Method and device for protecting oxygen-sensitive target materials in a coating source

Abstract

The invention discloses a method and a device for protecting oxygen-sensitive target materials in a coating source. The problem of specifying a method and arrangement, by means of which reactive, in particular oxygen-sensitive target materials of a coating source can be protected against contaminations and undesired reactions, is solved by a method in which first of all the shutter sealingly closes the coating source, and a protective gas is fed via a gas inlet into a coating source chamber which is formed by the coating source and the shutter. Here, a positive pressure is set in the coating source chamber with respect to a vacuum chamber pressure within the process chamber. Subsequently, a further gas for reacting with, that is to say neutralizing coatings in the process chamber, is fed into the process chamber. The process chamber is then ventilated with air or nitrogen, without an undesired reaction taking place. The process chamber is subsequently opened towards atmosphere, that is to say the door of the process chamber to the surrounding area is opened, wherein a positive pressure with respect to atmosphere is then constantly maintained in the coating source chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.