Balzers Aktiengesellschaft

Unaxis-balzers Aktiengesellschaft

Oc Oerlikon Balzers Ag

Unaxis Trading Ag

Balzers Hochvakuum Ag

Unakis Balzers Ag

Roman Schertler

Martin Dubs

Gregor Strasser

Stephan Voser

Peter Tinner

Josef Marthy

Walter Haag

Heinrich Fischer

Jurg Steinmann

Paul-Rene Muralt

Pius Good

Peter Kohler

Gerald Zohrer

The invention proceeds from a vacuum process apparatus for an article which is processed or treated, resp. at two stations, whereby each station has a charging and/or removing opening for the article. A transporting device is supported for rotation and includes a supporting portion which is successively moved onto the openings of the stations. The process plant is designed in such a manner that the surface normals determined by the surfaces of the openings and the space axis defined by the axis of rotation of the transport device do not run parallel and rather enclose together an angle of 90&#xb0; or 45&#xb0;. By such an arrangement it is possible to design extremely compact vacuum vapor deposition apparatuses having a plurality of individual stations, whereby additionally short transporting distances are obtainable and the volumes to be conditioned can be minimized.

Vacuum process apparatus

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 vacuum chamber for transporting at least one workpiece has two or more openings defining respective opening areas for treating or handling the at least one workpiece. A transport device is arranged relative to the openings and includes a drive shaft rotatable around a drive shaft rotational axis. Two or more conveyors transport at least one workpiece. A linear driver is operationally independent to linearly move respective ones of the two or more conveyors relative to the drive shaft, with a drive component in a radial direction relative to the axis. An obstructing member is provided for closing the openings when one of the conveyors is positioned adjacent to the openings by rotating the transport device and is moved by the linear drive towards the opening.

Chamber for the transport of workpieces in a vacuum atmosphere, a chamber combination and a method for transporting a workpiece

Method for manufacturing two disk-shaped workpieces using a sputter station includes providing a load-lock chamber and a sputtering source with a sputter surface. A transport chamber interlinks the chamber and source at an opening from the transport chamber to the load-lock chamber and at an opening from the transport chamber to the sputtering source. These openings are opposite each other. A rotatable transport arrangement in the transport chamber rotates around an axis extending between the openings and can carry only two workpieces at a time. The transport arrangement has an extendable/retractable arm arranged radially with respect to the axis. The arm is workpiece carrier to the two disk-shaped workpieces.

Method for manufacturing disk-shaped workpieces with a sputter station

A vacuum treatment system has an outer housing which defines a substantially cylindrical inner wall around an axis. At least two openings are provided for treating or conveying-through a respective workpiece arranged along at least one great circle of the cylindrical inner wall. One treatment, conveying or lock chamber respectively, is connected with the at least two openings. An inner housing defines a cylindrical outer wall and, together with the substantially cylindrical inner wall, forms a substantially cylindrical ring gap. A workpiece carrier carousel is rotationally drivable about the axis in the ring gap. A feed device comprising driving devices is movable in a radially driven manner on the inner housing and is aligned with the at least two openings. The driving devices act into the ring gap, and each of the driving devices has a separate drive.

Vacuum treatment equipment

Disclosed is a workpiece conveyor and delivery device for a vacuum processing plant. Workpieces are delivered from one device to another, both devices being located opposite each other and moving in relation to each other. A controllable magnet arrangement is provided on one of the devices. A moveable armature element acts as a holding device for the workpiece on one of the two devices which move in relation to each other, namely the device provided with the magnet arrangement. Magnet arrangement is driven to activate the holding device which can be deactivated for delivery of workpiece.

Transport and transfer device

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 sputtering station for a disk-shaped workpiece includes one loadlock chamber, one sputtering source with a sputtering surface, a transport chamber with two workpiece handling openings, one communicating with the loadlock chamber and the other with the sputtering source. A transport device in the transport chamber has two workpiece carrier arms extending radially with respect to a rotation axis of the device. Each arm can extend and retract radially and carries a workpiece holder. The two openings of the transport chamber are radially opposite each other with respect to the axis of rotation so that the workpiece holders of the two arms may be swung toward each of the openings and about an arc of 180&deg;.

Sputter station

At least one chamber is provided for transport of workpieces such as storage disks, at least at times, into the vacuum atmosphere, during their manufacturing and comprises at least two exterior openings for the guiding-through of a workpiece. A majority of workpiece-receiving devices can be rotated jointly about an axis. At least one transport element is provided and is aligned with an opening. The transport element is disposed in the chamber independently of the rotatable workpiece-receiving devices and can be moved out and back in a radially controlled manner in at least one component, and engages on a workpiece in the opening area. A transport method for workpieces in an evacuatable chamber provides that at least two workpieces are rotated about a center in a plane of rotation and are displaced individually in a radial manner with respect to the center of rotation at least in one movement component.

Chamber, at least for the transport of workpieces, a chamber combination, a vacuum treatment facility as well as a transport method

A vacuum packing configuration and installation for use therewith, has a first part and a second part. The first part includes a hydraulically or pneumatically expandable, medium-tight volume adapted to be acted upon by an hydraulic or pneumatic medium, with a wall facing the second part and forming sealing faces fastened on the first part. The wall is a resilient metal diaphragm.

Intermediate metallic layer for flat packing and process for the production of a flat packing with such an intermediate layer

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.

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Wolfurt, Austria

Roman Schertler