Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP1365040B1/en
Timestamp: 2018-02-24 04:48:57
Document Index: 709096895

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 12', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 12', 'art 14', 'art 12', 'art 14', 'art 17', 'art 17', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 12', 'art 17', 'art 17', 'art 14', 'art 4', 'art 14', 'art 17', 'art 17', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 17', 'arts 17', 'art 14', 'arts 12', 'art 17']

EP1365040B1 - Assembly for processing substrates - Google Patents
EP1365040B1
EP1365040B1 EP20030076554 EP03076554A EP1365040B1 EP 1365040 B1 EP1365040 B1 EP 1365040B1 EP 20030076554 EP20030076554 EP 20030076554 EP 03076554 A EP03076554 A EP 03076554A EP 1365040 B1 EP1365040 B1 EP 1365040B1
EP20030076554
EP1365040A1 (en )
Marinus Franciscus Johanus Evers
Leonardus Peterus Maria Clijsen
Such an assembly is known from WO 01/06030 A1 . This publication relates to a system for a thin film deposition on substrates. In the known system, a vacuum chamber with deposition devices is disclosed. In the vacuum chamber, a conveying device is present in the form of a continuously moving web on which the substrates are placed. Adjacent the vacuum locks via which the substrates enter the vacuum chamber, loading/unloading platforms are present which permit an intermittent conveyance adjacent the vacuum locks of the known system. Intermittent and continuous transport in a vacuum environment is also disclosed in US-3,521,765 .
Applicant's international patent application WO 02/04697 discloses an assembly having a conveying device formed by a disk on which a number of substrates can be placed. During the introduction of a substrate into the vacuum chamber or the removal of a substrate from the vacuum chamber via a vacuum lock, the disk must stand still. This has as a consequence that during loading and unloading the substrate situated adjacent the process chamber likewise stands still. In vacuum deposition, however, it is often preferable to advance the substrate during the vacuum deposition process. The advancement of the substrate through the process chamber leads to the application of a layer of better uniformity. The known apparatus is not suited for moving a substrate through or along a process chamber, because the conveying system imposes a standstill of the substrate.
An advantage of the embodiment with the independently drivable carriers is that the carriers can be individually pre-heated to a temperature desired for the respective substrate. Varying the pre-heating per substrate is therefore one of the possibilities. Moreover, the manner in which the substrate is cooled off can be varied individually in the carrier embodiment. This is because the traveling speed of the carriers, and hence the time during which a respective carrier remains in a heating path and a cooling path, can be varied. Moreover, the layer or layers to be applied during the vacuum deposition processes can be varied in thickness by varying the traveling speed of a respective carrier in that path.
It should be noted that US-5,881,649 discloses a magnetic transfer system capable of smoothly delivering a carrier between chambers by providing an independently-rotating carrier-feed driving shaft for each chamber without using a synchronous control mechanism and used for a semi conducting fabrication equipment or the like provided with a plurality of chambers.
As is clearly shown in Fig. 8, the carrier 4 is provided with a base part 12 which is connected via a plane-parallel spring 13 with an intermediate part 14. Normally, the intermediate part 14 rests on supports 15 which are connected with the base part 12. The plane-parallel spring 13, however, allows a vertical displacement of the intermediate part 14 relative to the base part 12. Arranged on the intermediate part 14, via a thermally insulating connection 16, is a substrate carrier part 17 in which a heating element is included. The heating element can heat a substrate disposed on the substrate carrier part 17 to a temperature of about 450 °C. Owing to the thermally insulating connection 16, which may be formed, for instance, by a three point support having a very small contact surface, the intermediate part 14 will acquire a temperature of about 120 °C at most. Since the connection between the intermediate part 14 and the base part 12 has been effected via the plane-parallel spring 13, a substantial thermal insulation can be effected there too, so that the base part will reach a temperature of at most about 60 °C. Adjacent the vacuum locks 18, 19 - and, for that matter, also adjacent a station 20 in which residual material can be sucked up from the substrate carrier part 17, and stations 21, 22 in which the substrate carrier part 17 in the vacuum space can optionally undergo a cleansing etching operation - press-up elements 23 are present, by means of which the intermediate part 14 of the carrier part 4 can be pressed up. Thus, the intermediate part 14 can be pressed against a lower edge of a limitation 24 of a vacuum lock opening, so that the substrate carrier part 17 is situated in the opening of the vacuum lock 18, 19 and is insulated from the vacuum space 1. Thereafter the cover 46, 47 (see Fig. 4) can be taken from the limitation 24 of the vacuum lock 18, 19, so that the substrates can be removed from the substrate carrier part 17. It will be clear that a considerable force is required to keep the intermediate part 14 pressed against the lower edge of the limitation 24 when the cover 46, 47 has been removed from the limitation 24 of the vacuum lock 18, 19, since under those circumstances the atmospheric pressure will tend to push the intermediate part 14 down forcefully. To resist this force, in the present exemplary embodiment, the press-up elements 23 are moved up and down by means of a toggle joint lever system 26. The toggle joint lever system 26 is clearly visualized in Fig. 9 and is energized by a piston/cylinder assembly 27.
Referring to Fig. 1, it is further observed that after the vacuum lock 19 for introducing a substrate into the vacuum space a carrier 4 is moved to the third path 6. In the third path, carrier 4 is moved with the aid of the cross conveyance carrier 35 in the direction of the second path 5. In the third path 6 pre-heating lamps are arranged, by means of which the substrate can be pre-heated to a temperature of about 300 °C. Next, the carrier 4 moves into the second path 5 and there a further heating of the substrate to about 400 °C takes place. This further heating takes place with the aid of the heating element contained in the substrate carrier part 17. The substrate proceeds to pass a number of process chambers 40, 41, 42 in which a number of vacuum deposition processes take place. One can here think of, for instance, sputtering or a PECVD process. As is clearly visible in Fig. 2 and Fig. 7, the carriers link up with each other, so that the substrate carrier parts 17 of the successive carriers 4 form a continuous surface. This prevents the vacuum deposition from contaminating the conveying device, such as, for instance, the rails 9. To reduce such contamination still further, each intermediate part 14 is provided at an upstream end with a nose 43 and at a downstream end with a recess 44 in which the nose 43 is receivable. Thus a kind of labyrinth is formed which prevents particles that come from the vacuum deposition process from contaminating the transport rails 8, 9 or the base parts 12 with the bearing 10, 11 contained therein. Downstream of the process chambers 40, 41, 42, in the second and fourth paths 5 and 7, respectively, a cooling of the substrate to about 150 °C takes place. Adjacent a supply end of the first path 3, further cooling means are provided, for cooling the substrates further to 60 °C. The further cooling means can comprise rinsing means 44 for causing the substrate to be circumfused by a gas, such as, for instance, nitrogen. Downstream of these further cooling means 44, a vacuum lock 18 is disposed for taking the substrate out of the assembly. Downstream of the vacuum lock 18 for taking out the substrates, a cleaning station 20 is arranged. Such a cleaning station can comprise, for instance, a vacuum cleaner to clean the substrate carrier part 17 by suction.
An assembly for processing substrates, which processing comprises a vacuum deposition process, such as, for instance, sputtering, CVD or PECVD, which vacuum deposition process is carried out in at least one process chamber, the assembly being provided with a conveying device for moving the substrates from a vacuum lock to a process chamber, while the conveying device which extends in a vacuum space and permits a continuous conveyance of a substrate adjacent the at least one process chamber and permits an intermittent conveyance adjacent at least the at least one vacuum lock, characterized in that the conveying device comprises a number of carriers mobile in the vacuum space, while the drive of each carrier is controllable independently of the drive of the other carriers, wherein each carrier is provided with a number of magnets, while outside the vacuum space adjacent the positions along which the magnets of the carriers move, coils are arranged which can be excited such that they cause the carriers to advance.
An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the conveying device comprises a rail system comprising rails extending in the vacuum space, the rail system further comprising the number of carriers, which carriers are mobile over the rails.
An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carrier comprises a base part in which the bearing is included by means of which the carrier is mobile over the rails, the carrier comprising an intermediate part connected to the base part so as to be movable in vertical direction, while a substrate carrier part is attached onto the intermediate part, this attachment forming a thermal insulation between the intermediate part and the substrate carrier part.
An assembly according to claim 3, wherein the substrate carrier part is provided with a heating element.
An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an upstream part of an intermediate part is provided with a nose, while a downstream part of a said intermediate part is provided with a recess in which the nose of a downstream carrier is receivable, or vice versa, such that the components situated under the intermediate parts are screened off.
An assembly according to at least claim 3, wherein adjacent the discrete positions that the carriers can assume under, for instance, a vacuum lock, there are present in the vacuum space press-up elements which engage the intermediate part of a respective carrier and which, by means of an energization mechanism, can be moved up and down.
An assembly according to claim 6, wherein the energization mechanism comprises a toggle joint lever system which is arranged outside the vacuum space, while the press-up elements are connected via a bellows with a bottom wall of the vacuum space.
An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a first path of the conveying device comprises a number of discrete positions, the conveyance of the carriers in the first path taking place intermittently, whilst a second path of the conveying device is arranged for continuous conveyance of the carriers.
An assembly according to claim 8, wherein a discharge end of the first path is connected via a third path with a supply end of the second path.
An assembly according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a discharge end of the second path is connected via a fourth path with a supply end of the first path.
An assembly according to claim 9 and/or 10, wherein the third and/or the fourth path extends perpendicularly to the first and the second path, wherein the third and/or the fourth path is provided with a cross rails and a cross conveyance carrier, which cross conveyance carrier is arranged for placing a carrier thereon, the cross conveyance carrier being provided with rail parts which extend perpendicularly to the cross rails and which can be aligned with the rails of the first and the second path.
An assembly according to claims 9, 10 and 11, wherein the first path includes a vacuum lock for the supply of substrates, wherein the third path includes heating means for effecting a pre-heating of the substrate from the ambient temperature to a temperature of about 300 °C, while the second path includes heating means for effecting a pre-heating of the substrate to about 400 °C, after which the second path includes a number of vacuum deposition chambers along which a respective substrate is movable continuously, after which the second and the fourth path include cooling means for effecting a cooling to about 150 °C, and adjacent a supply end of the first path further cooling means are provided for cooling the substrates further to 60 °C, while downstream of these further cooling means a vacuum lock is provided for taking the substrate out of the vacuum space.
An assembly according to claim 12, wherein the further cooling means comprise rinsing means for causing the substrate to be circumfused with the aid of a gas, such as, for instance, nitrogen.
An assembly according to claim 12, wherein downstream of the vacuum lock for taking out a substrate, a cleaning station is arranged.
An assembly according to claim 14, wherein downstream of the cleaning station at least one etching station is provided for etching the carrier, at least the substrate carrier part thereof, clean.
An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the vacuum space is provided with a carrier supply and/or discharge station for respectively supplying and discharging carriers into and out of the vacuum space of the assembly.
EP20030076554 2002-05-21 2003-05-20 Assembly for processing substrates Active EP1365040B1 (en)
NL1020633A NL1020633C2 (en) 2002-05-21 2002-05-21 An assembly for treating substrates.
NL1020633 2002-05-21
EP1365040A1 true EP1365040A1 (en) 2003-11-26
EP1365040B1 true EP1365040B1 (en) 2007-10-03
ID=29398574
EP20030076554 Active EP1365040B1 (en) 2002-05-21 2003-05-20 Assembly for processing substrates
US (1) US7351292B2 (en)
JP (1) JP4578784B2 (en)
KR (1) KR20030091719A (en)
DE (2) DE60316624D1 (en)
EP (1) EP1365040B1 (en)
ES (1) ES2292901T3 (en)
NL (1) NL1020633C2 (en)
WO2007067030A1 (en) * 2005-12-07 2007-06-14 Otb Group B.V. System and method for coating substrates and obtained products
JP2008047564A (en) 2006-08-10 2008-02-28 Tokyo Electron Ltd Vacuum treatment apparatus, diagnosis method of electrostatic chuck, and storage medium
NL2001910C (en) 2008-08-22 2010-03-10 Otb Solar Bv Conveyor assembly and method for conveying a substrate.
NL2003514C (en) 2009-09-18 2011-03-21 Otb Solar Bv Thin film deposition apparatus and method for the same.
NL2006113C (en) 2011-02-01 2012-08-02 Otb Solar Bv Water inspection system.
EP2746882A1 (en) 2012-12-21 2014-06-25 Robert Bosch Gmbh Control device and control method for a conveying system of a machine
JPH0312057Y2 (en) * 1985-06-25 1991-03-22
JPH07115315B2 (en) * 1987-01-09 1995-12-13 日本真空技術株式会社 Magnetic levitation transport Manipiyure - data
JPH0676661B2 (en) * 1988-04-21 1994-09-28 日電アネルバ株式会社 Vertical toilet transport type sputtering apparatus
JP2620704B2 (en) * 1988-04-26 1997-06-18 セイコー精機株式会社 Magnetic levitation transportation device
JPH07435Y2 (en) * 1988-10-11 1995-01-11 旭硝子株式会社 Vacuum treatment furnace conveyor apparatus
JPH0446781A (en) * 1990-06-11 1992-02-17 Seiko Instr Inc Magnetic levitation type carrying robot in vacuum
JP2858275B2 (en) * 1990-12-28 1999-02-17 セイコー精機株式会社 Transport equipment
JPH0623687A (en) * 1992-02-21 1994-02-01 Ebara Corp robot
JPH06179524A (en) * 1992-07-18 1994-06-28 Ebara Corp Magnetic levitation vacuum conveyance device
JPH11310887A (en) * 1998-04-27 1999-11-09 Kyocera Corp Reactive ion etching apparatus
DE20100639U1 (en) * 2001-01-12 2001-04-19 Zimmer Guenther Stephan Track-guided manufacturing and positioning means for connecting a plurality of processing stations via a transport device
US7351292B2 (en) 2008-04-01 grant
EP1365040A1 (en) 2003-11-26 application
DE60316624T2 (en) 2008-07-24 grant
DE60316624D1 (en) 2007-11-15 grant
KR20030091719A (en) 2003-12-03 application
NL1020633C2 (en) 2003-11-24 grant
JP2004040089A (en) 2004-02-05 application
JP4578784B2 (en) 2010-11-10 grant
US20040049308A1 (en) 2004-03-11 application
ES2292901T3 (en) 2008-03-16 grant
US20060164786A1 (en) 2006-07-27 Electrostatic chuck for substrate stage, electrode used for the chuck, and treating system having the chuck and electrode
US6416587B1 (en) 2002-07-09 Apparatus and method for cleaning wafer
Inventor name: BRIER, PETER
Inventor name: CLIJSEN, LEONARDUS PETERUS MARIA
Inventor name: EVERS, MARINUS FRANCISCUS JOHANUS
Ref document number: 60316624
Ref document number: 2292901
Owner name: OTB SOLAR B.V.
Free format text: OTB GROUP B.V.#LUCHTHAVENWEG 10#5657 EB EINDHOVEN (NL) -TRANSFER TO- OTB SOLAR B.V.#LUCHTHAVENWEG 10#5657 EB EINDHOVEN (NL)