Apparatus for atomic layer deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9273392-B2
Application number	US-201213982270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2012
Priority date	Jan 31, 2011
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

Apparatus for atomic layer deposition on a surface of a sheeted substrate, comprising: an injector head comprising a deposition space provided with a precursor supply and a precursor drain; said supply and drain arranged for providing a precursor gas flow from the precursor supply via the deposition space to the precursor drain; the deposition space in use being bounded by the injector head and the substrate surface; a gas bearing comprising a bearing gas injector, arranged for injecting a bearing gas between the injector head and the substrate surface, the bearing gas thus forming a gas-bearing; a conveying system providing relative movement of the substrate and the injector head along a plane of the substrate to form a conveying plane along which the substrate is conveyed. A support part arranged opposite the injector head, the support part constructed to provide a gas bearing pressure arrangement that balances the injector head gas-bearing in the conveying plane, so that the substrate is held supportless by said gas bearing pressure arrangement in between the injector head and the support part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for atomic layer deposition on a surface of a sheeted substrate, the substrate comprising planar faces at least one of which forming the substrate surface, and side faces, the apparatus comprising: an injector head comprising
a deposition space provided with a precursor supply and a precursor drain; said supply and drain arranged for providing a precursor gas flow from the precursor supply via the deposition space to the precursor drain; the deposition space in use being bounded by the injector head and the substrate surface;
a gas bearing comprising a bearing gas injector arranged for injecting a bearing gas between the injector head and the substrate surface, the bearing gas thus forming a gas-bearing;
a support part arranged opposite the injector head, the support part constructed to provide a gas bearing pressure arrangement that counters the injector head gas-bearing pressure in a conveying plane, so that the substrate is balanced supportless by said gas bearing pressure arrangement in between the injector head and the support part; and a conveying system comprising a drive section;
the drive section comprising transport elements arranged to provide relative movement of the substrate and the injector head along a plane parallel to the substrate surface to form said conveying plane along which the substrate is conveyed towards the injector head in a conveying direction; and
a centering air bearing comprising centering-bearing gas supplies that are provided sideways to the drive section along the conveying direction, the supplies, in use, arranged opposite the planar faces of the substrate, and each ending in a recessed space extending along the respective planar faces towards a sides of the drive section, to provide a bearing gas flow towards the substrate side faces, so that, in use a bearing pressure is provided against at least one side face of the substrate so as to center the substrate along the conveying direction.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the precursor drain is provided adjacent the precursor supply, to define a precursor gas flow that is aligned with the conveying direction of the substrate; and/or wherein, in use, the precursor drain and the precursor supply are both facing the substrate surface.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the injector head comprises pressure control for switching any of the precursor supply; drain and/or the gas injector dependent on the presence of a substrate.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the support part comprises a drain opposite a precursor drain, said drain being switchable dependent on the presence of a substrate in the deposition space, so that, when a substrate edge passes the precursor drain, a precursor flow is provided away from the substrate surface facing the support part.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the injector head comprises a further deposition space provided with a reactant supply, the further deposition space in use being bounded by a flow barrier, wherein the apparatus preferably is arranged for providing at least one of a reactant gas, a plasma, laser- generated radiation, and ultraviolet radiation, in the further deposition space for reacting the precursor after deposition of the precursor gas on at least part of the substrate surface.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying system comprises a lead in zone; and a working zone adjacent the lead in zone and aligned relative to the conveying plane; wherein the injector head is provided in the working zone, and wherein the sheeted substrate can be inserted in the lead in zone.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the recessed space extends along a side of the substrate over a limited length so that the air flow escapes via a flow path along the side of the substrate towards exhausts distanced from the recessed space.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recessed space defines a gap height in the recess that is higher than a working gap height between opposed walls of the drive section and the substrate planar surface to provide gas bearing in the direction normal to the plane of the substrate; and further defining a gap height in the direction transverse to the conveying direction providing the centering gas bearing so that the substrate is centered along the conveying direction.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying system comprises transport elements provided with alternatingly arranged pairs of gas inlets and outlets;
comprising a gas flow control system arranged to provide a gas bearing pressure and a gas flow along the conveying plane, to provide movement of the substrate by controlling the gas flow.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the pairs of gas outlets and inlets are provided in pockets facing the conveying plane for providing a flow, in the pocket, along the conveying plane from an outlet to an inlet; and wherein the gas outlets are provided with a flow restrictor to provide a directional air bearing.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 , provided with a first entering air bearing and a second centering air bearing for centering the substrate so as to move the substrate along a central line between the lead in zone and lead out zone.

Assignees

• Vermeer Adrianus Johannes Petrus Maria
• De Swart Joseph Adrianus Maria
• Wit Robert Coenraad
• TNO

Inventors

• Vermeer Adrianus Johannes Petrus Maria
• De Swart Joseph Adrianus Maria
• Wit Robert Coenraad

Classifications

• C23C16/44 Primary

  characterised by the method of coating (C23C16/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C16/4583

  the substrate being supported substantially horizontally · CPC title

• C23C16/458 Primary

  characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber · CPC title

• C23C16/45551 Primary

  for relative movement of the substrate and the gas injectors or half-reaction reactor compartments · CPC title

• C23C16/54

  Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating · CPC title