Movable work piece carrier device for holding work pieces to be treated

{
  "publication_number": "US12024769B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Movable work piece carrier device for holding work pieces to be treated",
  "abstract": "Work piece carrier device to be installed in a vacuum chamber of a vacuum treatment system, comprising: one carousel X with a diameter d X, one or multiple carousels Y m with a diameter d Ym <d X, which are mountable on carousel X one or multiple work piece supports Z n with diameters d Zn ≤d Ym, which are mountable on the one or multiple carousels Y m, two actuators A 1 and A 2.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A work piece carrier device for holding treatable work pieces to be installed in a vacuum chamber of a vacuum treatment system, comprising: one carousel X with a diameter d X, one or multiple carousels Y m with a diameter d Ym <d X, which are mountable on the carousel X one or multiple work piece supports Z n with diameters d Zn ≤d Ym, which are mountable on the one or multiple carousels Y m, a first actuator and a second actuator, wherein forced connections between the first actuator and the second actuator, and the carousel X and Y m are installed using gearing mechanisms in a way, which enables at least two operating modes of the system, whereas in Mode 1, the first actuator is powered and the second actuator is not powered, leading to a rotation of the carousel X around its central rotation axis R x, and in Mode 2, the first actuator is not powered and the second actuator is powered, leading to a rotation of the one or multiple carousels Y m around their central rotation axis R Ym, while the carousel X stays in place, wherein the one or multiple carousels Y m are arranged completely within the area of the carousel X and/or the one or multiple work piece supports Z n are arranged completely within the area of the one or multiple carousels Y m, wherein the one or multiple carousels Y m are mounted at a periphery of the carousel X, such that the edges of the one or multiple carousel Y m and X are overlapping.",
    "2. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the carousel X is substantially circle-shaped, so that the area of the surface of the carousel X is defined by A X =π(d X /2) 2.",
    "3. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein, the carousel X and the one or multiple carousels Y m are connected via a third gearing mechanism in such a manner that, when the work piece carrier device is operated in Mode 1, the one or multiple carousels Y m are set in rotation motion via the third gearing mechanism.",
    "4. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the first actuator is connected to the carousel X via a first gearing mechanism and the second actuator is connected to the one or multiple carousels Y m via a second gearing mechanism.",
    "5. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein at least the first actuator or the second actuator are designed as electromechanical actuators.",
    "6. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the device can be used at pressure conditions below 1 mbar.",
    "7. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein at least the carousel X or the one or multiple carousels Y m or the one or multiple work piece supports Z n are substantially planar-shaped.",
    "8. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein at least the first or second actuator is arranged below the carousel X, opposite to the arrangement area for the work pieces.",
    "9. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the axes of rotation R x and R Ym are aligned parallel to each other.",
    "10. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the carousel X, the one or multiple carousels Ym and the one or more multiple work piece supports Z n being aligned parallel to one another.",
    "11. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the carousel X and the one or multiple carousels Y m can be rotated around its rotation axis R X, R Ym either in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, wherein a rotation angle can be set to arbitrary values.",
    "12. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the one or multiple carousels Y m exhibiting at least a diameter d Ym or the diameter of the work piece supports is between 10% d Ym ≤d Zn ≤50% d Ym.",
    "13. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the carousel X is built in the way of a carousel sled, wherein the carousel X is mounted on a base frame with wheels.",
    "14. The work piece carrier device according to claim 1, wherein walls are arranged next to the one or between the multiple carousels Y m, wherein the walls are mounted in a vertical manner next to the one or between the multiple carousels Y m which is in particular sufficient to completely separate each section in which one of the one or multiple carousels Y m is mounted from the neighboring sections.",
    "15. The work piece carrier device according to claim 5, wherein a rotary movement is generated at least around the axes R x or R Ym by applying a control voltage to one of the actuator.",
    "16. The work piece carrier device according to claim 9, wherein the one or multiple second carousels being simultaneously aligned perpendicular to the axes of rotation R X and R Ym.",
    "17. The work piece carrier device according to claim 11, wherein the one or multiple carousels exhibit exhibiting a diameter 10% d X ≤dYm≤50% d X.",
    "18. A surface treatment system for treating workpieces, comprising: a work piece carrier device for carrying work pieces during treatment to be installed in a vacuum chamber of a vacuum treatment system, comprising: a first carousel with a diameter, one or multiple second carousels with a diameter, which are mountable on the first carousel one or multiple work piece supports Z n with diameters, which are mountable on the one or multiple second carousels, a first actuator and a second actuator, wherein forced connections between the actuators, and first carousel and are installed using gearing mechanisms in a way, which enables at least two operating modes of the system, whereas in Mode 1, the first actuator is powered and the second actuator is not powered, leading to a rotation of the first carousel around its central rotation axis, and in Mode 2, the first actuator is not powered and the second actuator is powered, leading to a rotation of one or multiple second carousels around their central rotation axis, while the first carousel stays in place, wherein the one or multiple second carousels are arranged completely within the area of the first carousel and/or the one or multiple work piece supports Z n are arranged completely within the area of the one or multiple second carousels, wherein the one or multiple second carousels are mounted at a periphery of first carousel, such that the edges of the one or multiple second carousel and the first carousel are overlapping, a chamber for the introduction of said work piece carrier device, at least one treating device for treating the work pieces which can be arranged within the work piece carrier device."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "In the context of the present invention, the term “platform” is used to describe a work piece carrier device. The term “merged platform” is used to describe a work piece carrier device, where the said device is implemented as a system of carousels.\n\nThe present invention relates to a merged platform to be used for the treatment of work pieces in an evacuable treatment chamber, especially in coating chambers for physical vapor deposition (PVD), such as the ones used for e.g. cathodic arc or magnetron sputtering processes. The inventive merged platform e.g. allows to perform different pre-treatment, coating and post-treatment steps on a batch of work pieces in one vacuum chamber, by moving the work pieces from one treatment step to another one. This offers a high flexibility regarding the batch sizes to be processed, pre- and post-treatment, and coating steps, and also allows to treat work pieces of various shapes and sizes. The inventive platform is especially suitable for newly developed types of coaters, such as the ones allowing the processing and coating of different amounts of work pieces in the same system, either distributed in smaller or larger workpiece batches.\n\nFrom the state of the art it is known to use pre- or post-treatment steps, such as heating- and/or cleaning steps, for various vacuum treatment processes, before and/or after vacuum coating. These steps are necessary for example in order to ensure a good adhesion of the deposited coating to the substrate.",
  "cpc": [
    "C23C 14/505",
    "C23C 14/325",
    "C23C 14/35",
    "H01L 21/68764",
    "H01L 21/68771",
    "H10P 72/04",
    "H10P 72/0462",
    "H10P 72/7618",
    "H10P 72/7621"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "C23C 14/32",
    "C23C 14/35",
    "C23C 14/50",
    "H01L 21/687"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Oerlikon Surface Solutions AG Pfaeffikon"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Jürgen Gwehenberger",
    "Siegfried Krassnitzer"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-05-07",
  "publication_date": "2024-07-02",
  "grant_date": "2024-07-02",
  "priority_date": "2019-05-07",
  "application_number": "US-202017609470-A",
  "family_id": "70680499",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
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}