Unaxis Balzers Limited

Balzers Aktiengesellschaft

Unaxis-balzers Aktiengesellschaft

Evatec Ag

Oc Oerlikon Balzers Ag

Unaxis Trading Ag

Oerlikon Advanced Technologies Ag

Martin Dubs

Roman Schertler

Stanislav Kadlec

Thomas Eisenhammer

Siegfried Krassnitzer

Walter Haag

Gerhard Dovids

Stephan Voser

Pius Grunenfelder

Gregor Strasser

Bernd Heinz

Jürgen Weichart

Hartmut Rohrmann

Oliver Rattunde

Gerald Feistritzer

Helfried Weinzerl

Wolfgang Nutt

Volker Wuestenhagen

Hanspeter Friedli

Volker Wüstenhagen

For producing a directional layer for instance with constant nominal directionality, such as a low-retentivity layer with a preferred direction of magnetization or a support layer for such a layer by cathode sputtering on a substrate surface (), the coating process takes place in a manner whereby particles emanating from a target surface () impinge predominantly from directions whose projections onto the substrate surface () lies within a preferred angular range surrounding the nominal direction. This is achieved for instance by positioning a collimator (), encompassing plates () that extend at a normal angle to the substrate surface () parallel to the nominal direction in front of the substrate surface (), but in lieu of or in addition to such positioning the location or movement of the substrate surface () relative to the target surface () can also be suitably adjusted or controlled.

Method for producing a directional layer by cathode sputtering, and device for implementing the method

Throughput of manufacturing thin-film solar panels by inline technique is made substantially independent from the time extent of different surface treatment steps by accordingly subdividing treatment steps in sub-steps performed in inline subsequent treatment stations. Treatment duration in each of the subsequent treatment stations is equal(&#x3c4;).

Method of inline manufacturing a solar cell panel

A Method for manufacturing an optical disc substrate comprises a first substrate with at least one structured surface, on which an anti-adhesive layer, preferably carbon, is deposited and first layer on top of said anti-adhesive layer. On a second substrate with a structured surface also a layer is deposited. Both substrates are bonded together with the layers facing each other. The separation now easily can take place afterwards alongside the adhesive layer. This way the first layer from the first substrate is being transferred to the second substrate.

Method for the production of multilayer discs

A Vacuum transport chamber for disk-shaped substrates, has a base plate structure has an interior surface which borders an interior of the chamber on one side thereof. A covering structure is situated parallel and opposite an interior surface of the base plate structure. The structure has at least two substrate passage openings which are adapted to a substrate disk surface. A transport device which is rotationally drivingly movable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the base plate structure. At least one substrate receiving device is brought into alignment with a respective one of the openings. A controlled sealing arrangement establishes an edge of at least one of the openings with the substrate holding device brought into alignment therewith and a substrate provided thereon.

Sputter chamber as well as vacuum transport chamber and vacuum handling apparatus with such chambers

A sputtering chamber system and method uses at least one sputtering source with a new sputter surface at least approximately symmetrical with respect to a central axis. A substrate carrier is arranged to be drivingly rotatable about a substrate carrier axis. The central axis and the substrate carrier axis are oblique with respect to one another, and the sputtering source is a magnetron sputtering source. The new sputter surface is substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to the central axis, with the central axis and the substrate carrier axis intersecting at least approximately. With respect to an angle &#x3b2; between the central axis and the substrate carrier axis,30&#xb0;&#x2266;&#x3b2;&#x2266;60&#xb0;,preferably40&#xb0;&#x2266;&#x3b2;&#x2266;55&#xb0;,particularly preferably43&#xb0;&#x2266;&#x3b2;&#x2266;50&#xb0;,particularly&#x3b2;&#x2248;45&#xb0;.

A workpiece is manufactured using a magnetron source that has an optimized yield of sputtered-off material as well as service life of the target. Good distribution values of the layer on the workpiece are obtained that are stable over the entire target service life, and a concave sputter face in a configuration with small target-to-workpiece distance is combined with a magnet system to form the magnetron electron trap in which the outer pole of the magnetron electron trap is stationary and an eccentrically disposed inner pole with a second outer pole part is rotatable about the central source axis.

Method for manufacturing a workpiece using a magnetron sputter source

To generate an especially good heat transfer between a seating face of a storage plate support and a storage plate, during coating with a sputter source in a vacuum installation, the seating face of the storage plate support is slightly annularly convexly arched and the storage plate is clamped in the center as well as on its outer margin by a center mask and an outer mask against the arched seating face. Hereby an especially good heat transfer is attained with very low arching d, whereby the storage plate is treated gently and simultaneously, during the coating process, no layer thickness distribution problems occur through arching that is too large.

Storage plate support for receiving disk-shaped storage plates

Method for producing hybrid disks has a first substrate that is transparent in a given spectral band. A layer system that is semi-transparent in the given band succeeds the first substrate and is followed by a further substrate that is transparent in the given band. Next, is a reflection layer system which is in the semi-transparent layer system and is deposited by a vacuum coating method of identical type. The first substrate is covered by a moisture protection layer system that is transparent in the given spectral band and has at least one layer deposited by a vacuum coating method of identical type.

Method for producing a hybrid disk and hybrid disks

A device and method has a magnetron sputter source with a multipart target ( ) and movable magnet system ( ). By variation of the power delivery of the power supply ( ), specific areas of the multipart target ( ) can be preferably affected, which permits setting the stoichiometry of the sputtered-off target materials on the substrate ( ) to be covered and positively affecting the homogeneity of the layer structure.

Magnetron sputter source with multipart target

To optimize the yield of sputtered-off material as well as the service life of the target on a magnetron source, in which simultaneously good attainable distribution values of the layer on the substrate, stable over the entire target service life, a concave sputter face in a configuration with small target-substrate distance d is combined with a magnet system to form the magnetron electron trap in which the outer pole of the magnetron electron trap is disposed stationarily and an eccentrically disposed inner pole with a second outer pole part is developed rotatable about the central source axis

Magnetron sputter source

A vacuum treatment system has a vacuum chamber in which there is at least one part which is driven in rotation and is connected by a gear train which comprises at least two rotating transmission bodies with a motor drive unit. The rotating transmission bodies produce a relative motion in a rolling manner. For this purpose, the bodies have axes of rotation that are not aligned. The rotating transmission bodies are magnetically drive-coupled to each other, and at least one of them is located in the vacuum chamber.

Vacuum treatment system

A coating station has a flat sputter source opposite a workpiece receiving arrangement is configured as a planet arrangement. The rotating axes (A.sub.P) of the planets intersect one another on a rotating axis (A.sub.S) of the sun system on the side facing away from the sputter source. As a result, substrates, particularly optical lenses, can be coated in extremely small batches according to given formulas in an advantageously flexible manner.

Coating station

A coating station has a flat sputter source opposite a workpiece receiving arrangement is configured as a planet arrangement. The rotating axes (A.sub.p) of the planets intersect one another on a rotating axis (A.sub.s) of the sun system on the side facing away from the sputter source. As a result, substrates, particularly optical lenses, can be coated in extremely small batches according to given formulas in an advantageously flexible manner.

In order to maintain a required minimal variation of angle of incidence (a) of a coating material on a flat substrate (3), it is recommended that the substrate (3) be exposed to the evaporation source (1) clamped in a curved position.

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Maienfeld, Switzerland

Martin Dubs