The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 18, 2002
Filed:
May. 25, 2001
Ke Ling Lee, Cupertino, CA (US);
Mikhail Mazur, San Francisco, CA (US);
Ken Lee, Mountain View, CA (US);
Robert M. Martinson, San Mateo, CA (US);
STEAG HamaTech AG, Sternenfels, DE;
Abstract
A plasma sputtering system is described. A substrate handling system thereof places an unprocessed substrate (e.g., an optical disk), an inner mask, and an outer mask onto a tray in a loadlock of the sputtering system, and then seals the access opening to the loadlock. The substrate and the masks are moved on the tray to a sputtering chamber where the substrate is sputter coated. The substrate handing system removes the processec substrate and accompanying inner and outer masks from the tray in the loadlock to an external substrate change station, where the processed substrate is removed from the masks, which are still gripped by the substrate handling system. Another unprocessed disk is placed on the inner mask and within the outer mask, and the sequence repeats. The substrate handling system only contacts the masks on surfaces thereof that are not subjected to direct sputter deposition.