JP5823338B2 - Plasma CVD equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plasma CVD apparatus, and more particularly to an improvement of a plasma CVD apparatus used for forming a plasma CVD film on a surface of a substrate by a plasma CVD method.

  Conventionally, a plasma CVD method using plasma is known as one of methods for forming a thin film on the surface of a base material made of various materials. Various apparatuses are also available for forming a thin-film plasma CVD film on the substrate surface by performing this plasma CVD method. For example, a parallel plate type plasma CVD apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-120881 (Patent Document 1), an inductively coupled plasma CVD apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-248327, etc. That's it.

  As is well known, a parallel plate type plasma CVD apparatus includes a reaction chamber in which a substrate is accommodated, and a pair of flat plate-like plasma generation electrodes arranged to face each other in the reaction chamber so as to extend in parallel to each other. And is configured. On the other hand, the inductively coupled plasma CVD apparatus includes a reaction chamber in which a substrate is accommodated and a high frequency induction antenna disposed outside the reaction chamber. The parallel plate type plasma CVD apparatus and the inductively coupled plasma CVD apparatus have a high frequency power supply between a pair of plasma generating electrodes and a high frequency induction antenna in a state where a film forming gas is supplied into the reaction chamber. By applying the power from, the plasma of the source gas contained in the film forming gas and the plasma of the reactive gas are generated in the reaction chamber, and the plasma is further reacted to generate a predetermined product. Then, by depositing it on the surface of the substrate, a plasma CVD film made of such a product is laminated.

  In such a parallel plate type plasma CVD apparatus and an inductively coupled plasma CVD apparatus, since the film-forming gas (source gas and reaction gas) converted into plasma is dispersed throughout the reaction chamber, plasma is generated. There is an advantage that the CVD film can be laminated and formed all at once on the entire surface of the substrate having a large area. However, on the other hand, the product generated by the reaction of the plasma of the film forming gas by the plasma CVD method adheres to the inner surface of the reaction chamber, the electrode disposed in the reaction chamber, the support member that supports the substrate, or the like. Therefore, after the operation of forming the plasma CVD film on the surface of the substrate, it is necessary to perform an extra work for removing the attached product such as the support member.

  Under such circumstances, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-220680 (Patent Document 3) discloses a plasma CVD apparatus capable of suppressing adhesion of a product (plasma CVD film) other than the substrate surface.

  The plasma CVD apparatus includes a reaction chamber that accommodates a substrate, a plasma generation unit that generates plasma, and a blowout port that blows out plasma generated in the plasma generation unit into the reaction chamber. When a plasma CVD film is formed on the surface of a substrate using such a plasma CVD apparatus, for example, first, the reaction chamber containing the substrate is evacuated while an inert gas such as argon gas is used. Alternatively, a gas that does not react with the film forming gas in a plasma state is introduced into the plasma generation unit, and plasma is generated in the plasma generation unit. Then, the plasma is blown out from the plasma generation unit through the blowout port into the reaction chamber in a vacuum state, while the film forming gas containing the source gas and the reaction gas for forming the plasma CVD film is blown out from the blowout port. The film-forming gas is brought into contact with the plasma by spraying the blown-out plasma. As a result, a film-forming plasma in which the film-forming gas is turned into plasma is generated, and this film-forming plasma is blown out toward the surface of the base material by the plasma blowing pressure from the blowout port. Reaction of plasma for film formation by the CVD method is generated. Then, the product generated by such a reaction is deposited on the surface of the substrate, and a plasma CVD film is laminated on the surface of the substrate.

  In addition, when forming a plasma CVD film using such a plasma CVD apparatus, instead of a gas that does not react with an inert gas or a film forming gas, a part of the gas components contained in the film forming gas, It may be introduced into the plasma generator. In this case, a part of the gas component contained in the film forming gas is converted into plasma by the plasma generating unit, and the plasma is blown out from the plasma generating unit through the outlet into the reaction chamber, while the film forming gas is used. The other gas component contained in is sprayed on the plasma blown out from the blowout port and brought into contact therewith. As a result, all the gas components contained in the film forming gas are turned into plasma to generate film forming plasma. Then, such a film-forming plasma is blown out toward the surface of the substrate at a plasma blowing pressure from the blow-out port, and a film-forming plasma reaction is caused by a plasma CVD method. Thus, a plasma CVD film is formed on the surface of the base material in the reaction chamber.

  As described above, the conventional plasma CVD apparatus disclosed in the above publication has a plasma (a plasma of a gas that does not react with an inert gas or a film-forming gas, or a composition that is blown out from a plasma generation unit through a blowout port into the reaction chamber. A plasma CVD film is formed on the surface of the base material accommodated in the reaction chamber using plasma of gas components contained in the film gas. In such a plasma CVD apparatus, since the film-forming plasma is blown out toward the substrate surface, the dispersion of the film-forming gas plasma throughout the reaction chamber is advantageously suppressed, and the reaction by the plasma CVD method is performed. As a result, the product produced by the above-mentioned method is concentrated on the substrate surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent the product from adhering to the inner surface of the reaction chamber, the support member that supports the substrate, and the like as much as possible.

  However, in a so-called plasma blowing type plasma CVD apparatus having such a structure that blows out plasma from the plasma generation unit, the blowing range of the plasma for film formation on the substrate surface is limited. It has been difficult to form a CVD film with a uniform thickness over the entire surface of a large-area substrate. In order to eliminate such drawbacks, a structure for transporting the substrate in the reaction chamber is imparted to a conventional plasma CVD apparatus so that the film-forming plasma can be sprayed uniformly over the entire surface of the substrate. Can be considered. However, even if such a structure is applied to a conventional plasma CVD apparatus, it is difficult to stably form a high-quality plasma CVD film on the surface of the substrate.

  That is, in a conventional plasma blow-out type plasma CVD apparatus, generally, a blow-out port of a plasma generation unit, and a blow-out port for blowing at least a part of the gas component of the film forming gas to the plasma blown out from the blow-out port, Are fixedly arranged at positions separated from the substrate surface by a predetermined distance so that the plasma for film formation is blown out from the preset height position in the reaction chamber toward the substrate surface. It has become. Therefore, even if a structure for transporting the base material is added to such a plasma CVD apparatus, the surface of the base material is not a flat surface, for example, a convex or concave curved surface. If the surface of the substrate is concave or convex on a part of the substrate surface, it is possible to avoid variations in the distance from the film formation plasma blowing position in the reaction chamber to the substrate surface. There wasn't. As a result, the amount of deposition of the reaction product of the film-forming plasma by the plasma CVD method on the substrate surface also varies, and as a result, the thickness of the plasma CVD film on the substrate surface is uneven. There was a possibility of becoming.

JP 2009-120881 A JP 2005-248327 A JP 2001-220680 A

  Here, the present invention has been made in the background as described above, and the problem to be solved is to suppress the adhesion of the plasma CVD film to the surface other than the substrate surface as much as possible. An object of the present invention is to provide a plasma CVD apparatus capable of stacking and forming a plasma CVD film on a substrate surface with a uniform thickness as much as possible regardless of the size and shape of the substrate surface.

And in this invention, in order to solve this subject, it is a plasma CVD apparatus which forms a plasma CVD film | membrane on the surface of a base material, Comprising: (a) Reaction chamber which accommodates a base material, (b) A plasma generation unit, a blow-out port for blowing out the plasma generated in the plasma generation unit toward a part of the surface of the substrate housed in the reaction chamber, and a film forming gas for forming the plasma CVD film , and a blowing port for blowing the plasma blown out from該吹outlet, by contacting the film forming gas into the plasma by spraying into the plasma film forming gas, for the deposition A gas plasma is generated, and the film-forming plasma is generated from the film- forming plasma blowing portion formed at the end on the plasma blowing direction side by the blow-out pressure of the plasma blown out from the blow-out port. Of the surface of the material A plasma gun for generating a plasma CVD film on a part of the surface of the substrate by causing a reaction of the plasma for film formation by a plasma CVD method to occur in the reaction chamber by blowing toward the part; ) On the surface of the base material accommodated in the reaction chamber, the base material is moved from the plasma gun to the base material so that the position where the film-forming plasma blown from the plasma gun is sprayed moves. Conveying means for conveying the film forming plasma to the surface in a direction intersecting the blowing direction of the film forming plasma; and (d) the film forming plasma blowing part of the plasma gun is formed on the substrate on which the film forming plasma is sprayed. Moving means for moving the film forming plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun in the direction of blowing the film forming plasma so as to be displaced in a direction approaching and separating from the surface portion; e) Due to the movement of the film forming plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun by the moving means, between the film blowing plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun and the surface portion of the substrate to which the film forming plasma is blown Control means for controlling a moving direction and a moving distance of a plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun by the moving means according to a change in the shape of the surface of the substrate so that the distance is always constant; A gist of the present invention is a plasma CVD apparatus including the above-described features.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the plasma guns are arranged, and in each of the plurality of plasma guns, the film-forming plasma is generated independently, and the generated film-forming plasma is used. Plasma is blown out toward a part of the surface of the substrate housed in the reaction chamber, and further, the moving means causes the plasma blowing portions of the plurality of plasma guns to be formed. Each of the plurality of plasma guns can be moved independently, and the moving direction and moving distance of the plasma blowing portions for film formation of the plurality of plasma guns can be independently controlled by the control means. Composed.

  Further, according to one of the desirable embodiments of the present invention, the plasma gun is disposed on each of the one side and the other side sandwiching the base material accommodated in the reaction chamber, and the base material is interposed between the plasma guns. The plasma gun disposed on one side sandwiched between the substrate and the plasma for film formation is directed toward a part of one surface of the surface of the substrate corresponding to the plasma gun disposed on the one side. At the same time, the film-forming plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun is displaced by the moving means in a direction approaching and separating from one surface of the surface of the substrate. A plasma arranged on the other side of the surface of the substrate, the plasma gun disposed on the other side sandwiching the substrate, while being configured to be moved in the plasma blowing direction To the part of the other side corresponding to the gun, The film forming plasma is blown out, and the film forming plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun is displaced by the moving means in a direction approaching and separating from the other surface of the substrate surface. The film-forming plasma is moved in the blowing direction.

  Furthermore, according to one of the advantageous aspects of the present invention, the shape for detecting the shape of the surface of the base material transported by the transport means and outputting a detection signal including the shape data of the surface of the base material The detection means is arranged upstream of the arrangement position of the plasma blowing portion for film formation of the plasma gun in the conveyance direction of the substrate by the conveyance means, and the control means Based on the detection signal, the moving direction and the moving distance of the plasma gun by the moving means are controlled.

  Furthermore, according to one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the detection chamber that can communicate with the reaction chamber through the communication port through which the substrate can pass, and the communication port can be opened and closed. And a shutter member that hermetically blocks the reaction chamber and the detection chamber by closing the communication port, and the substrate is transferred from the detection chamber to the reaction chamber through the communication hole. And a transfer means are further provided, and the shape detection means is disposed in the detection chamber.

  That is, in the plasma CVD apparatus according to the present invention, the film forming plasma is blown out from the plasma gun toward a part of the substrate surface in the reaction chamber, and thus generated by the reaction of the film forming plasma by the plasma CVD method. The product is prevented as much as possible from adhering to the inner surface of the reaction chamber, the support member that supports the substrate, and the like. In addition, the base material is transported so that the position where the film-forming plasma is sprayed moves on the base material surface. Therefore, even when the substrate surface has a large area, the film-forming plasma can be sprayed uniformly over the entire surface of the substrate surface.

  In such a plasma CVD apparatus, in particular, the film formation of the plasma gun is performed so that the distance between the plasma blowing film forming portion of the plasma gun and the surface portion of the substrate to which the film forming plasma is sprayed is always constant. The plasma blowing portion for use is moved in a direction away from a direction approaching the substrate surface in accordance with a change in the shape of the substrate surface. Therefore, not only when the surface of the base material is a flat surface, but also when it is a convex or concave curved surface, or when a concave portion or a convex portion is provided on a part of the surface of the base material. The distance between the plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun and the surface portion of the substrate on which the film forming plasma is sprayed is always constant, and the reaction product of the film forming plasma by the plasma CVD method is transferred to the substrate surface. Can be made uniform over the entire surface of the substrate.

  Therefore, by using the plasma CVD apparatus according to the present invention as described above, the plasma CVD film can be applied to the surface of the base material regardless of the size or shape of the substrate surface while suppressing the adhesion of the plasma CVD film to other than the substrate surface as much as possible. The CVD film can be advantageously laminated with a thickness as uniform as possible.

It is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-section explanatory drawing which shows an example of the resin product obtained using the plasma CVD apparatus which has a structure according to this invention. It is longitudinal cross-sectional explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the plasma CVD apparatus which has a structure according to this invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part of FIG. 2. It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 2 which shows another embodiment of the plasma CVD apparatus which has a structure according to this invention.

  Hereinafter, in order to clarify the present invention more specifically, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, FIG. 1 shows a resin glass 10 for a rear window of an automobile as a resin product obtained by using a plasma CVD apparatus having a structure according to the present invention in a partial vertical sectional form. As is clear from FIG. 1, the resin glass 10 has a substrate 12 as a base material. The substrate 12 is made of a transparent resin molded product that is injection-molded using polycarbonate, and has a curved plate shape. That is, one front side surface 14 (upper surface in FIG. 1) in the thickness direction of the surface of the substrate 12 is a convex curved surface that is convex upward in FIG. The back side surface 16 (the lower surface in FIG. 1) is a concave curved surface that is recessed downward in FIG. The substrate 12 may be formed by a method other than injection molding.

  An undercoat layer 18 is laminated on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the substrate 12. A topcoat layer 20 is laminated on the undercoat layer 18 formed on the front side surface 14 of the substrate 12 and the undercoat layer 18 formed on the back side surface 16. In FIG. 1, the thickness of the undercoat layer 18 and the thickness of the topcoat layer 20 are actually larger than the thickness of the substrate 12 in order to facilitate understanding of the laminated structure of the resin glass 10. It should also be understood that the larger dimensions are shown exaggerated.

  The undercoat layer 18 covers the entire surface of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the substrate 12 for the purpose of providing the resin glass 10 with weather resistance based on ultraviolet resistance or the like. As shown, each of them is directly laminated to form a thin film form. Such an undercoat layer 18 is generally formed by applying a liquid acrylic resin or polyurethane resin on the front side and back side surfaces 14 and 16 of the substrate 12 to form a coating film, and then performing a heating operation or ultraviolet irradiation. And formed by curing the coating film. The undercoat layer 18 is preferably composed of an ultraviolet curable film for the purpose of simplifying and speeding up the formation process and reducing the equipment cost required for the formation. Further, the undercoat layer 18 can be formed by adopting a resin material or a curing method other than the above examples as long as it has weather resistance. Further, the undercoat layer 18 may have a single layer structure or a multilayer structure in which a plurality of layers are laminated.

The top coat layer 20 is an undercoat formed on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the substrate 12 in order to impart abrasion resistance (abrasion resistance and scratch resistance) to the resin glass 10. The layers 18 and 18 are laminated and formed on the surface opposite to the substrate 12 side so as to cover the entire surface, and are in the form of a thin film. Here, the top coat layer 20 is composed of a plasma CVD film of SiO ₂ that exhibits excellent abrasion resistance. The material for forming the top coat layer 20 is not particularly limited as long as it can provide sufficient abrasion resistance to the resin glass 10, but generally, in addition to SiO ₂ , SiON and Si A silicon compound such as ₃ N ₄ is used. The topcoat layer 20 may have a single layer structure or a multilayer structure in which a plurality of layers are stacked.

  The resin glass 10 having such excellent characteristics is formed, for example, by forming an undercoat layer 18 on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the polycarbonate substrate 12, respectively, to thereby produce an intermediate product 22 (FIG. 2). And then a top coat layer 20 is formed on each undercoat layer 18 of the intermediate product 22. The top coat layers 20 and 20 are formed according to the present invention. A plasma CVD apparatus having a structure is advantageously used.

  2 and 3 show an embodiment of a plasma CVD apparatus having a structure according to the present invention in a longitudinal sectional form and a transverse sectional form, respectively. As is clear from FIGS. 2 and 3, the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of this embodiment has a vacuum chamber 26. The vacuum chamber 26 includes a plurality of (here, six) plasma guns 28 for blowing out a film-forming plasma made of a film-forming gas plasma for forming the topcoat layer 20 made of a plasma CVD film. It is arranged. In the plasma CVD apparatus 24, on the undercoat layers 18 and 18 of the intermediate product 22 accommodated in the vacuum chamber 26 using film forming plasma blown out from the plurality of plasma guns 28, A top coat layer 20 made of a plasma CVD film is laminated and formed.

  More specifically, the vacuum chamber 26 is composed of a casing having a longitudinal rectangular shape as a whole, and includes an upper bottom wall portion 30, a lower bottom wall portion 32, and four side wall portions 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d. Are integrated. Of the four side wall portions 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d of the vacuum chamber 26, two side wall portions 34a, 34b facing the longitudinal direction of the vacuum chamber 26 (the left-right direction in FIGS. 2 and 3) are Through holes 36a and 36b penetrating in the thickness direction are respectively formed. The through holes 36a and 36b have the same size through which the intermediate product 22 can pass. Further, the lower bottom wall portion 32 integrally has extension wall portions 33, 33 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum chamber 26 toward the outside of the vacuum chamber 26.

  A partition wall 38 that divides the inner space of the vacuum chamber 26 into two in the longitudinal direction is integrally formed at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum chamber 26 so as to face the two side wall portions 34a and 34b with a predetermined distance therebetween. Is formed. One of the two spaces defined in the vacuum chamber 26 by the partition wall 38 is a reaction chamber 40, and the other of them is a detection chamber 42. The reaction chamber 40 and the detection chamber 42 communicate with each other through a communication hole 44 provided in the partition wall 38. The detection chamber 42 communicates with the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 through a through hole 36a provided in the side wall 34a. On the other hand, the reaction chamber 40 communicates with the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 through a through hole 36b provided in the side wall 34b. Each of the reaction chamber 40 and the detection chamber 42 has a size that can accommodate the intermediate product 22, and the communication hole 44 of the partition wall 38 and the through holes 36 a and 36 b of the side walls 34 a and 34 b include In any case, the intermediate product 22 has such a size that it can pass through.

  The two through holes 36a and 36b that connect the reaction chamber 40 and the detection chamber 42 to the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 can be opened and closed by opening and closing shutters 46a and 46b, respectively.

  In other words, on the outer surfaces of the two side wall portions 34a and 34b, the open / close shutters 46a and 46b are arranged in contact with the outer surfaces of the side wall portions 34a and 34b, respectively. Each of the open / close shutters 46a and 46b has a size capable of closing the through holes 36a and 36b. Further, on the outer surfaces of the side walls 34a and 34b, guide grooves are formed on both sides in the width direction of the vacuum chamber 26 with the through holes 36a and 36b interposed therebetween (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 and the vertical direction of FIG. 3). 48 are provided so as to extend in the vertical direction with the bottom surfaces facing each other. In addition, hydraulic cylinders 52 each having a piston rod 50 that protrudes or retracts in the vertical direction are provided one above the side walls 34a and 34b. Each of the open / close shutters 46a and 46b is loosely fitted into two guide grooves 48 and 48 provided on the outer surface side of the side wall portions 34a and 34b at both ends in the width direction, and at the upper end portion, The piston rod 50 of the hydraulic cylinder 52 is fixed.

  Thus, as the piston rod 50 is retracted or protruded by the hydraulic cylinders 52, the open / close shutters 46a and 46b move up and down while being guided by the two guide grooves 48 and 48, respectively, whereby the side wall portion 34a. , 34b can be opened and closed. Then, by closing the through holes 36a and 36b by such opening and closing shutters 46a and 46b, the inside of the vacuum chamber 26 is hermetically shut off from the outside.

  On the other hand, the communication hole 44 provided in the partition wall 38 can also be opened and closed by an opening / closing shutter 46c. That is, guide grooves 48 extending in the vertical direction are provided on the inner peripheral surface portion of the communication hole 44 located on both sides in the width direction of the vacuum chamber 26. An insertion hole 54 that opens the communication hole 44 upward is provided at the upper end of the partition wall 38. The open / close shutter 46c is inserted into the insertion hole 54 and is disposed in a state where both ends in the width direction are loosely fitted in the guide grooves 48, 48. Further, a hydraulic cylinder 52 having a piston rod 50 that protrudes or retracts in the vertical direction is installed above the partition wall 38, and an upper end portion of the opening / closing shutter 46 c is provided at the tip of the piston rod 50 of the hydraulic cylinder 52. Is fixed.

  Thus, the opening / closing of the communication hole 44 by the opening / closing shutter 46c is performed in accordance with the pulling-in or protruding operation of the piston rod 50 by each hydraulic cylinder 52. The reaction chamber 40 and the detection chamber 42 are shut off in an airtight manner by closing the communication hole 44 by the open / close shutter 46c.

  The upper bottom wall 30 of the vacuum chamber 26 has an exhaust pipe 56 a that opens toward the outside of the detection chamber 42 and the vacuum chamber 26, and an exhaust pipe that opens toward the inside of the reaction chamber 40 and the outside of the vacuum chamber 26. 56b are provided. A vacuum pump (not shown) is provided in the middle of each of the two exhaust pipes 56a and 56b. The two vacuum pumps provided on the two exhaust pipes 56a and 56b operate independently of each other.

  Thus, in such a vacuum chamber 26, the exhaust pipe 36a and the communication hole 44 are closed by the open / close shutters 46a and 46c so that the detection chamber 42 is shut off from the vacuum chamber 26 and the reaction chamber 40 in an airtight manner. By operating the vacuum pump on 56a, the inside of the detection chamber 42 is depressurized to be in a vacuum state having a predetermined degree of vacuum. Further, the vacuum pump on the exhaust pipe 56b is operated in a state where the reaction chamber 40 is shut off from the vacuum chamber 26 and the detection chamber 42 by closing the through hole 36b and the communication hole 44 by the opening / closing shutters 46b and 46c. By doing so, the inside of the reaction chamber 40 is depressurized to be in a vacuum state having a predetermined degree of vacuum. That is, here, the reaction chamber 40 and the detection chamber 42 can be in a vacuum state independently of each other.

  In addition, the inside of each of the detection chamber 42 and the reaction chamber 40 of the vacuum chamber 26 and on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum chamber 26 sandwiching the vacuum chamber 26 are used as conveying means for conveying the intermediate product 22 in the horizontal direction. One transfer device 58 is installed side by side in series. These four transfer devices 58, 58, 58, 58 all have the same basic structure.

  That is, the transfer device 58 has a support wall portion 60. The support wall portion 60 has a thick flat plate shape that protrudes vertically upward with respect to the lower bottom wall portion 32 and the extension wall portion 33 of the vacuum chamber 26 and extends straight in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum chamber 26. , Standing up together. Further, a guide rail 62 is integrally formed on the upper portion of one surface in the thickness direction of the support wall 60. The guide rail 62 protrudes in the horizontal direction at a certain height from one surface in the thickness direction of the support wall 60, and is continuously horizontal in the extending direction of the support wall 60 (longitudinal direction of the vacuum chamber 26). It has the shape of a ridge extending in the direction.

  One pulley 64 is disposed at each of both ends of the guide rail 62 in the extending direction of the guide rail 62 on the support wall 60 so as to be positioned immediately below the guide rail 62. An endless conveyor belt 66 is bridged between the two pulleys 64 and 64. In addition, although not shown, an engaging protrusion is integrally provided at one place on the circumference of the conveyor belt 66.

  On the other hand, an electric motor 68 is fixed to the surface of the support wall 60 opposite to the surface on which the guide rails 62 are formed. The electric motor 66 is electrically connected to a first controller 70 installed outside the vacuum chamber 26, and is driven to rotate in a desired amount in an arbitrary direction by drive control by the first controller 70. It is supposed to be. A drive shaft (not shown) of the electric motor 68 passes through the support wall 60 and protrudes to the surface on the side where the pulley 64 is disposed. One of the pulleys 64, 64 is fixed.

  Accordingly, the conveyance belt 66 travels in a desired amount by a desired amount in accordance with the rotational drive of the electric motor 68 under the drive control by the first controller 70. Here, the transport belt 66 reciprocates within a movable range from one end portion to the other end portion of the support wall 60 in the extending direction of the guide rail 62 with the engaging protrusion protruding upward. It is designed to run while letting it go. Such drive control of the electric motor 68 by the first controller 70 is easily realized by configuring a general servo mechanism or the like using a servo motor or the like as the electric motor 68, for example.

  A movable chuck 72 is disposed on the guide rail 62 of the support wall 60. The movable chuck 72 integrally includes a movable portion 74 and a chuck portion 76 that extends horizontally from the movable portion 74. The movable portion 74 of the movable chuck 72 is fitted to the guide rail 62 so as to be able to move in the extending direction of the guide rail 62 while being guided by the guide rail 62, and the conveyance belt 66 of the conveyance device 58. It is fixed to the conveyor belt 66 by engaging with an engaging protrusion provided on the belt. On the other hand, the chuck portion 76 chucks the gate portion 78 projecting from the substrate 12 of the intermediate product 22 at the time of injection molding by a known chuck mechanism including an electric motor that can rotate in forward and reverse directions (not shown). It has come to be able to do.

  Thus, the movable chuck 72 reciprocates between one end portion and the other end portion in the extending direction of the guide rail 62 as the transport belt 66 of the transport device 58 travels. Further, here, when the movable chuck 72 moves to the left end in FIG. 3 in the extending direction of the guide rail 62, the chuck portion 76 is moved in the middle by the rotational drive in the positive direction of the electric motor (not shown). While the gate portion 78 of the substrate 12 of the product 22 is automatically chucked, when the movable chuck 72 moves to the right end portion of FIG. 3 in the extending direction of the guide rail 62, the electric motor is reversed. The chuck of the gate portion 78 by the chuck portion 76 is automatically canceled by the rotational drive. When the chuck of the gate portion 78 of the intermediate product 22 by the chuck portion 76 of the movable chuck 72 is automatically canceled in one of the two adjacent transport devices 58 and 58, The chuck portion 76 of the movable chuck 72 in the other conveyance device 58 of the other chucks the gate portion 78 of the intermediate product 22.

  Thereby, as shown by a two-dot chain line and a solid line in FIG. 3, the intermediate product 22 is transferred from the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 to the inside of the detection chamber 42 of the vacuum chamber 26 by the four transfer devices 58, 58, 58, 58. 3 and from the inside of the detection chamber 42 to the inside of the reaction chamber 40, and from the inside of the reaction chamber 40 to the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 again, from the left side to the right side in FIG. Thus, it is conveyed in the horizontal direction at a certain height position. Further, here, the movable chuck 72 of the transfer device 58 located outside the detection chamber 42 can enter the detection chamber 42 through the through hole 36a. Further, the movable chuck 72 of the transfer device 58 located in the detection chamber 42 and the movable chuck 72 of the transfer device 58 located outside the reaction chamber 40 enter the reaction chamber 40 through the communication hole 44 and the through hole 36b. It is possible. As a result, the intermediate product 22 is transferred between the transfer devices 58 and 58 located inside and outside the detection chamber 42, and the intermediate between the transfer devices 58 and 58 located in the detection chamber 42 and the reaction chamber 40, respectively. The delivery of the product 22 and the delivery of the intermediate product 22 between the transfer devices 58 and 58 located inside and outside the reaction chamber 40 are performed smoothly in the detection chamber 42 and the reaction chamber 40, respectively. It has become.

  In the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of the present embodiment, two smart cameras 80 and 80 serving as shape detecting means are installed in the detection chamber 42 of the vacuum chamber 26. This smart camera 80 is generally used as a component of a machine vision system and the like. The smart camera 80 detects a shape of the surface of the intermediate product 22 and outputs a detection signal including such surface shape data. It has a structure. Such smart cameras 80 are fixed to the upper bottom wall portion 30 and the lower bottom wall portion 32 located on the installation side of the partition wall 38 in the detection chamber 42, respectively. Thereby, the two smart cameras 80 and 80 are positioned on the upper side and the lower side with the intermediate product 22 conveyed in the detection chamber 42 by the transfer device 58 installed in the detection chamber 42 therebetween. The lenses are arranged so as to face the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22, respectively.

  Thus, in the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of the present embodiment, when the intermediate product 22 is transported in the detection chamber 42 by the transport device 58, the shape of the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22 is the upper bottom wall portion 30 portion. On the other hand, the shape of the back side surface 16 is detected by the smart camera 80 fixed to the lower bottom wall portion 32. Then, the shape data of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 detected by the two smart cameras 80 and 80 are installed outside the vacuum chamber 26 from the two smart cameras 80 and 80. Are output to the two second controllers 82 and 82 as control means, respectively, and their shape data are stored separately in the two second controllers 82 and 82, respectively.

  In the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of the present embodiment, six plasma guns 28 are installed in the reaction chamber 40 of the vacuum chamber 26. These six plasma guns 28, 28, 28, 28, 28, 28 all have the same structure, and three of them have a part of the peripheral wall portion of the reaction chamber 40 of the vacuum chamber 26. While the other three are fixed to the lower bottom wall portion 32 constituting another part of the peripheral wall portion of the reaction chamber 40, the upper bottom wall portion 30 is fixed. .

  More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, each plasma gun 28 includes a casing 84 having a rectangular tube shape with a bottom on one side and a rectangular column shape as a whole, and the casing 84 is axially disposed in the axial direction. And a plasma gun body 86 that is slidably housed and disposed so as not to rotate about the axis.

  Then, the casing 84 of each of the three plasma guns 28, 28, 28 opens vertically downward toward the inside of the reaction chamber 40 of the vacuum chamber 26, with respect to the upper bottom wall portion 30. It is fixed in a line in the longitudinal direction. In addition, each of the casings 84 of the three other plasma guns 28, 28, 28 opens in a vertically upward direction toward the inside of the reaction chamber 40 of the vacuum chamber 26, and is vacuumed against the lower bottom wall portion 32. The chambers 26 are fixed in a line in the longitudinal direction. The three casings 84, 84, 84 fixed to the lower bottom wall portion 32 and the three casings 84, 84, 84 fixed to the upper bottom wall portion 30 are each one in the vertical direction. , Are located corresponding to each other.

  On the other hand, in the plasma gun main body 86, an air outlet 92 is formed on the end surface opposite to the end surface facing the bottom wall portion of the casing 84 while being accommodated in the casing 84. The air outlet 92 communicates with the openings of two gas supply pipes 94, 94 inserted through the plasma gun body 86 through the bottom wall of the casing 84. Further, these gas supply pipes 94, 94 are connected to gas cylinders (not shown) filled with argon gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, respectively. Although not explicitly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the plasma gun body 86 has a known structure for converting the argon gas supplied through the gas supply pipes 94 and 94 into plasma. Thereby, the plasma gun main body 86 converts the argon gas into plasma and blows out argon plasma from the blowout port 92. 2 and 4, reference numeral 96 denotes a cooling pipe through which cooling water for cooling the plasma gun body 86 flows.

  Further, on the end surface of the plasma gun main body 86 where the air outlet 92 is formed, a support cylinder portion 98 surrounds the air outlet 92 so as to extend coaxially with the plasma gun main body 86. Has been. Furthermore, two ring pipes 100 and 102 having an annular shape are supported in a coaxially arranged state between the axial intermediate portion and the tip portion of the support cylinder portion 98. Thereby, the argon plasma blown out from the blowout port 92 of the plasma gun main body 86 passes through the inner side of the support cylinder part 98 and the two ring pipes 100 and 102 while being guided by the inner surfaces thereof. It is like that.

And in these two ring pipes 100 and 102, the inner cylinder wall part which provides the inner surface which guides argon plasma is provided with a blowing port 104 penetrating the inner cylinder wall part at a predetermined distance in the circumferential direction. A plurality of each are arranged. Further, gas introduction pipes 106 and 108 are connected to the two ring pipes 100 and 102, respectively. Further, these two gas introduction pipes 106 and 108 are respectively connected to gas cylinders (not shown) at the end opposite to the connection side with the ring pipes 100 and 102. In the gas cylinder connected to the gas introduction pipe 106, a monosilane gas contained as a raw material gas in the film forming gas for forming the top coat layer 20 made of the SiO ₂ plasma CVD film exceeds the atmospheric pressure. Is housed in. Further, in the gas cylinder connected to the gas introduction pipe 108, oxygen gas contained as a reaction gas in the film forming gas is stored at a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure.

  Thus, in the plasma gun 28, the monosilane gas introduced into the ring pipe 100 by the gas introduction pipe 106 is blown through the respective blowing ports 104 to come into contact with the argon plasma blown out from the blowing port 92. It has become. In addition, oxygen gas introduced into the ring pipe 102 by the gas introduction pipe 108 is blown through the respective blowing ports 104 to come into contact with the argon plasma blown out from the blowout port 92. As a result, the monosilane gas and the oxygen gas blown to the argon plasma from the blowing ports 104 of the ring pipes 100 and 102 are turned into plasma, respectively, and monosilane gas plasma and oxygen gas plasma are generated. Then, such monosilane gas plasma and oxygen gas plasma are blown out from the tip opening 99 of the support cylinder 98 based on the blowout pressure 92 from the argon plasma blowout. In other words, in the plasma gun 28, the film forming gas comes into contact with the argon plasma blown out from the air outlet 92 in the support cylinder portion 98 provided at the tip of the plasma gun main body 86, thereby forming the film forming gas. Then, this film-forming plasma is blown out together with argon plasma from the front end opening 99 of the support tube portion 98. As is clear from this, in the present embodiment, a blowing portion for forming film-forming plasma is formed at the tip opening 99 of the support tube portion 98.

  The gas supplied into the plasma gun main body 86 through the gas supply pipe 94 is not limited to argon gas. In addition to argon, for example, an inert gas such as helium, neon, xenon, or krypton, or a gas other than the inert gas that does not react with the plasma of the film forming gas in a plasma state is appropriately used. It is done. Further, the gas introduced into the plasma generator 24 may be a part of gas components contained in the film forming gas.

  Further, a raw material gas and a reactive gas as gas components introduced into the ring pipes 100 and 102 through the gas introduction pipes 106 and 108 and sprayed to the argon plasma from the respective spray ports 104 are as follows: The top coat layer 20 can be changed as appropriate according to the compound constituting the top coat layer 20. Here, since the topcoat layer 20 is composed of a silicon compound, the raw material gas contained in the film forming gas for forming the topcoat layer 20 is, for example, an inorganic material such as disilane gas in addition to the monosilane gas. Silicon compound gas, siloxanes such as tetramethyldisiloxane, hexamethyldisiloxane, hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane, methoxytrimethylsilane, ethoxytrimethylsilane, dimethoxydimethylsilane, dimethoxydiethylsilane, dimethoxydiphenylsilane, trimethoxysilane, Trimethoxymethylsilane, trimethoxyethylsilane, trimethoxypropylsilane, triethoxymethylsilane, triethoxydimethylsilane, triethoxyethylsilane, triethoxyphenylsilane, tetramethyl Silanes such as lan, tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, etc., gas of organosilicon compounds such as silazanes such as hexamethyldisilazane, tetramethyldisilazane, etc. are used alone or in combination as appropriate Is done. On the other hand, as the reaction gas contained in the film forming gas for forming the topcoat layer 20 made of a silicon compound, for example, nitrogen gas, ammonia gas, or the like can be used in addition to oxygen gas.

  Further, in the plasma gun main body 86 for generating the film forming plasma as described above, the female screw hole 89 is opened at the center of the end surface opposite to the surface on which the air outlet 92 is formed, and is predetermined in the axial direction. It is formed to extend in length. On the other hand, a male screw 88 is erected at the center portion of the bottom wall portion of the casing 84 so as to extend in the axial direction inside the casing 84 and be rotatable around the central axis. An electric motor 90 that rotates the male screw 88 in an arbitrary direction in the forward and reverse directions by an arbitrary amount is installed on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion of the casing 84. The electric motor 90 is electrically connected to the second controller 82 and is driven and controlled by the second controller 82.

  Then, six plasma gun bodies 86 are fixed to each of the upper bottom wall 30 portion and the lower bottom wall portion 32 constituting the peripheral wall portion of the reaction chamber 40 of the vacuum chamber 26. In the casings 84, 84, 84, 84, 84, 84, one by one is accommodated in a state where the opening side end face of the female screw hole 89 is opposed to the bottom wall portion of each casing 84. Further, under such an accommodation state, a male screw 88 standing on the bottom wall portion of each casing 84 is screwed into a female screw hole 89 of each plasma gun body 86.

  Thus, a screw feed mechanism is configured by the male screw 88 of the casing 84 and the plasma gun main body 86, and the plasma gun main body 86 is axially moved in the casing 84 by the rotation of the male screw 88 accompanying the rotational drive of the electric motor 90. , And protrudes or retracts through the opening at the front end of the casing 84. Along with this, the height position of the tip opening 99 of the support cylinder 98 provided on the opening side end face of the air outlet 92 of the plasma gun main body 86 varies in the reaction chamber 40. . In this case, the electric motor 90 is rotationally driven under the drive control of the second controller 82, so that the direction of protrusion or retraction movement through the front end opening of the casing 84 of the plasma gun main body 86 is changed. The amount of movement, and thus the direction and amount of fluctuation of the height position of the tip opening 99 of the support cylinder 98 in the reaction chamber 40 are controlled by the second controller 82. Such drive control of the electric motor 90 by the second controller 82 is easily realized by configuring a general servo mechanism or the like using a servo motor or the like as the electric motor 90, for example.

  Thus, in the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the plasma gun 28 is placed in the intermediate product 22 in the reaction chamber 40 under the transfer state by the transfer device 58 of the intermediate product 22. Three each are installed on the upper side and the lower side with a gap in between. Thus, the three plasma guns 28, 28, 28 installed on the upper side of the intermediate product 22 connect the air outlet 92 provided in each plasma gun main body 86 and the tip opening 99 of the support cylinder portion 98 to the intermediate product. It arrange | positions so that it may open vertically downward toward the front side surface 14 of 22. FIG. Further, the plasma gun bodies 86 of the three plasma guns 28, 28, 28 are displaced in the direction in which the tip opening 99 of the support cylinder portion 98 is separated from the direction approaching the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22. It is possible to move up and down.

  On the other hand, the three plasma guns 28, 28, 28 installed on the lower side of the intermediate product 22 are connected to the air outlet 92 provided in each plasma gun main body 86 and the distal end opening 99 of the support cylinder portion 98. It is arrange | positioned so that it may open vertically upward toward the back side surface 16 of this. Further, the plasma gun bodies 86 of the three plasma guns 28, 28, 28 are displaced in the direction in which the front end opening 99 of the support tube portion 98 is separated from the direction approaching the rear side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22. It is possible to move up and down. As is clear from this, here, the electric motor 90, the male screw 88, and the female screw hole 89 constitute moving means.

  Then, the intermediate product 22 in which the shapes of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 are detected by the two smart cameras 80 and 80 in the detection chamber 42 is transferred to the transfer devices 58 and 58 in the detection chamber 42 and the reaction chamber 40, respectively. When transported into the reaction chamber 40 at 58, the plasma gun body 86 of each plasma gun 28 is moved in the vertical direction in accordance with the shape of the intermediate product 22.

  That is, the plasma gun bodies 86 of the three plasma guns 28, 28, 28 installed on the upper side of the intermediate product 22 are distances between the front end opening 99 of the support cylinder portion 98 and the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22. In accordance with the shape data of the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22 stored in the second controller 82 so that the electric motor 90 is driven and controlled by the second controller 82. It is designed to be projected or retracted through. Further, the plasma gun bodies 86 of the three plasma guns 28, 28, 28, 28 installed on the lower side of the intermediate product 22 are connected to the front end opening 99 of the support cylinder portion 98 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22. Based on the shape data of the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 stored in the second controller 82, the drive control of each electric motor 90 by the second controller 82 is performed so that the distance between them is always constant. It is projected or retracted through the tip opening.

  Thereby, in the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of this embodiment, a part of the undercoat layer 18 formed on the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22 conveyed in the reaction chamber 40 by the conveying device 58 and the back side thereof. The plasma for film formation blown from each plasma gun 28 is always blown from a certain height to a part of the undercoat layer 18 laminated on the surface 16. As the intermediate product 22 is conveyed by the conveying device 58, the location where the film-forming plasma is sprayed moves in the undercoat layers 18 and 18 laminated on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22. It has become.

  By the way, when the resin glass 10 having the structure as shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured using the plasma CVD apparatus 24 having such a structure, the operation proceeds according to the following procedure.

  That is, first, a polycarbonate substrate 12 is prepared by injection molding or the like. The molding method of the substrate 12 is not limited to injection molding, and a known method can be appropriately employed.

  Then, after forming a coating layer such as acrylic resin or polyurethane resin on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the prepared substrate 12 by known spray coating or dipping, the coating layer is heated, Alternatively, it is cured by exposure to ultraviolet rays. As a result, the undercoat layer 18 is laminated on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the substrate 12 to obtain the intermediate product 22 (see FIG. 2).

  Next, the top coat layer 20 is formed on each surface of the undercoat layers 18 and 18 in the intermediate product 22 by using the plasma CVD apparatus 24 having the structure as shown in FIGS.

  Specifically, first, as shown by a two-dot chain line and a solid line in FIGS. 2 and 3, the opening / closing shutter 46a for opening / closing the through hole 36a for communicating the inside of the detection chamber 42 to the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 is opened. The through hole 36a is communicated to the outside of the vacuum chamber 26, while the communication hole 44 that communicates the detection chamber 42 and the reaction chamber 40 is closed by an open / close shutter 46c. Thereafter, the intermediate product 22 is transferred from the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 to the detection chamber 42 under atmospheric pressure through the through hole 36a by the transfer devices 58 and 58 installed inside and outside the detection chamber 42, and stored. The through hole 36a is closed by an open / close shutter 46a.

Next, the inside of the detection chamber 42 is depressurized by operating a vacuum pump (not shown) on the exhaust pipe 56 a communicating between the inside and the outside of the detection chamber 42. By this depressurization operation, the pressure in the detection chamber 42 is set to about 10 ⁻⁵ to 10 ⁻³ Pa, for example.

  On the other hand, a vacuum pump (not shown) on the exhaust pipe 56b that communicates the inside and outside of the reaction chamber 40 with the through hole 36b that communicates the inside of the reaction chamber 40 to the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 closed by the open / close shutter 46b. And the pressure in the reaction chamber 40 is reduced. At this time, the pressure in the reaction chamber 40 is approximately the same as the reduced pressure in the detection chamber 42.

  Then, when the inside of the detection chamber 42 and the inside of the reaction chamber 40 are respectively reduced to a predetermined pressure, the opening / closing shutter 46c of the communication hole 44 is opened so that the inside of the detection chamber 42 and the inside of the reaction chamber 40 are mutually connected. Communicate.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate product 22 accommodated in the detection chamber 42 is detected by the two transfer devices 58 and 58 installed in the detection chamber 42 and the reaction chamber 40, respectively. It is transferred from inside 42 to the reaction chamber 40.

  Then, when the intermediate product 22 passes between the two smart cameras 80 and 80 by conveyance by the conveyance device 58, the shape of the front side surface 14 and the shape of the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 are changed to two smart. Detection is performed by the cameras 80 and 80. The shape data of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 detected by the two smart cameras 80 and 80 is output to the second controller 82 and stored in the second controller 82.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate product 22 conveyed into the reaction chamber 40 includes three plasma guns 28, 28, 28 fixed to the upper bottom wall portion 30, and a lower bottom wall portion 32. The shape of each of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 stored in the second controller 82 when or before reaching between the three plasma guns 28, 28, 28 fixed to The plasma gun body 86 of each plasma gun 28 protrudes or retracts through the opening at the front end of the casing 84 by the drive control of each electric motor 90 by the second controller 82 based on the data.

  That is, the plasma gun body 86 of each plasma gun 28 fixed to the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22 portion positioned between the six plasma guns 28, 28, 28, 28, 28, 28 and the upper bottom wall portion 30. The plasma gun bodies 86 of the respective plasma guns 28 are moved up and down to be positioned so that all the distances between the support cylinder portion 98 and the tip opening 99 of the support cylinder portion 98 become a constant size. Further, the distance between the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 portion and the tip opening 99 of the support cylinder portion 98 in the plasma gun body 86 of each plasma gun 28 fixed to the lower bottom wall portion 32 is constant. The plasma gun body 86 of each of the plasma guns 28 is moved up and down to be positioned so as to have the size of.

  Then, in a state where the plasma gun body 86 of each plasma gun 28 is positioned at the above position, each plasma gun 28 is brought into contact with the argon plasma of the film forming gas to generate the film forming plasma. The film-forming plasma is blown from the tip opening 99 of the support tube portion 98 of the plasma gun body 86 in each plasma gun 28. As a result, of the undercoat layers 18 and 18 formed by laminating the plasma for film formation on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22, respectively, with respect to the portions corresponding to the respective plasma guns 28 in the vertical direction. Each of the plasmas for film formation is sprayed.

Thus, on the undercoat layers 18 and 18 laminated on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22, or between the undercoat layers 18 and 18 and the plasma guns 28, respectively. In this, the reaction of the plasma for film formation by the plasma CVD method, that is, the reaction of the plasma of monosilane gas and the plasma of oxygen gas is caused. Then, SiO ₂ is generated by such a reaction, and this reaction product, SiO ₂ , is applied to the undercoat layer 18 on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 to which the film-forming plasma is sprayed. , Each deposited. Thus, the undercoat layer 18 portion on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 positioned between the six plasma guns 28, 28, 28, 28, 28, 28 by conveyance by the conveyance device 58. On the other hand, the topcoat layer 20 is laminated and formed.

  Subsequently, the intermediate product 22 is further transported toward the through hole 36b side by the transport device 58 while the film forming plasma is continuously blown from each plasma gun 28, and the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22 is On the back side surface 16, the position where the film forming plasma blown from each plasma gun 28 is blown is moved. Accordingly, the top coat layer 20 is successively laminated on the undercoat layer 18 on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22. At this time, the shape of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 portion located between the six plasma guns 28, 28, 28, 28, 28, 28 changes at any time by the conveyance by the conveyance device 58. However, the plasma gun body 86 of each plasma gun 28 is moved up and down following the change in the shape of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16. Thereby, the distance between the front end opening 99 of the support tube portion 98 in each plasma gun body 86 and the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22 and the distance between the back side surface 16 are always maintained at a constant size. To do.

  Thus, the target resin glass 10 having the structure shown in FIG. 1 is obtained. Thereafter, the opening / closing shutter 46b for opening and closing the through hole 36b is opened to allow the through hole 36b to communicate with the outside of the vacuum chamber 26. Through the through hole 36b, the obtained resin glass 10 is placed in the reaction chamber 40 and the vacuum chamber. It conveys out of the vacuum chamber 26 with the conveying apparatuses 58 and 58 installed out of 26.

  Here, while performing the operation of laminating and forming the topcoat layer 20 on the undercoat layers 18 and 18 of the intermediate product 22, the shapes of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of another intermediate product 22 are detected. The operation is performed.

  That is, when the intermediate product 22 is transported into the reaction chamber 40 and the entire intermediate product 22 is accommodated in the reaction chamber 40, the communication hole 44 is closed by the open / close shutter 46c. Thereafter, the through hole 36 a is communicated with the outside of the vacuum chamber 26 by opening the open / close shutter 46 a that opens and closes the through hole 36 a. Then, after the new intermediate product 22 is transferred into the detection chamber 42 by the two transfer devices 58 and 58 installed inside and outside the detection chamber 42, the through hole 36a is closed. Thereafter, the inside of the detection chamber 42 is depressurized, and the shapes of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 are detected by the two smart cameras 80 and 80.

  Then, when the resin glass 10 obtained by forming the top coat layer 20 in the reaction chamber 40 is transferred from the through hole 36b to the outside of the vacuum chamber 26, the through hole 36b is closed by the open / close shutter 46b, and then the reaction chamber 40 is closed. The inside is depressurized. Thereafter, the intermediate product 22 in the detection chamber 42 is transported into the reaction chamber 40, and the operation of forming the topcoat layer 20 on the intermediate product 22 is performed again. Thus, a plurality of resin glasses 10 are continuously produced.

As is clear from the above description, when the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of the present embodiment is used, the plasma for film formation is transmitted from each plasma gun 28 to one of the front side surfaces 14 of the intermediate product 22 accommodated in the reaction chamber 40. Blow out toward the part and part of the back side surface 16. Therefore, the SiO ₂ generated by the reaction of the plasma for film formation by the plasma CVD method causes the upper and lower bottom wall portions 30 and 32, the side wall portions 34b, 34c and 34d constituting the reaction chamber 40, the partition wall 38, and the transfer device. Adhering to 58 etc. can be prevented as much as possible. As a result, the top coat layer 20 is laminated on the undercoat layers 18 and 18 of the intermediate product 22 to manufacture the resin glass 10, and then the SiO ₂ film is removed from the parts and members located in the reaction chamber 40. Can be relieved from troublesome work to do, or the frequency of performing such work can be significantly reduced.

  In the plasma CVD apparatus 24, the plasma for film formation is sprayed from a plurality of plasma guns 28 installed in the reaction chamber 40 to a part of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22, respectively. By transporting the intermediate product 22 by the transport device 58, the location where the film forming plasma is sprayed moves on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22. Therefore, for example, unlike the conventional apparatus configured to spray the film-forming plasma on the entire front side surface 14 and back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22, the front side surface of the intermediate product 22 is different. Even when the surface 14 and the back side surface 16 have a large area, the film-forming plasma can be sprayed evenly over the entire front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22.

Moreover, in the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of the present embodiment, the plasma gun body 86 of each plasma gun 28 can be moved close to or away from the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 for film formation. Regardless of the shape of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16, the distance between the front end opening 99 of the support tube portion 98 of the plasma gun body 86 that blows out the plasma and the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22. , Always constant. Therefore, SiO ₂ generated by the reaction of the film-forming plasma by the plasma CVD method can be deposited on the entire surface of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 in a uniform amount as much as possible. .

Therefore, by using the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of this embodiment as described above, regardless of the size and shape of the intermediate product 22 and the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the substrate 12 to which the intermediate product 22 is provided, the front side surface 14 or the back side is used. A top coat layer 20 made of a SiO ₂ plasma CVD film can be advantageously laminated on each of the undercoat layers 18 and 18 formed on the surface 16 with a uniform thickness as much as possible. It is.

  Further, in the plasma CVD apparatus 24, the gas for film formation is applied to the spray port 104 provided at the tip of the plasma gun main body 86 with respect to the argon plasma blown out from the air outlet 92 of the plasma gun main body 86. The film-forming plasma is blown from the nozzle 104, and the film-forming plasma is blown out from the plasma gun body 86 into the reaction chamber 40 by the blowing pressure of the argon plasma blown out from the blow-out port 92. It has come to be. Therefore, the deposition gas is more reliably brought into contact with the argon plasma, and the deposition plasma is generated stably and efficiently. Further, without providing any special structure for blowing the film-forming plasma into the reaction chamber 40, the film-forming plasma is accommodated in the reaction chamber 40 and thus in the reaction chamber 40 in a simple structure. The intermediate product 22 can be blown out toward the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16.

  Furthermore, in the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of the present embodiment, the plasma guns 28 are respectively arranged on both sides of the intermediate product 22, and the plasma gun body 86 of the plasma gun 28 is connected to the intermediate product 22. The front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 can be moved closer to or away from each other. Therefore, the top coat layer 20 can be laminated at a time on both of the undercoat layers 18 and 18 formed on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22, respectively.

  Moreover, in such a plasma CVD apparatus 24, for example, a structure is provided in which the plasma guns 28 positioned on both sides of the intermediate product 22 are fixed, while the intermediate products 22 are moved relative to each plasma gun 28. Unlike the case where it is adopted, even if the portions corresponding to each other in the thickness direction of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 have different shapes, the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22 starts from the front side surface 14. From the distance to the film forming plasma blowing portion (here, the tip opening 99 of the support tube portion 98) of the plasma gun body 86 that blows the film forming plasma toward the side surface 14, and from the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22, The film forming plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun main body 86 for blowing the film forming plasma toward the back side surface 16 (here, the front end of the support tube portion 98 is opened). And distance to the section 99), can be made easily and reliably fixed size. Therefore, regardless of the shape of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 and the substrate 12, the top coat layer formed on the undercoat layers 18 and 18 formed on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 is laminated. A uniform thickness of 20 can be realized even more reliably and easily.

  In the present embodiment, in the middle of transporting the intermediate product 22 in the vacuum chamber 26, the shapes of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 are two smart cameras 80 installed in the detection chamber 42. , 80, and based on the detection data, the plasma gun bodies 86 of the plurality of plasma guns 28 installed in the reaction chamber 40 approach the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22. Or can be moved apart. Therefore, it is not necessary to grasp the shapes of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 in advance before the intermediate product 22 is transported in the vacuum chamber 26, and thus, Simplification of the manufacturing process can be advantageously achieved.

  Furthermore, in the plasma CVD apparatus 24 of this embodiment, the two smart cameras 80 and 80 that detect the shapes of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 perform the film forming plasma reaction by the plasma CVD method. The reaction chamber 40 is installed in a detection chamber 42 that can be shut off. Therefore, a reaction product of plasma for film formation by the plasma CVD method does not adhere to the lens of each smart camera 80 or the like. Therefore, the detection performance of the shape of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 is not deteriorated due to the reaction product adhering to the lens of each smart camera 80. The thickness of the top coat layer 20 laminated on the undercoat layers 18 and 18 on the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 can be made even more effective.

  The specific configuration of the present invention has been described in detail above. However, this is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited by the above description.

  For example, as a conveying means for conveying the intermediate product 22, a known structure such as a robot arm may be employed instead of the illustrated one.

  The moving means for moving the tip opening 99 of the support tube portion 98 of the plasma gun main body 86, which is the plasma blowing portion for forming the film of the plasma gun 28, may employ various known structures. For example, instead of the illustrated screw feed mechanism, the moving means may be configured using a gear mechanism, a cylinder mechanism, or the like including a rack and a pinion.

  Furthermore, as the shape detection means, any shape can be used as long as it has a structure capable of detecting the shapes of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 (substrate 12) and outputting detection signals including the shape data. In place of the illustrated smart camera 80, various known structures can be employed.

  Further, the shape data of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 (substrate 12) is stored in the controllers 82 and 82 in advance, and the support tube portion 98 of the plasma gun main body 86 is based on such shape data. It is also possible to move the leading end opening 99 of the slab. In that case, the shape detecting means can be omitted.

  Further, the structure of the plasma gun 28 is not limited to the illustrated one. For example, in addition to the blowout port 92 that blows out argon plasma on the front end surface of the plasma gun main body 86, a blower port 104 that blows film forming gas onto the argon plasma blown out from the blowout port 92 is provided. Alternatively, a structure in which film forming plasma is generated in the plasma gun main body 86 and blown out from the air outlet 92 can be appropriately adopted.

  Furthermore, the number and position of the plasma guns 28 installed in the reaction chamber 40 are appropriately changed according to the size and shape of the front side surface 14 and the back side surface 16 of the intermediate product 22 (substrate 12), for example. Is possible.

  Further, in the reaction chamber 40, only the plasma gun 28 for blowing the film forming plasma toward the front side surface 14 of the intermediate product 22 or only the plasma gun 28 for blowing the film forming plasma toward the back side surface 16 thereof, There is no problem even if each is provided.

  Further, for example, a film forming roller for winding a substrate portion unwound from a roll around which a long substrate is wound is provided in the vacuum chamber 26, and the substrate portion wound around the film forming roller is provided. It is also possible to construct a plasma CVD apparatus having a structure in which a plasma CVD film is continuously formed on the surface of the substrate.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the blowing port 104 of the ring pipes 100 and 100 provided in the support cylinder part 98 of the plasma gun main body 86 with respect to the argon plasma which blows off from the blower outlet 92 of the plasma gun 28, for example. When the film-forming gas blown out from 104 (for example, monosilane gas and oxygen gas) comes into contact, the film-forming gas plasma is generated by the plasma gun 28, and the film-forming gas plasma is supported. The cylindrical portion 98 was blown out toward the intermediate product 22 (base material) from the tip opening 99 (deposition portion of the film forming plasma). However, the plasma generation structure of the film forming gas by the plasma gun 28 is not limited to this.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, supply pipes 110 and 112 for supplying a film forming gas into the vacuum chamber 26 by omitting the support cylinder portion 98 and the introduction pipes 106 and 108 from the plasma gun main body 86 are provided. The vacuum chamber 26 is installed through the upper bottom wall portion 30 and the lower bottom wall portion 32 so that the front end opening portion is opened near the outlet 92 of each plasma gun 28. Then, a film forming gas (for example, monosilane gas and oxygen gas) supplied from the opening at the front end of the supply pipes 110 and 112 is brought into contact with, for example, argon plasma blown from the outlet 92 of the plasma gun main body 86, By making it into plasma, plasma of the film forming gas is generated by the plasma gun 28. Then, the plasma of the film forming gas is blown out together with the argon plasma at the blowing pressure of the argon plasma. It is also possible to blow from 92 toward the intermediate product 22 (base material).

  In addition, in the said embodiment, although the specific example of what applied this invention to the plasma CVD apparatus used in order to form the topcoat layer which consists of a plasma CVD film | membrane on the surface of resin glass, this invention was shown. Of course, the present invention can be advantageously applied to any plasma CVD apparatus used to form a plasma CVD film on the surface of a substrate.

  In addition, although not enumerated one by one, the present invention can be carried out in a mode to which various changes, modifications, improvements, etc. are added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. It goes without saying that all are included in the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Resin glass 12 Board | substrate 14 Front side 16 Back side 18 Undercoat layer 20 Topcoat layer 22 Intermediate product 24 Plasma CVD apparatus 26 Vacuum chamber 28 Plasma gun 40 Reaction chamber 42 Detection chamber 46a, 46b, 46c Opening / closing shutter 58 Conveyance device 80 Smart Camera 82 Second controller 86 Plasma gun main body 88 Male screw 89 Female screw hole 90 Electric motor 92 Air outlet 98 Support cylinder portion 99 Tip opening portion 104 Spraying port

Claims (5)

A plasma CVD apparatus for forming a plasma CVD film on the surface of a substrate,
A reaction chamber containing a substrate;
A plasma generation unit, a blow-out port for blowing out the plasma generated in the plasma generation unit toward a part of the surface of the substrate housed in the reaction chamber, and a film forming gas for forming the plasma CVD film , and a blowing port for blowing the plasma blown out from該吹outlet, by contacting the film forming gas into the plasma by spraying into the plasma film forming gas, for the deposition A gas plasma is generated, and the film-forming plasma is generated from the film- forming plasma blowing portion formed at the end on the plasma blowing direction side by the blow-out pressure of the plasma blown out from the blow-out port. By blowing out toward a part of the surface of the material, a reaction of the plasma for film formation by the plasma CVD method is caused in the reaction chamber to form the plasma CVD film on a part of the surface of the substrate. And Razumagan,
The substrate is moved from the plasma gun to the surface of the substrate so that a position where the film-forming plasma blown from the plasma gun is blown moves on the surface of the substrate accommodated in the reaction chamber. Transport means for transporting the film-forming plasma in a direction crossing the direction of blowing the film-forming plasma to
Deposition of the plasma gun so that the film-forming plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun is displaced in a direction approaching and separating from a surface portion of the substrate on which the film-forming plasma is sprayed Moving means for moving the plasma blowing portion in the direction of blowing the film forming plasma;
Due to the movement of the film forming plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun by the moving means, the distance between the film forming plasma blowing portion of the plasma gun and the surface portion of the substrate on which the film forming plasma is sprayed is Control means for controlling the moving direction and moving distance of the plasma blowing film forming portion of the plasma gun by the moving means in accordance with a change in the shape of the surface of the substrate so as to be always constant;
A plasma CVD apparatus comprising: A plurality of the plasma guns are arranged, and in each of the plurality of plasma guns, the film-forming plasma is independently generated, and the generated film-forming plasma is stored in the reaction chamber. It is blown out toward a part of the surface of the material,
Furthermore, each of the film-forming plasma blowing portions of the plurality of plasma guns can be independently moved by the moving means, and the film-forming plasma blowing portions of the plurality of plasma guns can be moved. The plasma CVD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a moving direction and a moving distance are independently controlled by the control means.   The plasma gun is disposed on one side and the other side sandwiching the substrate accommodated in the reaction chamber, and the plasma gun disposed on one side sandwiching the substrate is The film-forming plasma is blown out toward a part of one surface corresponding to the plasma gun arranged on the one side of the surface of the base material, and the film-forming plasma blowing-out portion of the plasma gun is The moving means is moved in the blowing direction of the film-forming plasma so as to be displaced in a direction approaching and separating from one surface of the surface of the substrate. The plasma gun disposed on the other side with the substrate interposed therebetween is directed toward a part of the other surface corresponding to the plasma gun disposed on the other side of the surface of the substrate. The plasma for film formation is blown out and the plasma The film-forming plasma blowing portion of the gun is displaced in the film-forming plasma blowing direction by the moving means so as to be displaced in a direction approaching and separating from the other surface of the substrate surface. The plasma CVD apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plasma CVD apparatus is moved.   The shape detecting means for detecting the shape of the surface of the base material transported by the transport means and outputting a detection signal including the shape data of the base material surface is a plasma blowing portion for film formation of the plasma gun. The control means is arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the base material by the conveying means with respect to the arrangement position of the plasma gun. The plasma CVD apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a moving direction and a moving distance are controlled.   The reaction chamber is configured to communicate with the reaction chamber through a communication port through which the substrate can pass, and to accommodate the substrate, and to be able to open and close the communication port. A shutter member that shuts off the chamber and the detection chamber in an airtight manner, and a transfer unit that transfers the base material from the detection chamber to the reaction chamber through the communication hole. The plasma CVD apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means is disposed in the detection chamber.

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