Deposition platform for flexible substrates and method of operation thereof

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a flexible substrate is provided including a vacuum chamber having a first chamber portion, second chamber portion and third chamber portion. The apparatus further includes an unwinding shaft supporting the flexible substrate to be processed and a winding shaft supporting the flexible substrate after processing, wherein the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft are disposed in the first chamber portion, a first wall separating the first chamber portion from the second chamber portion, wherein the first wall is inclined with respect to a vertical and horizontal orientation, a coating drum having a first portion disposed in the second chamber portion and a second portion disposed in the third chamber portion, and a plurality of processing stations disposed at least partially in the third chamber portion, wherein a majority of the plurality of the processing stations are disposed below a rotational axis of the coating drum.

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 for supporting the flexible substrate after processing, wherein the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft are disposed in the first chamber portion;   a first wall separating the first chamber portion from the second chamber portion, wherein the first wall is inclined with respect to a vertical and horizontal orientation;   a coating drum having a first portion disposed in the second chamber portion and a second portion disposed in the third chamber portion, the coating drum having a rotational axis; and   a plurality of processing stations disposed at least partially in the third chamber portion, wherein a majority of the plurality of the processing stations are disposed below the rotational axis of the coating drum.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first wall is inclined at an angle of at least 20 degrees with respect to a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first wall is inclined between about 20° and about 70° with respect to a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the rotational axis of the coating drum is disposed below a rotational axis of the unwinding shaft and a rotational axis of the winding shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 each processing station comprises a deposition source, and   each processing station is disposed at a vertical location of the rotational axis of the coating drum or below the rotational axis of the coating drum.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a first gap sluice separating the first chamber portion from the second chamber portion, wherein the first gap sluice is configured to close on the flexible substrate to provide a vacuum seal between the first chamber portion and the second chamber portion. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a second wall separating the second chamber portion from the third chamber portion, wherein the second wall is inclined with respect to a vertical and horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the second wall is inclined between about 20° and about 70° with respect to a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the second wall is parallel to the first wall. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a majority of the second portion of the coating drum is located below the rotational axis of the coating drum. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the second portion of the coating drum is located above the rotational axis of the coating drum. 
     
     
         12 . 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 and a winding shaft both disposed in the first chamber portion;   a first wall separating the first chamber portion from the second chamber portion, wherein the first wall is inclined with respect to a vertical and horizontal orientation;   a coating drum having a first portion disposed in the second chamber portion and a second portion disposed in the third chamber portion, the coating drum having a rotational axis; and   a plurality of processing stations disposed at least partially in the third chamber portion.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first wall is inclined at an angle of at least 20 degrees with respect to a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein a majority of the plurality of the processing stations are disposed below the rotational axis of the coating drum. 
     
     
         15 . 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 for supporting the flexible substrate after processing, wherein the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft are disposed in the first chamber portion;   a first wall separating the first chamber portion from the second chamber portion, wherein the first wall is inclined with respect to a vertical and horizontal orientation, wherein the first wall is inclined by at least 20 degrees with respect to the vertical orientation;   a first gap sluice separating the first chamber portion from the second chamber portion at a first position on the first wall, the first gap sluice configured to open and close to provide a first vacuum seal between the first chamber portion and the second chamber portion at the first position;   a second gap sluice separating the first chamber portion from the second chamber portion at a second position on the first wall, the second gap sluice configured to open and close to provide a second vacuum seal between the first chamber portion and the second chamber portion at the second position, wherein the first position is spaced apart from the second position in a vertical and horizontal direction;   a coating drum disposed in the second chamber portion and the third chamber portion, the coating drum having a rotational axis; and   a plurality of processing stations disposed at least partially in the third chamber portion, wherein a majority of the plurality of the processing stations are disposed below the rotational axis of the coating drum.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first wall is inclined between about 20° and about 70° with respect to a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein each processing station is disposed at a vertical location of the rotational axis of the coating drum or below the rotational axis of the coating drum.