TW201518532A - Holding arrangement for substrates and apparatus and method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A holding arrangement (10) for holding a substrate (20) during vacuum layer deposition is provided. The holding arrangement (10) includes a frame (30) having two or more frame elements (31, 32, 33, 34), the frame elements (31, 32, 33, 34) forming an aperture opening, and elastic means (40) configured to provide a clamping force acting against portions of the substrate edges for clamping the substrate (20) at said substrate edges.

Description

Supporting arrangement for substrate and apparatus and method therefor

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a support arrangement for supporting a substrate during processing such as layer deposition, and a method for supporting a substrate during the process. Embodiments of the present invention are particularly directed to a support arrangement for supporting a substrate during deposition of a vacuum layer, and a method for supporting a substrate during deposition of the vacuum layer.

Several methods for depositing materials onto substrates are known. For example, the substrate can be subjected to a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, or a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. The process or the like is applied. Generally, the process is performed in a process equipment or process chamber, and the coated substrate is tied to the process equipment or process chamber. The deposited material is supplied to the device. Several materials and their oxides, nitrides or carbides can be used for deposition on a substrate. Furthermore, other process steps such as etching, structuring, annealing, or the like can be performed in the process chamber Reason.

Coating materials can be used in several applications and in several technical fields. For example, one application in the field of microelectronics is, for example, the fabrication of semiconductor devices. Furthermore, the substrate used for the display is often coated by a PVD process. Other applications include insulating panels, organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels, substrates with thin film transistors (TFTs), color filters or the like.

Generally, the glass substrate can be supported on the carrier during its processing. The carrier drives the glass or substrate through the process machine. The carrier is typically formed as a frame or a plate to support one surface of the substrate along the periphery of the substrate, or in the latter case, to support the surface by itself. In particular, the frame carrier can also shield the glass substrate, wherein the opening in the carrier surrounded by the frame is used to deposit the coating material on the exposed substrate portion, or to allow other processing steps to act on the substrate exposed by the opening. Partially. Furthermore, a support arrangement is provided for securing the substrate to the frame during processing and supporting the substrate in place.

In some fields, such as the use of PVD in display touch panel manufacturing for mobile phone application displays (such as liquid crystal displays), manufacturers tend to one glass substrate (OGS) solution: coating The substrate has been the final device size (eg, cell phone size) instead of coating a larger mother glass and then cutting the larger mother glass into the final cell phone size.

A viable support arrangement supports the substrate by providing a supporting force to the extended surface of the substrate, that is, providing a supporting force to support the extended surface of the coating The substrate is supported. For example, the gripping member contacts the extended surface to support or clamp the substrate. Therefore, at least some of the above requirements cannot be met, especially regarding the OGS program.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a support arrangement, particularly for supporting a support substrate during deposition of a vacuum layer, to overcome at least some of the problems in the art.

In view of the above, a support arrangement for supporting a substrate during vacuum layer deposition according to item 1 of the independent patent application, and a method for supporting a substrate during vacuum layer deposition according to item 15 of the independent patent application provide. Other aspects, advantages, and features of the invention will be apparent from the appended claims and claims.

According to an embodiment, a support arrangement for supporting a substrate during deposition of a vacuum layer includes a frame having two or more frame members, the frame member forming an opening, and an elastic member configured to provide an action on the edge of the substrate A clamping force for holding the substrate at the edge of the substrate.

According to another embodiment, a support arrangement for supporting a substrate during deposition of a vacuum layer includes a frame having two or more frame members, the frame member forming an opening, and an elastic member connecting the two or more frames Pieces. The two or more frames are movable relative to each other and are configured to change one of the dimensions of the opening. The elastic member provides a contracting force acting on one of the two or more frame members for holding the substrate at the edge of the substrate.

According to an embodiment, a device for depositing a layer on a substrate A cavity is provided for applying a layer deposition therein; a support arrangement as described above, located in the cavity; and a deposition source for depositing a material to form a layer.

According to an embodiment, a method for supporting a substrate during deposition of a vacuum layer includes providing a frame, the frame forming an opening; positioning the substrate in the opening; and providing a clamping force acting on the edge of the substrate for The substrate edge sandwiches the substrate.

In accordance with another embodiment, a method for supporting a substrate during deposition of a vacuum layer includes moving two or more frames of a frame relative to each other to increase one of the openings formed by the frame member Dimensions; positioning the substrate in the opening; and releasing the two or more frame members to sandwich the substrate at the edge of the substrate. In order to better understand the above and other aspects of the present invention, the preferred embodiments are described below, and in conjunction with the drawings, the detailed description is as follows:

10‧‧‧Support configuration

11‧‧‧ angle

20‧‧‧Substrate

30‧‧‧Frame

31, 32, 33, 34‧‧‧ frame

35, 36, 37, 38‧‧‧ separate areas

39‧‧‧ arrow

40‧‧‧Flexible components

41‧‧‧榫口连接件

42‧‧‧ gap

50‧‧‧ fixed board

51‧‧‧ Attached components

100‧‧‧ method

101, 102, 103‧‧‧ process steps

600‧‧‧ equipment

612‧‧‧ cavity

620‧‧‧Substrate transfer device

630‧‧‧Sedimentary source

665‧‧‧ line

In order to understand the above-described features of the present invention in detail, a more detailed description of the present invention will be briefly described. The accompanying drawings are directed to the embodiments of the present invention and are described as follows: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a support arrangement according to embodiments described herein and a substrate having an opening provided in a support arrangement; A schematic view of a support arrangement according to embodiments described herein and a substrate release having openings provided in a support arrangement is illustrated; and FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a support arrangement in accordance with embodiments herein; FIG. Illustrating another support configuration according to embodiments described herein and having A schematic view of a substrate located in the opening of the support arrangement; FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a support arrangement according to FIG. 4 of the embodiment described herein and having a substrate housed in the opening and clamped; FIG. 6 is a schematic view A schematic view of a support arrangement according to embodiments described herein; a seventh view showing a detailed view of the support arrangement according to the sixth embodiment of the embodiment described herein; and FIG. 8 is a view of the embodiment according to the embodiment described herein Schematic diagram of a frame above the surface of the substrate; FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an apparatus for depositing a layer of material on a substrate using a support arrangement according to embodiments described herein; and FIG. 10 is a diagram A flow chart of a method of supporting a substrate during vacuum layer deposition of the embodiments.

A detailed reference will be made in the embodiments of the invention, and one or more examples of the embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same elements. In general, only the differences between the various embodiments are described. The examples are provided by way of illustration of the invention and are not intended to be a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used in other embodiments or in combination with other embodiments to achieve further embodiments. This means that the description includes such adjustments and changes.

According to an exemplary embodiment that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the thickness of the substrate can range from 0.1 to 0.8 mm, and the support arrangement and in particular the support means can be adapted to the thickness of such a substrate. However, the thickness of the substrate is about 0.9 mm or It is particularly advantageous if the thickness of the substrate is, for example, 0.5 mm or 0.3 mm, and the support arrangement and in particular the support means are suitable for the thickness of such a substrate.

According to some embodiments, the large area substrate or the carrier supporting the one or more substrates may have a size of at least 0.174 m ² , and the carrier supporting the one or more substrates is also a large area carrier. Generally, the size of the carrier can range from about 1.4 m ² to about 8 m ² , more specifically from about 2 m ² to about 9 m ² or even up to 12 m ² . In general, the rectangular region of the support substrate is a carrier having dimensions for the large area substrate described herein, the substrate being provided to a support arrangement, apparatus, and method in accordance with embodiments described herein. For example, a large-area carrier that can correspond to a region of a single large-area substrate can be 5th generation, 7.5th generation, 8.5th generation, or even 10th generation, and the 5th generation corresponds to a substrate of about 1.4m ² ( 1.1mx 1.3m), 7.5G corresponding to about 4.29m ² of the substrate (1.95mx 2.2m), corresponding to about 8.5 Generation of 5.7m ² substrate (2.2mx 2.5m), the 10th generation corresponding to about 8.7m ² substrate (2.85m × 3.05m). Even higher generations can be applied in a similar manner, such as the 11th generation 12th generation and the corresponding substrate area.

In general, the substrate can be made of any material suitable for deposition of materials. For example, the substrate may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass (eg, soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, etc.), metal, polymer, A combination of ceramic, composite, carbon fiber material or any other material or material that can be coated by a deposition process.

1 is a schematic view of a support arrangement 10 and a substrate 20 having openings provided in a support arrangement 10 in accordance with embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, the support arrangement 10 for supporting the substrate 20 during vacuum layer deposition includes a carrier or frame 30 and an elastic member. The frame 30 has two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34, and the frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 form an opening. The resilient member is configured to provide a clamping force that acts on the edge of the substrate for holding the substrate 20 at the edge of the substrate. In the example illustrated in Figure 1, the frame has four frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34.

In the case of the OGS scheme, the PVD process for coating the film on the substrate (for example, a magnetron cathode sputtering process) requires film coating without any support configuration from the holding substrate in the carrier. In the case of any disturbance or interference, it is applied from the rim to the edge on the entire substrate surface. Especially in the OGS scheme, the following aspects must be noted: the support arrangement cannot cover the edge area of the substrate on the front side of the substrate (that is, there is no edge exclusion). The front side of the substrate should be coated from side to side. The support arrangement does not protrude above the height of the substrate side, and the support arrangement protrudes above the height of the substrate side to hinder surface coating. The support arrangement should avoid any (visible) coating residue on the back side of the substrate (that is, no back side coating), and the support arrangement should avoid any (visible) coating residue on the substrate side (ie, no Side coating).

The term "substrate edge" or "several substrate edge" as used herein means the lateral surface of the substrate, that is, the surface extending along the thickness direction of the substrate 20. For example, the edge may be the surface of the substrate connecting the front side of the substrate to the back side of the substrate. In addition to the lateral surfaces, the substrate 20 has two extended surfaces. One of the extended surfaces of the substrate 20 may be a surface to be processed, and It means the front side of the substrate 20, and the treatment is exemplified by coating. Another extended surface relative to the extended surface to be treated may be referred to as the back side of the substrate 20. However, according to some embodiments, both extended surfaces may also be processed. Thus, it will be appreciated that the substrate has four lateral surfaces.

The term "elastic means" as used herein may mean singular or plural, that is, an elastic member or a plurality of elastic members. This is particularly determined by the particular embodiment in which one elastic member is provided in some embodiments and several elastic members are provided in some embodiments.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the opening system is configured to accommodate or house the substrate 20. According to some embodiments, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are movable relative to each other and are configured to change the size of the opening. This has the particular advantage that the substrate 20 can be easily loaded into and removed from the frame 30. Furthermore, the substrate 20, the frame 30, and the thermal extension of the mounting plate (see, for example, Figures 4 and 5), which may be fixed, for example, during coating, may be compensated for.

According to some embodiments, when the substrate 20 is loaded into the frame 30, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are moved to increase or enlarge the size of the opening. Once the substrate 20 is positioned in the opening, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are moved to again reduce the size of the opening. Therefore, the substrate 20 is held at the edge of the substrate by providing a clamping force acting on the edge of the substrate, and the substrate 20 is held in the opening. According to some embodiments, the resilient member causes the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 to move back to reduce the size of the opening. therefore, The force acts on the edge of the substrate, that is, on the lateral surface that is substantially parallel to the portion of the extended surface, such as the front or back side.

When the substrate 20 is unloaded from the frame 30, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 are movable to increase the size of the opening and release the clamping force acting on the edge of the substrate. Next, the substrate 20 can be removed from the opening.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the frame 30 does not cover any portion of the extended surface to be treated. That is, the frame 30 does not extend toward the extended surface to be treated adjacent to the periphery of the substrate. This allows the complete extended surface to be processed. Further, for example, the coating quality is not hindered or lowered by the frame 30.

According to some embodiments, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 at least partially cover the edge of the substrate. By way of example, two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 completely cover the edge of the substrate to avoid any coating of the edge of the substrate, that is, the edge or edge of the substrate is not coated. And in particular no coating of the edges or edges of the substrate. This is particularly advantageous in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), where an additional process step of removing any unwanted coating residue on the edge of the substrate can be avoided, and the final product (eg, a cell phone) can be seen on the edge of the substrate. The coating remains. This is because in some cases, due to design considerations, the display is attached to the phone housing and the side of the small display is visible.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 are configured to align one or more of the frames with one surface of the substrate 20 Way of surface of one of pieces 31, 32, 33 and 34 The substrate 20 is sandwiched at the edge of the substrate. In the case where no frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 protrude above the surface to be treated, that is, the frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 do not protrude above the edge or edge height, coating The quality is not hindered or reduced by the frame 30 or the frames 31, 32, 33 and 34. According to some other embodiments, at least one of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 protrudes above the surface of the substrate. This aspect is illustrated in Figure 8 and is described later.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are in contact with the edge of the substrate to provide a clamping force that acts on the edge of the substrate. As an example, two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 contact the edge of the substrate to partially or completely cover the edge of the substrate, that is, the lateral surface of the substrate, wherein one of the lateral surfaces is sized Corresponding to the thickness of the substrate, to avoid any coating of the edge of the substrate, as described above.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the frame 30 has two first side sections (ie, frame members 31 and 33) configured to encircle, enclose, or surround the substrate 20, and Two second side sections (i.e., frame members 32 and 34), the two first side sections are, for example, vertical sections, and the two second side sections are, for example, horizontal sections. The name horizontal and vertical sections means the configuration of the deposition apparatus for the substrate in the vertical direction. In this configuration, the extended surface of the substrate 20 is substantially parallel to the direction of gravity.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the frame 30 is substantially rectangular in shape.

According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, The resilient member is configured to provide a contracting force acting on the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 for providing a clamping force. As an example, the resilient member can be configured to pull the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 toward each other. Thereby, the substrate 20 can be clamped and supported in the opening.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are connected by an elastic member. Thereby, in particular, a contraction force can be provided to act on the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34. According to some embodiments, each of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 is connected by a corresponding one of the resilient members. According to some other embodiments, more than two of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are connected by a corresponding one of the resilient members. According to some other embodiments, all of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 are connected by an elastic member.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the resilient member 40 includes one or more springs. In the above examples, in accordance with some embodiments, each of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 is coupled by a corresponding one of the resilient members having one or more springs. According to some other embodiments, more than two of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are connected by a corresponding one of the resilient members having one or more springs. According to some other embodiments, all of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 are connected by an elastic member having one or more springs.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the resilient member comprises one or more elastic bands, such as rubber bands. Referring again to the above By way of example, in accordance with some embodiments, each of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are joined by a corresponding one of the resilient members having one or more elastic bands. According to some other embodiments, more than two of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are joined by a corresponding one of the resilient members having one or more elastic bands. According to some other embodiments, all of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are joined by an elastic member having one or more elastic bands.

As an example, the elastic band can be configured to completely surround the frame 30 to join all of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 of the frame 30. In the latter case, the elastic band can form a closed loop. According to some embodiments, any combination of different elastic members may be used, such as springs and elastic bands.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the resilient member is covered by two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34. According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the resilient member is incorporated into two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34. The elastic member may be incorporated into or covered by the frame body to protect the elastic member from accidental application and subsequent particle peeling.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are made of metal or plastic, or two or more frame members 31, 32. , 33, and 34 include metal or plastic. As an example, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 may be any machinable material or vacuum processable plastic such as aluminum (for example, aluminum or stainless steel). Plastic) (for example, polyetheretherketone (PEEK)) production.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, at least a portion of one or more of the surfaces of the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are rough. Thus, unexpected coatings and unwanted particles adhere to the roughened surface, thereby avoiding a drop in the quality of the applied film.

2 is a schematic illustration of the support arrangement 10 and the release of the substrate 20 provided in the opening of the support arrangement 10 in accordance with embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, when the substrate 20 is loaded into the frame 30, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are movable to increase the size of the opening. Once the substrate 20 is positioned in the opening, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 are moved back to again reduce the size of the opening. Thereby, a clamping force acting on the edge of the substrate is provided for holding the substrate 20 at the edge of the substrate. According to some embodiments, the resilient member causes the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 to move back to reduce the size of the opening and clamp the substrate 20.

When the substrate 20 is unloaded from the frame 30 as shown in Fig. 2, the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 are movable to increase the size of the opening. The movement is indicated by an arrow labeled with reference numeral 39. Two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 are separated from each other in a separate area labeled with reference numerals 35, 36, 37 and 38. Although the four frame members and the four corresponding separation regions 35, 36, 37, and 38 are shown in FIG. 2, the embodiments described herein are not limited thereto. Any number of frame members and corresponding separate regions may be present, such as two frame members and two separate regions. In the example of Fig. 2, the separation regions 35, 36, 37, and 38 are frames. The corner area of the shelf 30.

By moving the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 to separate the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34, the size of the opening is increased and acts on the edge of the substrate. The force is thus released. Next, the substrate 20 can be removed from the opening.

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the support arrangement shown in Figure 2 in accordance with the embodiments described herein. Figure 3 illustrates the support being disposed in the open position wherein the substrate 20 is no longer clamped and in particular is no longer held by the frame member 34.

As shown in FIG. 3, two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 may be further supported by a tongue and groove joint according to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein. Groove connections), dowels and/or slot joints (referenced with reference numeral 41) are connected. As an example, two or more of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 may be aligned with one another by the tongue and groove connectors 41, the shackles, and/or the slotted joints.

In the example shown in Fig. 3, the elastic member 40 is an elastic band such as a rubber band. The elastic band can be provided to contact only the two frame members 33 and 34, or to completely surround the frame to join all of the frame members. In the latter case, the elastic band can be a closed loop.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, even when the substrate 20 is clamped in the opening, similar to the two or more frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 in FIG. The gap between them can be maintained. The existence of the gap and the size of the gap are determined by the minimum size of the opening, the size of the substrate 20, and the thermal conditions. At least one of them. The latter case includes a thermal extension of the substrate 20, the frame 30, and the fixed plate to which the frame can be fixed (see, for example, Figures 4 and 5, the fixed plate is indicated by reference numeral 50). According to some embodiments, the gap is small enough to not interfere with substrate coating quality.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing another support arrangement 10 and a substrate 20 positioned in the opening of the support arrangement 10 according to the embodiment described herein.

The frame 30 is secured to the fixed plate 50 in accordance with some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein. The fixing plate 50 can be configured to be attached to a substrate transfer device such as a deposition chamber as shown in the example of Fig. 9. Here, the fixing plate 50 may have an attachment means 51 such as a hole for inserting a fixing member such as a screw. According to some embodiments, at least one of the frame members 31, 32 of the frame 30 is provided movably relative to the fixed plate 50 to move at least one of the frame members 31, 32 to change the size of the opening. The opening is used to load and/or remove the substrate 20.

The frame 30 illustrated in Figure 4 has a substantially rectangular shape. According to some embodiments, an elastic member is provided in a corner region of the frame 30. According to some embodiments, the resilient member connects the two or more frame members 31,32. In the example of Fig. 4, two frame members 31 and 32 are provided. The gap between the frame members 31, 32 is oriented at an angle of about 45 with respect to the extension of the frame members 31, 32. However, the frame 30 illustrated in FIG. 4 can have any other configuration, such as any other configuration of the embodiments disclosed herein.

Figure 5 illustrates the support of Figure 4 in accordance with the embodiments described herein. A schematic view of a substrate having a clamp. The substrate 20 is positioned in the opening of the frame 30 and is clamped at the edge of the substrate, thereby being stably supported in the opening. As shown in Figure 5, the frame provides thrust to the edge of the substrate, i.e., the lateral surface of the substrate. Thereby, in particular, the front side is not covered by the holding member or covered by the other holding member, and the entire front side of the substrate can be coated.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, in the case where the gap between the frame members may be exceptional, all edges, that is, all lateral surfaces of the substrate are covered by the frame member to avoid The coating of the edges, the edges are also the lateral surfaces. However, in the case where the coating of the edge may be acceptable, only a portion of the edges, that is, some or more of the lateral surfaces of the portion of the substrate may be contacted by the frame member and provided to act on the edge of the substrate. Holding force.

Figure 6 is a schematic view showing a support arrangement similar to the support arrangement of Figures 4 and 5, and Figure 7 is a detailed view of the support arrangement of Figure 6.

Figures 6 and 7 show schematic views of the support arrangement and in particular one of the frames 30 in the open state. The gap 42 between the frame members 31 and 32 is indicated by reference numeral 42. In the examples of Figures 6 and 7, the gap 42 between the frame members 31 and 32 is oriented at an angle of about 45° with respect to the extension of the two or more frame members 31,32. In the examples illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the frame has two frame members 31 and 32. However, the frame 30 illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 can have any other configuration, such as any other configuration of any of the other embodiments disclosed herein.

According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, A gap similar to that shown in the gaps 42 of Figures 6 and 7 can be maintained between the frame members 31 and 32 even when the substrate is held. The gaps present in the clamped state and the size of the gap 42 may be determined by one of the minimum size of the opening, the size of the substrate, and the thermal conditions. The latter case includes the substrate, the frame 30, and the thermal extension of the fixed plate to which the frame 30 can be fixed. According to some embodiments, the gap is small enough to not interfere with substrate coating quality.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, at least one of the frame members is fixedly attached to the fixed plate 50, and at least one of the frame members is configured to be movable relative to the fixed plate 50. In the examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the frame member 32 is fixedly attached to the fixing plate 50, wherein the frame member 31 is configured to be movable relative to the fixing plate 50, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. .

According to various embodiments, the support arrangement 10 can be used in a PVD deposition process, a CVD deposition process, substrate structuring edging, heating (eg, annealing), or any type of substrate processing. The embodiment of the support arrangement 10 described herein and the method of using such a support arrangement 10 are particularly useful for non-stationary processing (i.e., continuous substrate processing) of large area glass substrates in the vertical direction. Non-stationary processing typically requires a support arrangement and also provides a masking element for the process.

Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of the frame 30 projecting above the surface of the substrate in accordance with embodiments described herein. According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, at least a portion of at least one of the frame members 31, 32, 33, and 34 protrudes above the surface of the substrate to be treated, that is, the substrate coated region. The protruding frame members 31, 32, 33 and 34 are configured to not impede coating or coating quality. according to In some embodiments, the frame 30 includes a bevel having an angle 11 relative to the surface of the substrate. As an example, the angle 11 is equal to or less than 45°. According to some embodiments, the bevel is substantially aligned with the edge of the substrate such that there is no step between the surface of the substrate and the bevel of the frame 30.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a deposition chamber 600 in accordance with an embodiment. The deposition chamber 600 is suitable for use in a deposition process, such as a PVD or CVD process. Substrate 20 is illustrated as being positioned on substrate transport device 620 in a support configuration or carrier having frame 30 in accordance with embodiments described herein, or in a support arrangement or carrier. A source of deposition material 630 is provided in the processing chamber 612 facing the side of the substrate 20 where the coating will be applied. A source of deposition material 630 is provided to deposit a material onto the substrate 20.

In FIG. 9, source 630 can be a target having deposited material thereon, or any other configuration for releasing material for deposition on substrate 20. In general, material source 630 can be a rotatable target. According to some embodiments, material source 630 may be movable for positioning and/or replacing a source of material. According to other embodiments, the source of material may be a planar target.

According to some embodiments, the deposition material may be selected according to the deposition process and subsequent application of the coated substrate. For example, the deposition material of the deposition material source may be selected from the group consisting of metal, germanium, indium tin oxide, and other transparent conductive oxides, for example, Aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, copper or the like. In general, an oxidized, nitrided or carbonized layer that may include such materials may be deposited by providing the material from a source of deposited material. The deposition is carried out by reactive deposition, that is, the material from the source of the deposited material acts with an element from the process gas such as oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon. According to some embodiments, a thin film transistor material such as hafnium oxide, hafnium oxynitride, hafnium nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum oxynitride may be used as the deposition material.

Generally, the substrate 20 is provided in the opening of the frame 30 of the support arrangement 10. Line 665 is illustrative of the path of depositing material during operation of the cavity.

As shown in Figure 9, the support arrangement 10 does not cover any portion of the surface to be coated. This avoids any coating residue on the sides of the substrate, that is, there is no edge coating. Furthermore, the front side of the substrate can be coated from side to side. Thus, the support arrangement 10 in accordance with embodiments described herein is suitable for use, for example, in an OGS (monolithic glass substrate) solution.

10 is a flow chart of a method 100 for supporting a substrate during vacuum layer deposition in accordance with embodiments described herein.

According to some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, a method for supporting a substrate during a vacuum layer deposition period includes providing 101 a frame that forms an opening, positions 102 a substrate in the opening, and provides 103 A clamping force acting on the edge of the substrate for holding the substrate at the edge of the substrate.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, positioning the substrate in the opening includes aligning one of the surfaces of the substrate to a surface of the frame. Positioning 102 substrates in accordance with some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein 20 includes positioning a substrate in at least a portion of the frame 30 in the opening, at least a portion of the frame 30 projecting above the surface of the substrate.

According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a method for supporting a substrate during a vacuum layer deposition time includes moving two or more frames of a frame relative to each other to increase a dimension of one of the openings formed by the frame member, wherein the frame member is joined by an elastic member, and the elastic member provides a contraction force acting on the two or more frame members; positioning the substrate in the opening; and releasing two or a plurality of frame members for holding the substrate at the edge of the substrate.

According to some embodiments described herein, the support arrangement supports the substrate firmly, particularly during the deposition process. The support arrangement avoids any coating residue on the sides of the substrate, that is, no coating is applied. According to some embodiments, the support arrangement does not cover the substrate edge regions on the front side of the substrate (ie, without edge exclusion) such that the front side of the substrate can be coated from side to side. When the support arrangement does not protrude above the height of the substrate side, the surface coating system is not obstructed. Furthermore, the support arrangement avoids any (visible) coating residue on the back side of the substrate. Thus, the support arrangement in accordance with the embodiments described herein is applicable to, for example, an OGS (monolithic glass substrate) solution.

In conclusion, the present invention has been disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present invention. A person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

10‧‧‧Support configuration

20‧‧‧Substrate

30‧‧‧Frame

31, 32, 33, 34‧‧‧ frame

Claims (16)

A support arrangement (10) for supporting a substrate (20) during deposition of a vacuum layer, the support arrangement (10) comprising: a frame (30) having two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) The frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) form an opening; and an elastic means (40) configured to provide a clamping force for a plurality of portions of the plurality of substrate edges. For clamping the substrate (20) at the edges of the substrates. The support arrangement (10) of claim 1, wherein the opening is configured to receive the substrate (20). The support arrangement (10) of claim 1, wherein the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) are movable relative to each other and configured to change one of the openings size. The support arrangement (10) of claim 3, wherein the elastic member (40) is configured to provide a contraction force acting on one of the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34), Used to provide this clamping force. A support arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) are connected by the elastic member (40). A support arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) cover the substrate edges. Supporting configuration as described in one of claims 1 to 4 (10), wherein the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) are configured such that one surface of the substrate (20) is aligned with the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) One of the surfaces holds the substrate (20) at the edge of the substrate. The support arrangement (10) of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) are configured with the frame members (31, The substrate (20) is sandwiched at the edge of the substrate by at least a portion of at least one of 32, 33, 34) protruding above the surface of one of the substrates. A support arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) are made of metal or plastic. A support arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a portion of one of the surfaces of the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34) is rough. A support arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic member (40) comprises one or more springs. A support arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic member (40) comprises one or more elastic bands. A support arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic member (40) is incorporated into the two or more frame members (31, 32, 33, 34). An apparatus for depositing a layer on a substrate (20), the apparatus comprising: a cavity adapted to deposit a layer therein; the support arrangement (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Bit In the cavity; and a deposition source for depositing a material to form the layer. A method (100) for supporting a substrate (20) during vacuum layer deposition, the method comprising: providing (101) a frame (30), the frame (30) forming an opening; positioning (102) the substrate (20) in the opening; and providing (103) a clamping force acting on one of the plurality of substrate edges for clamping the substrate (20) at the edge of the substrate. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning (102) the substrate (20) in the opening comprises aligning a surface of one of the substrates (20) to a surface of the frame (30), or positioning therein ( 102) The substrate (20) includes at least a portion of the frame (30) positioned to protrude the substrate above the surface of the substrate.