Vacuum treatment system and process for manufacturing workpieces
AssigneeUnaxis Balzers Aktinegesellschaft
InventorOthmar Zueger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum treatment system has a vacuum treatment chamber, has an ACTUAL value sensor to establish a treatment atmosphere in the form of a regulating element of a control circuit. The treatment atmosphere in the treatment area is modulated according to a defined profile as a function of the workpiece carrier position. The system and process deposits defined layer thickness distribution profiles on substrates in a reactive coating.
Claims32
A vacuum treatment system having a vacuum treatment chamber, comprising elements configured to establish a treatment atmosphere in a treatment area, a sensor arrangement configured to detect the treatment atmosphere momentarily existing in the treatment area as an actual value sensor of the sensor arrangement, at least one of the elements being a regulating element of a control circuit for the treatment atmosphere in the treatment area and a workpiece carrier which is drivably movable in the chamber through the treatment area, wherein at least one of the elements modulates the treatment atmosphere in the treatment area according to a defined profile as a function of the workpiece carrier position and the modulation takes place in a frequency range which is above an upper limit frequency of the control circuit, further comprising at least one sputtering source.
The system of 1, wherein said sputtering source is a magnetron source.
A method for manufacturing workpieces comprising the steps of guiding the workpieces to a vacuum treatment, moving the workpieces through a treatment atmosphere in a treatment area controlled by a control loop and modulating a treatment atmosphere in a treatment area as a function of workpiece position with a defined profile, wherein the modulation occurs with a frequency spectrum which is above an upper limit frequency of said control loop and treating said workpieces in said treatment atmosphere by sputtering.
A method for manufacturing workpieces comprising guiding the workpieces to a vacuum treatment;
- moving the workpieces through a treatment atmosphere in a treatment area and controlling said treatment atmosphere in said treatment area by control loop;
- and modulating said treatment atmosphere in said treatment area, as a function of workpiece position with a defined profile;
- by modulation of a desired value of said control loop for said treatment atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.