JP6662192B2 - Glass ribbon film forming apparatus and glass ribbon film forming method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a glass ribbon film forming apparatus and a glass ribbon film forming method.

Conventionally, a roll-to-roll method has been widely used as a technique for forming a film on a surface of a glass ribbon, for example.
The roll-to-roll method is a film forming method of unwinding a roll-shaped glass ribbon in a vacuum, continuously forming a film by a method such as sputtering, vapor deposition, or CVD, and winding the film again in a roll shape. is there.

Here, an example of a film forming technique using such a roll-to-roll method is disclosed in Patent Document 1.
Patent Document 1 discloses a roll-to-roll film forming method including a glass film transport device having an unwinding unit and a winding unit, and a sputter film forming unit having a film forming roller and a sputter evaporation source. An apparatus is disclosed.
In this apparatus, a film is formed by performing a sputtering process on a surface of the glass film by a sputtering film forming unit while the glass film is transferred by a glass film transfer device.

JP 2014-043326 A

By the way, in the film forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a predetermined material is continuously formed on a film forming surface of the glass film while the glass film is being conveyed by the above-described roll-to-roll method. In this case, there was a prisoner on the surface opposite to the film-forming surface that was directly in contact with the film-forming roll and was damaged.
Therefore, when a glass film is used as described above, a measure for protecting the glass film from being damaged when the glass film directly contacts the film forming roll has been desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the current problems described above, and is an apparatus for forming a film on a glass film, and when the glass film directly contacts a film forming roll, the glass film is damaged. It is an object of the present invention to provide a glass film forming apparatus capable of suppressing this.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. Next, means for solving the problem will be described.

  That is, a glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveying unit that conveys a glass ribbon, and a film forming unit that forms a film on one surface side of the glass ribbon with respect to the glass ribbon conveyed by the conveying unit. And a supporting means for keeping the distance between the glass ribbon and the film forming means constant, wherein the glass means so that the supporting means does not directly contact the glass ribbon. A sheet member is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon along the extending direction of the ribbon.

As described above, the glass ribbon film forming apparatus of the present invention transports the glass ribbon by the transporting means by disposing the sheet member on the other surface side of the glass ribbon along the extending direction of the glass ribbon. At this time, damage due to contact with the support means and the transport means can be suppressed.
That is, the surface opposite to the surface on which the glass ribbon is to be formed does not directly contact the supporting means or the transporting means, so that the glass ribbon can be prevented from being damaged.

  Further, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the transport means may include an unwinding means for unwinding the sheet member on the other surface side of the glass ribbon and a film formed by the film forming means. And a winding means for winding the glass ribbon in a direction opposite to the unwinding means in a state where the sheet member is arranged on the other surface side while the one surface side of the glass ribbon is inward. Is preferred.

According to the glass ribbon film forming apparatus having such a configuration, the glass ribbon on which the film is formed by the winding means is wound inside and the sheet member is arranged outside the glass ribbon.
When forming a film on the other surface side of the glass ribbon, the sheet member arranged outside is separated from the glass ribbon, and the sheet member is conveyed to the film forming means in a state where the sheet member is arranged on the outer surface side of the film. The film can be formed on the other surface of the glass ribbon by the film forming means while protecting the outer surface of the film with a sheet member.
Therefore, the film can be easily formed on both surfaces of the glass ribbon by effectively using the sheet member.

  Further, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the transport means may include an unwinding means for unwinding the sheet member on the other surface side of the glass ribbon and a film formed by the film forming means. One side of the glass ribbon is turned inside, and a new sheet member different from the sheet member is arranged on the other side of the glass ribbon, and is wound in a direction opposite to the unwinding means. Take-up means for taking up.

  With such a configuration, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus of the present invention, even if the sheet member unwound from the unwinding unit is deformed due to, for example, heating during film formation, it is affected by heat. By using another new sheet member, it can be stably wound up by the winding means together with the glass ribbon after film formation.

  Further, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the apparatus further includes a tension mechanism that is disposed between the unwinding unit and the winding unit and applies a predetermined tension to the sheet member.

  According to the glass ribbon film forming apparatus having such a configuration, even when a length deviation occurs between the glass ribbon and the sheet member, an appropriate tension can be applied following the deviation.

  Further, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the unwinding means has a tension adjusting means for adjusting a tension for unwinding the glass ribbon and the sheet member.

  According to the glass ribbon film forming apparatus having such a configuration, the tension for unwinding the glass ribbon and the sheet member is adjusted by the tension adjusting means, so that the glass ribbon and the sheet member can be prevented from being loosened. it can.

  Further, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to the present invention, a support roller is provided between the unwinding means and the winding means and opposed to the film forming means, and the support roller has an outer peripheral surface. It is preferable to have a stepped portion for positioning the glass ribbon and the sheet member unwound from the unwinding means over the entire length.

  According to the glass ribbon film forming apparatus having such a configuration, the glass ribbon and the sheet member are positioned at predetermined levels by having a step portion for positioning the glass ribbon and the sheet member unwound by the unwinding means. Can be positioned at the film forming position.

  Further, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the sheet member is wider than the glass ribbon.

  According to the glass ribbon film forming apparatus having such a configuration, since both end portions in the width direction of the sheet member extend outside the both end portions in the width direction of the glass ribbon, both end portions in the width direction of the glass ribbon are formed by the sheet member. Can be protected.

  Further, the glass ribbon film forming method according to the present invention includes a conveying means for conveying the glass ribbon, and a film forming means for forming a film on one side of the glass ribbon with respect to the glass ribbon conveyed by the conveying means. And a supporting means for keeping the distance between the glass ribbon and the film forming means constant, a glass ribbon film forming method using a glass ribbon film forming apparatus, wherein the supporting means and the glass ribbon are A sheet member is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon along the extending direction of the glass ribbon so as not to make direct contact.

As described above, the glass ribbon film forming method of the present invention conveys the glass ribbon by disposing the sheet member made of a resin material on the other surface side of the glass ribbon along the extending direction of the glass ribbon. When transported by the means, it is possible to suppress damage due to contact with the support means and the transport means.
That is, the surface opposite to the surface on which the glass ribbon is to be formed does not directly contact the supporting means or the transporting means, so that the glass ribbon can be prevented from being damaged.

The present invention has the following effects.
That is, according to the glass ribbon film forming apparatus and the glass ribbon film forming method of the present invention, when the glass ribbon is transported by the transport unit, it is possible to prevent the glass ribbon from being damaged by contact with the transport unit.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of a glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the vicinity of an outer peripheral surface of a main roller viewed from a direction of an arrow B in FIG. 1. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating states of the glass ribbon in each region of the glass ribbon film forming apparatus, wherein FIG. 1A is a side view illustrating a state of the glass ribbon in a region c in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 2B is a side view showing the state of the glass ribbon in FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2C is a side view showing the state of the glass ribbon in a region a in FIG. Sectional drawing which showed the structure of the glass ribbon which the film | membrane was formed on both surfaces. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the following description, the direction of arrow A in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 is defined as the direction in which the glass ribbon G is conveyed for convenience.
In the following description, the vertical direction in FIG. 1 is defined as the vertical direction of the glass ribbon film forming apparatus 1 for convenience.
In the following description, for convenience, the vertical direction in FIG. 5 will be described as the vertical direction of the glass ribbon film forming apparatus 101 in another embodiment.
Further, in the following description, for the sake of convenience, in the glass ribbon G shown in FIG. 2, the surface side facing the film forming means 6 is defined as “one surface side” and the opposite surface side is defined as “other surface side”. I do.

[Glass ribbon film forming device 1]
First, an overall configuration of a glass ribbon film forming apparatus 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “film forming apparatus 1”) embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is used for forming a metal film M continuously on a glass ribbon G by a roll-to-roll method, for example.

  The film forming apparatus 1 described in the present embodiment forms a metal film on one or both surfaces of the glass ribbon G to form a thin metal electrode (in the present embodiment, a metal electrode having a thickness of 40 nm). This is applicable, for example, when manufacturing a dielectric with metal electrodes constituting a capacitor (condenser).

Here, the glass ribbon G is made of a long and strip-shaped glass member, and a predetermined coating (a metal film in the present embodiment) is applied by the film forming apparatus 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, the glass ribbon G is configured to have one surface Ga facing the film forming means 6 described later and the other surface Gb opposite to the one surface Ga. The size is set to 25 mm, and the thickness is set to 10 μm.

In addition, the thickness dimension of the glass ribbon G is not particularly limited, and can be changed according to the application.
For example, in the case of an electronic component application such as a capacitor, the thickness is preferably 1 to 300 μm because the glass ribbon G is wound and configured. Further, the thickness is more preferably 1 to 200 μm.

The constituent material of the glass ribbon G is not particularly limited as long as it is glass.
Specifically, the glass ribbon G can be made of, for example, silicate glass, borate glass, borosilicate glass, phosphate glass, borophosphate glass, or the like.
The glass ribbon G may or may not contain an alkali metal component such as a sodium component and a potassium component.

  In the glass ribbon G, when forming a film on one of the one surface Ga and the other surface Gb, a protective film P which is a sheet-like member for protecting the surface opposite to the surface on which the glass ribbon G is to be formed. Is arranged.

As will be described later, when the protective film P is wound around the unwind roller 4a or the take-up roller 4b, or is supported by the support roller 20 during film formation, the glass ribbon G is applied to the support roller 20 or the like. This is to protect it from being damaged by direct contact.
In the present embodiment, the protective film P is a long, strip-shaped film member made of a resin material (PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), or the like), and is formed wider than the glass ribbon G. .

  Then, the protective film P is disposed on one of the one surface Ga and the other surface Gb of the glass ribbon G along the extending direction of the glass ribbon G so that the support roller 20 does not directly contact the glass ribbon G. You.

The film forming apparatus 1 is for forming a predetermined film (in the present embodiment, the metal film M) by performing sputtering by sputtering on a glass ribbon G used when manufacturing a dielectric of a capacitor. It is a sputtering device.
As shown in FIG. 1, the film forming apparatus 1 mainly includes a vacuum tank 3, a conveying roller unit 4 as a conveying unit for conveying the glass ribbon G, a tension mechanism 5, a film forming unit 6, and a support roller 20 as a supporting unit. , And the mask member 2.

  The configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 is not limited to that of the present embodiment. For example, a surface treatment unit for performing a surface treatment (for example, an etching process) on the glass ribbon G, a glass ribbon G It is also possible to add a guide roller or the like that guides in a predetermined direction.

  The vacuum chamber 3 includes an exhaust unit 8 for setting the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 to a reduced pressure atmosphere (high vacuum state), and an Ar gas supply for supplying a high-purity Ar gas as an inert gas used for sputtering into the vacuum chamber 3. Means 9.

The transport roller unit 4 is a transport unit that engages the glass ribbon G and the protective film P with a plurality of rollers and supplies the glass ribbon G and the protective film P to the film forming unit 6 at a predetermined speed, and mainly includes an unwind roller 4a and a take-up roller. 4b and the like.
A support roller 20, which is a support member, is disposed between the unwind roller 4a and the take-up roller 4b that constitute the transport roller unit 4.

The support roller 20 is a roller disposed between the unwind roller 4a and the take-up roller 4b so as to face the film forming unit 6.
The support roller 20 is formed of a metal member such as aluminum.

As shown in FIG. 2, the support roller 20 is formed with a groove 10 having a rectangular shape in a cross-sectional view over the entire outer peripheral surface and at the center in the width direction of the support roller 20.
The width of the groove 10 is larger than the width of the protective film P.

The depth of the groove 10 is larger than the thickness of the glass ribbon G and the protective film P combined.
Thereby, when the glass ribbon G and the protective film P are arranged inside the groove 10, the outer surface (one surface Ga) of the glass ribbon G can secure a clearance with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 20, The glass ribbon G is prevented from coming into contact with the mask member 2 arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 20.

  The groove 10 guides the glass ribbon G and the protective film P to be transported in the transport direction, and positions the groove 10 so that the glass ribbon G and the protective film P are disposed at appropriate positions with respect to the target unit 7 and the mask member 2 of the film forming unit 6. This is the step.

The support roller 20 is a support unit that keeps the distance between the glass ribbon G and the film forming unit 6 constant.
The support roller 20 supports the glass ribbon G and the protective film P such that the glass ribbon G and the protective film P are held at a certain distance from the film forming unit 6 by engaging the glass ribbon G and the protective film P with the groove 10.
Thereby, a uniform film can be formed on the glass ribbon G.

  In the present embodiment, the groove portion 10 having a groove shape is provided as a step portion for positioning the glass ribbon G and the protective film P. However, the present invention is not particularly limited, and the groove portion 10 is formed to be convex from the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 20. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a step portion is provided.

The unwinding roller 4 a is an unwinding unit that unwinds the glass ribbon G and the protective film P wound in advance in a roll shape in the same direction as the rotation direction of the support roller 20.
The unwinding roller 4a mainly includes a roller shaft 4a1, a plastic bobbin 4a2 removably inserted into the roller shaft 4a1, and the like.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the unwinding roller 4a is in a state where the protective film P is disposed on the inner surface side of the glass ribbon G (the other surface Gb side in FIG. 2). Is wound.

Here, the bobbin 4a2 is detachably supported on the roller shaft 4a1.
Then, the bobbin 4a2 rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the support roller 20 by the unwinding tension applied to the glass ribbon G and the protective film P.

An unillustrated brake (tension adjusting means) for adjusting the unwinding tension of the protective film P is provided on the unwinding roller 4a.
Specifically, by operating a brake provided on the unwind roller 4a, a desired unwind tension can be applied to the glass ribbon G and the protective film P.
Thereby, the glass ribbon G and the protective film P which are transported by the transport roller unit 4 are not loosened, and are transported while maintaining an appropriate tension.

The winding roller 4b is a winding unit that rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the unwinding roller 4a (the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the support roller 20) and winds the glass ribbon G and the protective film P in a roll shape. .
The winding roller 4b mainly includes a roller shaft 4b1, a plastic bobbin 4b2 removably inserted into the roller shaft 4b1, and the like.

  Then, on the take-up roller 4b, the one surface Ga side of the glass ribbon G on which the metal film M is formed by the film forming means 6 is turned inside, and the protective film P is disposed on the other surface Gb side of the glass ribbon G. The glass ribbon G is wound so as to be in a state.

  Here, the bobbin 4b2 includes a driving unit (in this embodiment, a stepping motor) for driving the roller shaft 4b1, and by driving the driving unit, the roller shaft 4b1 is rotated in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the unwind roller 4a. The glass ribbon G and the protective film P are driven around the bobbin 4b2.

  The tension mechanism 5 is a movable tension roller disposed between the unwind roller 4a and the take-up roller 4b, and has a vertically long support plate 5a whose one end is rotatably supported with respect to the vacuum chamber 3. And a tension roller 5b rotatably supported at the other end of the support plate 5a.

An intermediate portion of the protective film P conveyed from the support roller 20 to the take-up roller 4b is wound around the tension roller 5b, and the tension roller 5b is driven by one end of the support plate 5a as a fulcrum by the weight of the tension roller 5b. By rotating in a direction away from 4b, a predetermined tension is applied to the protective film P.
As a result, a length shift occurred between the glass ribbon G and the protective film P due to the influence of heating during film formation and a circumferential difference between the glass ribbon G and the protective film P at the unwind roller 4a. Even in such a case, an appropriate tension can be applied to the protective film P following it.

  When the tension is applied, the support plate 5a of the tension mechanism 5 is preferably set so as to be disposed between the horizontal state and the vertical state at an angle interval of 90 degrees.

In the support roller 20, the unwind roller 4a, and the take-up roller 4b having the above-described configurations, the unwind roller 4a has a glass ribbon G and a protective film P wound in a predetermined length in advance. The glass ribbon G and the protective film P unwound from 4a are conveyed together with the glass ribbon G disposed on the outer surface of the protective film P, and are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 20. The glass ribbon G engaged with the groove 10 and extended from the support roller 20 is wound by the winding roller 4b.
On the other hand, the protection film P extended from the support roller 20 is wound by the winding roller 4b via the tension roller 5b of the tension mechanism 5.

In this way, when the take-up roller 4b is driven to rotate at a predetermined speed, the glass ribbon G and the protection film P wound around the take-out roller 4a are unwound together, and the protection film P is moved to the bottom surface 10a of the groove 10. The glass ribbon G is supplied in such a manner as to be engaged with the support roller 20 in a state in which the glass ribbon G is in contact with the target portion 7 on one surface Ga thereof.
That is, the transport roller unit 4 can transport the glass ribbon G and the protective film P to the vicinity of the target unit 7 of the film forming unit 6 at a predetermined speed.

The film forming means 6 forms the metal film M on one surface Ga side of the glass ribbon G conveyed by the conveyance roller unit 4.
The film forming means 6 is arranged to face the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 20, and a predetermined amount is provided on the front side (one side Ga side in FIG. 2) of the glass ribbon G wound around the support roller 20 by a sputtering method. This is a means for performing sputtering for forming a film.
The film forming means 6 mainly includes a target unit 7 and a sputter power supply 11 connected to the target unit 7.

In this embodiment, the target portion 7 has a Cu target containing Cu (copper) as a target material when performing sputtering, and the surface of the Cu target is engaged with the groove portion 10 of the support roller 20. The glass ribbon G is disposed so as to face the front side (in FIG. 2, one side Ga side).
Further, a sputter power supply 11 is connected to the target section 7 so that a predetermined voltage can be applied.

  In the present embodiment, Cu is used as the target material. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other metal materials may be used.

  The mask member 2 is attached to the vacuum chamber 3 via mask attachment portions 12 provided near the groove 10 (see FIG. 2) of the support roller 20 and covers one end of the glass ribbon G in the width direction. It is.

The mask member 2 is formed of aluminum foil.
The mask member 2 is formed in a strip shape when viewed from the front, and has an arc-shaped portion arranged to be in contact with or close to the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 20 when viewed from the side.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the mask member 2 is attached so as to cover one end in the width direction of the glass ribbon G disposed on the outer surface of the protective film P whose width is positioned by the groove 10. You.

  Since the mask member 2 is disposed so as to abut or approach along the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 20 so as to cover a part of the opening of the groove 10, the outside of the glass ribbon G disposed in the groove 10 is provided. The side surface has a predetermined clearance, and is configured so that the mask member 2 does not contact the glass ribbon G.

The material of the mask member 2 is preferably a foil-shaped metal foil such as an aluminum foil used in the present embodiment.
By using the foil-shaped metal foil, it is easy to obtain a desired mask shape, and since the shape is thin, the end of the metal film M can be formed clearly.
Further, by using the foil-shaped metal foil, the influence of the temperature difference between the side where the metal film M is formed and the side where the metal film M is not formed in the protective film P due to heating during film formation is small. Thus, there is an effect that deformation of the protective film P is suppressed.

  Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the film forming unit 6 reduces the pressure of the vacuum chamber 3 to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust unit 8 to create a reduced-pressure atmosphere, and supplies a predetermined amount of Ar gas by the Ar gas supply unit 9. Ar atoms are ionized by applying a predetermined voltage to the Cu target of the target unit 7 by the sputtering power supply 11, and the Cu target, which is a particle of the target material that is sputtered from the target material by the Ar ions, is sputtered from the target material. Forming a metal film M of a predetermined thickness on the surface (outside surface) of the glass ribbon G by depositing (adsorbing) on the surface (outside surface) of the glass ribbon G being conveyed at a predetermined speed. Is possible.

  Further, by disposing the mask member 2 between the film forming means 6 and the glass ribbon G as described above, the non-film forming area where the metal film M is not formed on one end side in the width direction of the glass ribbon G is provided. The portion 13 (see FIG. 4; the width of the non-film-forming portion 13 in this embodiment is 5 mm) can be formed.

  In the present embodiment, the metal film M is formed on the surface of the glass ribbon G by using a sputtering method as a film forming means. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a vapor deposition apparatus having a desired metal vapor deposition source Accordingly, the metal film M can be formed by vapor deposition on the surface of the glass ribbon G.

[Film formation method]
Next, a film forming method for forming a film on the glass ribbon G using the above-described film forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. FIG.

  As a pre-step for starting film formation using the film forming apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 1, a glass ribbon G, which is a coating target, and a protective film P, which are unwound for a predetermined length from an unwind roller 4 a, It engages with the groove 10 of the support roller 20.

Further, the tip of the glass ribbon G is extended from the upper portion of the support roller 20 and attached to the take-up roller 4b. The protective film P separated from the glass ribbon G is wound around the tension roller 5b of the tension mechanism 5, and is wound. The glass ribbon G is attached so as to contact the outer surface of the glass ribbon G attached to the roller 4b.
Thus, the protective film P is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon G along the extending direction of the glass ribbon G so that the support roller 20 does not directly contact the glass ribbon G.

  Then, the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 is depressurized to a predetermined pressure by the evacuation means 8 to create a depressurized atmosphere, and then the process proceeds to a film forming process.

The film forming process described below is a process that is continuously performed on the surface (outer surface) of the glass ribbon G transported by the transport roller unit 4.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, the glass ribbon G and the protective film P which are put into the film forming step are such that the glass ribbon G is on the outside (the side facing the film forming means 6) and the protective film P is on the inside (the side facing the film forming means 6). (The back side of the glass ribbon G).

The film forming process is a process of forming the metal film M on the outer surface (one surface Ga in FIG. 2) of the glass ribbon G (see FIG. 3B).
More specifically, in the outer surface of the glass ribbon G, a metal film M is formed on one end in the width direction, and a non-film-forming portion 13 on which no film is formed is formed on the other end.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 4, the metal film M adjacent to the non-film-forming portion 13 has an inclined portion M1 whose thickness gradually increases as the distance from the non-film-forming portion 13 increases. And a portion having a substantially constant film thickness region.

Here, the film forming step is a step of forming the metal film M on a predetermined region on the outer surface of the glass ribbon G by sputtering, and under a reduced-pressure atmosphere, the sputtering gas is supplied by the Ar gas supply means 9 (see FIG. 1). Ar gas is supplied into the vacuum chamber 3, and a predetermined voltage is applied to the target unit 7 by the sputtering power supply 11, thereby ionizing Ar atoms. The target unit 7 is sputtered by the Ar ions, and the outer surface of the glass ribbon G is formed. This is a step of forming a predetermined metal film M on the outer surface of the glass ribbon G by depositing (adsorbing) on the glass ribbon G.
Then, it shifts to a winding process.

  In the winding step, the glass ribbon G on which the metal film M has been formed by the film forming step and the protective film P protecting the glass ribbon G are separated, and the inner surface of the glass ribbon G (in FIG. This is a step of winding the protective film P so as to be disposed on the side Gb).

  In the winding step, while the glass ribbon G is directly wound on the winding roller 4b, the protective film P is given a predetermined tension by the tension mechanism 5 and wound on the winding roller 4b.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 3A, the glass ribbon G is continuously wound around the winding roller 4 b with the glass ribbon G disposed inside and the protective film P disposed outside.

Here, the length of the glass ribbon G and the length of the protective film P are likely to be shifted due to a difference in circumference at the time of unwinding and winding, and heating during film formation.
To absorb this, the protective film P is provided with a surplus portion so as to be longer than the glass ribbon G, and the tension is applied to the protective film P separately from the glass ribbon G by the tension mechanism 5. Is wound on the winding roller 4b together with the glass film G.

By performing the above steps, a glass ribbon G in which the metal film M is formed on one surface Ga of the glass ribbon G is obtained.
Subsequently, the process proceeds to the second film forming step.

The second film forming step is a step of forming a metal film M on the other surface Gb of the glass ribbon G.
Specifically, in the other surface Gb of the glass ribbon G, the metal film M is formed on one end side in the width direction, and the non-film-forming portion 13 where no film is formed is formed on the other end side.
That is, in the second film forming step, a step similar to the film forming step is performed.

  In the second film forming step, in the bobbin obtained in the above-described winding step, the tip of the protective film P disposed outside the glass ribbon G is separated from the glass ribbon G and the outside of the bobbin is caused to make a round to protect the bobbin. With the outer surface of the film P disposed on the outer surface of the metal film M of the glass ribbon G, the above-described film forming process and subsequent steps are performed.

By performing the above steps, a glass ribbon G having the metal film M formed on one surface Ga and the other surface Gb is obtained as shown in FIG.
In the glass ribbon G in which the metal film M is formed on the one surface Ga and the other surface Gb, the non-film-forming portions 13 are provided on one end side in the width direction of the glass ribbon G by the mask member 2, and the metal electrode As a result, insulation properties are secured.

  In FIG. 4, the metal film M and the glass ribbon G are shown thicker than they actually are for the sake of understanding.

As described above, in the film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the glass ribbon G on which the metal film M is formed by the winding roller 4b is disposed inside, and the protective film P is disposed outside the glass ribbon G. It is wound up.
When the metal film M is formed on the other surface Gb side of the glass ribbon G, the protection film P disposed outside is separated from the glass ribbon G, and the protective film P is disposed on the outside surface side of the metal film M. By transporting the metal film M to the film forming unit 6, the metal film M can be formed on the other surface Gb side of the glass ribbon G by the film forming unit 6 while protecting the outer surface side of the metal film M with the protective film P.
Therefore, metal films can be easily formed on both surfaces of the glass ribbon by effectively using the protective film P.

  Further, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the unwinding roller 4a has tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension for unwinding the glass ribbon G and the protective film P.

  Thus, by adjusting the tension for unwinding the glass ribbon G and the protective film P by the tension adjusting means, it is possible to suppress the glass ribbon G and the protective film P from being loosened.

  In the glass ribbon film forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the support roller 20 has the groove 10 for positioning the glass ribbon G and the protective film P on the outer peripheral surface.

  Thereby, the glass ribbon G and the protective film P can be positioned at predetermined film forming positions.

  Further, in the glass ribbon film forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the protective film P is wider than the glass ribbon G.

  Thereby, since both ends in the width direction of the protective film P extend outside both ends in the width direction of the glass ribbon G, both ends of the glass ribbon G can be protected by the protective film P.

[Glass ribbon film forming apparatus 101 (another embodiment)]
Next, an overall configuration of a glass ribbon film forming apparatus 101 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “film forming apparatus 101”) according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The film forming apparatus 101 has substantially the same configuration as that of the film forming apparatus 1 described above, but on the other hand, the protective film P (hereinafter, referred to as the film) disposed on the other surface Gb (see FIG. 2) of the glass ribbon G in the film forming step. The film forming apparatus 1 is different from the film forming apparatus 1 in that a new protective film P (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a “second protective film P2”) different from the “first protective film P1” is appropriately provided.
Therefore, in the following description, differences from the film forming apparatus 1 will be mainly described, and description of the same configuration as the film forming apparatus 1 will be omitted.

The film forming apparatus 101 mainly includes a vacuum tank 103, a conveying roller unit 104 as a conveying unit for conveying the glass ribbon G, a film forming unit 106, a supporting roller 120 as a supporting unit, a mask member 102, and the like.
Here, the vacuum chamber 103, the film forming means 106, the support roller 120, and the mask member 102 are substantially equivalent to the vacuum chamber 3, the film forming means 6, the support roller 20, and the mask member 2 in the above-described film forming apparatus 1, respectively. It consists of.

The transport roller unit 104 is a transport unit that engages the glass ribbon G and the protective film P with a plurality of rollers and supplies the glass ribbon G and the protective film P to the film forming unit 106 at a predetermined speed, and mainly includes an unwind roller 104a and a take-up roller 104b. , A first protective film take-up roller 104c, a second protective film take-out roller 104d, and the like.
A support roller 120 as a support member is disposed between the unwind roller 104a and the take-up roller 104b.

The unwinding roller 104 a is an unwinding unit that unwinds the glass ribbon G and the first protective film P <b> 1 wound in a roll shape in advance in the same direction as the rotation direction of the support roller 120.
The unwind roller 104a mainly includes a roller shaft 104a1, a plastic bobbin 104a2 removably inserted into the roller shaft 104a1, and a first pulley 104a3 provided through the roller shaft 104a1.
As described later, the unwind roller 104a is drivingly connected to the first protective film winding roller 104c at the first pulley 104a3.

The glass ribbon G is wound around the unwind roller 104a such that the first protective film P1 is arranged on the inner surface side (the other surface Gb side in FIG. 2) of the glass ribbon G.
In the unwinding roller 104a having such a configuration, the bobbin 104a2 rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the support roller 120 by the unwinding tension applied to the glass ribbon G and the first protective film P1.

The unwind roller 104a is provided with a brake (not shown) for adjusting the unwind tension of the glass ribbon G and the first protective film P1.
Specifically, by operating a brake provided on the unwind roller 104a, a desired unwind tension can be applied to the glass ribbon G and the first protective film P1.
Thereby, the glass ribbon G and the first protective film P1 conveyed by the conveying roller unit 104 are not slackened and are conveyed while maintaining an appropriate tension.

Next, the winding roller 104b will be described.
The take-up roller 104b rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the unwind roller 104a (the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the support roller 120), and is unwound from the glass ribbon G and a second protective film unwind roller 104d described below. This is a winding means for winding the second protective film P2 into a roll.
The winding roller 104b mainly includes a roller shaft 104b1, a plastic bobbin 104b2 removably inserted into the roller shaft 104b1, and the like.

On the take-up roller 104b, one side Ga side of the glass ribbon G on which the metal film M is formed by the film forming means 106 is turned inside, and the second protective film P2 is arranged on the other side Gb side of the glass ribbon G. The glass ribbon G is wound in such a state.
In the unwinding roller 104a having such a configuration, the bobbin 104b2 includes a driving unit (in this embodiment, a stepping motor) for driving the roller shaft 104b1, and the unwinding roller 104a rotates by driving the driving unit. The roller shaft 104b1 is driven in a direction opposite to the direction, and the glass ribbon G and the second protective film P2 are wound around the bobbin 104b2.

Next, the first protective film winding roller 104c will be described.
The first protective film take-up roller 104c takes up the first protective film P1 that has protected the glass ribbon G when the film is formed on the glass ribbon G by the film forming means 106, in a roll shape. Means.
The first protective film take-up roller 104c is mainly formed by a roller shaft 104c1, a plastic bobbin 104c2 removably inserted into the roller shaft 104c1, a second pulley 104c3 provided through the roller shaft 104a1, and the like. Be composed.

  Here, the first protective film take-up roller 104c is arranged so as to be adjacent to the above-described take-out roller 104a and to have an axis parallel to the axis of the take-out roller 104a.

  The second pulley 104c3 is wound around the first pulley 104a3 of the unwinding roller 104a by a transmission belt 105 formed of, for example, a V-belt. It is drivingly connected to the unwinding roller 104a via the belt 105.

  With such a configuration, in the first protective film take-up roller 104c, a driving force (the above-described take-out tension) for rotating the bobbin 104a2 applied to the take-out roller 104a is applied to the first protective film take-up roller 104c via the transmission belt 105. The power is transmitted to the two pulleys 104c3, and the bobbin 104c2 is rotated in the same direction as the rotation direction of the unwind roller 104a (the same direction as the rotation direction of the support roller 120).

By the way, the diameter D2 of the second pulley 104c3 is set to be に 対 し て of the diameter D1 of the first pulley 104a3 (D1: D2 = 2: 1).
That is, the rotational speed of the bobbin 104c2 of the first protective film take-up roller 104c is set to be always higher than the rotational speed of the bobbin 104a2 of the unwind roller 104a.
Thereby, as described later, when the first protective film P1 is wound on the bobbin 104c2, an appropriate tension can be applied to the first protective film P1, and the first protective film P1 is not loosened and wrinkles are not generated. The first protective film P1 can be wound up.
Therefore, in the film forming apparatus 101, there is no need to separately provide a mechanism for applying tension to the first protective film P1 as in the tension mechanism 5 of the film forming apparatus 1 described above.

In addition, as the first protective film P1 wound around the bobbin 104c2 increases, the tension applied to the first protective film P1 also increases. However, when the tension exceeds a predetermined value, the transmission belt 105 is connected to both sides. Is configured to slide with respect to the bobbins 104a2 and 104c2.
Thereby, the tension applied to the first protective film P1 is adjusted so as to be always within a predetermined value.

The first protective film P1 that has protected the glass ribbon G during film formation on the glass ribbon G is wound by the first protective film winding roller 104c having the above configuration.
Specifically, the first protective film P1 separated from the glass ribbon G after the film forming process is further changed its traveling direction along the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 120, and is moved toward the first protective film winding roller 104c. It is extended and wound around the bobbin 104c2.

Next, the second protective film unwinding roller 104d will be described.
The second protection film unwinding roller 104d rotates the second protection film P2 wound in advance in a roll shape in the same direction as the rotation direction of the winding roller 104b (the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the support roller 120). This is an unwinding means for unwinding.
The second protective film unwinding roller 104d is mainly configured by a roller shaft 104d1, a plastic bobbin 104d2 removably inserted into the roller shaft 104d1, and the like.

  Then, in the second protective film unwinding roller 104d having such a configuration, the bobbin 104d2 rotates in the same direction as the rotating direction of the winding roller 104b due to the unwinding tension applied to the second protective film P2.

The second protective film unwinding roller 104d is provided with a brake (tension adjusting means) (not shown) for adjusting the unwinding tension of the second protective film P2.
Specifically, a desired unwinding tension can be applied to the second protective film P2 by operating a brake provided on the second protective film unwinding roller 104d.
As a result, the second protective film P2 taken up together with the glass ribbon G by the take-up roller 104b is conveyed without loosening and with an appropriate tension.

In the support roller 120, the unwind roller 104a, the take-up roller 104b, the first protective film take-up roller 104c, and the second protective film unwind roller 104d configured as described above, the unwind roller 104a includes a glass ribbon. G and the first protective film P1 are wound in a predetermined length in advance, and the glass ribbon G and the first protective film P1 unwound from the unwind roller 104a are attached to the glass ribbon G on the outer surface of the first protective film P1. Are transported together in a state where they are arranged, and are engaged with grooves (not shown) formed in the outer peripheral surface of the support roller 120, and the glass ribbon G extended from the support roller 120 is taken up. Rolled up by roller 104b.
On the other hand, the first protective film P1 separated from the glass ribbon G after the film forming process is wound by the first protective film winding roller 104c.
Further, the glass ribbon G that has passed through the support roller 120 is taken up by the take-up roller 104b together with a new second protection film P2 that has been taken out from the second protection film take-out roller 104d.

Thus, when the take-up roller 104b is driven to rotate at a predetermined speed, the glass ribbon G and the first protective film P1 wound around the unwind roller 104a are unwound together, and the first protective film P1 is The glass ribbon G is engaged with the support roller 120 while being in contact with the bottom surface of the groove, and the glass ribbon G is supplied so that one surface Ga thereof faces the target portion 107.
That is, the transport roller unit 104 can transport the glass ribbon G and the first protective film P1 to the vicinity of the target unit 107 of the film forming unit 106 at a predetermined speed.

[Deposition method (another embodiment)]
Next, a film forming method for forming a film on the glass ribbon G using the film forming apparatus 101 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The film forming method by the film forming apparatus 101 according to another embodiment is substantially the same as the film forming method by the above-described film forming apparatus 1, but the other side Gb (see FIG. 2) of the glass ribbon G is formed in the film forming step. The difference from the film forming method by the film forming apparatus 1 is that the method includes the operation of replacing the disposed first protective film P1 with another new protective film P2.
Like the protective film P, the first protective film P1 and the second protective film P2 are long, strip-shaped film members made of a resin material (PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), etc.) It is formed wider than the glass ribbon G.
Therefore, in the following description, differences from the film forming method using the film forming apparatus 1 will be mainly described, and description of the same contents as those of the film forming method will be omitted.

  As a pre-step for starting film formation using the film forming apparatus 101, the glass ribbon G, which is a coating target, which has been unwound from the unwind roller 104 a for a predetermined length, and the first protective film P <b> 1 are inserted into the groove of the support roller 120. (Not shown).

Further, the tip of the glass ribbon G extends from above the support roller 120 and is attached to the take-up roller 104b, and the first protective film P1 separated from the glass ribbon G is attached to the bobbin 104c2 of the first protective film take-up roller 104c. And the second protective film P2 unwound from the second protective film unwinding roller 104d is attached so as to contact the outer surface of the glass ribbon G attached to the winding roller 104b.
Thus, the first protective film P1 is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon G along the extending direction of the glass ribbon G so that the support roller 120 and the glass ribbon G do not come into direct contact with each other. After the passage, a new second protective film P2 different from the first protective film P1 is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon G.

  Then, after the inside of the vacuum chamber 103 is reduced to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust means 108 to reduce the pressure to a reduced pressure atmosphere, a film forming step, a winding step, and a second film forming step are sequentially performed. M is formed.

Here, in the winding step, while the glass ribbon G is wound directly by the winding roller 104b, a predetermined tension is applied to the second protective film P2 by a brake (tension adjusting means) not shown, and the winding roller It is taken up by 104b.
As a result, with the glass ribbon G inside and the second protective film P2 outside, the glass ribbon G and the second protective film P2 are continuously wound together by the winding roller 104b. .

As described above, in the film forming apparatus 101 in another embodiment, the second protective film P2 is disposed inside the glass ribbon G on which the metal film M is formed by the winding roller 104b and outside the glass ribbon G. It is wound up in a state.
That is, in the film forming apparatus 101, a new second protective film P2 different from the first protective film P1 disposed on the other surface Gb (see FIG. 2) side of the glass ribbon G in the film forming process is used. The glass ribbon G after the film formation is protected.

  With such a configuration, even if the first protective film P1 is deformed due to, for example, heating during film formation, film formation is performed by using another new second protective film P2 that is not affected by heat. It can be stably wound around the winding roller 104b together with the later glass ribbon G.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film-forming apparatus 4 Transport roller part (transport means)
Reference Signs List 4a unwind roller 4b take-up roller 6 film forming means 20 support roller (support means)
101 Film forming apparatus 104 Transport roller unit (transport means)
104a unwind roller 104b take-up roller 106 film forming means 120 support roller (support means)
G Glass ribbon M Metal film P Protective film (sheet member)
P1 First protective film (sheet member)
P2 Second protective film (sheet member)

Claims (8)

Conveying means for conveying the glass ribbon,
For the glass ribbon conveyed by the conveying means, a film forming means for forming a film on one surface side of the glass ribbon,
Support means for keeping the distance between the glass ribbon and the film forming means constant,
A glass ribbon film forming apparatus comprising:
A sheet member is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon along the extending direction of the glass ribbon so that the support means and the glass ribbon do not directly contact ,
The transport means,
Unwinding means for unwinding with the sheet member arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon,
One side of the glass ribbon on which the film is formed by the film forming unit is turned inside, and the sheet member is arranged on the other surface of the glass ribbon in a direction opposite to the unwinding unit. Winding means for winding;
That having a,
A glass ribbon film forming apparatus, characterized in that: Conveying means for conveying the glass ribbon,
For the glass ribbon conveyed by the conveying means, a film forming means for forming a film on one surface side of the glass ribbon,
Support means for keeping the distance between the glass ribbon and the film forming means constant,
A glass ribbon film forming apparatus comprising:
A sheet member is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon along the extending direction of the glass ribbon so that the support means and the glass ribbon do not directly contact ,
The transport means,
Unwinding means for unwinding with the sheet member arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon,
One side of the glass ribbon on which the film is formed by the film forming means is turned inside, and a new sheet member different from the sheet member is arranged on the other side of the glass ribbon. Winding means for winding in a direction opposite to the unwinding means,
That having a,
A glass ribbon film forming apparatus, characterized in that: A tension mechanism is provided between the unwinding unit and the winding unit, and applies a predetermined tension to the sheet member.
The glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: The unwinding means has tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension for unwinding the glass ribbon and the sheet member,
Characterized in that, the glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Between the unwinding means and the winding means, comprises a support roller disposed to face the film forming means,
The support roller has a step portion that positions the sheet member unwound from the glass ribbon and the unwinding means over an outer peripheral surface,
Characterized in that, the glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The sheet member is wider than the glass ribbon,
The glass ribbon film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein: Conveying means for conveying the glass ribbon,
For the glass ribbon conveyed by the conveying means, a film forming means for forming a film on one surface side of the glass ribbon,
Support means for keeping the distance between the glass ribbon and the film forming means constant,
Equipped with a,
The transport means,
Unwinding means for unwinding with the sheet member arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon,
One side of the glass ribbon on which the film is formed by the film forming unit is turned inside, and the sheet member is arranged on the other surface of the glass ribbon in a direction opposite to the unwinding unit. Winding means for winding;
A glass ribbon deposition method using the glass ribbon film forming apparatus that have a,
A sheet member is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon along the extending direction of the glass ribbon so that the support means and the glass ribbon do not directly contact each other,
A glass ribbon film forming method characterized by the above-mentioned. Conveying means for conveying the glass ribbon,
For the glass ribbon conveyed by the conveying means, a film forming means for forming a film on one surface side of the glass ribbon,
Support means for keeping the distance between the glass ribbon and the film forming means constant,
Equipped with a,
The transport means,
Unwinding means for unwinding with the sheet member arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon,
One side of the glass ribbon on which the film is formed by the film forming means is turned inside, and a new sheet member different from the sheet member is arranged on the other side of the glass ribbon. Winding means for winding in a direction opposite to the unwinding means,
A glass ribbon deposition method using the glass ribbon film forming apparatus that have a,
A sheet member is arranged on the other surface side of the glass ribbon along the extending direction of the glass ribbon so that the support means and the glass ribbon do not directly contact each other,
A glass ribbon film forming method characterized by the above-mentioned.

Images