PECVD pilot coater
Application
The PECVD pilot coater is intended for producing p-i-n stacks of amorphous hydrogenated silicon on metal foils. The coatar is used as an experimentation tool for optimization of plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition of functional coatings and production of trial materials.
Engineering and Technology
The PECVD pilot coater is a roll-to-roll type plant engineered for one-sided vacuum coating of up to 350 mm wide metal foils.
The coating is deposited by an RF discharge. The deposition zone consists of an RF electrode inside a gas-tight volume. Contamination-free conditions are provided in the deposition zones.
Substrate is preheated before coating deposition, heated during the deposition process and cooled down after coating. Temperature gradients on foil do not exceed 4 oC/cm. Temperature on electrical devices, the curved plate and substrate is monitored with thermocouples and IR sensors.
Substrate is mechanically supported by a heated curved plate. The curved plate consists of several segments with a radius of curvature of 7.5 meters.
The coater is equipped with a symmetrical reversible winding system providing optimized tension and foil handling without scratching and wrinkling.
The pumping system consists of mechanical booster and dry roughing pumps.
Pressure in each deposition zone can be varied independently with throttle valves placed in the pump lines.
The control system monitors and controls all specified process parameters.
Data Sheet
Substrate: metal foils
Substrate width: 350 mm
Substrate thickness: 50 ... 100 µm
Coating: a-SiH
Maximum roll diameter: 400 ... 550 mm
Deposition zones: 8 RF capacitive discharges
Pretreatment: heating
Process temperature: + 160 ... + 250 °C
Winding speed: 25 ... 800 mm/min
Floor space requirement (L x W x H): 9.3 x 8.5 x 5.0 m