Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus (110) for deposition of a material on a substrate is provided. The vacuum processing apparatus (110) includes a vacuum chamber comprising a processing area (111); a deposition apparatus (112) within the processing area (111) of the vacuum chamber; a cooling surface (113) inside the vacuum chamber; and one or more movable shields (220) between the cooling surface (113) and the processing area (111).

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of coating a substrate (100) with at least one cathode assembly (10) having a sputter target (20) and a magnet assembly (25) that is rotatable around a rotation axis (A) is provided. The method comprises: Coating of the substrate (100) while moving the magnet assembly in a reciprocating manner in a first angular sector (12); and subsequent coating of the substrate (100) while moving the magnet assembly (25) in a reciprocating manner in a second angular sector (14) different from the first angular sector (12). According to a second aspect, a coating apparatus for performing said method is provided.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of coating a substrate (100) with at least one cathode assembly (10) having a sputter target (20) and a magnet assembly (25) that is rotatable around a rotation axis (A) is provided. The method comprises: Coating of the substrate (100) while moving the magnet assembly in a reciprocating manner in a first angular sector (12); and subsequent coating of the substrate (100) while moving the magnet assembly (25) in a reciprocating manner in a second angular sector (14) different from the first angular sector (12). According to a second aspect, a coating apparatus for performing said method is provided.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of coating a substrate with at least one cathode assembly having a sputter target and a magnet assembly that is rotatable around a rotation axis is provided. The method comprises: Coating of the substrate while moving the magnet assembly in a reciprocating manner in a first angular sector; and subsequent coating of the substrate while moving the magnet assembly in a reciprocating manner in a second angular sector different from the first angular sector. According to a second aspect, a coating apparatus for performing said method is provided.

Abstract: An evaporation source for deposition of evaporated material on a substrate is described. The evaporation source including a crucible for material evaporation; a distribution assembly with one or more outlets for providing the evaporated material to the substrate, the distribution assembly being in fluid communication with the crucible; and a measurement assembly. The measurement assembly includes a tube connecting an interior space of the distribution assembly with a pressure sensor.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of coating a substrate with at least one cathode assembly having a sputter target and a magnet assembly that is rotatable around a rotation axis is provided. The method comprises: Coating of the substrate while moving the magnet assembly in a reciprocating manner in a first angular sector; and subsequent coating of the substrate while moving the magnet assembly in a reciprocating manner in a second angular sector different from the first angular sector. According to a second aspect, a coating apparatus for performing said method is provided.

Abstract: A apparatus for vacuum sputter deposition is described. The apparatus includes, a vacuum chamber; three or more sputter cathodes within the vacuum chamber for sputtering material on a substrate; a gas distribution system for providing a processing gas including H2 to the vacuum chamber; a vacuum system for providing a vacuum inside the vacuum chamber; and a safety arrangement for reducing the risk of an oxy-hydrogen explosion, wherein the safety arrangement comprises a dilution gas feeding unit connected to the vacuum system for dilution of the H2-content of the processing gas.

Abstract: A material deposition arrangement for depositing evaporated material on a substrate in a vacuum chamber is described. The material deposition arrangement includes a crucible for providing material to be evaporated; a linear distribution pipe in fluid communication with the crucible; and a plurality of nozzles in the distribution pipe for guiding the evaporated material into the vacuum chamber. Each nozzle may have a nozzle inlet for receiving the evaporated material, a nozzle outlet for releasing the evaporated material to the vacuum chamber, and a nozzle passage between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The nozzle passage of at least one of the plurality of nozzles includes a first section having a first length and a first size, and a second having a second length and a second size. The ratio of the second size to the first size is between 2 and 10.

Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a semiconductor substrate handling systems and substrate carrier is provided. The substrate carrier for holding a substrate to be processed and for transporting the substrate in or through a processing area with a transport device includes a main portion for holding the substrate; a first end portion adapted to be supported by the transport device; and at least one first intermediate portion connecting the main portion with the first end portion. The at least one first intermediate portion includes one or more cut-outs adapted to reduce thermal energy transfer between the main portion and the first end portion.

Abstract: A lock chamber for a substrate processing system is provided which includes at least a first conduit adapted to provide an inner portion of the lock chamber in fluid communication with atmospheric pressure or overpressure. Additionally, the lock chamber includes at least a first control valve for controlling a flow rate of the fluid communication of the inner portion of the chamber with the atmospheric pressure or the overpressure, wherein the control valve is adapted to continuously control the flow rate. Furthermore, an according method, a computer program and a computer readable medium adapted for performing the method is provided.

Abstract: A lock chamber for a substrate processing system is provided which includes at least a first conduit adapted to provide an inner portion of the lock chamber in fluid communication with atmospheric pressure or overpressure. Additionally, the lock chamber includes at least a first control valve for controlling a flow rate of the fluid communication of the inner portion of the chamber with the atmospheric pressure or the overpressure, wherein the control valve is adapted to continuously control the flow rate. Furthermore, an according method, a computer program and a computer readable medium adapted for performing the method is provided.

Abstract: An evaporator for applying vapor to a substrate at a coating rate is described. The evaporator includes an evaporator tube having a distribution pipe with at least one nozzle outlet, wherein the evaporator tube includes a pressure measurement device, the pressure measurement device comprising an optical diaphragm gauge.

Abstract: A gas supply system 20 for supplying a gas into a pumping system 10 is provided, the pumping system including a plurality of pumping means 14, 16, the gas supply system comprising a gas inlet 22 and plurality of gas conduits 24, 25 fluidly connected to the gas inlet and each having a gas outlet 27, 28 fluidly connectable to the pumping system 10, wherein the gas outlets of the plurality of gas conduits are in parallel fluidly connectable to the pumping system and each gas conduit is provided with a gradient adjustment means adapted to provide at least one gradient of gas amount supplied to the pumping system.

Abstract: A backside coating prevention device adapted for a coating chamber for coating plate-shaped substrates is provided, said coating chamber being adapted for coating continuously or discontinuously transported plate-shaped substrates, comprising a front wall having a substrate feeding opening and a rear wall having a substrate discharge opening, a coating material source adapted for dispensing coating material into the coating chamber, and a transport system, a front side of the transport system facing the coating material source, the transport system being adapted for continuously or discontinuously transporting a plurality of plate-shaped substrates along a transport path on the front side of the transport system, wherein said backside coating prevention device is adapted for providing a gas barrier at the front side of the transport system and adjacent to the backsides of the plurality of plate-shapes substrates for preventing backside coating of the plate-shaped substrates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a flooding chamber for coating installations, with which shorter flooding times, and therewith shorter clock cycles, can be attained. Two flooding means are therein utilized, between which a substrate is disposed symmetrically. The flooding means direct a gas jet directly onto the substrate. Hereby the substrate is fixed between the flooding means.

Abstract: The invention relates to a substrate carrier comprising two vertical plates and two horizontal plates. In order for the substrate during its transport through a sputter unit to be coated uniformly in its margin regions, a lever arrangement is provided between the two vertical plates. The lever arrangement comprises at least one horizontal web which under the effect of heat expands to a lesser degree than the horizontal plates.

Abstract: A multistage lock chamber device with at least two lock chambers, a first pump set for evacuating a first lock chamber, and a second pump set for evacuating a second lock chamber. The first pump set (P1) may evacuate both the first and the second lock chamber, or both jointly. The first pump set may also be utilized as a prior pumping stand of the second pump set. Additionally, an integrated third pump set can be utilized as a pre-pumping stand for the second pump set and/or first pump set. Alternately or additionally, the device can include at least one buffer unit, whose buffer volume is being utilized to produce a sudden decline in pressure inside the lock chamber by means of pressure equalization.

Abstract: Plastic bottles as well as other hollow bodies are given thin functional layers by means of high vacuum coating devices. The relevant process takes place in high vacuum. The bottles to be coated as well as the coated bottles are inserted into a high vacuum chamber (20) through a sluice, which consists of carrousel drum unit. Due to the difference of pressure in the atmosphere and the high vacuum chamber, carrousel within the drum suffers a displacement or tipping, which makes the sealing of the carrousel with respect to the drum difficult. Hence the invention proposes a sluice system consisting of two sluices (23, 25) of the mentioned type, which are connected with one another by means of an intermediate vacuum chamber (22). It is thus achieved that the load due to the pressure on each drum (3) decreases, so that each sluice (23, 25) functions with lesser tendency to develop faults.

Abstract: An electrode arrangement for the plasma-aided coating of a substrate (3) with a layer of material comprising at least one first and a second material component and for the production of a plasma discharge, more especially an arc discharge (35), having an anode arrangement (5), which provides the first material component at an anode material surface (13) for evaporation, and a cathode arrangement (7), which provides the second material component at a cathode material surface (25). The electrode arrangement is characterized in that the cathode material surface (25) is constituted by an evaporation-active part (27) supporting the plasma discharge (35) and an evaporation-inactive part (41) not supporting the plasma discharge. Preferably, a motion-producing means (49) is provided for moving the evaporation-inactive part (41) over the cathode material surface (25) in order to reduce deposit of material due to he first material component on the cathode material surface (25).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for the determination of the gas permeability of a container, for example, a PET bottle. Said container is enclosed by a sheath, which hermetically seals the container from the environment. The intermediate space, between the container and the sheath, has only a very small volume in comparison to the volume of the container. The determination of the gas permeability is begun by bringing said intermediate space to, for example, atmospheric pressure, whilst the container is filled with a test gas by means of a special feed, until the container is at an overpressure relative to the intermediate space. The pressure in the intermediate space increases by means of the resulting diffusion of the test gas through the wall of the container into said intermediate space. The increase in pressure per unit time is a measure of the permeability of the container.