Carrier with vertical grid for supporting substrates in coater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12068142-B2
Application number	US-202318195887-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2023
Priority date	Jun 10, 2013
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

Various embodiments herein relate to carriers for supporting one or more substrate as the substrates are passed through a processing apparatus. In many cases, the substrates are oriented in a vertical manner. The carrier may include a frame and vertical support bars that secure the glass to the frame. The carrier may lack horizontal support bars. The carrier may allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the substrates, without any need to provide precise gaps between adjacent pairs of substrates. The carriers described herein substantially reduce the risk of breaking the processing apparatus and substrates, thereby achieving a more efficient process. Certain embodiments herein relate to methods of loading substrates onto a carrier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for holding at least one substrate in a substantially vertical orientation while passing through a coater that provides a coating on at least a front face of the at least one substrate, the at least one substrate having a back face disposed opposite the front face, the carrier comprising:
a lower vertical grid mount;
an upper vertical grid mount;
a plurality of vertical support bars, at least one vertical support bar being positioned behind the back face of the at least one substrate and being engaged, by respective moveable attachments, with both the upper vertical grid mount and the lower vertical grid mount; wherein
the respective moveable attachments permit horizontal movement of the at least one vertical support bar along the lower vertical grid mount and the upper vertical grid mount.

2. The carrier of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners for fastening edges of the substrate to the vertical support bars.

3. The carrier of claim 2 , wherein each fastener comprises at least one pin or peg.

4. The carrier of claim 2 , wherein each fastener comprises at least two pins or pegs.

5. The carrier of claim 2 , wherein each vertical support bar has a plurality of fastener attachment positions for attaching to the plurality of fasteners at a plurality of vertical positions, and the plurality of fastener attachment positions comprise a plurality of slots, holes, grooves, or other openings in the vertical support bars.

6. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein each vertical support bar engages with the at least one substrate along a flat surface of the vertical support bar.

7. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical support bars in combination with the lower vertical grid mount and the upper vertical grid mount define at least one aperture and a horizontal dimension of the at least one aperture is between about 50 inches and 200 inches.

8. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical support bars in combination with the lower vertical grid mount and the upper vertical grid mount define at least one aperture and a vertical dimension of the at least one aperture is between about 50 inches and 150 inches.

9. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one substrate comprises glass or plastic.

10. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one substrate is configured to be coated with an electrochromic device.

11. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the respective moveable attachments are configured to accommodate thermal expansion of the at least one substrate.

12. The carrier of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the respective moveable attachments comprises a spring that accommodates the thermal expansion of the at least one substrate.

13. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the lower vertical grid mount and/or the upper vertical grid mount comprise metal.

14. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical support bars comprise metal.

15. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the coater includes two or more stations, the carrier further comprising a transport mechanism for moving the carrier through the coater.

16. The carrier of claim 15 wherein at least one of the two or more stations includes a physical vapor deposition process.

17. The carrier of claim 1 , further comprising a shield configured to protect at least a portion of the carrier during coating.

18. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is configured to permit substrates of different widths to be vertically stacked on top of one another.

19. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the respective moveable attachments are configured to limit movement of the plurality of vertical support bars in a direction orthogonal to the front face of the at least one substrate.

Assignees

• View Inc

Inventors

• Neilan Bo
• Potter Michael
• Shrivastava Dhairya

Classifications

• H10P72/3314

  Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/3206

  the substrate being handled substantially vertically · CPC title

• H10P72/17

  specially adapted for supporting large square shaped substrates · CPC title

• H10P72/15

  Horizontal carrier comprising wall type elements whereby the substrates are vertically supported, e.g. comprising sidewalls · CPC title

• H10P72/14

  Vertical carrier comprising wall type elements whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising sidewalls · CPC title