HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR A VACUUM CHAMBER, DEPOSITION APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING MATERIAL ON A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE, METHOD OF HEAT TREATMENT OF A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE IN A VACUUM CHAMBER, AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE

• US 20200131627A1
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: PIERALISI, Fabio, STEINIGER, Gerhard, ALT, Horst
• Application Number:
  US16/627,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20200131627A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/56 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/562 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0209 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/545 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 5/02 Rotary drums or rollers

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a heat treatment apparatus (100) for use in a vacuum chamber (101). The heat treatment apparatus (100) includes a transport arrangement configured to apply a tension to a flexible substrate (10) in a longitudinal direction, wherein the transport arrangement comprises a drum (110), and a heating device configured to heat the drum (110) for heating the flexible substrate (10) to a first temperature of 120° C. to 180° C.

Claims

1. A heat treatment apparatus for use in a vacuum chamber, comprising:

a transport arrangement configured to apply a tension to a flexible substrate in a longitudinal direction, wherein the transport arrangement comprises a drum; and

a heating device configured to heat the drum for heating the flexible substrate to a first temperature of 120°

C. to 180°

C.

2. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drum is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction and configured to heat the flexible substrate to the first temperature during the rotation in the first direction.

3. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 2, wherein the drum is configured to heat the flexible substrate to a second temperature of 40°

C. to 100°

C. during the rotation in the second direction.

4. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transport arrangement includes a first roller and a second roller, and wherein the first roller, the drum and the second roller are sequentially arranged along a transport path of the flexible substrate.

5. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first roller is an unwinding roller and the second roller is a winding roller when the drum rotates in the first direction, and wherein the first roller is a winding roller and the second roller is an unwinding roller when the drum rotates in the second direction.

6. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transport arrangement is configured to apply a tension of 200 to 900N to the flexible substrate.

7. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transport arrangement is configured to transport the flexible substrate with a speed of 0.1 to 5 m/min.

16. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transport arrangement is configured to apply a tension of 200 to 900N to the flexible substrate

8. A deposition apparatus for depositing material on a flexible substrate, comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

a heat treatment apparatus of for use in a vacuum chamber wherein the heat treatment apparatus comprises;

a transport arrangement configured to apply a tension to a flexible substrate in a longitudinal direction, wherein the transport arrangement comprises a drum; and

a heating device configured to heat the drum for heating the flexible substrate to a first temperature of 120°

C. to 180°

C.; and

wherein the deposition apparatus further comprises

one or more deposition devices for depositing material on at least a surface of the flexible substrate, wherein the heating device is positioned before the one or more deposition devices.

17. The deposition apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transport arrangement is configured to apply a tension of 200 to 900N to the flexible substrate.

9. A method of heat treatment of a flexible substrate in a vacuum chamber, comprising:

transporting the flexible substrate;

applying a tension to the flexible substrate in a longitudinal direction; and

heating, using a drum, the flexible substrate to a first temperature of 120°

C. to 180°

C.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein transporting the flexible substrate comprises:

transporting the flexible substrate by rotating the drum in a first direction and subsequently in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the flexible substrate is heated to the first temperature during the rotation in the first direction and to a second temperature lower than the first temperature during the rotation in the second direction.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein a tension of 200N to 900N is applied to the flexible substrate in the longitudinal direction.

10. A method for processing a flexible substrate, comprising:

transporting the flexible substrate;

applying a tension to the flexible substrate in a longitudinal direction;

heating, using a drum, the flexible substrate to a first temperature of 120°

C. to 180°

C.; and

depositing material on at least a surface of the flexible substrate.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the flexible substrate is transported with a speed of 0.1 to 5 m/min.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the flexible substrate is transported with a first speed during the rotation of the drum in the first direction and with a second speed lower than the first speed during the rotation of the drum in the second direction.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a tension of 200N to 900N is applied to the flexible substrate in the longitudinal direction.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein transporting the flexible substrate comprises:

transporting the flexible substrate by rotating the drum in a first direction and subsequently in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the flexible substrate is heated to the first temperature during the rotation in the first direction and to a second temperature lower than the first temperature during the rotation in the second direction.