Segmented pallet for disk-shaped substrate electrical biassing and apparatus comprising same
View Patent ↗An apparatus for performing treatments to the surface of disk-shaped workpieces/substrates, as in the manufacture of multi-layer, thin-film recording media. The apparatus includes treatment stations for performing treatments to a surface of each of the disk-shaped workpieces/substrates; a pallet adapted for mounting the disk-shaped workpieces/substrates, a plurality of bias potential sources; and a transporting source to transport the pallet past the treatment stations. The pallet includes electrically conductive segments and each segment is electrically insulated from other segments; is adapted to mount and expose at lest one surface of a disk-shaped workpiece; and includes an electrical contact for providing electrical contact with the bias potential source of the apparatus.
1. A pallet for mounting and transporting a plurality of disk-shaped workpieces/substrates through an apparatus adapted for performing a plurality of treatments of at least one surface of each of said disk-shaped workpieces/substrates, comprising:
a plurality of electrically conductive segments arranged in an array, each of said segments:
i. being electrically insulated from other segments;
ii. and used to mount thereon and expose at least one major surface of a plurality of disk-shaped workpieces/substrates for receipt of a plurality of treatments; and
iii. including an electrical contact means for providing electrical contact with a bias potential source of said apparatus,
wherein each of said segments comprises an electrically conductive sheet, each of said sheets including a plurality of spaced-apart regions each comprising an aperture extending through a respective sheet adapted for mounting said disk-shaped workpieces/substrates therein and exposing oppositely facing pairs of major surfaces of respective disk-shaped workpieces/substrates.
2. The pallet as in claim 1 , wherein:
said electrical contact means is used for providing sliding electrical contact with said bias potential source.
3. The pallet as in claim 1 , wherein:
each of said segments comprises a substantially flat, electrically conductive sheet, each of said sheets including a plurality of said spaced-apart regions extending at least partway therethrough for mounting therein and exposing a said at least one major surface of each of said plurality of disk-shaped workpieces/substrates; and said sheets are arranged in a generally linearly extending array.
4. The pallet as in claim 1 , wherein:
each of said apertures is substantially circularly-shaped and adapted for mounting a disk-shaped workpiece/substrate therein.
5. The pallet as in claim 1 , wherein:
each of said sheets has a length dimension defined by respective top and bottom edges and a width dimension defined by respective left and right side edges; and
said apertures are arranged in columns extending along the length dimension of each sheet.
6. The pallet as in claim 5 , wherein:
each of said sheets is rectangularly-shaped with said length dimension being greater than said width dimension;
said rectangularly-shaped sheets are arranged in a linearly extending, parallel array;
and said columns of apertures are arranged in parallel.
7. The pallet as in claim 6 , wherein:
adjacent pairs of said sheets are spaced-apart and maintained in said array by electrical insulation means.
8. The pallet as in claim 7 , wherein:
said electrical insulation means include shielding means for providing shielding from deposition thereon during use of said pallet in said treatment apparatus.
9. The pallet as in claim 5 , wherein:
said electrical contact means is located at said bottom edge of said sheet and has a length not greater than said width dimension between said left and right side edges.
10. An apparatus for performing a plurality of treatments of at least one surface of each of a plurality of disk-shaped workpieces/substrates, comprising:
(a) a plurality of linearly spaced-apart treatment stations for performing a corresponding plurality of treatments of said at least one surface of each of said disk-shaped workpieces/substrates;
(b) a pallet adapted for mounting said plurality of disk-shaped workpieces/substrates, said pallet comprising a plurality of electrically conductive segments arranged in an array, each of said segments:
i. being electrically insulated from other segments;
ii. and used to mount thereon and expose at least one major surface of a plurality of disk-shaped workpieces/substrates for receipt of a plurality of treatments; and
iii. including an electrical contact means for providing electrical contact with a bias potential source of said apparatus;
(c) a plurality of bias potential sources; and
(d) means for transporting said pallet past said plurality of treatment stations,
wherein each of said segments comprises an electrically conductive sheet, each of said sheets including a plurality of spaced-apart regions each comprising an aperture extending through a respective sheet adapted for mounting said disk-shaped workpieces/substrates therein and exposing oppositely facing pairs of major surfaces of respective disk-shaped workpieces/substrates.
11. The apparatus as in claim 10 , wherein:
each of said electrical contact means is used for providing sliding electrical contact with said bias potential sources.
12. The apparatus as in claim 10 , wherein:
each of said segments comprises a substantially flat, electrically conductive sheet, and said sheets are arranged in a generally linearly extending array.
13. The apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein:
each of said apertures is substantially circularly-shaped and adapted for mounting a disk-shaped workpiece/substrate therein.
14. The apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein:
each of said sheets has a length dimension defined by respective top and bottom edges and a width dimension defined by respective left and right side edges; and
said apertures are arranged in columns extending along the length dimension of each sheet.
15. The apparatus as in claim 14 , wherein:
each of said sheets is rectangularly-shaped with said length dimension being greater than said width dimension;
said rectangularly-shaped sheets are arranged in a linearly extending, parallel array;
and said columns of apertures are arranged in parallel.
16. The apparatus as in claim 15 , wherein:
adjacent pairs of said sheets are spaced-apart and maintained in said array by electrical insulation means.
17. The apparatus as in claim 16 , wherein:
said electrical insulation means include shielding means for providing shielding from deposition thereon during use of said pallet in said treatment apparatus.
18. The apparatus as in claim 15 , wherein:
said electrical contact means is located at said bottom edge of said sheet and has a length approximately equal to a width dimension of each of said treatment stations and not greater than said width dimension of said sheets between said left and right side edges.
19. The apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein:
adjacent ones of said plurality of treatment stations are linearly spaced apart by an amount greater than said width dimension of said sheets between said left and right side edges.
20. The apparatus as in claim 10 , wherein:
said treatment stations are selected from among physical vapor deposition (PVD) stations and plasma treatment stations.
21. The apparatus as in claim 20 , wherein:
said PVD stations are sputter deposition stations.