KR102339795B1 - Movable Masking Element - Google Patents

Abstract

A deposition apparatus is provided. The deposition apparatus includes a first deposition source and a second deposition source configured to deposit material in the substrate receiving region. The deposition apparatus includes a masking element. The masking element is configured to mask the substrate edge region extending in the first direction. The masking element is configured to move in at least a first direction to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element.

Description

Movable Masking Element

[0001] Embodiments described herein relate to a deposition apparatus for depositing material on a substrate, and more particularly to a deposition apparatus comprising a masking element for masking an edge region of a substrate.

[0002] Several methods are known for depositing material on a substrate. For example, the substrates may be coated by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, or the like. Typically, the process is performed in a process apparatus or process chamber in which the substrate to be coated is located. A deposition material is provided to the apparatus. When a PVD process is performed, the deposition material may be, for example, a gaseous phase. A plurality of materials may be used for deposition on the substrate. Among them, many different metals as well as oxides, nitrides or carbides can be used. Typically, the PVD process is suitable for thin film coatings.

[0003] Coated materials may be used in several applications and in several technical fields. An application is, for example, in the field of microelectronics, such as creating semiconductor devices. Also, substrates for displays are often coated by a PVD process. Additional applications include insulated panels, organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels as well as hard disks, CDs, DVDs, and the like.

In coating processes, it can be useful, for example, to use masks to better define the area to be coated. In some applications, only portions of the substrate need to be coated, and portions that will not be coated are covered by a mask. In some applications, such as large area substrate coating apparatuses, it is desirable to exclude the edge of the substrate from being coated. With edge exclusion, it is possible to provide substrate edges without coating and to prevent coating of the back side of the substrate.

However, in the material deposition process the mask is also exposed to the deposition material due to the position of the mask in front of the substrate. Thus, deposition material accumulates on the surface of the mask during processing. This can result in a deformed shape of the mask due to the material being deposited on the mask. For example, the perimeter or boundary of the mask aperture may be reduced as a layer of deposition material is deposited on the mask. Often, a cleaning procedure of the mask is performed to ascertain the exact dimensions of the area covered by the mask. This cleaning procedure interrupts the material deposition process and is therefore time and cost intensive.

[0006] In view of the above, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a deposition apparatus and a deposition method that overcome at least some of the problems in the art.

According to one embodiment, a deposition apparatus is provided. The deposition apparatus includes a first deposition source and a second deposition source configured to deposit material in the substrate receiving region. The deposition apparatus includes a masking element. The masking element is configured to mask the substrate edge region extending in the first direction. The masking element is configured to move in at least a first direction to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element.

According to a further embodiment, a deposition method is provided. The deposition method includes depositing a material on a substrate using a first deposition source and a second deposition source. The substrate includes a substrate edge region extending in a first direction. The deposition method includes masking a substrate edge region using a masking element arranged in a first position. The deposition method includes moving the masking element from a first position to a second position to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element, wherein the second position is a distance from the first position in a first direction. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The disclosure, which is complete and enabling one of ordinary skill in the art, is more particularly set forth in the remainder of this specification, including reference to the accompanying drawings.
1A-1C illustrate a deposition apparatus according to embodiments described herein.
2A and 2B illustrate a masking element configured to be moved in accordance with embodiments described herein.
3A-3D illustrate a masking element configured to be moved in accordance with embodiments described herein.
4A and 4B illustrate a masking element configured to be moved in accordance with embodiments described herein.
5A and 5B illustrate a deposition apparatus including a plurality of deposition sources, in accordance with embodiments described herein.

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Within the following description of the drawings, like reference numbers refer to like components. In general, only differences to individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of illustration and not limitation. Additionally, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with or with other embodiments to yield a still further embodiment. It is intended that the description cover such modifications and variations.

[0011] As used herein, the term “deposition” may more specifically refer to layer deposition. A layer deposition process or coating process is a process in which material is deposited on a substrate to form a layer of material deposited on the substrate. For example, the layer deposition process may refer to a sputtering process, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, or the like. The layer deposition process may be performed in a process chamber in which the substrate to be coated is located, in particular in a vacuum process chamber.

According to one embodiment, a deposition apparatus is provided. The deposition apparatus includes a first deposition source and a second deposition source configured to deposit material in the substrate receiving region. The deposition apparatus includes a masking element. The masking element is configured to mask the substrate edge region extending in the first direction. The masking element is configured to move in at least a first direction to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element.

1A-1C show a deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein. The exemplary deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C is for processing a vertically oriented substrate 160 . However, embodiments described herein are not limited to vertically oriented substrates, and other orientations of substrate 160 are also contemplated in accordance with embodiments described herein.

1A shows a top view of a deposition apparatus 100 . The deposition apparatus 100 includes a first deposition source 110 and a second deposition source 120 for coating the substrate 160 in the substrate receiving area. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A , first deposition source 110 and second deposition source 120 each include a rotatable target. The first deposition source 110 has a rotation axis 112 . The second deposition source 120 has a rotation axis 122 . The first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 are not limited to rotational targets, and other types of deposition sources are also contemplated in accordance with the embodiments described herein.

1A shows a first direction 102 . 1A , the first direction 102 is parallel to the plane of the page as indicated by the double-headed arrow. As shown, the substrate 160 is parallel to the first direction 102 .

1A shows a second direction 104 . 1A , the second direction 104 is perpendicular to the plane of the page. As shown, the substrate 160 is parallel to the second direction 104 . The rotation axis 112 of the first deposition source 110 and the rotation shaft 122 of the second deposition source 120 extend in the second direction 104 . In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1A in which the substrate 160 is oriented vertically, the first direction 102 is the horizontal direction and the second direction 104 is the vertical direction.

The deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1A includes a masking element 150 . A masking element 150 is also shown in FIG. 1B , which provides a side view of the deposition apparatus 100 . The masking element 150 is configured to prevent or reduce material emitted by the first deposition source 110 and/or the second deposition source 120 from being deposited on the substrate edge region 162 on the substrate 160 . of the substrate edge region 162 .

In the side view of FIG. 1B , the second direction 104 is parallel to the plane of the page, as indicated by the double-headed arrow, and the first direction 102 is perpendicular to the plane of the page.

1C provides a front view of the deposition apparatus 100 . For ease of presentation, the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 of the deposition apparatus 100 are not shown in FIG. 1C . 1C , the substrate edge region 162 extends in a first direction 102 . The masking element 150 extends in the first direction 102 .

In the front view of FIG. 1C , both the first direction 102 and the second direction 104 are parallel to the plane of the page.

According to embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is configured to move in at least the first direction 102 to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 .

2A shows the masking element 150 in a first position 202 . The masking element 150 may be held in the first position for a specific period of time, such as a portion of a deposition cycle. While the masking element 150 is in the first position 202 , material is deposited on the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 (not shown in FIG. 2A ) for deposition on the substrate 160 . ) is emitted by Since the masking element 150 is in the first position 202 , the substrate edge region 162 is masked by the masking element 150 .

When the masking element 150 masks the substrate edge region 162 , deposition material emitted by the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 accumulates on the masking element 150 . do. The growth of deposition material on the masking element 150 affects the effective shape of the masking element 150 . For example, the thickness of the material formed on edge portions of the masking element 150 may change the effective shape of such edge portions. If the masking element 150 is held in the first position 202 for a longer period of time, then the shape of the area of the substrate 160 masked by the masking element 150 will depend on the deposition deposited on the masking element 150 . It will change over the course of the deposition process due to the accumulation of material. This may cause, for example, non-uniformities in the layer deposited on the substrate 160 .

To compensate for the accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 , according to embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is configured to move in the first direction 102 . The masking element 150 is moved from the first position 202 to the second position 204 relative to the substrate 160 as shown in FIG. 2B . The second position 204 is at a distance 220 from the first position 202 in the first direction 102 .

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the movement from the first position 202 to the second position 204 is in a first direction, as indicated by arrow 292 in FIG. 2A . lateral movement to (102). The movement of the masking element 150 as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B is a movement parallel to the first direction 102 . However, movement of the masking element 150 is also a component along a different direction, such as the first direction 102 , as long as the second position 204 is offset from the first position 202 in the first direction 102 . and an oblique direction having both components along the second direction 104 .

2B shows the masking element 150 in the second position 204 . The masking element 150 in the first position 202 is indicated in FIG. 2B using dashed lines. The masking element 150 is moved from the first position 202 to the second position 204 by a distance 220 in the first direction 102 . The masking element 150 in the second position 204 may mask at least a portion of the substrate edge region 162 , as illustrated in FIG. 2B .

The masking element 150 may be held in the second position 204 for a particular period of time, such as part of a deposition cycle. While the masking element 150 is in the second position 204 , the material is transferred from the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 (not shown in FIG. 2B ) for deposition on the substrate 160 . ) is emitted by

When the masking element 150 is in the first position 202 as shown in FIG. 2A , one of the deposition sources, such as the first deposition source 110 or the second deposition source 120 , is directly A region of the masking element 150 that faces may receive deposition material at a higher rate compared to regions of the masking element 150 that are at a distance from the deposition sources. Accordingly, deposition material may accumulate more quickly in a region of the masking element 150 directly facing one of the deposition sources compared to a region of the masking element 150 at a distance from the deposition sources. For example, the deposition material may include the masking element 150 according to a deposition profile having one or more peaks at positions facing the deposition sources and one or more valleys at positions remote from the deposition sources in a first direction. ) can be accumulated on the Thereby, the effective shape of the masking element 150 , ie the shape of the masking element when taking into account the accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 , changes in a non-uniform manner with respect to the first direction 102 . The movement of the masking element 150 from the first position 202 to the second position 204 according to embodiments described herein is - the second position 204 is the first position from the first position 202 . At a distance in direction 102 - compensates for non-uniform accumulation of deposition material on masking element 150 along first direction 102 .

[0029] In view of the above, embodiments described herein allow for reducing non-uniformities in a layer deposited on a substrate, caused by deposition of deposition material on the masking element. Accordingly, improved layer uniformity, such as uniformity of layer thickness and/or resistivity, particularly at substrate edges, is provided by embodiments described herein. Accordingly, as layer uniformity affects the performance of subsequent processes, such as eg etching, as well as the performance of the device (eg, display panel) in which the coated substrate is used, embodiments described herein provide improved performance of the device. to provide. Still further, embodiments described herein also allow for averaging out the peaks and valleys of a layer of material deposited on the masking element. Thus, an increased lifetime of the masking element is provided.

Masking element 150 according to embodiments described herein is configured to control deposition of material on substrate 160 in a deposition process. A masking element 150 is preferred when the substrate edge region 162 of the substrate 160 is to be kept free or substantially free of deposition material. This may be the case when only a defined area of the substrate 160 needs to be coated due to later application and/or handling of the coated substrate. For example, the substrate 160 to be used as a display part should have predefined dimensions. Large area substrates are coated using masking elements to mask the substrate edge region 162 of the substrate and/or to prevent backside coating of the substrate 160 . This approach allows for reliable and consistent coating on substrates.

The masking element 150 is adapted to mask a region of the substrate, such as the substrate edge region 162 . The concept of “masking” an area of the substrate 160 may include reducing and/or impeding deposition of material on the area of the substrate 160 .

According to embodiments, the masking element 150 may be or include a mask material, such as a carbon fiber material, or a piece of metal such as aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, Invar, or the like.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 may be or include an edge exclusion mask or part thereof. An edge exclusion mask may be composed of several parts or parts that may form a frame. The frame of the mask may also have several frame parts or frame parts. This can be advantageous because frames assembled from different parts are believed to be more cost-effective to produce than integral frames. Masking element 150 according to embodiments described herein may refer to an edge exclusion mask or a portion thereof, such as a frame portion of an edge exclusion mask. The masking element 150 , such as a frame portion of the edge exclusion mask, may be configured to move independently of other parts of the edge exclusion mask, such as other frame portions.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 may be configured to mask the substrate edge region 162 extending in the first direction 102 . have. The masking element 150 may extend in the first direction 102 . The masking element 150 may have an elongated shape. For example, the masking element 150 may be an elongate element extending in a first direction 102 and having a first end and a second end. The masking element 150 may have a length and a width, where the length is much greater than the width. The first direction 102 may be a longitudinal direction of the masking element 150 , such as a longitudinal direction. The length of the masking element 150 in the first direction 102 may be much greater than the width of the masking element 150 , eg, the width in the second direction 104 .

A substrate edge region, such as substrate edge region 162 , refers to a thin peripheral region of a substrate. The substrate edge region may have a length and a width, wherein the length of the substrate edge region may be much greater than the width of the substrate edge region. The substrate edge region may extend in a first direction 102 . The substrate edge region may have a length in the first direction 102 that is much greater than a width of the substrate edge region, eg, a width in the second direction 104 . The substrate edge region may be arranged on a single side of the substrate.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate edge region of the substrate is about 5% or less, more specifically about 2% of the area of the substrate 160 . or less, and more specifically about 1% to about 2% of the area of the substrate.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the width of the substrate edge region may be 8 mm or less, more specifically 6 mm or less. The width of the substrate edge region may be symmetrical along the length of the substrate in the first direction 102 , but may also vary along the length, depending on the application being considered for the substrate 160 . For example, the width of the substrate edge region in the middle portion of the substrate edge region may be between 3 mm and 6 mm. The width of the substrate edge region in the corner region of the substrate edge region may be, for example, between 0 mm and 6 mm.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the length of the substrate edge region in the first direction 102 may be equal to the length of the substrate in the first direction 102 . have. The masking element 150 may be configured to mask a substrate edge region extending along the entire length of the substrate 160 in the first direction 102 . Such an embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 1C .

Alternatively, the length of the substrate edge region in the first direction 102 may be less than the length of the substrate in the first direction 102 . The masking element may be configured to mask a substrate edge region extending over a portion of the length of the substrate in the first direction 102 . The masking element may be configured to mask one or more sections or portions of the substrate edge, possibly depending on the production function or manufacturing process. The length of the substrate edge region masked by the masking element 150 may be 80% to 100%, specifically 90% to 100% of the length of the substrate 160 in the first direction 102 .

3A-3D show a deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein.

3A shows the masking element 150 in a first position 202 at an initial stage of the deposition process. No material has yet been deposited on the masking element 150 shown in FIG. 3A .

FIG. 3B shows the masking element 150 in a first position 202 at a later stage of the deposition process compared to FIG. 3A . A layer of deposition material 300 was deposited on masking element 150 . The deposition material on the masking element 150 includes peaks 310 and 320 at positions facing the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 , respectively. The valleys of the layer of deposition material 300 may be formed at locations at a distance from the deposition sources in the first direction 102 . For example, the valley 330 is formed at a position between the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 .

3C shows the masking element 150 in the second position 204 immediately after the masking element 150 has been moved from the first position 202 to the second position 204 . In an exemplary embodiment, the distance 220 between the first position 202 and the second position 204 is approximately one of the distance 350 between the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 . /2. Peaks 310 and 320 are located at positions spaced from the deposition sources in the first direction 102 no longer toward the deposition sources. For example, the peak 310 is at a location between the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 . As a result, the valley 330 faces the second deposition source 120 . As the material continues to deposit on the masking element 150 at the second position 204 , the deposition material moves with regions of the masking element 150 displaced further away from the deposition sources, such as peaks 310 and 320 . In comparison, regions of the masking element 150 that face the deposition sources can accumulate more quickly, such as in the valley 330 .

FIG. 3D shows the masking element 150 in the second position 204 at a later stage of the deposition process compared to FIG. 3C . As shown, the thickness of the layer of deposition material 300 deposited on the masking element 150 is substantially leveled, ie, uniformed, along the first direction 102 . Accordingly, the non-uniform deposition profile comprising peaks and valleys as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C was compensated for by moving the masking element 150 from the first position 202 to the second position 204 .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is configured to compensate, eg, level, a deposition profile of a material deposited on the masking element 150 . It may be configured to move in a first direction 102 . The deposition profile may include one or more peaks and one or more valleys.

For example, in a system where the mask is not moved in the first direction 102 , the peaks of the deposition profile on the mask over the entire target lifetime may have a maximum thickness of, for example, about 60 mm. The valleys of the deposition profile over the entire target lifetime may have a minimum thickness of, for example, about 45 mm. Conversely, if the masking element 150 is moved in the first direction 102 according to embodiments described herein, for example, about 50% of the pitch or distance 350 between the deposition sources. When moved the distance, the thickness of the deposition material that accumulates on the masking element 150 may be leveled to, for example, about 52.5 mm. Accordingly, the peak thickness of the material deposited on the masking element 150 is reduced. Thereby, the layer uniformity of the layer deposited on the substrate is improved. Additionally, the min-maximum deposition thickness ratio may be increased. Still further, the lifetime of the masking element is increased, eg, an increase in lifetime of 14% or more can be provided by embodiments described herein.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is a distance 350 between the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 . may be configured to move in the first direction 102 by a distance dependent on .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first deposition source 110 is located at a first distance from the second deposition source 120 , such as in FIGS. 3A-3D . It is arranged at the street 350 shown. The first distance may be a distance in the first direction 102 . The masking element 150 may be configured to be moved in the first direction 102 by a second distance, such as the distance 220 shown in FIG. 3C . The second distance may be between 30% and 70%, more specifically between 40% and 60%, such as 50% of the first distance. As the second distance approaches 50% of the first distance, the effect of leveling the peaks and valleys of the deposition profile on the masking element 150 is further enhanced. According to embodiments, the second distance depends on a minimum required distance from the deposition source to adjacent deposition sources or to other parts in the system that may affect the function of the deposition sources or other parts or can be determined by it.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first distance between the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 , such as distance 350 , is 250 mm to 350 mm, more specifically 280 mm to 320 mm, such as about 300 mm.

3A to 3D , the first distance between the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 is from the center of the first deposition source 110 to the second deposition source 120 . ) may be the distance 350 to the center. The first distance may be a distance 350 from the central axis or rotation axis of the first deposition source 110 to the central axis or rotation axis of the second deposition source 120 . The center-to-center distance may depend on a dimension, such as a width, of the deposition sources in the first direction. The distance from the periphery of the first deposition source to the perimeter of the second deposition source may be from about 0 mm to 3 mm up to several hundred mm, specifically from 0 mm to 300 mm, and more specifically from 3 mm to 300 mm. The distance from the periphery of the first deposition source to an adjacent part that may affect the sources may be in the same range.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is positioned in at least a second direction 104 to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 . ) is configured to move to

4A and 4B show a deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein. The first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 are not shown for ease of presentation. The masking element 150 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is configured to move in the first direction 102 and the second direction 104 to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 .

4A shows the masking element 150 in a first position 202 . 4B shows the masking element 150 in the second position 204 . The second position 204 is at a distance 220 from the first position 202 in the first direction 102 . The second position is at a distance 420 from the first position 202 in a second direction 104 . Compared to the masking element 150 in the first position 202 , the masking element 150 shown in FIG. 4B is laterally (in the first direction 102 ) and upward (in the second direction 104 ). ) has been moved.

The deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B includes an actuator 410 for moving the masking element 150 in a first direction 102 and a second direction 104 .

According to embodiments described herein, movement of the masking element 150 in the second direction 104 is undertaken to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 . While the masking element 150 is in the first position 202 as shown in FIG. 4A , the deposition material emitted by the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 is applied to the masking element 150 . accumulated on the The growth of deposition material on the masking element 150 affects the effective shape of the masking element 150 . For example, the thickness of the material formed on the edge of the masking element 150 may increase the effective width of the masking element 150 in the second direction 104 . by moving the masking element 150 from the first position 202 to the second position 204 , the second position being at a distance 420 from the first position 202 in the second direction 104 ; The increased effective width of the masking element 150 may be compensated for. Accordingly, it can be ensured that the width of the region of the substrate 160 masked by the masking element 150 remains substantially constant as the thickness of the deposition material accumulates on the edge of the masking element 150 . .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 may be 0 mm to 30 mm, specifically 10 mm to 30 mm, more specifically 15 mm to 30 mm, such as It may be configured to move in the second direction 104 by a distance of about 20 mm. The masking element 150 may be disposed in a range of 0.03% to 3%, more specifically 0.2% to 2%, such as 0.5% to 1% of the length of the edge of the substrate 160 in the first direction 102 in the second direction. may be configured to move to 104 .

Movement of the masking element 150 in the second direction 104 may be an outward movement relative to the substrate 160 or the substrate receiving area.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is moved in the second direction 104 incrementally, eg, by a few microns every minute. can be configured.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, movement of the masking element 150 from the first position to the second position 204 is from the first position 202 . It may include a first movement to the intermediate position and/or a second movement from the intermediate position to the second position 204 . The first movement may be substantially parallel to the first direction 102 , the second movement may be substantially parallel to the second direction 104 , and vice versa. Alternatively or additionally, movement of the masking element 150 from the first position 202 to the second position 204 may include movement along an angled direction. The oblique or diagonal direction may be angled relative to the first direction 102 and to the second direction 104 .

For example, the masking element 150 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B may be moved to a first position by moving the masking element 150 along an oblique or diagonal direction, as indicated by diagonal arrow 490 . It can be moved from 202 to a second position 204 . Alternatively, the masking element 150 may first move the masking element 150 toward the right along a straight line parallel to the first direction 102 , for example, and then along a straight line parallel to the second direction 104 . It can be moved from the first position 202 to the second position 204 by moving the masking element 150 upward, and vice versa. As a further option, the masking element 150 may move from the first position 202 to the second position 204 by a combination of the previous alternatives.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, for example, movement of the masking element 150 in the first direction 102 and/or the second direction 104 may include: It is undertaken while material is deposited on the substrate 160 and/or on the masking element 150 .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 may be moved relative to the substrate 160 . The substrate 160 may remain in a substantially fixed position while the masking element 150 is moved.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 may include a first deposition source 110 , a second deposition source 120 and/or a deposition apparatus ( 100) for any additional deposition source. The deposition source may be held in a substantially fixed position while the masking element 150 is moved.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 may be moved in a plane parallel or substantially parallel to the substrate 160 or substrate receiving area. . If there is a small angle between two planes of 0 to 15°, more particularly 0 to 10°, then those two planes can be considered substantially parallel.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, for example, movement of the masking element 150 in the first direction 102 and/or the second direction 104 is translational. it is move

According to embodiments described herein, the masking element is positioned to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 , such as in the first direction 102 and/or the second direction 104 . is moved This type of movement differs from movement of the masking element 150 that is generally undertaken solely for the purpose of aligning the masking element 150 , such as with respect to the substrate 160 . In particular, movement of the masking element 150 for alignment purposes may be undertaken regardless of the amount of deposition material deposited on the masking element 150 . Conversely, according to embodiments described herein, movement of masking element 150 is dependent on accumulation of deposition material on masking element 150 during the deposition process, and masking element 150 is configured to compensate for such accumulation. is moved for

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first direction 102 may be parallel or substantially parallel to the substrate 160 or the substrate receiving area. The concept of “substantially parallel” may include that the first direction 102 makes a small angle with respect to the substrate or substrate receiving area, wherein the angle is between 0 degrees and 15 degrees, more particularly between 0 degrees and 0 degrees. It can be 10 degrees.

[0068] In embodiments in which the substrate is oriented substantially vertically in the deposition process, the first direction may be a substantially horizontal direction. The substantially horizontal direction may include a direction at an angle of 75 degrees to 90 degrees, more particularly 80 degrees to 90 degrees, with respect to the vertical direction.

[0069] According to embodiments that may be combined with the embodiments described herein, a deposition source, such as, for example, first deposition source 110 and/or second deposition source 120 may move in a second direction ( 104) can be extended. The first deposition source 110 , the second deposition source 120 , and/or any additional deposition source may have an elongated shape, such as a substantially cylindrical shape. The elongate shape may extend in the second direction. The first deposition source 110 , the second deposition source 120 , and/or any additional deposition source may include a longitudinal axis, such as an axis of rotation. The longitudinal axis or axis of rotation may extend in the second direction 104 .

The second direction 104 is different from the first direction 102 . The second direction 104 may be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction 102 . The two substantially perpendicular directions may include directions that form an angle between 75 degrees and 90 degrees, more particularly between 80 degrees and 90 degrees.

The second direction 104 may be parallel or substantially parallel to the substrate or substrate receiving area of the deposition apparatus.

[0072] In embodiments in which the substrate is oriented substantially vertically in the deposition process, the second direction 104 may be a substantially vertical direction. A substantially vertical direction may include a direction deviating from the exact vertical by a small angle, such as an angle of 0 degrees to 15 degrees, particularly an angle of 0 degrees to 10 degrees.

[0073] According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus 100 may include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, It may include 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 or even more deposition sources.

5A and 5B show a deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein. The exemplary deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B includes a deposition array including six deposition sources 110 , 120 , 530 , 540 , 550 and 560 . Each of the deposition sources has an axis of rotation extending in the second direction 104 . The deposition array has a pitch 510 .

The pitch of the deposition array may refer to the distance between adjacent deposition sources of the deposition array, particularly in the first direction 102 . More specifically, the pitch of the deposition array may refer to the distance between the axes of rotation of adjacent deposition sources of the deposition array.

5A shows a masking element in a first position 202 . 5B shows the masking element 150 in the second position 204 . The second position 204 is at a distance 220 from the first position 202 in the first direction 102 . Distance 220 may be, for example, about 50% of pitch 510 . By moving the masking element 150 from the first position 202 to the second position 204 , the peaks of deposition material deposited on the masking element 150 shift to positions between adjacent deposition sources of the deposition array. can be ticked Accordingly, as discussed above, moving from the first position 202 to the second position 204 allows for leveling the deposition profile of deposition material accumulating on the masking element 150 .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus 100 may include a plurality of deposition sources for depositing material in the substrate receiving area. A plurality of deposition sources may be arranged on the same side of the substrate or substrate receiving area.

The plurality of deposition sources may include a first deposition source 110 , a second deposition source 120 , a third deposition source, optionally a fourth deposition source, and optionally even more deposition sources. have. Adjacent deposition sources of the plurality of deposition sources may be arranged in the first direction 102 at a substantially constant distance from each other.

[0079] The plurality of deposition sources may be a deposition array. A first distance between the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 , such as, for example, the distance 350 illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3D , is the pitch of the deposition array, such as illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B . It may be the same as the used pitch 510 .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is configured to move from a first position 202 to a second position 204 , wherein the The distance from the first position to the second position in the first direction 102 is between 30% and 70%, more specifically between 40% and 60%, such as about 50% of the pitch of the deposition array.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the pitch of the deposition array may be between 250 mm and 350 mm, more specifically between 280 mm and 320 mm, such as about 300 mm. To this end, the embodiments described herein provide a longer pitch than for systems known in the art. As the pitch becomes longer, the sputter coil overlap is reduced. Accordingly, the maximum height of the peaks of the deposition profile of the material deposited on the masking element can be further reduced. In turn, this increases the lifetime of the masking element.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus may include one or more actuators for moving the masking element, such as actuator 410 . The one or more actuators may be configured to move the masking element 150 in the first direction 102 and/or in the second direction 104 . One or more actuators may be coupled to the masking element 150 . The actuator may include, for example, a motor or a linear actuator. Deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein is configured to receive one or more power supplies for providing power to one or more actuators, a movement controller, and/or a signal for triggering movement of a masking element. It may include means for

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus may include a control unit for controlling movement of the masking element 150 .

[0084] The control unit may be configured to control one or more actuators according to embodiments described herein.

The control unit controls the movement of the masking element 150 in the first direction 102 and/or the second direction 104 depending on the properties of the deposition material deposited on the masking element 150 . can be configured to

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 may be moved under the control of a control unit, eg, after a predetermined period of time to deposit the material. The speed at which the masking element 150 is driven, or the moment in time at which the masking element 150 is moved, may be calculated by the control unit based on a predetermined deposition rate and/or measured data. For example, parameters of a particular process may be used to determine the rate of deposition on the masking element 150 and thus the rate at which, for example, the masking element 150 is moved. The lookup table may be used, for example, to determine the speed of movement of the masking element 150 , or the instant at which the masking element 150 is to be moved.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the movement of the masking element 150 is to be controlled based on measurements of the deposited material layer on the masking element 150 . can The deposition apparatus 100 may include one or more sensors for measuring a deposition profile or amount of material deposited on the masking element 150 . For example, a property such as a thickness of a material layer on the masking element may be measured, and movement of the masking element may be controlled by the control unit based on the measurement. The control unit may comprise one or more lookup tables for controlling movement of the masking element in the first direction 102 and/or the second direction 104 .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition source of the deposition apparatus 100 may be, for example, a sputtering process, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. ) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and the like.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first deposition source 110 , the second deposition source 120 , and/or any additional deposition described herein The source may be configured for vacuum deposition. The deposition apparatus 100 may be a vacuum deposition apparatus. The deposition source may be arranged in a vacuum processing chamber.

[0090] According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition source may be or include a cathode assembly. The deposition source may comprise a target, particularly a rotary target. The rotatable target may be rotatable about an axis of rotation of the deposition source, such as axis of rotation 112 of the first deposition source 110 as shown in FIG. 1A . The rotatable target may have a curved surface, such as a cylindrical surface. The rotatable target may be rotated about an axis of rotation, which is the axis of the cylinder or tube. The rotary target may include a backing tube. A target material forming a target, which may contain material to be deposited onto the substrate during the coating process, may be mounted on the backing tube.

[0091] According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first deposition source 110 , the second deposition source 120 and/or any additional deposition source may include a second Each may include a rotatable target having an axis of rotation extending in direction 104 .

[0092] The deposition source may include a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly may be arranged on a rotatable target of the deposition source. The magnet assembly may be arranged such that the target material sputtered by the deposition source is sputtered towards the substrate. The magnet assembly may generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field may cause one or more plasma regions to form in the vicinity of the magnetic field during the sputter deposition process. The position of the magnet assembly within the rotating target affects the direction in which the target material is sputtered away from the cathode assembly during the sputter deposition process.

[0093] According to a further embodiment, a deposition method is provided. The deposition method includes depositing a material on a substrate 160 using a first deposition source 110 and a second deposition source 120 . The substrate 160 includes a substrate edge region 162 extending in a first direction 102 . The method includes masking the substrate edge region 162 using the masking element 150 arranged in the first position 202 . The method includes moving the masking element 150 from a first position 202 to a second position 204 to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 . The second position 204 is a distance from the first position 202 in the first direction 102 .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first deposition source 110 is arranged at a first distance from the second deposition source 120 , such as a distance 350 . can be The masking element 150 may be moved from the first position 202 to the second position 204 by a second distance, eg, a distance 220 in the first direction 102 . The second distance may be between 30% and 70%, more specifically between 40% and 60%, such as 50% of the first distance.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is positioned in a first position ( 202 to the second position 204 . The deposition profile may include one or more peaks and one or more valleys. Before, such as immediately before, the masking element is moved from the first position 202 to the second position 204 , the deposition profile has a first peak directed towards the first deposition source, a second peak directed toward the second deposition source, and/or Alternatively, it may include a first valley facing a position between the first deposition source and the second deposition source. After, eg, immediately after, the masking element 150 is moved from the first position 202 to the second position 204 , the first valley may face the first deposition source or the second deposition source. The first peak and/or the second peak may be located at a distance from the first deposition source and the second deposition source in the first direction.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the second position 204 is a distance from the first position 202 in the second direction 104 .

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition method uses a masking element 150 arranged in the second position 204 to remove the substrate edge region 162 . It may include masking at least a portion.

For example, only a portion of the substrate edge region 162 may be masked by the masking element 150 in the second position 204 . The region of the substrate 160 masked by the masking element in the second position 204 may be an additional substrate edge region different from the substrate edge region 162 masked by the masking element 150 in the first position 202 . have. For example, the length of the additional substrate edge region in the first direction 102 may be equal to the length of the substrate 160 in the first direction 102 . Alternatively, the length of the additional substrate edge region in the first direction 102 may be less than the length of the substrate 160 in the first direction 102 .

Alternatively, the entire substrate edge region 162 may be masked by a masking element 150 arranged in the second position 204 . The area of the substrate 160 masked by the masking element 150 in the second position 204 is equal to or substantially equal to the area of the substrate 160 masked by the masking element 150 in the first position 202 . can be the same.

According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition method comprises a third from the second position 204 to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150 . moving the masking element 150 into position. The third position may be a distance from the second position 204 in the first direction 102 and/or in the second direction 104 . The distance in the first direction 102 may be 30% to 70%, more specifically 40% to 60%, such as 50% of the first distance between the first deposition source and the second deposition source.

[00101] According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the substrate is a large area substrate.

[00102] As used herein, the term "substrate" refers to inflexible substrates (eg, a glass substrate, wafer, slices of transparent crystal, such as sapphire, etc., or a glass plate) and flexible substrates (eg, a glass plate). , web or foil). According to some embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the embodiments described herein may be used for sputter deposition on display PVD, ie large area substrates for the display market. have. According to some embodiments, large area substrates or individual carriers, wherein carriers may carry one substrate or a plurality of substrates, may have a size ^{of at least 0.67 m 2 .} The size may be from about 0.67 m ² (0.73×0.92 m - Gen 4.5) to about 8 m ² , more specifically from about 2 m ² to about 9 m ^{2 ,} or even up to 12 m ² . Substrates or carriers, for which structures, devices, such as cathode assemblies, and methods according to embodiments described herein are provided, can be large area substrates as described herein. . For example, the large area substrate or carrier may be ^{GEN 4.5 corresponding to about 0.67 m 2} substrates (0.73×0.92 ^{m), GEN 5 corresponding to about 1.4 m 2} substrates (1.1 m×1.3 m), about 4.29 m ² substrate Corresponds to GEN 7.5 corresponding to s (1.95m×2.2m), GEN 8.5 corresponding to about 5.7m ² substrates (2.2m×2.5m), or even about 8.7m ² substrates (2.85m×3.05m). It can be GEN 10 to do. Even larger generations, such as GEN 11 and GEN 12 and corresponding substrate areas, can be implemented similarly.

[00103] According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition apparatus may include a substrate receiving area for receiving a substrate. The substrate receiving area may have a size and/or shape corresponding to the size and/or shape of a substrate contemplated in accordance with embodiments described herein.

[00104] According to embodiments that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, the deposition method is a static deposition method.

[00105] The distinction between static deposition and dynamic deposition is as follows, and particularly applies to large area substrate processing, such as processing of vertically oriented large area substrates. Dynamic sputtering is an inline process in which a substrate is moved continuously or quasi-continuously adjacent to a deposition source. Dynamic sputtering has the advantage that the sputtering process can be stabilized before the substrates are moved into the deposition area and then held constant as the substrates pass the deposition source. However, dynamic deposition can have drawbacks, for example with regard to particle generation. This is particularly applicable for TFT backplane deposition. It should be noted that the term static deposition process, which is different as compared to dynamic deposition processes, does not exclude every respective movement of the substrate as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. A static deposition process may include, for example, a static substrate position during deposition, an oscillating substrate position during deposition, an essentially constant average substrate position during deposition, a dithering substrate position during deposition, a wobbling substrate position during deposition, or combinations thereof may be included. Accordingly, a static deposition process may be understood as a deposition process having a static position, a deposition process having an essentially static position, or a deposition process having a partially static position of a substrate. Thereby, as described herein, the static deposition process is distinct from the dynamic deposition process, without having to satisfy the condition that there be completely no movement of the substrate or cathode assemblies in the substrate position for the static deposition process during deposition. can be distinguished.

[00106] While the foregoing relates to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and additional embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims that follow. is decided

Claims (15)

a first deposition source 110 and a second deposition source 120 configured to deposit material in the substrate receiving region; and
It includes a masking element 150,
the masking element is configured to mask a substrate edge region (162) extending in a first direction (102);
The masking element includes at least one or more peaks 310 , 320 and one or more valleys of deposition material deposited on the masking element by the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 . and to be moved in at least the first direction to compensate for a deposition profile comprising valleys (330). According to claim 1,
the first deposition source is arranged at a first distance 350 from the second deposition source;
the masking element is configured to be moved a second distance 220 in the first direction to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element;
The second distance is 30% to 70% of the first distance, the deposition apparatus 100 . 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
and one or more actuators (410) for moving the masking element in at least the first direction. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
wherein the masking element is an elongated element extending in the first direction and overlapping an edge of the substrate receiving area;
The deposition apparatus (100) comprising one or more actuators (410) coupled to the elongate element for moving the elongate element at least in the first direction. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
and a control unit for controlling movement of the masking element in the first direction depending on a characteristic of the deposition material deposited on the masking element. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The deposition apparatus 100, wherein the first deposition source and the second deposition source extend in a second direction. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
wherein the first deposition source and the second deposition source each comprise a rotatable target having an axis of rotation (112,122) extending in a second direction (104). 7. The method of claim 6,
and the masking element is configured to move in at least the second direction to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
an array of deposition sources (110, 120, 530, 540, 550, 560);
wherein the array of deposition sources has a pitch (510) between adjacent deposition sources of the array;
the masking element is configured to move from a first position (202) to a second position (204);
A distance 220 from the first position to the second position in the first direction is 30% to 70% of the pitch. A deposition method comprising:
depositing material on a substrate 160 using a first deposition source 110 and a second deposition source 120 , the substrate including a substrate edge region 162 extending in a first direction 102 Ham ―;
masking the substrate edge region using a masking element (150) arranged in a first position (202); and
a second position from the first position to compensate for a deposition profile comprising at least one or more peaks and one or more valleys of deposition material deposited on the masking element by the first deposition source and the second deposition source; moving the masking element to 204);
and the second position is a distance (220) from the first position in the first direction. 11. The method of claim 10,
the first deposition source is arranged at a first distance 350 from the second deposition source;
the masking element is moved from the first position to the second position by a second distance 220 in the first direction;
and the second distance is between 30% and 70% of the first distance. delete 12. The method of claim 10 or 11,
wherein the second position is a distance (420) in a second direction (104) from the first position. 12. The method of claim 10 or 11,
and masking at least a portion of the substrate edge region using the masking element arranged in the second position. 12. The method of claim 10 or 11,
wherein the deposition method is a static deposition method.

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