DEPOSITION APPARATUS

FIELD

[0001] Embodiments described herein relate to masked deposition of thin films on a substrate. Embodiments relate to a deposition apparatus and a deposition method for depositing material on one or more substrates. More specifically, embodiments relate to a deposition apparatus for depositing material on a substrate, even more specifically a deposition apparatus including a masking element for masking e.g. an edge region of a substrate.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Several methods are known for depositing a material on a substrate. For instance, substrates may be coated by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process etc. Typically, the process is performed in a process apparatus or process chamber, where the substrate to be coated is located. A deposition material is provided in the apparatus. In the case where a PVD process is performed, the deposition material may, e.g., be sputtered from a target. A plurality of materials may be used for deposition on a substrate. Among them, many different metals can be used, but also oxides, nitrides or carbides. Typically, a PVD process is suitable for thin film coatings.

[0003] Coated materials may be used in several applications and in several technical fields. For instance, an application lies in the field of microelectronics, such as generating semiconductor devices. Also, substrates for displays are often coated by a PVD process. Further applications include insulating panels, organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels, but also hard disks, CDs, DVDs and the like.

[0004] In coating processes, it may be useful to use masks, e.g., in order to better define the area to be coated. In some applications, only parts of the substrate should be coated and the parts not to be coated are covered by a mask. In some applications, such as in large area substrate coating apparatuses, it is beneficial to exclude an edge of the substrate from being coated. With the edge exclusion, it is possible to provide coating free substrate edges and to prevent a coating of the back side of the substrate.

[0005] However, a mask in a material deposition process is also exposed to the deposition material due to the location of the mask in front of the substrate. Thus, deposition material accumulates on the surface of the mask during processing. This can result in a modified shape of the mask due to the material deposited on the mask. For instance, the periphery or boundary of a mask aperture may be reduced with a growing deposition material layer on the mask. Often, a cleaning procedure of the mask is performed for assuring the exact dimensions of the area covered by the mask.

[0006] Further, a substrate, e.g. with a metal film as well as a mask may be subject to charging. Charging may under certain circumstances result in arcing, which in turn may deteriorate the process and/or result in damage on the substrate, of the mask and/or chamber components.

[0007] In view of the above, it is beneficial to provide a deposition apparatus and a deposition method which overcome at least some of the problems in the art.

SUMMARY

[0008] In light of the above, a deposition apparatus and a deposition method for depositing material on one or more substrates are provided. Further aspects, details, benefits, and features of the present disclosure are apparent from the claims, the description, and the accompanying drawings.

[0009] According to one embodiment, a deposition apparatus is provided. The deposition apparatus includes a first deposition source configured to deposit material in a substrate receiving area; and a masking element provided between the first deposition source and the substrate receiving area, the masking element being configured to move to adjust a mask distance of the masking element from the substrate receiving area for deposition of the material.

[0010] According to another embodiment, a deposition method for depositing material on one or more substrates is provided. The method includes masking a one or more substrate edge regions of the one or more substrates using a masking element having a first mask distance of the masking element from the one or more substrates; depositing material with the first mask distance; moving the masking element and the one or more substrates relative to each other to adjust a mask distance to a second mask distance; and depositing material on the one or more substrates with the second mask distance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] A full and enabling disclosure to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification including reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1A-C show a deposition apparatus according to embodiments described herein;

FIGS. 2A-B illustrate a masking element configured to be moved according to embodiments described herein;

FIGS. 3 illustrates deposition apparatus and a masking element configured to be moved according to embodiments described herein;

FIG. 4 shows a deposition apparatus including a plurality of deposition sources according to embodiments described herein;

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart illustrating embodiments of operating a deposition apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 shows a processing system including a deposition apparatus according to embodiments described herein.

DETAIFED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. Within the following description of the drawings, the same reference numbers refer to same components. Generally, only the differences with respect to individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation and is not meant as a limitation. Further, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with other embodiments to yield yet a further embodiment. It is intended that the description includes such modifications and variations.

[0013] The term“deposition”, as used herein, can refer more specifically to layer deposition. A layer deposition process, or coating process, is a process where a material is deposited on a substrate to form a layer of deposited material on the substrate. A layer deposition process may, for example, refer to a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, e.g. a sputtering process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and the like. A layer deposition process may be performed in a process chamber, in particular in a vacuum process chamber, where the substrate to be coated is located.

[0014] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to deposition processes including a mask, such as an edge exclusion mask. For example, deposition on a large area substrate may be provided. Embodiments described herein provide a mask movement in a direction vertical to the substrate direction. The mask movement can be provided e.g. from a first deposition position of the mask to a second deposition position of the mask.

[0015] During deposition, e.g. sputtering, a substrate and a mask may charge up to a certain voltage. For example, a charging may be in a range of typically - 20V to -60V. A typical operating condition may include a mask-substrate-clearance of several mm (in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface on which material is to be deposited). The mask and the substrate may not touch each other during sputtering. Once the substrate and the mask touch each other by accident, arcing will occur due to different charging voltage. Undesired deposition on the mask may also be provided, e.g. stick underneath the mask, i.e. between the mask and the substrate. This undesired deposition may change the distance from substrate to mask. Additionally or alternatively, a substrate may warp during sputtering due to heat generation as well as film stress after sputtering. This may further change the distance from substrate to mask.

[0016] According to an embodiment, a deposition apparatus is provided. The deposition apparatus includes a first deposition source and may optionally include a second deposition source. For example, an array of deposition sources may be provided, e.g. for a stationary deposition process. The one or more deposition sources may be configured to deposit material in a substrate receiving area. The deposition apparatus includes a masking element. The masking element is configured to mask a region of a substrate, e.g. a substrate edge region.

[0017] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C show a deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein. The exemplary deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C may be provided for processing a vertically oriented substrate 160. However, embodiments described herein are not limited to vertically oriented substrates, and other orientations of the substrate 160 can be considered as well according to embodiments described herein.

[0018] FIG. 1A shows a top view of the deposition apparatus 100. The deposition apparatus 100 includes a first deposition source 110 and e.g. a second deposition source 120 for coating a substrate 160 in a substrate receiving area. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 each include a rotatable target. The first deposition source 110 has a rotation axis 112. The second deposition source 120 has a rotation axis 122. The first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 are not restricted to rotatable targets, and other types of deposition sources can also be considered according to embodiments described herein.

[0019] FIGS. 1A to 1C show a first direction 103, a second direction 102, and a third direction 104. The substrate 160 is parallel to the second direction 102 and e.g. the third direction 104. For the embodiments described herein, the substrate may be considered parallel having an angle of about 0°, i.e. from -5° to 5°. The second direction is perpendicular to the substrate. For the embodiments described herein, the substrate may be considered perpendicular having an angle of about 90°, i.e. from 85° to 95°. The rotation axis 112 of the first deposition source 110 and the rotation axis 122 of the second deposition source 120 may extend in the third direction 104. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, wherein the substrate 160 is vertically oriented, the second direction 102 is a horizontal direction and the third direction 104 is a vertical direction.

[0020] The deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1A includes a masking element 150. The masking element 150 is also shown in FIG. 1B providing a side view of the deposition apparatus 100. The masking element 150 covers a substrate edge region 162 of the substrate 160 to prevent or reduce material emitted by the first deposition source 110 and/or the second deposition source 120 from being deposited on the substrate edge region 162. [0021] In the side view of FIG. 1B, the third direction 104 is parallel to the plane of the page, as indicated by the double-headed arrow, and the second direction 102 is perpendicular to the plane of the page.

[0022] FIG. 1C provides a front view of the deposition apparatus 100. For ease of presentation, the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 of the deposition apparatus 100 are not shown in FIG. 1C. As shown in FIG. 1C, the substrate edge region 162 extends in the second direction 102. The masking element 150 may extend in the second direction 102. According to embodiments described herein, one or more masking elements may extend in the second direction. Additionally, masking elements may extend in the third direction. For example, a frame-shaped masking element may provide a frame surrounding a center of the substrate (or a deposition area) or at least partially surrounding the center of the substrate (or a deposition area). A frame-shaped masking element may include portions extending in the second direction 102 and portions extending the third direction. In the front view of FIG. 1C, both the second direction 102 and the third direction 104 are parallel to the plane of the page.

[0023] According to embodiments described herein, the masking element 150 is configured to be moved in at least a first direction 103 to compensate for an accumulation of deposition material, e.g. underneath the masking element 150. The masking element may additionally be movable in the second direction 102 and/or the third direction 104 to compensate for accumulation of deposition material on the masking element and/or at the edge of the masking element.

[0024] As described above, due to charging a deposition underneath the masking element may result in arcing due to a decreasing mask-substrate-distance. Further, warping of a substrate may result in the substrate touching the mask. Arcing may result in scrapping arcing substrate.

[0025] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a substrate to mask distance can be controlled and/or adapted. For example, the distance can be controlled, e.g. freely and/or for combinations of process parameters. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a process parameter utilized to control the substrate mask distance, i.e. the position in the first direction 103 (see FIG. 1B) during deposition, can be selected from the group including: film thickness, deposition material, process temperature, process gas, and sputter power. [0026] FIG. 2A shows a masking element 150 provided as a bar, for example, at a top edge region 162 of a vertically oriented substrate. The masking element 150 may remain in a first position for a certain period of time, e.g. during part of a deposition cycle. According to some embodiments, the mask portion may be one or two edges extending along the second direction 102, e.g. a horizontal direction for an essentially vertically oriented substrate. A masking element provided by one or more bars, e.g. at a top edge region and at a bottom edge region for vertically oriented substrates, may beneficially be provided for dynamic deposition processes.

[0027] As shown in FIG 2B, and according to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a masking element 150 may be or include an edge exclusion mask or a portion thereof. FIG. 2B shows edge regions 162 oriented along a second direction 102 and along a third direction 104 being masked by the masking element 150. An edge exclusion mask may be composed of several parts or portions, which can form a frame. The frame of a mask may have several frame portions or frame parts. This may be advantageous, as frames assembled from different parts are believed to be more cost efficient to produce than integral frames. A masking element 150 according to embodiments described herein may refer to an edge exclusion mask or to a portion thereof, e.g. a frame portion of an edge exclusion mask.

[0028] According to embodiments, a masking element 150 may be or include a piece of mask material, such as a carbon fiber material or a metal like aluminium, titan, stainless steel, Invar or the like. A masking element providing a frame or portions of a frame may beneficially be provided for static deposition processes.

[0029] According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a masking element 150 may be configured to mask a substrate edge region 162 extending in a second direction 102 or in a third direction 104. A masking element 150 may extend in the second direction 102 and/or the third direction. A masking element 150 may have an elongated shape or a frame shape.

[0030] A substrate edge region, e.g. substrate edge region 162, refers to a thin, peripheral area of a substrate. A substrate edge region may have a length and a width, wherein the length of the substrate edge region may be much larger than the width of the substrate edge region. A substrate edge region may extend in the second direction 102 and/or the third direction. A substrate edge region may have a length which is much larger than a width of the substrate edge region. A substrate edge region may be arranged at a one, two sides or four sides of a substrate. According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a substrate edge region of a substrate may have an area of about 5% or less of the area of the substrate 160, more particularly about 2% or less, still more particularly between about 1 %c to about 2% of the area of the substrate. According to embodiments, which be combined with other embodiments described herein, a width of a substrate edge region may be 8 mm or less, more particularly 6 mm or less.

[0031] According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a length of a substrate edge region in the second direction 102 or the third direction 104 may be equal to the length of the substrate in the second direction 102 or the third direction, respectively. A masking element 150 may be configured for masking a substrate edge region, for example, extending along the entire length of the substrate 160.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein. FIG. 3 shows a masking element 150. Material 202 has been deposited on the masking element 150 shown in FIG. 3. It can be seen that material has been deposited on a side of the masking element 150 facing a deposition source (110 and/or 120). Further, material 202 has been deposited underneath the masking element 150. The material 202 may also be provided between the masking element 150 and the substrate 160. Accordingly, a mask- substrate distance 212 (without accumulation of deposition material) can change to a mask- substrate distance 213 (with accumulation of deposition material).

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a controller 390. The controller may receive information from and/or provide information from various components of the deposition apparatus, such as the deposition source 110 and/or the deposition source 120. The controller 390 is in communication with a support structure of the masking element and/or an actuator 360 to move the masking element 150. The actuator can move the masking element 150 by supporting the masking element or may move the masking element. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a masking element is provided in a deposition apparatus. The masking element is movable in a first direction 103 relative to a deposition area, i.e. an area in which a substrate can be provided for processing of the substrate. As shown in FIG. 3, an actuator 360 can be provided. The actuator can move the substrate as indicated by arrow 361. Accordingly, the distance 212 of the mask relative to the substrate can be adapted. [0034] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a process parameter utilized to control the substrate mask distance, i.e. the position in the first direction 103 (see e.g. FIG. 3) during deposition, can be selected from the group including: film thickness, deposition material, process temperature, and sputter power. For example, a deposition growth underneath the masking element, i.e. a mask such as an edge exclusion mask, can be estimated using power and time (kWh) of a deposition process. The power and the time may provide an equivalent to material built-up on the mask. For example, when the power for deposition, e.g. the power provided to a sputtering target increases, the mask- substrate distance can be increased. Accordingly, by increasing the mask- substrate-distance, a beneficial distance for the deposition process can be maintained. The mask-glass distance can be increased to avoid glass contact with the layer of material on the mask, e.g. at the mask inner side, i.e. between the mask and the substrate.

[0035] As the masking element 150 masks the substrate edge region 162, deposition material emitted by the first deposition source 110 and the second deposition source 120 accumulates on the masking element 150. The growth of deposition material on the masking element 150 affects the effective shape of the masking element 150. For example, a thickness of material formed on an edge portion of the masking element 150 may change the effective shape of such an edge portion or of an aperture of a frame-like mask. This may lead, for example, to non-uniformities of the layer deposited on the substrate 160.

[0036] In order to compensate for the accumulation of deposition material on the masking element 150, according to embodiments described herein the masking element 150 can further be configured to be moved in the second direction 102 and/or the third direction. The masking element 150 may be moved, with respect to the substrate 160, from the first position to a second position in a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate, i.e. in a plane defined by the second direction 102 and the third direction.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein. The exemplary deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 4 includes a deposition array including six deposition sources 110, 120, 530, 540, 550 and 560. Each of the deposition sources has a rotation axis extending in the third direction 104. The deposition array has a pitch 510.

[0038] A pitch of a deposition array may refer to a distance, particularly a distance in the second direction 102, between adjacent deposition sources of the deposition array. More specifically, a pitch of the deposition array may refer to a distance between rotation axes of adjacent deposition sources of the deposition array.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows the masking element in the first position. As illustrated in FIG. 4 the pitch of the deposition sources may result in accumulated material 502 on the mask with a varying thickness. The thickness variation can be based on the arrangement of the deposition source array. The thickness variation may have a pattern length (a pattern pitch) that is similar to the pitch of the array of deposition sources. To compensate for the non-uniform accumulation of material on the mask, the masking element 150 may further be moved as indicated by arrow 561. For example, the masking element may be translated along the second direction 102. As indicated by material accumulation 503, a masking element movement of about half of the pitch of the deposition sources may result in an accumulation profile at a second position of the masking element that may be essentially a complement to the material accumulation 502 in a first position. A distance between the first position and the second position may be, e.g., about 50% of the pitch 510. By moving the masking element 150 from the first position to the second position 204, peaks of deposition material deposited on the masking element 150 may be shifted to locations between adjacent deposition sources of the deposition array. Accordingly, the movement from the first position to the second position 204 allows for averaging out the deposition profile of the deposition material accumulating on the masking element 150.

[0040] According to yet further embodiments, additionally or alternatively to the movement in the second direction 102, a masking element may be moved in the third direction 104. For example, if a lower edge of an upper bar (see masking element 150 in FIG. 2A) is provided with accumulated deposition material, the edge of the masking element grows towards the deposition area of the deposition apparatus. This may be compensated by a masking element movement along the third direction 104.

[0041] In light of the above, in addition to a movement of the masking element in the first direction, i.e. to adapt the distance between the mask and the substrate, one or more further movements in the second direction 102 and/or the third direction 104 may occur. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, in addition to the actuator 360 shown in FIG. 3, one or more further actuators may be provided in a deposition apparatus for such further movements. [0042] According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a deposition source of the deposition apparatus 100 may be adapted for performing, for example, a sputtering process, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and the like.

[0043] According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first deposition source 110, an optional second deposition source 120 and/or any further deposition source described herein may be configured for vacuum deposition. A deposition apparatus 100 may be a vacuum deposition apparatus. A deposition source may be arranged in a vacuum processing chamber. According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a deposition source may be or include a cathode assembly. A deposition source may include a target, particularly a rotatable target. A rotatable target may be rotatable around a rotation axis of the deposition source, e.g. a rotation axis 112. A rotatable target may have a curved surface, for example a cylindrical surface. The rotatable target may be rotated around the rotation axis being the axis of a cylinder or a tube during sputtering. This may increase material utilization.

[0044] A deposition source may include a magnet assembly. A magnet assembly may be arranged in a rotatable target of the deposition source. A magnet assembly may be arranged so that the target material sputtered by the deposition source is sputtered towards a substrate. A magnet assembly may generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field may cause one or more plasma regions to be formed near the magnetic field during a sputter deposition process. The position of the magnet assembly within a rotatable target affects the direction in which target material is sputtered away from the cathode assembly during a sputter deposition process.

[0045] According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a substrate is a large area substrate.

[0046] The term“substrate” as used herein embraces both inflexible substrates, e.g., a glass substrate, a wafer, slices of transparent crystal such as sapphire or the like, or a glass plate, and flexible substrates, such as a web or a foil. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, embodiments described herein can be utilized for Display PVD, i.e. sputter deposition on large area substrates for the display market. According to some embodiments, large area substrates or respective carriers, wherein the carriers may carry one substrate or a plurality of substrates, may have a size of at least 0.67 m ² . The size may be from about 0.67m ² (0.73x0.92m - Gen 4.5) to about 8 m ² , more specifically from about 2 m ² to about 9 m ² or even up to 12 m ² . The substrates or carriers, for which the structures, apparatuses, such as cathode assemblies, and methods according to embodiments described herein are provided, can be large area substrates as described herein. For instance, a large area substrate or carrier can be GEN 4.5, which corresponds to about 0.67 m ² substrates (0.73x0.92m), GEN 5, which corresponds to about 1.4 m ² substrates (1.1 m x 1.3 m), GEN 7.5, which corresponds to about 4.29 m ² substrates (1.95 m x 2.2 m), GEN 8.5, which corresponds to about 5.7m ² substrates (2.2 m x 2.5 m), or even GEN 10, which corresponds to about 8.7 m ² substrates (2.85 m x 3.05 m). Even larger generations such as GEN 11 and GEN 12 and corresponding substrate areas can similarly be implemented.

[0047] According to embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, a deposition apparatus may include a substrate receiving area for receiving a substrate. A substrate receiving area may have a size and/or shape corresponding to a size and/or shape of a substrate considered according to embodiments described herein. Further, a masking element utilized in embodiments of the present disclosure, may be adapted for a specific substrate size, i.e. substrate generation. Even though the above list of substrate generations may not be exhaustive, a person skilled in the art can appreciate that large area substrates are provided in substrate generations with a very limited number of sizes. Accordingly, a person skilled in the art is aware of the generations and the sizes, such that a mask for e.g. a GEN7.5 substrate can be recognized as a mask configured to mask a GEN7.5 substrate.

[0048] According to embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a deposition method can be a static deposition method or a dynamic deposition method.

[0049] The distinction between static deposition and dynamic deposition is the following, and applies particularly for large area substrate processing, such as processing of vertically oriented large area substrates. A dynamic sputtering is an inline process where the substrate moves continuously or quasi-continuously adjacent to the deposition source. Dynamic sputtering has the advantage that the sputtering process can be stabilized prior to the substrates moving into a deposition area, and then held constant as substrates pass by the deposition source. Yet, a dynamic deposition can have disadvantages, e.g. with respect to particle generation. This might particularly apply for TFT backplane deposition. It should be noted that the term static deposition process, which is different as compared to dynamic deposition processes, does not exclude every movement of the substrate as would be appreciated by a skilled person. A static deposition process can include, for example, a static substrate position during deposition, an oscillating substrate position during deposition, an average substrate position that is essentially constant during deposition, a dithering substrate position during deposition, a wobbling substrate position during deposition, or a combination thereof. Accordingly, a static deposition process can be understood as a deposition process with a static position, a deposition process with an essentially static position, or a deposition process with a partially static position of the substrate. A static deposition process, as described herein, can be clearly distinguished from a dynamic deposition process without the necessity that the substrate position for the static deposition process is provided fully without any movement of the substrate or of the cathode assemblies during deposition.

[0050] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a deposition method for depositing material on one or more substrates is provided. The method includes as shown in box 501 masking a substrate edge region of the one or more substrates using a masking element having a first mask distance from the one or more substrates. Material is deposited with the first mask distance (see box 504). The masking element and the one or more substrates are moved relative to each other to adjust a mask distance to a second mask distance (see box 506). For example, the mask distance can be moved by a movement of the mask in the first direction 103 (see FIG. 1B). The mask distance or mask- substrate distance (or clearance) as described herein refers to a distance between a plane of the substrate, e.g. a plane of the substrate surface in which material is to be deposited, and a parallel plane of the masking element. Accordingly, mask distance or mask- substrate distance substantially extends along the first direction 103. The method further includes depositing material on the one or more substrates with the second mask distance (see box 508).

[0051] According to some embodiments, a deposition is provided at the first mask distance on a first substrate of the one or more substrates and at the second, different mask distance on a second substrate of the one or more substrates. For example, the mask distance can be adjusted between two deposition processes on subsequent substrates. According to another option, the mask distance may be adjusted during deposition of one substrate. Accordingly, a deposition may be provided at the first mask distance on a first substrate of the one or more substrates and at the second, different mask distance on the first (same) substrate of the one or more substrates. [0052] According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the mask distance may be adjusted based on a process parameter selected from the group including: film thickness, deposition material, process temperature, sputter power; and combinations thereof. For example, a controller 390 (see FIG. 3) may receive a signal corresponding to one or more of the above process parameters and may adjust the mask distance accordingly. According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, an accumulation of material underneath the mask, i.e. between the masking element and the substrate, may be measured and a mask distance may additionally or alternatively be adjusted based on the measurement of the accumulation.

[0053] Yet further embodiments of deposition methods can include, as further optional features, a mask movement along the second direction 102 and/or the third direction 104 (see FIGS. 1A to 1C).

[0054] FIG. 6 shows a vacuum processing system 600. The vacuum processing 600 can process a plurality of substrates, for example sequentially one after the other. The vacuum processing 600 includes, for example, a transfer chamber 601 and a deposition apparatus 100. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a first substrate 655 may be transported on a transportation track 654 (as indicated by arrow 665) in the deposition apparatus 100. Further, a second substrate 653, for example, process substrate, may be transported on a transportation track 652 (as indicated by arrow 663) from the deposition apparatus 100 to the transfer chamber 601.

[0055] The deposition apparatus 100 may include the first transportation track 654, for example, a forward transportation track. The deposition apparatus may further include a second transportation track 652, for example, a backward transportation track. Substrates may be moved from the first transportation track to the second transportation track as indicated by arrow 642. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a deposition apparatus 100 may further include a processing track 656. A substrate may be moved from one of the transportation tracks to the processing track as indicated by arrow 644. FIG. 6 shows the third substrate 657.

[0056] As described above, masking element 150 can be provided between one or more deposition sources 110 and a substrate receiving area. As shown in FIG. 6, the substrate receiving area can correspond to the processing track 656. A carrier supporting a substrate, wherein the carrier is supported at the processing track, holds the substrate in the substrate receiving area, i.e. the area or the plane in which material is deposited on the substrate.

[0057] In FIG. 6, arrow 646 illustrates the distance between the masking element, for example, an edge exclusion mask, and the substrate, a substrate receiving area, or substrate carrier, respectively. As indicated by arrow 361, an actuator 360 may move the masking element 150 to adjust the mask distance, i.e. the distance between the mask and the substrate. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the distance between the mask and the substrate may also be adjusted by moving the substrate or the substrate carrier relative to the mask, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. Yet further, the distance may be adjusted by moving both the mask and the substrate.

[0058] It is to be understood that an optional movement of the substrate or a substrate carrier to adjust the mask- substrate distance is much smaller as compared to a movement of the substrate or substrate carrier from one of the transportation tracks to the processing track or vice versa. For example, an adjustment of the mask distance may, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, be 30 mm or less, such as, 10 mm or less, for example, in a range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm. Movement of the substrate or a substrate carrier for a track change may be 50 mm or above such as 100 mm or above.

[0059] Embodiments of the present disclosure allow for a compensation of accumulation of material on the mask, and particularly underneath the mask, that is between the mask and the substrate. Accordingly, arcing can be prevented which results in increased yield of a deposition apparatus or processing system, respectively.

[0060] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the disclosure, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.