JP5720624B2 - Deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus for forming a film on a workpiece surface.

  Conventionally, a film forming method has been used in which a film material such as carbon or metal adheres to the surface of a workpiece (substrate) in a vacuum container (film forming chamber). As one of such film forming methods, a work is placed in the film forming chamber to raise the temperature in the film forming chamber and to make a vacuum, and after introducing a reactive gas, plasma is generated to attach the film material to the substrate. There is a plasma CVD (plasma CVD: plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) method (Patent Document 1). An example of the workpiece is a metal substrate for a separator used in a fuel cell.

JP 2008-4540 A

  In the technique for forming a film in the vacuum container described above, as pre-processing, the work is attached to a dedicated jig, the work attached to the special jig is transported into the container, the container is sealed, the container is depressurized, and the container The temperature is raised. Further, as post-processing, the container is pressurized, the container is opened, the work is carried out, and the work is removed from the dedicated jig. Thus, there has been a problem that the production efficiency of the formed workpiece is low due to a large number of complicated processes as the pretreatment and the posttreatment.

  In addition, since a jig with a sturdy and large-scale gripping mechanism is used as a dedicated jig to prevent displacement of the workpiece during conveyance, it takes a long time to attach the workpiece to the dedicated jig. It was. In addition, since the heat capacity of the dedicated jig is large, it takes a long time to raise the temperature of the film forming chamber. For these reasons, there is a problem that the production efficiency of the formed workpiece is low.

  An object of this invention is to improve the production efficiency of the workpiece | work formed into a film.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.
[Mode 1] A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a work, which has an opening and forms a film on the surface of the accommodated work; and the film forming chamber through the opening One or more lids that can seal the opening, and a transport unit that carries the workpiece into the workpiece and unloads the workpiece from the film formation chamber via the opening. A locking portion that locks the workpiece against the film, and the opening is sealed by the lid by loading the workpiece into the deposition chamber, and the workpiece is unloaded from the deposition chamber. A transfer execution unit that releases the seal of the opening by the lid; and a pressure control unit that controls the pressure in the film forming chamber, and the transfer unit includes a pair of lids. Among them, it has a support part that supports one at one end and the other at the other end. The deposition chamber is fixed mounted, the transport unit moves the support portion vertically upward and vertically downward, also rotates the support part in a horizontal direction, the film deposition apparatus.

Application Example 1 A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a workpiece,
A film forming chamber for forming a film on the surface of the workpiece that has an opening and is housed;
A transport unit that carries in the work into the film forming chamber through the opening and unloads the work from the film forming chamber through the opening;
One or more lids capable of sealing the opening;
A locking portion that locks the workpiece with respect to the lid portion;
A transfer execution unit that seals the opening by the lid by carrying the work into the film formation chamber and releases the seal of the opening by the lid by unloading the work from the film formation chamber. And a transport unit having
A pressure controller for controlling the pressure in the film forming chamber;
A film forming apparatus comprising:

  According to the film forming apparatus of Application Example 1, the opening can be sealed at the same time when the work is carried into the film forming chamber, and the opening can be released at the same time as the work is carried out from the film forming chamber. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of processes compared to a configuration in which the work loading and the film forming chamber sealing are performed as separate processes, and the work unloading and the film forming chamber sealing are performed as separate processes. The production efficiency of the formed workpiece can be improved.

Application Example 2 In the film forming apparatus described in Application Example 1,
The opening is formed on the ceiling surface of the film forming chamber in a state where the film forming apparatus is placed,
The said latching | locking part has a hook part, The film-forming apparatus which latches the said workpiece | work with respect to the said cover part by hooking the said hook part in the through-hole currently formed in the said workpiece | work.

  With such a configuration, the workpiece can be locked to the lid portion by hooking the hook portion on the through hole, so that the workpiece can be locked (fixed) in a short time. For this reason, the production efficiency of the formed workpiece can be improved. In addition, since the locking portion can be configured with a simple structure, the manufacturing cost of the film forming apparatus can be reduced. Further, since the locking portion is configured with a simple structure, the heat capacity of the entire film formation chamber can be reduced, and the time required for temperature increase when the temperature of the film formation chamber is raised can be shortened. Further, since the lid seals the opening formed on the ceiling surface of the film forming apparatus, the lid can be sealed using its own weight. For this reason, the airtightness of the film formation chamber can be improved.

Application Example 3 In the film forming apparatus described in Application Example 1 or Application Example 2,
The said conveyance part is a film-forming apparatus which has a support part which supports one side at one end among a pair of said cover parts, and supports the other at the other end.

  With such a configuration, when one lid seals the film forming chamber, the work can be locked to the other lid, or the work can be removed from the other lid, improving work efficiency. Can be made.

Application Example 4 In the film forming apparatus described in Application Example 3,
The film formation chamber is fixedly mounted,
The film forming apparatus, wherein the transport unit moves the support unit vertically upward and vertically downward, and rotates the support unit in a horizontal direction.

  With such a configuration, the workpiece can be rotated in the horizontal direction, and the workpiece can be moved vertically upward and vertically downward. For this reason, the work can be moved alternately between the place where the work is locked to the cover and the work is removed from the cover and the film forming chamber. Therefore, since the work can be locked to the lid and the work can be removed from the lid at one place, a mechanism for locking the work to the lid and removing the work from the lid Can be consolidated into one. Therefore, the film forming apparatus can be downsized and the manufacturing cost of the film forming apparatus can be reduced.

Application Example 5 In the film forming apparatus according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4,
The opening is formed on the ceiling surface of the film forming chamber in a state where the film forming apparatus is placed,
The locking portion locks the work on the lid so that the plane of the work is arranged along the vertical direction in a state where the opening is sealed by the lid. .

  With such a configuration, since the work is not placed flat in the film forming chamber, it is possible to easily form the film on the front and back surfaces of the work under the same conditions. In addition, since the area of the mounting surface can be made small as the film forming chamber, the film forming chamber can be mounted in a relatively small space.

[Application Example 6] A workpiece formed by the film forming apparatus according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5,
With a through-hole that penetrates in the thickness direction,
The locking portion has a hook portion, and the workpiece is locked to the lid portion by hooking the hook portion on the through-hole, and the formed film is used as a separator for a fuel cell. Used,
The said through-hole is a workpiece | work currently formed in the non-power generation corresponding part in the said separator corresponding to the non-power generation part in the said fuel cell.

  With such a configuration, the through hole is provided in the non-power generation corresponding part where the necessity for film formation is low, so the hook part is hung on the through hole, so that the part where the hook part is hung is not sufficiently formed. And it can suppress that the power generation efficiency in a fuel cell falls.

[Application Example 7] In the workpiece described in Application Example 6,
The fuel cell has a configuration in which the separator and the membrane electrode assembly are stacked, and is stacked with another fuel cell to form a fuel cell stack,
The through hole is used as a positioning hole when the separator and the membrane electrode assembly are stacked, or as a positioning hole when the fuel cell and the other fuel cell are stacked. ,work.

  With such a configuration, as compared with a configuration in which a dedicated hole for hooking the hook portion is provided as a through hole, the number of work steps can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the fuel cell and the fuel cell stack can be suppressed.

[Application Example 8] In the work described in Application Example 6 or Application Example 7,
The through hole is
A first hole;
In the state where the film forming apparatus is placed on the first hole, the film is connected vertically upward, and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first hole and larger than the diameter of the hook. A second hole portion on which the hook portion is hung,
Having a work.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the workpiece by hooking the hook portion on the second hole portion. In addition, the first hole can be used as a guide when the hook is hung on the second hole and when the hook is removed from the second hole. For this reason, the operation | work which hooks a hook to a 2nd hole part, and the operation | work which removes a hook from a 2nd hole part can be performed easily, and the production efficiency of the film-formed workpiece | work can be improved.

The present invention can be realized in various modes, for example, in the form of a film forming method, a fuel cell using a workpiece, a fuel cell stack including such a fuel cell, and the like. . In addition, when realizing as a workpiece, the following application example 9 can also be realized.
[Application Example 9]
Penetrating in the thickness direction, comprising a pair of through-holes aligned along the longitudinal direction of the workpiece,
The pair of through holes are respectively
A first hole;
Than the hook part that is connected to the edge of the work with respect to the first hole part, is smaller than the diameter of the first hole part, and is provided in a film forming apparatus that forms a film on the surface of the work A workpiece having a large diameter and having a second hole portion on which the hook portion is hung.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the film-forming apparatus as one Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the apparatus connected to the detailed structure of the film-forming chamber shown in FIG. 1, and the film-forming chamber. It is sectional drawing of the film-forming chamber shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that material gas is injected from the shower pipe | tube 515. FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the board | substrate 10a. It is explanatory drawing which expands and shows the part by which the board | substrate 10a was hung on the suspension part. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure of film forming processing using the film forming apparatus 100. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the film-forming apparatus 100 in step S135 shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of the film-forming apparatus 100 in step S140. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the fuel cell stack comprised using board | substrate 10a, 10b. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the film-forming apparatus of a comparative example. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the film-forming process in a comparative example. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the schematic structure of the film-forming apparatus of the modification 1, and the mode of a movement.

A. Example:
A1. Configuration of film forming apparatus of this example:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a film forming apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed configuration of the film forming chamber shown in FIG. 1 and an apparatus connected to the film forming chamber. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the film forming chamber shown in FIG. 2 shows an AA section in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows a BB section in FIG. The film forming apparatus 100 is an apparatus that forms a carbon thin film on the surface of a workpiece (substrate) by plasma CVD (plasma CVD: plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition). In this embodiment, a substrate for a separator used in a fuel cell will be described as an example as a workpiece. Note that not only a substrate for a separator but also any substrate that can be formed by a plasma CVD method can be employed as a workpiece. As the structure of the carbon thin film, an amorphous structure or a graphite structure can be adopted. The detailed configuration of the substrate and the fuel cell will be described later.

  The film forming apparatus 100 includes a film forming chamber 200, a first lid 300a, a second lid 300b, a plasma generation power source 220, a source gas supply unit 510, an exhaust gas treatment unit 260, and a support unit 400. The rotating shaft 410 and the drive unit 450 are provided. In FIG. 1, the plasma generation power source 220, the source gas supply unit 510, and the exhaust gas processing unit 260 are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the film forming apparatus 100, the attachment of the substrate to the first lid 300a or the second lid 300b and the removal of the substrate from the first lid 300a or the second lid 300b are performed at the position Lb. In the position La, the film forming process in the film forming chamber 200 is performed. In the film forming apparatus 100, the two lids 300a and 300b are alternately moved between the position La and the position Lb to attach the substrate to the film forming apparatus, form a film on the substrate surface, and remove the substrate from the film forming apparatus. Removal is performed sequentially. 1 to 3, the first lid 300a is disposed at the position La, the film is formed on the surface of the substrate 10a in the film formation chamber 200, and the second lid 300b is formed at the position Lb. The state where the board | substrate 10b before a film | membrane was attached is represented. Details of the movement operation of the two lids 300a and 300b will be described later.

  The film formation chamber 200 has a configuration in which various apparatuses for film formation are disposed in a container (chamber) for film formation on the surface of the substrate, and is fixedly disposed at a position La. The film formation chamber 200 has a rectangular parallelepiped external shape with the entire upper surface opened, and the upper surface (opening) of the film formation chamber 200 can be sealed by either the first lid portion 300a or the second lid portion 300b. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper surface (opening) of the film forming chamber 200 is sealed by the first lid 300a.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the film forming chamber 200 includes a chamber 210, a shower tube 515, a source gas supply pipe 520, an outer peripheral deposition plate 230, a lower deposition plate 244, and a first support member 241. The second support member 242, the third support member 243, the bottom surface support portion 248, and the gas discharge pipe 262 are provided. The chamber 210 has a rectangular parallelepiped container-like appearance with the entire upper surface opened, and includes a shower tube 515, each of the adhesion preventing plates 230 and 244, each of the support members 241 and 242, the third support member 243, and the bottom surface support. Part 248 is accommodated. The chamber 210 is formed with a through hole for inserting a source gas supply pipe 520 and a gas discharge pipe 262 described later.

The shower tube 515 includes a large number of injection holes 525 and injects a raw material gas for film formation into the chamber 210. In this embodiment, pyridine (py: C ₅ H ₅ N) is employed as the source gas. The shower tube 515 is connected to the source gas supply unit 510 via the source gas supply pipe 520. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the raw material gas is injected from the shower tube 515. As shown in FIG. 4, the shower tube 515 has a U shape, and injects pyridine vertically downward (gravity direction G) from two parallel tubes. A substrate 10a is disposed vertically below between two parallel pipes.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer peripheral protection plate 230 is a plate-like member bent in a U shape, and has three surfaces parallel to the three side wall surfaces of the chamber 210. Are disposed so as to surround the substrate 10a (the front surface, the back surface, and the side end surfaces of the substrate 10a). The lower deposition preventing plate 244 is a member on a flat plate, and is arranged in parallel to the lower end surface of the substrate 10a and the bottom surface of the chamber 210 vertically below the substrate 10a. A through hole 246 connected to the gas discharge pipe 262 is formed in the lower deposition preventing plate 244. Each of the outer deposition preventing plate 230 and the lower deposition preventing plate 244 has conductivity, functions as an electrode for generating a plasma of the source gas, and prevents contamination generated in the plasma during the film forming process. It has a function of preventing causative substances from adhering to the wall surface of the chamber 210.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first support member 241, the second support member 242, and the third support member 243 are joined to the lower protection plate 244 and support the outer periphery protection plate 230. . The bottom surface support portion 248 is joined to the bottom surface in the chamber 210 and the lower deposition preventing plate 244 and supports the lower deposition preventing plate 244.

  The first lid part 300 a and the second lid part 300 b both seal the upper opening of the chamber 210 and lock the substrate 10 a and the substrate 10 b in the chamber 210. Since the first lid 300a has the same configuration as the second lid 300b, the configuration of the first lid 300a will be described as a representative. As shown in FIG. 2, the first lid portion 300 a includes a ceiling plate portion 310, a suspension portion 320, an upper deposition preventing plate 330, a ceiling support portion 325, a first electrode 384, and a second electrode 382. It has.

  The ceiling plate part 310 is joined to the support part 400 and can seal the upper surface of the chamber 210. In the ceiling plate portion 310, an O-ring can be disposed at a portion in contact with the chamber 210. The suspension part 320 is a rod-like member having one end joined to the ceiling plate part 310 and the other end formed in a hook shape, and supports the substrate 10a at the hook-like end. The details of the substrate 10a and the hanging part 320 will be described later.

  The upper protection plate 330 is a flat plate member, and is disposed between the ceiling plate portion 310 and the substrate 10a in parallel to the upper end surfaces of the ceiling plate portion 310 and the substrate 10a. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper protection plate 330 is disposed in parallel with the lower protection plate 244 in the chamber 210 in a state where the upper surface of the chamber 210 is sealed. The upper protection plate 330 has conductivity, and functions as an electrode for generating plasma of the source gas as well as the outer periphery protection plate 230 and the lower protection plate 244, and causes the contaminants to be contained in the chamber 210. To adhere to the wall surface. A through hole into which the hanging part 320 is inserted and a through hole into which an electrical wiring is inserted are formed in the upper protective plate 330.

  Both the first electrode 384 and the second electrode 382 are arranged on the upper surface of the ceiling plate portion 310. The first electrode 384 is electrically connected to the plus electrode of the plasma generating power source 220 and the respective adhesion preventing plates 230, 244 and 330. The second electrode 382 is connected to the negative electrode of the plasma generating power source 220 and the substrate 10a.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in a state where the upper surface of the chamber 210 is sealed by the first lid part 300 a, the substrate 10 a is composed of an outer peripheral deposition plate 230, a lower deposition plate 244, and an upper deposition plate 330. Arranged in the enclosed area Ar1.

  The plasma generating power supply 220 is connected to the respective deposition preventing plates 230, 244, 330 and the substrate 10a via the first electrode 384 and the second electrode 382, and forms an electric field in the region Ar1. The source gas supply unit 510 is connected to the source gas supply pipe 520 and supplies the source gas to the shower pipe 515 via the source gas supply pipe 520. The source gas injected from the shower tube 515 is turned into plasma in the region Ar1 in the chamber 210 maintained at a high temperature (350 ° C. to 400 ° C.), and the cation of carbon atoms adheres to the surface of the substrate 10a which is a cathode. Thus, a carbon thin film is formed.

  The exhaust gas processing unit 260 includes a pump (not shown), and reduces the pressure in the chamber 210 by sucking the gas in the chamber 210. Further, the exhaust gas treatment unit 260 increases the pressure in the chamber 210 by introducing an inert gas (for example, nitrogen gas) into the chamber 210. Of the source gas supplied from the shower tube 515, surplus gas that has not been used for film formation is discharged to the exhaust gas treatment unit 260 through the through hole 246 and the gas discharge pipe 262.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the support part 400 is a plate-shaped member having a rectangular planar shape, and a first lid part 300a is joined to one end and a second lid part 300b is joined to the other end. The central part of the support part 400 is joined to the rotary shaft 410, and the support part 400 can perform horizontal rotational movement and vertical upward and downward movement together with the rotary shaft 410. The rotating shaft 410 is a columnar member connected to the support unit 400 and the drive unit 450, and transmits the driving force from the drive unit 450 to the support unit 400. The drive unit 450 includes a motor (not shown), rotates the rotating shaft 410 in the horizontal direction, moves the rotating shaft 410 vertically upward (raises), and moves the rotating shaft 410 vertically downward ( Descent).

  FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the substrate 10a. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing, in an enlarged manner, a portion where the substrate 10a is hung on the hanging portion 320. FIG. The board | substrate 10a is a thin plate-shaped member which has electroconductivity, and has a rectangular planar shape. As the board | substrate 10a, metal thin plates, such as stainless steel, are employable, for example. As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate 10 a has a power generation corresponding area WA in the central portion and a non-power generation corresponding area WB around the power generation corresponding area WA. The power generation corresponding area WA corresponds to an area where power generation is performed by an electrochemical reaction when the substrate 10a is used in a fuel cell. The non-power generation corresponding region WB corresponds to a region around a region where power generation is performed (a region where power generation is not performed) when the substrate 10a is used in a fuel cell.

  The substrate 10a includes an anode gas supply manifold forming portion 12a, an anode gas discharge manifold forming portion 12b, a cathode gas supply manifold forming portion 13a, a cathode gas discharge manifold forming portion 13b, A medium supply manifold forming portion 14a, four cooling medium discharge manifold forming portions 14b, two first positioning holes 11a, and two second positioning holes 11b are provided.

  The anode gas supply manifold forming portion 12a forms an anode gas supply manifold when the substrate 10a is used in a fuel cell. The anode gas discharge manifold forming portion 12b forms an anode gas discharge manifold when the substrate 10a is used in a fuel cell. The cathode gas supply manifold forming portion 13a forms a cathode gas supply manifold when the substrate 10a is used in a fuel cell. The cathode gas discharge manifold forming portion 13b forms a cathode gas discharge manifold when the substrate 10a is used in a fuel cell. The cooling medium supply manifold forming portion 14a forms a cooling medium supply manifold when the substrate 10a is used in a fuel cell. The cooling medium discharge manifold forming portion 14b forms a cooling medium discharge manifold when the substrate 10a is used in a fuel cell.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the two first positioning holes 11a are respectively arranged at two corners arranged in the longitudinal direction among the four corners of the substrate 10a. As shown in FIG. 6, the first positioning hole 11 a includes a hooking portion 16 and an insertion portion 17. The hook 16 is hooked with a hook-shaped tip 321 in the hanging part 320 when the film forming process is executed. The hooking portion 16 is located closer to the periphery of the substrate 10a than the insertion portion 17, and is connected to the insertion portion 17 (in communication with the insertion portion 17). The hooking portion 16 is positioned vertically above the insertion portion 17 when the film forming process is performed on the substrate 10a. The hooking portion 16 has a rectangular planar shape and has a diameter (horizontal width) slightly longer than the diameter (horizontal width) of the distal end portion 321. Such a configuration of the hooking portion 16 can suppress displacement of the tip portion 321 when the tip portion 321 is hooked, and the substrate 10a is locked to the first lid portion 300a (ceiling plate portion 310). Because it can.

  The insertion portion 17 is used when the tip portion 321 is engaged with the first positioning hole 11a and when the tip portion 321 is removed from the first positioning hole 11a. Further, the insertion portion 17 is used as a positioning hole when the substrate 10a is laminated with a MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly) described later in the manufacturing process of the fuel cell, and manufacture of the fuel cell stack. In the process, it is used as a positioning hole when a plurality of fuel cells are stacked. The insertion portion 17 has a circular planar shape, and has a diameter larger than the diameter (lateral width) of the engaging portion 16. The insertion portion 17 is configured in this way because the insertion portion 17 can be used as a guide when the distal end portion 321 is hung on the engagement portion 16 and when the distal end portion 321 is removed from the engagement portion 16. This is because the substrate 10a can be easily attached to and detached from the portion 320. In addition, the manufacturing process can be reduced as compared with the configuration in which the guide hole is provided separately from the positioning hole in manufacturing the fuel cell and the fuel cell stack.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the two second positioning holes 11b are respectively arranged at two corners different from the corner where the first positioning holes 11a are arranged among the four corners of the substrate 10a. The second positioning hole 11b is used as a positioning hole in the manufacturing process of the fuel cell and the fuel cell stack.

  As described above, in the film forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the substrate 10a is suspended and fixed (locked) by hanging the tip portion 321 of the suspension portion 320 over the first positioning hole 11a. Attachment to the 1st cover part 300a and removal from the 1st cover part 300a can be performed easily. In addition, since the posture of the substrate 10a is maintained (fixed) using gravity, a complicated and large mechanism is not required to maintain the posture of the substrate 10a.

  Since the substrate 10b has the same configuration as the substrate 10a, description thereof is omitted. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 10b is locked to the second lid portion 300b (that is, hung on the suspending portion 320 of the second lid portion 300b), and the film forming process has not yet been performed. The fixing of the substrate 10b to the second lid 300b (and the fixing of the substrate 10a to the first lid 300a) can be performed by, for example, an articulated robot.

  The first lid portion 300a, the second lid portion 300b, the support portion 400, the rotating shaft 410, and the driving portion 450 described above correspond to a conveying portion in claims. In addition, the suspension part 320 is a locking part in the claims, the support part 400, the rotating shaft 410 and the drive part 450 are in a transfer execution part in the claims, and the exhaust gas treatment part 260 is in a pressure control part in the claims. The portion 321 is in the hook portion in the claims, the first positioning hole 11a is in the through hole in the claims, the insertion portion 17 is in the first hole portion in the claims, and the engaging portion 16 is in the second hole portion in the claims. , Respectively.

A2. Deposition process:
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the procedure of the film forming process using the film forming apparatus 100. First, the substrate to be deposited is attached to the lid (step S105). For example, the board | substrate 10a is attached to the 1st cover part 300a.

  The drive unit 450 raises the support unit 400, rotates 180 degrees in the horizontal direction, and lowers in this order, thereby arranging the substrate attached to the lid in step S105 at a predetermined position in the chamber 210 ( Step S110). At this time, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the ceiling plate portion 310 of the first lid portion 300a is disposed so as to seal the upper surface (opening) of the chamber 210, so that the chamber 210 can be sealed.

  Using the exhaust gas treatment unit 260, the inside of the chamber 210 is depressurized to a state close to a vacuum (step S115). The temperature inside the chamber 210 is raised using a heater (not shown) (step S120). By applying a voltage to each of the deposition plates 230, 244, 330 and the substrate by the plasma generation power source 220, an electric field is formed, and a source gas is supplied from the source gas supply unit 510 and injected from the shower tube 515. Then, plasma is generated to form a film on the surface of the substrate (step S125). An inert gas (nitrogen gas or the like) is supplied from the exhaust gas processing unit 260 into the chamber 210 to increase the pressure (step S130). By moving the support portion 400, the substrate after film formation is moved to the position Lb (step S135), and the substrate is removed from the lid portion (step S140).

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the film forming apparatus 100 in step S135 shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the film forming apparatus 100 in step S140. In step S135, the drive unit 450 first raises the support unit 400. When the first lid 300a is separated from the upper surface of the chamber 210 and the entire substrate 10a is exposed from the chamber 210, the driving unit 450 rotates the support unit 400 horizontally by 180 degrees. Note that FIG. 7 shows the film forming apparatus 100 when the support portion 400 is rotated 90 degrees. When the drive unit 450 rotates the support unit 400 by 180 degrees from the state of FIG. 1, the drive unit 450 stops the rotation operation and lowers the support unit 400. As shown in FIG. 9, when the support unit 400 is lowered, the substrate 10a is disposed at the position Lb, so that the substrate 10a can be removed from the first lid 300a.

  In addition, between the above-described steps S115 to S130, a new substrate 10b before film formation is attached to the second lid portion 300b disposed at the position Lb (that is, step S105 is executed), thereby performing step S135. Is executed, step S110 for a new substrate can be executed. Specifically, when the support unit 400 is lowered in step S135, the first lid portion 300a after film formation is disposed at the position Lb, and the substrate 10b (an undeposited substrate) attached to the second lid portion 300b. 10b) is placed in place in the chamber 210.

A3. Fuel cell configuration:
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a fuel cell stack configured using the substrates 10a and 10b. The fuel cell stack has a configuration in which a plurality of fuel cells 500 are stacked. The fuel cell 500 has a configuration in which the membrane electrode assembly 30, the anode side gas diffusion layer 33a, the anode side separator 34a, the cathode side gas diffusion layer 33c, and the cathode side separator 34c are laminated. The membrane electrode assembly 30 includes an electrolyte membrane 31, an anode side catalyst layer 32a, and a cathode side catalyst layer 32c.

  The two catalyst layers 32a and 32c are arranged with the electrolyte membrane 31 interposed therebetween. The anode side gas diffusion layer 33a is disposed in contact with the anode side catalyst layer 32a. The anode separator 34a is disposed in contact with the anode gas diffusion layer 33a. The anode separator 34a is configured by the substrate 10a (the substrate 10a after film formation) described above. The cathode side gas diffusion layer 33c is disposed in contact with the cathode side catalyst layer 32c. The cathode side separator 34c is disposed in contact with the cathode side gas diffusion layer 33c. The cathode separator 34c is composed of the substrate 10b described above (substrate 10b after film formation).

  An anode gas supply manifold 35 and an anode gas discharge manifold 36 are formed in the fuel cell 500 along the stacking direction. The anode side separator 34 a, that is, the anode gas supply manifold forming portion 12 a of the substrate 10 a forms a part of the anode gas supply manifold 35. Similarly, the cathode separator 34c, that is, the anode gas supply manifold forming portion 12a of the substrate 10b forms a part of the anode gas supply manifold 35. Although not shown, the fuel cell 500 is formed with a cathode gas supply manifold, a cathode gas discharge manifold, a cooling medium supply manifold, and a cooling medium discharge manifold along the stacking direction.

  In the membrane electrode assembly 30, a power generation region VA is formed in a region sandwiched between the node gas supply manifold 35 and the anode gas discharge manifold 36. The anode gas (for example, hydrogen gas) supplied from the anode gas supply manifold 35 is introduced into the anode side gas diffusion layer 33a and supplied from the anode side gas diffusion layer 33a to the anode side catalyst layer 32a. Further, cathode gas (for example, air) supplied from a cathode gas supply manifold (not shown) is introduced into the cathode side gas diffusion layer 33c and supplied from the cathode side gas diffusion layer 33c to the cathode side catalyst layer 32c. In the membrane electrode assembly 30, an electrochemical reaction using the supplied anode gas and cathode gas occurs in the power generation region VA. The anode gas that has not been used in the electrochemical reaction moves from the anode side catalyst layer 32a to the anode side gas diffusion layer 33a, and is discharged from the anode side gas diffusion layer 33a to the anode gas discharge manifold 36. Similarly, the cathode gas not used in the electrochemical reaction moves from the cathode side catalyst layer 32c to the cathode side gas diffusion layer 33c, and is discharged from the cathode side gas diffusion layer 33c to a cathode gas discharge manifold (not shown). The power generation corresponding area WA described above corresponds to the area corresponding to the stacking direction with respect to the power generation area VA. Further, the non-power generation corresponding region WB described above corresponds to a region corresponding to the stacking direction with respect to other regions except the power generation region VA in the membrane electrode assembly 30.

  In the film forming apparatus 100 having the above configuration, since the substrate 10a is locked to the first lid portion 300a (ceiling plate portion 310), the arrangement of the substrate 10a at a predetermined position (region Ar1) in the chamber 210; The chamber 210 can be sealed at the same time. Moreover, the removal of the substrate 10a from a predetermined position in the chamber 210 and the opening of the chamber 210 can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, the film was formed as compared with the configuration in which the sealing of the chamber 210 is performed as a separate process from the placement of the substrate 10a and the opening of the chamber 210 is performed as a separate process from the removal of the substrate 10a from a predetermined position. The production efficiency of the substrate can be increased.

  In addition, since the chamber 210 is sealed by placing the ceiling plate portion 310 on the upper surface (opening) of the chamber 210, the opening can be sealed using the weight of the ceiling plate portion 310, and the airtightness in the chamber 210 can be sealed. Can be improved.

  In addition, since the suspension portion 320 is hung on the first positioning hole 11a and the substrate 10a is suspended and locked, the substrate 10a is attached to the first lid portion 300a and the substrate 10a from the first lid portion 300a. Can be easily removed, and the production efficiency can be improved. Further, since the posture of the substrate 10a is maintained using gravity, a large-scale mechanism is not required to maintain the posture of the substrate 10a. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the film forming apparatus 100 can be suppressed, and the heat capacity of the entire film forming chamber 200 can be suppressed to shorten the time for heating (step S120).

  In addition, since the insertion portion 17 having a diameter larger than the hooking portion 16 is provided as the first positioning hole 11a connected to the hooking portion 16 to which the tip portion 321 is hung, the tip portion 321 is hung on the hooking portion 16. Moreover, when removing the front-end | tip part 321 from the engaging part 16, the insertion part 17 can be utilized as a guide. Therefore, the attachment of the substrate 10a to the first lid portion 300a and the removal of the substrate 10a from the first lid portion 300a can be easily performed, and the production efficiency can be improved. Further, since a through hole having a slightly larger diameter than the distal end portion 321 and a smaller diameter than the insertion portion 17 is used as the hooking portion 16, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation of the substrate 10 a during the film forming process.

  Further, since the substrates 10a and 10b are reciprocated between the positions La and Lb by the rotation operation in the horizontal direction, attachment and removal of the substrate to and from the lid portions 300a and 300b are performed at one place (position Lb). Can be done. Therefore, the mechanism required for attaching and detaching the substrate can be made one, and the manufacturing cost of the film forming apparatus 100 can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the mechanisms (the support unit 400, the ceiling plate unit 310, the rotating shaft 410, and the driving unit 450) for transporting the substrates 10a and 10b are arranged in the atmosphere and not arranged in the chamber 210, the size of the chamber 210 is reduced. Can be reduced in size, the heat capacity of the entire film formation chamber 200 can be reduced, and the time required for heating (step S120) can be shortened.

  In addition, since the first positioning hole 11a is provided in the non-power generation corresponding region WB, the tip 321 is hung on the first positioning hole 11a, so that the film formation in the vicinity of the first positioning hole 11a is sufficiently performed. Even if it was not performed, it can suppress that the power generation efficiency of a fuel cell falls.

A4. Comparative Example FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a film forming apparatus of a comparative example. The film forming apparatus 900 of the comparative example includes a film forming chamber 910, a preliminary vacuum chamber 920, a first door 925, and a second door 915. Inside the film forming chamber 910, a shower tube and a deposition plate (not shown) are arranged, plasma of the source gas injected from the shower tube is formed, and a thin film is formed on the surface of the substrate 20. In FIG. 11, the power source for plasma generation, the exhaust gas treatment mechanism, and the like are omitted.

  The film formation chamber 910 is almost kept in a vacuum state. The preliminary vacuum chamber 920 is adjacent to the film forming chamber 910 with the second door 915 interposed therebetween. The atmospheric pressure in the preliminary vacuum chamber 920 is adjusted by an atmospheric pressure adjusting mechanism (not shown). A first door 925 is disposed on the surface opposite to the second door 915 in the preliminary vacuum chamber 920. The opposite side of the preliminary vacuum chamber 920 across the first door 925 is in contact with the atmosphere.

  The substrate 20 of the comparative example is attached to the jig 800. The jig 800 has a rectangular frame-like appearance, and includes a pair of clip portions 810, a pair of positioning pins 815, and a pair of sandwiching portions 830. The substrate 20 is fixed to the jig 800 by sandwiching two corners of the four corners arranged in the short direction by a pair of sandwiching portions 830. In addition, among the four corners, two corners of the substrate 20 that are not sandwiched by the pair of sandwiching portions 830 are sandwiched by the pair of clip portions 810 and are fixed to the jig 800. Further, the substrate 20 is fixed to the jig 800 by inserting a pair of positioning pins into a pair of positioning holes 840 of the substrate 20.

  The jig 800 is joined to the transport unit 850. The transport unit 850 transports the jig 800 between the atmosphere, the preliminary vacuum chamber 920 and the film forming chamber 910. The transport unit 850 is transported using magnetic force by a driving mechanism (not shown) arranged in the atmosphere.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the film forming process in the comparative example. First, the substrate 20 is attached to the jig 800 (step S205). Thereafter, the first door 925 is opened (step S210), the substrate 20 is transferred from the atmosphere into the preliminary vacuum chamber 920 (step S215), and the first door 925 is closed (step S220), and then the preliminary vacuum is performed. The chamber 920 is depressurized (step S225). Thereafter, the second door 915 is opened (step S230), and the substrate 20 is transferred from the preliminary vacuum chamber 920 to the film formation chamber 910 (step S235). After the second door 915 is closed (step S240), the inside of the film formation chamber 910 is heated by a heater (not shown) (step S245), and plasma generation and film formation are executed (step S250).

  When the film formation is completed, the second door 915 is opened (step S255), the substrate 20 is transferred from the film formation chamber 910 to the preliminary vacuum chamber 920 (step S260), and the second door 915 is closed (step S265). . Thereafter, the pressure in the preliminary vacuum chamber 920 is increased (step S270), the first door 925 is opened, and the substrate 20 is transferred from the preliminary vacuum chamber 920 to the atmosphere (step S280). After the first door 925 is closed (step S285), the substrate 20 is removed from the jig 800 (step S290).

  As described above, according to the film forming apparatus 900 of the comparative example, a relatively large and complicated jig 800 is used as a jig for fixing the substrate 20 in order to prevent the position shift of the substrate 20 during the transfer of the substrate 20. Use. Therefore, it takes a long time to attach the substrate 20 to the jig 800 and to remove the substrate 20 from the jig 800. In addition, since the transfer unit 850 is disposed in the film formation chamber 910, the heat capacity of the entire film formation chamber 910 increases, and heating (step S245) takes a long time. Further, the placement of the substrate 20 in the film formation chamber 910 and the sealing of the film formation chamber 910 (closing the second door 915) are performed as separate processes, and the film formation chamber 910 is opened (second door 915). And the unloading of the substrate 20 from the film forming chamber 910 are performed as separate processes, so that the production efficiency is reduced as compared with the present embodiment in which the respective processes are performed together.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the suspension unit 320 suspends the substrate 10a using gravity to fix (lock) the substrate 10a, so that a relatively small device is used as the device for fixing. It can be. Therefore, the heat capacity of the entire film formation chamber 200 can be kept small, and the time required for heating (step S120) can be shortened. In addition, since the apparatus for fixing the substrate 10a has a simple configuration, the substrate 10a can be fixed in a short time. In addition, the step of placing the substrate 10a at a predetermined position and the step of sealing the chamber 210 are performed in the same step, and the movement of the substrate 10a from the predetermined position and the opening of the chamber 210 are performed in the same step. Efficiency can be improved.

B. Variation:
The present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, and can be carried out in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

B1. Modification 1:
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration and a moving state of the film forming apparatus of the first modification. In the above embodiment, the substrates 10a and 10b are reciprocated between the position La and the position Lb by the horizontal rotational movement and the vertical linear movement, but the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. In the film forming apparatus 100a according to the first modification, the substrate is moved between a position where the substrate is deposited, a position where the substrate is attached, and a position where the substrate is removed by linear movement in the horizontal direction and linear movement in the vertical direction. .

  The film forming apparatus 100a includes a single lid 300x instead of the two lids 300a and 300b, and a drive unit (not shown) moves the lid 300x vertically upward and vertically downward. Unlike the film forming apparatus 100 of the above embodiment, other configurations are different in that the substrate is linearly moved in the horizontal direction, and the position where the substrate is attached to the lid portion 300x is different from the position where the substrate is removed from the lid portion 300x. The same as the membrane device 100.

  The lid part 300x is a plate-like member having a rectangular planar shape, and two sets of hanging parts 320 are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction (direction D). Specifically, two hanging parts 320 s and two hanging parts 320 t are arranged along the direction D. The length of the lid 300x in the direction D is longer than the length of the chamber 210 in the direction D. The lid 300x is configured to be movable along the direction D by a driving unit (not shown). The chamber 210 is fixedly installed at the position Lc.

  In the uppermost state of FIG. 13, the substrate 10c is placed in the chamber 210 in a state of being attached to the set of hanging parts 320t, and film formation is performed. At this time, the set of hanging parts 320s is arranged at the position Ld adjacent to the position Lc, and the substrate 10d is attached to the set of hanging parts 320s. The configurations of the substrates 10c and 10d are the same as those of the substrates 10a and 10b in the above embodiment.

  As shown in the middle part of FIG. 13, when film formation on the substrate 10c is completed, the lid 300x is moved, the substrate 10d is placed in the chamber 210, and film formation on the surface of the substrate 10d is executed. At this time, the substrate 10c on which film formation has been completed is taken out from the chamber 210 and placed at a position Le opposite to the position Ld across the position Lc. At the position Le, the substrate 10c is removed from the pair of hanging portions 320t. In addition, a new substrate 10e before film formation is attached to the pair of hanging portions 320t from which the substrate 10c has been removed.

  As shown in the lower part of FIG. 13, when the film formation on the substrate 10d is completed, the lid 300x is moved, the substrate 10e is placed in the chamber 210, and the film formation on the surface of the substrate 10e is executed. At this time, the substrate 10d on which film formation has been completed is taken out from the chamber 210 and placed at the position Ld. At the position Ld, the substrate 10d is removed from the pair of hanging portions 320s.

  The film forming apparatus 100a of the modified example having the above configuration has the same effect as the film forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment.

B2. Modification 2:
In the above embodiment, the entire upper surface of the chamber 210 is open. However, instead of the entire upper surface, a configuration in which a part of the upper surface is open may be employed. Even in this configuration, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained by sealing the opening with the lid portions 300a and 300b.

  In the above-described embodiment, the opening is provided on the upper surface. However, the opening may be provided on any side surface instead of the upper surface. Also in this configuration, the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained by arranging the lid portions 300a and 300b on the support portion 400 so that the opening can be sealed. In the configuration in which the opening is provided on the side surface, for example, the tip of the hanging part 320 can be configured in a clip shape and fixed by sandwiching the substrate at the tip. That is, in general, a chamber that has an opening and can accommodate a substrate and forms a film on the accommodated substrate and a lid that can seal the opening are applied to the film forming apparatus of the present invention. be able to.

B3. Modification 3:
In the above-described embodiment, the support unit 400 rotates in the horizontal direction and moves in the vertical direction, so that the substrates 10a and 10b reciprocate between the position La and the position Lb. It is not limited to this. For example, the support part 400 and the first lid parts 300a and 300b may be fixedly arranged so that the chamber 210 rotates in the horizontal direction and moves in the vertical direction. Also, in the first modification, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the chamber 210 performs a linear movement in the horizontal direction and a vertical movement without moving the lid 300x. The support 400 and the lids 300a and 300b can be moved only in the vertical direction, and the chamber 210 can be moved (rotated) only in the horizontal direction.

B4. Modification 4:
In the said Example, although the 1st positioning hole 11a was provided with the engaging part 16 and the insertion part 17, the engaging part 16 can also be abbreviate | omitted. Also in this configuration, the distal end portion 321 of the hanging portion 320 can be hung on the insertion portion 17, and the same effect as in the above embodiment is obtained. Moreover, although the place where the front-end | tip part 321 is hung was the 1st positioning hole 11a of board | substrate 10a, 10b, this invention is not limited to this. The suspension part 320 can be hung on an arbitrary through hole provided in the non-power generation corresponding region WB. For example, it can be hung on the cooling medium supply manifold forming portion 14a. Further, for example, a dedicated through hole can be provided in the non-power generation corresponding region WB, and the hanging portion 320 can be hung on the through hole.

B5. Modification 5:
In the above embodiment, the carbon thin film is formed on the substrates 10a and 10b. However, any other kind of thin film can be formed on the substrates 10a and 10b instead of the carbon thin film. For example, a thin film of a metal element such as gold, platinum, or tantalum can be formed.

B6. Modification 6:
In the above embodiment, the support part 400 supports the pair of lid parts 300a and 300b at each end, but can support only one of them. Moreover, it can replace with the support part 400 and a structure which employ | adopts a circular plate-shaped member and connects this circular plate-shaped member to the drive part 450 is also employable. In such a configuration, the number of supporting lid parts can be set to an arbitrary number. For example, a total of four lid portions can be arranged (supported) at positions shifted from each other by 90 degrees.

10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 20 ... substrate 11a ... first positioning hole 11b ... second positioning hole 12a ... anode gas supply manifold formation part 12b ... anode gas discharge manifold formation part 13a ... cathode gas supply manifold formation part 13b ... Cathode gas discharge manifold forming part 14a ... Cooling medium supply manifold forming part 14b ... Cooling medium discharge manifold forming part 16 ... Hanging part 17 ... Inserting part 30 ... Membrane electrode assembly 31 ... Electrolyte membrane 32a ... Anode side catalyst layer 32c ... Cathode Side catalyst layer 33a ... Anode side gas diffusion layer 33c ... Cathode side gas diffusion layer 34a ... Anode side separator 34c ... Cathode side separator 35 ... Anode gas supply manifold 36 ... Anode gas discharge manifold 100, 100a ... Film forming apparatus 20 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 0 ... Film-forming chamber 210 ... Chamber 220 ... Power supply for plasma generation 230 ... Outer periphery protection plate 241 ... First support member 242 ... Second support member 243 ... Third support member 244 ... Lower side protection plate 246 ... Through-hole 248 ... bottom support part 260 ... exhaust gas treatment part 262 ... gas discharge pipe 300a ... first lid part 300b ... second lid part 300x ... lid part 310 ... ceiling plate part 320 ... hanging part 320s ... hanging part 320t ... hanging part Reference numeral 321... Tip 325. Ceiling support 330. Upper protection plate 382. Second electrode 384. First electrode 400. Support 410 ... Rotating shaft 450. Drive 500 ... Fuel cell 510 ... Raw gas supply 515 ... Shower Pipe 520 ... Raw material gas supply pipe 525 ... Injection hole 800 ... Jig 810 ... Clip part 815 ... Positioning pin 830 ... Clamping part 840 ... Position Because holes 850 ... conveyance section 900 ... the film forming apparatus 910 ... the film forming chamber 915 ... second door 920 ... auxiliary vacuum chamber 925 ... first door WA ... power corresponding region WB ... non-power generating corresponding area VA ... power generation region Ar @ 1 ... region

Claims (6)

A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a workpiece,
A film forming chamber for forming a film on the surface of the workpiece that has an opening and is housed;
A transport unit that carries in the work into the film forming chamber through the opening and unloads the work from the film forming chamber through the opening;
One or more lids capable of sealing the opening;
A locking portion that locks the workpiece with respect to the lid portion;
A transfer execution unit that seals the opening by the lid by carrying the work into the film formation chamber and releases the seal of the opening by the lid by unloading the work from the film formation chamber. And a transport unit having
A pressure controller for controlling the pressure in the film forming chamber;
Equipped with a,
The transport unit includes a support unit that supports one of the pair of lids at one end and supports the other at the other end.
The film formation chamber is fixedly mounted,
The film forming apparatus , wherein the transport unit moves the support unit vertically upward and vertically downward, and rotates the support unit in a horizontal direction . The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The opening is formed on the ceiling surface of the film forming chamber in a state where the film forming apparatus is placed,
The said latching | locking part has a hook part, The film-forming apparatus which latches the said workpiece | work with respect to the said cover part by hooking the said hook part in the through-hole currently formed in the said workpiece | work. In the film-forming apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2 ,
The opening is formed on the ceiling surface of the film forming chamber in a state where the film forming apparatus is placed,
The locking portion locks the work on the lid so that the plane of the work is arranged along the vertical direction in a state where the opening is sealed by the lid. . In the film-forming apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3,
The workpiece includes a through-hole penetrating in the thickness direction,
The locking portion has a hook portion, and the workpiece is locked to the lid portion by hooking the hook portion on the through-hole, and the formed film is used as a separator for a fuel cell. Used,
The film forming apparatus , wherein the through hole is formed in a non-power generation corresponding part in the separator corresponding to a non-power generation part in the fuel cell. The film forming apparatus according to claim 4 ,
The fuel cell has a configuration in which the separator and the membrane electrode assembly are stacked, and is stacked with another fuel cell to form a fuel cell stack,
The through hole is used as a positioning hole when the separator and the membrane electrode assembly are stacked, or as a positioning hole when the fuel cell and the other fuel cell are stacked. , Film formation equipment . In the film-forming apparatus of Claim 4 or Claim 5 ,
The through hole is
A first hole;
In the state where the film forming apparatus is placed on the first hole, the film is connected vertically upward, and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first hole and larger than the diameter of the hook. A second hole portion on which the hook portion is hung,
A film forming apparatus .

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