Abstract: A vacuum vessel and at least two electrodes define an internal process space. At least one power supply is connectable with the electrodes. A substrate holder holds a substrate to be treated in the internal process space. At least one of the electrodes has along a first cross section a concave profile and has along a second cross section a convex profile, the first cross section being parallel to the second cross section. Gas is provided to the space through a gas inlet. Power is provided to the electrodes and the substrate is treated.

Abstract: A vacuum vessel and at least two electrodes define an internal process space. At least one power supply is connectable with the electrodes. A substrate holder holds a substrate to be treated in the internal process space. At least one of the electrodes has along a first cross section a concave profile and has along a second cross section a convex profile, the first cross section being parallel to the second cross section. Gas is provided to the space through a gas inlet. Power is provided to the electrodes and the substrate is treated.

Abstract: A vacuum vessel and at least two electrodes define an internal process space. At least one power supply is connectable with the electrodes. A substrate holder holds a substrate to be treated in the internal process space. At least one of the electrodes has along a first cross section a concave profile and has along a second cross section a convex profile, the first cross section being parallel to the second cross section. Gas is provided to the space through a gas inlet. Power is provided to the electrodes and the substrate is treated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a lifting and supporting device for handling and positioning particularly large-surface elements in the shape of panels, especially in plasma processing installations. Said lifting and supporting device comprises a particularly metallic base plate, on which a plurality of particularly dielectric pins are arranged. Said pins may be set in pin holes especially provided in the base plate. Said panel-shaped element may be positioned on the pin end for the handling thereof or during a plasma processing. Said panel-shaped element may present an electrostatic charge. A small diameter for the pins and pin holes is selected such that, in conformity with the panel-shaped element provided with the electrostatic charge, an undesired electrostatic charge on said panel-shaped element is essentially avoided or, in conformity with the panel-shaped element to be plasma processed, a plasma perturbation in the area of the pin holes or pins is essentially avoided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing vacuum plasma treated workpieces includes the steps of introducing at least one workpiece to be treated into a vacuum chamber; treating the workpiece in the vacuum chamber, thereby establishing a plasma discharge in the vacuum chamber by a supply signal with maximum energy at a first frequency which is at least in the Hf frequency range; removing the workpiece treated from the vacuum chamber; performing a cleaning inside the vacuum chamber, thereby establishing the plasma discharge by a supply signal with maximum energy at a second frequency higher than the Hf frequency; and repeating these steps at least one time.

Abstract: A vacuum vessel and at least two electrodes define an internal process space. At least one power supply is connectable with the electrodes. A substrate holder holds a substrate to be treated in the internal process space. At least one of the electrodes has along a first cross section a concave profile and has along a second cross section a convex profile, the first cross section being parallel to the second cross section. Gas is provided to the space through a gas inlet. Power is provided to the electrodes and the substrate is treated.

Abstract: A vacuum vessel and at least two electrodes define an internal process space. At least one power supply is connectable with the electrodes. A substrate holder holds a substrate to be treated in the internal process space. At least one of the electrodes has along a first cross section a concave profile and has along a second cross section a convex profile, the first cross section being parallel to the second cross section. Gas is provided to the space through a gas inlet. Power is provided to the electrodes and the substrate is treated.

Abstract: A plasma reactor for PECVD treatment of large-size substrates according to the invention comprises a vacuum process chamber as an outer chamber and at least one inner reactor with an electrode showerhead acting as RF antenna, said inner reactor again comprising a reactor bottom and a reactor top, being sealingly connected at least during treatment of substrates in the plasma reactor and separated at least during loading/unloading of the substrates. Further embodiments comprise a sealing for said reactor to/bottom and a suspender for the RF antenna/electrode showerhead.

Abstract: A vacuum transport chamber has a transport robot arrangement. A processing arrangement has at least one processing station communicating by at least one workpiece pass-through opening with the vacuum transport chamber. A loadlock arrangement communicates by at least one workpiece pass-through opening with an atmosphere outside the vacuum transport chamber and the processing arrangement. One single loadlock and processing tower is formed by the processing arrangement and the loadlock arrangement being arranged vertically on upon the other.

Abstract: This invention describes a method for cleaning a deposition chamber that is compatible with large area deposition. It comprises transport of activated gas from a remote plasma source to an area in the chamber in a uniform way through at least two injection points on equivalent paths for the reactive species. A respective gas injection system for the distribution of activated reactive gas comprises a source of reactive gas, a tubing for distributing the gas and an evacuable chamber. The gas is discharged to the tubing having at least one inlet constructively connected to the source and at least two outlets open to the chamber, thereby forming at least partially independent tube branches, wherein the length and the cross-section perpendicular to the gas flow of each tube branch, calculated between inlet and each respective outlet is essentially equal.

Abstract: A vacuum transport chamber has a transport robot arrangement. A processing arrangement has at least one processing station communicating by at least one workpiece pass-through opening with the vacuum transport chamber. A loadlock arrangement communicates by at least one workpiece pass-through opening with an atmosphere outside the vacuum transport chamber and the processing arrangement. One single loadlock and processing tower is formed by the processing arrangement and the loadlock arrangement being arranged vertically on upon the other.

Abstract: A vacuum vessel and at least two electrodes define an internal process space. At least one power supply is connectable with the electrodes. A substrate holder holds a substrate to be treated in the internal process space. At least one of the electrodes has along a first cross section a concave profile and has along a second cross section a convex profile, the first cross section being parallel to the second cross section. Gas is provided to the space through a gas inlet. Power is provided to the electrodes and the substrate is treated.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing vacuum plasma treated workpieces includes the steps of introducing at least one workpiece to be treated into a vacuum chamber; treating the workpiece in the vacuum chamber, thereby establishing a plasma discharge in the vacuum chamber by a supply signal with maximum energy at a first frequency which is at least in the Hf frequency range; removing the workpiece treated from the vacuum chamber; performing a cleaning inside the vacuum chamber, thereby establishing the plasma discharge by a supply signal with maximum energy at a second frequency higher than the Hf frequency; and repeating these steps at least one time. A system for vacuum plasma treating workpieces includes an evacuatable vacuum recipient. A gas inlet arrangement in the vacuum recipient is connectable to a first gas supply and to a second gas supply. A plasma generating arrangement in the recipient has an electric input to an electrode.

Abstract: The invention relates to a lifting and supporting device for handling and positioning particularly large-surface elements in the shape of panels, especially in plasma processing installations. Said lifting and supporting device comprises a particularly metallic base plate, on which a plurality of particularly dielectric pins are arranged. Said pins may be set in pin holes especially provided in the base plate. Said panel-shaped element may be positioned on the pin end for the handling thereof or during a plasma processing. Said panel-shaped element may present an electrostatic charge. A small diameter for the pins and pin holes is selected such that, in conformity with the panel-shaped element provided with the electrostatic charge, an undesired electrostatic charge on said panel-shaped element is essentially avoided or, in conformity with the panel-shaped element to be plasma processed, a plasma perturbation in the area of the pin holes or pins is essentially avoided.

Abstract: A vacuum transport chamber has a transport robot arrangement. A processing arrangement has at least one processing station communicating by at least one workpiece pass-through opening with the vacuum transport chamber. A loadlock arrangement communicates by at least one workpiece pass-through opening with an atmosphere outside the vacuum transport chamber and the processing arrangement. One single loadlock and processing tower is formed by the processing arrangement and the loadlock arrangement being arranged vertically on upon the other.

Abstract: A capacitively coupled RF plasma reactor allows treatment of large workpiece surfaces with an accurate control of ion bombardment onto the respective electrode surfaces and thus an adjacent workpiece, be it to a desired low or to a desired high level. The reactor includes a first and a second electrode arrangement mutually spaced and confining a plasma reaction volume, at lest one of the electrode arrangements comprising electrically mutually isolated sub-electrodes, a first group of the sub-electrodes being commonly connected to a first electric input, and a second group of the sub-electrodes being commonly connected to a second electric input. The reactor thus substitutes at least one of the two customarily used reactor electrodes by an array of sub-electrodes which, by way of their respective first and second electric inputs, may be independently and thus differently electrically operated, usually but not exclusively with RF voltages.

Abstract: A capacitively coupled Rf plasma reactor and method in which first and second extended electrode arrangements are mutually and substantially constantly spaced and substantially enclose a plasma reaction volume within a reactor chamber. The first of the electrode arrangements is subdivided into electrically mutually isolated subelectrodes, and the second is a substrate carrier electrode for an extended substrate to be surface treated in the reactor. A first group of the subelectrodes is connected to a common first electric input, and a second group of the subelectrodes is commonly connected to a second electric input. The first and said second electric inputs being independent. Only one Rf signal generator providing an electric output is connected to both the first and second electric inputs via respective signal adjusting units to control ion bombardment on and along the flat substrate.