WO2015149869A1

WO2015149869A1 - Apparatus for processing a flexible substrate and method for cleaning a processing chamber thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2015149869A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/056826
Authority: WO
Inventors: Florian Ries; Andreas Sauer; Neil Morrison; Tobias Stolley
Original assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
Priority date: 2014-04-04
Filing date: 2014-04-04
Publication date: 2015-10-08
Also published as: KR20160141840A; TWI636154B; CN106170584A; JP2017509798A; JP6356824B2; TW201606122A; KR101969533B1; CN106170584B

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a processing chamber, a coating drum (110) in the processing chamber and configured to support the flexible substrate, one or more deposition sources arranged in the processing chamber, and a shutter device(200) provided within the processing chamber and configured to move a shielding foil (300) between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources.

Description

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE AND METHOD FOR CLEANING A PROCESSING CHAMBER THEREOF

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to thin-film processing apparatuses, particularly to an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate, and more particularly to roll-to-roll (R2R) systems. Embodiments of the present disclosure particularly relate to apparatuses and methods for plasma cleaning processing chambers of R2R chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Processing of flexible substrates, such as plastic films or foils, is in high demand in the packaging industry, semiconductor industries and other industries. Processing may consist of coating of a flexible substrate with a desired material, such as a metal, semiconductors and dielectric materials, etching and other processing steps conducted on a substrate for the desired applications. Systems performing this task generally include a coating drum, e.g., a cylindrical roller, coupled to a processing system for transporting the substrate, and on which at least a portion of the substrate is processed. Roll-to-roll coating systems can, thereby, provide a high throughput system.

[0003] Typically, a coating process, such as a chemical evaporation process or a thermal evaporation process, can be utilized for depositing thin layers of materials onto flexible substrates. However, Roll-to-Roll deposition systems are also experiencing a strong increase in demand in the display industry and the photovoltaic (PV) industry. For example, touch panel elements, flexible displays, and flexible PV modules result in an increasing demand of depositing suitable layers in Roll-to-Roll coaters, particularly with low manufacturing costs. However, such devices typically have several layers, which are typically manufactured with CVD processes and particularly also PECVD processes. [0004] Deposition apparatuses with e.g. CVD, PECVD and/or PVD sources may produce deposition on shieldings and/or surrounding parts of the deposition sources. For subsequent uses of the equipment cleaning procedures have to be performed in order to avoid cross contamination effects and to ensure the long term process stability. Commonly, for this purpose, processing chambers are opened and cleaned manually. However, this is time consuming and may result in increased machine downtime, and makes it difficult to perform processing on a subsequent or replaced flexible substrate under the same conditions as before the venting of the chamber.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need in the art for an efficient apparatus for processing flexible substrates, such as OLED structures, semiconductor structures and other modern more sophisticated devices to ensure substrate throughput is maximized and machine downtime is minimized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] In light of the above, an apparatus for processing flexible substrates and a method for cleaning a processing chamber thereof are provided. Further aspects, advantages, and features of the present invention are apparent from the dependent claims, the description, and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] In one aspect, an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a processing chamber, a coating drum in the processing chamber and configured to support the flexible substrate, one or more deposition sources arranged in the processing chamber, and a shutter device provided within the processing chamber and configured to move a shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources.

[0008] In another aspect, a shielding foil for an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate is provided. The shielding foil includes one or more cutouts corresponding to a position of one or more deposition sources of the apparatus. [0009] In yet another aspect, a method for cleaning a processing chamber of a flexible substrate processing apparatus without breaking the vacuum in the processing chamber is provided. The apparatus includes a shutter device provided within the processing chamber and configured to move a shielding foil between a coating drum and one or more deposition sources. The method includes guiding, by the shutter device, the shielding foil between the coating drum and the at least one deposition source; initiating a first pump and purge process in the processing chamber; providing a cleaning or etching gas to the processing chamber; plasma cleaning the processing chamber; and initiating a second pump and purge process in the processing chamber. [0010] In still another aspect, an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a processing chamber, a coating drum in the processing chamber and configured to support the flexible substrate, one or more deposition sources arranged in the processing chamber, and a shutter device provided within the processing chamber. The shutter device includes at least one arm having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion provides a rotation axis of the arm, and wherein a shielding foil is connectable to the second portion. The shutter device is configured to move the shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources by a rotation of the arm about the rotation axis.

[0011] Embodiments are also directed at apparatuses for carrying out the disclosed methods and include apparatus parts for performing each described method step. These method steps may be performed by way of hardware components, a computer programmed by appropriate software, by any combination of the two or in any other manner. Furthermore, embodiments according to the invention are also directed at methods by which the described apparatus operates. It includes method steps for carrying out every function of the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments. The accompanying drawings relate to embodiments of the invention and are described in the following: [0013] Fig. 1A shows a schematic view of a part of the processing chamber of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein.

[0014] Fig. IB shows a schematic view of a roll-to-roll deposition apparatus for depositing or coating a thin-film according to embodiments described herein.

[0015] Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of a coating drum of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein.

[0016] Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a shutter device of the apparatus for processing a flexible substrate shown in figure 2.

[0017] Fig. 4 shows a detailed perspective view of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate with a shutter device being in different positions. [0018] Fig. 5 shows across-sectional front view of a coating drum of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein.

[0019] Fig. 6 shows a plan view of a section of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein.

[0020] Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional side view of the processing portion of another apparatus for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein.

[0021] Fig. 8 shows a front view of the apparatus of figure 7 and a shielding foil with cutouts according to embodiments described herein.

[0022] Fig. 9 shows a cross-sectional side view of the processing portion of yet another apparatus for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein. [0023] Fig. 10 shows a flow chart of a method for cleaning the processing chamber of a flexible substrate processing apparatus according to embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. Within the following description of the drawings, the same reference numbers refer to same components. Generally, only the differences with respect to individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention and is not meant as a limitation of the invention. Further, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with other embodiments to yield yet a further embodiment. It is intended that the description includes such modifications and variations.

[0025] It is noted here that a flexible substrate or web as used within the embodiments described herein can typically be characterized in that it is bendable. The term "web" may be synonymously used with the term "strip" or the term "flexible substrate". For example, the web, as described in embodiments herein, may be a foil or another flexible substrate.

[0026] As used herein, the term "shielding foil" is intended to be representative of a foil, which is typically made of a material that is different than the material of the flexible substrate. For instance, the foil may consist of a metal alloy such as, e.g., stainless steel. According to embodiments herein, the shielding foil may for instance have a thickness of 10 μιη to 300 μιη, particularly of 50 μιη to 125 μιη. The term "shielding foil" may be synonymously used with the term "sacrificial foil".

[0027] Embodiments described herein generally relate to an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate and a method for cleaning a processing chamber of the flexible substrate processing apparatus without breaking the vacuum in the processing chamber. The apparatus includes the shutter device within the processing chamber. The shutter device is configured to move the shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources. Particularly, the shielding foil may cover areas underneath the deposition sources, and the plasma clean can take place without affecting the flexible substrate and/or the coating drum.

[0028] In the embodiments disclosed herein, there is no need to break the vacuum before cleaning, since the shutter device can move the shielding foil to protect the coating drum during the cleaning process even when the processing chamber is sealed and evacuated. Further, the present embodiments allow to perform a cleaning process such as a NF3 cleaning process without removing the flexible substrate e.g. from the plasma clean region. Purging and venting the chamber for removing the flexible substrate is not necessary. A length of a flexible substrate such as a web foil could be up to hundreds of meters. Even if certain processes make it necessary to clean in between, e.g., before the whole substrate length is processed, this is possible without removing the flexible substrate. The embodiments as described herein may particularly be used in Web coating machines.

[0029] A part of a processing chamber of an apparatus 100 for processing a flexible substrate, particularly for depositing a thin film on a flexible substrate, according to embodiments described herein is exemplarily shown in figure 1A.

[0030] The apparatus 100 includes a processing chamber, a coating drum 110 in the processing chamber and configured to support the flexible substrate 300, one or more deposition sources arranged in the processing chamber, and a shutter device 200 provided within the processing chamber and configured to move a shielding foil 300 between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources. Typically, the one or more deposition sources are positioned with a gap being present between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources. The gap may have a width of about 0.5 - 50 mm. In some implementations, the shutter device 200 may be configured to move the shielding foil 300 in the gap between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources. Typically, the apparatus 100 further includes a web guiding system comprising several rollers such as deflecting rollers, guiding rollers, spreader rollers, and rollers for unwinding and re- winding the web. [0031] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shutter device 200 can include at least one first portion and at least one second portion. The first portion may provide a rotation axis of the shutter device 200. The shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the second portion, for instance by at least one of clamping, gripping, gluing, magnetic forces, soldering and welding. The shielding foil 300 may also be referred to as "jalousie". The shutter device 200 may also be referred to as "jalousie shutter".

[0032] By a rotation about the rotation axis, the shielding foil 300 attached to the second portion can be moved between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources. When the shielding foil 300 covers the areas underneath the deposition source, the plasma clean can take place. The shielding foil 300 can be moved by an automatic actuation, for instance at the beginning an initiated cleaning sequence.

[0033] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shutter device 200 may be positioned underneath (below) the coating drum 110. The shielding foil 300 can be moved from below the coating drum 110 in an upward direction to be positioned between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources. By positioning the shutter device 200 underneath the coating drum 110, a number of apparatus parts, particularly moving apparatus parts, above the coating drum 110 can be minimized. Further, particles released from the shutter device 200 and/or the shielding foil 300 fall for instance to the bottom of the process chamber without reaching or crossing the deposition zone. In view of this, a contamination of the deposition process with impurities and particularly of the coated layers can be prevented. In other words, a particle risk is minimized. The shielding foil is resistant against cleaning substances, so that the shielding foil is re-useable, i.e. the shielding foil does not need to be replaced after each cleaning process.

[0034] As shown in figure 1A, in some implementations, the coating drum 110 may be surrounded by a shielding structure vacuum flange 112. The vacuum flange 112 may have a cover of the process chamber attached thereto. Such a cover may comprise openings to take up the processing tools. [0035] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus may include at least one spacer device 115 provided e.g. at a side of the coating drum 110. In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 may include one spacer device 115 at each side of the coating drum 110. The spacer device 115 may be circular or may be a part of a circle, wherein a diameter thereof may be greater than a diameter of the coating drum 110. The spacer device 115 may be configured to support the shielding foil 300, particularly when the shielding foil 300 is moved between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120. The spacer device 115 may provide a gap between the coating drum 110 or the flexible substrate disposed thereon and the shielding foil 300. Thereby, a risk of damage of the coating drum 110 or the flexible substrate can be minimized, since the shielding foil 300 does not touch the coating drum 110 or the flexible substrate when the shielding foil 300 is moved between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120.

[0036] In some other implementations, the apparatus may not include the at least one spacer device 115 and the shielding foil 300 may touch or contact the coating drum 110 or the flexible substrate disposed thereon when the shielding foil 300 is moved between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120. In this case, the shielding foil 300 and the coating drum 110 carrying the flexible substrate are moved with the same velocity. In other words, there may be substantially no relative movement of the shielding foil 300 with respect to the coating drum 110.

[0037] Fig. IB shows a schematic view of a roll-to-roll deposition apparatus 1000 for depositing or coating the thin-film according to embodiments described herein. The apparatus 1000 can include the shutter device according to the embodiments described herein. The apparatus 1000 can include at least three chamber portions 1020A, 1020B and 1020C. At chamber portion 1020C deposition sources 6300 and an etching station 4300 being a processing tool, can be provided. For the cleaning process as described herein, the processing tools, e.g. the deposition sources 6300 and the etching station 4300, can be used as etching tools for cleaning the processing chambers. A flexible substrate 1060 is provided on a first roll 7640, e.g. having a winding shaft. The flexible substrate 1060 is unwound from the roll 7640 as indicated by the substrate movement direction shown by arrow 1080. A separation wall 7010 is provided for separation of chamber portions 1020A and 1020B. The separation wall 7010 can further be provided with gap sluices 1400 for having the substrate 1060 pass therethrough. A vacuum flange 1120 provided between the chamber portions 1020B and 1020C and as described above with reference to figure 1A may be provided with openings to take up processing tools.

[0038] The substrate 1060 is moved through the deposition areas provided at a coating drum 1100 and corresponding to positions of the deposition sources 6300. During operation, the coating drum 1100 rotates around an axis such that the substrate 1060 moves in direction of arrow 1080. According to typical embodiments, the substrate is guided via one, two or more rollers from the roll 7640 to the coating drum 1100 and from the coating drum 1100 to the second roll 7640', e.g. having a winding shaft, on which the substrate is wound after processing thereof.

[0039] In some implementations, the first chamber portion 1020A is separated in an interleaf chamber portion unit 1020A1 and a substrate chamber portion unit 1020A2. Thereby, interleaf rolls 7660/7660' and interleaf rollers 1050 can be provided as a modular element of the apparatus 1000. The apparatus 1000 can further include a pre-heating unit 1940 to heat the flexible substrate. Further, additionally or alternatively a pre-treatment plasma source 1920, e.g. an RF plasma source can be provided to treat the substrate with a plasma prior to entering chamber portion 1020C. [0040] According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, optionally also an optical measurement unit 4940 for evaluating the result of the substrate processing and/or one or more ionization units 4920 for adapting the charge on the substrate can be provided.

[0041] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of the coating drum 110 of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein. Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the shutter device 200 of the apparatus of figure 2.

[0042] According to some embodiments, which could be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shutter device 200 can include at least one arm 210 having at least one first portion 211 and at least one second portion 212. The first portion 211 may provide a rotation axis of the arm 210. The apparatus may have one first portion 211 provided at one of the sides of the coating drum 110, or may have two first portions 211, one on each side of the coating drum 110. The shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the second portion 212, for instance by at least one of clamping, gripping, gluing, magnetic forces, soldering and welding.

[0043] By rotating the arm 210 about the rotation axis defined by the first portion 211, the shielding foil 300, which is attached to the second portion 212, can be moved between the coating drum 110 and the deposition source 120, and can particularly be moved within the above mentioned gap provided between the coating drum 110 and the deposition source 120. When the etch sequence is initiated, the arm 210 can move around the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110 and transport the attached shielding foil 300 around the coating drum 110. In some implementations, the shielding foil 300 may touch the coating drum 100 or the flexible substrate disposed thereon. When the shielding foil 300 covers the areas underneath the deposition source 120, the plasma clean can take place.

[0044] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the rotation axis of the arm 210 is substantially parallel to a rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110. Particularly, the rotation axis of the arm 210 may correspond to the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110. In some implementations, the first portion 211 may be attachable to the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110 to be rotatable about said rotation axis 111. In some embodiments, a bearing such as a bush bearing or a roller bearing can be provided for providing the arm 210 rotatable. For instance, the arm 210, and particularly the first portion 211, can be attached to the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110 via the bearing such as a bush bearing or a roller bearing. [0045] In some implementations, the first portion 211 can extend substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 111, and could particularly extend from the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110 at least to a circumferential surface thereof. A length of the first portion can be at least equal or greater than a diameter of the coating drum 110. [0046] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the second portion 212 may extend substantially parallel to the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110, and may particularly extend along of at least a part of the circumferential surface of the coating drum 110. In some implementations, the second portion 312 may extend along substantially the whole length of the circumferential surface of the coating drum 110. In some implementations, the second portion 212 can extend from the first portion 211.

[0047] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first portion 211 could extend along a first direction and the second portion 212 could extend along a second direction, which second direction could be substantially perpendicular to the first direction. In some implementations, the first direction could be substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110, and/or the second direction could be substantially parallel to the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110. [0048] Although in principal it might be possible to move shielding means perpendicular to the direction of the flexible substrate transport to cover and protect the coating drum during a cleaning procedure, in this case the curvature of the coating drum and the curvature of the shielding foil are not parallel in a transport direction. The shielding foil would have to be bended in its width direction. However, when it is rolled up onto a roller like roll reception 220, it would get bended in its length direction. Thus, a stiff material like a shielding foil made of metal may be destroyed.

[0049] Referring to figure 3, a shutter device 200 having an arm 210 with two first portions 211 and one second portion 212 connecting the two first portions 211 is shown. The first portions 211 may be disposed on opposing sides of the coating drum 110. In other words, one first portion 211 could be provided on each side of the coating drum 110.

[0050] The first portion 211 may include a bore or center bore 213 configured for providing a connection with an axis or shaft, for instance with the rotation axis 111 of the coating drum 110. Associated with the center bore 213 may be a bearing (not shown) such as bush bearing or a roller bearing, so that the first portion 211 is rotatable. As an example, the bearing could be disposed within the bore 213 or could be provided to surround the bore 213.

[0051] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shutter device 200 may include a drive configured to move the shielding foil 300 between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120. In some implementations, the drive can be configured to rotate the arm 210 about the rotation axis provided by the first portion 211. According to some embodiments, the drive may include a motor such as an electric motor and/or pneumatic motor.

[0052] In some implementations, the drive can be connected to the first portion 211 via a gear assembly. The gear assembly may include a first gear wheel 214 provided at the first portion 211. As an example, the first gear wheel 214 could be provided to at least partially surround the rotation axis defined by the first portion 211, particularly the center bore 213. The gear assembly may also include a second gear wheel 215 directly or indirectly connected to a drive mechanism, such as a motor, e.g., an electric motor and/or pneumatic motor.

[0053] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shutter device 200 may include one or more roll receptions 220 configured for winding and/or unwinding the shielding foil 300. The one or more roll receptions 220 are configured for receiving the shielding foil 300, and particularly for receiving or holding a roll having the shielding foil 300 wound thereon. Thereby, the roll with the shielding foil 300 can easily be replaced when necessary. In some embodiments, a first end portion of the shielding foil 300 is connectable to the roll reception. As an example, the first end portion of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the roll reception 220, and a second end of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the second portion 212 of the arm 210.

[0054] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the one or more roll receptions 220 can be provided within the processing chamber. Also the shielding foil 300 can (for instance completely) be provided within the processing chamber and is not provided outside thereof. In view of this, there is no need to guide the shielding foil from the outside into the processing chamber, for instance through a vacuum lock. This facilitates cleaning the processing chamber without breaking the vacuum in the processing chamber.

[0055] However, in other implementations, the at least one roll reception can be provided outside of the processing chamber. In such a case, the shielding foil 300 could be supplied from the outside into the processing chamber e.g. through an air lock. In this configuration, still the first end portion of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the roll reception 220, and the second end of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the shutter device, particularly the second portion 212 of the arm 210. [0056] In some implementations, at least one of the one or more roll receptions 220 can be provided below the coating drum 110. By positioning one or more roll receptions 220 underneath the coating drum 110, particles released from the one or more roll receptions 220 and/or the shielding foil 300 fall for instance to the bottom of the process chamber without reaching or crossing the deposition zone. In view of this, a contamination of the deposition process and particularly of the coated layers with impurities can be prevented.

[0057] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the roll reception 220 may include a reception portion 222 configured for receiving the shielding foil 300 or a roll with the shielding foil 300, and particularly for receiving a roll having the shielding foil 300 wound thereon. [0058] In typical implementations, the roll reception 220 may have at least one attachment portion 221. The attachment portion 221 may be configured to provide a rotatable connection between the roll reception 222 or the roll with the shielding foil 300 and the processing chamber. The roll reception 222 may particularly be mounted within the processing chamber via the at least one attachment portion 221. As an example, the attachment portion 221 may include or be connectable to a bearing such as a bush bearing and/or a roller bearing for providing the rotatable connection. In some embodiments, the attachment portion 221 may be configured such that at least the reception portion 222 is rotatable about a rotation axis. The rotation axis of the reception portion 222 may be substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the coating drum. In typical implementations, the reception portion 222 may have two attachment portions 221, one on each side of the reception portion 222.

[0059] In other embodiments, the roll reception may include the attachment portions, and may not include the roll reception. The roll reception may include at least two independent, e.g. non-connected, attachment portions. The roll receptions may particularly include two attachment portions. The attachment portion may be configured to be connectable to a roll having the shielding foil 300 wound thereon, and may particularly be configured to be connectable to a side of the roll having the shielding foil 300 wound thereon. The attachment portion may be configured to provide a rotatable connection between the roll with the shielding foil 300 and the processing chamber. To this end the attachment portion may include or be connectable to a bearing such as a bush bearing and/or a roller bearing.

[0060] In some implementations, the shielding foil 300 is provided on the roll reception 220, and a first end of the shielding foil 300 is connected to the second portion 212 of the arm 210. When the arm 210 rotates about the rotation axis 111, the shielding foil 300 is unwound or unrolled from the roll reception 220 and is moved between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120, and is particularly moved within a gap between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120. This is further explained with reference to figure 4.

[0061] Figure 4 shows a detailed perspective view of the processing portion of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate with the shutter device being in different positions.

[0062] For instance during a deposition process, the arm 210 of the shutter device 200 may be in a first position 240. In the first position 240, the shielding foil 300 is not disposed between the coating drum 110 and the deposition sources 120. As an example, in the first position 240, the shielding foil 300 may be in a wound or rolled up state. For moving the shielding foil 300 between the coating drum 110 and the deposition source 120, the arm 210 may move or rotate (indicated with arrow 260) from the first position 240 into a second position 250. Particularly, by moving the arm 210, the shielding foil 300 is unwound, unrolled or uncoiled from roll reception 220. [0063] In some implementations, the roll reception 220 may include a retraction mechanism, for instance a spring-based retraction mechanism, which provides a force opposing the movement of the shielding foil 300 and/or arm 210, and particularly opposing the movement of the shielding foil 300 and/or arm 210 from the first position 240 into the second position 250. Thereby, the shielding foil 300 takes tension, so that it can be guided between the coating drum 210 and the deposition sources 210 particularly without wrinkling and/or without being entangled for instance between the coating drum 210 and the deposition sources 210.

[0064] When the arm 210 is moved back from the second position 250 into the first position 240, for instance after a cleaning process has been completed, the shielding foil 300 can be rewound or recoiled on the roll reception 220. In some implementations, the roll reception 220 may include the above mentioned retraction mechanism, whereby the shielding foil 300 can be coiled up, particularly in a tensed state so that no wrinkling and/or entangling occurs. [0065] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the roll reception 220 may not include the retraction mechanism but may include a drive such as a motor for re-winding the shielding foil 300 on the roll reception 210.

[0066] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the arm 210 may be configured to rotate about at least 90°, particularly 130°, 140°, 143°, 150° or 180°. In other words, an angle or rotation angle between the first position 240 and the second position 250 may be about at least 90°, and may particularly be 130°, 140°, 143°, 150° or 180°.

[0067] In view of the above, the shielding foil 300 may cover areas underneath the deposition sources 120, and the plasma clean can take place without affecting the flexible substrate and/or the coating drum 110. In view of this, there is no need to break the vacuum before cleaning, since the shutter device 200 can move the shielding foil 300 to protect the coating drum 110 during the cleaning process even when the processing chamber is sealed and evacuated. Further, the present embodiments allow to perform a cleaning process such as a NF3 cleaning process without removing the flexible substrate e.g. from the plasma clean region. Purging and venting the chamber for removing the flexible substrate is not necessary.

[0068] Figure 5 shows another perspective view of the processing portion of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate with the shutter device.

[0069] The shutter device of figure 5 may be configured as the shutter device 200 described above with reference to figure 3. In figure 5 two first portions 211 are provided, one on each side of the coating drum 110. The roll reception 220 can be provided underneath the coating drum 110. As an example, the first end portion of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the roll reception 220, and the second end of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the second portion 212 of the arm 210.

[0070] In some embodiments, the rotation axis of the coating drum 111 may be or correspond to the rotation axis of the arm 210 provided by the first portion 211. Particularly, a the rotation axis 111 or a shaft thereof may be configured for holding both the coating drum 110 and the arm 210, and particularly the first portion 211 of the arm 210.

[0071] Figure 6 shows a plan view of the processing portion of an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein.

[0072] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first end portion of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the roll reception, particularly to the reception portion 222, and a second end of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the second portion 212 of the arm. In some implementations, one or more guide rollers or deflection rollers 223, 224 for guiding or deflecting the shielding foil 300 could be provided between a position of the roll reception and the second portion 212. The rollers 223, 224 could be configured to provide a defined angle between a tangent of a circumferential surface of the coating drum 110 and a surface of the shielding foil 300. As an example, the defined angle may be a flat angle. [0073] A flexible substrate 400 can be disposed on the coating drum 110. The shutter device can be configured to move the shielding foil 300 between the deposition sources 120 and the flexible substrate 400, and can particularly be configured to move the shielding foil 300 within a gap between the deposition sources 120 and the flexible substrate 400. Thereby, there is no need to remove the flexible substrate 400 from the processing chamber prior to starting a cleaning process such as a plasma cleaning process, since the flexible substrate 400 is protected from the cleaning substances such as NF3 and SF6.

[0074] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional side view of the processing portion of another apparatus 500 for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein. Fig. 8 shows a front view of the apparatus 500 of figure 7 and a shielding foil 300 with cutouts 301 according to embodiments described herein.

[0075] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the apparatus 500 can include two or more roll receptions 510, 520 configured for winding and/or unwinding the shielding foil 300. In some implementations, the apparatus 500 can include a first roll reception 510 and a second roll reception 520. As an example, a first end portion of the shielding foil 300 is connectable to the first roll reception 510, and/or a second end portion of the shielding foil 300 is connectable to the second roll reception 520. The roll receptions 510 and 520 can be configured as anyone of the roll receptions 220 described above.

[0076] In some implementations, the first roll reception 510 is provided below the coating drum 110 and the second roll reception 520 is provided above the coating drum 110. In other words, the first roll reception 510 and the second roll reception 520 are provided on substantially opposing sides of the coating drum 110. [0077] In some embodiments the first roll reception 510 and/or the second roll reception 520 could include a retraction mechanism, for instance a spring-based retraction mechanism, which provides a force tending to wound or roll up the shielding foil 300. Thereby, the shielding foil 300 takes tension, so that it can be guided between the coating drum 210 and the deposition sources 210 particularly without being wrinkled or entangled therebetween.

[0078] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shielding foil 300 includes one or more cutouts 301. In some implementations, the one or more cutouts respectively correspond to a position of the one or more deposition sources 120.

[0079] In some implementations, the shutter device is configured to move the shielding foil 300 between at least a first position and a second position. As an example, in the first position the one or more cutouts may be positioned relatively to the coating drum 110 such that they correspond to a position of the one or more deposition sources 120. A deposition process for processing the flexible substrate can be performed, since the deposition sources 120 face the flexible substrate without the shielding foil 300 being disposed therebetween. In the second position the shielding foil 300 may be disposed between the deposition sources 120 and the coating drum 110 so as to provide a shielding. Particularly, the shielding foil 300 may cover areas underneath the deposition sources 120, and the plasma clean can take place without affecting the flexible substrate and/or the coating drum 110. More particularly, the shielding foil 300 may cover the areas underneath all of the processing tools, e.g. deposition sources 120.

[0080] In view of this, there is no need to break the vacuum before cleaning, since the shutter device can move the shielding foil 300 to protect the coating drum 110 during the cleaning process even when the processing chamber is sealed and evacuated. Further, the present embodiments allow to perform a cleaning process such as a NF3 cleaning process without removing the flexible substrate e.g. from the plasma clean region. Purging and venting the chamber for removing the flexible substrate is not necessary. [0081] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shielding foil 300 consists of a metal alloy, in particular, stainless steel. This makes the shielding foil 300 resistant against cleaning substances used in a cleaning process, such as NF3 and SF6. [0082] The shutter device can be configured to move the shielding foil 300 between at least the first position and the second position. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shutter device may include a drive configured to move the shielding foil 300 between the first position and the second position. In some implementations, the drive can be configured to drive and/or rotate the first roll reception 510 and/or the second roll reception 520. According to some embodiments, the drive may include a motor such as an electric motor and/or pneumatic motor.

[0083] As an example, the drive can be configured to rotate the first roll reception 510, which can be provided below the coating drum 110. The second roll reception 520 can include a retraction mechanism, for instance a spring-based retraction mechanism, which provides a force tending to wound or roll up the shielding foil 300. Thereby, the shielding foil 300 takes tension, even when the first roll reception 510 is rotated by means of the drive, so that it can be guided between the coating drum 210 and the deposition sources 210 particularly without being wrinkled or entangled therebetween.

[0084] In another example, the drive can be configured to rotate second roll reception 520, which can be provided above the coating drum 110. The first roll reception 510 can include a retraction mechanism, for instance a spring-based retraction mechanism, which provides a force tending to wound or roll up the shielding foil 300. Thereby, the shielding foil 300 takes tension, even when the second roll reception 520 is rotated by means of the drive, so that it can be guided between the coating drum 210 and the deposition sources 210 particularly without being wrinkled or entangled therebetween.

[0085] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shutter device may include a wire or band to move the shielding foil 300 between the first position and the second position. The wire or band may have a first end, a second end and a middle portion. The first end can be provided at or close to the first roll reception 510 and the second end can be provided at or close to the second roll reception 520. The middle portion of the wire or band can be connectable to the shielding foil 300 to move the shielding foil 300 between the first position and the second position. Thereby, the shielding foil 300 can be moved by a movement of the wire or band. The term "middle portion" of the shielding foil 300 may refer to any portion of the shielding foil 300 between the first end portion and the second end portion.

[0086] The shutter device may include a drive configured to wind the wire or band and/or unwind the wire or band to move the shielding foil 300 between the first position and the second position. Particularly, the first end or the second end of the wire or band could be connected to the drive, wherein the other end could be connected to a retraction device. Alternatively, the first end could be connected to a first drive and the second end could be connected to a second drive. In all cases, the shielding foil 300 can be moved between the first position and the second position by winding and/or unwinding the wire or band. In some implementations, the wire or band is made of steel, particularly stainless steel.

[0087] In some implementations, the spacer device 115 can include a cutout or chamfer on a circumferential surface thereof for receiving and guiding the wire. A depth of the cutout or chamfer may substantially correspond to a diameter of the wire to ensure a connection of the middle portion of the wire with the shielding foil 300.

[0088] Fig. 9 shows a cross-sectional side view of a processing portion of yet another apparatus 600 for processing a flexible substrate according to embodiments described herein. [0089] The apparatus 600 includes the processing chamber, the coating drum 110 in the processing chamber and is configured to support the flexible substrate, one or more deposition sources 120 are arranged in the processing chamber, and a shutter device is provided within the processing chamber and is configured to move the shielding foil 300 between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120. [0090] In some implementations, the coating drum 110 may be surrounded by a shielding structure 112 to protect at least some elements provided within the processing chamber such as drives e.g. for the coating drum 110, cooling means and electrical devices from being contaminated or coated with deposition material. [0091] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shutter device may include at least one guide rail 620 and at least one carriage 621 configured to be moveable along the guide rail 620. The carriage 621 may be connectable to the shielding foil 300 to move the shielding foil 300 between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120, and particularly to move the shielding foil 300 in a gap between the coating drum 110 and the one or more deposition sources 120. The at least one guide rail 620 and the at least one carriage 621 could be provided at only one side of the coating drum 110. Also, at least one guide rail 620 and at least one carriage 621 could be provided at each side of the coating drum 110. As an example, the guide rail 620 could be mounted on the spacer device 115, as it is shown in figure 9. The shutter device 115 could be configured as described above with reference to figure 1.

[0092] In some implantations, the shutter device may include one or more roll receptions 610 configured for winding and/or unwinding the shielding foil 300. The one or more roll receptions 610 could be configured for receiving the shielding foil 300, particularly a roll having the shielding foil 300 wound thereon. Thereby, the roll with the shielding foil 300 could easily be replaced when necessary. In some embodiments, a first end portion of the shielding foil 300 could be connectable to the roll reception 610. As an example, the first end portion of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the roll reception 610, and a second end portion of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the carriage 621.

[0093] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the one or more roll receptions 610 could be provided within the processing chamber. Also the shielding foil 300 can (for instance completely) be provided within the processing chamber and is not provided outside thereof. There is no need to guide the shielding foil from the outside into the processing chamber, for instance through a vacuum lock. This facilitates cleaning the processing chamber without breaking the vacuum in the processing chamber.

[0094] However, in other implementations, the at least one roll reception 610 could be provided outside of the processing chamber. In such a case, the shielding foil 300 could be supplied from the outside into the processing chamber e.g. through an air lock. In this configuration, still the first end portion of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the roll reception 610, and the second end of the shielding foil 300 may be connectable to the shutter device, particularly the carriage 621. [0095] In some implementations, the one or more roll receptions 610 could be provided below the coating drum 110. By positioning one or more roll receptions 610 underneath the coating drum 110, particles released from the one or more roll receptions 610 and/or the shielding foil 300 fall for instance to the bottom of the process chamber without reaching or crossing the deposition zone. In view of this, a contamination of the deposition process and particularly of the coated layers with impurities can be prevented.

[0096] The one or more roll receptions 610 can be configured as any one of the roll receptions 220 described above with reference to figures 1 to 8.

[0097] In some other implementations, the apparatus 600 may include a first roll reception and a second roll reception. As an example, a first end portion of the shielding foil 300 is connectable to the first roll reception, and/or a second end portion of the shielding foil 300 is connectable to the second roll reception. The first roll reception and the second roll reception could be configured as anyone of the roll receptions 220 described above. A middle portion of the shielding foil 300 could be connectable to the carriage 621. Thereby, the shielding foil 300 can be moved by a movement of the carriage 621, and particularly by a movement of the carriage along the guide rail 620. The term "middle portion" of the shielding foil 300 may refer to any portion of the shielding foil 300 between the first end portion and the second end portion.

[0098] In some implementations, the first roll reception is provided below the coating drum 110 and the second roll reception is provided above the coating drum 110. In other words, the first roll reception and the second roll reception are provided on substantially opposing sides of the coating drum 110.

[0099] In some embodiments the first roll reception and/or the second roll reception include a retraction mechanism, for instance a spring-based retraction mechanism, which provides a force tending to wound or roll up the shielding foil 300. Thereby, the shielding foil 300 takes tension, so that it can be guided between the coating drum 110 and the deposition sources 210 particularly without being entangled therebetween.

[00100] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the shielding foil 300 includes one or more cutouts 301. In some implementations, the one or more cutouts respectively correspond to a position of the one or more deposition sources 120.

[00101] In some implementations, the carriage 621 of the shutter device is configured to move the shielding foil 300 between at least a first position and a second position. As an example, in the first position the one or more cutouts may be positioned relatively to the coating drum 110 such that they correspond to a position of the one or more deposition sources 120. A deposition process for processing the flexible substrate can be performed, since the deposition sources 120 face the flexible substrate without the shielding foil 300 being disposed therebetween. In the second position the shielding foil 300 may be disposed between the deposition sources 120 and the coating drum so as to provide a shielding. Particularly, the shielding foil 300 may cover areas underneath the deposition sources, and the plasma clean can take place without affecting the flexible substrate and/or the coating drum. More particularly, the shielding foil 300 may cover the areas underneath all of the processing tools, e.g. deposition sources 120. [00102] In view of this, there is no need to break the vacuum before cleaning, since the carriage 621 of the shutter device can move the shielding foil to protect the coating drum 110 during the cleaning process even when the processing chamber is sealed and evacuated. Further, the present embodiments allow to perform a cleaning process such as a NF3 cleaning process without removing the flexible substrate e.g. from the plasma clean region. Purging and venting the chamber for removing the flexible substrate is not necessary.

[00103] Fig. 10 shows a flow chart of a method for cleaning the processing chamber of a flexible substrate processing apparatus according to embodiments described herein. [00104] In general, the embodiments described herein relate to flexible substrate apparatuses as exemplarily described above and to methods and devices for cleaning, in particular, a processing chamber of such apparatuses. For example, Fig. 10 illustrates a method 700 for cleaning a processing chamber of a flexible substrate processing apparatus without breaking the vacuum in the processing chamber and/or without removing the flexible substrate. The method includes guiding a shielding foil provided within the processing chamber between a coating drum and at least one deposition source (block 701); initiating a first pump and purge process in the processing chamber (block 702); providing a cleaning or etching gas to the processing chamber (block 703); plasma cleaning the processing chamber (block 704); and initiating a second pump and purge process in the processing chamber (block 705).

[00105] Thereby, the order of the steps, particularly with respect to pump and purge steps can be arbitrary as long as the shielding foil is provided between the coating drum and the at least one deposition source during the plasma cleaning. [00106] According to embodiments described herein, the above-mentioned method for cleaning the processing chamber of a flexible substrate processing apparatus may include numerous additional steps and/or processes that may be initiated on demand.

[00107] The block 701 of guiding a shielding foil provided within the processing chamber between a coating drum and at least one deposition source may utilize any of the shutter device described above with reference to figures 1 to 9.

[00108] The first pump and/or purge procedure 702 may be initiated to remove left over processing gases from the processing chamber. Generally, pumps are activated first to evacuate the processing gases, e.g. highly reactive processing gases, from the processing chamber. Thereafter, optional purging gases may be introduced into the processing chamber such as Argon and Nitrogen to facilitate the purge process. The purge gases may then be pumped out of the processing chamber. The pumps usually create medium to high vacuums inside of the processing chamber. For example, the vacuum inside of the processing chamber may be anywhere from 50 10-1 mbar to 10-7 mbar, in particular, from 10-2 mbar to 10-6 mbar such as 10-3 mbar. According to some embodiments, some process residues, such as gases or solid materials, might need to be removed before a cleaning step in order to avoid unwanted chemical reactions. This is typically done with a pump-and-purge process. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the pump and purge processes as described herein can include a plurality of cycles, e.g. at least two or at least 3 cycles of pump down to around 10-2 mbar or below and a purge with an inert gas, e.g. Ar or N2, up to a pressure of around 10 mbar to 20 mbar. However, for some embodiments pumping only or purging only might be sufficient to prepare the processing apparatus for cleaning.

[00109] Typically, the pump and/or purge procedure 702 may last anywhere from 5 min to 30 min, such as for instance 20 min. Moreover, the procedure may include a plurality of consecutive pump and purge cycles, for instance three cycles that last 5 min each. According to embodiments herein, a detection mechanism (e.g. in the form of a sensor) may detect if consecutive pump and/or purge cycles are required to remove the processing gases from the processing chamber. The detection mechanism may autonomously initiate the purge and/or cleaning processes.

[00110] Generally, after coating procedures that may include highly exothermic reactions, it may be desirable to cool the coating drum of a flexible substrate processing apparatus. Cooling the coating drum may, for instance, occur in an optional step after and/or during the first pump and/or purge procedure. [00111] According to embodiments described herein, a plasma cleaning (e.g. plasma etching) procedure 703, which may remove impurities and contaminants from the surfaces within the process chamber may be initiated. Typically, the plasma cleaning procedure is initiated after the first pump and/or purge procedure. The plasma cleaning may be initiated by applying RF high frequency (2 MHz - 2.45 GHz) voltages, which partially and/or fully ionize, for instance, a fluorinated gas introduced into the processing chamber. In embodiments described herein, the processing chamber is kept at low pressures during the plasma cleaning procedure. For instance, the processing chamber is maintained at pressure anywhere from 10^" mbar to 10^" mbar, such as at 10^" mbar. [00112] Typically, the intensity of RF high frequency (2 MHz - 2.45 GHz) energy may be adjustable in order to control, for instance, the rate of contaminant removal inside of the processing chamber. In general, sufficient RF high frequency (2 MHz - 2.45 GHz) energy may be applied to produce a high plasma density, which may ensure a high rate of contaminant removal. Moreover, high plasma densities may avoid that underlying layers of contaminants cross-link in three-dimensions thereby creating stable but un-removed new structures. In embodiments described herein sensors and controllers may be employed to monitor and adjust the plasma density.

[00113] According to embodiments described herein, during the plasma cleaning procedure, the coating drum may typically be standing still. The shielding foil generally covers the coating drum thereby protecting the surface of the coating drum from the cleaning plasma. As opposed to flexible substrates that may react with the cleaning plasma and be damaged thereby, the shielding foil according to embodiments described herein may be inert with respect to the cleaning plasma and re-used in other cleaning procedures. This reduces the amount of material (substrate) wasted and may reduce the CoO considerably. Further, the risk of damaging the substrate such that the drum is exposed to the cleaning plasma through damaged portions of the substrate is reduced or avoided.

[00114] According to embodiments described herein, the plasma cleaning procedure may vary in duration depending on the degree of contamination and size of the processing chamber. For instance, the plasma cleaning procedure may last from 2 min to 25 min, in particular from 5 min to 20 min, for instance 15 min. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the time for the cleaning process may be about 10% to 15 % of the time for the deposition process. In embodiments herein, the plasma cleaning procedure may also include a series of plasma cleaning cycles interposed with one or more pump and/or purge cycles that remove the cleaning gas from the processing chamber. For the purpose of clarity these pump and/or purge cycles will be referred to hereinafter as second pump and/or purge procedure.

[00115] In embodiments described herein, a detection mechanism may detect whether contaminants still remain in the processing chamber and may initiate another pump and/or purge procedure, and/or a further plasma cleaning procedure followed by another pump and/or purge procedure. The detection mechanism may initiate such cleaning procedures multiple times until all the contaminants, cleaning and/or processing gases have been removed from the processing chamber. [00116] According to embodiments described herein, after the processing chamber has been cleaned to an acceptable or pre-determined level and the second pump and/or purge procedure 704 has finished, a processing of the flexible substrate may be initiated.

[00117] Embodiments described herein generally relate to an apparatus for processing a flexible substrate and a method for cleaning a processing chamber of a flexible substrate processing apparatus without breaking the vacuum in the processing chamber. The apparatus includes the shutter device within the processing chamber. The shutter device is configured to move the shielding foil, which may also be provided within the processing chamber, between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources. Particularly, the shielding foil may cover areas underneath the deposition sources, and the plasma clean can take place without affecting the flexible substrate and/or the coating drum. More particularly, the shielding foil 300 may cover the areas underneath all of the processing tools, e.g. deposition sources 120.

[00118] In view of this, there is no need to break the vacuum before cleaning, since the shutter device is provided within the processing chamber and can move the shielding foil to protect the coating drum during the cleaning process even when the processing chamber is sealed and evacuated. Further, the present embodiments allow to perform a cleaning process such as a NF3 cleaning process without removing the flexible substrate e.g. from the plasma clean region. Purging and venting the chamber for removing the flexible substrate is not necessary. A length of a flexible substrate such as a web foil could be up to hundreds of meters. Even if certain processes make it necessary to clean in between, e.g., before the whole substrate length is processed, this is possible without removing the flexible substrate. The embodiments as described herein may particularly be used in Web coating machines before an etch process will take place. [00119] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a flexible substrate, comprising: a processing chamber, a coating drum in the processing chamber and configured to support the flexible substrate, one or more deposition sources arranged in the processing chamber, and a shutter device provided within the processing chamber and configured to move a shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including one or more roll receptions configured for winding and/or unwinding the shielding foil, particularly wherein at least one of the one or more roll receptions is provided below the coating drum.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more roll receptions are provided within the processing chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 or 3, wherein the roll receptions include a first roll reception configured for winding and unwinding the shielding foil, particularly wherein a first end portion of the shielding foil is connectable to the first roll reception, and a second roll reception configured for winding and unwinding the shielding foil, particularly wherein a second end portion of the shielding foil is connectable to the second roll reception.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first roll reception is provided below the coating drum and/or the second roll reception is provided above the coating drum.

6. The apparatus of one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the shutter device includes at least one arm having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion provides a rotation axis of the arm, and wherein the shielding foil is connectable to the second portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the rotation axis of the arm is substantially parallel to a rotation axis of the coating drum, particularly wherein the rotation axis of the arm corresponds to the rotation axis of the coating drum.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein the first portion extends substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the coating drum, and particularly extends from the rotation axis of the coating drum at least to a circumferential surface of the coating drum, and/or wherein the second portion extends substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the coating drum, and particularly extends along of at least a part of the circumferential surface of the coating drum.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 or 5, wherein the shutter device further includes a wire or band having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is provided at the first roll reception and the second end is provided at the second roll reception, and wherein a middle portion of the wire or band is connectable to the shielding foil to move the shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 or 5, wherein the shutter device further includes a guide rail and a carriage configured to be moveable along the guide rail, and wherein the carriage is connectable to the shielding foil to move the shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources.

11. The apparatus of one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the shutter device further includes a drive configured to move the shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources, particularly wherein the drive is a motor.

12. Shielding foil for use in the apparatus one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the shielding foil includes one or more cutouts, particularly wherein the one or more cutouts respectively correspond to a position of the one or more deposition sources.

13. Shielding foil of claim 12, wherein the shielding foil consists of a metal alloy, in particular, stainless steel.

14. A method for cleaning a processing chamber of a flexible substrate processing apparatus without breaking the vacuum in the processing chamber, the apparatus including a shutter device provided within the processing chamber and configured to move the shielding foil between a coating drum and one or more deposition sources, the method comprising: guiding the shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources by the shutter device; initiating a first pump and purge process in the processing chamber; providing a cleaning or etching gas to the processing chamber; plasma cleaning the processing chamber; and initiating a second pump and purge process in the processing chamber.

15. Method of claim 14, wherein the guiding the shielding foil between the coating drum and the one or more deposition sources includes: guiding the shielding foil within a gap provided between the coating drum or the flexible substrate disposed thereon and the one or more deposition sources, particularly without touching the coating drum or the flexible substrate disposed thereon.