Magnetron-sputtering coating system and method, and display substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9934948-B2
Application number	US-201514731544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2015
Priority date	Dec 26, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

It is provided a magnetron-sputtering coating system including a sputtering chamber. The sputtering chamber therein includes: a set of target, formed by concatenating a plurality pieces of target; a substrate carrier, arranged to be opposite to the target set, and support a substrate to be coated with a film; and a driving device, arranged to drive the substrate carrier to reciprocate in a direction of the arrangement of the target.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetron-sputtering coating system, comprising:
a sputtering chamber,
wherein in the sputtering chamber, the magnetron-sputtering coating system further comprises:
a target set consisting of a plurality of targets;
a substrate carrier, arranged opposite to the target set, and configured to support a substrate to be coated with a film;
a driving device, configured to drive the substrate carrier to reciprocate in an arrangement direction of the targets; and
a chamber mask arranged to surround the substrate carrier, the substrate carrier configured to move relative to and within the chamber mask.

2. The magnetron-sputtering coating system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an edge mask arranged on both sides of the substrate carrier in the arrangement direction of the targets.

3. The magnetron-sputtering coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device comprises:
rollers configured to drive the substrate carrier to move;
a motor configured to drive the rollers to rotate; and
a controller connected to the motor and configured to control a rotation rate of the rollers so as to control a movement speed of the substrate carrier.

4. The magnetron-sputtering coating system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of position sensors arranged in the arrangement direction of the targets and configured to detect a position of the substrate carrier.

5. The magnetron-sputtering coating system according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a limiting position sensor arranged at an edge of the sputtering chamber.

6. The magnetron-sputtering coating system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a process gas supplier connected to the sputtering chamber and configured to supply a process gas to the sputtering chamber.

7. The magnetron-sputtering coating system according to claim 6 , wherein the process gas comprises an argon gas and/or an oxygen gas.

8. The magnetron-sputtering coating system according to claim 1 , wherein the movement speed of the substrate carrier is determined based on a time duration where a steady pressure is kept within the sputtering chamber;
wherein the longer the time duration is, the slower the movement speed is; and
the shorter the time duration is, the faster the movement speed is.

9. The magnetron-sputtering coating system according to claim 1 , wherein a relative movement speed between the substrate carrier and the target set is slower than a speed of atoms or an atomic cluster within a plasma body upon the substrate being coated with the film.

10. A magnetron-sputtering coating method implemented by a magnetron-sputtering coating system, the magnetron-sputtering coating system comprising a sputtering chamber; and further comprising, in the sputtering chamber, a target set consisting of a plurality of targets, a substrate carrier arranged opposite to the target set and configured to support a substrate to be coated with a film, a driving device configured to drive the substrate carrier to reciprocate in an arrangement direction of the targets, and a chamber mask arranged to surround the substrate carrier, the substrate carrier being configured to move relative to and within the chamber mask,
the method comprising:
reciprocating the substrate carrier supporting the substrate to be coated with a film in the arrangement direction of the targets to coat the substrate with a film.

11. The magnetron-sputtering coating method according to claim 10 , further comprising, prior to coating the substrate with the film, a step of:
introducing a process gas into the sputtering chamber, and keeping a predetermined pressure within the sputtering chamber for a predetermined time duration.

12. The magnetron-sputtering coating method according to claim 11 , wherein the process gas comprises an argon gas and/or an oxygen gas.

13. The magnetron-sputtering coating method according to claim 10 , wherein:
when the substrate carrier moves at a constant speed, a movement speed V of the substrate carrier is calculated by: V=S/(T 1 −T 2 );
wherein one travel indicates that the substrate carrier supporting the substrate to be coated with the film moves from one side to the other side within the sputtering chamber, S indicates a traveling distance representing a distance traveled by the substrate carrier during the one travel, T 1 indicates a time duration equal to the time duration for the coating divided by the number of travels, and T 2 indicates a sum of an accelerating time duration of the substrate carrier and a decelerating time duration of the substrate carrier during one travel.

14. The magnetron-sputtering coating method according to claim 10 , wherein:
the magnetron-sputtering coating system comprises a chamber mask arranged to surround the substrate carrier; and upon the substrate being coated with the film, the substrate carrier is caused to move within the chamber mask, so as to prevent the targets from being sputtered into the sputtering chamber.

15. The magnetron-sputtering coating method according to claim 10 , wherein:
the magnetron-sputtering coating system comprises an edge mask arranged on both sides of the substrate carrier in the arrangement direction of the targets, so as to prevent the targets from being sputtered onto the substrate carrier upon the substrate being coated with the film.

16. The magnetron-sputtering coating method according to claim 11 , wherein a predetermined pressure is kept within the sputtering chamber for about 30 seconds.

17. The magnetron-sputtering coating method according to claim 16 , wherein the movement speed of the substrate carrier is determined based on the time duration where a steady pressure is kept within the sputtering chamber;
wherein the longer the time duration is, the slower the movement speed is; and
the shorter the time duration is, the faster the movement speed is.

18. The magnetron-sputtering coating method according to claim 10 , wherein a relative movement speed between the substrate carrier and the target set is slower than a speed of atoms or an atomic cluster within a plasma body upon the substrate being coated with a film.

19. A display substrate, comprising a film manufactured by a magnetron-sputtering coating method implemented by a magnetron-sputtering coating system, the magnetron-sputtering coating system comprising a sputtering chamber; and further comprising, in the sputtering chamber, a target set consisting of a plurality of targets, a substrate carrier arranged opposite to the target set and configured to support a substrate to be coated with a film, a driving device configured to drive the substrate carrier to reciprocate in an arrangement direction of the targets, and a chamber mask surrounding the substrate carrier and configured to enable the substrate carrier to move relative to and within the chamber mask,
the method comprising: reciprocating the substrate carrier supporting the substrate to be coated with a film in the arrangement direction of the targets to coat the substrate with a film.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd
• Hefei Boe Optoelectronics Tech

Inventors

• Wang Xiaokun
• Park Sangsoo
• Zhang Xunze
• Wang Zhaobo
• Sha Lei
• Cheng Guanjie
• Zhang Wenjun
• Wang Hualu
• Wen Qingliang
• Lv Leilei

Classifications

• H01J37/3488

  Constructional details of particle beam apparatus not otherwise provided for, e.g. arrangement, mounting, housing, environment; special provisions for cleaning or maintenance of the apparatus · CPC title

• H01J37/3473

  Composition uniformity or desired gradient · CPC title

• H01J37/3447

  Collimators, shutters, apertures · CPC title

• C23C14/562

  for coating elongated substrates · CPC title

• C23C14/505

  for rotation of the substrates · CPC title