# US 10,483,465 B2 · Methods of operating a deposition apparatus, and deposition apparatus

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- Number: US 10,483,465 B2
- Document ID: US10483465B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/300,484
- Filed: 2016-05-10
- Published: 2019-05-16
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-10
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Jose Manuel Dieguez-Campo; Stefan Bangert; Andreas Lopp; Harald Wurster; Dieter Haas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483465B2

## CPC

- C23C 14/042: {using masks}
- C23C 14/12: Organic material
- C23C 14/24: Vacuum evaporation
- C23C 14/243: {Crucibles for source material (C23C14/28, C23C14/30 take precedence)}
- C23C 14/564: {Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases}
- H10K 71/164: {using vacuum deposition}
- H10K 71/166: {using selective deposition, e.g. using a mask}
- H10K 71/40: Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES

## Abstract

A method of operating a deposition apparatus is provided. The method comprises: Deposition of an evaporated source material on a substrate by guiding the evaporated source material from one or more outlets of an evaporation source toward the substrate, wherein part of the evaporated source material is blocked by and attaches to a shielding device arranged between the one or more outlets and the substrate, followed by a cleaning of the shielding device by at least locally heating the shielding device for releasing at least part of the attached source material from the shielding device. According to a further aspect, a deposition apparatus is provided that can be operated according to the described methods.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of depositing an evaporated source material on a substrate, comprising:
guiding the evaporated source material from one or more outlets of an evaporation source toward a substrate through a shielding device arranged between the one or more outlets and the substrate;
cleaning the shielding device by moving the evaporation source relative to a material collection unit from a deposition position (I) to a service position (II), in which the shielding device faces toward the material collection unit; and
at least locally heating the shielding device in the service position (II).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the moving the evaporation source to the service position (II) comprises moving the evaporation source such that the direction of the outlets is moved by an angle (α) of at least 20°.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the moving the evaporation source to the service position (II) comprises moving the evaporation source such that the direction of the outlets is moved by an angle from 60° to 120°.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
moving the evaporation source from the service position (II) back to the deposition position (I) after the cleaning; and
continuing deposition of the evaporated source material on a substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein deposition and cleaning are performed alternately and the shielding device is cleaned after a predetermined time period of deposition.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the shielding device is cooled after it is cleaned.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the heating comprises thermoelectrically or inductively heating of one or more surface sections of the shielding device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the heating comprises directing electromagnetic radiation selected from the group of microwave radiation, thermal radiation, laser radiation and UV radiation, onto the source material disposed on the shielding device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the shielding device blocks evaporated source material having an emission angle greater than 45° with respect to a main emission direction (X) of the evaporated source material from the one or more outlets.

### Claim 10

A method of depositing an evaporated source material on a substrate, comprising:
moving an evaporation source along a surface of a substrate;
guiding the evaporated source material from one or more outlets of the evaporation source toward the substrate, wherein part of the evaporated source material is blocked by, and attaches to, a shielding device arranged between the one or more outlets and the substrate;
moving the evaporation source such that the direction of the outlets is moved by a first movement angle from a deposition position (I) to a service position (II);
cleaning the shielding device by at least locally heating the shielding device in the service position (II);
moving the evaporation source such that the direction of the outlets is moved by a second movement angle back to the deposition position (I) or to a further deposition position;
moving the evaporation source along a surface of the substrate or a further substrate; and
guiding the evaporated source material from the one or more outlets toward a substrate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein moving the evaporation source such that the direction of the outlets is moved by the first movement angle corresponds to: rotating the evaporation source by a first rotation angle from the deposition position (I) to the service position (II), and wherein moving the evaporation source such that the direction of the outlets is moved by the second movement angle corresponds to: rotating the evaporation source by a second rotation angle back to the deposition position (I) or to the further deposition position.

### Claim 12

A deposition apparatus, comprising:
an evaporation source configured to deposit an evaporated source material on a substrate, comprising:
a distribution pipe with one or more outlets for guiding the evaporated source material toward the substrate; and
a shielding device arranged downstream from the one or more outlets and configured to partially block evaporated source material propagating toward the substrate;
an actuator device configured to bring the deposition apparatus from a deposition position (I) to a service position (II); and
a heating device for at least locally heating the shielding device when the deposition apparatus is in the service position (II).

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The deposition apparatus of claim 12, wherein the shielding device comprises a plurality of apertures configured to shape a plume of evaporated source material emanating from an associated outlet.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The deposition apparatus of claim 13, wherein a circumferential edge of each aperture is configured to block an outer portion of the plume of evaporated source material emanating from the associated outlet.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The deposition apparatus of claim 12, wherein the heating device is placed in, or integrated into, the shielding device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The deposition apparatus of claim 12, wherein the heating device is a thermoelectric device or an inductive device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The deposition apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a material collection unit, wherein the shielding device faces toward the material collection unit when the evaporation source is in the service position (II).

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The deposition apparatus of claim 12, wherein the heating device comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation configured to direct electromagnetic radiation toward the shielding device in the service position (II).

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The deposition apparatus of claim 12, wherein the heating device is selected from the group of a light source, a laser, an LED, a UV lamp, an IR light source, a halogen heat lamp, and a microwave generator.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The deposition apparatus of claim 12, wherein the source of electromagnetic radiation is placed at, or integrated into, the material collection unit.