JPH06128746A - Winding-type vacuum treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exchange a film subjected to vacuum deposition, sputtering, CVD, etching, vacuum impregnation, etc., while maintaining the atmosphere in a vacuum treating chamber, to increase the working rate and to provide a winding-type vacuum treating device without need for a large-capacity evacuating system. CONSTITUTION:This winding-type vacuum treating device is provided with a partition plate 12 for separating a vacuum chamber 11 into a vacuum treating section 13 and a film exchange section 14, a delivery slit 24 and a winding slit 25 are furnished to the partition plate, and further a sealing mechanism 26 is provided to the respective slits.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a winding type vacuum processing apparatus for performing vacuum processing such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, CVD, etching and vacuum impregnation on a long film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A roll-up vacuum deposition apparatus is shown in FIG. 5 as an example of a conventional roll-up vacuum processing apparatus. In the figure, a delivery roller 2 is disposed in the upper right portion of the vacuum chamber 1, and the film 3 delivered from the delivery roller 2 is transferred to the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 via the delivery side guide rollers 4a, 4b, 4c. It is sent to the cooling roller 5 in the central portion. The film 3 sent to the cooling roller 5 travels as the cooling roller 5 rotates.
The film 3 running on the cooling roller 5 is vapor-deposited by an evaporation substance (not shown) evaporated from an evaporation source 6 arranged in the lower portion of the vacuum chamber 1 below the cooling roller 5, and a thin film ( (Not shown) is formed. The thin film 3 is taken up by the take-up side guide rollers 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d and taken up by the take-up roller 8 in the upper left part of the vacuum chamber 1.

A movable shirt 9 is disposed between the cooling roller 5 and the evaporation source 6, and when the movable shirt 9 blocks the scattering of the vaporized substance toward the cooling roller 5, the film 3 is removed. It is not possible to form a thin film on. Further, in the figure, 10 is a partition wall that divides the upper part and the lower part in the vacuum chamber 1.

In the vapor deposition process in such a conventional winding type vacuum processing apparatus, the film 3 delivered from the delivery roller 2 as described above is passed through the delivery side guide rollers 4a, 4b and 4c and the cooling roller 5 is fed. When the cooling roller 5 is rotated and is traveling, the evaporated material evaporated from the evaporation source 6 is deposited to form a thin film. The film 3 on which the thin film is formed is the winding side guide rollers 7a, 7b, 7
It is wound around the winding roller 8 via c and 7d.

When such a vapor deposition process is completed, the vacuum chamber 1 is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the film 3 on which the thin film is wound around the winding roller 8 is taken out of the vacuum chamber 1 while a new film is formed. The film 3 is attached to the delivery roller 2. Then, the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated and the above vapor deposition process is repeated again.

[0006]

In the conventional winding type vacuum processing apparatus, the vacuum chamber 1 is returned to the atmospheric pressure when the vacuum processing step such as vapor deposition is completed like the above-described winding type vacuum vapor deposition apparatus, and the winding is performed. The vacuum-processed film 3 wound around the roller 8 is taken out of the vacuum chamber 1, while a new film 3 is attached to the delivery roller 2. After that, the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated,
Again, the above vacuum treatment is repeated.

Therefore, since the vacuum chamber 1 is returned to the atmospheric pressure after the vacuum processing is completed, for example, in the case of the above-mentioned roll-up type vacuum vapor deposition apparatus, there is a problem that the vaporized substance in the vaporization source 6 is adversely affected. did. In addition, after the new film 3 is attached to the delivery roller 2, the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated again and the vacuum processing step is restarted, so that it takes time to evacuate and the operation rate of the apparatus is lowered. However, there is a problem that a large capacity vacuum exhaust system is required.

An object of the present invention is to allow a film which has been subjected to a vacuum process to be replaced while maintaining the atmosphere of a vacuum chamber in which the vacuum process is carried out, to improve the operating rate of the device, and to increase the capacity of the device. The present invention provides a winding type vacuum processing apparatus which does not require the vacuum exhaust system.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to vacuum deposition, sputtering, and CVD of a film delivered from a delivery roller while the film is traveling in a vacuum chamber. In the take-up type vacuum processing device that performs vacuum processing such as etching and vacuum impregnation, and takes up the vacuum-processed film with a take-up roller, the vacuum chamber is divided into a vacuum processing chamber and a film exchange chamber by a partition plate, A delivery roller and a take-up roller are arranged in the film exchange chamber, and further, a slit for delivery through which the film sent out from the delivery roller passes, and a vacuum treatment in which the take-up roller winds up the partition plate. A winding slit through which the film passes is provided, and a sealing mechanism is further provided on each of the delivery slit and the winding slit, and the seal is provided. Is characterized in that for opening and closing said delivery slit and the take-up slits by configuration.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a vacuum chamber is divided into a vacuum processing chamber and a film exchange chamber by a partition plate, a delivery slip and a winding slit are provided on the partition plate, and a sealing mechanism is provided in each of these slits. Since it is provided, the vacuum processing chamber and the film exchange chamber can be individually evacuated. Therefore, when the film after the processing work is to be replaced with a new film, only the film exchange chamber needs to be returned to the atmosphere, and the vacuum processing chamber need not be returned to the atmosphere while keeping the vacuum.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a roll-up type vacuum deposition apparatus as an embodiment of the roll-up type vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, the vacuum tank 11 is divided into a vacuum processing chamber 13 and a film exchange chamber 14 by a partition plate 12, a cooling roller 15 is disposed above the vacuum processing chamber 13, and a cooling roller 15 below the cooling roller 15 is disposed. An evaporation source 16 is arranged below. Further, a movable shirt 17 is arranged between the cooling roller 15 and the evaporation source 16, and this movable shirt 17 can block the evaporation material evaporated from the evaporation source 16 from scattering toward the cooling roller 15. I have to. Further, the vacuum processing chamber 13 is provided with a partition wall 18 for partitioning the upper part and the lower part, and the vacuum processing chamber 13 is provided with a vacuum exhaust port 19 at the upper part. On the other hand, the film exchange chamber 14 is provided with a delivery roller 21 and a winding roller 22. Furthermore,
The partition plate 12 has a delivery slit 2 through which the film 23 delivered from the delivery roller 21 to the cooling roller 15 passes.
4 and a winding slit 25 through which the film 23 wound by the winding roller 22 passes. Furthermore, each of the sending slit 24 and the winding slit 25 is provided with a sealing mechanism 26 for opening and closing the slit. A vacuum exhaust port 27 is also provided in the film exchange chamber 14.

The details of the seal mechanism 26 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and in these drawings, passages 28 and 29 for compressed air are provided in the partition plate 12, and the passages 28 and 29 for compressed air are provided. Compressed air pipes 30 and 31 are connected to. The outlet of the compressed air passage 28 is provided in the recess 24 a of the partition plate 12 on the delivery slit 24 side.
An expandable and contractible sealant 32 having a hollow interior is attached to 4a. Similarly, the outlet of the compressed air passage 29 has a slit 25 for winding the partition plate 12.
Is provided in the concave portion 25a on the side, and the expandable and contractible sealing material 33 having a hollow inside is attached to the concave portion 25a.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when compressed air is introduced into the sealing material 32 from the outlet of the compressed air passage 28, the sealing material 32 expands and the film 23
Is pressed against the sealing surface 24b of the delivery slit 24, the sealing mechanism 26 of the delivery slit 24 is closed, and sealing is performed. When compressed air is introduced into the seal material 33 from the outlet of the compressed air passage 29, the seal material 33 expands, and the film 23 seals the sealing surface 2 of the winding slit 25.
The seal mechanism 26 of the winding slit 25 is pressed against the 5b.
Is closed and the seal is made. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 3, when the inside of the sealing materials 32 and 33 is evacuated, the sealing materials 32 and 33 contract, and the sealing mechanism 26 between the sending slit 24 and the winding slit 25 opens. The seal is released.

In such an embodiment, first, the vacuum processing chamber 13 and the film exchange chamber 14 are evacuated at the same time, and then the insides of the sealing materials 32 and 33 are evacuated to the delivery slit 24 and the winding. Mechanism 2 with slit 25 for use
Open 6 to release the seal. Then, the delivery roller 21
The film 23 sent out from the guide roller 3
4a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e, 34f are sent to the cooling roller 15, and while traveling with the rotation of the cooling roller 15, the evaporated material evaporated from the evaporation source 16 is vaporized to form a thin film. It is formed. The film 23 on which the thin film is formed is the winding side guide rollers 35a, 35.
It is wound by the winding roller 22 via b, 35c, 35d, 35e and 35f.

After completion of such a vapor deposition process on all the films 23, compressed air is introduced into the sealing materials 32 and 33 to feed the slits 24 and the slits 2 for winding.
The sealing mechanism 26 of No. 5 is closed and sealed. Then, after returning only the film exchange chamber 14 to the atmosphere, the delivery roller 2
Film 23 and take-up roller 22 sent from No. 1
The film 23 wound up by is cut off, and the film 23 wound up by the winding roller 22 is taken out of the film exchange chamber 14. Then, while the new film 23 is attached to the feeding roller 21, the new film 23 is slightly wound around the take-up roller 22, and the new film 23 and the existing film 2 remaining after cutting
Bond 3 and. Then, the film exchange chamber 14 is evacuated, and then the insides of the sealing materials 32 and 33 are evacuated.
The seal mechanism 26 of the sending slit 24 and the winding slit 25 is opened to release the seal. After that, the delivery roller 2
The new film 23 attached to No. 1 is newly vapor-deposited.

Therefore, according to such an embodiment,
Since the feeding slit 24 and the winding slit 25 are opened and closed by the sealing materials 32 and 33, the widths of the feeding slit 24 and the winding slit 25 can be made as small as possible, and during the vapor deposition process. Also vacuum processing chamber 13
The atmospheres of the film exchange chamber 14 and the film exchange chamber 14 can be individually maintained, and the film 23 is not damaged. Further, the vapor deposition process can be restarted by evacuating only the film exchange chamber 14.

Next, another embodiment is shown in FIG. 4, in which the seal member 36 used in the seal mechanism 26 may be a track-shaped ring into which compressed air can be introduced. In the figure, 37 is an inlet for compressed air.

By the way, although each of the above-mentioned embodiments shows an example of a winding type vacuum vapor deposition apparatus, the present invention is not limited to this.
As long as it is an apparatus for processing a belt-shaped thin film, it may be used for various winding type vacuum processing apparatuses such as a sputtering apparatus, a CVD apparatus, an etching apparatus, and a vacuum impregnation apparatus. In that case, as a matter of course, each vacuum processing chamber is provided with a mechanism necessary for the processing. In each of the above embodiments, the vacuum chamber 11 is divided into the vacuum processing chamber 13 and the film exchange chamber 14, and the delivery roller 21 and the take-up roller 22 are arranged together in the film exchange chamber 14. The provided delivery chamber and the winding chamber in which the winding roller 22 is provided may be separately provided. Further, the sealing mechanism of each of the above-mentioned embodiments uses a sealing material, but instead of the sealing material,
It may be a valve such as a gate valve or a swing valve.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the partition plate that divides the vacuum chamber into the vacuum processing chamber and the film exchange chamber as described above is provided with the sending slip and the winding slit, and further, each of these slits is provided. Since the sealing mechanism is provided, when a film that has been processed is replaced with a new film, only the film exchange chamber needs to be returned to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the atmosphere of the vacuum processing chamber in which the vacuum processing is performed, improve the operation rate of the apparatus, and eliminate the need for a large-capacity vacuum exhaust system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view when sealed by a sealing mechanism which is a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view when a seal is released by a seal mechanism which is a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a principle diagram of a conventional winding type vacuum processing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 --- Vacuum tank 12 --- Partition plate 13 --- Vacuum processing chamber 14 --- Film exchange chamber 15 --- Cooling roller 16 ... Evaporation source 21 ... Delivery roller 22 ... Winding roller 23 ... Film 24 ... Delivery slit 25 ··· Winding slit 26 ··· Seal mechanism 28 ··· Compressed air passage 29 ··· Compressed air passage 32・ ・ ・ ・ Seal material 33 ・ ・ ・ ・ Seal material 36 ・ ・ ・ ・ Seal material

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A film, which has been fed from a feed roller, is running in a vacuum chamber, and the film is vacuum-treated by vacuum deposition, sputtering, CVD, etching, vacuum impregnation, or the like. In a winding type vacuum processing apparatus that winds a film with a winding roller, the vacuum chamber is divided into a vacuum processing chamber and a film exchange chamber by a partition plate, and a delivery roller and a take-up roller are arranged in the film exchange chamber. Further, the partition plate is provided with a delivery slit through which the film delivered from the delivery roller passes and a slit through which the vacuum-processed film wound by the take-up roller passes, and further above the slit. A sealing mechanism is provided in each of the sending slit and the winding slit, and the sending slit and the winding slit are opened and closed by the sealing mechanism. Winding type vacuum processing apparatus characterized by.