KR101170332B1 - Apparatus for plasma coating equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A plasma vacuum coating apparatus is provided to continuously maintain evacuation efficiency of a vacuum chamber by preventing contamination of the refrigerating trap of the vacuum chamber due to the deposition of a target material. CONSTITUTION: A plasma vacuum coating apparatus comprises a cryogenic refrigeration trap protection device, a target pollution prevention device, an evacuation improving device, and a door locking device. In the cryogenic refrigeration trap protection device, elongated holes of a movable shutter and a fixed shutter are arranged crossing each other in order to prevent the deposition of a target material on the surface of a cryogenic refrigeration shutter. The target pollution prevention device blocks a target(T) with a shield in order to prevent the surface of the target from being polluted by deposition on a protective film material. The evacuation improving device immediately dries the air, flowing into a vacuum chamber(A) when opening a door(A1) for coating a material using a heater. The door locking device advances the operating rod of a locking cylinder so that the bottom of a locking plate is latched to the rim of the door and the door is completely closed.

Description

Plasma vacuum coating equipment {apparatus for plasma coating equipment}

The present invention relates to a plasma vacuum coating apparatus that can shorten the vacuum evacuation time, reduce and complete the defective rate of coating, and improve the work for evacuating the vacuum.

Plasma vacuum coating apparatus according to the present invention refers to a device for depositing a coating material (hereinafter referred to as 'target') on the surface of the plastic material (hereinafter referred to as 'material') to the plastic material to be coated, the plasma Is generated by applying a target (for example, an aluminum plate) as a cathode (casod), a vacuum chamber providing a vacuum environment as an anode, and then applying a DC voltage between two electrodes.

Conventional vacuum coating method using the above device, the step of placing the material inside the door of the vacuum chamber to which the target is introduced; Changing the interior of the vacuum chamber into a vacuum environment using various pumps; Injecting an inert gas (such as argon gas) into the vacuum chamber and then generating a plasma to sputter the target material to coat the target material on the material surface. At this time, it is common to arrange a magnet in a mechanism for fixing the target in order to increase the cohesiveness of the plasma ions.

In the above, sputtering means that when plasma is generated, ions in the plasma collide with the target surface, and atoms of the target surface layer are deodorized (emitted) by the impact energy generated by the collision of ions and are deposited / coated immediately on the material surface. .

In order to protect the coated target material, a separate protective film may be deposited on the coating surface of the material. In this case, the plasma generation in progress for the coating of the target material is stopped (stopping the application of the DC voltage) and then separately provided. The plasma is generated by applying an alternating voltage to the prepared plasma rod while simultaneously injecting hexamethyldisiloxane gas, Ar gas, and N 2 O gas into the vacuum chamber to deposit a protective film.

When the coating of the material is completed as described above, the drying air stored in the drying air tank into the vacuum chamber is injected into the vacuum chamber to destroy the vacuum inside the vacuum chamber, and then the door is taken out and the next material is introduced. The coating is carried out in the steps described above. The dry air of the dry air tank is stored by the drying generator when the material is coated so that it can be injected into the vacuum chamber immediately when the coating is completed.

Many such coating devices have been proposed even now. However, the vacuum environment of the vacuum chamber for the coating of the next material is formed due to the contamination of the vacuum freezing trap installed in the vacuum chamber and the target material deposited on the inner surface of the vacuum chamber to increase the vacuum speed after coating the first material. When the time (vacuum exhaust time) is long, and the protective film is coated, there is a problem that the defect rate of the coating is increased due to the contamination of the target or the waste of the target is severe. Furthermore, there was a drawback that the workability for vacuum evacuation of the vacuum chamber was remarkably inferior. This will be described in detail as follows.

① In the vacuum evacuation time, when the coating of the target material and the deposition of the protective film on the first material is completed, the target material and the protective material are deposited on the surface of the freezing trap and become contaminated. The exhaust time was lengthened. In addition, when the door of the vacuum chamber is opened to coat the next material, humidity in the air flows into the vacuum chamber, thereby lengthening the next vacuum exhaust time.

② In the poor coating, if the protective material is coated after coating the target material on the material, the protective film material is deposited on the surface of the target. If the protective material is deposited on the target surface, the protective film material and the target material deposited when the target material is coated next. The material was sometimes coated on the surface of the material, resulting in a high defect rate of the coating. To solve this problem, it is necessary to remove the protective film material deposited on the target surface or to replace the target, which causes the workability of the coating and the waste of the target.

③ In the workability for vacuum evacuation, the conventional vacuum coating apparatus should push the vacuum chamber door by human force until the inside of the vacuum chamber is evacuated by the organic operation of the equipment (for each pump and cryogenic freezer) for evacuation. In this case, due to the airtight packing located inside the hinge of the vacuum chamber and the door, a considerable force is required to push the door, so there is a problem of poor workability for evacuation, and the closed state of the door is also unstable. .

On the other hand, in the conventional vacuum coating apparatus, since the target is provided inside the vacuum chamber, it is not possible to quickly and easily withdraw the target when removing the protective film material deposited on the target surface or replacing the target.

Next, the conventional vacuum coating apparatus has a problem in that the coating completeness of the target material can not be achieved up to the deep inside of the sputtering range because the material is in the form of a bowl.

The present invention has been invented to solve the problems exhibited in the conventional vacuum coating apparatus, and an object of the present invention is to shorten the vacuum exhaust time, minimize the defect of the coating compared to the conventional vacuum coating apparatus, and facilitate the utmost target. To be.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to improve the workability of the vacuum exhaust and to complete the coating of the target material.

In a conventional vacuum coating apparatus, a grate door-type fixed shutter in front of a freezing trap installed inside the vacuum chamber, and has a roller that is overlapped with the fixed shutter and slides along a guide rail on the upper and lower sides, and the operating rod of the cylinder is connected and fixed to one side. A refrigeration trap protection device comprising a door-type movable shutter; Under the incision hole formed at one side or both sides of the vacuum chamber, the target is fixed to the upper surface and the plate is arranged horizontally by employing several magnets at the lower part of the target to rotate the plate at right angles so that the target on the upper surface of the plate is the incision hole. An external installation device of the target to be introduced and withdrawn; A contamination prevention device of a target having a shielding film on both sides of the incision hole of the vacuum chamber and rotatably fixing the upper and lower rotary shafts on each side of the shielding film so that both shielding films can be rotated and opened; A vacuum exhaust improving device having a heater installed on an inner surface of the door of the vacuum chamber; Mounting plate is fixed to the upper and lower edges of the vacuum chamber inlet, the locking cylinder is fixed to the top of the back of the mounting plate protruding rod in front of the mounting plate, the protruding rod is formed in the lower side of the front of the mounting plate and hinged one end of the link to the end In addition, the upper end is hinged to the end of the operating rod and the center is characterized in that the locking device of the door consisting of a locking plate hinged to the other end of the link of the protrusion rod.

The present invention has the effect of preventing the freeze trap contamination in the vacuum chamber due to the deposition of the target material to continuously maintain the vacuum exhaust efficiency obtained from the freeze trap. In addition, since the target is installed outside the vacuum chamber, when the target is withdrawn from the vacuum chamber for the purpose of replacing the target, the withdrawal operation can be made convenient, thereby improving the workability and efficiency of the target's handling and maintenance. In addition, by using an unbalance of the magnetic force (unbalance), it is possible to minimize the defects of the coating and the completeness of the coating on the deep inside material. Next, since the target introduced into the vacuum chamber through the incision hole can be protected from the protective material during the deposition of the protective film of the material, it is possible to prevent the sputtering efficiency due to the extension of the life of the target and the deposition of the protective film.

On the other hand, by installing a heater on the inner surface of the door there is an effect that can maximize the reduction of vacuum exhaust time. In addition, the locking device for locking the door has an effect of achieving convenience for closing the door during vacuum evacuation and stability of closing the door after closing.

1 is a perspective view of the present invention
Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1
Figure 3 is a plan view showing the inside of the vacuum chamber
Figure 4 is another front view of Figure 1
Figure 5 is a plan view of the frozen trap shutter of the present invention
Figure 6 is an exemplary side view of the frozen trap shutter of the present invention
7 and 8 is an exemplary view of the target of the present invention
9 is a perspective view of the target screen of the present invention
10 is an exemplary view showing a plate side of the present invention
11A is a perspective view showing the inside of the vacuum chamber door
(B) is an example of the left side of (A)
12A is an exemplary view of a door locking device
(B) is a function of (a).

Referring to the preferred embodiment of the plasma vacuum coating apparatus according to the present invention. However, in the following description of the present invention, specific descriptions of well-known technology and conventional technologies may obscure the subject matter of the present invention and may be omitted or replaced with simple names.

A vacuum chamber A in which a product to be coated is disposed;

A door A1 installed on the front surface of the vacuum chamber A;

A high vacuum diffusion pump (C) installed at the rear of the vacuum chamber (A) to create a high vacuum environment in the vacuum chamber (A);

A mechanical booster pump (D) and a rotary vacuum pump (E) which are operated before the high vacuum oil diffusion pump (C) is operated to bring the inside of the vacuum chamber (A) into a medium vacuum state;

A main valve (B) installed between the vacuum chamber (A) and the rotational vacuum pump (E) and connected to the vacuum chamber (A) by a connection pipe;

An ultra low temperature freezer which rapidly condenses gases and moisture contained in the material and the atmosphere which are considered to be important determinants for shortening the vacuum exhaust time;

A DC voltage supplyer for applying a DC voltage between negative and positive electrodes for plasma processing;

An automatic voltage regulator for supplying a constant voltage;

A cooler installed inside the vacuum chamber A and having a target T installed therein to cool the sputtering cathode and suppress arc generation in the vacuum chamber A when plasma is generated;

An electric control control panel installed for manually or automatically operating the vacuum coating apparatus;

A roughing valve which is a valve which disconnects the connection during vacuum exhaust or high vacuum exhaust through the vacuum chamber (A), the booster pump (D), and the rotational vacuum pump (E);

A refrigeration trap installed between the main valve (B) and the high vacuum oil diffusion pump (E) and used to improve the high vacuum exhaust speed;

A voltage amplification unit for amplifying a voltage applied when generating a plasma in the vacuum chamber;

RF power for plasma generation;

A flow rate controller for adjusting the flow rates of hexamethyldisiloxane gas, Ar gas, and N 2 O gas injected into the vacuum chamber for protecting the product;

A plasma rod generating a plasma for depositing a protective film of the product and applying an alternating voltage;

A feed-through for supplying a high DC voltage between both electrodes and maintaining high airtightness between the vacuum chamber A and the atmosphere;

A dry air tank separately installed outside the vacuum chamber to store dehumidified air;

A dry air generator configured to store air dehumidified by the dry air tank;

It is based on a conventional vacuum coating apparatus consisting of a vent valve for injecting or blocking dry air in a dry air tank into a vacuum chamber (A).

Plasma vacuum coating apparatus of the present invention based on the above configuration, the protection device of the refrigeration trap (F) in the above device, the device for installing the target (T) outside the vacuum chamber (A), and the contamination of the target (T) The prevention device, the device which always applies a constant temperature to the vacuum chamber A, and improves a vacuum exhaust speed, and the locking device which locks the door A1 of the vacuum chamber A at the time of vacuum exhaust are added. If the device is described in detail,

<Cryogenic Freeze Traps Protection Device>

The grate door type shutter with the grate door type shutter 10 having the long holes 10a and 20a vertically spaced in front of the cryogenic freezing trap F and the operating rod of the cylinder 23 connected to one side thereof. 20) is installed to overlap, the roller 21 is installed above and below the movable shutter 10 so that the roller 21 can slide along the guide rail 22 (see Figs. 1, 4 and 5). ).

This configuration allows the movable shutter 20 to actuate the cylinder 23 when completing the vacuum evacuation in the vacuum chamber A and then stopping the apparatuses necessary for the evacuation and subsequently generating plasma to coat the target material on the material. By sliding the movable shutter 20 and the long holes 10a and 20a of the fixed shutter 10, the target material may be prevented from being deposited on the surface of the cryogenic freezing trap (F). Therefore, the cryogenic freeze trap protection device can prevent the vacuum exhaust efficiency from deteriorating due to the contamination of the cryogenic freeze trap (F) due to the deposition of the target material when coating the next material after completing the coating of the primary material There is action. In addition, when evacuating the inside of the vacuum chamber A again for coating the next material, the operating rod of the cylinder 23 is reversed to operate the long hole 20a of the movable shutter 20 and the long hole 10a of the fixed shutter 10. ) Can be placed on the same line to evacuate.

<Target external mounting device>

Under the cut-out hole A2 formed at one side or both sides of the vacuum chamber A, the target T is fixed to the upper surface, and the plate 30 in which several magnets 60 are employed is arranged below the target T. The plate 30 is rotated at right angles so that the target T on the upper surface of the plate 30 is introduced into and withdrawn from the incision hole A2 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 7). , See FIG. 8).

In the above apparatus, the incision hole A2 is formed on one side or both sides of the vacuum chamber A to form the support plate 32 under each of the incision holes A2, and the target T is formed on the support plate 32. The hinge piece 31 of one side of the plate 30 fixed to the hinge pin 33 is connected and fixed to the plate 30 so that the target T can rotate in the direction of the incision hole A2. When the target (T) is rotated in the direction A) is to be introduced into the vacuum chamber (A) through the incision hole (A2). That is, when the plate 30 is rotated at right angles in the direction of the cutting hole A2 of the vacuum chamber A, the target T fixed to the upper surface of the plate 30 enters the vacuum chamber A through the cutting hole A2. After the target T is introduced through the incision hole A2, and the edge of the plate 30 is fixed to the periphery of the incision hole A2 (vacuum chamber outer surface) with a bolt, the inside of the vacuum chamber A is introduced. The introduction state of the target (T) can be maintained. At this time, it is obvious that the sealing packing should be employed between the plate 30 and the cutting hole A2.

In addition, the above apparatus should be installed only on one side of the vacuum chamber when the door A1 of the vacuum chamber A is one, and on both sides of the vacuum chamber A when the two doors are provided. A vacuum apparatus with two doors is shown. In addition, the incision hole (A2) must be the same as the shape of the target (T) only when the target (T) is introduced into the incision hole (A2) when the gap between the target (T) and the incision hole (A2) is removed, sealing packing The airtightness in the vacuum chamber A using this can be maintained firmly.

This configuration allows the target (T) to be installed outside the vacuum chamber (A), so that when the target (T) withdraws from the inside of the vacuum chamber for reasons such as replacing the target (T) to facilitate the withdrawal operation do.

Meanwhile, the plate 30 may be automatically operated by a separate mechanism without directly installing the plate 30 in the vacuum chamber A. Specifically, the support plate 32 is disposed on one side of the upper surface of the separate frame 40. ) And fix the hinge piece 31 formed on one side bottom of the plate 30 to the support plate 32 with a hinge pin 33, and the lower end of the plate 30 in the center of the frame 30 By hinge connecting the operating rod of the standing cylinder (50) which is fixed to the hinge) to allow the plate 30 to rotate at right angles by the operation of the standing cylinder (50). In this way, if the target T is introduced into or separated from the incision hole A2 of the vacuum chamber A using a separate mechanism separate from the vacuum chamber A, the operation can be very convenient. When the T 30 is introduced into the incision hole A2 and the plate 30 is fixed to the vacuum chamber A, the process of pressing the plate 30 until the plate 30 is bolted is a standing cylinder 50. It can be made by the power of the) can quickly and easily fix the plate 30, and further has an action that can facilitate the work for the repair of the plate 30 itself.

In addition, the target T is seated and fixed on a plurality of magnets 60 fixed on the plate 30 (see FIG. 10). Installing several magnets under the target T is to obtain an effective sputtering as is well known.

However, in the present invention, by placing three magnets 60 under the target T, the magnetic force of the central S pole is set to be weaker than the N pole magnetic force of both magnets (unbalance of magnetic force) to widen the magnetic field generated between the magnets. The narrow and far away (triangular form) allows the target material to be coated to the inner depth of the material (eg, bowl form) during sputtering, thereby achieving completeness of the coating and minimizing coating defects. In the above description, the magnet 60 is preferably a permanent magnet.

<Target pollution prevention device>

The pollution prevention device of the above target is provided with screening membranes 70 and 70 'at both inner sides of the cutting hole A2 of the vacuum chamber A, and the upper and lower rotary shafts 71 on one side of the screening membranes 70 and 70'. Is inserted into the rotation support part 80 formed above and below the cutting hole A2 so that both screening membranes 70 and 70 'can be rotated open and closed (both in and out of the form of a door) (see FIGS. 3 and 9).

In the above apparatus, if both screening films 70 and 70 'are sequentially rotated in the direction of the cutting hole A2 by using a motor or the like, the ends of both screening films 70 and 70' are folded to open the cutting hole A2. Cover the target (T) introduced into the vacuum chamber (A) through the screen, when the protective coating material is deposited on the surface of the target (T) when the coating is coated on the material and the target (T) surface Since the contamination is prevented, the sputtering efficiency of the target material due to the contamination may be prevented from falling during the next sputtering, and the life of the target due to the contamination may be prevented.

<Improvement device for vacuum exhaust>

The heater 90 is provided on the inner surface of the door A1 of the vacuum chamber A (see FIG. 11).

If the heater 90 is installed on the inner surface of the door A1 as described above, it is possible to apply constant heat to the vacuum chamber A and the door A1 even during coating, thereby opening the door A1 for coating the next material. When it is possible to quickly dry the humidity in the air introduced into the vacuum chamber (A), it is particularly useful during rain. And the heater 90 can remove the cryogenic freezing trap (F) and the gate valve employed in the conventional vacuum coating apparatus can be pursued for the simplicity of the coating apparatus.

<Door chamber lock device>

The door lock device of the vacuum chamber is fixed to the mounting plate 100 on both sides of the upper and lower edges of the inlet (A3) of the vacuum chamber (A) and the locking cylinder 200 is mounted on the rear upper portion of the mounting plate 100 to lock the lock cylinder. The operating rod of the (200) is to protrude toward the front of the mounting plate 100, the lower side of the mounting plate 100 forms a protruding rod 101 is hinged to one end of the link 400, the end of the operating rod is lower The upper end of the locking plate 300 and the center of the locking plate 300 that invade the inner edge of the opening portion A3 of the vacuum chamber A are hingedly connected to the other end of the link 400 of the protruding rod 101 (FIG. 1, see FIG. 12).

The locking device of the upper door, when the operating rod of the lock cylinder 200 is retracted, the upper end of the locking plate 300 hinged to the end of the operating rod is pulled, the locking plate 300 is inclined and the bottom of the locking plate 300 is raised to the vacuum chamber Out of the inlet (A3) of (A), the locking plate 300 is inclined operation of the locking plate 300, the center of the hinge plate 101 and the locking plate 300 at the bottom of the mounting plate 100 Supported by a connected link 400.

The lower end of the locking plate 300 to the outside of the inlet A3, and then manually closes the door A1 of the open vacuum chamber A to some extent (until the upper and lower borders reach the inside of the locking plate). In this state, the operating rod of the lock cylinder 200 is advanced so that the lower end of the locking plate 300 is caught on the outer surface of the door A1 and at the same time the operating rod of the lock cylinder 200 is continuously advanced to the locking plate 300. When the lower end is locked to the outer surface of the door A1, the door A1 may be completely closed by the power of the lock cylinder 200, and the door may be kept locked.

Therefore, the upper door locking device can solve the trouble of having to push the door A1 by human force until the door A1 is completely closed automatically by the vacuum force when the inside of the vacuum chamber A is in the vacuum environment. In addition, the closed state of the door A1 can be stably maintained.

On the other hand, by separating the central portion with a connecting pipe connecting the main valve (B) and the vacuum chamber (A) to form a flange at both ends of the separation portion, the flange is connected by bolts. This device is employed to facilitate the operation when the main valve B is repaired or replaced due to a problem in the main valve B.

Although the present invention has been described in the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope described in the embodiments of the present invention.

A: vacuum chamber A1: door
A2: incision hole A3: inlet
B: Main valve C: Oil diffusion pump
D: Busta pump E: Flow vacuum pump
F: Cryogenic freeze trap 10: Fixed shutter
20: movable shutter 10a, 20a: long hole
21: roller 22: guide rail
23 cylinder 30 plate
31: hinge 32: support plate
33: hinge pin 40: frame
50: standing cylinder 60: magnet
70, 70 ': shielding film 71: axis of rotation
80: rotation support 90: heater
100: mounting plate 101: protrusion bar
200: lock cylinder 300: lock plate
400: Link T: Target

Claims (4)

In a conventional plasma vacuum coating apparatus,
Roller 21 which is superimposed with the grate door type fixed shutter 10 in front of the cryogenic freezing trap F installed inside the vacuum chamber A, the fixed shutter 10, and slides along the guide rail 22 above and below. It has a cryogenic freezing trap protection device consisting of a grate door type movable shutter 20 is fixed to the operating rod of the cylinder 23 is connected to one side;
Under the cut-out hole A2 formed at one side or both sides of the vacuum chamber A, the target T is fixed to the upper surface, and the plate 30 in which several magnets 60 are employed is arranged below the target T. An external mounting device of the target, the target of which the plate (30) is rotated at right angles so that the target (T) of the upper surface of the plate (30) is introduced and drawn out into the cutting hole (A2);
Both screens 70 and 70 'are provided at both sides of the cutout hole A2 of the vacuum chamber A, and both of the screens are fixed by rotatably fixing the upper and lower rotary shafts 71 on one side of the screens 70 and 70'. 70) 70 'of the target pollution prevention device to rotate the opening and closing;
A vacuum exhaust enhancement device having a heater 90 installed on an inner surface of the door A1 of the vacuum chamber A;
Mounting plate 100 is fixed to the upper and lower edges of the vacuum chamber (A) opening (A3), the lock cylinder 200 is fixed to the upper portion of the rear mounting plate 100 protruding in front of the mounting plate 100 Is formed on the front lower side of the installation plate 100, the end of the protruding rod 101 is hinged to one end of the link 400, the end of the operating rod is hinged to the end of the link 400 of the protrusion rod 101 Plasma vacuum coating device, characterized in that the addition of a door locking device consisting of a locking plate 300 hinged to the other end.
The method of claim 1,
Placing three magnets (60) below the target (T), the plasma vacuum coating apparatus, characterized in that the magnetic force of the central S pole is set weaker than the N pole magnetic force of both magnets.
The method of claim 1,
The hinge piece 31 is formed on one side of the plate 30 so that the hinge piece 31 is hinged to the support plate 32 formed under the cutting hole A2 so that the plate 30 can be rotated at right angles. Plasma vacuum coating apparatus, characterized in that.
According to claim 1, The hinge piece 31 of the plate 30 is fixed to the support plate 32 formed on one side of the upper surface of the separate frame 40 by a hinge pin 33, the center of the plate 30 Plasma vacuum coating device, characterized in that the lower side is hinged to the operating rod of the standing cylinder (50) hinged to the frame (40) to enable the perpendicular rotation of the plate (30) to the standing cylinder (50). .

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