Carrier with vertical grid for supporting substrates in coater

{
  "publication_number": "US11688589B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Carrier with vertical grid for supporting substrates in coater",
  "abstract": "Various embodiments herein relate to carriers for supporting one or more substrate as the substrates are passed through a processing apparatus. In many cases, the substrates are oriented in a vertical manner. The carrier may include a frame and vertical support bars that secure the glass to the frame. The carrier may lack horizontal support bars. The carrier may allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the substrates, without any need to provide precise gaps between adjacent pairs of substrates. The carriers described herein substantially reduce the risk of breaking the processing apparatus and substrates, thereby achieving a more efficient process. Certain embodiments herein relate to methods of loading substrates onto a carrier.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A carrier for holding multiple substrates in a substantially vertical orientation while passing through a coater that provides a coating on at least a respective front face of each of the multiple substrates, each substrate having a back face disposed opposite the front face, the carrier comprising: a frame with an aperture having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension; a bottom tap bar affixed to the frame and extending horizontally along a bottom portion of the aperture; a top tap bar affixed to the frame and extending horizontally along a top portion of the aperture; a plurality of vertical support bars, each (i) having a length permitting engagement with both the top tap bar and the bottom tap bar while extending vertically across the aperture, and (ii) being positioned behind the back faces of the substrates; and a plurality of fasteners for fastening the substrates to the vertical support bars, wherein each vertical support bar has a plurality of fastener attachment positions for attaching to the fasteners at a plurality of vertical positions, and wherein the substrates can be stacked in the carrier in a way that permits substrates of different widths to be vertically stacked on top of one another in the aperture.",
    "2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the fasteners are pins or pegs.",
    "3. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fastener attachment positions comprise a plurality of slots, holes, grooves, or other openings in the vertical support bars.",
    "4. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the horizontal dimension of the aperture is between about 50 inches and 200 inches.",
    "5. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the vertical dimension of the aperture is between about 50 inches and 150 inches.",
    "6. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the vertical support bars comprise a rail, channel, or groove.",
    "7. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the substrates are glass or plastic.",
    "8. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the substrates are windows for coating with an electrochromic device.",
    "9. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises metal.",
    "10. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the bottom tap bar and/or top tap bar comprise a material that that expands and contracts to approximate a thermal expansion and/or contraction of the substrates.",
    "11. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the bottom tap bar and/or top tap bar comprise metal.",
    "12. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the vertical support bars comprise metal.",
    "13. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising a pivot peg attached to the top tap bar.",
    "14. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising a transport mechanism for moving the carrier through the coater.",
    "15. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising a shield configured to protect at least a portion of the frame during coating."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Electrochromic devices can be formed on substrates in a variety of manners. Typically, the substrate is substantially transparent and planar, and may be made of glass, plastic, or a similar material. To form the electrochromic device, the substrate is coated with various layers of material such as transparent conductive layers, a cathodically coloring electrochromic layer, and an anodically coloring counter electrode layer. Additional layers may be provided as desired, and may include, but are not limited to, an ion conductor layer, a defect-mitigating insulating layer, an anti-reflective layer, a protective oxide or nitride layer, etc. One or more of these layers may be formed in a coater such as a sputter coater. In some cases, all of these layers may be formed in the coater. A carrier is used to support the substrates as they are processed in the coater. The carrier may support a single substrate or multiple substrates.\n\nVarious embodiments herein relate to carriers for holding substrates in a substantially vertical orientation while the substrates are passed through a coater. The coater provides a coating on at least a front surface of the substrates. In many cases, the coating is an electrochromic device.",
  "cpc": [
    "H01J 37/32715",
    "C23C 14/34",
    "C23C 14/50",
    "C23C 14/56",
    "C23C 14/562",
    "C23C 14/568",
    "H01J 2237/026",
    "H01J 2237/2007",
    "H01J 2237/20221",
    "H01J 2237/332",
    "H01J 37/32651",
    "H01J 37/32779",
    "H01L 21/6734",
    "H01L 21/67712",
    "H01L 21/6776",
    "H10P 72/14",
    "H10P 72/15",
    "H10P 72/17",
    "H10P 72/3206",
    "H10P 72/3314"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "C23C 14/34",
    "C23C 14/50",
    "C23C 14/56",
    "H01J 37/32",
    "H01L 21/673",
    "H01L 21/677"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "View Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Bo Garrett Neilan",
    "Michael A. Potter",
    "Dhairya Shrivastava"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2022-07-13",
  "publication_date": "2023-06-27",
  "grant_date": "2023-06-27",
  "priority_date": "2013-06-10",
  "application_number": "US-202217864110-A",
  "family_id": "83807767",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
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}