Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Coating – forming or etching by sputtering
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2001-02-13
Nguyen, Nam (Department: 1753)
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Coating, forming or etching by sputtering
C204S298110, C204S298090, C204S298070, C204S298250, C204S298230
Reexamination Certificate
active
06187158
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a device for coating plate-shaped substrates by using cathode sputtering, which has several process chambers one after the other, each of which is bordered on the top by a chamber roof, which in each case has an opening that is covered by a top with at least one cathode and that has screens and supply lines, especially coolant lines, in the process chamber.
Devices of the foregoing type are frequently used and are generally known in the technology for coating plate-shaped substrates. The cathodes and other things built into them, especially the screens and coolant lines, are firmly installed in the process chamber. This has the disadvantage that dismantling the parts of the apparatus is expensive and leads to undesirably long periods of down time if parts must be disassembled and then reassembled for cleaning purposes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention seeks to solve the problem of creating a device of the type mentioned at the outset for coating plate-shaped substrates in such a way that their cathodes and the things built into the chamber can be as quickly disassembled and reassembled as possible.
This problem is solved according to the invention by providing the screens and supply lines, especially the coolant lines, on a frame that slides out of the opening upwards and projects into the process chamber and that is supported by support parts on supporting surfaces of the chamber roof and by the fact that the top projects over the supporting parts and sits directly on top of the chamber roof in a way that seals it.
Through this design it is possible to take out all the parts of the coating station from the top of the process chamber and to quickly interchange a second frame and a second cathode arrangement or to clean the disassembled parts and reassemble them by sliding in the frame and the cover with the cathodes. Use of the invention results in especially small down times of the coating device. Because the top projects over the supporting parts and sits directly on the chamber roof, only the top must be sealed opposite the chamber roof.
The top having the cathodes can be designed so it is completely flat if, in accordance with another design of the invention, the supporting surfaces inside the opening are provided with graduations inside two border areas that border each opening on the sides. In the case of such a design the frame does not project out of the opening.
In another advantageous design of the invention, the frame has an extension arm that has supply connections at least for the coolant and that reaches through the process chamber on a longitudinal side. In the case of this design, coolant connections inside the process chamber that have to be detached when disassembling the built-in parts are dropped, as a result of which the danger of the coolant escaping inside the process chamber due to connections that are not tight does not apply.
When using the frame in the process chamber the supply connections can engage automatically with the respective feeding connections if the supply connections are aimed downwards and coolant supply connections are arranged on the outside on the process chamber and are aligned with the supply connections of the extension arm. The coolant feeding connections can have stop valves that automatically close as soon as one raises the frame and the supply must therefore be interrupted. The necessary electrical connections and the process gas connection can also run through this extension arm.
An overheating of the screens can be avoided in an especially easy way and without increasing the effort involved in disassembling and reassembling the screens if the screens with the coolant have cool water pipes connected to the coolant.
In this connection it is especially advantageous when the screens are designed like boxes and have areas running between two transport rollers near the shells of these transport rollers. Such cooled screens may absorb and carry away the radiation heat of the transport rollers positioned in their direct vicinity.
The connection of the screens with the coolant inside the frame can take place in an especially easy way without the danger of the coolant entering into the process chamber when the coolant lines leak if, according to another design of the invention, the frame on the side of the extension arm has a supply room closed toward the process chamber that is connected to the atmosphere and in which the hoses serving the coolant connection to the screen are positioned.
To prevent a secondary flow of the process gases on the outside of the frame instead of in the coating area, the frame is sealed by compressive sealings near the screens on its underside on the intermediate bottom of the process chamber.
The feeding of the process gas can also take place without connections inside the process chamber if, according to another design of the invention, the top has gas pipes for feeding the process gas and gas connections that reach through the process chamber and if the process chamber has gas feeding connections that are aligned on the outside with the gas connections.
It is also advantageous when the frame is mechanically connected to the top of the cathode arrangement. In such a working form the frame is pulled from the process chamber at the same time the cathode arrangement is raised.
The invention allows for different models. One of them is represented in the drawings and described below.
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Grundmann Katja
Sauer Andreas
Schuhmacher Manfred
Chacko-Davis Daborah
Leybold Systems GmbH
Nguyen Nam
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
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