Optimized System and Method for Transporting and Moving Substrates in a Modular Coating Facility

Abstract

The present invention provides a solution for coating substrates which are moved on a carrier that can move from painting, coating or treatment modules in a continuous inline production facility having a system which allows to easily switch between a back and forth limited rotational movement, called rocking mode, for critical processes such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating, UV hardening and IR flashing, and a continuous rotational movement of the substrates when the substrates are in a painting or drying process module.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A carrier that can move from one painting, coating or treatment module to another through a transport belt, the carrier comprising: at least one spindle supporting a substrate holder; the spindle comprising a spindle gear; a coupling gear which is driven by a chain, wherein the coupling gear is coupled through a coupling rod to a spindle clamp, wherein the spindle clamp is positioned on the axis of the at least one spindle and having at least one opening allowing the axis of the spindle to be moved in and out of the spindle clamp wherein the axis of the spindle comprises at least one part which has a shape that is at least partially matching the shape of the open insert of the spindle clamp so that the axis of the spindle is mechanically coupled with the spindle clamp and allows the spindle axis to rotate together with the spindle clamp when the spindle axis is positioned inside the opening of the spindle clamp.

12. The carrier according to claim 11 wherein the radius of the attachment of the coupling rod with respect to the axis of the coupling gear, the length of the coupling rod and the radius of the attachment of the coupling rod with respect to the axis of the spindle clamp axis is set so that a continuous rotation of the coupling gear produces a back and forth movement of the spindle clamp on its axis.

13. The carrier according to claim 11 wherein the coupling gear is axially coupled to another transmission gear which is driving a smaller gear on which the coupling rod is attached to, so that a complete rotation of the smaller gear produces a back and forth movement of the spindle clamp.

14. The carrier according to claim 12 wherein the back and forth movement of the spindle clamp is between 30 and −30° with respect to the horizontal parallel to the carrier top surface.

15. The carrier according to claim 12 wherein the carrier can be moved horizontally inside a module through the transport belt during the painting, coating or treatment process and the back and forth rotational movement of the spindle.

16. The carrier according to claim 11 wherein at least one spindle can be moved by lifting the carrier so that the axis of the at least one spindle is moved outside the opening of the spindle clamp and is decoupled from it.

17. The carrier according to claim 16 wherein at least one spindle can be rotated by a moving chain through the spindle gear.

18. The carrier according to claim 17 wherein at least one spindle can rotate freely at least at any angle or in a continuous rotation in synchronization with the movement of the moving chain.

19. A method for moving at least one spindle on a carrier that can move from one painting, coating or treatment module to another through a transport belt, the carrier comprising: at least one spindle supporting a substrate holder; the spindle comprising a spindle gear; a coupling gear which is driven by a chain, wherein the coupling gear is coupled through a coupling rod to a spindle clamp, wherein the spindle clamp is positioned on the axis of the at least one spindle and having at least one opening allowing the axis of the spindle to be moved in and out of the spindle clamp wherein the axis of the spindle comprises at least one part which has a shape that is at least partially matching the shape of the open insert of the spindle clamp so that the axis of the spindle is mechanically coupled with the spindle clamp and allows the spindle axis to rotate together with the spindle clamp when the spindle axis is positioned inside the opening of the spindle clamp, wherein at least one spindle can be set in a free rotational movement when the spindle is positioned outside of the opening of the spindle clamp and the spindle is driven by a moving chain through the spindle gear.

20. A method for moving at least one spindle on a carrier that can move from one painting, coating or treatment module to another through a transport belt, the carrier comprising: at least one spindle supporting a substrate holder; the spindle comprising a spindle gear; a coupling gear which is driven by a chain, wherein the coupling gear is coupled through a coupling rod to a spindle clamp, wherein the spindle clamp is positioned on the axis of the at least one spindle and having at least one opening allowing the axis of the spindle to be moved in and out of the spindle clamp wherein the axis of the spindle comprises at least one part which has a shape that is at least partially matching the shape of the open insert of the spindle clamp so that the axis of the spindle is mechanically coupled with the spindle clamp and allows the spindle axis to rotate together with the spindle clamp when the spindle axis is positioned inside the opening of the spindle clamp, wherein at least one spindle can rotate back and forth on its axis at the same time that the carrier is moving horizontally back and forth inside the module through the transport belt.

Description

LIST OF FIGURES

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a general overview of the carrier device transporting two rotatable cylindrical spindles in a PVD coating chamber and positioned in front of two sputter targets.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the mechanical setup of the rotational mode of the cylindrical spindles which are driven through the gear spindle by a chain which is moved by a servo motor.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a general overview of the carrier device transporting two spindles for large and rather flat substrates in a PVD coating chamber and positioned in front of two sputter targets.

[0029] FIG. 4a shows the mechanical setup in the rocking mode of the two spindles carrying is larger and flat substrates positioned in the lower position where the central gear is producing the rocking movement of the spindles through the lower chain.

[0030] FIG. 4b shows the mechanical setup in the rotational mode of the two spindles carrying larger and rather flat substrates positioned in the upper position where the spindle gear is producing the rotational movement of the spindles through the upper chain.

[0031] FIG. 5a shows the possible angles (between −30 and 30° from the horizontal plane) in the rocking mode of the two spindles carrying the larger and rather flat substrates in front of the PVD targets in a PVD coating machine.

[0032] FIG. 5b shows the two spindles in the rocking mode which are positioned on the leftmost side position with respect to the PVD targets and at a minimum rocking angle of −30°.

[0033] FIG. 5c shows the two spindles in the rocking mode which are positioned on the rightmost side position with respect to the PVD targets and at a maximum rocking angle of +300.

[0034] FIG. 6a shows the detailed mechanism in a preferred embodiment of the rocking mode when the spindle is positioned inside the spindle clamp and at an angle of 0° with the horizontal

[0035] FIG. 6b shows the detailed mechanism in a preferred embodiment of the rocking mode when the spindle is positioned inside the spindle clamp and at an angle of 30° with the horizontal

[0036] FIG. 6c shows the detailed top view of the gear mechanism in a preferred embodiment of the rocking mode showing the transmission gears and coupling rod.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0037] 1 physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating chamber [0038] 2 carrier [0039] 3 transport belt [0040] 4 sputter target [0041] 5 spindle [0042] 7 substrate holder [0043] 30 coupling gear [0044] 31 coupling rod [0045] 32 spindle clamp [0046] 40 lower servo motor [0047] 41 lower chain [0048] 60 upper servo motor [0049] 61 upper chain [0050] 71 spindle gear [0051] 72 special shaped spindle axis [0052] 300 transmission gear [0053] 301 smaller coupling gear [0054] 302 adjustable device for coupling rod [0055] 303 screw for adjustment of coupling rod length