JPH0941142A - Device for alternately positioning substrates to be coated in vacuo - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prohibit deflection and to attain a uniform temp. distribution by positioning a substrate to a loading and removing position and a coating position with a positioning device and heating this substrate with a heater possessed by this positioning device.

SOLUTION: The substrate 4 is placed on a substrate mounting device 6 in the loading and removing position A which is horizontal. A hollow shaft 10 is rotated to bring the substrate mounting device 6 to the coating position B which is nearly perpendicular. While the substrate 4 is heated by the heater 8 of the substrate mounting device 6, the substrate is coated. The heat radiated from the heater 8 is reflected toward the substrate 4 by a reflection plate 22. A plate 28 consisting of a material having a small calorie and high radiation heat is disposed between he heater 8 and the substrate 4. The uniform supply of the heat of the heater 8 to the substrate 4 is made possible by this plate 28. Since the substrate 4 is loaded and removed in the horizontal state, the substrate does not come into contact with a transporting and holding device and the coated surface of the substrate 4 is not damaged. Since the substrate is coated in nearly the perpendicular state, the particles peeling from cathode do not deposit on the coated surface of the substrate 4.

COPYRIGHT: (C)1997,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for alternately positioning a large-area substrate to be coated in a vacuum, preferably between a loading position or a unloading position and a coating position. Regarding the type provided.

[0002]

Devices for coating substrates under vacuum conditions, such as those used for cathodic sputtering, are known. In such a device, the substrate to be coated is held using a device adapted to the substrate dimensions, especially in immovable coating processes, the surface to be coated of the substrate is the spatial surface facing the coating source. It is positioned at a fixed position. In this case, the substrate is introduced into the coating chamber with the aid of a suitable transport device before the coating cathode is positioned and coated and subsequently fed to another coating station with the transport device or the environment. Derived into the atmosphere. For transporting coated substrates, the substrates are supported in a predominantly horizontal orientation, especially between the individual coating stations. The advantage of transporting the substrate sideways in this way is that the coated surface of the substrate is not touched, for example by a transport holding device, and the deposited layer is not damaged. This exclusively horizontal orientation of the substrate has two main drawbacks, before, during and after the sputtering coating process. On the basis of the coating cathode arranged above the substrate, particles separated from the coating cathode or the periphery of the cathode may fall onto the substrate below, causing contamination on the coated surface. The coating with a cathode arranged below the substrate has the disadvantage that the substrate holder supports the substrate on the coating side. Therefore, it is impossible to form a coating that extends uniformly over the entire surface of the substrate.

The general drawbacks of horizontal coating positions are that the bending of especially large area thin substrates, the increased material stress of the deposited layers, and the heating of the substrate during the coating process are all over the surface. That is not uniform across.

[0004]

The object of the invention is therefore to improve a device of the type mentioned at the outset to produce a particularly large-area thin substrate in which the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art are avoided. To provide an apparatus for alternately positioning substrates to be coated in a vacuum used for.

[0005]

In order to solve this problem, in the structure of the present invention, the device for alternately positioning the substrates has a heating device, and the substrates can be heated using the heating device. I did it.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the substrate mounting device is provided, and the substrate can be conveyed to the substrate mounting device in the horizontal direction. The substrate can be heated by the substrate mounting device so that the substrate can be heated up to the coating position facing the substrate. At the vertical position of the board mounting device, the board surface to be coated is
It is arranged parallel to the coating source, eg the sputtering cathode. This allows a uniform layer to be deposited over the entire substrate surface. In this vertical position, the substrate is supported by the support member fixed to the substrate mounting device on the back side of the covering surface and the edge region. The vertical placement of the substrate prevents the deposition of particles that have become detached from the coating source, especially the sputtering cathode. This is because the released particles fall to the bottom of the chamber between the sputtering cathode and the substrate, and cannot be deposited as contaminants on the substrate surface. Furthermore, the vertical coating position has the advantage that bending is prevented, especially for large area substrates. Therefore, the deposited layer is not subject to material stress. Further, there is an advantage that the entire surface of the substrate can be covered because the substrate is placed and held exclusively. After coating, the substrate mounting device with the substrate can be swiveled to a horizontal position. From this horizontal position, for example, the transfer of the substrate to another coating chamber is carried out exclusively in the horizontal direction. In this case, the substrate is exclusively placed on the support member and conveyed. This is advantageous because contact of the coated surface with the holding device is avoided.

In order to influence the intrinsic layer parameters, the substrate can be heated during the coating stage by means of a heating device incorporated in the substrate mounting device. The heating device is preferably arranged adjacent to the rear surface of the substrate and extends over substantially the entire surface of the substrate. A resistance heating device and / or a quartz radiator is provided as the heating device. In order to achieve and maintain a uniform temperature distribution, over the surface of the substrate, the heating device can be adjusted independently of each other with respect to the heat output of the heating device by individual heating segments, for example individual quartz radiators or individual resistors. The heating element is distributed. Especially in the substrate edge area, temperature losses can be compensated by supplying a higher power to the heating segment. Thus, regardless of the relative position of the heating segments, all heating segments can be heated to approximately the same temperature, preferably equal temperatures.

Further, a plate is provided between the heating device and the substrate. With this plate, the local temperature difference that occurs between heating segments (the plate is preferably made of a small heat capacity material, which has a high emissivity), also causes a resistive heating element inside the face of the heating segment. The local temperature difference formed on the basis of the spatial extent of can also be compensated. As a result, the temperature difference on the substrate surface can be minimized. The plate preferably consists of a metal plate made of nickel-chromium-iron alloy. In particular, the use of plates made from INCONEL or INCONEL 200 is particularly advantageous.

According to another construction of the plate according to the invention, the plate has a two-layer structure. In this case, the first layer is made of a material having a high thermal conductivity and the second layer which is in thermal conductive contact with the first layer is made of a material having a high emissivity. With this combination of layers, the material parameters that define the emissivity and the thermal conductivity can be selected independently of each other. As a material combination, according to the invention, a first layer of copper and a second layer of glass-ceramic are proposed.
In this case, the glass-ceramic is advantageously composed of a CERAN material.

The thickness of the plate made of ceramic material is advantageously between 2 mm and 10 mm and the thickness of the copper plate is advantageously between 1 mm and 4 mm.
In order to produce the metal-ceramic layer, a metal layer of about 10 μm thickness, preferably a copper layer, is deposited by vapor deposition in the first step step. Another layer of copper is electrolytically deposited on this first copper layer in an electrolytic cell. In this case, the total thickness of the first copper layer and the second copper layer is about 2 mm. A copper plate is fixed to the copper layer. The copper plate preferably has a thickness of 2 mm. Therefore, the total thickness of the metal layer is about 4 m.
m.

If a quartz radiator is used as the heating device, a plate is proposed which acts as a wavelength converter. In the case of plates acting in this way, the radiant energy emitted by the quartz radiator, preferably in the spectral range from 1 μm to 3 μm, is converted into the long-wave spectral range. This has the advantage that the glass substrate effectively absorbs long-wave radiant energy, especially when it is desired to coat the glass substrate.

In order to reduce the radiation losses, the heating device is covered on its back side with at least one reflector plate. As a result, the heat rays emitted by the heating device are emitted substantially in the direction of the substrate.

In order to rotate the board mounting device between the horizontal position and the vertical position, the board mounting device is mounted on the pivot arm. The swivel arm is connected on the end side to a pivotally mounted shaft, preferably a hollow shaft. The hollow shaft protruding from the coating chamber in vacuum to the ambient atmosphere is
0 is preferably used by means of a drive arranged outside the coating chamber.
It can be rotated within an angle range of ~ 85 °. An electrical lead is provided to power the electrical heating device. The conductor is guided to the ambient atmosphere by using a vacuum penetration guide member fitted in a hollow shaft.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The device 1 arranged in the coating chamber 30 is mainly composed of a substrate mounting device 6 and a revolving device having a revolving arm 12 and a hollow shaft 10. The swivel arm 12 is detachably screwed on the end side to a clamp device 13 surrounding the hollow shaft 10. By rotating the hollow shaft 10, the revolving arm 12 is moved from the horizontal loading position A to the substantially vertical coating position B, or from the coating position B to the horizontal loading position A or the removal position A. To be The turning angle range through which the board mounting device 6 passes is indicated by the turning range indicated by the alternate long and short dash line, and is approximately 0 to
It is 85 °.

The substrate mounting device 6 has a reflection thin plate 14 formed as a base plate. The reflection thin plate 14 is
It is fixed to the revolving arm 12 via a holding device 20 that penetrates the center of the surface of the reflection thin plate 14. The swivel arm 12 is connected to the outer reflection thin plate 14 via a holding device 20 (see FIG. 3). The holding device 20 has a threaded pin 2
1 and the threaded pin 21 has male threads 21a and 21b on the end side, respectively. in this case,
One end of the threaded pin 21 penetrates a notch in the swivel arm 12 and rests on the swivel arm 12 at the part of the collar 23 which is fixedly arranged on the threaded pin 21. The threaded pin 21 is firmly fixed to the swivel arm 12 between the washer 23 a and the collar 23 via the nut 25 fixed to the male thread 21 a of the threaded pin 21.

A spring member 31 is arranged on the side of the threaded pin 21 facing the plate 28 (see FIG. 2). The end surface of the spring member 31 is pressed against the collar 23. At the other end, the spring member 31 has a support surface 27.
a is supported. The support surface 27a is pressed by the nut 29 screwed to the threaded pin 21 into the pressing brim 2.
It is pressed toward the spring member 31 via 7b. This keeps the elastically spring-supported bond between the swivel arm 12 and the support surface 27a, which remains rigid even under heat load, in which case the reflective lamella 14 is attached to the support surface 27a. It is applied.

The outer reflector plate 14 is connected to the inner reflector plate 22 via a further holding device 33. The holding device 33 has two threaded pins 35a, 35b fixed to the inner reflection thin plate 22 on opposite sides. These threaded pins 35a, 35b are preferably welded to the inner reflector plate 22 on the respective end faces. A spacer sleeve 37a and a counter nut 39a, which are guided so as to cover the threaded pin 35a, hold the outer reflection thin plate 14 at a predetermined distance from the inner reflection thin plate 22 via a washer 41a. And it is fixed.

The plate 28 is held at a fixed distance from the inner reflection thin plate 22 by a spacer sleeve 37b having a female thread surrounding the threaded pin 35b, a washer 41b and a hinge nut 39b.
It is firmly connected to the reflection thin plate 22.

Thus, by means of the holding device 20, 33, the plate 28 and the reflection lamella 22 are firmly held in common by the inner reflection lamella 22 with respect to each other and with respect to the swivel arm 12.

The outer annular edge region of the rectangular reflector plate 14 is folded and interrupted at the corner region 11 of the edge region.
Is formed. One guide member 15 whose position is adjusted in the horizontal direction is fixedly fitted into the edge portion 11. On each guide member 15, a support frame 16 having a cutout in the edge region is supported on the one hand in the edge region and on the other hand approximately in the center of the surface of the substrate mounting device 6.
A heating device 8 formed, for example, as a resistance heating device or consisting of a quartz radiator, is arranged in the inner chamber surrounded by the reflective thin plate 14 and the support frame 16. The heat output radiated by the resistance heating device 8 or the quartz radiator 8 is radiated in a desired direction towards the support frame 16 by means of a reflecting lamella 22 arranged between the heating device 8 and the reflecting lamella 14. It The substrate 4 to be coated is laid and held on each of the support members 26, 26a mounted on the support frame 16. In the horizontal lying position, the entire weight of the substrate 4 is supported by the supporting member 26. On the other hand, at the substantially vertical covering position, the supporting member 26a mainly supports the weight load of the substrate. The support members 26, 26a are made of a material having a low thermal conductivity. This prevents heat flow between the support frame 16 and the mounted substrate 4. A plate 28 is provided between the support frame 16 and the heating device 8 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in order to produce a heat distribution which is as uniform as possible over the surface of the substrate. This plate 28, which is made of a material with a high emissivity and a small heat capacity, is provided, for example, on the basis of the segmented division of the heating device 8.
It is possible to prevent a local difference in temperature distribution from occurring. To supply power to the heating device 8, the heating device 8 is connected via an electrical lead 32 to a power supply unit (not shown). The conductor 32 is guided to the ambient atmosphere via a vacuum penetration guide member 34 fitted in the hollow shaft 10.

The substrate 4 is loaded into the substrate mounting device 6 through the loading / unloading opening 36 which can be closed. Charging /
The take-out opening 36 is formed in the chamber wall 37 of the coating chamber 30 by processing. In this case, the substrate 4 is preferably lowered horizontally into the substrate mounting device 6 inside the coating chamber 30 by means of an automatic carrier (not shown). The coating process is started by moving the substrate mounting device 6 together with the substrate 4 supported by the substrate mounting device 6 to the coating position B in the vertical direction. At the coating position A, the substrate 4 is coated by, for example, a cathode sputtering device (not shown) in the coating direction af indicated by the arrow. To remove the coated substrate 4, the swivel arm 12 is swiveled to its horizontal removal position A, and the substrate 4 is then removed from the coating chamber 30 via the loading / unloading opening 36.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a cross-sectional view of a device according to the invention in a horizontal loading position and a vertical coating position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the substrate mounting apparatus shown in FIG.

3 is an enlarged sectional view of the holding device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the holding device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 device for alternately positioning substrates to be coated in vacuum, 4 substrates, 6 substrate mounting device, 8 heating device,
10 hollow shaft, 11 edges, 12 swivel arm,
13 Clamping device, 14 Basic plate, 15
Guide member, 16 support frame, 20 holding device, 21 threaded pin, 21a, 21b male thread, 22 reflective thin plate, 23 collar, 23a washer, 25 nut, 26, 26a support member, 2
7a Support surface, 27b Pressing collar, 28 Plate, 29 Nut, 30 Coating chamber, 31 Spring member, 32 Electric wire, 33 Holding device, 34
Vacuum guide, 35a, 35b Threaded pin, 3
6 loading / unloading opening, 37 chamber wall, 37a, 3
7b Spacer sleeve, 39a Counter nut,
39b butterfly nut, 41a, 41b washer,
A loading position, removal position, B covering position, a-
f Covering direction

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Reiner Hinterschuster Germany Hammersbach Lang Genberg Heimerstraße 28 (72) Inventor Bertholt Oker Germany Hanau Dresden Strasse 92

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A device for alternately positioning a preferably large-area substrate (4) to be coated in vacuum between a loading or unloading position (A) and a coating position (B),
In the type in which the substrate mounting device (6) is provided, the device (1) for alternately positioning the substrates has a heating device (8) and the heating device (8) is used for the substrate (4). ) Is capable of being heated, and a device for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in a vacuum. 2. The device (1) for alternately positioning the substrates comprises a swivel arm (12), said swivel arm (1) being provided.
2) One end of the shaft (1) is rotatably supported.
0) is preferably locked by means of a clamping device (13) and the substrate mounting device (6) is detachably connected to the swivel arm (12) so that it is substantially horizontal to the substrate mounting device (6). 2. The device for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in vacuum according to claim 1, wherein the substrate (4) to be coated can be loaded in the loading position (A) extending in the direction. 3. A substrate mounting device (6) comprises a base plate (14) and a support frame (1) that are bent annularly on the edge side.
6), said support frame (16) resting on the L-shaped edge of the base plate (14) and substantially in the plane of the base plate (14) and the support frame (16). The base plate (14) is releasably connected to the support frame (16) by means of a holding device (20) which passes through the center and is connected on the end side inside the swivel arm (12), Substrate to be coated in vacuum according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support frame (16) is thereby fixed on the one hand to the base plate (14) and on the other hand to the swivel arm (12). A device that positions alternately. 4. A heating device (8), preferably a resistance heating device (8), is arranged in an intermediate chamber surrounded by the base plate (14) and the support frame (16), which heating device (8) 8) and at least one reflective lamina (22) is provided between the base plate (14),
As a result, the heat output emitted by the heating device (8) is transferred to the substrate (4) supported by the substrate mounting device (6).
Device for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in a vacuum according to any one of claims 1 to 3, adapted to be oriented substantially in the direction of. 5. A support member (26, 26a) is fixed to the surface of the support frame (16) opposite to the turning arm (12), and the support member (26, 26a) is to be coated. (4) can be supported at a horizontal position and a substantially vertical position of the board mounting device (6),
An apparatus for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in vacuum according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. Support frame (16) and heating device (8)
Between them and a plate (28), which is preferably made of a material having a small heat capacity and a high emissivity, is provided, whereby the heat output transferred from the heating device (8) to the plate (28). The device for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in a vacuum according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the can be evenly distributed over the entire substrate surface. 7. Device for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in a vacuum according to claim 1, wherein the heating device (8) consists of at least one quartz radiator. 8. A plate (2) arranged between the heating device (8), preferably a quartz radiator, and the substrate (4).
8) preferably consists of a material of nickel-chromium-iron alloy, with which material preferably 1 μm to 3 μm
The radiant energy absorbed in the m short-wave spectral region can be converted into the long-wave spectral region advantageously greater than 3.5 μm, which, on the one hand, allows the heating device (8) to the substrate (4). Advantageously, a uniform heat energy transfer to the glass substrate takes place, while on the other hand the plate (28) is protected so that the heating device (8) can be prevented from being covered by the cathodically sputtered material. An apparatus for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in vacuum according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 9. The heating device (8) consists of individual heating segments which can be adjusted independently of each other with respect to the heat output of the heating device (8), in particular by the edge of the substrate (4). The device for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in vacuum according to claim 1, wherein a uniform substrate temperature distribution up to a range can be achieved. 10. The support member (26, 26a) is made of a material having a low thermal conductivity, preferably glass-ceramic, so that the heat distribution in the substrate (4) is uniform. An apparatus for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated in a vacuum according to any one of claims 1 to 9. 11. Shaft (10) is formed as a hollow shaft (10), said hollow shaft (10) being a coating chamber (30).
11. An apparatus for alternating positioning of substrates to be coated in a vacuum according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is drivable by a motor arranged outside the. 12. An electrical conductor (32) is provided, one end of which is connected to a heating device (8) and the other end of which is connected to a power supply, A conductive wire (32) is guided inside the hollow shaft (10),
12. A vacuum penetrating guide member (34) fitted in a hollow shaft (10) and guided to extend to an inner chamber of a coating chamber (30), as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 11. A device that alternately positions the substrates to be coated in a vacuum. 13. A device for alternately positioning a preferably large-area substrate (4) to be coated in vacuum between a loading or unloading position (A) and a coating position (B). In the type in which the mounting device (6) is provided, the device (1) for alternately positioning the substrates is supported by the heating device (8) and the heating device (8) and the substrate mounting device (6). A plate (2) arranged between the substrate (4)
8) and the plate (28) consists of two layers which are in thermal conductive contact with each other, of which the layer facing the heating device (8) is In a vacuum, characterized in that it is made of a material having a high thermal conductivity, preferably copper, and the layer facing the substrate is made of a material having a high emissivity, preferably glass ceramic. A device for alternately positioning the substrates to be coated with.