JPS6327536A - Apparatus for low-temperature plasma treatment of sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate high-quality plasma free from by-produced gas and to effectively activate a surface of a sheet, by using a vacuum can for protecting a reactor to generate and hold a low-temperature plasma gas. CONSTITUTION:A vacuum pump 6 is energized to evacuate a vacuum can 1 and a reactor 4. A predetermined plasma-generating gas is supplied to each reactor 4 through a gas-feeding pipe 9 and, at the same time, high-frequency power is applied to an electrode 8 to generate low-temperature plasma in the reactors 4. A sheet substance 2 is passed successively through the reactors 4 containing generated low-temperature plasma while keeping the plasma- generation condition. The surface of the sheet 2 can be activated by this process to enable the objective low-temperature plasma-treatment of the sheet.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a sheet used for modifying the surface properties of sheet-like materials such as fabrics and films by utilizing the reaction of low-temperature plasma. This invention relates to low-temperature plasma processing equipment for objects.

[Background of the invention] - Conventionally, industrially produced long fabrics or
As a means for modifying the surface properties of sheet-like materials such as long films, it is known to perform a low-temperature plasma reaction treatment by placing the sheet-like materials in or passing through a reactor that generates low-temperature plasma. It is said that However, the mechanism of conventional low-temperature plasma processing equipment that processes these sheet-like materials with low-temperature plasma is to place a plasma generation electrode in a reactor that maintains a vacuum (reduced pressure), and to introduce plasma generation gas into this reactor. For example, 13.56~! A low-temperature plasma can be generated in the reactor by supplying high-frequency power at Hz, and the above-mentioned sheet-like material is positioned (passed through) in a gas atmosphere excited by the low-temperature plasma thus generated. However, conventional low-temperature plasma processing equipment has problems in terms of low-temperature plasma gas generation efficiency, low-temperature plasma gas reaction efficiency, low-temperature plasma gas quality, etc. Ta.

In other words, it is possible to generate low-temperature plasma gas in the reactor, but the low-temperature plasma gas that is reacted on the sheet-like material positioned (travelled) in the reactor is limited to a portion of the reactor. In other words, there are many cases where other gases are wasted and the consumption efficiency of low-temperature plasma gas is poor.
There is a problem that the usability efficiency of high-frequency generated power is low.

In addition, in conventional low-temperature plasma reactors, outside air (air)
In particular, in a low-temperature plasma reactor for continuous processing in which sheet-like materials can be passed continuously, the suction of outside air (air) from the sealing mechanism occurs at various times, and by-product gases in the reactor are There was also a problem that the mixed amount increased in pB, resulting in increased adhesion of by-product gas to the sheet material, resulting in poor low-temperature glazma treatment effects.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made by focusing on such conventional problems, and the purpose of Seven Nest 1 is to produce a fresh and free of by-product gas in the low-temperature plasma gas generated in the plasma reactor. The purpose of high-quality low-temperature plasma is to apply gas to sheet-like materials to improve the efficiency and quality of plasma processing. The second purpose is to reduce the amount of low-temperature plasma generated outside the transfer zone for low-temperature plasma gas and sheet materials that are disposed of to the outside, increase the consumption efficiency of low-temperature plasma gas, and further save electrical energy. The purpose is to measure the

[Embodiments of the invention]

The present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum can body 1. Although it is possible to pass a sheet-like material 2 such as a long commercial, non-woven fabric, or film through both sides of this vacuum can body 1, A sealing mechanism 3 is provided that can maintain a reduced pressure (vacuum) state.

Furthermore, inside the vacuum can body 1, there are a large number of
A plurality of flat reactors 4 and a large number of guide rolls 5 for guiding the sheet material 2 into the reactors 4 are arranged. 6 (1) is a vacuum pump for reducing the pressure inside the empty can body 1, and is attached to the vacuum can body 1.The reactor 4 has a long Insertion lowers for the sheet-like material 2 are formed at both upper and lower ends of the sheet-like material 2 so that the sheet-like material 2 having a wide width can pass therethrough, and insertion of the sheet-like material is allowed through these insertion lowers. A sealing mechanism (not shown) such as a lip seal or a labyrinth seal is provided to maintain the inside of the reactor 4 in a reduced pressure state.Furthermore, in the center of the interior of the valley reactor 4, a low-temperature plasma @!, 8 are arranged in the reactor 1. 59 is a gas supply no. 2 for supplying plasma generation gas into the reactor 4, and this gas supply no. A gas injection nozzle 10 is provided that extends in the width direction of the sheet material to be transferred within the reactor 4.1.
1 is a power supply line connected to the glazma generation electrode 8,
This power supply line is connected to a shield network 11 via an insulator such as polyethylene around a shield wire, that is, a conductor 111a that passes through the high frequency generator 12, the vacuum vessel 1, and the reaction 64.
b is a coaxial cable covered with shield net 11b, which is connected to reactor 4, and only conductive wire 11& is connected to glazma generation electrode 8. Note that the vacuum container 1 and the reactor 4 are grounded.

The above is the configuration of this implementation PI. Next, we will discuss its operation. First, the vacuum bomb f6 is operated to reduce the pressure inside the vacuum can body 1 and the reactor 4, and for example, the inside of the vacuum can body 1 is
Following the pressure reduction in the vacuum vessel 1 to 10-2 Torr, the pressure in the reactor 4 is also reduced to approximately the same level. Therefore, a predetermined plasma generating gas is supplied into each reactor 4 from the gas supply via "9", and a plasma generating gas is supplied to the electrode 8 at a frequency of, for example, 1 kHz to
Low-temperature plasma gas is generated in these reactors 4 by supplying a high frequency of 300 MHz. While maintaining this state, the sheet-like material 2 is stubbornly passed through each reactor 4 in which low-temperature plasma gas is generated as shown in the figure, so that the surface of the sheet-like material 2 is activated and used for the purpose. According to this apparatus, each reactor 4 that generates and retains low-temperature plasma gas is protected by a vacuum can 1, and this vacuum can Connect the vacuum pump 6 to 1 and vacuum the body l.
Since the pressure inside each reactor 4 is constantly reduced and the plasma generating gas is successively supplied to each of the reactors 4, the internal pressure within each reactor 4 will never become lower than the internal pressure of the vacuum vessel 1. Therefore, since external air (air or by-product gas) is not mixed into each reactor 4, a high-quality low-temperature plasma gas atmosphere can always be maintained in the reactor 4, and the desired plasma reaction can be carried out. It has the advantage of being able to perform processing effectively. In addition, each reactor 4 has a small volume shape, that is, a flat shape that allows the sheet-like material 3Ij to pass through, and since a vacuum pump is not connected across each reactor 4, low-temperature plasma gas and Since the contact efficiency with the sheet-like material is increased and plasma gas is not wasted, the efficiency of using low-temperature plasma gas is increased, and the labor required for generating garden gas can be reduced. Moreover, since the electrode 8 is closely surrounded by the grounded conductive reactor 4 and this reactor is further surrounded by a grounded vacuum body, radio frequency and plasma leakage are eliminated, so that the reactor 4 is It is possible to ensure that low-temperature plasma is generated only inside the device, thereby increasing the efficiency of using low-temperature plasma gas and eliminating any harmful effects caused by high frequencies outside the device.

In the above embodiment, the vacuum can body 1 has a structure in which a long fabric can be passed through continuously, but this vacuum can body 1 is a batch type vacuum can body 1 equipped with a mechanism for winding up the end of the long fabric. It may be a structure.

[Summary of the invention]

As described above, the present invention provides a vacuum can that is sealed and can be depressurized by driving a vacuum pump, and one or more vacuum cans that are disposed inside the vacuum can and allow a sheet-like material to pass through the inside of the vacuum can. This reactor is a vessel that is sealed except for a sheet material insertion opening equipped with a sealing mechanism through which a sheet material can be inserted, and a high-frequency This low-temperature plasma processing apparatus for sheet materials is characterized in that it is equipped with a plasma generation electrode for applying a .

〔Effect of the invention〕

Therefore, according to this device, the reactor that generates and holds low-temperature plasma gas is protected by a vacuum can, and a vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum can to constantly reduce the pressure inside the vacuum can.
Furthermore, since plasma generation gas is sequentially supplied into the reactors, the internal pressure within each reactor will never become lower than the internal pressure of the vacuum vessel. Therefore, since external air (air or by-product gas) is not mixed into each reactor, a high-quality low-temperature plasma gas atmosphere can always be maintained in the reactor, and the desired plasma reaction treatment can be carried out effectively. It has the advantage of being able to perform In addition, since the electrode is closely surrounded by a grounded 28-electrode reactor, and this reactor is further surrounded by a grounded vacuum vessel, leakage of high frequencies and plasma is eliminated, and the reactor is The generation of low-temperature plasma is ensured only inside the device, the efficiency of using low-temperature glass/gas is reduced, and there are effects such as being able to completely eliminate the harmful effects of high frequency waves outside the device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a structural explanatory diagram of a reactor, Fig. 3 is a front view thereof, and Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a gas supply pipe. . 1... Vacuum can body 2... Sheet-like material 3.
...Seal mechanism 4...Reactor 5...Guide roll 6...Vacuum bonsif...Insertion port
8... Low temperature plasma generation electrode 9... Gas supply/4' Eve 10... Gas injection nozzle 11...
Power supply line 12...High frequency generator Figure 1 ■ Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Procedural amendment ゛ February 29, 1945 3. Relationship with the person making the amendment case Applicant → ← - Book礪に）4- Name (name) Yu-i-ka'ASfk>L4, generation
Rito (Nr!
Address: 3308 Shigesu Toru, 2-6-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Details of the amendment: Written amendment as attached. We will amend the following links in the specification of this application. On page 5, lines 5 to 11, these insertion lowers are provided. '' should be corrected as follows. [These insertion lowers allow the sheet-like material to be inserted therethrough, and also serve as an outlet for the processing gas supplied into the reactor 4 from one gas supply pipe 9, and further serve as an outlet for the processing gas supplied into the reactor 4. It has a slit shape with a small area so that the gas density (pressure) is slightly higher than the gas density (pressure) of the surrounding vacuum vessel 1. Further, if necessary, a sealing mechanism (not shown) such as a Ritsu seal or a Lapiris seal may be provided. By adopting such a structure, the gas inside the reactor 4 can flow out of the reactor 4, but the inflow of the gas inside the vacuum can 1 can be suppressed as much as possible. Each reactor 4 is made of a conductive metal such as aluminum, steel, iron, or stainless steel, and is grounded, and a low-temperature plasma generation electrode 8 is installed in the center of the reactor 4 and insulated with an insulating material. , reactor 4 and plasma generation electrode 8
A low-temperature plasma can be generated between the two. "Koyu"

Claims (1)

[Claims] It has a vacuum can which is sealed and can be depressurized by driving a vacuum pump, and one or more reactors disposed inside the vacuum can and through which a sheet-like material is passed. The reactor is a vessel that is sealed except for a sheet material insertion opening equipped with a sealing mechanism through which a sheet material can be inserted, and a plasma generation electrode for applying high frequency waves inside the reactor; 1. A low-temperature plasma processing apparatus for sheet materials, characterized in that the reactor and the vacuum container are equipped with a plasma generating gas injection nozzle, and that the reactor and the vacuum can are grounded.