Deposition platform for flexible substrates and method of operation thereof

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a flexible substrate is described. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a first chamber portion, a second chamber portion and a third chamber portion, an unwinding shaft, a coating drum having a rotation axis and a curved outer surface for guiding the substrate along the curved outer surface through a first vacuum processing region and at least one second vacuum processing region, wherein a first portion of the coating drum is provided in the second chamber portion and the remaining portion of the coating drum is provided in the third chamber portion, a first processing station corresponding to the first processing region and at least one second processing station corresponding to the at least one second vacuum processing region, wherein the first processing station and the second processing station each includes a flange portion.

1 . An apparatus for processing a flexible substrate, comprising:
 a vacuum chamber having a first chamber portion, a second chamber portion and a third chamber portion;   an unwinding shaft for supporting the flexible substrate to be processed and a winding shaft supporting the flexible substrate having the thin film deposited thereon, wherein the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft are arranged in the first chamber portion;   at least one gap sluice for separating the first chamber portion from the second chamber portion, wherein the gap sluice is configured such that the flexible substrate can move there through and the gap sluice can be opened and closed for providing a vacuum seal;   a coating drum having a rotation axis and a curved outer surface for guiding the substrate along the curved outer surface through a first vacuum processing region and at least one second vacuum processing region, wherein a first portion of the coating drum is provided in the second chamber portion and the remaining portion of the coating drum is provided in the third chamber portion;   a first processing station corresponding to the first processing region and at least one second processing station corresponding to the at least one second vacuum processing region, wherein the first processing station and the second processing station each comprises:
 a flange portion for providing a vacuum connection; 
   wherein the third chamber portion has a convex shaped chamber wall portion, wherein the third chamber portion has at least two openings provided therein; and   wherein the first processing station and the at least one second processing station are configured to be received in the at least two openings, wherein the flange portions of the first processing station and the second processing station provide a vacuum tight connection with the third chamber portion.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two openings are essentially parallel to the convex shaped chamber wall portion. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance from the curved outer surface of the coating drum and the flange portion or the convex shaped wall portion is from 10 mm to 500 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance from the curved outer surface of the coating drum and the flange portion and the convex shaped wall portion are from 10 mm to 500 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first deposition station and the at least one second deposition station are partly provided within the third chamber portion and partly provided outside the third chamber portion. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second chamber portion has a volume of the evacuatable region and the third chamber portion has a further volume of the further evacuatable region and wherein the ratio of the volume to the further volume is at least 2:1. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the ratio of the volume to the further volume is at least 3:1 to 6:1. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second chamber portion has a volume of the evacuatable region and the third chamber portion has a further volume of the further evacuatable region and wherein the ratio of the volume to the further volume is increased by volume reduction blocks to at least 7:1. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first deposition station and the at least one second deposition station are configured to be received in the at least two openings when inserted in a radial direction with respect to the axis of the coating drum. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first portion of the coating drum and the remaining portion of the coating drum is 0.8:1 or larger. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first portion of the coating drum and the remaining portion of the coating drum is 1.1:1 or larger. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first portion of the coating drum and the remaining portion of the coating drum 2:1. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flange portions of the first deposition station and the at least one second deposition station are provided below the axis of the coating drum. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first chamber portion is essentially above the second chamber portion and the second chamber portion is above the third chamber portion. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of n guiding rollers, wherein n the guiding rollers are provided to guide the flexible substrate between the unwinding shaft and the coating drum and the coating drum and the winding shaft and wherein 2<=n<=6. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the sum of the wrapping angles of the n guiding rollers is 20° to 360°. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the n guiding rollers are arranged to contact the flexible substrate on the back side thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the first deposition station has a curved surface, wherein the curved surface of the electrode is shaped such that the electrode has an essentially parallel surface with respect to the surface of the coating drum. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing station is a deposition station comprising a deposition source. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing station is an etching station for etching the substrate or a deposited thin film.