Applied Materials, Inc.

Applied Materials Gmbh & Co Kg

Uwe Schuessler

Stefan Bangert

Tobias Stolley

Heike Landgraf

Michael Koenig

Reiner Gertmann

Ralph Lindenberg

Frank Fuchs

The present invention refers to a method for coating a substrate, a coating apparatus for carrying out the method and a handling module for coating apparatuses. The handling module comprises a moveable support for a substrate to be coated the support being movable between at least two positions. Further, a mask arranging device for at least one of attaching and detaching a mask to the substrate, and a mask alignment device for aligning the mask with respect to the substrate are provided for, wherein the mask alignment device is attached to the movable support so as to be movable together with the support. Alternatively, the handling module comprises a vacuum chamber, a moveable support for a substrate to be coated, the support being arranged in the vacuum chamber and being rotatable between at least two positions, wherein a mask arranging device for at least one of attaching and detaching a mask to the substrate is arranged within the vacuum chamber of the handling module.

Coating apparatus with rotation module

A magnetic holding device is adapted for holding a mask during processing of a substrate. The magnetic holding device includes a substrate carrier which is adapted for receiving the substrate to be processed. The substrate carrier includes a permanent magnet adapted for generating a first magnetic field for holding the mask. Furthermore, the substrate carrier includes a solenoid which is adapted for generating a second magnetic field adapted for at least partially compensating the first magnetic field. In case the first magnetic field is compensated, at least partially, by means of the second magnetic field, the mask is released from the substrate carrier.

Magnetic holding device and method for holding a substrate

An arrangement for transporting a flat substrate through a coating installation, wherein the coating installation comprises, e.g., several and different sputter cathodes, to which the flat substrate, for example a glass pane, is transported one after the other in vacuo. So that no abrasion is generated between glass pane and contact, the glass pane is kept spaced apart from the contact by means of gas pressure. The gas pressure is herein built up through relatively few and small holes in a gas channel. Since during flooding of the coating installation to atmospheric pressure or during evacuation, due to the small holes, no fast pressure equalization between gas channel and the remaining coating installation is possible, the gas channel is decoupled in terms of gas from the remaining coating installation and provided with a separate gas line, via which gas can be introduced into the gas channel or pumped out of it.

Arrangement for transporting a flat substrate in a vacuum chamber

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Aschaffenburg, Germany

Uwe Schuessler