WO2022002349A1

WO2022002349A1 - Nozzle assembly, evaporation source, deposition system and method for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate

Info

Publication number: WO2022002349A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/068257
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas Lopp; Stefan Bangert
Original assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
Priority date: 2020-06-29
Filing date: 2020-06-29
Publication date: 2022-01-06
Also published as: JP2023540659A; EP4172377A1; TWI825433B; TW202219297A; CN115768916A; KR20230030645A

Abstract

A nozzle assembly for guiding an evaporated material to a substrate is described. The nozzles assembly includes a plurality of nozzles, one or more nozzles of the plurality of nozzles include: a first nozzle section having a first end and a second end, the first nozzle section comprising a vapor outlet at the second end, and an orifice at or adjacent to the vapor outlet having an orifice diameter.

Description

NOZZLE ASSEMBLY, EVAPORATION SOURCE, DEPOSITION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEPOSITING AN EVAPORATED MATERIAL ONTO A SUBSTRATE

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to substrate coating by thermal evaporation in a vacuum chamber. Embodiments of the present disclosure further relate to the deposition of one or more coating strips on a flexible substrate via evaporation, e.g. on a flexible metal foil. In particular, embodiments relate to the deposition of lithium on a flexible foil, e.g. for the manufacture of Li-batteries. Specifically, embodiments relate to a vapor deposition apparatus, a method for coating a substrate in a vacuum chamber, and a method for installing a vapor deposition apparatus.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Various techniques for deposition on a substrate, for example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) are known. For deposition at high deposition rates, thermal evaporation may be used as a PVD process. For thermal evaporation, a source material is heated up to produce a vapor that may be deposited, for example, on a substrate. Increasing the temperature of the heated source material increases the vapor concentration and can facilitate high deposition rates. The temperature for achieving high deposition rates depends on the source material physical properties, e.g. vapor pressure as a function of temperature, and maybe limited by the substrate properties or physical limits, e.g. the melting point.

[0003] For example, the material to be deposited on the substrate can be heated in a crucible to produce vapor at an elevated vapor pressure. The vapor can be transported from the crucible to a heated vapor distributor with a plurality of nozzles. The vapor can be directed by the one or more nozzles onto a substrate in a coating volume, for example, in a vacuum chamber.

[0004] The deposition of a metal, e.g. lithium, on a flexible substrate, e.g. on a copper substrate, by evaporation may be used for the manufacture of batteries, such as Li -batteries. For example, a lithium layer may be deposited on a thin flexible substrate for producing the anode of a battery. After assembly of the anode layer stack and the cathode layer stack, optionally with an electrolyte and/or separator therebetween, the manufactured layer arrangement may be rolled or otherwise stacked to produce the Li-battery. [0005] For evaporation processes, particularly at high deposition rates, the heat load on the substrate may be mainly provided by the condensation energy of the material deposited onto the substrate. Particularly for the substrates, for example in a roll-to-roll process, the heat load on the substrate is a process parameter to be well controlled. The heat load is beneficially well controlled while increasing or maximizing the deposition rate.

[0006] Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a vapor deposition apparatus and a method for coating a substrate in a vacuum chamber, for which the heat load on the substrate can be improved, particularly at a high deposition rate. Further, source material utilization is advantageously improved. Thus, production costs can be reduced and a layer quality can be improved.

SUMMARY

[0007] In light of the above, a nozzle assembly, an evaporation source, deposition system, and a method for coating a substrate in a vacuum chamber, and a method for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate are provided. Further aspects, advantages and features of the present disclosure are apparent from the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a nozzle assembly for guiding an evaporated material to a substrate is provided. The nozzles assembly includes a plurality of nozzles, one or more nozzles of the plurality of nozzles include: a first nozzle section having a first end and a second end, the first nozzle section comprising a vapor outlet at the second end; and an orifice at or adjacent to the vapor outlet having an orifice diameter.

[0009] According to one embodiment, an evaporation source for depositing an evaporated material on a substrate, is provided. The evaporation source includes a nozzle assembly comprising a plurality of nozzle rows extending in a row direction and being arranged next to each other, the plurality of nozzle rows being shifted with respect to each other by a row offset in the row direction.

[0010] According to one embodiment, an evaporation source for depositing an evaporated material on a substrate is provided. The evaporation source includes a nozzle assembly comprising a plurality of nozzle rows extending in a row direction and being arranged next to each other, the plurality of nozzle rows being shifted with respect to each other by a row offset in the row direction. One or more nozzles of the plurality of nozzles include a first nozzle section having a first end and a second end, the first nozzle section comprising a vapor outlet at the second end; and an orifice at or adjacent to the vapor outlet having an orifice diameter.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a deposition system for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate is provided. The deposition system includes one or more evaporation sources according to embodiments of the present disclosure and a transport device for transporting the substrate towards the one or more evaporation sources.

[0012] According to one embodiment, a method for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate is provided. The method includes transporting the substrate to an evaporation source, the evaporation source comprising a nozzle assembly according to any of the embodiments described herein and guiding the evaporated material through the plurality of nozzles of the nozzle assembly for depositing a defocused plume of material onto the substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments. The accompanying drawings relate to embodiments of the disclosure and are described in the following:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a vapor deposition apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 A shows a schematic sectional view of a nozzle of an evaporator according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B shows a schematic sectional view of a nozzle of an evaporator according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a vapor deposition apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a nozzle area of an evaporator according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart for illustrating a method for coating a substrate in a vacuum chamber according to embodiments described herein; and FIG. 6 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of depositing a layer, particularly a thick layer, and more particularly a thick Li layer on a thin substrate according to embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [0014] Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the disclosure, 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. Only the differences with respect to individual embodiments are described. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the disclosure and is not meant as a limitation of the disclosure. 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.

[0015] Within the following description of the drawings, the same reference numbers refer to the same or similar components. Generally, only the differences with respect to the individual embodiments are described. Unless specified otherwise, the description of a part or aspect in one applies to a corresponding part or aspect in another embodiment as well.

[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to thin-film coating by evaporation into the vacuum chamber. The material to be deposited on the substrate is heated up to an evaporation temperature. The evaporation rate can be increased by increasing the temperature. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the evaporation temperature for a predetermined coating rate may depend on the material vapor pressure curve. The vapor of the material to be deposited on the substrate condenses on the substrate surface having a lower temperature than the vapor pressure related temperature.

[0017] Upon condensation of the material, the vapor introduces condensation energy into the substrate and will heat up the substrate. Particularly for processes in the vacuum chamber according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the heat load on the substrate may be mainly based on the condensation energy. For thin substrates, for example, a web or foil, the heat load is advantageously well-controlled. Embodiments of the present disclosure reduce or avoid temperature hotspots on the substrate.

[0018] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, apparatuses and methods for coating by evaporation in a vacuum chamber are provided. For depositing a substrate with a source material by evaporation, the source material may be heated inside a vapor source, e.g. inside a crucible of the vapor source, above the evaporation or sublimation temperature of the source material. Embodiments of the present disclosure result in reduced condensation on surfaces other than the substrate surface, such that cleaning efforts and waste of material due to stray coating in the vacuum chamber can be reduced. In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a clearly defined and sharp coating layer edge on the substrate, even if the substrate is flexible and/or in a curved state during the vapor deposition. Yet further, embodiments disclosed herein allow for an accurate substrate edge masking, even if the substrate is coated while being arranged on a moving substrate support, particularly on the curved drum surface of a coating drum.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a vapor deposition apparatus 100 according to embodiments described herein. The vapor deposition apparatus 100 includes a substrate support 110 for supporting a substrate 10 that is to be coated. The vapor deposition apparatus 100 further includes a vapor source 120 with a plurality of nozzles 121 for directing vapor 15 toward the substrate support 110 through a vapor propagation volume 20. The vapor propagation volume 20 may be understood as a volume or space between the vapor source 120 and the substrate support through which the vapor is directed by the plurality of nozzles 121. It is beneficial if at least most of the vapor that is emitted by the plurality of nozzles 121 is confined in the vapor propagation volume 20, i.e. in a defined volume downstream of the plurality of nozzles 121, such that a stray coating of other components inside the vacuum chamber but outside the vapor propagation volume 20, e.g. of vacuum chamber walls, can be reduced or avoided.

[0020] In some embodiments described herein, the substrate support 110 is movable, such that the substrate 10 can be moved past the vapor source 120 during vapor deposition. An accurate masking of areas of the substrate 10 that are to be kept free of coating material, specifically an accurate masking of substrate edges (also referred to herein as “edge exclusion”) can be provided. [0021] In some implementations, the substrate support 110 is a rotatable drum with a curved drum surface 111, and the vapor deposition apparatus is configured to move the substrate 10 on the curved drum surface 111 past the vapor source 120 in a circumferential direction T. For example, the substrate may be a flexible web or foil, and the vapor deposition system may be a roll-to- roll deposition system.

[0022] A “circumferential direction T” as used herein may be understood as the direction along the circumference of the coating drum that corresponds to the movement direction of the curved drum surface 111 when the coating drum rotates around an axis A. The circumferential direction corresponds to the substrate transport direction when the substrate is moved past the vapor source 120 on the curved drum surface. A. In some embodiments, the coating drum may have a diameter in a range of 300 mm to 1400 mm or larger.

[0023] The vapor deposition apparatus 100 may be a roll-to-roll deposition system for coating a flexible substrate, e.g. a foil. The substrate to be coated may have a thickness of 50 pm or less, particularly 20 pm or less, or even 6 pm or less. For example, a metal foil or a flexible metal-coated foil may be coated in the vapor deposition apparatus. In some implementations, the substrate 10 is a thin copper foil or a thin aluminum foil having a thickness below 30 pm, e.g. 10 pm or less.

[0024] In a roll-to-roll deposition system, the substrate 10 may be unwound from a storage spool, at least one or more material layers may be deposited on the substrate while the substrate is guided on the curved drum surface 111 of a coating drum, and the coated substrate may be wound on a wind-up spool after the deposition and/or may be coated in further deposition apparatuses.

[0025] According to embodiments described herein, the vapor deposition apparatus further includes a heatable shield 130 that extends from the vapor source 120 toward the substrate support 110 and at least partially surrounds the vapor propagation volume 20. In particular, the heatable shield 130 may be mounted at the vapor source 120, e.g. at a periphery of the vapor source 120, or at another stationary support in the vacuum chamber, and may extend from the vapor source 120 toward the substrate support 110. The heatable shield 130 may be mounted stationary in a vacuum chamber of the vapor deposition apparatus, i.e. the heatable shield does not move together with the substrate support 110. The heatable shield 130 may be shaped such that the heatable shield at least partially or entirely surrounds the vapor propagation volume 20, reducing or preventing a propagation of the vapor 15 outside the vapor propagation volume. In other words, the heatable shield 130 may form a side wall of the vapor propagation volume 20 and confine the vapor 15 or at least a major part thereof in the vapor propagation volume. A stray coating on surfaces outside the vapor propagation volume 20 that is (at least partially or entirely) surrounded by the heatable shield can be reduced, and the cleaning of the apparatus can be facilitated.

[0026] In particular, the heatable shield 130 may be arranged at least at two opposite lateral sides of the vapor propagation volume 20, as is schematically depicted in the sectional view of FIG. 1, preventing vapor from exiting the vapor propagation volume 20 toward the left and right sides in FIG. 1, i.e. in the lateral direction L that extends along the axis A of the coating drum. Additionally, in some embodiments, the heatable shield 130 may also be arranged at least in one of a substrate entrance side (defining a substrate entrance wall of the vapor propagation volume 20) and a substrate exit side (defining a substrate exit wall of the vapor propagation volume 20) of the vapor propagation volume 20 (not shown in FIG. 1). If two or more vapor sources are arranged adjacent to each other at a periphery of a coating drum (see FIG. 3), two or more vapor propagation volumes of two or more vapor sources may not be fully separated from each other by the heatable shield, i.e. the heatable shield may have a partially open side wall or no side wall at an interface between the two adjacent vapor sources.

[0027] The heatable shield 130 is heatable, such that vapor condensation on the heatable shield 130 can be reduced or prevented when the heatable shield 130 is heated to an operation temperature, e.g. an operation temperature of 500°C or more in some embodiments. Preventing vapor condensation on the heatable shield 130 is beneficial because cleaning efforts can be reduced. Further, a coating on the heatable shield 130 may change the dimensions of a coating window that is provided by the heatable shield. In particular, if a gap in the range of only few millimeters, e.g. of about 1 mm or less, is provided between the heatable shield 130 and the substrate support 110, a coating on the heatable shield would lead to a change in the gap dimensions and hence to an undesired change in an edge shape of a coating layer deposited on the substrate. Further, source material utilization can be improved when no source material accumulates on the heatable shield. Specifically, essentially all the source material propagating inside the vapor propagation volume 20 can be used for coating the substrate surface if the heatable shield is heated to the operation temperature that may be above a vapor condensation temperature.

[0028] A “vapor condensation temperature” as used herein may be understood as a threshold temperature of the heatable shield above which the vapor 15 no longer condenses on the heatable shield. The operation temperature of the heatable shield 130 may be at or (slightly) above the vapor condensation temperature. For example, the operation temperature of the heatable shield may be between 5°C and 50°C above the vapor condensation temperature in order to avoid an excessive heat radiation toward the substrate support. It is to be noted that the vapor condensation temperature depends on the vapor pressure. Since the vapor pressure downstream of the plurality of nozzles 121 in the vapor propagation volume 20 is lower than the vapor pressure inside a crucible 160 and/or inside a distributor 161 of the vapor source 120, the vapor a crucible 160 and/or inside a distributor 161 may condense already at a lower temperature than the vapor 15 inside the vapor propagation volume 20. The “vapor condensation temperature” as used herein relates to the temperature of the heatable shield downstream of the plurality of nozzles in the vapor propagation volume 20 that avoids a vapor condensation on the heatable shield. The “evaporation temperature” as used herein relates to a temperature inside the vapor source 120 upstream of the plurality of nozzles 121 at which the source material evaporates. The evaporation temperature within the vapor source 120 is typically higher than the vapor condensation temperature inside the vapor propagation volume 20. For example, the evaporation temperature inside the vapor source may be set to a temperature above 600°C, whereas the vapor condensation temperature downstream of the plurality of nozzles 121 may be below 600°C, e.g. from 500°C to 550°C, if lithium is evaporated. In embodiments described herein, the temperature inside the vapor source may be 600°C or more, whereas the operation temperature of the heatable shield may be set at less than 600°C, e.g. from 500°C to 550°C during vapor deposition.

[0029] Vapor hitting the heatable shield that is provided at the operation temperature of, e.g. 500°C to 550°C, may be immediately re-evaporated or reflected from the heatable shield surface, such that the respective vapor molecules end up on the substrate surface rather than on the heatable shield surface. Material accumulation on the heatable shield can be reduced or prevented, and cleaning efforts can be reduced.

[0030] The “heatable shield” may also be referred to herein as a “temperature-controlled shield” since the temperature of the heatable shield can be set to the predetermined operation temperature during the vapor deposition, reducing or preventing the vapor condensation on the heatable shield. In particular, the temperature of the heatable shield can be controlled to be maintained in a predetermined range. A controller and a respective heating arrangement controlled by the controller may be provided for controlling the temperature of the heatable shield during vapor deposition.

[0031] According to embodiments described herein, the heatable shield 130 may include an edge exclusion portion for masking areas of the substrate not to be coated. In some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the vapor source 120 may be configured to evaporate a metal, particularly a metal having an evaporation temperature of 500°C or more, particularly 600°C or more. In some implementations, the vapor source 120 may be configured to deposit a lithium layer on the substrate. The vapor source 120 may include a crucible 160 configured to be heated to a temperature of 600°C or more, particularly 800°C or more, and a distributor 161 configured to guide the vapor from the crucible 160 to the plurality of nozzles 121, wherein an inner volume of the distributor can be heated to a temperature of 600°C or more, particularly 800°C or more.

[0032] The vapor deposition apparatus may further include a heating arrangement 140 for actively or passively heating the heatable shield 130 to an operation temperature above a vapor condensation temperature, particularly to a temperature of 500°C or more and 600°C or less, particularly 500°C or more and 550°C or less. If the temperature of a surface of the heatable shield 130 is below the vapor condensation temperature, the vapor 15 can condense on a surface of the heatable shield. Accordingly, the operation temperature of the heatable shield may be controlled to be above the vapor condensation temperature. Specifically, the operation temperature of the heatable shield may be only slightly above the vapor condensation temperature, e.g. 10°C or more and 50°C or less above the vapor condensation temperature, in order to avoid an excessive heat load toward the substrate.

[0033] In some embodiments, the vapor deposition apparatus includes a controller 141 connected to the heating arrangement 140, the controller 141 configured to control the temperature of the heatable shield 130 to be lower than a temperature inside the vapor source 120 and higher than the vapor condensation temperature. The heatable shield may therefore also be referred to herein as a “temperature-controlled shield”. The operation temperature of the heatable shield should be as low as possible, in order to reduce the heat load toward the substrate, but should be high enough to prevent vapor condensation on the heatable shield. The operation temperature of the heatable shield is typically less than the evaporation temperature inside the vapor source 120, e.g., inside a crucible 160 or a distributor 161 of the vapor source, because the pressure inside the vapor source 120 is typically higher than the pressure inside the vapor propagation volume 20 downstream of the plurality of nozzles 121.

[0034] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the vapor is guided from the distributor 161 towards the substrate by a plurality of nozzles 121, for example, a nozzle assembly. The vapor is guided from the crucible in a heated tube system to the distributor 161 and through the nozzles 121 into the coating chamber, for example, towards the substrate to be coated.

[0035] Embodiments of the present disclosure reduce temperature hotspots on the substrate by providing uniform coating. The uniform coating will result in a uniform heat distribution based on condensation energy.

[0036] Fig. 2A shows the exemplary nozzle 121 of the one or more nozzles provided in a nozzle assembly. A first nozzle section 230 has a first end 132 and a second end 134. Optionally, a second nozzle section 220 is provided. The second nozzle section includes a vapor inlet 122. The vapor inlet 122 faces the distributor 161. The vapor travels from the vapor inlet 122 to the vapor outlet 136 through the nozzle. The second nozzle section has a diameter Dl. The first end 132 of the first nozzle section 230 faces the second nozzle section 220. The second end 134 includes a vapor outlet 136.

[0037] According to embodiments of the present disclosure an orifice 138 is provided at or adjacent to the vapor outlet 136. The orifice may have a diameter D3. The orifice provides the region of a reduced diameter. According to embodiments described herein, the nozzle shape is configured to provide a wide spread. A focused evaporation plume is avoided or reduced. Avoiding or reducing a focused evaporation plume, avoids or reduces an increased deposition rate directly in front of the nozzle and, thus, temperature hotspots. Since the majority of the heat impact on the substrate, particularly for irate deposition, results from the condensation energy of the evaporated material on the substrate, the defocusing of the nozzle plume can reduce or prevent hotspots on the substrate.

[0038] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a diameter D2 of the first nozzle section can be 1 mm to 15 mm. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the diameter reduction of the orifice diameter can be 10% to 90%. For example, a 40% to 70% reduction in the orifice diameter will result in a widespread plume of the material to be deposited onto the substrate. [0039] According to one embodiment, a nozzle assembly for guiding an evaporated material to a substrate is provided. The nozzle assembly may include a plurality of nozzles. One or more nozzles 121 of the plurality of nozzles include a first nozzle section 230 and optionally a second nozzle section 220 having a vapor inlet 122 and having a second diameter Dl. The first nozzle section has a first end 132 and a second end 134, the first nozzle section comprising a vapor outlet 136 at the second end. An orifice 138 at or adjacent to the vapor outlet 136 having an orifice diameter D3, i.e. a reduced diameter, is provided.

[0040] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the first nozzle section 230 comprises a first diameter D2 along a distance between the first end and the second end, the first diameter D2 may be smaller than the second diameter Dl of the second nozzle section 220 and larger than the orifice diameter D3. Additionally or alternatively, and as shown in FIG. 2A, the nozzle assembly comprises a widening portion 240 between the orifice 138 and the vapor outlet. For example, a diameter of the widening portion increases from the orifice towards the vapor outlet. The widening portion may reduce sharp edges at the nozzle to reduce the likelihood of material condensation at the nozzle.

[0041] Fig. 2B shows a further exemplary nozzle 121 of the one or more nozzles provided in a nozzle assembly. A first nozzle section 230 has a first end 132 and a second end 134 similar to the embodiment described with respect to FIG. 2A. The second nozzle section shown in FIG. 2A is omitted in this embodiment. The first end of the first nozzle section includes a vapor inlet. The vapor inlet faces the distributor 161. The vapor travels from the vapor inlet to the vapor outlet 136 through the nozzle. The second end 134 includes a vapor outlet 136.

[0042] According to embodiments of the present disclosure an orifice 138 is provided at or adjacent to the vapor outlet 136. The orifice may have a diameter D3. The orifice provides the region of a reduced diameter as described with respect to FIG. 2A. [0043] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a diameter D2 of the first nozzle section can be 1 mm to 15 mm. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the diameter reduction of the orifice diameter can be 10% to 90%. For example, a 40% to 70% reduction in the orifice diameter will result in a widespread plume of the material to be deposited onto the substrate.

[0044] Additionally or alternatively, and as shown in FIG. 2B, the nozzle assembly comprises a widening portion 240 between the orifice and the vapor outlet. For example, a diameter of the widening portion increases from the orifice towards the vapor outlet. The widening portion may reduce sharp edges at the nozzle to reduce the likelihood of material condensation at the nozzle. According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the orifice can be provided with rounded edges and corners. A widening portion can be provided by a rounded shape of the orifice, e.g. with a radius of 0.2 mm or above.

[0045] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the plurality of nozzles is configured to widen a plume of evaporated material of the respective nozzles, particularly wherein the one or more nozzles are configured to distribute condensation heat evenly over the substrate. For example, the first diameter D2 can be between 1 mm and 15 mm. A dimension of the orifice diameter D3 can be between 0.1 times and 0.9 times the dimension of the first diameter D2.

[0046] As described above, a wide spread of the material plume can be provided for one or more of the nozzles of a nozzle assembly. A more uniform material distribution and, thus, a more uniform heat load can be provided. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, additionally or alternatively to the improvement of an individual nozzle of one or more nozzles of a nozzle assembly, the arrangement of nozzle assemblies can be improved to provide a more uniform material distribution and, thus, a more uniform heat distribution. [0047] FIG. 4 shows an arrangement of nozzles 121 at a vapor source 120. The nozzles 121 can be arranged in rows 421. For example, the rows 421 may extend in the lateral direction L shown in FIG. 1. The rows 421 extend in a row direction 422. For example, FIG. 4 shows six rows 421. The rows 421 are provided with an offset 430 in the row direction 422. The offset 430 provides a misalignment of the nozzle position of the nozzles 121 along the row direction 422. The substrate passing over the vapor source 120 in a direction perpendicular to the row direction 422 is coated with material at different positions along the row direction 422. Accordingly, the material deposition is more uniformly provided on the substrate. Correspondingly, the heat load on the substrate is more uniformly provided.

[0048] In the example shown in FIG. 4, six rows 421 are provided. The rows are displaced by 1/6 of the nozzle to nozzle distance. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a displacement or offset D along the row direction 422 can be dy/No, wherein No is the number of rows and dy is the nozzle distance in the row direction. The distribution of nozzles provides a homogeneous distribution of the coating rate on the substrate and reduces hotspots by condensation energy.

[0049] The offset D indicated by the reference numeral in FIG. 4 is provided between neighboring rows 421. However, the offset D can be provided between any of the rows. Particularly, each of the rows is offset by the offset D with respect to at least one other row.

[0050] According to one embodiment, an evaporation source for depositing an evaporated material on a substrate is provided. The evaporation source includes a nozzle assembly having a plurality of nozzle rows 421 extending in a row direction 422 and being arranged next to each other. The plurality of nozzle rows being shifted with respect to each other by a row offset D in the row direction.

[0051] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the plurality of nozzle rows 421 includes a number of nozzle rows N, the row offset D being described by the formula dY/N, wherein dY is the nozzle distance in the row direction.

[0052] According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the rows 421 can be spaced apart by a row distance. For example, a first row distance 433 and a second row distance 432 are shown in FIG. 4. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a first row distance can be different from a second row distance. Particularly, the first row distance 433 shown in FIG. 4 can be smaller than the second row distance 432 shown in FIG. 4.

[0053] The nozzle assembly may include a plurality of nozzles provided in a plane. Further, as described with respect to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the substrate can be provided on a curve of the curved drum surface 111. Accordingly, the distance of the substrate to a nozzle row at an outer portion of the nozzle assembly in a direction perpendicular to the row direction can be smaller than the distance of the substrate to a nozzle row at and in a portion of, for example, a center portion of the nozzle assembly in a direction perpendicular to the row direction. Increasing the row density in regions of a larger substrate to nozzle distance may further improve the uniformity of the deposition rate and, thus the heat load. The row distance may be smaller between outer rows, i.e. neighboring outer rows. The row distance may be larger between inner rows, i.e. neighboring inner rows. The different row distances from row to row can provide a more uniform coating rate for a plane evaporator in front of a bent substrate on a coating drum.

[0054] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, each nozzle row comprises a plurality of nozzles, the plurality of nozzles being spaced apart by a row distance dX in a direction different from the row direction from the plurality of nozzles of the further plurality of nozzle rows. The nozzle assembly includes at least two outer sections of rows and at least one inner section. For example, one or more of the two outer sections and the at least one inner section each include at least two nozzle rows of the plurality of nozzle rows. A first row distance 433 between the at least two nozzle rows of the at least two outer sections is smaller than a second row distance 432 between the at least two nozzle rows of the at least one inner section.

[0055] According to yet further implementations, which can be combined with other embodiments of the present disclosure the nozzle assembly comprises one or more shields, for example, heated shields or temperature-controlled shields as described with respect to FIG. 1. The one or more shields are configured to shield an evaporation plume released from the plurality of nozzles. According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, an arrangement of nozzles as described herein may include nozzles according to any of the embodiments described herein, particularly with respect to FIG. 2A.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a vapor deposition apparatus 200 according to embodiments described herein, viewed in a direction along the rotation axis A of the substrate support 110 that is configured as a rotatable drum. The vapor deposition apparatus 200 may include some or all of the features of the vapor deposition apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, such that reference can be made to the above explanations, which are not repeated here. A substrate 10 that is flexible, e.g. a thin foil substrate, can be moved past the vapor source 120 of the vapor deposition apparatus 200 on the curved drum surface 111

[0057] The vapor source 120 includes a plurality of nozzles 121 for directing vapor toward the curved drum surface 111 through the vapor propagation volume. FIG. 3 shows six nozzles. Each nozzle is part of one row illustrated in FIG. 4. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the nozzles at the center of the vapor source 120 are closer to the substrate or the curved drum surface, respectively, as compared to the nozzles at the edge of the vapor source. Accordingly, as described above, the outer row distance can be smaller than an inner row distance.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows the heatable shield 130. The heatable shield 130 extends from the vapor source 120 toward the curved drum surface 111 and at least partially surrounds the vapor propagation volume. In some embodiments, the heatable shield 130 defines a coating window on the curved drum surface, i.e. an area on the curved drum surface where vapor molecules directed from the vapor source can impinge on the substrate supported on the curved drum surface. In some embodiments, the vapor source 120 is mounted and extends along a periphery of the rotatable drum, such that the plurality of nozzles 121 of the vapor source 120 are directed toward the curved drum surface 111.

[0059] For example, the coating window that is defined by the heatable shield 130 associated to one vapor source 120 may extend over an angular range a of 10° or more and 45° or less of the curved drum surface 111 in the circumferential direction T. Two, three or more vapor sources 120 may be arranged next to each other in the circumferential direction, e.g., for depositing several material layers on the substrate or for depositing one thick material layer of the same material on the substrate. In one embodiment, two, three or more metal evaporation sources, particularly lithium sources, are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction T of one rotatable drum, such that a thick metal layer can be deposited on the substrate, while the substrate moves on the curved drum surface 111 of one rotating drum.

[0060] The coating windows defined by the heatable shields 130 of adjacent vapor sources may be separate (as it is schematically depicted in FIG. 3), or alternatively, the coating windows defined by the heatable shields 130 of adjacent vapor sources may partially overlap. For example, separation walls provided by the heatable shields associated to two adjacent vapor sources may be partially open.

[0061] According to one embodiment, a deposition system for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate is provided. The deposition system includes one or more evaporation sources according to any of the embodiments described herein. Further, the deposition system includes a transport device for transporting the substrate towards the one or more evaporation sources. The transport device may be a coating drum. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the coating drum can be provided in a vacuum chamber. Further, the evaporation source may be at least partially provided within the vacuum chamber. Particularly, the distributor and the nozzle assembly may be provided within the vacuum chamber. According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments of the present disclosure, a nozzle of a nozzle assembly in the deposition system can be a nozzle according to embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly a nozzle having an orifice. The nozzle is configured to have a wide spread of the vapor plume.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram for illustrating a method for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate according to embodiments described herein. In box 701, a substrate is moved past an evaporation source, the evaporation source including a nozzle assembly according any of the embodiments described herein and/or an evaporation source having a nozzle according to any of the embodiments described herein. The substrate may be moved or transported on a curved drum surface of a rotatable drum in a circumferential direction.

[0063] In box 702, vapor is directed from a vapor source toward the substrate that is e.g. supported on the curved drum surface through a vapor propagation volume. A defocused plume of material and/or a uniformly distributed plume of material is deposited onto the substrate.

[0064] In some embodiments, the vapor source is a metal source, particularly a lithium source, and the vapor is a metal vapor, particularly a lithium vapor. The operation temperature of the heatable shield may be 500°C or more and 600°C or less, particularly between 500°C and 550°C. If the vapor source is a lithium source, an evaporation temperature inside the vapor source may be 600°C or more and 900°C or less.

[0065] The substrate may be a flexible foil, particularly a flexible metal foil, more particularly a copper foil or a copper-carrying foil, e.g. a foil that is coated with copper on one or both sides thereof. The substrate may have a thickness of 50 pm or less, particularly 20 pm or less, e.g. about 8 pm. Specifically, the substrate may be a thin copper foil having a thickness in a sub 20-pm range. [0066] In some embodiments, the source material that is evaporated in a crucible of the vapor source can include, for example, metal, in particular lithium, metal alloys, and other vaporizable materials or the like which have a gaseous phase under given conditions. According to yet further embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the material may include magnesium (Mg), ytterbium (Yb) and lithium fluoride (LiF). The evaporated material generated in the crucible can enter a distributor. The distributor can, for example, include a channel or a tube which provides a transport system to distribute the evaporated material along the width and/or the length of the deposition apparatus. The distributor can have the design of a “shower head reactor”.

[0067] According to embodiments which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the evaporated material can include or can consist of lithium, Yb, or LiF. According to embodiments which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the temperature of the evaporator and/or of the nozzles can be at least 600 °C, or particularly between 600 C° and 1000 C°, or more particularly between 600 °C and 800 °C. According to embodiments which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the operation temperature of the heatable shield can be between 450°C and 550°C, particularly between 500°C and 550°C with a deviation of +/ 10 °C.

[0068] According to embodiments which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the temperature of the heatable shield is lower than the temperature of the evaporator, e.g., by at least 100 °C.

[0069] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing an anode of a battery. According to some embodiments, the method of manufacturing an anode of a battery may include a method for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate as described with respect to FIG. 5.

[0070] According to one embodiment, as shown in operation 801, the method includes guiding a web or foil in a vapor deposition apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The web or foil may comprise or consist of an anode layer for a battery, particularly a thin-film battery. A liquid lithium containing material is provided in an evaporator of the vapor deposition apparatus. At operation 802, a lithium containing material or lithium is deposited on the web with the vapor deposition apparatus.

[0071] According to some embodiments, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, for the method of manufacturing an anode of a battery, the web comprises copper or consists of copper. According to some implementations, the web may further comprise graphite and silicon and/or silicon oxide. For example, the lithium may pre-lithiate the layer including graphite and silicon and/or silicon oxide. [0072] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a more uniform substrate temperature and/or heat load on the substrate, particularly for high deposition rates at which 2 pm or more of material, such as 10 pm or more of material is deposited by 1 to 4 deposition sources position next to each other. Particularly for thin substrates, such as webs or foils, the heat load can be a limiting factor for the deposition rate, the wide spreading nozzle shape, the rows displacement of nozzle rows in the row direction, the row distance adaptation, and particularly the combination of two or more of these measures may reduce or prevent hot spots during deposition, particularly for high deposition rates. The substrate can be coated with less stress. Accordingly, formation of wrinkles on a foil or web can be reduced.

[0073] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope, and the scope is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A nozzle assembly for guiding an evaporated material to a substrate, comprising a plurality of nozzles, one or more nozzles (121) of the plurality of nozzles comprising: a first nozzle section (230) having a first end (132) and a second end (134), the first nozzle section comprising a vapor outlet (136) at the second end; and an orifice (138) at or adjacent to the vapor outlet (136) having an orifice diameter D_3.

2. The nozzle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first nozzle section comprises a first diameter D₂ along a distance between the first end and the second end, the first diameter D2 being larger than the orifice diameter D3.

3. The nozzle assembly according to any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the nozzle assembly comprises a widening portion (140) between the orifice and the vapor outlet, wherein a diameter of the widening portion increases from the orifice towards the vapor outlet.

4. The nozzle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of nozzles is configured to widen a plume of evaporated material, particularly wherein the one or more nozzles are configured to distribute condensation energy evenly over the substrate.

5. The nozzle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first diameter D₂ is between 1 mm and 15 mm.

6. The nozzle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein a dimension of the orifice diameter D₃ is between 0.1 times and 0.9 times the dimension of the first diameter D₂.

7. The nozzle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first end of the first nozzle section includes a vapor inlet.

8. An evaporation source for depositing an evaporated material on a substrate, comprising a nozzle assembly comprising a plurality of nozzle rows extending in a row direction and being arranged next to each other, the plurality of nozzle rows being shifted with respect to each other by a row offset in the row direction.

9. The evaporation source according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of nozzle rows comprises a predetermined number of nozzle rows N, the row offset dY being described by the formula —

10. The evaporation source according to any of claims 8 or 9, wherein each nozzle row of the plurality of nozzle rows comprises a plurality of nozzles, the plurality of nozzles being spaced apart by a row distance dX in a direction different from the row direction from a further plurality of nozzles of a further nozzle row.

11. The evaporation source according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the nozzle assembly comprises at least two outer sections and at least one inner section, one or more of the at least two outer sections and the at least one inner section comprising at least two nozzle rows of the plurality of nozzle rows, wherein a row distance dXi between the at least two nozzle rows of the at least two outer sections is smaller than a row distance dX2 between the at least two nozzle rows of the at least one inner section.

12. The evaporation source according to any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the nozzle assembly comprises one or more shields, the one or more shields being configured to shield an evaporation plume released from the plurality of nozzles.

13. The evaporation source according to any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the nozzle assembly is a nozzle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7.

14. A deposition system for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate, the system comprising: one or more evaporation sources according to any of claims 8 to 13; and a transport device for transporting the substrate towards the one or more evaporation sources.

15. The deposition system according to claim 14, wherein the one or more evaporation sources comprise a nozzle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7.

16. A method for depositing an evaporated material onto a substrate, the method comprising: transporting the substrate to an evaporation source, the evaporation source comprising a nozzle assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7; and guiding the evaporated material through the plurality of nozzles of the nozzle assembly for depositing a defocused plume of material onto the substrate.