Coating apparatus – Gas or vapor deposition – Running length work
Patent
1984-09-28
1986-11-18
Lusignan, Michael R.
Coating apparatus
Gas or vapor deposition
Running length work
118719, 118720, 118733, 156345, 226 97, 406 88, B65G 5316, B65H 2000, C23C 1600, C23F 102
Patent
active
046229183
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
In the Dutch Patent Application No. 8 203 318 of the Applicant modules are described, wherein processing under high vacuum takes place.
In these modules a number of transporters are situated, wherein by means of gaseous medium a "floating" transport of substrates is established and maintained.
Thereby it is shown, that at the processing side of the substrates by means of a vacuum pump at least a great part of the gaseous medium is suctioned off.
The module according to the invention now provides some supplementary structures.
With the processing under a very high vacuum, such as 10.sup.-8 bar, it is required, that the gaseous transport medium, which is used in the transporters for the transport of the substrates by means of gaseous cushions, cannot disturb the very critical processing, taking place within this module.
The module according to the invention is characterized by the transporter sections, positioned at the processing side, on both sides of the supply block, wherein transport medium is supplied to the central passage for the substrates, and discharge channels are located, which at the entrance thereof are in open communication with this transporter passage and at the other end are connected with the module compartments aside the processing chambers.
Thereby by means of walls, situated aside such transporter sections, these discharge channels are almost leak-free separated from the processing area, if during the processing a substrate passes through the transporter passage.
These areas as process chambers communicate through openings in the sidewalls of the module and wide discharge channels connected with a high vacuum pump.
In that way at this processing side the already minimal quantity of gaseous transport medium is withdrawn immediately.
The sidewalls of the discharge channels can be secured together and then function as cover for such a supply block for the deposition of particulates and process material, such as metal particles and particulates, separated from the substrate surface.
Another very positive characteristic of these walls is, that as such walls extend towards at least near the imaginary extension of the passage wall of the supply block, the section thereof, creating a passage-wall section, is enlarged as compared with the adjacent section of these walls.
In that way a considerable amount of the heat, transferred to the substrate during the processing, can be withdrawn through this side wall.
Furthermore, the flow restriction for the gaseous medium, leaking from such a discharge channel, is considerably enlarged, and the gap width between both passage walls of the transporter and the sidewalls of the substrate can be larger.
With a passage width for 3 mm of such a discharge channel and a width of only 40 micrometer for the gap between this wall and the substrate, in that way this gap provides an approximately 10,000 times larger flow restriction for the gaseous transport medium.
In consequence of this a leaking away of this medium to the process chambers is almost completely prevented and whereby the minimal quantity of medium, still leaking away, can be discharged easily though the common discharges aside the processing area and without a disturbing of the processing.
The maintaining in these channels of a considerably higher pressure, as compared to the processing vacuum, also enables the gaseous transport medium, leaking away, to prevent particulates and processing particles to enter this transporter section by deposition on the passage wall of the cover.
Furthermore, in that way also extremely critical passage-wall sections of the supply block remain free of particulates and metal deposition.
A favourable shape of the channel wall is further, provided, such that the wide passage-wall section thereof is to a small degree inclined in the direction of the adjacent smaller sidewall section.
As a result, the distance between this passage-wall section and the supply block can be small, for instance less than 1 mm. Such is of great importance to restrict the dimensions of the combi
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Integrated Automation Limited
Lusignan Michael R.
Olsen Warren E.
Semmes David H.
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