Leybold Aktiengesellschaft

Dan L Costescu

Stefan Kempf

Jaroslav Zejda

Eggo Sichmann

Thomas Krug

Friedrich Anderle

Andreas Petz

Emmerich Novak

Jurgen Meinel

A DC source 10 connected to an electrode 5 is disposed in a coating chamber which can be evacuated. The electrode is electrically connected to a target 3 which is sputtered and the sputtered particles are deposited on the substrate, while a process gas is introduced in the coating chamber 15, 15a. The target is made of an aluminum-silicon alloy which may contain 0.5 to 2.0 percent silicon and 99.5 to 98.0 percent aluminum in order to improve the adhesive strength and the service life of the layer 2. The substrate may be made of polycarbonate.

Process for coating a polycarbonate substrate with an aluminum-silicon

Apparatus for the coating of substrates in a vacuum chamber is disclosed wherein a rotatable substrate holder bears a plurality of substrate receivers adapted to transport a like number of substrates (26, 26', etc.) step-wise on a circular path from one of two lock stations (8, 9) through an associated coating station (10, 11) and back to the same respective lock station. Each lock station has one transfer device comprising a rotating substrate plate bearing substrate receivers (85, 85', etc. and 86, 86', respectively). Each plate cooperates with four magazines (18, 18', etc. and 19, 19', etc., respectively). Each magazine is equipped with at least two stacks (25, 25', etc., and 27, 27', etc., respectively) of substrates (26, 26', etc.). A rotating device (28, 28', etc. and 29, 29', etc., respectively) cooperates with each of the magazines (18, 18', etc. and 19, 19', etc., respectively) and transports the substrates (26, 26', etc.) between the magazines (18, 18', etc. and 19, 19', etc., respectively) and the substrate receivers (85, 85', etc. and 86, 86', respectively) of the substrate plates (20a, 21a).

Apparatus on the carousel principle for the coating of substrates

A rotatable substrate holder (6) which has a plurality of substrate pickups in a circular arrangement at equal distances apart is disposed in a vacuum chamber (1). A corresponding number of substrates are driven stepwise on a circular path from an air lock station (8, 9) through at least one coating station (10, 11) to the air lock station. To increase the throughput of substrates, the vacuum chamber (1) has two air lock stations (8, 9) and two coating stations (10, 11) one following the other. The step size of the drive (36) on the one hand, and the angular position of each coating station (10 and 11, respectively) with respect to the air lock station associated with it (8 and 9, respectively) with reference to the axis of rotation of the substrate holder (6) on the other hand, are selected such that one and the same coating station (10 and 11, respectively), through the step-wise movement of a particular substrate pickup (63), is associated in each case with one and the same air lock station (8 and 9, respectively).

Apparatus on the carousel principle for coating substrates

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Hainburg, Germany

Dan L Costescu