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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.:

US 9960020 B1

PDFFull Text
Date of Patent:
May. 01, 2018

Filed:

Aug. 05, 2015

Method and apparatus for saving energy while increasing the conveying speed in vacuum coating plants

Applicant:

Grenzebach Maschinenbau Gmbh, Asbach-Baeumenheim, DE;

Inventors:

Gerd Kleideiter, Ahaus, DE;

Thomas Krisch, Linsengericht / Luetzelhausen, DE;

Joerg Fiukowski, Torgau, DE;

Olaf Gawer, Dresden, DE;

Assignee:

GRENZEBACH MASCHINENBAU GMBH, Asbach-Baeumenheim, DE;

Attorneys:

Duane Morris LLP

J. Rodman Steele, Jr.

Gregory M. Lefkowitz

Primary Examiner:

Jason Berman

Int. Cl.
CPC ...
C23C 14/34 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01J 37/34 (2006.01); C23C 14/56 (2006.01); C23C 14/52 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01J 37/32834 (2013.01); C23C 14/52 (2013.01); C23C 14/562 (2013.01); C23C 14/564 (2013.01); H01J 37/32513 (2013.01); H01J 37/32761 (2013.01); H01J 37/32779 (2013.01); H01J 37/32788 (2013.01); H01J 37/32889 (2013.01); H01J 37/32899 (2013.01); H01J 37/3408 (2013.01);
Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for saving energy while increasing the conveying speed in vacuum coating plants consisting of a series of sputtering segments () and gas separation segments () along with a continuous substrate plane (). Said apparatus has the following features: a) each of the sputtering segments () consists of a tank tub () inside which a conveying device () is located; the flange () of the tank is positioned in the immediate vicinity above the substrate plane (); a cathode bearing block (), along with targets () and gas inlet ducts (), is located in the tank cover () in the immediate vicinity of the substrate together with splash guards (); b) in the region of the substrate plane (), the gas separation segments () are provided with a tunnel cover () that extends along the entire length of the gas separation segment (); c) sputtering segments () and/or gas separation segments () are evacuated using one or more vacuum pumps (), and the air pumped in said process is trapped in an air reservoir () having an adjustable volume.

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