KR20170000465U - Carrier and method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

A carrier (100) for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path is provided. The carrier 100 includes a carrier body 110 configured for transport along a linear transport path 133 and at least one substrate support arrangement 120 provided in the carrier body 110 and configured to support the substrate 101. [ Wherein the substrate support arrangement 120 is configured to define at least one bending axis 130 relative to the substrate 101 and at least one bending axis 130 has an essentially vertical orientation.

Description

≪ Desc / Clms Page number 1 > CARRIER AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING A SUBSTRATE IN A VACUUM PROCESSING CHAMBER < RTI ID =

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a carrier and method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber, and to an apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate. Embodiments are particularly directed to, for example, carriers for supporting substrates for layer deposition, and carriers for supporting large area substrates in a processing apparatus for processing large area substrates.

[0002] Various methods for depositing material on a substrate are known. For example, the substrates may be coated by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, The process may be performed in a processing apparatus or processing chamber where the substrate to be coated is located. A deposition material is provided to the processing apparatus. Oxides, nitrides, or carbides of such materials as well as a plurality of materials can be used for deposition on a substrate. Further, other processing steps such as etching, structuring, or annealing, etc. may be performed in the processing chambers.

[0003] The coated materials can be used in a variety of applications and in various technical fields. For example, applications such as creating semiconductor devices belong to the field of microelectronics. In addition, substrates for displays are often coated by a PVD process. Additional applications include insulating panels, organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels, substrates with TFTs, or color filters, and the like.

[0004] In particular, in areas such as display production, the manufacture of thin film solar cells, and similar applications, large area glass substrates are processed. Increasing the size of the glass substrates makes it difficult to handle, support, and process such substrates without sacrificing throughput, for example, by glass breakage.

[0005] The substrates can be supported on carriers, particularly during processing of the substrate. The carrier drives the glass or substrate through the processing device. The carrier can support the surface of the substrate, for example, along the periphery of the substrate or along the surface itself. In particular, a frame shaped carrier may be used to mask the glass substrate, and the carrier may be an aperture for the coating material to be deposited on the exposed substrate portion, Such that the substrate portion is exposed by the aperture.

[0006] The tendency of the substrate to become larger and thinner is particularly important because of the bending, sagging and / or bulging of the substrate, especially when the substrate is being transported in vertical alignment, and / Can lead to instability of substrate positioning due to the stress applied to the substrate during deposition of the layers. As a result, the instability of substrate positioning can cause problems, such as increased fracture probability, high stresses in holding devices or fixtures, shaking during venting, and the like. Also, the quality, e.g., uniformity, of the deposited layers can be reduced.

[0007] There is a need to stabilize the substrate or substrate position and to allow the carrier to transport larger and thinner substrates without breakage and to improve the quality of the deposited layers.

[0008] In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a carrier and method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber that overcomes at least some of the problems in the art.

[0009] In view of the above, a carrier and method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber, and an apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate are provided. Additional aspects, advantages, and features of the disclosure are apparent from the claims, the description, and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. The carrier includes a carrier body configured for transport along a linear transport path and at least one substrate support arrangement provided in the carrier body and configured to support the substrate, wherein the substrate support arrangement defines at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate And at least one of the bending axes has an essentially vertical orientation.

[0011] According to another aspect of the disclosure there is provided an apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate. The apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path and configured for layer deposition therein, a carrier in the processing chamber, and a deposition source for depositing the material forming the layer. The carrier includes a carrier body configured for transport along a linear transport path and at least one substrate support arrangement provided in the carrier body and configured to support the substrate, wherein the substrate support arrangement defines at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate And at least one of the bending axes has an essentially vertical orientation.

[0012] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber is provided. The method includes bending the substrate about at least one bending axis, wherein the at least one bending axis has an essentially vertical orientation.

[0013] According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. The carrier comprising: a carrier body configured for transport along a linear transport path, the carrier body configured to support the substrate in a vertical orientation; at least one substrate support arrangement provided to the carrier body and configured to support the substrate, The arrangement is configured to define at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate, and wherein at least one of the bending axes has an essentially vertical orientation. The substrate support arrangement further includes at least one of at least one support surface configured to support a substrate, wherein at least one support surface includes a curvature defining at least one bend axis with respect to the substrate, Two or more of the holding devices are arranged to maintain the substrate at a first distance from the linear transport path at the first position and at a second distance from the linear transport path at the second position, Is greater than the second distance.

[0014] Embodiments also relate to devices for performing the disclosed methods and include device parts for performing each of the described method steps. These method steps may be performed by hardware components, by a computer programmed by appropriate software, by any combination of the two, or in any other manner. In addition, embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure also relate to methods for operating the described apparatus. The method includes method steps for performing all functions of the device.

[0015] In the manner in which the recited features of the disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments. The accompanying drawings relate to embodiments of the present disclosure and are described below.
IA illustrates a perspective view of a carrier according to embodiments described herein;
1B illustrates a top view of the carrier of FIG. 1A, supporting a substrate;
2A illustrates a perspective view of another carrier in accordance with additional embodiments described herein;
Figure 2b illustrates a top view of the carrier of Figure 2a supporting the substrate;
Figure 3A illustrates a perspective view of another carrier in accordance with further embodiments described herein;
Figure 3b illustrates a top view of the carrier of Figure 3a supporting the substrate;
Figure 4a illustrates a perspective view of another carrier in accordance with further embodiments described herein;
Figure 4b illustrates a top view of the carrier of Figure 4a supporting the substrate;
Figures 5A and 5B illustrate plan views of carriers according to embodiments described herein;
Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate plan views of the carriers in accordance with the embodiments described herein;
Figure 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an apparatus for depositing a layer of material on a substrate utilizing a carrier according to embodiments described herein; And
Figure 8 shows a flow diagram of a method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber utilizing a carrier according to embodiments described herein.

[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the disclosure, and examples of one or more of the various embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like components. In general, only differences for the individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided as a description of the disclosure and is not meant as a limitation of the disclosure. Further, the features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with other embodiments, or may be used for other embodiments, to create further embodiments. The detailed description is intended to cover such modifications and variations.

[0017] According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. The carrier includes a carrier body configured for transport along a linear transport path and at least one substrate support arrangement provided in the carrier body and configured to support the substrate, wherein the substrate support arrangement defines at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate And at least one bending axis has an essentially vertical orientation.

[0018] In some embodiments, for example, to stabilize a substrate at a vertical position, the substrate is bent about at least one bending axis. Applying the shape to the substrate by bending the substrate about the bending axis can increase the structural strength of the substrate. In some embodiments, more than one bending axis is provided. By means of a substrate support arrangement configured to define at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate, the substrate can be stably positioned on the carrier and held by the carrier.

[0019] The substrate support arrangement is configured to define at least one bending axis, i.e., n bending axes, wherein n is an integer equal to or greater than 1 (n > = 1). n may range, for example, from 1 to 10, especially from 1 to 5, and more particularly 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

[0020] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate support arrangement is configured to define at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate to apply a concave or convex shape to the substrate. The term "concave " as used herein means to be curved inwardly rounded about at least one bending axis, and at least one bending axis is applied to the substrate It may be a symmetrical axis of a concave shape. As used herein, the term "convex" means to be curved or rounded outward, for example, around at least one bending axis, and at least one bending axis may be a symmetrical axis of the convex shape applied to the substrate.

[0021] The term "substrate " as used herein will include substrates that may be used for display manufacture, such as glass or plastic substrates. For example, the substrates as described herein will include substrates that can be used for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), and the like. The term "substrate" can be understood as a "large area substrate ".

[0022] According to some embodiments, the substrate may have a size of at least 0.174 m < 2 >. The size can range from about 1.4 m 2 to about 8 m 2, particularly from about 2 m 2 to about 9 m 2 or even up to 12 m 2. In some embodiments, the large area substrate is a fifth generation, corresponding to about 1.4 m 2 substrates (1.1 m x 1.3 m), a 7.5 generation substrate corresponding to about 4.39 m 2 substrates (1.95 m x 2.25 m) Or 8.5 generations, or even 10 generations, corresponding to about 8.7 square meters (2.85 square meters, 3.05 meters), corresponding to 2.2 square meters (2.2 square meters). Even larger generations such as the eleventh and twelfth generations and corresponding substrate areas can similarly be implemented.

[0023] In some embodiments, the substrate may be made of any material suitable for material deposition. For example, the substrate may be a glass (e.g., soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, etc.), metal, polymer, ceramic, compound materials, or any other material that can be coated by a deposition process Or a combination of other materials. The instability of substrate or substrate positioning, which may also affect the processing of the substrate, can be reduced by carriers according to the embodiments described herein. In particular, in the case of glass substrates or ceramic substrates where instability is a particular aspect, the carriers can improve the stability of the substrate or substrate positioning. A carrier according to embodiments disclosed herein can provide stable positioning to substrates having a thickness of less than 300 micrometers, e.g., glass substrates.

[0024] 1A illustrates a perspective view of a carrier 100 according to embodiments described herein, and Fig. IB illustrates a top view of the carrier 100 of Fig. 1A that supports a substrate 101. Fig.

[0025] The carrier 100 includes a carrier body 110 configured for transport along a linear transport path and at least one substrate support arrangement 120 provided in the carrier body 110 and configured to support the substrate 101 The substrate support arrangement 120 is configured to define or provide at least one bending axis 130 with respect to the substrate 101 and at least one bending axis 130 has an essentially vertical orientation.

[0026] The terms "vertical direction" or "vertical orientation" are understood to be distinguished for "horizontal direction" or "horizontal orientation". Quot; vertical orientation "refers to, for example, a substantially vertical orientation of the substrate and carrier, and may vary from a precise vertical or vertical orientation to several degrees, e.g., up to 10 degrees, or even up to 15 degrees Quot; vertical orientation "or" vertical orientation ". In the figures, the vertical or vertical orientation is denoted by reference numeral 131. The vertical direction may be substantially parallel to gravity.

[0027] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate support arrangement 120 may have at least one support surface 121 configured to support a substrate 101, The support surface 121 has a cover chuck which defines at least one bending axis 130 relative to the substrate 101. In some embodiments, the at least one support surface 121 is a continuous or uninterrupted surface. In other embodiments, the at least one support surface 121 may include two or more segments, particularly discrete segments, and more particularly spatially discrete segments.

[0028] According to some embodiments described herein, at least one of the support surfaces 121 has a cover click. That is, at least one support surface 121 is a curved or molded surface. The term "coverer " as used herein may refer to a non-flat surface, and in particular, at least one support surface 121 may refer to an amount deviating from a flat surface. The cover cover can be a concave cover cover. In other embodiments, the cover chute may be a convex cover chute.

[0029] In some implementations, the coverture has a circular shape, and in particular, the covercher is a segment of the circle. As shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, the cover portion has a radius. The radius can be constant to define the segment of the circle. Other shapes of coverers, e.g., wavelike shapes as described with reference to Figure 6, are possible.

[0030] The at least one support surface 121 extends in a first direction 132 and the at least one bending axis 130 is substantially perpendicular to the first direction 132. In accordance with some embodiments described herein, to be. The first direction 132 may be the longitudinal direction of the at least one support surface 121.

[0031] By way of example, the first direction is a horizontal direction, and in particular, the horizontal direction is substantially perpendicular to gravity. The terms "horizontal direction" or "horizontal orientation" are understood to be distinguished from the above-mentioned "vertical direction ". That is, the "horizontal direction" relates to a substantially horizontal orientation, i.e., an orientation that is substantially perpendicular to gravity, and deviations of up to several degrees, e.g., up to 10 degrees or even up to 15 degrees, Quot; horizontal orientation "or" horizontal orientation ".

[0032] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the carrier body 110 includes a frame having one or more frame elements. According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, one or more of the frame elements includes a first frame element and a second frame element, A first support surface provided by the frame element and a second support surface provided by the second frame element.

[0033] 1A, the frame of the carrier body 110 includes a first frame element 111, a second frame element 113, a third frame element 112, and a fourth frame element 114 do. The first frame element 111 provides a first support surface 121 of the support arrangement 120 and the second frame element 113 provides a second support surface 121 ' of the support arrangement 120 . The first frame element 111 and the second frame element 113 may be oriented substantially parallel and / or the third frame element 112 and the fourth frame element 114 may be oriented substantially parallel . In some embodiments, the first frame element 111 and the second frame element 113 extend substantially parallel in the horizontal direction, and in particular, the horizontal direction is substantially perpendicular to gravity. The first frame element 111 and the second frame element 113 may be referred to as a top bar and a bottom bar, respectively. The third frame element 112 and the fourth frame element 114 may be referred to as side bars.

[0034] At least one substrate support arrangement, in particular at least one support surface, is configured to support a large area substrate 101, for example. At least one support surface 121 may be configured to contact a peripheral portion of the substrate 101. According to some embodiments, at least one substrate support surface 121 may also be referred to as a "substrate receiving surface ".

[0035] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the carrier body is configured to support the substrate in a vertical orientation.

[0036] By way of example, the devices described herein for utilizing the carriers and the carriers described herein are for vertical substrate processing. The term "vertical substrate processing" is understood to be distinguished from "horizontal substrate processing ". That is, vertical substrate processing refers to a substantially vertical orientation of the substrate and the carrier during substrate processing, and deviations of up to several degrees, e.g., up to 10 degrees, or even up to 15 degrees, from the correct vertical orientation are still considered vertical substrate processing .

[0037] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the carrier body has an aperture opening configured to receive a substrate. By way of example, one or more of the frame elements of the frame form an aperture hole, e.g., aperture hole 115, configured to receive the substrate 101. The aperture opening 115 may also be referred to as a "window ".

[0038] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the carrier body is made of metal or plastic. By way of example, a frame having one or more frame elements may be made of metal or plastic. According to some embodiments, the carrier body 110 may be made of aluminum, aluminum alloys, alloys of titanium, titanium, or stainless steel, or the like. For example, the carrier body 110 may be manufactured from a single piece, i.e., the carrier body 110 may be integrally formed, for example, in small, . However, according to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the carrier body 110 may include two or more of the frame elements, such as top bars, side bars, and bottom bars, ≪ / RTI >

[0039] Carriers in accordance with the embodiments described herein may be utilized for PVD deposition processes, CVD deposition processes, substrate structuring edging, heating (e.g., annealing), or any type of substrate processing. Embodiments of carriers as described herein and methods for utilizing such carriers are particularly useful for non-stationary, i.e., continuous substrate processing. The carriers may be provided for processing vertically oriented large area glass substrates. Non-stationary processing typically requires that the carrier also provide masking elements for the process.

[0040] In particular, the carrier according to the embodiments described herein can also mask the substrate. By way of example, the aperture of the frame or carrier body may provide an opening for the coating material to be deposited on the exposed substrate portion, or an opening for other processing steps to act on such substrate portion, Is exposed by the opening. A masking device configured to mask portions of the substrate may also be provided such that the coating material can only be deposited on portions of the substrate exposed by the mask device. According to some embodiments, masking may be provided by a separate edge exclusion mask that may be provided to the processing chamber.

[0041] 2A illustrates a perspective view of a carrier 200 according to further embodiments described herein and FIG. 2B illustrates a top view of the carrier 200 of FIG. 2A supporting a substrate 101. FIG.

[0042] The carrier 200 of FIGS. 2A and 2B is similar to the carrier 100 described above with respect to FIGS. 1A and 1B, with the difference being the construction of at least one substrate support arrangement. Similar given explanations of the same features also apply to the embodiment of Figures 2a and 2b and are not repeated.

[0043] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, a substrate support arrangement may include two or more retaining devices, two or more retaining devices may be used to hold the substrate in a first position A first distance from the linear transport path and a second distance from the linear transport path in the second position, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

[0044] In some embodiments, the substrate support arrangement includes two or more retaining devices, and two or more of the retaining devices support the substrate 101 at a first position from the carrier body 110 or frame at a first distance And a second distance from the carrier body 110 or frame at a second position, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

[0045] According to some embodiments, one or more of the holding devices may be used to secure the substrate 101 to the carrier body 110 or frame and to maintain the substrate 101 in place during, for example, a deposition process . In some embodiments, the linear transport path 133 may be essentially parallel to the first direction 132 and the first direction 132 may be horizontal.

[0046] Two or more retaining devices, e.g., two first retaining devices 210 and a second retaining device 220, are provided, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B. The first holding devices 210 are arranged to maintain the substrate 101 at a first distance from the linear transport path 133 in the first position. By way of example, the first holding devices 210 are arranged to maintain the substrate 101 at a first distance from the carrier body 110 or frame at a first position. The second retention device 220 is arranged to maintain the substrate 101 at a second distance from the linear transport path 133 in the second position and the first distance is greater than the second distance. By way of example, the second retention device 220 is arranged to maintain the substrate 101 at a second distance from the carrier body 110 or frame at the second position. Two or more of the holding devices may be configured to apply a circular or corrugated shape, particularly a concave or convex shape, to the substrate 101.

[0047] In some implementations, at least one of the two or more retention devices 210, 220 may include a distance element, e.g., distance elements (e.g., 211 and 221 and a retaining element such as retaining elements 212 and 222 that are configured to contact and / or hold the substrate 101 with the substrate 101. According to some embodiments, two or more of the holding devices may include a hanger or mountable suspension to hold the substrate 101 in a hanging or suspended position . By way of example, the retaining element of the retaining device can be configured to hold the substrate 101 in the hanging or suspended position.

[0048] In some embodiments, one or more of the holding devices are configured to hold the substrate by applying retention force on the extended surfaces of the substrate 101, e.g., on the extended surface to be coated. By way of example, to hold or clamp the substrate 101, the clamp contacts both extended surfaces.

[0049] Although three holding devices, i.e., holding devices 210 and 220, are shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the present disclosure is not so limited. More than three retention devices may be provided. As an example, more than one retention device may be provided on at least one of the first frame element 111, the second frame element 113, the third frame element 112 and / or the fourth frame element 114 have.

[0050] 3A illustrates a perspective view of a carrier 300 according to further embodiments described herein and FIG. 3B illustrates a top view of the carrier 300 of FIG. 3A that supports a substrate 101. FIG.

[0051] The carrier 300 of Figures 3A and 3B is similar to the carrier 100 described above with respect to Figures 1A and 1B except that one or more of the holding devices 310 are provided and the substrate support arrangement 320 is provided, Is configured to apply a convex shape to the substrate (101). Similar given explanations of the same features also apply to the embodiment of Figures 3a and 3b and are not repeated. One or more of the retaining devices 310 may be configured similar or similar to the retaining devices described above with respect to Figures 2A and 2B.

[0052] One or more of the retaining devices 310 may include at least one support surface having a cover chuck for defining or providing at least one bending axis 130 with respect to the substrate 101, 321 and the second support surface 321 ', and in particular, the cover chute is a convex cover chaser. In some embodiments, one or more of the holding devices 310 may be configured to hold the substrate 101 by applying retention forces on the extended surfaces of the substrate 101, . By way of example, to hold or clamp the substrate 101, the clamp contacts both extended surfaces.

[0053] Although four holding devices are shown in Figures 3a and 3b, the present disclosure is not so limited. More than four retention devices may be provided. By way of example, more than one retention device 310 may be attached to at least one of the first frame element 111, the second frame element 113, the third frame element 112 and / or the fourth frame element 114 Can be provided.

[0054] 4A illustrates a perspective view of a carrier 400 according to further embodiments described herein, and Fig. 4B illustrates a top view of the carrier 400 of Fig. 4A supporting a substrate 101. Fig.

[0055] The carrier 400 of Figures 4A and 4B is similar to the carriers described above with respect to Figures 1-3. Similar given explanations of the same features also apply to the embodiment of Figures 4A and 4B and are not repeated.

[0056] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate support arrangement includes a plate 410, e.g., a bent plate, or such a plate. The plate may have a support surface, e.g., a support surface 411. The plate 410 may have a cylindrical shape, and in particular, the plate 410 is a segment of a cylinder. The cylinder can have a radius. The radius can be constant to define the segment of the cylinder. Other shapes of the plate 410, e.g., a wave shape, in particular a sinusoidal shape, are possible. In some embodiments, the plate may be concave or convexly shaped.

[0057] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, a substrate support arrangement may include two or more retaining devices, two or more retaining devices may be used to hold the substrate in a first position A first distance from the linear transport path and a second distance from the linear transport path in the second position, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

[0058] In some embodiments, two or more of the holding devices include at least one electrode configured to generate an electric field, particularly an electrostatic field. At least one electrode can be configured to hold the substrate 101 electrostatically, e.g., at the support surface 411. As an example, at least one electrode 412 may be embedded in the plate 410, or may be provided on the side of the plate 410 opposite to the support surface 411. In some embodiments, the substrate support arrangement, and in particular two or more of the holding devices, can be configured as a chuck.

[0059] Figures 5A and 5B illustrate plan views of carriers in accordance with the embodiments described herein. In Figure 5a, the configuration of a substrate support arrangement with at least one support surface having a cover chuck is shown. In Fig. 5b, the configuration of a substrate support arrangement having two or more retention devices is shown.

[0060]  According to some embodiments, the carrier body 110 may have one or more contact surfaces configured to contact the substrate 101. By way of example, the carrier body 110, and in particular the frame of the carrier body 110, may have one or more rounded edges that provide contact surfaces. For example, the third frame element 112 and the fourth frame element 114 may each have a contact surface provided by the rounded edges of, for example, the third frame element 112 and the fourth frame element 114 Lt; / RTI >

[0061] Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate plan views of the carriers in accordance with the embodiments described herein.

[0062] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate support arrangement may be configured to define two or more bending axes relative to the substrate to apply a corrugated shape, particularly a sinusoidal shape, .

[0063] In some embodiments, the cover portion of the support surface 421 of the substrate support arrangement 420 has a corrugated shape, particularly a sinusoidal shape, as shown in FIG. 6A. As an example, the cover portion of the support surface 421 of the substrate support arrangement 420 defines two or more bending axes 422 relative to the substrate 101 or provides it to the substrate 101. By means of two or more bending axes 422, a corrugation shape, in particular a sinusoidal shape, can be applied to the substrate 101.

[0064] As shown in Figures 6b and 6c, two or more retention devices 440, 441 are provided. Two or more of the holding devices 440 and 441 are arranged to maintain the substrate 101 at a first distance from the linear transport path at the first position and at a second distance from the linear transport path at the second position, The first distance is larger than the second distance. 6B and 6C, in order to maintain the substrate 101 at a first distance from the linear transport path in the first position and in particular at a first distance from the carrier body or frame, e.g., the first frame element 111, Two or more first retaining devices 440 are provided. In order to maintain the substrate 101 at a second distance from the linear transport path in the second position, and in particular at a second distance from the carrier body or frame, e.g., the first frame element 111, 2 holding devices 441 are provided. By means of two or more retaining devices 440, 441, a corrugation shape, in particular a sinusoidal shape, can be applied to the substrate 101.

[0065] Figure 7 illustrates a view of an apparatus 500 for depositing a layer of material on a substrate 101 utilizing a carrier 510 according to embodiments described herein.

[0066] The apparatus 500 includes a vacuum processing chamber 512 having a linear transport path and configured for layer deposition therein, a carrier 510 in the processing chamber 512, and a deposition source (not shown) for depositing the material forming the layer 530). Carrier 510 is configured in accordance with the embodiments described herein. Carrier 510 may be configured, for example, as any of the carriers described above with respect to Figures 1-6.

[0067] The processing chamber 512 is made for a deposition process such as a PVD or CVD process. The substrate 101 is shown as being located in or on the carrier 510 on the substrate transport device 520. The deposition source 530 is provided in the chamber, facing the side of the substrate 101 to be coated. The deposition source 530 provides an evaporation material to be deposited on the substrate 101.

[0068] In Fig. 7, the deposition source 530 can be a target having an evaporation material on top, or any other arrangement that allows the material to be released for deposition on the substrate 101. The deposition source 530 may be a rotatable target. According to some embodiments, the deposition source 530 may be movable, to position and / or replace the source. According to other embodiments, the deposition source 530 may be a planar target.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the deposition source 530 may be a cathode array or may comprise a cathode array. The cathode array may include a plurality of material source devices.

[0070] The plurality of material source devices of the cathode array may be arranged with respect to the substrate 101 so as to have different distances relative to the substrate 101. That is, in plan view, the material source devices of the cathode array can be arranged along bent or curved lines. By arranging the material source devices of the cathode array at different distances to the substrate and in particular by arranging the material source devices of the end section of the cathode array closer to the substrate than the material source devices of the central section of the cathode array, The uniformity of the layers to be coated can be increased.

[0071] In some other embodiments, the plurality of material source devices can be positioned substantially in a straight line, and the bending axis of the carrier 510 is configured to apply a bend to the substrate 101, Are arranged at different distances with respect to the substrate. In particular, the material source devices of the end section of the cathode array can be arranged closer to the substrate than the material source devices of the central section of the cathode array, and the uniformity of the layers coated can be increased.

[0072] According to some embodiments, the deposition material may be selected according to the deposition process and according to the subsequent application of the substrate 101. For example, the deposition material of the deposition source 530 may be a material selected from the group consisting of: metals such as aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, or copper, silicon, indium tin oxide, and other transparent conductive oxides. An oxide-layer, a nitride-layer, or a carbide-layer, which may include such materials, may be formed by providing material from a deposition source 530 or by reactive deposition, For example, by reacting with elements such as oxygen, nitride, or carbon from the gas. According to some embodiments, thin film transistor materials such as silicon oxides, silicon oxynitrides, silicon nitrides, aluminum oxides, aluminum oxynitrides can be used as the deposition material.

[0073] The substrate 101 is provided in or on a carrier 510 that may also serve as an edge exclusion mask, particularly for non-stationary deposition processes. Dashed lines 565 illustrate the path of the deposition material during operation of the apparatus 500 by way of example. According to other embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, masking may be provided by a separate edge exclusion mask provided in the chamber 512. Carriers in accordance with the embodiments described herein may be beneficial for stationary processes and also for non-stationary processes.

[0074] Figure 8 shows a flow diagram of a method 800 for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber in accordance with embodiments described herein. The method includes positioning the substrate in at least one substrate support arrangement (block 810), and bending the substrate about the at least one bending axis (block 820), wherein the at least one bending axis is in an essentially vertical orientation - < / RTI >

[0075] According to embodiments described herein, a method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber may be performed by computer programs, software, computer software products, and correlated controllers, May have input and output means for communicating with the CPU, memory, user interface, and corresponding components of the apparatus for processing large area substrates.

[0076] Embodiments can provide stabilization of substrate or substrate positioning, especially in view of the fact that the thickness of the substrates is reduced, especially as the substrates are getting larger in length and height.

[0077] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure can be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of the disclosure is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims (15)

1. A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path,
A carrier body configured for transport along said linear transport path; And
Wherein the substrate support arrangement is configured to define at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate, and wherein the substrate support arrangement is configured to define at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate, The at least one bending axis having an essentially vertical orientation,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the substrate support arrangement has at least one support surface configured to support the substrate, the at least one support surface having a curvature defining at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein said at least one support surface extends in a first direction and wherein said at least one bending axis is substantially perpendicular to said first direction and in particular said first direction is a horizontal direction,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
The cover chute has a circular shape, and in particular, the cover chute is a circle segment, or the cover choker has a wavelike shape, in particular a sinusoidal shape,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Wherein the substrate support arrangement is configured to define two or more bending axes for the substrate to apply a corrugation shape, particularly a sinusoidal shape,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Wherein the carrier body comprises a frame having one or more frame elements,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the one or more frame elements comprise a first frame element and a second frame element and in particular the at least one support surface comprises a first support surface provided by the first frame element and a second support surface provided by the second frame, Comprising a second support surface provided by the element,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the first frame element and the second frame element extend substantially parallel in a horizontal direction, and in particular, the horizontal direction is substantially perpendicular to gravity,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
Wherein the substrate support arrangement comprises:
Two or more holding devices, wherein the two or more holding devices are configured to move the substrate from a first position to a first distance from the linear transport path and from a second position to the linear position The first distance being greater than the second distance,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein at least one of the two or more retention devices comprises at least one electrode configured to generate an electric field,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. 11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
Wherein the carrier body is configured to support the substrate in a vertical orientation,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The carrier body having an aperture opening configured to receive the substrate,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path. An apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate,
A vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path and configured for layer deposition therein,
12. A processing chamber, comprising: a carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 12; And
And a deposition source for depositing a material forming the layer.
An apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate. A method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber,
The method comprises:
Bending a substrate about at least one bending axis, said at least one bending axis having an essentially vertical orientation,
A method for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber. 1. A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path,
A carrier body configured for transport along a linear transport path, the carrier body configured to support the substrate in a vertical orientation; And
Wherein the substrate support arrangement is configured to define at least one bending axis with respect to the substrate, the at least one bending axis being substantially perpendicular to the substrate Orientation,
Wherein the substrate support arrangement comprises:
At least one support surface configured to support the substrate, the at least one support surface having a cover chuck defining at least one bending axis relative to the substrate,
Further comprising at least one of two or more retaining devices,
Wherein the two or more holding devices are arranged to maintain the substrate at a first distance from the linear transport path at a first position and at a second distance from the linear transport path at a second position, Larger than the second distance,
A carrier for supporting a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber having a linear transport path.

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