Large format coating systems for flat, rigid substrates in a vertical orientation minimizes coating debris and contamination ideal for touch screen and TCO coatings in high volume or pilot scale production. Proven design platform globally installed used in coating glass and thin film solar on glass substrates is configured for each customer specific process and annual production capacity.

System Summary

Large format coating systems for flat, rigid substrates in a vertical orientation minimizes coating debris and contamination ideal for touch screen and TCO coatings in high volume or pilot scale production. Proven design platform globally installed used in coating glass and thin film solar on glass substrates is configured for each customer specific process and annual production capacity.

System Type

  • Vertical Load Locked Continuous In Line
  • Load to Load Cycle Time: high speed 20 seconds

Optimized Coating Area

  • Carrier Load Size: 1600mm tall x 1350mm long
  • (2x 660mm x 1250mm substrates, short side leading)
  • Gap between substrates in process area: 20mm +/-10mm
  • Carrier designed for zero (0) visible gap between carriers in process area
  • Cathode and Carrier transfer is 7o off vertical, oriented such that the substrate leans over the cathode (sputter-up)

Technical Summary

The Horizon V (vertical) is a high throughput continuous substrate carrier coating system. Carriers with single or multiple substrates are staged from atmosphere to high vacuum, transitioned to a continuous controlled process line speed through the process section, and transitioned back to atmosphere in a discontinuous staged process. The Horizon V has all of the same pre-treatment, post-treatment and process capabilities as the Horizon. The chambers of the Horizon V allow processing of carriers along both the supply and return direction, reducing the needed system length and providing a single end for substrate load and unload. Carriers are transported at a 7o angle from vertical to allow use of gravity to hold most substrates in place and to orient the substrate in a sputter-up condition for improved debris management.

Coating Method Options

  • Rotatable or Planar cathodes
  • Power - DC, Pulsed DC, MF/AC, RF & HIPIMS.
  • PECVD / Plasma Pre-treatment
  • Cathode and Carrier transfer is 7o off vertical, oriented such that the substrate leans over the cathode (sputter-up)
  • Process uniformity +/- 3% (available option to +/- 1.5%)
  • Substrate heating available to 300o C (optional to 450o C)

Typical System Dimensions

  • Dependent on substrate size
  • Cathode compartments are removed with an overhead or gantry crane.
  • System is designed for placement on a flat floor (no trenching required) with a raised platform to one side in the process area.

Features

  • Drive belts external to vacuum for atmosphere maintenance.
  • Two (2) gas selection per process section (up to four gases available)
  • Uniform gas distribution along the length of cathodes. Adjustable length trim gas sections can be supplied based on layer uniformity requirement.
  • Gas separation factor, if required, of >20:1 standard between layers using different gas mixtures.
  • On-line (in-situ) transmission and/or sheet resistance available on request