JPH0853755A - Production of highly functional thin film - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prepare a high-performance oriented film by vapor-depositing and laminating a metal on the surface of a film and blowing ionized gaseous oxygen against a high-incident-angle component. CONSTITUTION:A polyester film 1 is set and taken up through a rotary cooling drum 2. A ferromagnetic Co-Ni alloy 3 is melted by an electron beam 4 and obliquely vapor-deposited from the lower part. At this time, a high-incident-angle component 6 (>=70 deg.) and the low-incident-angle component 7 (40-60 deg.) are passed through a shielding plate 5 and vapor-deposited, and an intermediate-incident- angle component (60-70 deg.) is cut off by the shielding plate 5. The high-incident- angle component and the low-incident-angle component are discontinuously vapor-deposited, and ionized oxygen is blown against the high-incident-angle component. For the purpose, oxygen is introduced from the oxygen inlet 9 of the left shielding plate 8 of high incident angle, and the gaseous oxygen introduced from an ion source 10 and the metal vapor current are ionized to form a thin film. An oriented film is obtained in this way with high deposition efficiency and mass-productivity.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing a highly functional thin film having a high orientation, such as a vapor deposition tape which is a high recording density medium, a functional thin film for orienting a liquid crystal,
Alternatively, it is applied in a wide range of fields such as solar cells that can have high exchange efficiency.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the technological development of highly functional thin films has been remarkable, and the fields of application thereof are diverse. For example, in the case of magnetic recording media, as seen in the improvement of magnetic recording density, the technological development thereof is remarkable. As an example of a conventional magnetic recording medium, γ-Fe ₂ O ₃ powder, CrO ₂ powder, pure iron powder and the like used for audio and video tape materials were coated on a polymer film together with a binder such as a resin, There is a so-called coating type magnetic recording medium.

In order to further increase the recording density of this coating type magnetic recording medium, magnetic metals such as Fe, Co, Ni and Cr are used alone or by a method such as vacuum deposition, ion plating, sputtering and cluster ion beam. A metal thin film magnetic recording medium in which an alloy is deposited on a polymer film substrate has been studied. Further, as a ferromagnetic metal thin film type recording medium, an audio tape using an oblique incidence vapor deposition method has already been put into practical use. The ferromagnetic metal thin film type tape produced by the vacuum evaporation method or the like can obtain a high image quality with less noise when used as a video tape in a high recording density medium.

Here, a method of manufacturing a metal thin film type tape by the conventional vacuum deposition method will be described with reference to FIG. Unwinding shaft 12
The polymer film 11 set in (1) is continuously sent out, passed through the cooling drum 13, and wound by the winding shaft 14. At this time, the ferromagnetic metal 16 is melted and evaporated by the electron beam 15 from below and deposited on the surface of the polymer film 11. Shielding plate 17 cuts unnecessary magnetic metal during vapor deposition.

[0005]

However, according to the above-mentioned manufacturing method, in order to achieve high output and low noise and to obtain a high quality image, the minimum incident angle θ during vapor deposition is set to 40 degrees or more. , The others could not obtain sufficiently satisfactory characteristics without shielding. At this time, the larger the minimum incident angle during vapor deposition, the smaller the adhesion efficiency of the magnetic metal. When the incident angle is 40 degrees, the adhesion efficiency is about 7 to 8% by weight of the total amount, which is very poor. As described above, in the case of a metal thin film tape formed by the vacuum vapor deposition method or the like, the production method for sufficiently fulfilling the function as a tape has a very poor adhesion efficiency during vapor deposition and is a drawback to mass productivity and industrialization. This applies not only to the metal thin film tape, but also to all high-performance thin films that utilize the orientation by oblique vapor deposition.

More specifically, in the conventional metal thin film type vapor deposition tape, magnetic metal is vapor-deposited continuously on the polyester film from a high incident angle component to a low incident angle component by oblique vapor deposition. In this case, the nuclei growth of the magnetic metal starts from the high incident angle component (90 degrees), and the magnetic metal is continuously laminated in the low incident angle direction around this. However, when it is used as a vapor deposition tape for video, it naturally has to have high image quality. For this reason, the orientation of the magnetic metal of the metal thin film must be enhanced to achieve high output and low noise as electromagnetic conversion characteristics. In order to maintain the orientation of the magnetic metal and obtain a high image quality, conventionally, vapor deposition was continuously performed in the range of a high incident angle component (90 degrees) to a low incidence area (40 degrees). However, the vapor flow distribution during vapor deposition has a lower rate for higher incidence components and increases exponentially with lower incidence angles, so the effective magnetic metal actually used for vapor deposition is the one in the crucible before vapor deposition. About 7% of the amount of magnetic metal is very inefficient.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a high functionality capable of obtaining a high-quality screen with good adhesion efficiency during vapor deposition while maintaining the orientation of the ferromagnetic metal, high output and low noise. An object is to provide an industrial method capable of mass-producing thin films.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for producing a highly functional thin film by obliquely depositing a ferromagnetic metal on a film surface. Of the high incidence angle component and the low incidence angle component are discontinuously deposited on the surface of the film by vapor deposition and the ionized oxygen gas is blown to the high incidence angle component. And

[0009]

According to the features of the present invention, first, a low incidence angle component having a high rate is vapor-deposited and laminated directly on a film surface on which a high incidence angle component is vapor-deposited. Since it is improved, the adhesion efficiency during vapor deposition is improved,
Mass production can be industrialized. Further, by blowing the ionized oxygen gas to the high incident angle component, the magnetic characteristics and the electric conversion characteristics are improved.

[0010]

EXAMPLES The vapor deposition tapes of the examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which a polyester film 1 is set and wound through a cooling rotary drum 2. The ferromagnetic metal Co—Ni alloy 3 is melted by the electron beam 4 and obliquely evaporated from below. At this time, the high-incidence angle component 6 (70 degrees or more) and the low-incidence angle component 7 (60 degrees to 40 degrees) are vapor-deposited on the evaporation shielding plate 5, and the intermediate 60
The intermediate incident angle component region of degrees to 70 degrees is cut by the shield plate 5.

As described above, the high incident angle component and the low incident angle component are discontinuously vapor-deposited, and at this time, the ionized oxygen gas is blown to the high incident angle component. For this purpose, oxygen was introduced from the oxygen gas inlet 9 of the left shielding plate 8 having a high incident angle, and the introduced oxygen gas and the metal vapor flow were ionized from the ion source 10 to form a thin film.

Comparative Example A thin film was formed in the same manner as in Example except that ionized oxygen gas was not introduced.

Various performances and effects of the highly functional thin film formed by the above method will be described. The method of evaluating the metal thin film by the oblique vapor deposition is as follows:
The electromagnetic conversion characteristics were investigated using a mm deck. The results are shown in (Table 1).

[0015]

[Table 1]

The coercive force and the residual magnetic flux density in the magnetic characteristics are shown as relative values with the conventional example as 1. Further, the electromagnetic conversion characteristics are shown by the relative value when the output value of the conventional example is 0 dB. The vapor deposition rate was converted from the film speed during vapor deposition and the film thickness at that time, and indicated as a relative value to the conventional example.

Although the low incident component having a high vapor deposition rate is set to 40 ° or more, which is the same as that of the conventional example, and the intermediate component of 60 to 70 ° is cut, both the inventive example and the comparative example are 40 to 90 of the conventional example. The vapor deposition rate is the same as the degree. It is considered that this is because the highly incident component of the vapor flow is ionized, so that the component of 90 degrees or more is also vapor-deposited.

The electromagnetic conversion characteristics of the thin film produced by the present invention are +3 dB as compared with the conventional example and +2.3 d as compared with the comparative example.
B is improved, and coercive force and residual magnetic flux density are also improved. This is considered to be due to the introduction of ionized oxygen.

As described above, by providing a shielding plate in the middle of oblique vapor deposition as in the embodiment of the present invention, the high incident angle component and the low incident angle component are discontinuously vapor deposited and laminated, and the high incident angle component is further increased. By spraying ionized gas to the components, the deposition rate,
The speed can be greatly improved and the magnetic characteristics can be greatly improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and other methods are also effective. For example, although the metal thin film type magnetic recording medium by oblique vapor deposition is shown in the above embodiment, a liquid crystal alignment film for vapor depositing SiO or the like, Cu-In-Se.
It can be used for a solar cell thin film that forms a system thin film, or a high-performance thin film such as an EL or superconducting thin film that uses orientation by oblique vapor deposition. Further, vapor deposition is not limited to inorganic substances such as metals and alloys, and alignment films formed by organic vapor deposition are also possible. The same effect can be obtained by using a mask position at the time of vapor deposition, or in the case of carrying out the present invention, a reactive vapor deposition method using a gas such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, ozone, argon or a reactive gas.

[0021]

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an alignment film having high adhesion efficiency, excellent mass productivity and high performance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a process chart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing the production of a highly functional thin film by a conventional oblique deposition method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Polyester Film 3 Ferromagnetic Metal 4 Electron Beam 5 Shielding Plate 6 High Incidence Angle Component 7 Low Incidence Angle Component 8 Left Shielding Plate 9 Oxygen Gas Inlet 10 Ion Source

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for producing a highly functional thin film by obliquely depositing a ferromagnetic metal on a film surface, wherein a high incident angle component is blocked by blocking the incidence of an intermediate incident angle component of the vapor flow of the ferromagnetic metal. And a low incident angle component are discontinuously deposited on the surface of the film by vapor deposition, and an ionized oxygen gas is blown to the high incident angle component to produce a highly functional thin film.