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US 6,548,115 B1Granted
System and method for providing coating of substrates
AssigneeFAStar, Ltd.
InventorsGregory M. Gibson, James J. Costa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular coating apparatus is disclosed which is adapted to couple to a host system, such as a cluster or in-line type coating system, as well as to operate in stand-alone fashion. The coating apparatus uses extrusion to initially deposit a film having a desired thickness. The substrate upon which the film is deposited may be spun to further distribute the film. Various embodiments of the coating apparatus are disclosed including embodiments utilizing a shim to mask the substrate and embodiments utilizing a rotatable chuck to facilitate cleaning of the substrate and/or the chuck. Preferably the various embodiments are sub-modules which may be interchanged in the main module as desired.
Claims27
A system for providing a coating having desired characteristics on a substrate, said system comprising:
- a movable extrusion head mounting apparatus providing sufficient movement to allow extrusion coating of a substrate, wherein said extrusion head mounting apparatus provides cantilevered support of said extrusion head;
- a chuck adapted to retain said substrate, wherein said chuck provides said substrate a predetermined distance from said cantilevered extrusion head in order to allow a film of coating material having a predetermined thickness to be extruded onto said substrate, wherein said chuck is a recessed chuck having a recessed area adapted to incarcerate said substrate, and wherein said recessed chuck provides a surface substantially co-planar with a surface of said substrate to be coated;
- a shim assembly operating in cooperation with said chuck, wherein said shim assembly includes a masking shim adapted to mask at least a portion of said substrate when said film of coating material is extruded, a supply reel holding a first portion of said masking shim and a take-up reel holding a second portion of said masking shim;
- and
- said shim assembly further including a lifting mechanism adapted to provide a gap between said masking shim and a surface of said substrate to be coated such that said masking shim does not engage said substrate during movement of a portion of said masking shim from said supply reel to said take-up reel.
2 more elements
A system for providing a coating having desired characteristics on a substrate, said system comprising:
- a movable extrusion head mounting apparatus providing sufficient movement to allow extrusion coating of a substrate, wherein said extrusion head mounting apparatus provides cantilevered support of said extrusion head;
- a chuck adapted to retain said substrate, wherein said chuck provides said substrate a predetermined distance from said cantilevered extrusion head in order to allow a film of coating material having a predetermined thickness to be extruded onto said substrate, wherein said chuck is a recessed chuck having a recessed area adapted to incarcerate said substrate, and wherein said recessed chuck provides a surface substantially co-planar with a surface of said substrate to be coated;
- and
- a shim assembly operating in cooperation with said chuck, wherein said shim assembly includes a masking shim adapted to mask at least a portion of said substrate when said film of coating material is extruded, wherein said shim comprises;
- a plurality of holes disposed therein, wherein a first type of hole of said plurality of holes is a masking hole sized and shaped to correspond to a coating desired to be deposited on said substrate, and wherein a second type of hole of said plurality of holes is a pass-through hole sized and shaped to allow said substrate to pass through said shim when loading and unloading from said chuck.
2 more elements
A modular apparatus for extruding a coating having desired characteristics on a substrate, wherein said modular system is adapted to be interfaced as a coating station in a host substrate processing system, said apparatus comprising:
- a modular chassis having a configuration adapted to couple to said host system;
- a movable extrusion head mounting apparatus coupled to said chassis providing support for an extrusion head;
- a substrate handling assembly having a substrate retainer disposed therein, wherein said substrate handling assembly includes a masking shim adapted to mask at least a portion of said substrate when said substrate is retained by said substrate retainer so as to provide a coating having desired characteristics on said substrate as said extrusion head extrudes said coating onto said substrate;
- and
- wherein said substrate retainer provides vacuum to draw said masking shim to said substrate when said masking shim is engaged to mask said at least a portion of said substrate.
2 more elements
A method for providing a film having a desired thickness on a surface of a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a chassis having attributes compatible with a host system into which said chassis is to be integrated, said chassis also having a movable extrusion head apparatus disposed thereon;
- selecting a particular substrate handling assembly of a plurality of substrate handling assemblies, wherein ones of said substrate handling assemblies provide different substrate coating attributes;
- coupling said selected substrate handling assembly to said chassis within the travel of said extrusion head;
- raising a masking shim above a substrate retainer;
- passing said substrate through a via provided in said masking shim and aligned with said substrate retainer;
- and
- operating said movable extrusion head apparatus in combination with said selected substrate handling assembly to provide said film on said surface of said substrate.
4 more elements
A method for providing a film having a desired thickness on a surface of a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a chassis having attributes compatible with a host system into which said chassis is to be integrated, said chassis also having a movable extrusion head apparatus disposed thereon;
- selecting a particular substrate handling assembly of a plurality of substrate handling assemblies, wherein ones of said substrate handling assemblies provide different substrate coating attributes;
- coupling said selected substrate handling assembly to said chassis within the travel of said extrusion head;
- loading said substrate onto said selected substrate handling assembly;
- engaging a masking shim over said substrate;
- passing said extrusion head over said substrate to provide a film having a desired thinkness on said substrate;
- disengaging said masking shim from said substrate;
- and cleaning said masking shim during unloading of said substrate from said selected substrate handling assembly.
5 more elements
A method for providing a film having a desired thickness on a surface of a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a chassis having attributes compatible with a host system into which said chassis is to be integrated, said chassis also having a movable extrusion head apparatus disposed thereon;
- selecting a particular substrate handling assembly of a plurality of substrate handling assemblies, wherein ones of said substrate handling assemblies provide different substrate coating attributes;
- coupling said selected substrate handling assembly to said chassis within the travel of said extrusion head;
- loading said substrate onto said selected substrate handling assembly;
- engaging a masking shim over said substrate;
- passing said extrusion bead over said substrate to provide a film having a desired thinkness on said substrate;
- disengaging said masking shim from said substrate;
- and
- advancing said masking shim such that a portion of said masking shim previously engaged over said substrate is collected by said selected substrate handling assembly.
6 more elements
A system for providing a coating having desired characteristics on a substrate, said system comprising:
- a movable extrusion head mounting apparatus providing sufficient movement to allow extrusion coating of a substrate, wherein said extrusion head mounting apparatus provides cantilevered support of said extrusion head;
- a chuck adapted to retain said substrate, wherein said chuck provides said substrate a predetermined distance from said cantilevered extrusion head in order to allow a film of coating material having a predetermined thickness to be extruded onto said substrate;
- and
- a shim assembly operating in cooperation with said chuck, wherein said shim assembly includes a masking shim adapted to mask at least a portion of said substrate when said film of coating material is extruded, wherein said shim comprises:
- a plurality of holes disposed therein, wherein a first type of hole of said plurality of-holes is a masking hole sized and shaped to correspond to a coating desired to be deposited on said substrate, and wherein a second type of hole of said plurality of holes is a pass-through hole sized and shaped to allow said substrate to pass through said shim when loading and unloading from said chuck.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.