Horizontal Inline Vacuum systems for large scale mass production
ASTRA-M is an inline vacuum coating system based on magnetron sputtering with horizontal substrates loading.
The main distinguishing feature is the substrate loading in horizontal position. The substrate is loaded on the transport carrier that moves along all the coater passing through several steps of vacuum load-locks and process corridors. At the end the carriers are going out to atmosphere through a vacuum load lock chamber. The carriers return to the loading area following the return conveyor that works in atmosphere. Its standardized design is located underneath the process chamber for space saving.
This solution has the following advantages:
no uncoated area on the substrate;
easy loading, easy automation;
flexibility of return conveyor design that make easy integration to fab automation;
possibility to make double side coating;
process stability due to constant vacuum, working gas conditions.
The disadvatage is top to bottom sputtering design that cause risk off particles on the substrate from magnetron stations. To eliminate this issue the time between maintenace (MTBM) is made shorter.
Productivity
Together with the coating area size the main parameter that defines productivity is cycle time (or tact time like in conveyor production). It is the time between two carriers going to unloading of coated substrates.
For ASTRA-M platform the shortest cycle time is from 45 sec.
The main process realized on ASTRA–M coaters:
ITO and other TCO structures;
index Match ITO for touch industry;
antireflection coating on cover glass (AR);
AR plus anti fingerprint coatings (AR+AF);
NCVM color coating on glass and plastic substrates (PET);
metalization coating.
Process stability
One of the main advantage of INLINE coaters is outstanding process stability. Along with a standard parameters as well known cyclindrical magnatron sputtering stations Izovac reached outstanding stability by organize transport system whe carriers move with ZERO GAP between each other when they go in front od sputtering stations. This solution stabilize plazma condition that makes reactive sputtering reliable and repeatable for high quality anti reflection coating.
Coater description
Coating system is consist of 2 parts: vacuum chambers and loading/unloading tables (can be configured for automation system) that are installed in clean room. Standard ASTRA design is one-end, that means loading and unloading is made from one side and in the ends of coater there are lifts that move carriers from vacuum chambers to return conveyor and back. Optional coater can be modified for two-ends design when loading and unloading is made from opposite sides. Returned conveyor has dust free closed design that all coater can be installed in machine area. Substrates are loaded on the transport carriers that go through the vacuum load lock chamber to process chamber (sputtering area) where they move with constant speed and without gap between each other. Process chambers are equipped with all necessary technological systems for substrate cleaning, thin film coating and postreatment if required. Coater control is made from the HMI + PLC system in fully automated mode. Control system can be integrated with Manufacturing execution system (MES)
Available generation
By coating area size ASTRA-M is available in the next versions:
Other variation (not standard) can be discussed.
Available coating processes
Having modular design ASTRA coater structure can be scaled and optimized for different production task.
The following technological devises can be used:
Ion Beam Cleaning system;
RF plasma cleaning system;
planar magnetron sputtering station (DC or AC);
cylindrical rotary magnetron sputtering station (DC or AC);
RF magnetrons;
AF evaporation system (anti fingeprint coating system);
optical monitoring.
Substrate type: