Varian Associates, Inc.

Genus, Inc.

Walter E Graves, Jr

Donald R Boys

Frederick T Turner

A system for moving and processing workpieces includes individual stations isolated from one another and from a main chamber by seals formed by a transport mechanism. Workpieces are moved in a queue in a circular pattern, by a dial turret operated by a bell-crank and a Geneva mechanism. Stations seal to the baseplate from below, and a vacuum chamber encloses the turret assembly which operates on a post through a center hole in the baseplate. Workpieces loaded to one depended chamber are withdrawn from chambers and inserted into next chambers in a circular pattern, passing through the main chamber with each transfer, and ending back in the chamber where they were loaded. In an alternative embodiment passages between the main chamber and each individual chamber have valves allowing processing to take place without carriers attached to the turret being in the processing chambers. In another embodiment a single radial arm transfers one workpiece at a time, indexing in either direction, allowing workpieces withdrawn from one chamber to be placed in any other chamber. In other alternative embodiments automatic equipment for loading and unloading workpieces is provided with a single cassette air-lock and with in-line air locking for cassettes. Provision is made for a wide variety of processes to be performed, and processing can be from one or both sides of a workpiece.

Dial deposition and processing apparatus

A substrate having two parallel planar faces and an edge with a groove is simultaneously coated on both sides in a vacuum chamber. The substrate is raised, lowered and held on edge while the parallel faces are vertically disposed by a blade inserted into the groove so that while the substrate is coated an unobstructed path exists for the coating material to the faces.

Substrate and substrate holder

A system for handling and individually processing a plurality of thin substrates is described. The system includes a main chamber, entrance and exit load locks, a plurality of processing stations, a load lock load/unload means, a vertical transport means, and a horizontal transport means. In one embodiment the processing stations are deployed in a U-shaped configuration, allowing the entrance and exit load locks to be positioned at the same end of the machine. Idle stations between processing stations may also be employed. The substrates are vertically oriented and are raised and lowered into and out of load locks and processing stations by means of dedicated lift blades. Substrates are transferred within the main chamber from lift blades of one station to lift blades of an adjacent station by means of substrate carriers affixed to a walking beam mechanism. Substrates are transferred from the entrance load lock side of the machine to the exit load lock side by means of a reversing mechanism, which may be a rotating beam mechanism, or which may be a transverse motion mechanism which affects a rotationless substrate transfer. A lift blade symmetrically engages a substrate nearer the lower half of its periphery, holding the substrate securely with the aid of gravity, and negligibly obscuring or eclipsing either surface of the substrate. The lift blades carry the substrates into the processing stations and hold them in place during processing, or simultaneous processing of both sides of the substrates may be carried out.

Disk or wafer handling and coating system

A novel magnetron sputter coating source is disclosed in which magnetic sputter targets containing relatively large inventories of usable material may be employed. This coating source may also be used efficiently and effectively with sputter target materials having properties which range from nonmagnetic to highly ferromagnetic. Use of an electromagnetic coil with a widely adjustable energizing current, rather than permanent magnets, allows a wide range of magnetic properties to be accommodated. Electrical impedance of the glow discharge is readily controlled using the current flow through the electromagnetic coil, allowing, for example, operation at desired values of voltage and current throughout the life of the sputter target. In addition, a momentary increase in electromagnet coil current can be used to achieve ignition of the glow discharge at a desired sputter gas operating pressure which is below the sputter gas pressure at which the glow discharge can normally be readily ignited. Also, use of the electromagnetic coil permits an easy conversion of the magnetron sputter coating source to a nonmagnetic diode apparatus. The use of a Hall probe positioned adjacent and below the sputter target near the region of maximum erosion is disclosed. The Hall probe voltage, which is proportional to the magnetic field intensity at the Hall probe position, may be measured throughout sputter target life to provide an independent means of assessing the approach to end of useful life. A novel sputter target cooling means is disclosed in which a water chamber below the sputter target is divided into inlet and outlet portions by a septum. The flow of water through a narrow gap between the septum and the sputter target leads to highly effective heat transfer, which is also highly uniform along the peripheral path of intense heating of the sputter target.

Magnetron sputter coating source for both magnetic and non magnetic

Relatively wide workpieces, such as auto grilles, are rapidly conveyed into and from a vacuum processing chamber provided with entry and exit air locks and vacuum isolation valves, in which thin metallic coatings are deposited uniformly over workpiece surfaces. The gate member of the valve is supported for sliding vertical movement, as well as limited outward and inward movement for sealing the chamber opening, at the protruding ends of an elongated member backing the gate. Air cylinders act directly on these ends to close the gate. A linkage and air cylinder above the gate vertically propels the gate. The processing chamber is provided with several side by side arrays of sputtering sources with circular cathodes, the workpieces moving thereunder at a steady rate orthogonally to the arrays. The spacings of each source relative to the other in each array, the workpiece to source distance, and the degree of outboard placement of the outer sources relative to the workpiece edges are defined to provide both even coatings on horizontal workpiece surfaces, as well as on the vertical surfaces. A compact conveyor system with space-saving corner modules is coordinated with the valve action to maintain an even steady flow through the evacuated processing chamber for optimum coating.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Walter E Graves, Jr