KR20180002778A - Apparatus and method for transporting a carrier or substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for contactless transport of deposition sources is provided. The apparatus includes a deposition source assembly. The deposition source assembly includes a deposition source. The deposition source assembly includes a first active magnetic unit. The apparatus includes a guiding structure extending in the source transport direction. The deposition source assembly is movable along the guiding structure. The first active magnetic unit and the guiding structure are configured to provide a first magnetic levitation force to float the deposition source assembly.

Description

Apparatus and method for transport

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods for transporting carriers or substrates, more particularly carriers or substrates for layer deposition on large area substrates.

[0002] Various methods for depositing materials on a substrate are known. As an example, the substrates may be coated using an evaporation process, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, such as a sputtering process, a spraying process, or the like, or a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The process can be performed in the processing chamber of the deposition apparatus, and the substrate to be coated is placed in the processing chamber. A deposition material is provided in the processing chamber. A plurality of materials such as small molecules, metals, oxides, nitrides, and carbides may be used for deposition on the substrate. In addition, other processes, such as etching, structuring, annealing, etc., may be implemented in the processing chambers.

[0003] For example, coating processes can be considered for large area substrates, for example, in display manufacturing techniques. Coated substrates can be used in a variety of applications and in a variety of technical fields. For example, the application may be organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels. Additional applications include insulating panels, microelectronics, such as semiconductor devices, substrates with thin film transistors (TFTs), color filters, and the like. OLEDs are solid-state devices consisting of thin films of (organic) molecules that produce light by the application of electricity. By way of example, OLED displays can provide bright displays on electronic devices and can use reduced power compared to, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs). In the processing chamber, organic molecules are generated (e.g., evaporated, sputtered, sprayed, etc.) and deposited as a layer on the substrates. The particles may pass through a mask having a boundary or a specific pattern, e.g., to deposit material at desired positions on the substrate, e.g., to form an OLED pattern on the substrate.

[0004] Alignment of the substrate to the mask and the quality of the processed substrate, particularly the deposited layer, can be provided. As an example, alignment should be accurate and continuous to achieve good process results. Systems used for alignment of substrates and masks may be sensitive to external interferences such as vibrations. In addition, systems for sorting can increase the cost of ownership.

[0005] In view of the foregoing, there is a need for devices that can provide improved control of the transport of carriers or substrates during a layer deposition process.

[0006] According to one embodiment, a method of contactless alignment of a carrier assembly is provided. The method includes: floating the carrier assembly in a vacuum chamber; Moving the carrier assembly during its lifting to position the carrier assembly with respect to a predetermined position, particularly a mask or mask carrier; And aligning the carrier assembly with respect to the mask or mask carrier in at least one direction selected from the group consisting of a substrate transport direction, a first direction that is + - 15 degrees from vertical, and combinations thereof.

[0007] According to another embodiment, a method of processing a substrate of a carrier assembly is provided. The method includes a method of non-contact alignment of a carrier assembly, wherein the mask or mask carrier is positioned in a vacuum chamber, and processing the substrate in a vacuum chamber. A method of contactless alignment of a carrier assembly includes the steps of floating a carrier assembly in a vacuum chamber; Moving the carrier assembly during levitation to position the carrier assembly with respect to a predetermined position, particularly a mask or mask carrier; And aligning the carrier assembly with respect to the mask or mask carrier in at least one direction selected from the group consisting of a substrate transport direction, a first direction that is + - 15 degrees from vertical, and combinations thereof.

[0008] According to another embodiment, there is provided an apparatus for contactless alignment of a carrier assembly with a mask or mask carrier in a vacuum chamber of a substrate processing system. The apparatus comprising: a guiding structure having a plurality of active magnetic units in a vacuum chamber, wherein the guiding structure is configured to float the carrier assembly in a vacuum chamber; The drive structure having a plurality of additional active magnetic units in the vacuum chamber, the drive structure being configured to drive the carrier assembly along the transport direction, without mechanical contact; Two or more alignment actuators for contacting a mask, substrate, or mask and substrate in a vacuum chamber; And a guiding structure, a driving structure, and two or more alignment actuators, and providing pre-alignment using the guiding structure and the driving structure, and using two or more alignment actuators And a controller configured to control the plurality of active magnetic units and the plurality of additional active magnetic units to provide mechanical alignment.

[0009] In the manner in which the recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure briefly summarized above may be made with reference to the embodiments. The accompanying drawings relate to embodiments of the present disclosure and are described below.
Figure la shows a schematic side view of an apparatus for transporting a carrier, e.g., a carrier on which a substrate is loaded, in a substrate processing system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
Fig. 1b shows a top view of the device according to Fig. 1a.
Fig. 1c shows another side view of the device according to Fig. 1a.
Figure 2 illustrates an apparatus, e.g., a substrate processing system, including an apparatus for transporting a carrier assembly, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
3A and 3B illustrate schematic side views of a carrier assembly, such as a carrier, on which a substrate is loaded, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
Figures 4A and 4B show schematic side views for illustrating methods of aligning a substrate within a substrate processing system, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
Figure 5 shows a schematic view of a mask or mask arrangement that may be utilized in combination with or in combination with an apparatus for transporting a carrier assembly, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
Figure 6 shows a schematic view of a mask or mask arrangement that may be utilized in combination with or in combination with an apparatus for transporting a carrier assembly, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
Figure 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of a holding arrangement for supporting a substrate carrier and a mask carrier during layer deposition in a processing chamber, in accordance with embodiments described herein.
Figure 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a holding arrangement for supporting a substrate carrier and a mask carrier during layer deposition in a processing chamber, in accordance with embodiments described herein.
Figure 9 shows a schematic view of a holding arrangement for supporting a substrate carrier and a mask carrier during layer deposition in a processing chamber, in accordance with further embodiments described herein.
Figure 10 shows a flow chart for illustrating a method of aligning a carrier assembly and a mask with respect to each other, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0010] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and one or more examples of various embodiments thereof are illustrated in the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like components. Only differences for the individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided in the description of the present disclosure and is not intended as a limitation of the present disclosure. Additionally, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in conjunction with other embodiments or with other embodiments to produce further embodiments. The description is intended to include such variations and modifications.

[0011] Embodiments described herein relate to non-contact placement, transport, and / or alignment of a carrier or substrate. The present disclosure relates to a carrier assembly, which carrier assembly can include one or more elements of the group consisting of a carrier supporting the substrate, a carrier having no substrate, a substrate, or a substrate supported by a support have. The term "noncontact " as used throughout this disclosure may be understood to mean, for example, that the weight of the carrier and substrate is held by magnetic force, rather than held by mechanical contact or mechanical forces. Specifically, the carrier assembly is held in a floating or floating state using magnetic forces instead of mechanical forces. By way of example, the apparatus described herein may have no mechanical means, such as mechanical rails, to support the weight of the deposition source assembly. In some implementations, there may be no lifting of the carrier assembly in the system, and no mechanical contact between the carrier assembly and the rest of the device, e.g., during movement.

[0012] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, floating or floating refers to the state of an object, wherein the object floats without mechanical contact or support. In addition, moving an object refers to providing a driving force, such as a force in a direction different from the levitation force, wherein the object is moved from one position to another, e.g., to a different lateral position. For example, an object, such as a carrier assembly, may be floated by a force against gravity, and may be moved in a direction different from the direction parallel to gravity during lifting.

[0013] The non-contact portion of the carrier assembly according to the embodiments described herein may be transported, and / or aligned, during transport or alignment of the carrier assembly, between sections of the apparatus, such as the mechanical rails, It is beneficial in that no particles are created due to mechanical contact. Thus, the embodiments described herein provide improved purity and uniformity of the layers deposited on a substrate because particle generation is minimized, particularly when using non-contact levitation, transport, and / or alignment .

[0014] A further advantage, as compared to the mechanical means for guiding the carrier assembly, is that the embodiments described herein do not suffer from friction that affects the linearity and / or accuracy of movement of the carrier assembly. Non-contact transport of the carrier assembly allows for frictionless movement of the carrier assembly, wherein alignment of the carrier assembly with respect to the mask can be controlled and maintained with high precision. Still further, the levitation allows for rapid acceleration or deceleration of the carrier assembly velocity, and / or fine adjustment of the carrier assembly velocity.

[0015] In addition, the material of the mechanical rails typically undergo strains that can be caused by vacuum evacuation of the chamber, temperature, usage, wear, and the like. Such variations affect the position of the carrier assembly and thus affect the quality of the deposited layers. Conversely, embodiments described herein allow for compensation of potential variations present, for example, in the guiding structure described herein. Considering the non-contact manner in which the carrier assembly is levitated and transported, the embodiments described herein permit non-contact alignment of the carrier assembly. Thus, improved and / or more efficient alignment of the substrate with respect to the mask can be provided.

[0016] According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the device may be configured to be movable in a vertical direction, such as along the y-direction, and / or in one or more lateral directions, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > non-contact < / RTI >

[0017] Embodiments described herein allow contactless rotation of a carrier assembly relative to at least one rotational axis, for example, to angularly align a carrier assembly with respect to a mask. The rotation of the deposition source assembly relative to the axis of rotation may be provided within an angular range of 0.003 degrees to 3 degrees. Embodiments described herein allow for additional mechanical, i.e., contact, rotation of the carrier assembly relative to at least one rotational axis, for example to angle alignment of the carrier assembly with respect to the mask. The mechanical rotation of the deposition source assembly relative to the axis of rotation may be provided within an angular range of 0.0001 degrees to 3 degrees.

[0018] In this disclosure, the terms of "substantially parallel" directions may include directions that form small angles of up to 10 degrees, or even up to 15 degrees with each other. Additionally, the terms "substantially vertical" directions may include directions that are less than 90 degrees to each other, such as at least 80 degrees or at least 75 degrees. Similar considerations apply to concepts such as axes, planes, regions, etc. that are substantially parallel or perpendicular.

[0019] Some embodiments described herein involve the concept of "vertical orientation ". The vertical direction is considered to be a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the gravity extends. The vertical direction can deviate from the correct vertical, for example by an angle of up to 15 degrees (the latter being defined by gravity). For example, the y-direction (denoted by "Y" in the Figures) described herein is the vertical direction. In particular, the y-direction shown in the figures defines the direction of gravity.

[0020] Embodiments described herein may further involve the concept of "lateral ". It should be understood that the transverse direction is intended to distinguish it from the vertical direction. The transverse direction may be perpendicular to the exact vertical direction defined by gravity or may be substantially vertical. For example, the x-direction and z-direction (denoted by "X" and "Z" in the figures) described herein are in the transverse direction.

[0021] The embodiments described herein may be utilized, for example, to coat large area substrates for display fabrication. The substrates or substrate receiving regions on which the devices and methods described herein are provided may be large area substrates. For example, a large-area substrate or carrier may have GEN 4.5 corresponding to about 0.67 m ² substrates (0.73 x 0.92 m), GEN 5 corresponding to about 1.4 m ² substrates (1.1 m x 1.3 m), about 4.29 m ² substrate GEN corresponding to GEN 7.5 corresponding to 1.95 mx 2.2 m, GEN 8.5 corresponding to approximately 5.7 m ² substrates (2.2 mx 2.5 m), or even GEN corresponding to approximately 8.7 m ² substrates (2.85 mx 3.05 m) 10 < / RTI > Larger generations such as GEN 11 and GEN 12 and corresponding substrate areas can similarly be implemented.

[0022] The term "substrate " as used herein may particularly include substrates that are substantially non-flexible, such as slices of transparent crystals, such as wafers, sapphire, or glass plates. However, the present disclosure is not so limited, and the term "substrate" may include flexible substrates such as webs or foils. The term "substantially unlikely" is understood to mean "flexible ". Specifically, a substrate that is substantially inflexible, such as a glass plate having a thickness of 0.5 mm or less, may have some degree of flexibility, wherein the flexibility of the substrate, which is substantially inflexible, Respectively.

[0023] The substrate may be made of any material suitable for material deposition. For example, the substrate can be coated by a deposition process such as glass (e.g., soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, etc.), metal, polymer, ceramic, compound materials, carbon fiber materials, metal or any other material, And a combination of materials.

[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 1A, according to an embodiment, an apparatus 100 for contactless transport of a carrier assembly 110 and / or a substrate 120 is provided. The apparatus includes a carrier assembly (110). The carrier assembly 110 may include a substrate 120. The carrier assembly 110 includes a first passive magnetic unit 150. The apparatus includes a guiding structure 170 that extends in a carrier assembly transport direction. The guiding structure includes a plurality of active magnetic units 175. The carrier assembly 110 is movable along the guiding structure 170. A first passive magnetic unit 150, e.g., a bar of ferromagnetic material, and a plurality of active magnetic units of the guiding structure 170 are configured to provide a first magnetic levitation force to float the carrier assembly 110 do. The means for lifting as described herein is, for example, a means for providing a non-contact force to lift the carrier assembly.

[0025] In accordance with embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 100 may be arranged in a processing chamber. The processing chamber may be a vacuum chamber or a vacuum deposition chamber. The term "vacuum" as used herein can be understood in the sense of a technical vacuum with a vacuum pressure of, for example, less than 10 mbar. The apparatus 100 may include one or more vacuum pumps, such as turbo pumps and / or cryo-pumps, connected to a vacuum chamber for generating a vacuum inside the vacuum chamber.

[0026] FIG. 1A shows a side view of an apparatus 100. Apparatus 100 includes a carrier assembly 110. Additionally, the apparatus includes a guiding structure 170. The apparatus may further include a drive structure 180. The drive structure includes a plurality of additional active magnetic units. The carrier assembly may include a second passive magnetic unit 160, e.g., a bar of ferromagnetic material, for interacting with additional active magnetic units 185 of the drive structure 180. Figure 1a shows a side view of the X-Y-plane. FIG. 1B shows a top view of the device 100 of FIG. 1A. Figure 1B shows the X-Z-plane. A plurality of active magnetic units 175 are shown from above in FIG. 1B. 1C shows another side view of the device 100. As shown in FIG. Figure 1C shows the Z-Y-plane. In Fig. 1C, an active magnetic unit 175 of a plurality of active magnetic units is shown. The active magnetic unit 175 provides a magnetic force that interacts with the first passive magnetic unit 150 of the carrier assembly 110. For example, the first passive magnetic unit 150 may be a rod of ferromagnetic material. The rods may be part of the carrier assembly 110, which is connected to the support structure 112. In addition, the rod or first passive magnetic unit may be formed integrally with the support structure 112 for supporting the substrate 120, respectively. The carrier assembly 110 may further include a second passive magnetic unit 160, e.g., an additional rod. Additional rods may be connected to the carrier assembly 110. Further, the rod or the second passive magnetic unit may be formed integrally with the support structure 112, respectively.

[0027] The term "passive" magnetic unit is used herein to distinguish it from the concept of an "active" magnetic unit. The passive magnetic unit may refer to an element that is not subject to active control or regulation, at least having an element of magnetic properties that is not subject to active control or regulation during operation of the apparatus 100. For example, the magnetic properties of a passive magnetic unit, such as a rod or an additional rod of a carrier assembly, are generally not subject to active control during movement of the carrier assembly through the deposition apparatus or processing apparatus. According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the controller of the apparatus 100 is not configured to control the passive magnetic unit of the deposition source assembly. The passive magnetic unit may be adapted to generate a magnetic field, e.g., a static magnetic field. The passive magnetic unit may not be configured to generate an adjustable magnetic field. The passive magnetic unit may be a magnetic material, such as a ferromagnetic material, a permanent magnet, or may have permanent magnetic properties.

Compared to the passive magnetic unit, the active magnetic unit provides more flexibility and precision when considering the adjustability and controllability of the magnetic field produced by the active magnetic unit. In accordance with the embodiments described herein, the magnetic field produced by the active magnetic unit can be controlled to provide alignment of the carrier assembly 110. [ For example, by controlling the adjustable magnetic field, the levitation force acting on the carrier assembly 110 can be controlled with a high degree of accuracy, thereby allowing for the contact assembly of the carrier assembly and hence the substrate by the active magnetic unit .

[0029] According to the embodiments described herein, a plurality of active magnetic units 175 provide magnetic force on the first passive magnetic unit 150 and the carrier assembly 110 accordingly. A plurality of active magnetic units (175) float the carrier assembly (110). Additional active magnetic units 185 drive the carriers in the processing system along, e.g., the X-direction, i.e. along a first direction that is the substrate transport direction. Thus, a plurality of additional active magnetic units 185 form a drive structure for moving the carrier assembly 110 while being lifted by the plurality of active magnetic units 175. Additional active magnetic units 185 interact with the second passive magnetic unit 160 to provide force along the substrate transport direction. For example, the second passive magnetic unit 160 may include a plurality of permanent magnets arranged in alternating polarities. The resulting magnetic fields of the second passive magnetic unit 160 may interact with a plurality of additional active magnetic units 185 to move the carrier assembly 110 while it is floating.

In order to float the carrier assembly 110 with a plurality of active magnetic units 175 and / or to move the carrier assembly 110 into a plurality of additional active magnetic units 185, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > magnetic fields. The adjustable magnetic field may be a static or dynamic magnetic field. According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the active magnetic unit is configured to generate a magnetic field for providing a magnetic levulancer force extending along a vertical direction. According to other embodiments that may be combined with the further embodiments described herein, the active magnetic unit may be configured to provide a magnetic force extending along the transverse direction. As described herein, an active magnetic unit may be or comprise an element selected from the group consisting of an electromagnetic device, a solenoid, a coil, a superconducting magnet, or any combination thereof.

[0031] Figure 2 illustrates an apparatus 200 for processing substrates in a vacuum chamber. For example, the vacuum chamber 252 may have a chamber wall 253. A gate valve 262 may be provided in the chamber wall 253. The gate valve may be opened to load the carrier assembly 110 into and out of the vacuum chamber 252. One or more guiding structures 170 are provided. One or more guiding structures may include a plurality of active magnetic units 175. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of an apparatus 200 having two gate valves 262 and two guiding structures 170. Thus, the two carrier assemblies 110 can be loaded into the vacuum chamber 252, for example alternately or simultaneously, and can be unloaded from the vacuum chamber 252. Alternately loading and unloading the carrier assemblies 110 each have the advantage that the other substrate of the other carrier assembly is loaded or unloaded while the processing tool, e.g., the deposition source, is able to process the substrate of the carrier assembly . Thus, the throughput of the device 200 can be increased.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus 200 further includes a maintenance chamber 254, which may be, for example, an additional vacuum chamber. The maintenance chamber 254 can be separated from the vacuum chamber 252 by an additional gate valve 264. [ According to one embodiment, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 200 may be a deposition apparatus. The deposition source assembly 270 can be moved along the track 272. A portion of the track 272 or track 272 may extend into the maintenance chamber 254 to move the deposition source assembly from the vacuum chamber 252 into the maintenance chamber 254. Moving the deposition source assembly 270 into the maintenance chamber has the advantage that the deposition source assembly can be maintained outside the vacuum chamber 252. For example, after the additional gate valve 264 is closed, the vacuum chamber 252 may be maintained in a vacuum evacuated state, and the maintenance chamber 254 may be vented to access the deposition source assembly for maintenance. . The second deposition source assembly 270 may be operating in the vacuum chamber 252 while the first deposition source assembly 270 can be maintained in the maintenance chamber 254. In some embodiments, Additionally or alternatively, as the number of times the vacuum chamber 252 needs to be vented is reduced, the environment in the vacuum chamber 252 becomes cleaner.

[0033] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure in which other embodiments described herein may be combined, the deposition source assembly 270 may include a support 274. The support 274 may include drive units for moving the deposition source assembly 270 along the track 272. The support portion 274 may further include magnetic units for floating the deposition source assembly. One or more deposition sources may be included in the deposition source assembly. As illustrated illustratively in FIG. 2, the support 274 supports three crucibles 276 for evaporating the material to be deposited on the substrate. The vaporized material may be guided in vapor distribution elements or vapor distribution pipes 278. Vapor distribution elements or vapor distribution pipes may direct the vaporized material onto a substrate mounted on a carrier of the carrier assembly 110. [

[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates an evaporation source assembly directed toward the substrate of the upper carrier assembly 110 of FIG. The deposition source assembly may be moved along a substrate mounted on a carrier of the carrier assembly. For example, the deposition source assembly may include one or more line sources. The combination of the provision of the line source and the movement of the deposition source assembly allows deposition of the material on a rectangular substrate, such as a large area substrate for display manufacture. According to further alternatives, the distribution pipes of the deposition source assembly may include one or even zero point sources that can be moved along the substrate surface.

[0035] In addition to translational movement of the deposition source assembly, the deposition source assembly may also rotate the deposition sources so that the deposition sources are directed toward the substrate of the lower carrier assembly 110 shown in FIG. Thus, while the carrier assembly 110 can be loaded into and out of the vacuum chamber 252 at the first of the upper and lower positions shown in FIG. 2, the upper and lower positions of the upper and lower positions shown in FIG. The substrate of the carrier assembly may be processed. After processing of the corresponding other substrate, loading of the new substrate, for example, on the carrier assembly 110 can be completed. After rotation of one or more deposition sources of the deposition source assembly 270, the substrate that has been loaded in the first of the upper and lower positions shown in FIG. 2 may be processed. Similarly, during the processing of the substrate in the first position (e.g., layer deposition), unloading and loading of another substrate in another position may be performed.

[0036] According to embodiments, the speed of the deposition source assembly along the source transport direction can be controlled to control the deposition rate. The velocity of the deposition source assembly can be adjusted in real time under the control of the controller. Adjustments may be provided to compensate for variations in deposition rate. A velocity profile can be defined. The velocity profile can determine the velocity of the deposition source assembly at different positions. The velocity profile may be provided to the controller or may be stored in the controller. The controller can control the drive system such that the velocity of the deposition source assembly follows the velocity profile. Thus, real-time control and adjustment of the deposition rate can be provided so that layer uniformity can be further improved. The translational movement of the deposition source assembly along the source transport direction, as contemplated in accordance with the embodiments described herein, allows for high coating accuracy, especially high masking accuracy, during the coating process, As shown in FIG.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, a mask 212 may be provided between the deposition source assembly 270 and the substrate of the carrier assembly 110. Figure 2 illustrates a first mask 212 in an upper position, i.e., a position between the deposition source assembly and the upper carrier assembly 110, and a lower position, i.e., a position between the deposition source assembly and the lower carrier assembly 110 Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 212 < / RTI >

[0038] According to embodiments described herein and described in greater detail with respect to Figures 5 and 6, the mask may be an edge exclusion mask, or may be a mask (shadow mask) for depositing a pattern on a substrate, Lt; / RTI > According to embodiments described herein, the mask may be supported by a mask carrier. Thus, alignment of the mask as referred to herein, floating of the mask, or mechanical contact with the mask may also be provided with respect to the mask carrier. Embodiments of the present disclosure refer to moving the floating carrier assemblies in a processing device. Movement of the lifted carrier assemblies allows higher positioning accuracy compared to movement of the carrier assemblies that are mechanically supported, e.g., not supported without mechanical contact on the substrate transport rollers. In particular, the floating carrier assembly movement permits a higher position in the transport direction and / or vertical positioning, e.g., substrate positioning in the X-direction and Y-direction in Figures 1A-1C. The positioning accuracy of the carrier assemblies in accordance with the embodiments described herein allows for improved alignment of the substrate supported by the carrier of the carrier assembly with respect to the mask 212. [ Alignment may be improved to provide the desired precision for some mask configurations, or may be improved to allow the complexity of the individual alignment system to be reduced for some other mask configurations.

[0039] Devices and methods consistent with the present disclosure may be used for vertical substrate processing. In vertical substrate processing, the substrate is oriented vertically during processing of the substrate, i.e., the substrate is arranged parallel to the vertical direction as described herein, i. E. Allowing for possible deviations from the correct vertical. For example, small deviations from the correct vertical of the substrate orientation can be provided because such a substrate support with such deviations can make the substrate position more stable, or it can reduce particle adhesion on the substrate surface. Substantially vertical substrates may have deviations of +/- 15 DEG or less from the vertical orientation. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may refer to a direction that is + - 15 degrees from perpendicular, and the orientation of the substrate is referenced in that direction.

[0040] Figures 3a and 3b show an alternative embodiment of an apparatus for providing a vertical substrate orientation, wherein small deviations with absolute values of 15 ° or less can be provided. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the substrate 120 supported by the support 112 may be slightly tilted downwardly. This reduces particle adhesion to the substrate surface during processing of the substrate. 3A shows a carrier assembly having a first passive magnetic unit 150 and a second passive magnetic unit 160. FIG. A support 112 for supporting the substrate 120 may be provided between the first passive magnetic unit and the second passive magnetic unit. FIG. 3A additionally shows guiding structure 170 and drive structure 180. FIG. The carrier assembly shown in Figure 3a is tilted by providing a plurality of additional active magnetic units 370 or additional active magnetic units 370 that are distributed along the length of the guiding structure 170, Where the second passive magnetic unit 160 is attracted by the additional active magnetic unit 370. In this case, Thus, the carrier assembly is provided in a floating condition, wherein the lower end of the carrier assembly is pulled sideways by an additional active magnetic unit 370. Other elements for pulling the lower end of the carrier assembly sideways without mechanical contact may also be provided.

[0041] According to further embodiments, deviations from the vertical orientation may also be provided by passive magnetic units, such as permanent magnets. For example, the carrier assembly may have a permanent magnet, for example, provided near the second passive magnetic unit 160, as the second passive magnetic unit 160 or in addition. Additional permanent magnets may be provided below the permanent magnets. The additional permanent magnets and the permanent magnets may be provided with opposite polarities to attract each other. By gravity, the carrier assembly can be deflected from its vertical orientation. In addition, the manpower can provide guiding along the shipping direction. According to further embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, a further additional pair of permanent magnets may be provided to provide a guiding force on the upper side of the carrier. Thus, one of the second pair of permanent magnets may be provided in the upper region of the carrier assembly, and a corresponding one of the second pair of permanent magnets may be provided in the vicinity of the region of the guiding structure. By the attraction forces between the second pair of permanent magnets, guiding along the transport direction can be provided.

[0042] FIG. 3B shows another embodiment of the present disclosure having a first passive magnetic unit 150 and a second passive magnetic unit 160. [0042] FIG. (E.g., by an absolute value of 15 [deg.] Or less), the support 112 may be configured such that the carrier assembly is vertical and tilts the substrate Lt; / RTI >

[0043] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a carrier assembly, such as the carrier assembly 110 shown herein, may include one or more holding devices (not shown) configured to hold a substrate 120 on a plate or frame ). One or more of the holding devices can be of any type, including mechanical, electrostatic, electrodynamic (van der Waals), electromagnetic, and / or magnetic means, such as mechanical and / Clamps < / RTI >

[0044] In some implementations, the carrier assembly may be an electrostatic chuck (E-chuck) or an electrostatic chuck (E-chuck). The E-Chuck may have a support surface 112 for supporting the substrate 120 thereon, for example, as shown in Figs. 1C, 3A, and 3B. In one embodiment, the E-chuck comprises a dielectric body having electrodes embedded therein. The dielectric body may be made of a dielectric material, preferably a high thermal conductivity dielectric material, such as pyrolytic boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, alumina, or equivalent materials. The electrodes may be coupled to a power source that provides power to the electrodes to control the chucking force. The chucking force is an electrostatic force acting on the substrate 120 to secure the substrate on the support surface of the support.

[0045] In some implementations, the carrier assembly 110 may be a transmission chuck or a gecko chuck (G-chuck), or a transmission chuck or a gecko chuck (G-chuck). The G-chuck may have a support surface for supporting the substrate on top. The chucking force may be an electrodynamic force acting on the substrate to secure the substrate on the support surface.

[0046] Figures 4A and 4B illustrate operational states of the device 100 in accordance with embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein. Figs. 4A and 4B show a side view of the device 100. Fig. As shown, the guiding structure 170 may extend along the transport direction of the carrier assembly, i. E., The X-direction in Figs. 4A and 4B. The direction of transport of the carrier assembly is transverse as described herein. The guiding structure 170 may have a linear shape extending along the transport direction. The length of the guiding structure 170 along the source transport direction may be between 1 m and 30 m.

[0047] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4a and 4b, the substrate 120 may be arranged substantially parallel to the plane of the drawing with a deviation of + 15 °, for example. The substrate may be provided in the substrate receiving area during substrate processing, e.g., a layer deposition process. The substrate receiving area has dimensions (e.g., length and width) that are the same as or slightly less than the corresponding dimensions of the substrate (e.g., 5% to 20%).

[0048] During operation of the apparatus 100, the carrier assembly 110 may be translationally movable along the guiding structure 170 in the transport direction, e.g., the x-direction. 4A and 4B illustrate the carrier assembly 110 at different positions along the x-direction with respect to the guiding structure 170. FIG. The horizontal arrow 485 indicates the driving force of the driving structure 180. As a result, translational movement of the carrier assembly 110 from left to right along the guiding structure 170 is provided. Vertical arrows 475 indicate the levitation force acting on the carrier assembly.

[0049] The first passive magnetic unit 150 may have magnetic properties along the length of the first passive magnetic unit 150 substantially in the transport direction. The magnetic field generated by the active magnetic units 175 'interacts with the magnetic properties of the first passive magnetic unit 150 to provide a first magnetic levitation force and a second magnetic levitation force. Thus, non-contact placement, transport, and alignment of the carrier assembly 110 can be provided.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4A, a carrier assembly 110 is provided in a first position. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, two or more active magnetic units 175 ', e.g., two or three active magnetic units 175', may be coupled to a magnetic field for floating carrier assembly 110 Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 440 < / RTI > According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the carrier assembly is suspended under the guiding structure 170 without mechanical contact.

[0051] In FIG. 4A, two active magnetic units 175 'provide a magnetic force indicated by arrows 475. The magnetic forces are in contact with gravity to lift the carrier assembly. The controller 440 controls two active magnetic units 175 'to maintain the carrier assembly in a floating state, specifically controlling two active magnetic units individually. In addition, one or more additional active magnetic units 185 'are controlled by the controller 440. Additional active magnetic units interact with a second passive magnetic unit 160, e. G., A set of alternating permanent magnets, to produce a driving force as indicated by arrow 485. [ The driving force moves the substrate supported by the substrate, e.g., the support of the carrier assembly, along the transport direction. As shown in FIG. 4A, the transport direction may be the X-direction. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the number of additional active magnetic units 185 'that are simultaneously controlled to provide a driving force is 1 to 3 . According to other embodiments, control of additional active magnetic units 185 'may also be provided by a second controller that is different from controller 440 that controls active magnetic units 175'.

[0052] Movement of the carrier assembly moves the substrate along the transport direction, eg, the X-direction. Thus, in the first position, the substrate is positioned below the first group of active magnetic units 175 ', and at an additional different position, the substrate is positioned below the additional different group of active magnetic units 175'. The controller 440 controls each active magnetic unit to control which active magnetic units 175 'provide the levitation force for each position and float the carrier assembly. For example, levitation forces can be provided by subsequent active magnetic units 175 'while the substrate is moving. According to the embodiments described herein, the carrier assembly is taken over from one set of active magnetic units to another set of active magnetic units.

[0053] FIG. 4b shows the carrier assembly in the second position. The position shown in Figure 4B corresponds to the processing position at which the substrate is processed. In the processing position, the carrier assembly may be moved to a desired position. The substrate is aligned with respect to the mask by the non-contact transport system described in this disclosure.

In the second position, as illustrated illustratively in FIG. 4B, the two active magnetic units 175 'have a first magnetic force, indicated by arrow 494, and a second magnetic force, indicated by arrow 496, Magnetic force. The controller 440 controls the two active magnetic units 175 'to provide alignment in the vertical direction, e.g., the Y-direction in Figure 4B. Additionally, additionally or alternatively, the controller 440 controls two active magnetic units 175 'to provide alignment, wherein the carrier assembly is rotated in the X-Y-plane. Both alignment moves are illustratively shown in FIG. 4B by comparing the position of the carrier assembly 110 shown in solid lines with the position of the carrier assembly 410, shown in dashed lines.

[0055] The controller may be configured to control the active magnetic units 175 'to align the carrier assembly in a translational manner in a vertical direction. By controlling the active magnetic units, the carrier assembly 110 can be positioned at the target vertical position. The carrier assembly 110 may be maintained at a target vertical position under the control of the controller 440. [ According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the controller may include a first rotational axis, e.g., a rotational axis perpendicular to the main substrate surface, for example, a rotational axis extending in the Z- To < / RTI > align the deposition source with respect to the active magnetic units 175 '.

[0056] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, alignment of the carrier assembly in the vertical direction (Y-direction), particularly non-contact alignment, may be provided with an alignment range of 0.1 mm to 3 mm. In addition, the alignment accuracy in the vertical direction, particularly the contactless alignment accuracy, can be 50 μm or less, such as 1 μm to 10 μm, such as 5 μm. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the rotational alignment accuracy, especially the contactless alignment accuracy, may be 3 DEG or less.

[0057] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more additional active magnetic units 185 'may provide a driving force as indicated by arrow 498. [ The controller controls one or more additional active magnetic units 185 'to provide alignment in the transport direction, e.g., the X-direction in Figure 4B. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, alignment of the carrier assembly in the transport direction (X-direction) can be provided with an alignment range extending along the length of the guiding structure. In addition, the alignment accuracy of the transport direction, particularly the contactless alignment accuracy, can be 50 [mu] m or less, such as 5 [mu] m or 30 [mu] m.

[0058] FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a mask alignment, which may be combined with other embodiments of the present disclosure. The mask 512 shown in Figure 5 is an edge exclusion mask. The edge exclusion mask covers a portion of the edge of the substrate 120 by providing an edge 514 of the mask 512. For example, the width 516 of the portion of the substrate 120 may be 10 mm or less, such as 5 mm or less. The open area (or aperture 518) is provided by the edge 514, i.e., surrounded by the edge 514. A partition wall may optionally be provided in the middle of edge exclusion mask 512 such that two or more openings 518 are surrounded by corresponding edges. However, the apertures are not configured to define the pattern features. The openings are configured to define areas of the substrate. For example, the area of opening 518 shown in FIG. 5 is at least 80% of the area of the substrate. For embodiments having two or more openings, each opening has an area of at least 0.1% of the substrate area.

[0059] FIG. 5 illustrates a carrier assembly 110 with a substrate 120 supported thereon. The carrier assembly 110, and thus the substrate 120, can be aligned with respect to the mask 512, and consequently the edges 514 of the mask. Alignment of the carrier assembly with the mask according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed by the active magnetic units, e.g., the active magnetic units 175 'of the guiding structure 170 and / Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 185 '. ≪ / RTI > According to some embodiments, for masks that are in particular edge exclusion masks, alignment accuracy utilizing alignment by active magnetic units may be sufficient for the precision required to process the substrate. Thus, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, alignment of the substrate with the mask relative to one another may be achieved by a substrate transport system that floats the substrate, And is provided by active magnetic units of the substrate transport system.

[0060] For example, the manufacture of a display, such as the manufacture of OLED displays, may include metallization processes in which large areas on the substrate, such as one or more openings 518 Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI > The metallization process may be implemented utilizing an edge exclusion mask 512. Alignment of the substrate and the mask relative to each other may be provided by active magnetic units of a guiding structure and / or active magnetic units of a driving structure. The precision of alignment by active magnetic units, e.g., 50 [mu] m or less, may be sufficient for the metallization process.

[0061] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of mask alignment. 6 illustrates a shadow mask 612 that includes a plurality of small openings 614. [ For example, the area of the openings, i. E. The area of one feature of the pattern to be created, may be 0.01% or less of the substrate area. Figure 6 shows a carrier assembly 110 with a substrate 120 supported thereon. Pre-alignment may be performed by controlling active magnetic elements 175 'of the active magnetic elements, such as guiding structure 170, and / or additional active magnetic units 185' of drive structure 180 have. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, pre-alignment of the substrate with the mask relative to one another may be achieved by a substrate transport system that floats the substrate, Is provided by the active magnetic elements of the substrate transport system. The pre-alignment may have a precision of 50 μm or less. The precision of the pre-alignment allows to utilize alignment actuators 630, e.g., piezoelectric actuators, such as piezoelectric alignment actuators, which reduce the complexity of the alignment unit or alignment system. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the alignment unit or alignment system may include two or more, e.g., four, alignment actuators. Alignment actuators can have reduced complexity compared to conventional alignment actuators to be utilized without the precision of the pre-alignment mentioned above. In view of the foregoing, alignment by active magnetic elements of the substrate transport system according to embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the cost of ownership of the processing system. An alignment unit or alignment system with reduced complexity is described below with respect to Figures 7-9.

[0062] Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a holding arrangement for supporting the substrate carrier 111 and the mask carrier 740 of the carrier assembly 110 during layer deposition in a processing chamber, in accordance with the embodiments described herein. 0.0 > 700 < / RTI > 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a holding arrangement 700 for supporting a substrate carrier 111 and a mask carrier 740 during layer deposition in a processing chamber, in accordance with embodiments described herein. Figure 9 shows a schematic view of a holding arrangement with four alignment actuators.

[0063] The alignment systems used on the vertically-actuated tools can operate from the outside of the processing chamber, ie from the atmospheric side. The alignment system may be connected to the substrate carrier and the mask carrier, for example, with stiff arms extending through the walls of the processing chamber. The mechanical pathway between the mask carrier or mask and the substrate carrier or substrate is long, thereby making the system susceptible to external interference (vibrations, heating, etc.) and tolerances.

[0064] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a holding arrangement having two or more alignment actuators that provide a short connection path between a mask carrier and a substrate carrier. The holding arrangement according to the embodiments described herein is less sensitive to external interference and the quality of the deposited layers can be improved.

The holding arrangement 700 includes two or more alignment actuators connectable to at least one of the substrate carrier 111 and the mask carrier 740, wherein the holding arrangement 700 includes a first plane Wherein the first alignment actuator 710 of the two or more alignment actuators is configured to support the substrate carrier 111 in at least a first direction Y, Wherein the second alignment actuator 720 of the two or more alignment actuators is configured to move the carrier assembly and mask carrier 740 relative to each other in at least a first direction Y and a first Wherein the first and second directions Y and X are configured to move the carrier assembly and the mask carrier 740 relative to each other in a second direction X that is different from the direction Y, 1 plane. Two or more alignment actuators may also be referred to as "alignment blocks ".

[0066] According to some embodiments described herein, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, a mask 725 may be attached to the mask carrier 740. In some embodiments, the holding arrangement 700 is configured to support at least one of the substrate carrier 111 and the mask carrier 740 in a substantially vertical orientation, particularly during layer deposition.

By using two or more alignment actuators to move the carrier assembly and mask carrier 740 relative to each other in at least a first direction Y and a second direction X, May be aligned with mask carrier 740 or mask 725, and the quality of the deposited layers may be improved.

[0068] Two or more alignment actuators may be connectable to at least one of the carrier assembly and the mask carrier 140. By way of example, two or more alignment actuators may be coupled to a carrier assembly or substrate carrier 111, wherein two or more alignment actuators may include a substrate carrier 130 relative to the mask carrier 140 . The mask carrier 140 may be in a fixed or stationary position. In other examples, two or more alignment actuators are connectable to the mask carrier 140, wherein two or more alignment actuators move the mask carrier 140 relative to the substrate carrier 111 . The substrate carrier 111 may be in a fixed or stationary position.

[0069] In the holding arrangement of FIG. 9, two or more alignment actuators include at least one of a third alignment actuator 930 and a fourth alignment actuator 940. According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, two or more alignment actuators may be arranged in a first plane or parallel to a first plane (e.g., x-direction and y- Or in alignment with the substrate carrier 130 or the mask carrier 140 in a first plane or in parallel with the first plane, to move or align the carrier assembly or substrate carrier 111 or mask carrier 140 And to adjust or change the angular position.

[0070] In some implementations, at least one alignment actuator of two or more alignment actuators is configured to move the substrate 120 and the mask carrier 140 relative to each other in a third direction Z , Wherein the third direction is substantially perpendicular to the first plane and / or the substrate surface 711. By way of example, the first alignment actuator 710 and the second alignment actuator 720 are configured to move the substrate carrier 111 or the mask carrier 140 in a third direction Z. In some implementations, the distance between the substrate 120 and the mask 725 can be adjusted by moving the carrier assembly or substrate carrier 111 or the mask carrier 140 in a third direction Z. [ By way of example, the distance between the substrate 120 or the substrate carrier 111 and the mask 725 can be adjusted to be substantially constant in the region of the substrate surface 711, where the layer is configured to deposit on top. According to some embodiments, the distance may be less than 1 mm, specifically less than 500 micrometers, and more specifically less than 50 micrometers.

[0071] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first alignment actuator 710 is floating with respect to the second direction X. The term "floating" is understood to mean that the first alignment actuator 710 is understood to permit movement of the substrate carrier 130 in the second direction X, for example driven by a second alignment actuator 720 .

[0072] The substrate carrier 111 may have a first edge portion 732 and a second edge portion 734. The first edge portion and the second edge portion may be located on opposite sides of the substrate carrier 111. [ A substrate region of the substrate carrier, on which the substrate 120 may be positioned, may be provided between the first edge portion 732 and the second edge portion 734. [ By way of example, the first edge portion 732 may be the upper edge portion or the upper edge portion of the substrate carrier. The second edge portion 734 may be the lower edge portion or the lower edge portion of the substrate carrier.

[0073] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first alignment actuator 710 and the second alignment actuator 720 may be coupled to the first edge portion 732 or the second edge Portion 734 of FIG. In some implementations, the first alignment actuator 710 and the second alignment actuator 720 are positioned at the corners or corner regions of the substrate carrier 111, such as the first edge portion 732 or the second edge portion 734, Or at corner areas of the < / RTI >

[0074] According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, two or more alignment actuators may be electrical or pneumatic actuators. For example, two or more alignment actuators may be linear alignment actuators. In some implementations, two or more alignment actuators may be at least one selected from the group consisting of stepper actuators, brushless actuators, DC (direct current) actuators, voice coil actuators, and piezoelectric actuators. Lt; / RTI > The term "actuator" may refer to motors such as stepper motors, for example. Two or more alignment actuators can be configured to move or position the carrier assembly or substrate carrier 111, correspondingly, to a precision of less than about plus / minus 1 micrometer. By way of example, two or more alignment actuators may be arranged in the direction of at least one of the first direction (Y), the second direction (X) and the third direction (Z), about plus / minus 0.5 micrometers, The substrate carrier 111 may be configured to move or position the substrate carrier 111 with a precision of about 0.1 micrometers.

[0075] In some implementations, movement of the substrate in at least one of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction may be performed by driving two or more alignment actuators simultaneously or sequentially.

[0076] FIG. 10 depicts a flow diagram illustrating a method of contactless alignment of a carrier assembly, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in block 902, the carrier assembly floats. For example, the active magnetic units 175 'are activated and / or controlled by the controller 440 to provide a magnetic force against gravity. The magnetic force acts to lift the carrier assembly. Block 904 illustrates moving the carrier assembly to position the carrier assembly with respect to the mask. According to embodiments described herein, moving a carrier assembly or moving a carrier assembly is performed while the carrier assembly is floating. Block 906 illustrates aligning the carrier assembly with respect to the mask. Thus, movement of the carrier assembly is controlled to provide positioning with sufficient precision, i. E. To provide alignment of the carrier assembly with respect to the mask.

[0077] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, optionally, the carrier assembly and / or mask may be in mechanical contact with, for example, an alignment actuator to provide additional mechanical alignment. In such a case, the alignment shown in block 906 may be considered to be pre-alignment.

[0078] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a transport system or holding device for a carrier assembly is configured to provide alignment or at least pre-alignment. The methods described herein provide for movement of a carrier assembly without mechanical contact, such as during floating, wherein the non-contact transport system comprises a substrate, e.g., a substrate, supported by a carrier and / Lt; / RTI > with respect to each other. For example, the accuracy may be less than 100 μm, such as 50 μm or less.

[0079] The present disclosure has several advantages, including avoiding individual alignment actuators for some applications, or at least reducing the complexity of alignment actuators for multiple applications. Improved and / or more efficient alignment of the substrate with respect to the mask can be provided. Thus, the cost of ownership of the processing systems can be reduced. Additionally, some embodiments of the present disclosure allow increased throughput. Additional advantages include, among other things, reducing particle generation in deposition systems for large area substrates such as those utilized for processing systems, e.g., OLED display fabrication. For example, improved purity and uniformity of the layers deposited on the substrate can be provided.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the following claims Is determined by the claims.

Claims (15)

A method of contactless alignment of a carrier assembly,
Floating the carrier assembly in a vacuum chamber;
Moving the carrier assembly during levitation to position the carrier assembly with respect to a predetermined position, particularly a mask or mask carrier; And
Aligning the carrier assembly with respect to the mask or the mask carrier in at least one direction selected from the group consisting of a substrate transport direction, a first direction that is + - 15 degrees from vertical,
/ RTI >
Method of contactless alignment. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising guiding the carrier assembly along the substrate transport direction,
Wherein the guiding step is performed during lifting and during movement,
Method of contactless alignment. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Wherein the carrier assembly does not mechanically contact during the aligning step,
Method of contactless alignment. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Wherein the aligning step is performed with a precision of 50 [mu] m or less,
Method of contactless alignment. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Further comprising aligning the carrier assembly with respect to the mask or the mask carrier by rotating the carrier assembly in a plane provided by the substrate transport direction and the first direction.
Method of contactless alignment. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the further aligning step is provided with an accuracy of 3 DEG or less,
Method of contactless alignment. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Further comprising contacting the mask or the mask carrier, the carrier assembly, or the mask or the mask carrier and the carrier assembly with two or more alignment actuators to provide mechanical alignment.
Method of contactless alignment. 8. The method of claim 7,
The mechanical alignment is provided with an accuracy of 5 [mu] m or less,
Method of contactless alignment. A method of processing a substrate of a carrier assembly,
A method of contactless alignment of a carrier assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mask or the mask carrier is positioned in the vacuum chamber; And
Processing the substrate in the vacuum chamber
/ RTI >
≪ / RTI > 10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising opening the gate valve of the vacuum chamber and moving the carrier assembly out of the vacuum chamber while floating the carrier assembly,
≪ / RTI > 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10,
Wherein processing the substrate in the vacuum chamber comprises depositing a layer on the substrate.
≪ / RTI > 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the depositing comprises moving the deposition source assembly along the substrate.
≪ / RTI > An apparatus (100) for contactless alignment of a carrier assembly with a mask or mask carrier in a vacuum chamber of a substrate processing system,
A guiding structure (170) having a plurality of active magnetic units (175) in the vacuum chamber, the guiding structure configured to float the carrier assembly in the vacuum chamber;
A drive structure (180) having a plurality of additional active magnetic units in the vacuum chamber, the drive structure configured to drive the carrier assembly along a transport direction, without mechanical contact;
Two or more alignment actuators for contacting the mask or the mask carrier, the carrier assembly, or the mask or the mask carrier and the carrier assembly in the vacuum chamber; And
Wherein said guiding structure, said drive structure, and said two or more alignment actuators, and providing pre-alignment using said guiding structure and said drive structure, wherein said two or more A controller configured to control the plurality of active magnetic units and the plurality of additional active magnetic units to provide mechanical alignment using alignment actuators,
/ RTI >
Apparatus for contactless alignment. 14. The method of claim 13,
The two or more alignment actuators are piezoelectric actuators,
Apparatus for contactless alignment. 15. The method of claim 14,
Further comprising at least one additional piezoelectric actuator,
Apparatus for contactless alignment.

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