Abstract: A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.

Abstract: A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.

Abstract: A method is provided for depositing a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer on a substrate, in which contaminations of the layers of the layer system is reduced through the diffusion of material from the substrate, and whose layer properties in respect to coupling and transmission of light are optimized. For that purpose, a barrier layer, a seed layer and a transparent conductive oxide layer are directly successively deposited on the substrate. Also, a thin-film solar cell is described which comprises such a transparent conductive oxide layer.

Abstract: A layer system that can be annealed comprises a transparent substrate, preferably a glass substrate, and a first layer sequence which is applied directly to the substrate or to one or more bottom layers that are deposited onto the substrate. The layer sequence includes a substrate-proximal blocking layer, a selective layer and a substrate-distal blocking layer. Also provided is a method for producing a layer system that can be annealed and has a sufficient quality even under critical climatic conditions and/or undefined conditions of the substrate. During the heat treatment (annealing, bending), the color location of the layer system is maintained substantially stable and the color location can be widely varied at a low emissivity of the layer system. For this purpose, a first dielectric intermediate layer is interposed between the substrate-proximal blocking layer and the selective layer and is configured as a substoichiometric gradient layer.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for introduction and/or removal of a substrate into and/or from a process chamber of a vacuum coating unit that includes a process region adjoined by a lock chamber separable from surrounding atmosphere and from the process region by vacuum-tight lock gates. The process region encompasses a process chamber and a transfer chamber for altering transport speed. A vacuum-tight gate on the inlet side of a lock system is opened, the substrate is transported into the lock system and the gate is closed. Pressure in the lock system is subsequently matched to pressure in a subsequent space. An outlet-side gate of the lock system is opened and the substrate is transported from the lock system. The lock system includes a lock chamber and the adjoining transfer chamber. A passage between the transfer chamber and lock chamber remains open during introduction or removal of the substrate.

Abstract: A sluice system for a vacuum coating facility for coating substrates that can be moved through the vacuum coating in a direction of conveyance comprises a prevacuum slice chamber and a transfer chamber adjoining a coating chamber, wherein a fine vacuum can be regulated before the transfer chamber on the input side in the direction of conveyance and after the transfer device on the output side in the direction of conveyance. The prevacuum sluice chamber is directly adjacent to the transfer chamber and the fine vacuum can be regulated in the prevacuum sluice chamber. A high-vacuum pump system can also alternatively and selectively be connected to the prevacuum sluice chamber.

Abstract: A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.

Abstract: Please amend the Abstract of the Disclosure to read as follows. In accordance with 37 CFR §1.72, the abstract is submitted herewith on a separate sheet of paper, following page 9 of this amendment.

Abstract: A highly reflective layer system for coating substrates with reflection-enhancing layers, a method for producing the layer system and a device for carrying out the method are provided. On the surface of the substrate, a first functional reflection layer is applied. The first functional reflection layer may be reflective or partially reflective and comprise of metal or a metal alloy which contains one of more constituents from the group comprising copper, nickel, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum and tin. Provided there over is a second functional reflection layer. The second functional reflection later may comprise metal or a metal alloy, for example silver or a silver alloy. Over the second functional reflective layer there follows a first transparent dielectric layer. The first transparent dielectric layer may comprise, for example, silicon oxide. Arranged over the first transparent dielectric layer is a second transparent dielectric layer. This may consist, for example, of titanium oxide.

Abstract: A highly efficient getter pump with low maintenance requirements is applied to a vacuum coating installation, allowing a substrate to be coated to remain uncontaminated by a dusting of getter material. The getter pump comprises a pump housing with an exposure opening. The housing has a getter body, of getter material that essentially closes the exposure opening and can move in relation to the exposure opening. An inner sub-section of the surface of the getter body points towards the interior of the pump housing and an outer sub-section points towards the exterior of the pump housing through the exposure opening. The positions of the inner and outer sub-sections are interchangeable by movement of the getter body. The getter pump is equipped with a device for removing getter material from the inner sub-section.

Abstract: A vacuum coating unit with a transport device for transporting substrates in a transport direction, comprises at least one first endless conveyor running in the transport direction and having a conveyor device guided around at least two deflection rollers. The conveyor device is located at a distance from a guide device extending in the transport direction parallel to the conveyor device of the first endless conveyor in such a way that the substrates can be introduced into the gap between the conveyor device and the guide device and can be moved in the transport direction by the displacement of the conveyor device.

Abstract: A transport device for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system comprises an essentially rectangular frame and two groups of holding elements, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the frame in such a manner that any pair of opposite holding elements can be connected to both ends of a substrate. Furthermore, at least one retainer bar is provided that is operatively connected to a group of holding elements in such a manner that the holding elements of this group are moveable in order to increase or decrease by choice their distance from the holding elements of the other group. Also provided are a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device, and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.

Abstract: A layer system that can be annealed comprises a transparent substrate, preferably a glass substrate, and a first layer sequence which is applied directly to the substrate or to one or more bottom layers that are deposited onto the substrate. The layer sequence includes a substrate-proximal blocking layer, a selective layer and a substrate-distal blocking layer. Also provided is a method for producing a layer system that can be annealed and has a sufficient quality even under critical climatic conditions and/or undefined conditions of the substrate. During the heat treatment (annealing, bending), the color location of the layer system is maintained substantially stable and the color location can be widely varied at a low emissivity of the layer system. For this purpose, a first dielectric intermediate layer is interposed between the substrate-proximal blocking layer and the selective layer and is configured as a substoichiometric gradient layer.

Abstract: A sluice system for a vacuum coating facility for coating substrates that can be moved through the vacuum coating in a direction of conveyance comprises a prevacuum slice chamber and a transfer chamber adjoining a coating chamber, wherein a fine vacuum can be regulated before the transfer chamber on the input side in the direction of conveyance and after the transfer device on the output side in the direction of conveyance. The prevacuum sluice chamber is directly adjacent to the transfer chamber and the fine vacuum can be regulated in the prevacuum sluice chamber. A high-vacuum pump system can also alternatively and selectively be connected to the prevacuum sluice chamber.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for vacuum coating of substrates of various sizes that consists of lock chambers at the entrance and at the exit and several processing chambers arranged one behind the other as well as of a conveying system for the sequential transport of substrates with a certain substrate width through the lock chambers and for their continuous transport through the coating chambers. The lock and processing chambers each have a chamber width that corresponds to the substrate width, and the lock chamber is characterized by a loading area AL having a width b and a length l that indicates the size of substrate that can be accommodated. The object of the apparatus according to the invention is to better utilize the coatable area of each processing chamber so that less coating material is wasted. The object is solved by making the ratio R of width to length R=w/l greater than a minimum ratio Rmin where Rmin =0.95?0.019 AL.

Abstract: A method for operating a navigation system that executes a navigation application software program to provide a navigation-related feature is provided. The method comprises identifying that the navigation application software program uses both updated geographic data and un-updated geographic data from a geographic database associated with said navigation system. The un-updated geographic data has an associated date or version different from the updated geographic data. The method further comprises providing a report indicating that an inconsistency between the updated geographic data and the un-updated geographic data may exist. The method may further include identifying the inconsistency between the updated geographic data and the un-updated geographic data.

Abstract: A system for coating band-shaped material, where the band-shaped material travels through at least one process chamber in which there is a vacuum, and at least one cooling roller. On the peripheral surface of each cooling roller are at least two magnetron sputter sources that are arranged separate from one another in magnetron chambers, which are formed by separate magnetron chamber walls and allow each chamber to be evacuated, so the pressure in the magnetron chamber can be maintained higher than that in the process chamber. The magnetron chamber walls and the magnetron sputter sources can be mounted on a common carriage, which is displaceable parallel to the cooling roller axis. The result is the reduction in the maintenance costs in cleaning of the magnetron chamber walls and at the same time improvement of the separation of gas between the magnetron chambers and the process chamber.

Abstract: A tube magnetron for a vacuum coating applications such as plasma sputtering is provided with a hollow rotating tube target arrangement and a magnet system. The hollow rotating tube target arrangement has longitudinally extended target plates that are fixed to a target support. The target plates in cross section are arranged adjacent to each other to form a polygon. The magnet system generates a magnetic field which extends through the tube target arrangement. The magnet system is configured so that generated magnet field has in cross section two maxima arranged in the axial longitudinal direction of the tube target arrangement. The tube magnetron is configured for use with sputtering targets that are in the form of target plates. The target plates may be made from ceramics, ceramic-like and/or high-melting point materials. Materials such as ITO, zinc oxide, silicon can be efficiently and uniformly sputter coated on substrates.

Abstract: A system for coating band-shaped material, where the band-shaped material travels through at least one process chamber in which there is a vacuum, and at least one cooling roller. On the peripheral surface of each cooling roller are at least two magnetron sputter sources that are arranged separate from one another in magnetron chambers, which are formed by separate magnetron chamber walls and allow each chamber to be evacuated, so the pressure in the magnetron chamber can be maintained higher than that in the process chamber. The magnetron chamber walls and the magnetron sputter sources can be mounted on a common carriage, which is displaceable parallel to the cooling roller axis. The result is the reduction in the maintenance costs in cleaning of the magnetron chamber walls and at the same time improvement of the separation of gas between the magnetron chambers and the process chamber.

Abstract: A method for the production of catalytically active coatings on shaped articles of aluminum oxide for the production of hydrogen cyanide according to the BMA method. A suspension is used for the coating which suspension contains at least one platinum metal and aluminum in finely divided elementary form in a carrier liquid. According to especially preferred embodiments, the suspension additionally contains glass frits or organic silicon compounds. After the moistening of the shaped article and evaporation of the carrier liquid, the catalyst is formed during heating to 1000.degree. to 1350.degree. C. in the presence of nitrogen and/or ammonia.Essential advantages of the method over the previously known method of coating with solutions of Pt and Al compounds are: the application of different coating thicknesses are possible in a single coating stage, the previously-necessary hydrogenation stage after each impregnation is eliminated and the health risk is reduced.