JPH0549748B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Object of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a sputtering device that performs sputtering treatment by guiding a long sample of cloth, film, etc. in a vertical state from a sending side to a winding side. It is something.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, a horizontal sputtering apparatus has been mainly used as a means for applying a metallic luster treatment to a long sample such as cloth or film. However, horizontal sputtering equipment can only sputter at a relatively low vacuum of 10 ^-3 Torr, which causes problems such as darkening of the metal color on the long sample and slow winding speed. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, it has been considered to use a vertical sputtering device that employs a cylindrical target. This device guides the long sample vertically from the sending side to the winding side and performs sputtering on the vertically long sample. In this case, due to the weight of the long sample, the long sample may sag during the moving path between the sending side and the winding side, and this may cause winding wrinkles to occur during winding. Therefore, in conventional vertical sputtering equipment, it is necessary to apply tension to the long sample moving from the feeding side to the winding side to tighten the long sample to prevent the occurrence of wrinkles during winding. be.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, stretchable textiles such as knits,
Some long samples such as ultra-thin fabrics or films cannot be subjected to tension as described above, and conventional vertical sputtering equipment, which guides the long sample vertically and performs the sputtering process, cannot apply the tension as described above. There is a problem that it cannot handle long samples.

Structure of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) Therefore, in the present invention, the long sample between the sending side and the winding side of a long sample of cloth, film, etc. that is guided through the sputtering chamber in an upright state. Suspension means was provided for suspending the upper end of the elongated sample on the sample movement path and circulating the sample on the movement path.

(Function) That is, the long sample guided in the sputtering chamber is suspended by the hanging means on the sending side by engaging the upper end thereof, and is moved vertically together with the hanging means circulating on the movement path. Ru.
The long sample that has been suspended in the sputtering chamber and subjected to the sputtering process is released from the hanging means on the winding side and is wound up. On the moving path between the sending side and the winding side, the long sample is suspended and supported by the hanging means, so it will not sag due to its own weight, and even when no tension is applied, the winding will wrinkle during winding. There isn't. Therefore, even in the case of long samples such as stretchable fabrics such as knits, extremely thin fabrics that cannot be tensioned, or films, the sputtering process can be performed in a vertical state.

(Example) Hereinafter, examples 1 to 4 embodying the present invention will be described.
This will be explained based on the diagram.

The sputtering device main body 1 includes a base 2 and a casing 3 placed on the base 2 in an airtight manner. One end of a wire 4 is connected to the upper end of the casing 3, and the other end of the wire 4 is connected to a balance weight 6 via a fixed pulley 5. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a guide rail 7 is vertically installed near the front surface of the casing 3, and a rotor 8 is mounted on the guide rail on the front surface of the casing 3 corresponding to the rail 7. It is rotatably attached to be able to engage with 7.
Further, at the rear of the casing 3, a push-up member 10 is provided so as to be movable up and down, and has a rack 10a that meshes with a drive gear 9a of a motor 9 that can be rotated in forward and backward directions.
The push-up member 10 is moved up and down by the operation of the motor 9, whereby the casing 3 is raised and lowered. The casing 3 can be moved up and down easily and smoothly due to the presence of the balance weight 6.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a bottomed cylindrical target 11 serving as a cathode is suspended in the casing 3 (hereinafter referred to as sputtering chamber S), and at least the surface portion of the target 11 is used for sputtering. A support tube 13 is disposed in the inner space of the support tube 13, into which ring-shaped permanent magnets 12 are fitted at predetermined intervals. A bellows 1 is provided at the bottom of the support tube 13 and is supplied with compressed air from the outside.
4 is disposed, and the support tube 13 is moved up and down by the supply and exhaust of compressed air. There are multiple wires around the target 11 (8 in this example).
The anode 15 of the target 1
A DC voltage of 50 to 1000 V is applied between the anode 1 and the anode 15.

A hexagonal annular support frame 16 is arranged on the base 2 around the target 11, and a plurality of support frames (six in this embodiment) are installed on the corners of the frame 16. Support shaft 17,1
A support frame 18 having the same shape and size as the support frame 16 is supported at the tip of 7A. Among the plurality of support shafts, the support shaft 17 is fixed to the lower support frame 16 and also fixedly supports the upper support frame 18, and a pulley 17a is rotatably attached to the upper part of the support shaft 17. ing. The remaining support shaft 17A is rotatably supported by a drive device 19 mounted on the back surface of the base 2, and a pulley 17b is fixedly installed on the upper part of the drive device 19. A belt 20 is hung between each pulley 17a, 17b, and a large number of needles 20a are protruded from the outer peripheral surface of the belt 20 at predetermined intervals. or,
Near the outside of the support shaft 17A, a pair of left and right guide rollers 21, 22 are connected to both the upper and lower support frames 16, 18.
A roller 23 is rotatably supported between the guide rollers 22 and 23.
is rotatably supported upright. As shown in FIG. 4, grooves 21 are formed on the upper peripheral surfaces of both guide rollers 21 and 22 at positions corresponding to the positions of the belt 20.
a, 22a are formed respectively, and
Due to the tension of the belt 20, both guide rollers 2
The needles 20a are pressed against the peripheral surfaces of the needles 1 and 22.
are introduced into the grooves 21a and 22a.

A long sample 24 of cloth, film, etc. is placed in the sputtering chamber S in front of the rollers 21, 22, 23.
A feed-out roller 25 and a take-up roller 26 are rotatably provided and are rotatably driven by an external drive mechanism (not shown). The elongated sample 24 fed from the feed roller 25 is moved between the guide roller 21 and the drive shaft 17.
A, the film passes through the outside of each drive shaft 17, is guided between the guide roller 22 and the support shaft 17A, and between the guide roller 22 and the roller 23, and is wound up on the winding roller 26. .

A pipe 28 connected to a pump 27 for reducing the pressure inside the sputtering chamber S is connected to the base 2, and a pipe 29 connected to the casing 3 is connected to an argon gas cylinder 32 and oxygen via valves 30 and 31. It is connected to the cylinder 33.
That is, by reducing the pressure in the sputtering chamber S to a predetermined degree of vacuum and then gradually discharging argon gas while supplying the sputtering chamber S, the interior of the sputtering chamber S is maintained in a low-pressure argon gas atmosphere. Glow discharge occurs by applying a high DC voltage. and,
The argon gas in the sputtering chamber S is ionized by the discharge energy, and the argon ions are accelerated toward the target 11 and collide with the target 11, and metal is knocked out from the surface of the target 11 and scattered radially.

Note that oxygen is supplied from the oxygen gas cylinder 33 together with argon gas into the sputtering chamber S, and a high DC voltage is applied between the target 11 and the anode 15 while maintaining the sputtering chamber S in a low-pressure mixed atmosphere of argon and oxygen. When this voltage is applied, the metal ejected from the target 11 is immediately oxidized in the same manner as described above, and the oxidized metal is scattered within the sputtering chamber S.

Now, the long sample 24 sent out from the sending out roller 25 is introduced between the guide roller 21 and the belt 20 which goes around the hexagonal annular path connecting the pulleys 17a and 17b by the rotational drive of the support shaft 17A, and is introduced between the belt 20 and the guide roller 21, The upper needle 20a is the belt 20
The upper end of the elongated sample 24 is pierced by the pressure contact between the sample and the guide roller 21 . The long sample 24 pierced by the needle 20a is guided around the support shaft 17 together with the belt 20 in a vertically suspended state from the belt 20 that goes around the hexagonal annular path,
Sputtering metal scattered from the target 11 adheres to the inside of the long sample 24. That is,
The sputtering treatment of the long sample 24 is performed while it is suspended vertically from the belt 20 circulating in a predetermined circulation path, and no sagging that causes wrinkles occurs during winding. Therefore, even if the long sample 24 is wound without applying tension, no winding wrinkles will occur, and sputtering treatment of stretchable fabrics such as knits, ultra-thin fabrics that cannot be applied with tension, films, etc. It is possible.

In addition, in the sputtering apparatus configured as in this embodiment, the guide roller for the long sample 24 is not disposed at the position where the sputtering metal adheres, so that the guide roller is prevented from becoming heated up due to the adhesion of the sputtering metal. Therefore, the long sample 24 is not adversely affected.

The long sample 24, which has undergone sputtering treatment on one side while being suspended and guided around the support shaft 17, is introduced between the support shaft 17A and the guide roller 22, and then released from the needle 20a by the roller 23. , and is wound onto a winding roller 26 via between the same roller 23 and the guide roller 22.

Note that the pulleys 17a and 17b are connected to the support shafts 17 and 1.
By configuring the mounting position to be adjustable along line 7A, the height position of the belt 20 can be adjusted, and the hanging position of the long sample 24 can be adjusted according to the width of the long sample 24 during the sputtering process. It can be set in the most suitable position.

The present invention is, of course, not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but also includes the embodiments shown in FIG. 5 or 6 and 7, for example.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the upper end of the elongated sample 24 is suspended and supported by the needle 20a provided on the belt 20, as in the previous embodiment, and the lower end of the elongated sample 24 is also It is supported by a support means consisting of a pulley 17c, a belt 34, and a needle 34a provided on the outer circumferential surface of the belt 34, similar to the suspension means in the example, and the vertical movement of the long sample 24 is made smoother. It will be done.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, support shafts 36 are erected at three corners of a square annular lower support frame 35, and an upper support frame 37 similar to the support frame 35 is provided at the upper end of the support shafts 36. Support is fixed. Furthermore, guide rollers 38 and 39 that are rotatably driven by a drive device (not shown) are erected and supported between the support frames 35 and 37 at the remaining corners, and a roller 40 is provided near one of the guide rollers 39. It is arranged. And support shaft 3
A bevel gear 36a is rotatably fixed to the upper part of the guide roller 6, and similar bevel gears (not shown) are fixed to the upper part of both guide rollers 38, 39, and each bevel gear rotates the ring 41. are supported so that they can engage and rotate. A large number of needles 41a are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the ring 41 at predetermined intervals, and grooves 38 formed on the upper peripheral surface of the guide rollers 38, 39
a, 39a can be passed through. That is, the ring 41 is rotated around the target 11 by the rotational drive of both guide rollers 38 and 39,
Long sample 2 sent out from the sending roller 25
The upper end of 4 is inserted into the needle 41a between the guide roller 38 and the ring 41, and the ring 41 rotates.
and is suspended and guided around the target 11,
Sputtering treatment is applied. Target 11
After making approximately one rotation around the circumference, the long sample 24 is peeled off from the ring 41 by the roller 40 and wound around the winding roller 26.

According to this embodiment, not only can the sputtering process be applied to a long sample that cannot be subjected to tension, but also the sputtering process can be performed because there are almost no members on the inside of the long sample 24 that prevent sputtering metal from adhering. This has the advantage of improving efficiency.

Further, in the present invention, for example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a number of clips are attached to the outer peripheral surface of the ring 41 instead of the needle 41a so as to be able to hold the upper end of the long sample, and the clips are attached between the guide rollers 38 and 39. By opening the clip using the cam mechanism and closing the clip except between the guide rollers 38 and 39, it is possible to suspend and support a long sample in an upright position. Alternatively, the long sample can also be suspended by pressing an endless belt against the outer peripheral surface of the ring 41 other than between the guide rollers 38 and 39.

Effects of the Invention As detailed above, according to the sputtering apparatus of the present invention, which performs sputtering treatment by guiding a long sample vertically through the sputtering chamber,
Even if a long sample is sputtered in a vertical state without applying tension, no wrinkles will occur during winding, so it is suitable for use with stretchable fabrics such as knits, ultra-thin fabrics that cannot be tensioned, or films. This has the excellent effect of being able to perform sputtering treatment on a long sample without applying tension.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show an embodiment embodying the present invention, FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing the entire sputtering apparatus, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the present invention, and FIG. A plan sectional view showing an example, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 6. Support shafts 17, 17A constituting the hanging means, pulleys 17a, 17b, 17c, drive device 19, belt 20, needle 20a, long sample 24, sputtering chamber S.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A long sample of cloth, film, etc., which is guided through a sputtering chamber in a vertical state, is placed on the movement path of the long sample between the sending side and the winding side. A sputtering device characterized in that a hanging means is provided that suspends an upper end portion and moves cyclically on the movement path. 2. The hanging means includes a plurality of support shafts and one support drive shaft that surround the target in the sputtering chamber, a pulley rotatably attached to the upper end of the support shaft, and a support drive shaft that is rotatably driven. 2. The sputtering device according to claim 1, comprising: a pulley fixed to the pulley; a belt hung around each pulley; and a plurality of needles provided on the outer peripheral surface of the belt.