TH27295B - Method for increasing productivity in the thin layer on substrate process. - Google Patents

Abstract

DC60 describes a method for increasing productivity in the thin-layer deposition process on a substrate by exposing a pre-activated getter device to the chamber atmosphere during the process when no substrate is being processed and the reactive gas pressure in the chamber is below approximately 10⁻³ mB, using existing procedures and devices in the chamber for transferring and heating the manufactured substrate. This method is particularly useful when implemented as a sequence of operations (1; 2; 3; 4) combined during the process chamber opening and production initiation. Furthermore, suitable getter devices (50; 60; 70) for this method are described. The substrate produced, in particular, is useful when used as a sequence of operations (1; 2; 3; 4) that are combined during the process chamber opening and when the production process begins. Additionally, getter devices (50; 60; 70) suitable for use in this method are described.

Claims (11)

1. A method for increasing the productivity of the thin-layer deposition process on the substrate involves establishing a getter device in a configuration that initiates contact with the working atmosphere within the process chamber when the sum of the partial pressures of the reactive gases in the chamber is below approximately 10⁻³ millibars and when no actual substrate is being processed, using an automated substrate transfer device and the minimal operating procedures used in the production process for removing the getter device from the process chamber while the getter device is maintained under vacuum or at the pressure required for such a deposition process. 2. The method under Claim 1, where the getter is opened to the atmosphere of the process chamber when the total pressure in such chamber is greater than 10⁻³ millibars and such atmosphere consists primarily of noble gases. 3. The method under claim 2 consists of the following steps: - Initiating the extraction of air from the process chamber; - When the pressure reaches approximately 10⁻³ or lower, introducing a pre-consumed getter device into the chamber, or alternatively, heating the pre-consumed getter device; - Flushing the chamber with a gas of the same type to be used as the process atmosphere; - When the level of contaminants in the process atmosphere is below a specified value, initiating the deposition process. 4. Method under Claim 1, where a getter device is reintroduced into the process chamber and made to perform getter function at a constant time during process operation. 5. Method pursuant to claim 4, where the getter device is reintroduced into the process chamber after all substrates in the box have been processed and before the commencement of operations, the substrates of the new box are reintroduced. 6. The method under Claim 1, comprises the following steps: - bringing the getter device into the process chamber (2; 6; 8) after opening the chamber, before or during the air extraction (1; 5; 9), while operating in such a way that the getter device is in an activating position only when the internal pressure reaches 10⁻³ millibars or less; - continuing the air extraction in the said chamber, while keeping the activating getter device inside; and - when the pressure in the said chamber reaches 10⁻⁷ millibars or less, removing the getter device from the said chamber (4; 7; 11) using an automated substrate transfer device and the operating procedure used in the production process. 7. The procedure under claim 6, consists of the following steps: - Initiation of the extraction of air (1) from the process chamber; - When the pressure in the chamber reaches 10⁻³ millibars or less, introduction of (2) the unactivated getter device into the chamber using the automatic substrate transfer device and the procedures used during the production process; - Activation of the getter device in the chamber (3) using the devices and procedures used for heating the substrate during the production process; - When the pressure in the chamber reaches 10⁻⁷ millibars or less, removal of the getter device from the chamber (4) using the automatic substrate transfer device and the procedures used for moving the substrate during the production process. 8. The procedure under claim 6, consists of the following steps: - Initiation of the extraction of air (5) from the process chamber; - When the pressure in such chamber reaches 10⁻³ millibars or less, bringing the getter device, in its pre-operational form in a different chamber of the system, into such chamber (6), using an automatic substrate transfer device and the procedures used for moving the substrate during the production process; - When the pressure in such chamber reaches 10⁻⁷ millibars or less, removing the getter device from such chamber (7) using an automatic substrate transfer device and the procedures used for moving the substrate during the production process. 9. The procedure under claim 6, consists of the following steps: - bringing (8) the unactivated getter device into the process chamber; - initiating the extraction (9) of the said chamber; - when the pressure in the said chamber reaches 10-3 millibars or less, heating the getter device (10) using the method and procedure used during production for heating the substrate; - when the pressure in the said chamber reaches 10-7 millibars or less, removing the getter device from the chamber (11) using the automatic substrate transfer device and the procedure used for moving the substrate during production. 10. The method under claim 6, in which, upon reaching a pressure of 10⁻⁷ millibars or lower, the getter device is removed from the chamber (13) only after performing the initial thin layer deposition procedure (12). 11. The method under claim 10, whereby the thin-layer deposition process is of the PVD type and such preliminary steps include a target cleaning step.