CN111826630A

CN111826630A - Sputtering device

Info

Publication number: CN111826630A
Application number: CN202010323404.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 村上尚史; 吉良隆一; 神丸刚
Original assignee: Nitto Denko Corp
Current assignee: Nitto Denko Corp
Priority date: 2019-04-22
Filing date: 2020-04-22
Publication date: 2020-10-27
Also published as: JP2020176316A; TW202043517A; JP2024023883A; KR20200123738A

Abstract

The invention provides a sputtering device (1) which is provided with a film forming roller (27) and a plurality of film forming chambers (51, 61, 65, 71, 75). Each of the plurality of film forming chambers (51, 61, 65, 71, 75) has a target unit (55) and a wall portion (52, 62, 66, 72, 76) that partitions the film forming chamber. An exhaust port (15) is provided in the wall sections (52, 62, 66, 72, 76). In the 1 st cross-sectional view, a target unit (55) is disposed on a 1 st imaginary line (L1) passing through the center (C1) of the film forming roller and the center (C2) of the exhaust port.

Description

Sputtering device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus.

Background

Conventionally, as an apparatus for continuously manufacturing a film with a thin film by forming a uniform thin film on a long film, a roll-to-roll sputtering apparatus is known. Further, a sputtering apparatus is known in which a plurality of sputtering targets are provided in a transport direction to form a plurality of thin films or to thicken the thin films, and a plurality of times of sputtering are performed (see patent document 1).

In the sputtering apparatus of patent document 1, one deposition roller is disposed inside one large deposition chamber (deposition chamber), and 3 targets and cathodes are disposed in the circumferential direction. Each target and cathode are housed in a small film forming chamber partitioned by a partition wall. In order to vacuum each of the small film forming chambers, a vacuum pump is provided on a wall of the large film forming chamber except for the small film forming chambers.

In the sputtering apparatus of patent document 1, since the target can be efficiently arranged in the circumferential direction of the film formation roller, the apparatus can be made compact.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2015-74820

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the sputtering apparatus of patent document 1, there is a case where the thickness of the thin film to be formed varies, and therefore further uniformity of the thickness is desired.

The inventors of the present invention have discussed the variation in film thickness and have obtained the following findings. When sputtering is performed, a gas (argon or the like) necessary for sputtering is continuously supplied and discharged into the small film forming chamber. Specifically, the gas is ejected from the cathodes of the respective small film forming chambers to the vicinity of the film forming roller, used for sputtering of the film, and then discharged from the vacuum pump to the outside. In this case, in the apparatus of patent document 1, the supplied gas flows toward one vacuum pump provided in a wall other than the plurality of small film forming chambers, and is discharged from the vacuum pump to the outside. Therefore, the flow of gas differs in each film forming chamber. That is, the gas flows in the direction opposite to the film transport direction in the small film forming chamber on the upstream side in the transport direction, and the gas flows in the film transport direction in the small film forming chamber on the downstream side in the transport direction. In the film forming chamber at the center in the transport direction, the flows of the two gases are mixed, the gas flowing toward the downstream side in the transport direction joins the gas in the small film forming chamber at the downstream side in the transport direction, and the gas flowing toward the upstream side in the transport direction joins the gas in the small film forming chamber at the upstream side in the transport direction. As a result, the gas is turbulent, which affects sputtering, and the resulting thin film is uneven.

The invention provides a sputtering apparatus capable of forming a uniform film thickness.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention [1] includes a sputtering apparatus having: a film forming roller that conveys a film in a circumferential direction; and a plurality of film forming chambers arranged along a circumferential direction of the film forming roller, wherein each of the plurality of film forming chambers includes: a target unit disposed to face the film forming roller with a gap therebetween; and a wall portion that defines the film forming chamber, wherein an exhaust portion is provided in the wall portion, and the target unit is disposed on a 1 st imaginary line that passes through a center of the film forming roller and a center of the exhaust portion in a cross-sectional view orthogonal to an axial direction of the film forming roller.

According to this sputtering apparatus, since the target unit, the wall portion, and the exhaust portion are provided in each of the plurality of film forming chambers, the gas supplied to each film forming chamber is exhausted through the exhaust portion disposed in each film forming chamber. Therefore, the gas supplied to one film forming chamber can be suppressed from flowing into the film forming chambers adjacent in the circumferential direction thereof.

Further, in each film forming chamber, since the target unit is disposed on the 1 st virtual line passing through the center of the film forming roller and the center of the exhaust portion, the gas for film formation is symmetrically divided from the vicinity of the film forming roller by the target unit around the 1 st virtual line and is exhausted to the exhaust portion. That is, the flow of the gas from the supply to the exhaust can be equalized, and turbulence of the gas can be suppressed.

Therefore, it is possible to suppress the variation in film formation due to the gas, and to form a thin film having a uniform film thickness on the film.

The present invention [2] is the sputtering apparatus according to [1], wherein the wall portion includes: an exhaust wall provided with the exhaust portion; and two partition walls extending in a radial direction from the exhaust wall toward the deposition roller and arranged at a distance from each other, the exhaust wall being symmetrical with respect to the 1 st imaginary line.

According to this sputtering apparatus, since the exhaust wall is symmetrical with respect to the 1 st imaginary line passing through the exhaust portion, the discharged gas easily flows into the exhaust portion uniformly along the exhaust wall. Therefore, turbulence due to unevenness can be suppressed, and the gas can be discharged more smoothly. As a result, unevenness due to the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

The invention [3] includes the sputtering apparatus according to [2], wherein the two partition walls are symmetrical with respect to the 1 st imaginary line.

According to this sputtering apparatus, since the two partition walls are symmetrical with respect to the 1 st imaginary line passing through the exhaust portion, the exhausted gas easily flows into the exhaust portion uniformly along the two partition walls. Therefore, turbulence due to unevenness can be suppressed, and the gas can be discharged more smoothly. As a result, unevenness due to the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

The invention [4] includes the sputtering apparatus according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the wall portion further includes a connecting wall connecting the exhaust wall and the partition wall, and the connecting wall is symmetrical with respect to a 2 nd imaginary line passing through a center of the film forming chamber in the axial direction.

According to this sputtering apparatus, since the connecting wall is symmetrical with respect to the 2 nd virtual line, turbulence in the film forming chamber can be effectively suppressed, and unevenness can be more reliably suppressed.

The invention [5] includes the sputtering apparatus according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein a pump connected to the exhaust portion is provided in each of the plurality of film forming chambers.

According to this sputtering apparatus, since the pump is directly connected to each of the plurality of film forming chambers, the gas in the film forming chamber can be reliably discharged to the outside.

The invention [6] includes the sputtering apparatus according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the exhaust portion is symmetrical with respect to a 2 nd imaginary line passing through a center of the film forming chamber in the axial direction.

According to this sputtering apparatus, since the exhaust portion is symmetrical with respect to the 2 nd virtual line passing through the center of the film forming chamber in the axial direction, the exhaust portion can be uniformly exhausted in the axial direction of the film forming roller, and the gas can be more smoothly exhausted. As a result, unevenness due to the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the sputtering apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to suppress unevenness in film formation due to gas and form a thin film having a uniform film thickness on a film.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of a sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view a-a shown in fig. 1.

FIGS. 3A to 3B show the flow of gas in the 1 st film forming chamber of FIG. 1, FIG. 3A shows the flow of gas during supply, and FIG. 3B shows the flow of gas during exhaust.

Fig. 4 shows a modification of the sputtering apparatus shown in fig. 1 (a mode having two exhaust ports).

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the sputtering apparatus shown in fig. 1 (a mode having 3 exhaust ports).

Fig. 6 shows a modification of the sputtering apparatus shown in fig. 1 (a mode having two film forming chambers).

Fig. 7 shows a modification of the sputtering apparatus shown in fig. 1 (a mode having 3 film forming chambers).

Description of the reference numerals

1. A sputtering device; 2. a film; 6. a sputtering section; 14. a vacuum pump; 15. an exhaust port; 27. a film forming roller; 28. a film forming roll side wall; 41. a 1 st partition wall; 42. a 2 nd partition wall; 43. a 3 rd partition wall; 44. a 4 th partition wall; 45. a 5 th partition wall; 46. a 6 th partition wall; 51. a 1 st film forming chamber; 52. a 1 st wall part; 53. a 1 st exhaust wall; 54. a 2 nd side wall; 55. a target unit; 61. a 2 nd film forming chamber; 62. a 2 nd wall portion; 63. a 2 nd exhaust wall; 65. a 3 rd film forming chamber; 66. a 3 rd wall part; 67. a 3 rd exhaust wall; 71. a 4 th film forming chamber; 72. a 4 th wall part; 73. a 4 th exhaust wall; 75. a 5 th film forming chamber; 76. a 5 th wall portion; 77. the 5 th exhaust wall.

Detailed Description

1. Sputtering device

A sputtering apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to fig. 1 to 3B. The axial direction of the film formation roller 27 described later is referred to as "axial direction", the circumferential direction of the film formation roller 27 is referred to as "circumferential direction", and the radial direction of the film formation roller 27 is referred to as "radial direction". Fig. 1 is a sectional view in the radial direction (a sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction) 1, and specifically, fig. 1 shows a sectional view taken along B-B of fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional view 2, i.e., a sectional view along the axial direction (a sectional view taken in a plane direction orthogonal to the radial direction), and specifically fig. 2 shows a sectional view a-a of fig. 1.

The sputtering apparatus 1 shown in fig. 1 produces a laminated film 4 by providing a thin film 3 on one surface in the thickness direction of a long film 2 while conveying the film 2.

The sputtering apparatus 1 includes a feeding unit 5, a sputtering unit 6, and a winding unit 7 in this order from an upstream side (hereinafter, abbreviated as "upstream side") to a downstream side (hereinafter, abbreviated as "downstream side") in the transport direction of the film 2. They are described in detail below.

The feeding unit 5 is disposed on the most upstream side in the sputtering apparatus 1, and feeds the long film 2. The delivery part 5 has a box shape. The delivery unit 5 includes a delivery roller 11, a 1 st guide roller 12, a delivery casing 13, and a vacuum pump (an example of a pump) 14.

The delivery roller 11 is provided with a film 2 in a roll form. That is, the long film 2 is wound around the peripheral surface of the delivery roller 11 in the transport direction. The feed roller 11 is a cylindrical member having a rotation axis rotating in the conveyance direction and extending in the width direction. In the present specification, the various rollers (the delivery roller 11, the 1 st to 6 th guide rollers (12, 23, 24, 33, 34, 81), the film formation roller 27, and the take-up roller 82) described later are all cylindrical members having a rotation axis rotating in the conveyance direction and extending in the width direction.

The feed roller 11 is driven by external power or the like, and is configured to be rotatable in the arrow direction shown in fig. 1. Specifically, a gear (not shown) is provided at an end of the rotation shaft of the feed roller 11, and a motor (not shown) for rotating the feed roller 11 in the arrow direction is connected to the gear. The feed roller 11 is rotated by a driving force of a motor.

The delivery casing 13 houses the delivery roller 11 and the 1 st guide roller 12 therein.

The discharge case 13 is configured to be capable of adjusting the inside thereof to a vacuum state. Specifically, the discharge casing 13 is formed with an exhaust port 15, and a vacuum pump 14 for discharging air inside the discharge casing to the outside is connected to the exhaust port.

The vacuum pump 14 discharges the gas inside the discharge casing 13 to the outside, and vacuums the inside of the discharge casing 13. The vacuum pump 14 is disposed outside the discharge casing 13 so as to communicate with the exhaust port 15. Examples of the vacuum pump 14 include a turbo molecular pump and the like.

The sputtering unit 6 is disposed adjacent to the feeding unit 5 and the winding unit 7 on the downstream side of the feeding unit 5 and the upstream side of the winding unit 7. The sputtering section 6 has a passage section 21 and a film formation section 22.

The passage section 21 conveys the film 2 from the feeding section 5 to the film forming section 22, and conveys the laminated film 4 from the film forming section 22 to the winding section 7.

The passage portion 21 has a box shape. The passage portion 21 includes a 2 nd guide roller 23, a 3 rd guide roller 24, and a passage housing 25.

The 2 nd guide roller 23 is disposed on the upstream side of the passage portion 21. The 2 nd guide roller 23 guides the film 2 conveyed from the feeding section 5 to a 4 th guide roller 33 (described later) of the guide roller chamber 31.

The 3 rd guide roller 24 is disposed downstream of the passage portion 21. The 3 rd guide roller 24 guides the laminated film 4, which is conveyed from a 5 th guide roller 34 (described later) of the guide roller chamber 31, to the winding section 7.

The passage case 25 houses the 2 nd guide roller 23 and the 3 rd guide roller 24 inside thereof. The passage housing 25 is formed to communicate with a guide roller chamber 31 (described later) of the film forming section 22. That is, the passage case 25 is continuous with the film forming section 22, and the passage case 25 has a communication port at a portion where the passage case 25 is continuous with the film forming section 22 so as to be able to convey the film 2 and the laminate film 4.

The film forming portion 22 has a substantially hexagonal shape in section 1 and a substantially rectangular shape in section 2. The film forming portion 22 has a central portion 26 and chambers (a guide roller chamber 31 and a plurality (5) of

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75) arranged in the circumferential direction of the central portion 26. In detail, the guide roller chamber 31 and the plurality of (5)

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75 are disposed adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the film forming roller 27, and also disposed adjacent to the center portion 26 in the radial direction.

The central portion 26 is disposed at the center of the film forming portion 22 in section 1. The center portion 26 has a film forming roller 27 and a pair of film forming roller side walls 28 as an example of a joining wall.

The film forming roller 27 conveys the film 2 in the circumferential direction of the film forming roller 27. The film forming roller 27 also functions as an anode. The film forming roller 27 faces a guide roller chamber 31 and a plurality of

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75 described later.

The deposition roller 27 is driven by external power or the like, and is configured to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow shown in fig. 1. Specifically, the film forming roller 27 is the same as the delivery roller 11.

The pair of film forming roller side walls 28 are disposed opposite to the film forming rollers 27 at a distance on one side and the other side in the axial direction. The pair of deposition roller side walls 28 have substantially the same shape as each other, and have substantially the same shape as the deposition roller 27 in the 1 st cross section. The pair of deposition roller side walls 28 are symmetrical with respect to a 2 nd imaginary line L2 described later.

The guide roller chamber 31 is disposed to communicate with the passage portion 21. Specifically, the guide roller chamber 31 is disposed on the downstream side of the passage portion 21 and the upstream side of the 1 st film forming chamber 51, and is disposed on the downstream side of the 5 th film forming chamber 75 and the upstream side of the passage portion 21.

The guide roller chamber 31 is defined by a guide roller wall portion 32 disposed opposite the film forming roller 27. The guide roller chamber 31 houses a 4 th guide roller 33 and a 5 th guide roller 34. The guide roller wall portion 32 has a 1 st partition wall 41, a 6 th partition wall 46, and a pair of guide roller side walls 35. In other words, the guide roller chamber 31 has the 4 th guide roller 33, the 5 th guide roller 34, and the guide roller wall portion 32 (the 1 st partition wall 41, the 6 th partition wall 46, and the pair of guide roller side walls 35).

The 4 th guide roller 33 is disposed in the vicinity of the film formation roller 27 with a gap from the film formation roller 27. The 4 th guide roller 33 guides the film 2 conveyed from the 2 nd guide roller 23 to the circumferential surface of the film forming roller 27 so that the conveying direction of the film 2 is along the circumferential direction of the film forming roller 27.

The 5 th guide roller 34 is disposed in the vicinity of the deposition roller 27 with a gap from the deposition roller 27, and is disposed downstream of the 4 th guide roller 33. The 5 th guide roller 34 guides the laminated film 4 conveyed from the film formation roller 27 to the 3 rd guide roller 24.

The 1 st partition wall 41 is disposed between the guide roller chamber 31 and the 1 st film forming chamber 51 to partition the guide roller chamber 31 and the 1 st film forming chamber 51. The 1 st partition wall 41 has a flat plate shape extending in the radial and axial directions. The 1 st partition wall 41 extends in the radial direction from the boundary between the 1 st exhaust wall 53 (described later) and the passage housing 25 toward the deposition roller center C1 in the 1 st cross-section. A minute gap through which the film 2 can pass is formed between the radial end of the 1 st partition wall 41 and the film formation roller 27.

As shown in fig. 2, the pair of guide roller side walls 35 are arranged to face each other with a space therebetween in the axial direction. The pair of guide roller side walls 35 each have a flat plate shape extending in the circumferential direction and the radial direction. The pair of guide roller side walls 35 have substantially the same shape as each other, and have a substantially isosceles trapezoid shape in section view 1.

As shown in fig. 1, the 1 st film forming chamber 51 is disposed adjacent to the guide roller chamber 31 and the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 on the downstream side of the guide roller chamber 31 and the upstream side of the 2 nd film forming chamber 61. That is, the 1 st film forming chamber 51 is disposed on the most upstream side among the plurality of

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75.

The 1 st film forming chamber 51 is partitioned by a 1 st wall portion 52 disposed opposite to the film forming roller 27. Further, a target unit 55 is housed inside the 1 st film forming chamber 51, and a vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the 1 st film forming chamber 51. The 1 st wall part 52 has a 1 st exhaust wall 53, a 1 st partition wall 41, a 2 nd partition wall 42, and a pair of 1 st side walls 54. In other words, the 1 st film forming chamber 51 has the 1 st exhaust wall 53, the 1 st partition wall 41, the 2 nd partition wall 42, the pair of 1 st side walls 54, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

The 1 st exhaust wall 53 constitutes an outer wall on the radially outer side of the film forming portion 22. The 1 st exhaust wall 53 has a flat plate shape extending in the axial direction and the circumferential direction. The 1 st exhaust wall 53 is formed to be symmetrical with respect to the imaginary line L1 in the 1 st cross section. Specifically, the 1 st exhaust wall 53 extends perpendicularly from the center C2 of the exhaust port 15 of the 1 st exhaust wall 53 toward both circumferential outer sides. As shown in fig. 2, the 1 st exhaust wall 53 is formed to be symmetrical with respect to the 2 nd imaginary line L2 in the 2 nd cross section. Specifically, the 1 st exhaust wall 53 is formed to extend perpendicularly to the 2 nd imaginary line L2.

Further, the 1 st imaginary line L1 passes through the center C1 of the film forming roller and the center C2 of the exhaust port 15 in the 1 st sectional view. Preferably, the 1 st imaginary line L1 passes through all of C1, C2, and C3 (the circumferential centers of the two partition walls 41 and 42). The 2 nd imaginary line L2 passes through the axial center C4 of the film forming roller 27 in the 2 nd cross-sectional view and extends in the radial direction.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, an exhaust port (an example of an exhaust portion) 15 is formed in the center of the 1 st exhaust wall 53 in the circumferential direction and the axial direction.

The 1 st partition wall 41 is the same member as the 1 st partition wall 41 described above with respect to the guide roller chamber 31, and the 1 st film forming chamber 51 and the guide roller chamber 31 share the 1 st partition wall 41.

The 2 nd partition wall 42 is disposed between the 1 st film forming chamber 51 and the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 to partition the 1 st film forming chamber 51 and the 2 nd film forming chamber 61. The 2 nd partition wall 42 has the same shape as the 1 st partition wall 41, and the 2 nd partition wall 42 extends in the radial direction from the boundary of the 1 st discharge wall 53 and the 2 nd discharge wall 63 toward the film forming roller center C1.

The pair of 1 st side walls 54 constitute outer walls on the axially outer sides of the film forming portion 22. The pair of 1 st side walls 54 are arranged to face each other with a space therebetween in the axial direction. The pair of 1 st side walls 54 each have a flat plate shape extending in the circumferential direction and the radial direction. The pair of 1 st side walls 54 have substantially the same shape as each other, and have a substantially isosceles trapezoid shape in the 1 st cross section. The pair of 1 st side walls 54 respectively connect both circumferential end portions of the 1 st exhaust wall 53 and both axial end portions of the 1 st partition wall 41 and both axial end portions of the 2 nd partition wall 42. The pair of 1 st side walls 54 are symmetrical with respect to a 2 nd imaginary line L2 (described later).

The target unit 55 is disposed to face the film forming roller 27 with a gap. In addition, the target unit 55 is disposed symmetrically with respect to the imaginary line L1. The target unit 55 includes a target 56, a cathode 57, and a gas supplier 58.

The target 56 is a raw material of the thin film 3. The target 56 is disposed so as to face the deposition roller 27, and the target material ejected from the target 56 by collision of gas ions is deposited on the deposition roller 27.

The material of the target 56 is appropriately determined according to the thin film 3, and examples thereof include metal oxides including at least 1 metal selected from the group consisting of In, Sn, Zn, Ga, Sb, Nb, Ti, Si, Zr, Mg, Al, Au, Ag, Cu, Pd, and W. Specifically, for example, indium-containing oxides such as indium tin composite oxide (ITO), antimony-containing oxides such as antimony tin composite oxide (ATO), and the like can be given.

The cathode 57 is disposed radially outward of the target 56 (on the side opposite to the film formation roller 27) so as to accelerate gas ions toward the target 56.

The gas supplier 58 is disposed in the vicinity between the target 56 and the cathode 57. The gas supply unit 58 is configured to supply gas to the film 2 of the film formation roller 27 through the target 56.

The vacuum pump 14 evacuates the gas inside the 1 st film forming chamber 51 to the outside, thereby evacuating the inside of the 1 st film forming chamber 51. The vacuum pump 14 is disposed so as to communicate with the exhaust port 15 of the 1 st exhaust wall 53 on the radially outer side of the 1 st exhaust wall 53. The vacuum pump 14 is the same as the vacuum pump 14 of the delivery unit 5.

The 2 nd film forming chamber 61 is disposed adjacent to the 1 st film forming chamber 51 and the 3 rd film forming chamber 65 on the downstream side of the 1 st film forming chamber 51 and the upstream side of the 3 rd film forming chamber 65.

The 2 nd film forming chamber 61 is partitioned by a 2 nd wall portion 62 disposed opposite to the film forming roller 27. Further, the target unit 55 is housed inside the 2 nd film forming chamber 61, and the vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the 2 nd film forming chamber 61. The 2 nd wall portion 62 includes a 2 nd exhaust wall 63, a 2 nd partition wall 42, a 3 rd partition wall 43, and a pair of 2 nd side walls (not shown). In other words, the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 has the 2 nd exhaust wall 63, the 2 nd partition wall 42, the 3 rd partition wall 43, the pair of 2 nd side walls, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

The 2 nd exhaust wall 63 constitutes an outer wall on the radially outer side of the film forming portion 22. The 2 nd exhaust wall 63 has a shape in which the 1 st exhaust wall 53 is rotated by a predetermined angle (for example, 45 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less) in the circumferential direction around the film forming roller center C1, and the 2 nd exhaust wall 63 has the same structure as the 1 st exhaust wall 53.

The 2 nd partition wall 42 is the same member as the 2 nd partition wall 42 described above with respect to the 1 st film forming chamber 51, and the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 and the 1 st film forming chamber 51 share the 2 nd partition wall 42.

The 3 rd partition wall 43 is disposed between the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 and the 3 rd film forming chamber 65 to partition the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 and the 3 rd film forming chamber 65. The 3 rd partition wall 43 has the same shape as the 1 st partition wall 41, and extends in the radial direction from the boundary between the 2 nd exhaust wall 63 and the 3 rd exhaust wall 67 toward the film forming roller center C1.

The pair of 2 nd side walls constitute outer walls on the axial outer side. The 2 nd side wall is formed by rotating the 1 st side wall 54 by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction, and the 2 nd side wall has the same structure as the 1 st side wall 54.

The target unit 55 and the vacuum pump in the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 have the same configuration as the 1 st film forming chamber 51, and are disposed in the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 in the same manner as the 1 st film forming chamber 51.

The 3 rd film forming chamber 65 is partitioned by a 3 rd wall portion 66 disposed opposite to the film forming roller 27. Further, the target unit 55 is housed inside the 3 rd film forming chamber 65, and the vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the 3 rd film forming chamber 65. The 3 rd wall part 66 has a 3 rd exhaust wall 67, a 3 rd partition wall 43, a 4 th partition wall 44, and a pair of 3 rd side walls (not shown). In other words, the 3 rd film forming chamber 65 has the 3 rd exhaust wall 67, the 3 rd partition wall 43, the 4 th partition wall 44, the pair of 3 rd side walls, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

The 3 rd exhaust wall 67 constitutes a radially outer wall. The 3 rd exhaust wall 67 is formed by rotating the 2 nd exhaust wall 63 by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film formation roller center C1, and the 3 rd exhaust wall 67 has the same structure as the 2 nd exhaust wall 63.

The 3 rd partition wall 43 is the same member as the 3 rd partition wall 43 described above with respect to the 2 nd film forming chamber 61, and the 3 rd film forming chamber 65 and the 2 nd film forming chamber 61 share the 3 rd partition wall 43.

The 4 th partition wall 44 is disposed between the 3 rd film forming chamber 65 and the 4 th film forming chamber 71 to partition the 3 rd film forming chamber 65 and the 4 th film forming chamber 71. The 4 th partition wall 44 has the same shape as the 1 st partition wall 41, and extends in the radial direction from the boundary of the 3 rd exhaust wall 67 and the 4 th exhaust wall 73 toward the film forming roller center C1.

The pair of 3 rd side walls constitute outer walls on the axially outer sides of the film forming portion 22. The 3 rd side wall is formed by rotating the 2 nd side wall by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roller center C1, and the 3 rd side wall has the same structure as the 2 nd side wall.

The target unit 55 and the vacuum pump in the 3 rd film forming chamber 65 have the same configuration as the 1 st film forming chamber 51, and are disposed in the 3 rd film forming chamber 65 in the same manner as the 1 st film forming chamber 51.

The 4 th film forming chamber 71 is partitioned by a 4 th wall portion 72 disposed to face the film forming roller 27. Further, the target unit 55 is housed inside the 4 th film forming chamber 71, and the vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the 4 th film forming chamber 71. The 4 th wall portion 72 includes a 4 th exhaust wall 73, a 4 th partition wall 44, a 5 th partition wall 45, and a pair of 4 th side walls (not shown). In other words, the 4 th film forming chamber 71 has the 4 th exhaust wall 73, the 4 th partition wall 44, the 5 th partition wall 45, the pair of 4 th side walls, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

The 4 th exhaust wall 73 constitutes an outer wall on the radially outer side of the film forming portion 22. The 4 th exhaust wall 73 has a shape in which the 3 rd exhaust wall 67 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roller center C1, and the 4 th exhaust wall 73 has the same structure as the 3 rd exhaust wall 67.

The 4 th partition 44 is the same member as the 4 th partition 44 described above with respect to the 3 rd film forming chamber 65, and the 4 th partition 44 is shared by the 4 th film forming chamber 71 and the 3 rd film forming chamber 65.

The 5 th partition wall 45 is disposed between the 4 th film forming chamber 71 and the 5 th film forming chamber 75 to partition the 4 th film forming chamber 71 and the 5 th film forming chamber 75. The 4 th partition wall 44 has the same shape as the 1 st partition wall 41, and extends in the radial direction from the boundary of the 4 th exhaust wall 73 and the 5 th exhaust wall 77 toward the film forming roller center C1.

The pair of 4 th side walls constitute outer walls on the axially outer sides of the film forming portion 22. The 4 th side wall is formed by rotating the 3 rd side wall by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roller center C1, and the 4 th side wall has the same structure as the 3 rd side wall.

The target unit 55 and the vacuum pump in the 4 th film forming chamber 71 have the same configuration as the 1 st film forming chamber 51, and are disposed in the 4 th film forming chamber 71 in the same manner as the 1 st film forming chamber 51.

The 5 th film forming chamber 75 is partitioned by a 5 th wall portion 76 disposed to face the film forming roller 27. Further, a target unit 55 is housed inside the 5 th film forming chamber 75, and a vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the 5 th film forming chamber 75. The 5 th wall portion 76 has a 5 th exhaust wall 77, a 5 th partition wall 45, a 6 th partition wall 46, and a pair of 5 th side walls (not shown). In other words, the 5 th film forming chamber 75 has the 5 th exhaust wall 77, the 5 th partition wall 45, the 6 th partition wall 46, the pair of 5 th side walls, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

The 5 th exhaust wall 77 constitutes an outer wall on the radially outer side of the film forming portion 22. The 5 th exhaust wall 77 is formed by rotating the 4 th exhaust wall 73 by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roller center C1, and the 5 th exhaust wall 77 has the same structure as the 4 th exhaust wall 73.

The 5 th partition wall 45 is the same member as the 5 th partition wall 45 described above with respect to the 4 th film forming chamber 71, and the 5 th film forming chamber 75 and the 4 th film forming chamber 71 share the 5 th partition wall 45.

The 6 th partition wall 46 is disposed between the 5 th film forming chamber 75 and the guide roller chamber 31 to partition the 5 th film forming chamber 75 and the guide roller chamber 31. The 6 th partition wall 46 has the same shape as the 2 nd partition wall 42, and extends in the radial direction from the boundary of the 5 th exhaust wall 77 and the passage housing 25 toward the film forming roller center C1.

The pair of 5 th side walls constitute outer walls on the axially outer sides of the film forming portion 22. The 5 th side wall is formed by rotating the 4 th side wall by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roller center C1, and the 5 th side wall has the same structure as the 4 th side wall.

The target unit 55 and the vacuum pump 14 in the 5 th film forming chamber 75 have the same configuration as the 1 st film forming chamber 51, and are disposed in the 5 th film forming chamber 75 in the same manner as the 1 st film forming chamber 51.

In the film forming section 22, the 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, and 75 have substantially the same configuration except that they are rotated by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction.

Among the exhaust walls, the 1 st exhaust wall 53, the 2 nd exhaust wall 63, the 3 rd exhaust wall 67, the 4 th exhaust wall 73, and the 5 th exhaust wall 77 are formed continuously in the circumferential direction, and form a substantially hexagonal shape in the 1 st cross section.

The 1 st partition wall 41, the 2 nd partition wall 42, the 3 rd partition wall 43, the 4 th partition wall 44, the 5 th partition wall 45, and the 6 th partition wall 46 are formed to extend radially inward from the respective exhaust walls at intervals in the circumferential direction. The radially inner end of each partition is separated from the film-forming roller 27 by a small gap through which the film 2 can pass. The 1 st partition wall 41, the 2 nd partition wall 42, the 3 rd partition wall 43, the 4 th partition wall 44, the 5 th partition wall 45, and the 6 th partition wall 46 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The deposition roller side wall 28, the guide roller side wall 35, the 1 st side wall 54, the 2 nd side wall, the 3 rd side wall, the 4 th side wall, and the 5 th side wall are integrally formed on one side and the other side of the pair of side walls of the deposition portion 22, respectively, and have a substantially hexagonal shape when viewed in cross section at 1 st.

The plurality of

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75 are partitioned by

wall portions

52, 62, 66, 72, 76 so as to face the film forming roller 27, and include a 1 st film forming chamber 51, a 2 nd film forming chamber 61, a 3 rd film forming chamber 65, a 4 th film forming chamber 71, and a 5 th film forming chamber 75. These film forming chambers are arranged adjacent to each other in order along the film conveying direction, i.e., along the circumferential direction of the film forming roller 27. The

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75 have substantially the same structure as each other.

The winding unit 7 is disposed on the most downstream side in the sputtering apparatus 1 and is disposed adjacent to the passage unit 21 on the downstream side of the passage unit 21. The winding unit 7 winds the laminate film 4.

The winding section 7 has a box shape. The winding unit 7 includes a 6 th guide roller 81, a winding roller 82, a winding case 83, and a vacuum pump 14.

The 6 th guide roller 81 guides the laminate film 4 conveyed from the passage portion 21 to the winding roller 82. The 6 th guide roller 81 is disposed upstream of the winding roller 82.

The take-up roller 82 takes up the film with the thin film fed from the 6 th guide roller 81 into a roll shape. The take-up roller 82 is driven by external power or the like and is configured to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow shown in fig. 1. Specifically, the take-up roller 82 is the same as the delivery roller 11.

The winding case 83 houses the 6 th guide roller 81 and the winding roller 82 therein. The winding case 83 is configured to be able to adjust the inside thereof to a vacuum state. Specifically, an exhaust port 15 is formed in the winding case 83, and a vacuum pump 14 for discharging air in the exhaust port 15 to the outside is disposed.

The vacuum pump 14 discharges the gas inside the winding case 83 to the outside, and vacuums the inside of the winding case 83. The vacuum pump 14 is disposed outside the winding case 83 so as to communicate with the exhaust port 15. The vacuum pump 14 may be a vacuum pump of the delivery unit 5.

2. Method for producing laminated film

A method for producing the laminated film 4 from the film 2 using the sputtering apparatus 1 will be described.

First, the film 2 to be laminated is prepared on the delivery roller 11. Specifically, the film 2 is prepared and set on the delivery roller 11.

Examples of the film 2 include a polymer film and a glass film (thin film glass). Examples of the polymer film include a polyester film (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate film, polybutylene terephthalate film, and polyethylene naphthalate film), a polycarbonate film, an olefin film (e.g., polyethylene film, polypropylene film, and cycloolefin film), an acrylic film, a polyether sulfone film, a polyarylate film, a melamine film, a polyamide film, a polyimide film, a cellulose film, and a polystyrene film.

Next, the sputtering apparatus 1 is operated. Specifically, the various vacuum pumps 14 are operated to control all of the delivery unit 5, the sputtering unit 6, and the winding unit 7 to be vacuum, and the motors attached to the rollers are driven to rotate the rollers. In addition, the target unit 55 is also operated to perform sputtering. Thereby, the film 2 is fed from the feeding section 5, the laminated film 4 is formed by sputtering in the sputtering section 6, and the laminated film 4 is wound in the winding section 7.

In particular, in the sputtering section 6, the film 2 is guided from the passage section 21 to the guide roller chamber 31 by the 2 nd guide roller 23, and then guided to the 1 st film forming chamber 51 by the 4 th guide roller 33. Then, the film forming roll 27 passes through the 2 nd film forming chamber 61, the 3 rd film forming chamber 65, the 4 th film forming chamber 71, and the 5 th film forming chamber 75 in this order along the circumferential surface thereof. At this time, the film 2 is sputtered in the 1 st film forming chamber 51, the 2 nd film forming chamber 61, the 3 rd film forming chamber 65, the 4 th film forming chamber 71, and the 5 th film forming chamber 75 in this order. Then, the laminated film 4 is conveyed again to the guide roller chamber 31 and guided to the passage portion 21 by the 5 th guide roller 34. Then, the sheet is guided to the winding unit 7 by the 5 th guide roller 34.

The sputtering performed in each of the

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, and 75 will be described with reference to the 1 st film forming chamber 51 as a representative example. Further, the sputtering performed in the other film forming chambers is also the same as that in the 1 st film forming chamber 51.

In the sputtering, a gas is supplied from the gas supplier 58 and is ionized by applying a voltage from a power source (not shown). Then, the ionized gas is caused to collide with the target 56 located in the vicinity of the cathode 57, and the target material (thin film material) is ejected from the surface of the target 56, and deposited on the film 2.

Specific examples of the sputtering method include a 2-pole sputtering method, an electron cyclotron resonance sputtering method, a magnetron sputtering method, an ion beam sputtering method, and the like.

Examples of the gas to be supplied include inert gases such as argon (Ar). Preferably, a reactive gas such as oxygen can be used in combination.

The pressure during sputtering is vacuum, and is preferably less than 1.0Pa, more preferably 0.5Pa or less.

The power source for sputtering may be any one of, for example, a DC power source, an AC power source, an MF power source, and an RF power source, or a combination of these power sources.

The flow of the gas during sputtering in the 1 st film forming chamber 51 will be described in detail with reference to the arrows in FIGS. 3A to 3B.

A gas (e.g., argon gas) is ejected from the gas supplier 58 toward the film forming roller 27 and the film 2 (see the broken line in fig. 3A).

The ejected gas passes through Ar⁺After the plasma is ionized, the plasma is accelerated toward the cathode 57 and collides with the target 56, thereby striking the target material from the target 56 (see the solid line in fig. 3A). The ionized gas that collides with the target 56 is returned from the ionized state to the gas state under the influence of the cathode 57.

Then, the gas flows toward the exhaust port 15 thereof, i.e., radially outward, by the suction of the vacuum pump 14 through the 1 st exhaust wall 53. At this time, the gas is split along the opposite surface of the cathode 57 symmetrically with respect to the 1 st imaginary line L1. The gas flowing toward the 1 st partition wall 41 side flows along the 1 st partition wall 41 and the 1 st exhaust wall 53 and is sucked into the exhaust port 15, while the gas flowing toward the 2 nd partition wall 42 side flows along the 2 nd partition wall 42 and the 1 st exhaust wall 53 and is sucked into the exhaust port 15 (see fig. 3B).

At this time, since the 1 st film forming chamber 51 is symmetrical with respect to the 1 st virtual line L1, the flow of the gas is also symmetrical, and a smooth flow of the exhaust gas is generated in the 1 st film forming chamber 51. That is, turbulence is less likely to occur in the region between the cathode 57 and the deposition roller 27 where deposition is performed, and stable gas supply and discharge can be achieved.

The same sputtering as in the 1 st film forming chamber 51, and the supply and discharge of the same gas are also performed in the 2 nd film forming chamber 61, the 3 rd film forming chamber 65, the 4 th film forming chamber 71, and the 5 th film forming chamber 75, respectively, independently.

In the sputtering apparatus 1, since the target unit 55, the

wall portions

52, 62, 66, 72, 76, and the exhaust port 15 are provided in each of the 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, and 75, the gas supplied to each film forming chamber is exhausted through the exhaust port 15 disposed in each film forming chamber. Therefore, the gas supplied to one film forming chamber can be suppressed from flowing into the film forming chambers adjacent in the circumferential direction thereof.

Further, in each film forming chamber, since the target unit 55 is disposed on the 1 st virtual line L1, the gas for film formation is symmetrically divided from the vicinity of the film forming roller 27 by the target unit 55 around the 1 st virtual line L1, and is discharged to the exhaust port 15. That is, the flow of the gas from the supply to the exhaust can be equalized, and turbulence of the gas can be suppressed.

Therefore, it is possible to suppress the variation in film formation due to the gas, and to form the thin film 3 having a uniform film thickness on the film 2.

In the sputtering apparatus 1, the 1 st wall portion 52 includes the 1 st exhaust wall 53, the 1 st partition wall 41, and the 2 nd partition wall 42, and the 1 st exhaust wall 53 is symmetrical with respect to the 1 st imaginary line L1.

Therefore, the discharged gas easily flows into the exhaust ports 15 uniformly along the 1 st exhaust wall 53. Therefore, turbulence due to unevenness can be suppressed, and the gas can be discharged more smoothly. As a result, unevenness due to the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

In the sputtering apparatus 1, the 1 st partition wall 41 and the 2 nd partition wall 42 are symmetrical with respect to the 1 st virtual line L1.

Therefore, the discharged gas easily flows into the exhaust portion uniformly along the 1 st partition wall 41 and the 2 nd partition wall 42. Therefore, turbulence due to unevenness can be suppressed, and the gas can be discharged more smoothly. As a result, unevenness due to the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

In the sputtering apparatus 1, the pair of deposition roller side walls 28 are symmetrical with respect to the 2 nd virtual line L2, and therefore turbulence can be effectively suppressed, and unevenness in each of the plurality of

deposition chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75 can be more reliably suppressed.

In the sputtering apparatus 1, a vacuum pump 14 connected to an exhaust port is provided in each of the plurality of film forming chambers.

Therefore, the gas in the film forming chamber can be reliably discharged to the outside.

In the sputtering apparatus 1, the exhaust port 15 is disposed so as to be centered on the 2 nd virtual line L2 of the

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75.

Therefore, the exhaust ports 15 can uniformly exhaust the gas in the axial direction of the film forming roller 27, and the gas can be more smoothly exhausted. As a result, unevenness due to the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

4. Modification example

A modification of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 will be described below. These modifications also have the same operational effects as the above-described embodiment.

(1) In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, each of the

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75 has one vacuum pump, but for example, as shown in fig. 4 and 5, each of the

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65, 71, 75 may have a plurality of (two or more) vacuum pumps 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, each film forming chamber has two vacuum pumps 14. The two vacuum pumps 14 are arranged at intervals in the axial direction. The two vacuum pumps 14 are arranged to be symmetrical about the 2 nd imaginary line L2. Further, exhaust ports 15 are formed in the exhaust walls corresponding to the two vacuum pumps 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, each film forming chamber has 3 vacuum pumps 14. The 3 vacuum pumps 14 are arranged at equal intervals in the axial direction. The 3 vacuum pumps 14 are arranged symmetrically about the 2 nd imaginary line L2. Further, exhaust ports 15 are formed in the exhaust walls corresponding to the 3 vacuum pumps 14.

(2) In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the film forming section 22 has 5 film forming chambers, but the number of film forming chambers is not limited as long as it is a plurality (two or more), and two or 3 film forming chambers may be provided as shown in fig. 6 and 7, for example.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the two

film forming chambers

51, 61 are in shapes rotated by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction from each other, and have the same configuration as each other. Each exhaust wall is symmetrical with respect to the 1 st imaginary line L1 in the 1 st cross-sectional view and has a substantially circular arc shape.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the 3

film forming chambers

51, 61, 65 are in shapes rotated by a predetermined angle from each other in the circumferential direction, and have the same configuration as each other.

The present invention is provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and this is merely an example and is not to be construed as limiting. Modifications of the present invention that will be apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A sputtering apparatus, comprising:

a film forming roller that conveys a film in a circumferential direction; and

a plurality of film forming chambers arranged along a circumferential direction of the film forming roller,

the sputtering apparatus is characterized in that,

the plurality of film forming chambers each have:

a target unit disposed to face the film forming roller with a gap therebetween; and

a wall portion that partitions the film forming chamber,

an exhaust portion is provided in the wall portion,

in a cross-sectional view orthogonal to the axial direction of the deposition roller, the target unit is disposed on a 1 st imaginary line passing through the center of the deposition roller and the center of the exhaust portion.

2. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1,

the wall portion has:

an exhaust wall provided with the exhaust portion; and

two partition walls extending in a radial direction from the exhaust wall toward the film forming roller, the two partition walls being arranged at a spacing from each other,

the exhaust wall is symmetrical with respect to the 1 st imaginary line.

3. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 2,

the two partition walls are symmetrical with respect to the 1 st imaginary line.

4. The sputtering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the wall portion further has a joining wall joining the exhaust wall and the partition wall,

the joining wall is symmetrical with respect to a 2 nd imaginary line passing through a center of the film forming chamber in the axial direction.

5. The sputtering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the plurality of film forming chambers are each provided with a pump connected to the exhaust section.

6. The sputtering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the gas discharge portion is symmetrical with respect to a 2 nd imaginary line passing through the center of the film forming chamber in the axial direction.