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US 2019/0169732 A1Published application
Tunable masks for uniformity management of pvd coating thickness
OwnerShiping Chenginventor
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OwnerShiping Chenginventor
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The tunable mask in the current invention comprises three parts: a mask body, an upper piece, and a lower piece. When these parts are assembled together, either or both of the upper and lower pieces' positions on the mask body can be adjusted to form various shapes of the tunable mask. Different shapes of upper and lower pieces are also available for use. During the coating process in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, a single or multiple tunable masks are positioned between the substrate and the evaporation source. Uniformity of the coating thickness on the substrate is improved when the tunable mask provides an optimal shielding effect with a selective shape.
A tunable mask for attachment to a physical vapor deposition system to manage uniformity of the coating thickness on substrate consisting essentially of a mask body with at least one kidney shaped hole and an asymmetrical shape along its longitudinal axis, an upper piece, a lower piece, and at least one fixing screw for affixing the upper piece to the mask body through the kidney shaped hole when the fixing screw is tightened and allowing the upper piece to move and tilt with respect to the mask body when the fixing screw releases.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.