Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
  • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
  • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
  • C23C14/22—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
  • C23C14/50—Substrate holders
  • C23C14/505—Substrate holders for rotation of the substrates

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a planetary system workpiece carrier and a surface treatment method for workpieces.
• the aim of workpiece carrier technology is always to move the workpieces past treatment sources, such as coating sources and etching sources, in such a way that the most uniform possible treatment effect, in particular coating thickness and quality, is ensured on all surfaces of the workpieces to be treated.
• a first system that can be coupled to a system-side drive and rotates with respect to the system about an axis is provided.
• This first rotating system is referred to below as the solar system.
• a second rotation system referred to as the further planet system
• the further planet system is provided on the latter, offset with the axis of rotation and parallel to that of the solar system, the rotational movement of which is created by releasable engagement with the reference system formed by the system or chamber.
• a third rotating system hereinafter referred to as the lunar system, is provided on the planetary system and is rotatably supported with an axis of rotation parallel to the planetary system and solar system axes. The workpieces are set to self-rotation on the lunar systems.
• Workpiece carriers of this type with a triple rotary movement are used in particular in the case of relatively small workpieces in order to guide them past fixed treatment sources, such as coating sources, and to treat them regularly on all sides.
• the lunar systems are intermittently rotated on the workpiece carrier arrangement described above. This is done by moving the solar system rotary motion and the superimposed planetary rotary motion past stops which, in a spring-like manner, act on a riddle-like toothing on the lunar systems. Stiff lunar systems run past the stops without any incremental rotation, which has negative consequences for uniform workpiece handling.
• the jerky incremental rotary movement of the moon systems means that, especially with relatively short treatment times, in particular coating times for the tools and the correspondingly low treatment effect or thin layer thickness, due to statistical fluctuations with regard to the resilient stop interventions and the resulting alignment of the substrates Treatment sources, negative effects on the treatment homogeneity on the workpieces results.
• Fig. 1 shows schematically the principle and operation of a first embodiment of a workpiece carrier according to the invention for carrying out the inventive
• FIG. 2 simplified and in a partially schematic view, a section of a preferred embodiment of the workpiece holder according to the invention, following the functional principle according to FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 shows the engagement of a planetary system section on a solar system section, as is preferably implemented in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2,
• FIGS. 6 in a representation analogous to FIGS. 1 and 4, a third principal implementation variant of a workpiece carrier according to the invention
• FIG. 7 in a representation analogous to FIGS. 2 and 5, a section of a preferred form of realization of workpiece carriers according to the invention, following the principle according to FIG. 6,
• 10a shows a schematic illustration of a further preferred drive connection between the solar and planetary systems
• FIG. 10b the arrangement of Fig. 10a, schematically, in supervision.
• a rotary drive 1 acts between the chamber wall 3, as a mechanical reference system of the arrangement, and at least one such that it can be released via a coupling 5 to the drive 1 drive-coupled workpiece holder 100 according to the invention.
• the rotary drive is usually arranged outside the chamber with the chamber wall 3 and is carried out with a vacuum-tight rotary feedthrough.
• the workpiece carrier 100 has a solar system axis 7, which is rotatably supported on the mechanical reference system 3. This, driven, executes the sun rotation ⁇ s .
• One or more planetary axes 11 are rotatably mounted parallel to the solar system axis 7 on the at least one sun gear 9 connected to the solar system axis 7 in a rotationally fixed manner. They are in engagement via a planetary drive wheel 13, preferably meshing with a gearwheel, with a transmission ring 15 which is fixed with respect to the mechanical reference system 3 and which ring 15 is arranged coaxially to the solar system axis 7.
• At least one planet gear 17 is arranged on the at least one planetary axis 11 in a rotationally fixed manner, on which, parallel to the planetary axis 11, at least one moon axis 19 is rotatably mounted.
• a transmission wheel 21, preferably a transmission gearwheel is provided, which meshes with a moon drive wheel 29 which is rotatable on the moon axis 19 and is preferably designed as a toothed wheel.
• a stop bracket 25 is attached to the transmission gearwheel 21, which, when pivoted about the planetary axis 11, finally comes to a stop with a stop 27 on the solar system with sun gear 9 at P.
• the stop bracket 25 arrives at the beat 27 to a stop, whereupon the moon drive wheel 29 is rotated.
• the lunar system rotates - ⁇ m - continuously as long as the drive of the solar system is created.
• a workpiece holder for at least one workpiece to be treated in the chamber is provided on the moon system.
• FIG. 2 shows a form of realization of the planetary system workpiece holder according to the invention, which is explained in principle with reference to FIG. 1.
• the same reference numerals are used for parts already explained with reference to FIG. 1.
• the mode of operation of the arrangement according to FIG. 1, which is preferably implemented as in FIG. 2, is readily apparent from the explanations relating to FIG. 1.
• workpiece holders 31 are fastened to the moon axes 19.
• the solar system is constructed as a cage, with the sun gear 9, longitudinal rods 33 and 35 and spokes 37 and
• the outer longitudinal rods 35 act simultaneously as a stop 27 according to FIG. 1.
• the planetary axes 11 are mounted on top of pin bearings, which enables the respective planetary system with the lunar systems to be removed or reinserted easily.
• the planetary axes 11 are preferably tapered at the bottom and as shown at 43.
• the guide gearwheels 21 can be guided on the respective spacer sleeves 45 with a correspondingly narrow dimensioning of their center opening.
• the transmission gearwheels 21 can have three or more additional orderly lunar systems can be guided by their lunar drive wheels 29, which makes it possible to make the center opening of the transmission gears 21 large in terms of material and weight, and which also results in a lower bearing friction.
• At least five moon systems are preferably provided on the respective planet wheel 17.
• support wheels 47 or slide supports can be provided on the transmission gearwheels 21 and / or planet wheels 17 in order to guide the transmission wheels.
• Another design variant is to connect the planet gears 17 in a rotationally fixed manner to the spacer sleeves 45 and to use the latter as bearing bushes for the transfer wheels 21 mentioned.
• a longitudinal bar 35 is shown and the preferred shape of the stop bracket 25 in its end region.
• the bracket 25 is pivotally mounted on the longitudinal rod 35 which acts as a stop 27, which means that the moon rotation ⁇ m also begins without delay when the sun rotation ⁇ s begins.
• the shape of the stop bracket 25 is adapted to the different workpiece shapes and sizes or the lunar system design.
• a plurality of planetary systems with their axes 11 can preferably be provided on the solar system, a number of planetary gears 17 on the planetary systems and a number of lunar systems on the latter, optionally on a drive 1 or in a chamber according to FIG 3 several workpiece carriers 100.
• predetermined breaking points 51 can be installed on the workpiece carrier according to the invention, in order to limit the damage to the smallest possible part of the respective batch.
• Such predetermined breaking points in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, can preferably be provided on the end parts of the stop bracket 25.
• the end regions of the stop brackets 25 that break off at predetermined breaking points 51 can be visually marked, e.g. be painted.
• there also optoelectronic, capacitively or inductively or magnetically detectable parts can be provided in order to monitor the rotary movements in the chamber 3 during operation.
• a further control option for the proper functioning of the workpiece carriers according to the invention is obtained by measuring the power consumed on the drive motor 1. If one of the inventions coupled to the drive motor 1 according to FIG. blocked workpiece carrier 100 according to the invention, the motor power consumed increases with increasing load torque. This can trigger an alarm signal and / or an automatic shutdown. In this way it is possible to interrupt batch processing at an early stage in the event of damage, to remedy the identified fault and then to continue the processing process from where it was interrupted.
• FIG. 4 in a representation analogous to that of FIG. 1, schematically shows a further embodiment variant of a workpiece carrier 100 according to the invention. They are the same
• Brackets 25 with transfer wheel 21 and stop 27 according to FIG. 1 are omitted. Instead, it is on an auxiliary planet wheel 17 ', per lunar system and parallel to the planetary axis 11
• the wheel 60 is in engagement with a transmission surface 64 (not shown) that extends coaxially around the planetary axis 11 and is designed as a gear 60 and meshes with a ring gear.
• Another transmission wheel 66 preferably a gearwheel, which is rotationally fixed on the axis of rotation 62, is in engagement with a transmission ring 68, which rotates coaxially around the planetary axis 11, preferably designed as an internally and externally toothed ring.
• the transmission wheel 66 is in engagement with the inner surface of the ring 68, and the lunar drive wheel 29 is in engagement with the outer surface.
• the transmission ring 68 is slidably mounted on the planet wheel 17.
• the moon's orbital velocity can be adapted accordingly to the needs by appropriate dimensioning, in particular of the transmission wheels 66 and the transmission ring 68.
• the moon rotation ⁇ m can, for example are slowly adjusted so that the workpieces provided are still treated uniformly and on all sides, in particular coated, but at the same time the lunar system rotary bearings are exposed to minimal wear and tear.
• FIG. 5 shows a form of realization of the variant of a planetary system workpiece carrier according to the invention, shown schematically with reference to FIG. 4. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for parts already described. Due to the use of the same reference numerals, the structure of the workpiece carrier according to the invention according to FIG. 5 is readily apparent from the explanation of FIG. 4.
• the transmitter surface 64 according to FIG. 4 is mounted as an internally toothed ring on holding anchors 70, the latter being fixed to the sun gear 9.
• FIG. 6 the principle of a further embodiment variant of the workpiece carrier 100 according to the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 6, analogously to FIGS. 1 and 4.
• a circumferential transmitter surface 72 is provided, preferably in the form of a coaxial ring (not shown in FIG. 6) which is internally toothed around the planet axis 11.
• the moon drive wheel is in drive connection with the transmitter surface 72.
• the moon drive wheel 29 is an externally toothed gearwheel, it meshes with the toothing of the ring on the sun wheel 9 which is arranged coaxially about the planetary axis 11 and forms the transmitter surface 72.
• the transmission ratio can be adjusted to a limited extent by appropriate dimensioning of the mono drive wheels 29 and the transmitter surface 72, in particular their mutual toothing.
• FIG. 7 shows a preferred embodiment of the workpiece carrier variant according to the invention according to FIG. 6. It can be seen from this that the transmitter surface 72, in the form of the internal toothing of a toothed ring 72a, is each mounted at the level of the orbit of the moon drive wheels 29 by means of retaining anchors 74 on the sun gear 9.
• the rings 72a, on the holding anchors 74, can be kept at a distance with spacer bushings (not shown) and can be attached to these anchors. This enables rapid ring assembly in the individual moon movement planes.
• FIG. 8 schematically shows the principle of a further embodiment variant of a planetary system workpiece carrier according to the invention.
• the same reference numerals are used for the same parts.
• the transmission wheel 21, stop bracket 25 and stop 27 are again omitted.
• an auxiliary planet gear 17 ' preferably in the form of a gearwheel, is provided on the planetary axis 11, which meshes with or meshes with a transmission gear 76, preferably again a gearwheel.
• the ring 82 is guided (shown at a distance in FIG. 8 for reasons of clarity) on the respective planet gear 17 and extends coaxially around the planet axis 11.
• the transmission ratio between the rotation of the solar system ⁇ s and the rotation of the lunar system ⁇ m can be set.
• the transfer wheels 80 and, if applicable, the transfer ring 82 can be easily replaced during charging processes.
• the transmission wheels 80 can be pushed onto the transmission axis 78 in a rotationally fixed manner, with spacer sleeves being pushed over the transmission axis 78 between individual transmission wheels 80.
• FIG. 9 shows a preferred embodiment of the embodiment variant of the workpiece carrier according to the invention, which is schematically explained with reference to FIG. 8. If the reference numerals used hitherto and those which have been introduced with reference to FIG. 8 are selected, the structure and the functioning of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 are readily apparent to the person skilled in the art.
• FIG. 10 shows a particularly simple and therefore preferred embodiment variant of the drive connection between the solar system and the planetary system, for example acting between the sun axis 7 and the planetary gear 17 according to FIG. 1.
• This arrangement can be combined with all other precautions described for rotating the moon systems, but can also be used in systems in which only lent a solar / planetary system is realized, ie no rotating moon system.
• the sun gear 9 is mounted on the sun axis 7, as was explained, by a drive 1 (not shown here) arranged outside the vacuum chamber. It in turn carries the planet gear 17, as shown in FIG. 1 (not shown again here) and a planetary drive gear 13 '.
• the sun axis 7 runs centrally through a fixed drive wheel 88.
• a drive belt element 90 runs around the central, fixed drive wheel 88 and the provided planetary drive wheels 13 '.
• the speed of rotation ⁇ p of the planet gears can be freely selected or adjusted over a wide range via the diameter ratio of sun gear 9 and planetary drive gear 13 '. In this arrangement, the planet gears 13 'roll on the drive belt element 90.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
• Chemical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
• Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

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Related Child Applications (1)

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ID=4234683

Family Applications (1)

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Citations (5)

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• 1999
  • 1999-12-15 JP JP2000588422A patent/JP4614538B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-12-15 EP EP99957242A patent/EP1153155B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-12-15 DE DE59911507T patent/DE59911507D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-12-15 WO PCT/CH1999/000602 patent/WO2000036178A1/de not_active Ceased
• 2001
  • 2001-06-12 US US09/879,527 patent/US6620254B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2010
  • 2010-09-01 JP JP2010195868A patent/JP5268076B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (5)

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