIG. 7 may also be applied to the embodiment of FIG. The embodiment of coating drum 122 of FIG. 8 further includes a sealing. In some embodiments, the sealing may be made from multiple sealing units 413, such as sealing units made at least partially from an elastic material. According to some embodiments, sealing unit 413 may be a lip sealing unit. The sealing may prevent or limit the amount of gas bearing gas from spreading into the vacuum environment of the deposition chamber. In some embodiments, the sealing unit 413 reduces or prevents gas flow to the main space of the deposition chamber in which the coating drum 122 may be located.

The sealing unit 413 can be arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the coating drum 122 and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the radial direction of the coating drum 122 . In some embodiments, the sealing units 413 may be arranged across the width of the coating drum 122 .

The sealing unit may provide individual pressurized pockets on the second major surface of the substrate in contact with the curved substrate support surface 401 . In some embodiments, each pocket formed between two sealing units may supply an individual pressure. The pressure within an individual pocket can depend on the rotational position of the pocket.

In some implementations, the curved substrate support surface may be segmented across the width of the coating drum, for example, to accommodate the coating drum to substrates having different widths. For example, the coating drum may accommodate substrate widths of between about 0.5m and about 2m, more typically between about 1.2m and about 1.8m. The partitioned segments can provide a distribution adapted to the gas outlets, for example different numbers of gas outlets, different densities of gas outlets on the curved substrate support surface, different sizes of gas outlets. It is possible to realize a distribution suitable for an outlet or the like. In some embodiments, the gas source may be divisible into different sections to supply gas to different segments of the coating drum (especially in the width direction).

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the coating drum can have one or more E-chuck devices. Specifically, one or more E-chuck devices can provide an attractive force to hold the substrate in contact with the curved substrate support surface of the coating drum. According to some embodiments, each segment of the curved substrate support surface may include individual E-chuck tiles. Individual E-chuck tiles can impart the appropriate attractive force to the substrate, for example, depending on the rotational position of the coating drum. In some embodiments, individual E-chuck tiles are controlled to move according to the position of a segment within the substrate guidance area or a segment outside the substrate guidance area. According to some embodiments, the E-chuck tiles can be controlled to operate according to the position of their respective segments relative to the gas source 408 of the gas distribution system 405 . In some embodiments, the coating drum may include sensors and control units for sensing the rotational position of the coating drum, particularly the rotational position of each segment. A control unit may control the operation of the E-chuck in response to sensed data.

According to some embodiments, the coating drum may include a backing structure to support the porous layer. This porous layer may form a concave substrate support surface 401 that contacts the substrate. The porous layer may further be provided with gas outlets 404 for releasing gas towards the substrate. In some embodiments, the backing structure may include support bars and outgassing regions disposed between the support bars. Specifically, the support bars and outgassing regions may be circumferentially alternated.

According to some embodiments, the porous layer may be made of a porous material, providing multiple gas outlets due to the porosity of the material. Porous materials may be particularly suitable for releasing He, Ar and/or _H2 towards the substrate. For example, porous materials can typically have a density of between about 60% and about 85%, more typically between about 65% and about 75%. In one example, the porous material has a density of about 70%. In some embodiments, the porous material may be a sintered material. For example, the porous material may be metal such as stainless steel, sintered stainless steel, aluminum, chromium, or metal alloys.

According to some embodiments, the porous material is treated (e.g., polished, etc.) to affect the roughness of the porous material and the curved substrate support surface that contacts the substrate during operation. good too. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the porous material may be coated with a layer of material having a lower roughness than the porous material. For example, the porous material may be coated with a metal layer such as a Cr layer. According to some embodiments, the coating layer on the porous layer, or even the porous layer itself, may have additional gas vents processed into the layer, such as by drilling or laser cutting.

In some embodiments described herein, coating drum 122 may be a temperature controlled coating drum. A temperature controlled coating drum may allow cooling of the substrate. For example, the coating drum may include a temperature control system such as temperature control system 430 . The coating drum temperature conditioning system 430 may include a system of channels positioned within the coating drum for cooling or heating of the coating drum. The channels of the temperature regulation system of the coating drum can be arranged close to the surface. The expression "close to" is typically less than 5 cm, more typically less than 2.5 cm, between the curved substrate support surface 401 and the face of the channel facing the support surface. , or even more typically associated with distances of less than 1 cm. The channels are typically adapted to receive cooling fluid.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the coating drum is typically cooled between about −30° C. and about +170° C., more typically , to be maintained at a temperature between about -20°C and about +150°C, even more typically between about -20°C and about +80°C. Specifically, at temperatures up to 100° C., and even more specifically below room temperature, the cooling fluid is typically a water-glycol mixture. In other applications, particularly applications where surfaces are heated, the cooling fluid is typically heat transfer oil. The spent cooling fluid is typically suitable for temperatures up to 400°C, even more typically up to 300°C. Thermal transfer oils that may be used are petroleum based, such as naphthenic or paraffinic. Alternatively, the heat transfer oil can be synthetic, such as an isomer composite.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the coating drum 122 is typically 0.1 m to 4 m, more typically 0.5 m to 2 m (eg, about 1.4 m). The diameter of the coating drum may exceed 1 m (eg between 1.5 m and 2.5 m).

As shown schematically in FIG. 5, the plurality of deposition units 121 may include 3 or more and 12 or less deposition units circumferentially around the coating drum 122. can be placed. Similarly, in some embodiments that include a first connecting chamber and a second deposition chamber, the second plurality of deposition units may include 3 or more and 12 or less second deposition units, may be arranged circumferentially around the second coating drum. For example, six first deposition units may be arranged in the first connecting chamber and/or six second deposition units may be arranged in the second deposition chamber.

In some embodiments, the deposition units may each cover the bottom half of the corresponding coating drum. In other words, the flexible substrate may contact the coating drum in the upper angular region of the curved surface of the coating drum, and the rotating curved surface may cause the deposition unit to be partially or wholly provided on the lower half of the circumference of the coating drum. It may be guided downwards through and again upwards to a second upper corner region of the curved substrate support surface before leaving the curved substrate support surface. In some implementations, the deposition units may be arranged substantially symmetrically around each coating drum. In other words, the arrangement of the deposition units around each coating drum may be substantially symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane of symmetry intersecting through the axis of rotation of each coating drum. For example, 3 deposition units of a total of 6 deposition units may be arranged on a first side of the vertical symmetry plane and the remaining 3 deposition units are arranged on a second side of the vertical symmetry plane. may

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, process gas from one deposition unit to another deposition unit (eg, to an adjacent deposition unit) during operation A gas separation unit 510 may be provided between two adjacent deposition units 512 to reduce the flow of . A gas separation unit 510 between adjacent deposition units 512 is shown schematically in FIGS.

Gas separation unit 510 may be configured as a gas separation wall that divides the interior space of the deposition chamber into a plurality of separate compartments, each compartment containing one deposition unit. One deposition unit 512 can be arranged between two adjacent gas separation units 510 respectively. In other words, the deposition units can each be separated by a gas separation unit 510 . Beneficially, therefore, excellent gas separation between adjacent compartments/deposition units may be achieved.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, each compartment containing a respective deposition unit is evacuated separately from other compartments containing other deposition units. , which allows the deposition conditions of the individual deposition units 512 to be set appropriately. Different materials can be deposited on the flexible substrate by adjacent deposition units that can be separated by gas separation units 510 .

According to some embodiments, gas separation unit 510 may include a gas separation wall. A gas separation wall prevents or reduces the flow of gas from one deposition unit toward an adjacent deposition unit or into the main space of the deposition chamber. Gas separation units 510 may be configured to adjust the width of slits 511 between each gas separation unit and each coating drum. According to some embodiments, gas separation unit 510 may include an actuator configured to adjust the width of slit 511 . In order to reduce the gas flow between adjacent deposition units and to increase the gas separation factor between adjacent deposition units, the width of the slit 511 between the gas separation unit and the coating drum is set to a small value, e.g. , 1 cm or less, specifically 5 mm or less, more specifically 2 mm or less. In some embodiments, the slit 511 length in the circumferential direction, ie the length of each gas separation passage between two adjacent deposition sections, is 1 cm or more, particularly 5 cm or more, or even It can be 10 cm or more. In some embodiments, the slits may each have a length of about 14 cm. By extending the length of the slit 511 between two deposition units, the gas separation factor between two adjacent deposition units can be improved. Gas separation factors of 1/100 or more can be provided. During deposition in the deposition unit, the mean free path length of gas molecules can be on the order of several centimeters. Therefore, by providing a slit 511 of width less than 5 mm and length greater than 10 cm between adjacent deposition units, few gas molecules propagate between deposition units.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, at least one first deposition unit of the plurality of deposition units 121 can be a sputter deposition unit. In some embodiments, each deposition unit of plurality of deposition units 121 is a sputter deposition unit. Here, the one or more sputter deposition units are DC sputtering, AC sputtering, RF (radio frequency) sputtering, MF (medium frequency) sputtering, pulse sputtering, pulse DC sputtering, magnetron sputtering, reactive sputtering, or combinations thereof. can be configured for DC sputter sources may be suitable for coating flexible substrates with conductive materials (eg, with metals such as copper). Alternating current (AC) sputter sources, such as RF or MF sputter sources, are suitable for coating flexible substrates with conductive or insulating materials (e.g., with dielectric materials, semiconductors, or metals). can be

However, the deposition apparatus described herein are not limited to sputter deposition, and other deposition units may be utilized in some embodiments. For example, in some implementations a CVD deposition unit, an evaporative deposition unit, a PECVD deposition unit, or other deposition units may be utilized. In particular, the modular design of the deposition apparatus allows the first deposition unit to be radially removed from the deposition chamber and another deposition unit to be loaded into the deposition chamber, thereby replacing the first deposition unit with the second deposition unit. It may be possible to replace As such, the deposition chamber may be provided with a closed lid. The closed lid can be opened and closed to exchange one or more deposition units.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, at least one AC sputter source, e.g. may be provided within In some embodiments, at least one DC sputter source may be provided within the deposition chamber for depositing conductive material on the flexible substrate.

In some embodiments, at least one first deposition unit 301 of the plurality of deposition units 121 may be an AC sputtering source. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the first two deposition units of the plurality of deposition units are AC sputter sources, such as dual target sputter sources described in more detail below. Dielectric materials such as silicon oxide can be deposited on flexible substrates using an AC sputter source. For example, two adjacent deposition units (eg, first deposition unit 301) may be configured to directly deposit a silicon oxide layer onto the first major surface of the flexible substrate in a reactive sputtering process. The thickness of the resulting silicon oxide layer can be increased (eg, doubled) by utilizing two or more AC sputter sources next to each other.

The remaining deposition units of the plurality of deposition units 121 may be DC sputter sources. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, at least one second deposition unit 302 of the plurality of deposition units arranged downstream of the at least one first deposition unit 301 is, for example, so as to deposit an ITO layer. It can be a configured DC sputter source. In other embodiments, two or more DC sputter sources configured to deposit ITO layers may be provided. In some embodiments, the ITO layer may be deposited on top of the silicon oxide layer deposited by at least one first deposition unit 301 .

Further, in some embodiments, at least one third deposition unit 303 (eg, three third deposition units) arranged downstream of the at least one second deposition unit 302 is, for example, the first can be configured as a DC sputter unit to deposit a metal layer (eg, a copper layer) of . By the at least one third deposition unit 303 several layers of different metals can be deposited or one thick layer of a single metal (eg Cu) can be deposited.

In some embodiments, a first metal layer may be deposited on top of the silicon oxide layer deposited by the at least one second deposition unit 302 .

Thus, within the deposition chamber, a stack of layers (eg, including stacked silicon oxide layers, ITO layers, and Cu layers) can be deposited on the first major surface of the flexible substrate.

In some embodiments that include a first connecting chamber and a second deposition chamber, additional layers may then be deposited in the second deposition chamber. For example, at least one fourth deposition unit of the second plurality of deposition units deposits a second metal layer (eg, a second Cu layer) on top of the first metal layer, It can be configured as a DC sputter unit. In some implementations, all deposition units of the second plurality of deposition units may each be a DC sputter unit configured to deposit a metal layer. Additionally, in some implementations, the same metal, eg, copper, may be deposited. Thus, a single thick metal layer, for example a thick copper layer, can be deposited by the second multiple deposition units.

Thus, for example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, a total of six deposition units may be provided. The first two deposition units (at least one first deposition unit 301) are configured to deposit a silicon oxide layer and the subsequent deposition units (at least one second deposition unit 302) are configured to deposit an ITO layer. The remaining three deposition units (third deposition unit 303) may be configured to deposit thick copper layers. It should be understood that the described arrangement is only an exemplary arrangement and that the total number of deposition units, the types of deposition units, the order of the deposition units, and the materials deposited by the deposition units can be varied as appropriate. is.

A layer stack comprising a _SiO2 layer, an ITO layer and a copper layer can be deposited on a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate can be a polymer substrate provided with an index-matched (IM) layer on one major surface or both major surfaces. For example, the flexible substrate may be a COP substrate with IM layers on both major surfaces.

After coating the first major surface of the flexible substrate with the stack of layers, the substrate coated on one side can be reloaded into the first spool chamber in an inverted orientation. Thereafter, by transporting the flexible substrate again through deposition apparatus 100 in a reversed orientation, the second major surface of the flexible substrate may also be coated with a corresponding stack of layers or a different stack of layers. Thus, substrates coated on both sides can be produced and winding defects can be reduced or avoided altogether.

In FIG. 9, which shows an enlarged view of a portion of a deposition chamber, eg, deposition chamber 120, multiple deposition units, namely six deposition units, are positioned within the deposition chamber. A gas separation unit 510 is provided between adjacent deposition units, respectively. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 9, six zones for six deposition units can be provided around the coating drum, especially around the lower half of the coating drum. Flexible substrates may be transported through slit 511 between gas separation unit 510 and coating drum 122 . The deposition unit may be configured such that the heat load applied towards the flexible substrate during deposition is reduced or minimized.

At least one first deposition unit 301 may be configured as an AC sputtering source 610, at least one second deposition unit 302 may be configured as a DC sputtering source 612, and at least one third deposition unit 302 may be configured as a DC sputtering source 612. Deposition unit 303 may be configured as a DC sputter source 612 .

FIG. 10 shows the AC sputter source 610 in more detail, and FIG. 11 shows the DC sputter source 612 in more detail.

The AC sputter source 610 shown in FIG. 10 can include two sputter devices, a first sputter device 701 and a second sputter device 702 . In the following a "sputter device" shall be understood as a device comprising a target 703 containing material to be deposited on a flexible substrate. The target may be made of the material to be deposited, or at least a component of the material to be deposited. In some embodiments, the sputter device can include target 703 configured as a rotating target having an axis of rotation. In some implementations, a sputter device can include a backing tube 704 on which a target 703 can be placed. In some implementations, a magnet arrangement may be provided, for example, inside a rotating target, for generating a magnetic field during operation of the sputtering device. When the magnet arrangement is provided within the rotating target, the sputter device is sometimes called a sputter magnetron. In some implementations, cooling channels may be provided within the sputter device to cool the sputter device or components of the sputter device.

In some implementations, the sputter device may be adapted to be connected to the support of the deposition chamber, eg flanges may be provided at the ends of the sputter device. According to some embodiments, the sputter device can be operated as a cathode or an anode. For example, a first sputter device 701 may be operated as a cathode and a second sputter device 702 may be operated as an anode at some point. If an alternating current is applied between the first sputter device 701 and the second sputter device 702, at some point thereafter the first sputter device 701 may act as an anode and the second sputter device 702 may function as a cathode. In some embodiments, target 703 may include or be made of silicon.

The term “twin sputter device” means a pair of sputter devices, eg, first sputter device 701 and second sputter device 702 . The first sputter device and the second sputter device may form a pair of twin sputter devices. For example, both sputter devices of a pair of twin sputter devices can be used simultaneously in the same deposition process to coat a flexible substrate. A twin sputter device can be similarly designed. For example, twin sputter devices may deliver identical coating materials and may have approximately the same size and approximately the same shape. Twin sputter devices can be placed next to each other to form a sputter source that can be placed in a deposition chamber. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, two sputter devices of a twin sputter device include targets made from the same material (e.g., silicon). .

As can be seen from FIGS. 9 and 10, the first sputter device 701 can be an axis of rotation, which can be the axis of rotation of the first sputter device 701 . The second sputter device 702 has a second axis of rotation, which can be the axis of rotation of the second sputter device 702 . A sputter device supplies material to be deposited onto a flexible substrate. For reactive deposition processes, the material ultimately deposited on the flexible substrate may additionally contain compounds of the process gas. Thus, for example, a target 703 of silicon or doped silicon comprises a silicon material, but it should be understood that typical oxygen can be added as a process gas, ultimately resulting in the deposition of silicon oxide.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the flexible substrate is guided by the coating drum 122 past the twin sputtering devices. Here, the coating window is bounded by a first position 705 of the flexible substrate on the coating drum 122 and a second position 706 of the flexible substrate on the coating drum 122 . A coating window, ie, a portion of the flexible substrate between the first location 705 and the second location 706, defines an area of the substrate where material can be deposited. As can be seen from FIG. 9, particles of deposition material emitted from the first sputter device 701 and particles of deposition material emitted from the second sputter device 702 reach the flexible substrate within the coating window.

The sputter source 610 may be adapted such that the distance from the first axis of the first sputter device 701 to the second axis of the second sputter device 702 is 300 mm or less, in particular 200 mm or less. Typically, the distance between the first axis of the first sputter device 701 and the second axis of the second sputter device 702 is between 150 mm and 200 mm, more typically between 170 mm and 185 mm. , for example 180 mm.

According to some embodiments, the outer diameter of the first sputter device and the second sputter device, which may be cylindrical sputter devices, ranges from 90 mm to 120 mm, more typically from about 100 mm to about 110 mm. can be within

In some embodiments, the first sputtering device 701 can be equipped with a first magnet arrangement and the second sputtering device 702 can be equipped with a second magnet arrangement. The magnet arrangement may be a magnet yoke configured to generate a magnetic field that improves deposition efficiency. According to some embodiments the magnet arrangements may be tilted towards each other. Magnet arrangements arranged to tilt towards each other can in this context mean that the magnetic fields generated by the magnet arrangements are directed towards each other.

According to some embodiments, the sputter devices described above can be used to deposit non-conductive and/or conductive materials on flexible substrates. For example, sputter source 610 may provide target materials such as silicon, titanium, aluminum, and the like. Materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, and aluminum oxide can be deposited on flexible substrates, for example, by reactive sputtering processes, along with gas inlets for introducing one or more process gases. Specifically, the AC sputter source 610 can be used for reactive sputter processes, such as reactive sputtering of _SiO2 . Thus, according to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus is equipped with additional devices such as gas inlets for process gases such as oxygen or nitrogen. may be

According to some embodiments, AC sputter source 610 may be used in processes where two sputter devices operate at intermediate frequencies (such as a frequency range between about 10 kHz and about 50 kHz). In one embodiment, AC sputter source 610 may be adapted to use one of the two sputter devices as an anode and the corresponding other as a cathode. Generally, the AC sputter source 610 is adapted to alternate operation as the anode and cathode of the sputter device. This means that, depending on the frequency of the applied voltage, a sputter device previously used as an anode can be used as a cathode, and a sputter device previously used as a cathode can be operated as an anode. is doing.

According to some embodiments, AC sputter source 610 may be configured for reactive deposition processes. Closed-loop control for reactive deposition processes can be provided. A reactive deposition process can be used to deposit the silicon oxide layer. Silicon is sputtered from a sputtering device and a process gas such as oxygen is supplied through a gas inlet. When the process gas flow rate is low and a high electric field is applied to the sputter device, the process is performed in metallic mode. If the process gas flow rate is higher, the deposition process may change to oxygen mode, in which case a transparent silicon oxide layer may be deposited. Thus, a method of controlling a reactive deposition process can control the deposition process as achieved in transition mode, where transparent layers such as silicon oxide can be deposited at relatively high rates.

In some embodiments, the deposition process can be controlled by providing a voltage supply that can maintain the sputter device in transition mode through the use of voltage control. Here, the power supply connected to and powering the sputter device may, for example, operate voltage controlled to supply a fixed voltage to the sputter device. However, when voltage control is applied to the power supply, the voltage source is consequently voltage controlled and the power is not kept constant. This is because the power supply can only keep one parameter fixed. If voltage control is used, the power, and thus the deposition rate, can vary with the process gas used, which is not always acceptable.

Thus, in addition to voltage controlling the power supply, power control can be implemented as a closed control loop. The actual power is monitored and the process gas flow rate is controlled to keep the power approximately constant. Thereby, closed-loop control can be provided that provides a substantially constant deposition rate. Therefore, in some implementations, the reactive deposition process is voltage controlled to establish oxygen flow regulation that keeps the sputter power constant.

In some implementations, the process gas may include at least _one of oxygen, argon, nitrogen, hydrogen, _H2O , and N2O. Oxygen can typically be provided as a reactive gas for reactive deposition processes. Providing a small amount of nitrogen in the process gas for oxygen-based reactive processes can be beneficial to stabilize the generated plasma.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a voltage setpoint value may be provided to the power supply as the upper voltage limit. This voltage is what the power supply can provide to the sputter device. The voltage of the power supply can be fixed by a setpoint value. The power supplied by the power supply may depend on the flow of reactive gas within the plasma region. For example, in a silicon oxide deposition process, power may be dependent on oxygen flow, but at the same time limited by the voltage setpoint value. A controller that provides closed-loop control controls the process gas flow according to the actual power supplied to the sputter device.

The flow rate of process gas introduced into the plasma region may be proportional to the output power of the power supply supplied to the sputtering device. By having the controller control the gas flow rate, the actual power value that can be signaled from the power supply to the controller can be kept substantially constant.

Thus, according to embodiments described herein, the reactive deposition process can be maintained in a transition mode, and silicon oxide is deposited by at least one first deposition unit 301, which can be configured as an AC sputter source 610. A highly uniform non-conductive layer such as a layer can be deposited on a flexible substrate.

FIG. 11 shows an enlarged schematic diagram of a DC sputter source 612 that may be used in some of the embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, at least one second deposition unit 302 shown in FIG. 9 is configured as a DC sputter source 612 and/or at least one third deposition unit 303 is configured as a DC sputter source 612. be done.

A DC sputter source 612 may include at least one cathode 613 including a target 614 for supplying material to be deposited onto a flexible substrate. At least one cathode 613 may be a rotating cathode, particularly a substantially cylindrical cathode that may be rotatable about an axis of rotation.

Target 614 may be made from the material to be deposited. For example, target 614 may be a metal target, such as a copper or aluminum target. A magnet assembly 615 may be placed inside the rotating cathode for confining the generated plasma.

In some implementations, DC sputter source 612 may include a single cathode, as illustrated in FIG. In some embodiments, a conductive surface, such as the walls of a deposition chamber, can act as an anode. In other implementations, separate anodes, such as rod-shaped anodes, may be provided next to the cathodes so that an electric field may be established between the at least one cathode 613 and the separate anodes. . A power supply may be provided to apply an electric field between the at least one cathode 613 and the anode. A DC electric field can be applied that can enable the deposition of conductive materials such as metals. In some implementations, a pulsed DC field is applied to at least one cathode 613 . In some embodiments, DC sputter source 612 may include more than one cathode, eg, an array of two or more cathodes.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition unit described herein comprises a double DC planar cathode sputter source, as illustrated in FIG. 616. For example, a double DC planar cathode may include first planar target 617 and second planar target 618 . A first planar target may comprise a first sputter material and a second planar target may comprise a second sputter material different from the first sputter material. According to some implementations, a protective shield 619 may be provided between the first planar target 617 and the second planar target 618, as illustrated in FIG. The protective shield may be attached (eg, fixed) to the cooled portion so that cooling of the protective shield can occur. More specifically, by constructing and arranging a protective shield between the first planar target and the second planar target, the respective material delivered from the first planar target and the second planar target is Mixing can be prevented. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the protective shield may be configured such that a narrow gap G is provided between the protective shield and the substrate on coating drum 122 . Therefore, a double DC planar cathode can be beneficially configured to deposit two different materials. Typically, a deposition unit comprising an AC sputter source 610, a DC sputter source 612, or a double DC planar cathode sputter source 616, as described herein, will have the compartments described herein, i.e. , within a compartment provided between two gas separation units 510 described herein.

According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, deposition units, particularly cathodes (e.g., AC sputter sources, DC rotary cathodes, twin rotary cathodes, and double DC planar cathodes) should be understood to be interchangeable. Therefore, a common compartment design can be provided. Additionally, the deposition units may be connected to a process controller configured to allow individual control of each deposition unit. Beneficially, therefore, a process controller may be provided so that the reactive process may be performed in a fully automated manner.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus can be used to manufacture transparencies for use in touch panels. A first transparent layer stack may be deposited on the first major surface of the flexible substrate. The first transparent layer stack may include one or more silicon-containing layers, such as silicon oxide layers. A transparent conductive film, for example an ITO film, may be deposited on top of the first transparent layer stack. The ITO film can be provided in a predetermined pattern. In some embodiments, a monitoring device may be provided for measuring optical properties (eg, transmission and/or reflection) of at least one of the first transparent layer stack and the transparent conductive film during deposition. . In some embodiments, a metal layer may be deposited on top of the transparent layer stack.

Thereafter, in some embodiments, the same stack of layers or a stack of different layers may be deposited on the second major surface of the substrate, which is the opposite major surface of the flexible substrate. The second major surface of the substrate is coated on one side by loading it into the deposition apparatus in a reversed orientation and passing the flexible substrate in a reversed orientation through a deposition unit provided in the deposition chamber. The second major surface can be coated with the same layer stack or a different layer stack.

Due to tension-controlled transport of flexible substrates along substrate transport paths that are partially concave and partially convex, double-sided coated flexible substrates can have a reduced number of defects. Furthermore, a double-sided coating with a low number of defects, especially since both major surfaces of the flexible substrate can be cleaned before and/or after deposition, especially before each major surface of the flexible substrate comes into contact with the roller surface under high tension. A flexible substrate can be provided.

13A-13C show exemplary schematic layouts of sequences of deposition units that may be provided around a coating drum within a deposition chamber, according to embodiments described herein. In the following, the sequence of multiple deposition units 121 in various example layouts shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C will be described from left to right. That is, in Figures 13A to 13C, the first deposition unit refers to the leftmost deposition unit and the sixth deposition unit refers to the rightmost deposition unit. Furthermore, for better clarity, the first deposition unit is typically the first deposition unit along the substrate transport, eg for depositing a first layer on the substrate.

Specifically, FIG. 13A shows a first exemplary schematic layout of multiple deposition units 121 provided around a coating drum as described herein. According to embodiments that can be combined with any other embodiments described herein, as exemplarily shown in FIG. 13A, the first deposition unit is a twin unit configured for deposition of SiO2. It can be a rotary deposition unit, specifically the AC sputter source 610 described herein. The second deposition unit can be a DC rotary deposition unit configured for _NbOx deposition, specifically the DC sputter source 612 described herein. The third deposition unit, the fourth deposition unit, and the fifth deposition unit are twin rotary deposition units configured for _SiO2 deposition, specifically with the AC sputter sources described herein. could be. The sixth deposition unit can be a DC rotary deposition unit configured for ITO deposition, specifically the DC sputter source 612 described herein. Thus, in the first exemplary schematic layout shown in FIG. 13A, the first layer of _SiO2 , the second layer of _NbOx , the third layer of _SiO2 , the fourth layer of _SiO2 , the fifth layer of _SiO2 . , and a sixth layer of ITO can be deposited on the substrate. Such a layer stack can be used, for example, to provide a hardcoat with an ITO top layer on a substrate (eg a PET substrate).

According to a second exemplary layout of multiple deposition units 121 illustrated in FIG. 13B, the first deposition unit is a twin rotary deposition unit configured for SiO ₂ deposition, specifically a can be an AC sputter source 610 described in the literature. Furthermore, the second deposition unit, the third deposition unit and the fourth deposition unit are twin rotary deposition units configured for _SiO2 deposition, specifically the AC sputtering described herein. can be the source. The fifth deposition unit and the sixth deposition unit can be DC rotary deposition units configured for ITO deposition, specifically the DC sputter source 612 described herein. Thus, in the second exemplary schematic layout shown in FIG. 13B, the first layer of _SiO2 , the _second layer of _SiO2 , the third layer of _SiO2 , the fourth layer of SiO2, the fifth layer of ITO, and a sixth layer of ITO can be deposited on the substrate. Such a layer stack can be used, for example, to provide an index-matching layer stack with an ITO double top layer, with four layers of _SiO2 on the substrate.

According to a third exemplary layout of the multiple deposition units 121 illustrated in FIG. 13C, the first deposition unit and the second deposition unit are each twin rotary type, each configured for dielectric layer deposition. A deposition unit, specifically an AC sputter source as described herein. The third deposition unit can be a DC rotary deposition unit configured for seed layer deposition, specifically the DC sputter source 612 described herein. A fourth deposition unit can be the dual DC planar cathode sputter source 616 described herein configured for silver (Ag) and blocker layer deposition. The fifth deposition unit and the sixth deposition unit can each be twin rotary deposition units configured for dielectric layer deposition, in particular AC sputter sources as described herein. Thus, in the third exemplary schematic layout shown in FIG. 13C, the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer, the third layer being a seed layer, the fourth layer being Ag and a blocker, the A stack of layers having five dielectric layers and a sixth dielectric layer may be deposited on the substrate. Such layer stacks can be used, for example, to provide low emittance coatings, also known as low E-coatings.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 800 of coating a flexible substrate with a stack of layers according to embodiments described herein. The method may be performed in deposition apparatus 100 according to any of the embodiments described herein. Here, a flexible substrate is transported along a partially convex and partially concave substrate transport path from a storage spool within a first spool chamber to a take-up spool within a second spool chamber. . The method comprises, at box 810, dispensing a flexible substrate from a storage spool provided within a first spool chamber, and then, at box 820, guiding the flexible substrate by a coating drum provided within a deposition chamber. depositing at least one first layer of the stack of layers onto the first major surface of the flexible substrate while depositing at least one first layer of the stack of layers on the first major surface of the flexible substrate; winding the flexible substrate onto a take-up spool.

Thereafter, at box 840, remove the take-up spool with the wound flexible substrate (which may have a coated first major surface) from the second spool chamber and invert the storage spool within the first spool chamber. replacing the oriented stripped take-up spool, and then, in box 850, depositing the second layer stack on the second major surface while guiding the flexible substrate through the deposition chamber. Then, in box 860, the second major surface of the flexible substrate is also optionally coated with a second layer stack by winding the flexible substrate onto a further take-up spool provided within the second spool chamber. can be coated with

According to further aspects described herein, there is provided a method 900 of aligning a deposition apparatus for coating flexible substrates, as illustrated by the flow diagram shown in FIG. Specifically, the deposition apparatus of any embodiment described herein may be aligned prior to being used to deposit a stack of layers on a flexible substrate. A deposition device may include a roller assembly. A roller assembly rolls the flexible substrate along a partially convex and partially concave substrate transport path from a storage spool located within the first spool chamber to a spool located within the second spool chamber. configured for delivery to a take-up spool.

The method of aligning comprises defining at least one guiding roller of a roller assembly having a first axis of rotation as a reference roller in box 910 and a guide roller parallel to the first axis of rotation of the reference roller in box 920 . and aligning the rotational axes of the two or more remaining guide rollers of the roller assembly with respect to the first rotational axis of the reference roller so as to extend in the direction of the reference roller. In other words, the rollers of the roller assembly can be referenced to one master roller, the reference roller.

If the roller axis of each of the remaining guide rollers is aligned with the first axis of rotation of the reference roller, then the roller axes of all guide rollers are not only parallel to the reference roller, but also relative to each other. are also parallel. This can provide a roller assembly with good roller alignment and avoid diagonal pulling forces on the flexible substrate. Specifically, the rollers of the roller assembly can be adjusted to a length deviation of <0.1 mm/m, especially in the horizontal and/or vertical direction.

In some embodiments, the roller axis of the guiding roller may have a length along the axis of rotation of greater than or equal to 1 m and less than or equal to 2 m, specifically about 1.5 m or about 1.8 m. The deposition device may have more than 20 guide rollers and less than 60 guide rollers, for example about 30 guide rollers, which are substantially parallel to the reference rollers and thus parallel to each other. can be aligned with respect to the reference roller, respectively, so that .

In view of the embodiments described herein, an improved deposition apparatus is provided for coating one or both major surfaces of a flexible substrate with a stack of layers compared to conventional deposition systems. I hope you understand. In this case the layer is highly uniform and has a low number of defects per surface area.

While the above description is directed to embodiments, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope of this disclosure, which scope is defined by the appended claims. Determined by range.

Claims (15)

A deposition apparatus (100) for coating a flexible substrate (10) with a stack of layers, comprising:
a first spool chamber (110) containing a storage spool (112) for supplying said flexible substrate (10);
a deposition chamber (120) positioned downstream of said first spool chamber (110), a coating drum (122) for guiding said flexible substrate through a plurality of deposition units (121); a deposition chamber (120) comprising;
A second spool chamber (150) located downstream of said deposition chamber (120) containing a take-up spool (152) for winding said flexible substrate (10) after deposition. a spool chamber (150), and configured to transfer the flexible substrate from the first spool chamber to the second spool chamber along a partially convex and partially concave substrate transfer path; with a roller assembly,
The roller assembly provides a first take-up/delivery path and a second take-up/delivery path, the second take-up/delivery path having more rolls than the first take-up/delivery path. A deposition device (100) configured to include a roller. at least one cleaning chamber (170) positioned downstream of the first spool chamber (110) and upstream of the deposition chamber (120) for cleaning the flexible substrate (10); The deposition apparatus of claim 1, wherein a cleaning device is provided within the cleaning chamber (170). a first cleaning device (171) for cleaning a first major surface of said flexible substrate (10) and a second cleaning device (171) for cleaning a second major surface of said flexible substrate (10) 172) is provided in the cleaning chamber (170 ) upstream of the coating drum (122). The deposition apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one post-coating cleaning device (173) positioned downstream of said plurality of deposition units (121). The at least one cleaning device comprises a first adhesive roll (175) and a second adhesive roll (176), the tackiness of the second adhesive roll (176) 3. The deposition apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the tack is higher than that of the adhesive roll (175). an annealing unit (114) comprising at least one of a heatable roller (115) and a radiant heater (116) for heating the flexible substrate at a position upstream of the plurality of deposition units (121); 6. The deposition apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, further comprising. 7. Any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a defect inspection device (154) comprising a light source (155) and a photodetector (156) for detecting defects in the flexible substrate after deposition. The deposition apparatus according to . further comprising a monitoring device (161) arranged downstream of said plurality of deposition units (121), said monitoring device (161) for electrical properties of at least one layer deposited on said flexible substrate (10); and an optical property. further comprising at least one tension measuring roller (184, 185, 188) for measuring the tension of said flexible substrate and at least one pulling roller (181) for pulling said flexible substrate, said at least one pulling roller 9. The deposition apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein is controlled as a function of the tension in the flexible substrate measured by the at least one tension measuring roller. wherein said plurality of deposition units (121) are sputter deposition units, said plurality of deposition units (121) comprising at least one DC sputter source configured to deposit a conductive material on said flexible substrate (10). (612) and/or said plurality of deposition units comprises at least one AC sputter source (610) for depositing non-conductive material on said flexible substrate (10). 10. The deposition apparatus of any one of items 1 to 9. said at least one first deposition unit (301) of said plurality of deposition units configured to deposit a silicon oxide layer on said flexible substrate and arranged downstream of said at least one first deposition unit; at least one second deposition unit (302) of a plurality of deposition units configured to deposit an ITO layer on said silicon oxide layer and arranged downstream of said at least one second deposition unit (302); 11. The deposition apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one third deposition unit (303) of said plurality of deposition units is configured to deposit a first metal layer on said ITO layer. The coating drum (122) is
A curved substrate support surface (401) for contacting said flexible substrate (10), rotatable about an axis of rotation (123) and comprising a substrate guidance area (403) ( 401),
a group of gas outlets (404) disposed within said curved substrate support surface (401) and adapted to emit a gas flow; and a first subgroup of said gas outlets (404) for said gas. a gas distribution system (405) for selectively supplying flow and selectively preventing gas from flowing to said second subgroup of gas outlets (404);
with
Said first sub-group of gas outlets comprises at least one gas outlet within said substrate guiding area (403) and said second sub-group of said gas outlets is outside said substrate guiding area. 12. A deposition apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one gas outlet in the. A method of coating a flexible substrate (10) with a stack of layers using a deposition apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, said flexible substrate being partially convex. The substrate is transferred from the first spool chamber (110) to the second spool chamber (150) along a partially concave substrate transfer path, the method comprising:
delivering the flexible substrate from a storage spool (112) provided within the first spool chamber (110);
At least one first layer of the stack of layers is coated on the first of the flexible substrate (10) while the flexible substrate is guided by a coating drum (122) provided in a deposition chamber (120). depositing on the major surface;
winding the flexible substrate on a take-up spool (152) provided in the second spool chamber (150) after deposition. The take-up spool (152) with the flexible substrate wound thereon is removed from the second spool chamber (150) and the storage spool in the first spool chamber (110) is removed in an inverted orientation. replacing the take-up spool with the
depositing a second layer stack on a second major surface while guiding the flexible substrate through the deposition chamber;
winding the flexible substrate onto a further take-up spool provided in the second spool chamber (150);
14. The method of claim 13, followed by coating the second major surface of the flexible substrate (10) with a stack of second layers. A method of aligning a deposition apparatus (100) for coating a flexible substrate (10), the deposition apparatus (100) along a partially convex and partially concave substrate transport path to: A roller assembly configured to transport the flexible substrate from a first spool chamber (110) to a second spool chamber (150), the roller assembly comprising a first take-up/delivery path and a second and a take-up/delivery path, wherein the second take-up/delivery path is configured to include more rollers than the first take-up/delivery path, the method comprising:
defining at least one guide roller of the roller assembly as a reference roller;
aligning the axes of rotation of the two or more remaining guide rollers of the roller assembly with the first axis of rotation of the reference roller so as to extend parallel to the first axis of rotation of the reference roller; and
The roller assembly provides a first take-up/delivery path and a second take-up/delivery path, the second take-up/delivery path having more rolls than the first take-up/delivery path. including rollers,
A method, including

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