Patent Publication Number: US-2009226618-A1

Title: Coating apparatus with rotation module

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention refers to a handling module for a coating apparatus as well as a coating apparatus for depositing at least two layers on a substrate and a method for coating a substrate in such a coating apparatus. 
     In modern technology and industry coating processes are very important, since a lot of products comprise coatings or layers which have to be applied on the products or substrates. For example, displays for television apparatuses or computer monitors may comprise a plurality of layers which have to be applied on a glass substrate. This is especially true for so-called OLED-displays, monitors or television screens, which comprise organic light emitting diodes. These organic light emitting diodes are composed of a plurality of layers which are deposited one after the other. In order to have separate pixels which can be activated independently, layers have to be structured or patterned. In order to achieve a structure or pattern, masks are used during the coating process. Accordingly, different masks for different layers have to be used and during the production process the masks have to be arranged and removed from the substrate for several times. 
     EP 17 173 39 A2, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, discloses a continuously working in-line coating apparatus in which a substrate to be coated is travelling along a coating path, the substrate being coated with different layers or treated by corresponding pre- or after-treatments. Along the coating path having a transport path for the substrates included therein rotation modules are provided for, which allow to transfer the substrate to a mask-exchange station and to transport back the masks to the beginning of a specific coating section so as to be re-used for a new substrate. Due to the in-line design of such an apparatus, a very effective coating of the substrates can be achieved. However, such an apparatus requires lot of space for the coating path and the transport paths of the masks. 
     Another apparatus for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display is disclosed in US 2002/9187265 A1, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. According to this concept, a lot of coating sections for depositing single layers are disposed one after the other, while each of the coating sections comprise one central handling chamber with a transfer robot and adjacent coating and treatment chambers around the handling chamber. Such a design may save some space and therefore the space requirements are reduced, however, due to a great number of transfer steps by the transfer robot with respect to the surrounding treatment and coating chambers, such a coating apparatus is not very effective for mass production. 
     A mixed concept for a continuous and discontinuous transport through an in-line coating apparatus is disclosed in DE 102 05 167 C5, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. According to this concept, a rotation module is disposed at the end of a continuously working conveyor transporting the substrates through vacuum coating chambers. Since the rotation module comprises several retainers for receiving substrates, the rotation module may act as a buffer chamber for disrupting continuous transport. However, additional buffer chambers can lead to even more required space. 
     WO 2007/038427 A2, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, discloses a method and an apparatus for electronic device manufacture using shadow masks with a continuous in-line design. According to this apparatus, a plurality of deposition vessels are arranged one after the other and every deposition vessel has at least two shadow masks associated therewith. The two masks can be alternately positioned for patterning the deposition material during deposition and for cleaning in adjacent cleaning vessels. Thus, throughput can be increased, but the required space is also increased. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Although the methods and apparatuses known from prior art provide good results with respect to the deposition of multi-layer coatings and especially OLED devices, there is still the need for optimizing such apparatuses and the corresponding coating methods with respect to efficiency and necessary effort, especially in terms of space requirements. In addition, these objects should be achieved while simultaneously maintaining a high quality deposition. Further, the apparatus should be usable for different coatings and layer stacks and should therefore provide flexibility with respect to the kind of utilization. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus as well as a method for coating a substrate which enables an improvement with respect to all of these objects. 
     These objects are solved by a handling apparatus for a coating apparatus according as described herein. Embodiments of the present invention are based on the finding that a handling module for transferring a substrate from one part of the coating apparatus to another part allows for very effective and space-saving design of the coating apparatus, if a mask arranging and/or mask alignment device is included in the handling module. Due to the integration of the mask arranging and/or mask alignment in the handling module, the efficiency can also be increased, since it is not necessary to transfer the substrate to a specific mask arrangement and/or alignment station. In addition, the integration of mask arrangement and/or alignment into the handling module also enables the provision of a plurality of independently working coating areas or coating sections so that the flexibility of the apparatus is enhanced and the processes in the coating areas or sections can be optimized independently. 
     Thus, according to a first aspect of the present invention a handling module for a coating apparatus comprises a movable substrate support for a substrate to be coated. The movable support is movable between at least two positions so that the handling module can transfer the substrate from one part of the coating apparatus to another, and/or exchange components, like masks, for the subsequent coating process. Furthermore, the handling module comprises a mask arranging device for attaching and/or detaching a mask to and/or from the substrate as well as a mask alignment device for aligning the mask with respect to the substrate. For an efficient alignment of the mask with high quality, the invention suggests to attach the mask alignment device at the movable support of the handling module so as to be movable together with the support. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, for which protection is sought independently and in combination with other aspects of the invention, the handling module is designed to be part of a vacuum coating apparatus. 
     Accordingly, the handling module comprises a vacuum chamber so that a substrate can be transferred or handled under vacuum conditions. Further, the handling module according to the second aspect of the invention comprises also a movable support for a substrate to be coated. The movable support is rotatable around a rotation axis so that at least two positions can be set to transfer the substrate from one part of the coating apparatus to another part of the coating apparatus and/or to exchange components, like masks. Again, such a vacuum rotation module is designed such that at least one mask arranging device for attaching and/or detaching a mask to and/or from a substrate is arranged within the vacuum chamber of the handling module. Thus, the efficiency and flexibility of a coating apparatus having such a handling module can be increased as well as the quality of the coating deposited by such an apparatus, since the different coating sections are separated by the handling modules and do not affect each other. 
     The movable support may comprise at least two retainers for receiving a substrate so that it is possible to carry more than one substrate at the same time. Thus, the efficiency may further be increased. 
     Since the movable support may be a rotatable support, where the substrates are supported with their main surfaces being parallel to the rotation axis, a design for the movable support may be chosen in which the at least two retainers are arranged with their backsides to each other and the rotation axis is located between the two retainers. The number of retainers is not restricted to two. More retainers, namely three retainers, four retainers or even more retainers are conceivable. The retainers may be arranged at the main surfaces of a cuboid or any hexagon or octagon, or similar and the rotation axis may be the longitudinal axis of such a body. 
     The retainers of the support may receive the substrates directly or via substrate carriers on which the substrates are located during movement through the coating apparatus. 
     Preferably, the substrates are coated with a vertical position of the surface to be coated. Deviations to the vertical direction may be within an angle of ±40°, preferably ±20° to the vertical direction. 
     The mask arranging device and the mask alignment device may be realized by a single mask manipulating apparatus. Thus, the movement of the substrate and/or the mask for approaching the mask and the substrate as well as the movement of substrate and/or mask for aligning substrate and mask can be performed by a single device so that the effort for separate devices can be saved. Although it is conceivable to only move the substrate or the substrate and the mask simultaneously for arranging and aligning of the mask at the substrate, it may be advantageous to only move the mask for such purposes. Accordingly, the mask manipulating apparatus, or if separated devices are used, the mask arranging device and/or mask alignment device may be arranged opposite to a retainer for the substrate at the movable support for the substrates. In combination with a rotatable support with a rotation axis located centrally within the handling module, a very advantageous design is achieved. Since the mask manipulating apparatus or the single mask arranging devices and/or mask alignment devices are moved together with the substrate support, a fixed relationship between these devices is achieved so that additional effort for aligning the substrate support and the mask manipulating device can be omitted. Further, the mask arranging and/or mask alignment device is not influenced by the difference between the vacuum conditions inside the handling module and the atmosphere conditions outside the handling module, since the mask arranging and/or aligning device is completely received in the handling module without any contact to the housing of the handling module except via the rotation axis. 
     The movable support for the substrates may comprise a frame having a plate- or cuboid-like form the rotation axis extending along the longitudinal axis of the plate- or the cuboid-like frame and the retainers being disposed at the sidewalls parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame. In order to dispose the mask arranging device and/or mask alignment device (mask manipulating device) a holder having a u-bend construction extends from the top area of the frame to a bottom area of the frame so that a space is defined between the substrate retainers and the u-band holder for the mask manipulating device. 
     Although every suitable device for arranging and/or aligning a mask at the substrate as well as removing the mask from the substrate may be used, a six axes parallel kinematic may be disposed as a mask manipulating device. Such a six axes parallel kinematic comprises a mounting base and struts or legs which connect the mounting base with a movable platform. Usually six legs or struts are disposed which can be elongated and activated independently. Due to the articulated connection between the legs and the movable platform on the one side and the mounting base on the other side, especially by gimbal connections, the movable platform can be moved and aligned in six independent degrees of freedom of motion. 
     The movable support of the handling module may have at least two positions into which the movable support can be moved. At least three openings in the housing of the handling module may be assigned to these two positions so that the substrates and the masks can be exchanged with adjacent components of the coating apparatus, like the mask magazine or the coating path for the substrate. However, it is possible that the movable support may be brought in more than two positions and the handling module may have an appropriate number of sidewalls and openings for the exchange with adjacent devices. Accordingly, a movable support may be rotated by 30°, 45°, 60°, 90° and multiple thereof. 
     The devices which may be connected to the module may comprise buffer chambers, mask storage magazines, transport chambers, treatment chambers, coating chambers and similar. 
     A transport chamber is defined as a chamber where only the transport of the substrate is carried out, while treatment or coating chambers are characterized by the fact that additional to a transport or exclusively treatments, like pre-treatments or after-treatments of the substrate, as well as coating processes are carried out. 
     A coating apparatus for depositing at least two layers on a substrate may be designed such that at least two deposition areas are provided for. Each deposition area is equipped to perform at least a complete deposition of one layer. At the inlet and the outlet of the deposition area, a rotation-type handling module as described above is arranged according to the present invention. Thus, the deposition area can be efficiently and independently operated. Only the transfer from one deposition area to the other deposition area has to be adapted by adjusting the work cycle of the rotation or handling modules. 
     The deposition areas may comprise different devices or apparatuses for depositing layers like continuous coating paths or coating chambers for static and/or wobble deposition. Any suitable device or apparatus for depositing a coating layer may be connected to the handling or rotation module. 
     For establishing a continuous coating path a plurality of twin-type coating chambers each having two compartments back to back adjacent to each other may be provided for. Twin-type coating chambers allow for continuous transport of the substrate in one compartment in one direction and in the adjacent compartment in the opposite direction so that a space-saving design for a continuous coating path is achieved. In order to realize a change of the movement direction a rotation unit for a u-turn of the substrate is provided at one end of the coating path opposite to the handling or rotation module. However, this rotation unit does not need to have mask arrangement and/or mask alignment devices. 
     The handling module, the coating area and a mask magazine connected to a handling or rotation module may build a coating section. Several coating sections may be disposed one after the other in a coating apparatus for producing a coating with a plurality of layers. The coating sections may be connected to each other via the handling modules. For this purpose, buffer chambers and/or transport chambers may be disposed between adjacent handling or rotation modules. However, the handling or rotation modules may also be connected directly to each other. 
     In addition, the first rotation module or the first coating section may comprise substrate loading sections for introducing the substrate into the vacuum coating apparatus while the last rotation module or the last coating section may comprise a substrate unloading section. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments according to the attached drawings. The drawings show in purely schematic form in 
         FIG. 1  a view of a first coating apparatus according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  a view of a second coating apparatus according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  a view of a third embodiment of the present invention; and in 
         FIG. 4  a perspective view of a movable support of a rotation module. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a first example of an inventive coating apparatus for depositing two layers on a substrate. For carrying out the corresponding processes, the coating apparatus  1  comprises a loading path  2  with a lock chamber  14  and a transport chamber  15 . The lock chamber  14  allows bringing the substrate to be coated from atmosphere to high vacuum conditions set in the coating apparatus. Accordingly, the lock chamber  14  comprises two locks  16  and  17  at the outlet or inlet, respectively, of the lock chamber. When a new substrate is introduced into the lock chamber  14 , the lock  16  is closed and the lock  17  is opened so as to allow introducing the substrate. When the substrate is located in the lock chamber  14 , the lock  17  is closed and the lock chamber  14  is evacuated to the vacuum conditions set in the coating apparatus. When these vacuum conditions are achieved, the lock  16  is opened so as to allow the substrate to be moved to the transport chamber  15 . Alternatively, the lock chamber  14  may be disposed directly at the following rotation module  4 . However, interposing the transport chamber  15  enables to separate lock-in processes from the further movement of the substrate through the rotation module  4 . 
     When the substrate located in transport chamber  15  is ready to move into the rotation module  4 , the movable support  13  is rotated such that a retainer on the substrate is aligned with the movement direction of the loading path  2 . Accordingly, the substrate or the substrate carrier on which the substrate is located can be moved by a linear motion towards the movable support so that the substrate or the substrate carrier with the substrate can be placed on the retainer of the movable support  13 . Since the mask magazine  7  is attached to the rotation module  4  at the side opposite to the side of the loading path  2 , at the same time a mask can be moved from the mask magazine  7  into the rotation module  4  so that the arranging and alignment device disposed in the rotation module  4  or at the movable support, respectively, can place the mask onto the substrate. After finishing the mask alignment, the substrate is ready for the first coating process. 
     Since the first coating path  5  is attached to the rotation module  4  at a side being rotated by 90° with respect to the sides where the mask magazine  7  as well as the loading path  2  are located, the movable support  13  is rotated around the rotation axis located in the centre of the rotation module  4  so that the retainer of the movable support  13  is aligned such with the first coating path  5  so as to allow the substrate or the substrate carrier, respectively, to be moved into the first coating path  5 . 
     The first coating path  5  comprises several compartments  18  to  21  being placed in pairs of two back-to-back in twin-compartment chambers which define the coating path. Due to the twin-compartment construction of the coating chambers  18 ,  20  and  19 ,  21  a very space saving design of the coating apparatus  1  is possible. According to the example shown in  FIG. 1 , the substrate is moved according to the arrow shown in compartment  18  of the twin-compartment chamber  18 ,  20  in the first compartments  18  to  19  of the chambers rightwards and thereafter leftwards in the second compartments  20 ,  21  of the chambers. For carrying out the U-turn necessary for the substrate to be moved first in the compartments  18  and  19  in the first direction and afterwards in the compartments  21  and  20  in the opposite direction, a second type of a rotation module  6  is provided for. The second type of a rotation module  6  is able to rotate the substrate or the substrate carrier by 180°. However, the second type of rotation module  6  does not comprise any additional devices like mask arranging or mask aligning devices or suchlike. 
     During movement in the twin-structure chambers or compartments  18  to  21 , the substrate is continuously coated by corresponding coating processes like sputter processes, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition and the like. The devices necessary for carrying out the coating processes as well as pre-treatment and/or after-treatment processes are not shown in  FIG. 1 . However, all kind of processes as mentioned before can be carried out in the vacuum compartments arranged along the first coating path  5 . Accordingly, the number of compartments may differ from that shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As mentioned before, the substrate can be equipped with a mask during the coating process, as this is normally the case for the layers deposited for producing organic light emitting diode OLED-structures. However, if no mask is necessary for the coating process, the coating path  5  can also be used for a maskless deposition of a layer. 
     When a mask is used during the coating process in the first coating path  5 , the mask can be removed from the substrate in the rotation module  4  before leaving the rotation module  4  towards the second coating path  11 . For the purpose of mask removing, the movable support  13  is again rotated by 90° degree after receiving the substrate or substrate carrier from compartment  20  in order to align the movable support  13  with the mask magazine  7  and to allow the mask arranging device to remove the mask from the substrate and to transport the mask into the mask magazine  7  by linear movement from the movable support  13  to the mask magazine. Accordingly, the movable support  13  is oriented perpendicular to the position shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     After removing of the mask, the movable support is again rotated by 90° to be aligned with the moving direction of the transport chamber  8  connected to the rotation module  4  opposite to the first coating path  5  and the substrate or substrate carrier, respectively, is moved through the transport chamber  8  into a second rotation module  10  being identical or mirror symmetrical to the rotation module  4 . Accordingly, as shown for the rotation module  4 , the rotation module  10  also comprises a movable support which can be rotated in at least two positions in which the retainer of the movable support can be loaded with a substrate from the transport chamber  8 , a mask from the mask magazine  9  or a coated substrate from the compartment  25  of a second coating path  11 . In addition, the movable support of the second rotation module can also be positioned such that the substrate can leave the rotation module  10  into the compartment  22  or the unloading path  3 . Accordingly, at least two positions, namely positions rotated 90° to each other are possible for the movable support as shown for the first rotation module  4 . Preferably, the movable or rotatable support may adopt four positions each rotated 90°. If the movable support comprises two retainers disposed back-to-back with the rotation axis in between as described below with respect to  FIG. 4 , four positions of the movable support are advantageous, since each side of the movable support comprising a retainer can be positioned with respect to the left and right part of a side wall of the rotation module, for example the side walls of the rotation module where the mask magazine  7  or the second coating path  11  are connected to the rotation module  10 . This also applies to the rotation module  4 . In addition, the movable or rotatable support may be positioned in a different number of positions, e.g. three position or more than four positions, depending on the design of the chamber of the rotation module and the devices connected to the rotation module. 
     The unloading path  3  connected to the rotation module is identical to the loading path  2  with the only difference that the movement direction is opposite to that of the loading path  2 . Moreover, the locking process is also vice versa. 
     The coating apparatus  1  shown in  FIG. 1  comprises two independent parts, namely a coating section  30  and a coating section  40  which are connected by the transport chamber  8 . This design allows for independent coating processes with a very space and resources saving construction. 
       FIG. 2  shows an example of a further inventive coating apparatus  100  which comprises identical components already described with respect to  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, such components which have the same reference number added by 100 are not described again. With respect to these reference numbers it is referred to the description of  FIG. 1 . 
     Accordingly, the embodiment of  FIG. 2  differs with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 1  only with respect to the number of coating sections and the arrangement of these section within the coating apparatus  100 . As can be seen from  FIG. 2 , the right coating section  130  and the left coating section  140  are almost identical to the coating sections  30  and  40  of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . The coating section  140  is only adapted for depositing a top layer instead of a second coating so that this coating path  111  is designated as top-layer coating path  111 . The reason is that between the coating sections  130  and  140  coating sections  150  and  160  are provided for in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . This proves that the concept of the coating apparatus of the present invention is very flexible so that in a simple manner the apparatus  100  can be adapted to the needs of the coating to be produced. If, instead of two layer coating a layer stack comprising n-layers has to be produced, the coating apparatus  100  can be extended as shown in  FIG. 2  by arranging the appropriate number of coating sections  160 . Accordingly, this is schematically indicated by the separation lines  170  and  171  shown in the transport chambers  180  and  181  connecting the coating sections  150  and  160  as well as the coating section  160  with the coating section  140 , respectively. Accordingly, any number of layers in a layer stack can be produced one after the other. Only additional coating sections  160  had to be added to the coating apparatus  100 . 
     A substrate introduced into the coating apparatus  100  at the lock-chamber  114  of the loading path  102  is moved, as described before, to the rotation module  104 , provided with a mask from the mask magazine  107  and rotated by the movable support  113  so that it can be moved through compartments  118  and  119  to the rotation module  106 . After making a U-turn in the rotation module and travelling afterwards through the compartments  120  and  121  back again to the rotation module  104  the mask is again removed in the rotation module  104  and stored in the mask magazine  107 . After leaving the rotation module  104 , the substrate is transferred through the transport channel  108  to the second coating section  150 . 
     The second coating section  150  comprises the rotation module  151  which is almost identical to the rotation module  130  of the coating section  130 . Only the connection of the rotation module  151  to adjacent transport chambers  108  or  180  as well as to coating chambers  153 ,  156  and  154 ,  155  or mask magazine  152  is slightly different with respect to the place of connections. Accordingly, mask magazine  152  of the coating section  150  is opposite to the side where the mask magazine  107  is located at the rotation module  104 . Opposite to the side where the mask magazine  152  is connected to the rotation module  151 , the second layer coating path and the compartments  153  to  156  are disposed. Accordingly, the substrate coming from the transport chamber  108  is disposed at the retainer of the movable support  158  and is rotated by 90° so that a linear movement path of the substrate or the substrate carrier is aligned with the direction towards the mask magazine  152  as well as the second coating path  153  to  157 . In this position of the movable support  158  which is perpendicular to the position shown if  FIG. 2 , a mask from the mask magazine  152  may be arranged at the substrate if the mask is necessary for the following second coating process. After arranging the mask at the substrate in the rotation module  151 , the substrate or substrate carrier is moved into the compartment  153  where the coating process for the second layer is starting. During movement of the substrate through the compartments  153  and  154  and the rotation module  157  as well as the compartments  155  and  156  a second layer is deposited at the substrate and all necessary treatments before and after depositing of the layer may be carried out. 
     After leaving the compartment  156 , the substrate is received in the retainer of the movable support  158  and the mask is removed from the substrate by the mask arranging device located in the rotation module  151 . The mask can be stored in the mask magazine  152  and can be used for the next substrate to be coated in the coating section  150 . If necessary, a mask cleaning device may be arranged at the mask magazine  152 , so that the mask can be cleaned if necessary, before re-using it for the next deposition process. 
     After removing of the mask, the movable support  158  is again rotated by 90° so that the substrate coated with a second layer can leave the rotation module  151  into the transport chamber  180 . 
     As mentioned before, a lot of coating sections  150 ,  160  may be arranged one after the other in the coating apparatus  100  depending on the number of layers which have to be deposited. Due to the design of the apparatus  100 , it is also possible to only move the substrate through the rotation module  151 ,  161  to the next coating section, if for specific substrates or generally for the process being carried out in the coating apparatus  100 , a third or fourth layer has not to be deposited. Therefore, the coating apparatus  100  is also very flexible with respect to the kind of use of the apparatus  100 . 
     The coating section  160  is identical to the coating section  150 . The only difference is the location of the inlet of the transport chamber  180  in the rotation module  161  compared to the inlet of the transport chamber  108  in the rotation module  151 . In order to save additional movements of the movable support, the place of connection to adjacent transport chambers at the different rotation modules may vary from one coating section to the other. 
     Since coating section  160  and  150  are almost identical, it is abstained from describing the same components having the same reference numerals added by 10. 
     The last coating section  140  in the series of coating sections  130 ,  150 ,  160  of the coating apparatus  100  is identical to the second coating section  40  of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , so that again with respect to the description of these components it is referred to the description of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Again, the same components have the same reference numerals added by 100. 
     The different coating sections  130 ,  150 ,  160  as well as  140  can be operated independently so that e.g. the velocity of the substrate at which the substrate is moving through the coating path can be set optimally according to the requirements of the coating process. Only the rotation modules  104 ,  151 ,  161  and  110  have to be adapted to each other so as to allow a continuous flow of the substrates through the coating apparatus  100 . Thus, more flexibility with respect to optimization of each single coating process as well as an optimization of the through-put through the coating apparatus  100  is possible. 
       FIG. 3  shows a third coating apparatus  200  similar to that one shown in  FIG. 2 . Accordingly, the same reference numerals added by 100 are used for designating the identical components of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 . An additional description is omitted. 
     The differences between the coating apparatus  100  and the coating apparatus  200  are explained as follows. 
     The coating apparatus  200  comprises a first coating section  230 , wherein the location of the mask magazine  207  and the first coating path  205  are exchanged. In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the first coating path  205  is located opposite to the loading path  202  while the mask magazine  207  is located along the straight travel line of the substrate or the substrate carriers through the rotation modules  204 ,  291 ,  261  and  210  of the different coating sections  230 ,  290 ,  260  and  300  indicated by the broken line  310 . Accordingly, the sequence of movements of the movable support  213  has to be adapted for receiving and removing the substrate as well as arranging and removing a mask. 
     A further difference between the coating apparatus  200  and the coating apparatus  100  is given with respect to the second coating section  290 . Instead of a continuous coating a static coating is carried out. Accordingly, only one coating chamber  293  is disposed in coating section  290 . 
     Still another difference between the embodiment of  FIG. 3  and that one of  FIG. 2  is the connection between the coating sections  230  and  290  or  260  and  300 . While in  FIG. 2  transport chambers  108 ,  180 ,  181  are used for connecting the coating sections  130 ,  150 ,  160  and  140  buffer chambers  285  and  286  are arranged between rotation modules  204  and  291  as well as  261  and  210 . Buffer chambers  285 ,  286  are designed such so as to allow storing of substrate or substrate carriers with substrates. Accordingly, it is possible to run the different coating sections more flexible and more independently from each other. Thus, it is possible to finish a coating process in a coating section, although a subsequent coating section is out of order. 
     Similar to the coating section  290  the coating section  300  is not equipped for a continuous coating, but for a wobble deposition of layer. During wobble deposition the substrate is linearly moved back and forth to achieve homogeneity of the coating. Accordingly, the coating chamber  301  comprises a device for reciprocating motion of the substrate or substrate carrier. 
     Even though different coating sections have been described with respect to the embodiments of  FIG. 1 to 3 , it is evident for a man skilled in the art that other coating processes or even other treatments may be performed in such sections and that accordingly the design of such sections may be different. Thus, although the coating sections refer by name only to coating processes, other processes like pre-treatment, after-treatment or finishing treatment processes may be carried out in these sections and the sections may be equipped accordingly. 
       FIG. 4  shows an example for a movable support  13  as used in the rotation modules  4 ,  10 ,  104 ,  110 ,  151 ,  161 ,  204 ,  210 ,  261 ,  291 . The movable support  13  comprises a frame  401  having a central plate structure  408  at the ends of which end plates  402  and  403  are disposed so as to form a double T structure in a cross section in a vertical direction. Parallel to the central plate structure two retainers are provided for. The retainers comprise guide and support elements in form of rails  404 ,  405  and  406 ,  407  arranged at opposing sides of the end plates  402 ,  403 . The substrate or a substrate carrier can be pushed into the rails  404 ,  405  or  406 ,  407  along a movement direction parallel to a main surface of the central plate structure  408 . Thus, the substrate or substrate carrier can be arranged at the movable support by a linear movement. 
     In order to align the movable substrate with adjacent components like transport chambers, coating chambers and buffer chambers as described above, a rotation axis  409  extending through the center of the frame  401  and especially through the central plate structure is provided for. Thus, a substrate held by a retainer  404 ,  405  or  406 ,  407  in vertical or almost vertical alignment with a angle deviation of ±40°, especially ±20° to the vertical direction can be rotated around the vertical axis  409 . 
     Opposing the main surfaces of the central plate structure  408  an U-bend arch bracket  410  for mounting an arranging and alignment device for a mask is disposed. The U-bend arch bracket comprises two horizontally aligned rods  411  and  413  attached to the upper end plate  402  as well as the lower end plate  403  and a vertically aligned rod  412  connecting the ends of the rods  411  and  413  being distal to the end plates  402  and  403 . Thus, a handling and receiving space for the substrate as well as the masks used for deposition is defined. 
     At a mounting plate  414  fixed to the U-bend arch bracket  410  an arranging and alignment device  415  in form of a six axes parallel kinematic is mounted. The six axes parallel kinematic  415  comprises six independently actuated legs which connect the mounting plate  414  with a receiver platform for the mask. The lengths of the legs can be changed and due to gimbal mounting of the legs to the platform and to the mounting plate, the position and orientation of the platform can be varied so that a mask contained in the receiver platform  416  can be aligned with respect to a substrate positioned in a retainer of the movable support  13 . 
     Instead of a six axes parallel kinematic any other suitable device for arranging and removing of a mask on a substrate as well as aligning of the mask relative to the substrate may be used. 
     Although the present invention is described in detail with respect to the embodiments disclosed above, it is evident for a man skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted to these embodiments, but amendments like different combinations of features described with respect to the embodiments or omitting of features are possible without leaving the scope of the present invention which is defined according to the attached claims. In particular, the invention comprises all possible combinations of single features disclosed in this specification.