KR20210129438A - Apparatus of coating particle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a particle coating apparatus. According to the particle coating apparatus, during a coating process, as a reactor transfer and rotation of the reactor for mixing particles are performed at the same time, it is advantageous for a continuous process, and a coating process speed is high. The particle coating apparatus of the present invention comprises: an outer chamber; a transfer unit; equal to or more than one supply units; and a pumping unit.

Description

Apparatus of coating particle

The present invention relates to a particle coating apparatus, and more particularly, to an atomic layer deposition apparatus for powder coating, and various deposition methods in which deposition is performed by forming an airflow, for example, chemical vapor deposition, molecular layer deposition, or a combination thereof. It can also be applied to deposition by

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a technique for forming a film on a substrate based on the sequential supply of a chemical, which is typically a gas phase, and has been applied in various fields.

수준에서의 컨포멀 코팅(Conformal Coating)의 필요성이 크게 대두되고 있다. 예를 들어, 전지 활물질 입자나 촉매의 보호층 코팅을 위해 기존 입자의 특성은 저해하지 않으면서 내구성 및 성능을 개선할 수 있는 초박막 코팅 기술이 요구된다. About the surface of the powder particles

The need for conformal coating at the level has been greatly raised. For example, for coating a protective layer of battery active material particles or catalyst, an ultra-thin coating technology capable of improving durability and performance without compromising the properties of existing particles is required.

수준의 두께 조절 및 정밀 제어가 가능하고 반응 소스가스들의 교차 주입에 따른 표면 반응에 의해 코팅이 이루어지므로, 높은 컨포멀 코팅 특성을 갖기 때문에, 분말 입자 표면의 초박막 코팅에 가장 적합한 기술이다.For conformal coating of such an ultra-thin film, a coating technology using an atomic layer deposition method is applied to the particle surface. Atomic layer deposition method through control of the reaction cycle

It is the most suitable technology for ultra-thin coating on the surface of powder particles because it has high conformal coating properties because it is possible to control the thickness and precisely control the level, and because the coating is made by the surface reaction according to the cross injection of the reactive source gases.

In conventional powder particle coating equipment, as the coating process is performed based on a batch process, the coating process speed is low because the powder coating process is discontinuous.

Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus capable of increasing the processing speed through a continuous coating process for powder particles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a particle coating apparatus that is advantageous for a continuous process and has a high coating processing speed.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, an outer chamber having an inlet, an outlet, and a first space positioned between the inlet and the outlet, enter the inlet of the outer chamber, pass through the first space, and then go to the outlet The reactor is transported to be discharged, but a transfer unit provided to rotate the reactor in the transfer process in the first space, one or more purge gas supply units for supplying a purge gas to the reactor passing through the first space, and one for supplying a reaction gas There is provided a particle coating apparatus including one or more supply units including one or more reactive gas supply units, and a pumping unit for exhaust in the first space.

As described above, according to the particle coating apparatus related to at least one embodiment of the present invention, as the reactor transfer and the rotation of the reactor for mixing particles are simultaneously made during the coating process, it is advantageous for a continuous process, and the coating processing speed is increased. high.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a particle coating apparatus related to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a schematic view showing a transfer unit and a reactor.
3 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a reactor.
4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the rotation of the reactor.
5 is a schematic diagram showing a supply module.

Hereinafter, a particle coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In addition, regardless of the reference numerals, the same or corresponding components are given the same or similar reference numbers, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted, and the size and shape of each component shown for convenience of description is exaggerated or reduced can be

1 is a schematic diagram showing a particle coating apparatus 100 related to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a transfer unit 300 and a reactor 200, FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the reactor 200 It is a schematic diagram.

In addition, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the rotation of the reactor 200 , and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the supply module 400 .

Particle coating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be used for surface coating of particles (P, also referred to as 'powder'). The particle coating apparatus 100 includes an outer chamber 110 , a transfer unit 300 , a supply unit 400 , and a pumping unit 500 . In addition, the particle coating apparatus 100 includes an outer chamber 110 , a reactor 200 , a transfer unit 300 , a supply unit 400 , and a pumping unit 500 . The reactor 200 has an accommodation space 204 in which the particles P can be accommodated. For example, the reactor 200 may have a hollow cylinder shape.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the particle coating apparatus 100 has an inlet 111 , an outlet 112 , and an outer chamber 110 having a first space 113 positioned between the inlet 111 and the outlet 112 . ) is included. A gas curtain for preventing the inflow of outside air into the outer chamber 110 may be provided at the inlet and the outlet, respectively. The gas curtain may be configured by spraying an inert gas.

In addition, a gas curtain is provided at the inlet 111 and the outlet 112 of the outer chamber 110 to block the inflow of gas from the outside, which is a separate gas injection unit provided at the inlet 111 and outlet 112 or to be described later. This can be done by the purge gas supply unit.

1 and 2 , the particle coating apparatus 100 enters the reactor 200 through the inlet 111 of the outer chamber 110 , passes through the first space 113 , and then through the outlet 112 . The reactor 200 is transported to be discharged to the outside of the outer chamber 110 , and the transport unit 300 provided to rotate the reactor 200 during the transport process in the first space 113 is included. The transfer unit 300 transfers one or more reactors 200 along the transfer direction MD and passes through the outer chamber 110, thereby enabling a continuous process during particle coating and passing through the outer chamber 110. By rotating the reactor 200 in the process, it is possible to mix the particles P in the reactor 200. The transfer unit 300 may be provided to continuously transfer the plurality of reactors 200 in the first space portion 113 .

In addition, the particle coating apparatus 100 includes one or more purge gas supply units 410 , 430 , 450 for supplying a purge gas to the reactor 200 passing through the first space 113 , and one for supplying a reaction gas. It includes one or more supply units 400 including more than one reaction gas supply unit (420, 440). The supply unit 400 may be located in the first space 113 in the outer chamber 110 . Unlike this, the supply unit 400 is located outside the outer chamber 110 and is fluidly connected to the first space 113 to supply a purge gas and a reaction gas to the first space 113 side. could be

In addition, the particle coating apparatus 100 includes a pumping unit 500 for exhaust in the first space (113). The pumping unit 500 functions to exhaust gas (purge gas/reactive gas) in the first space 113 to the outside of the outer chamber 113 , and may include one or more pumps. In addition, the pumping unit 500 may be located in the first space 113 in the outer chamber 110 . Alternatively, it may be located outside the outer chamber 110 and movably connected to the first space 113 to exhaust gas in the first space 113 .

In FIG. 2 , reference numeral F denotes an airflow direction of a gas (purge gas/reactive gas) supplied from the supply module 400 .

In addition, the reactor 200 is a hollow cylinder in which the particles P are accommodated, and the cylinder may be porous in which at least a portion of the area can pass the purge gas and the reaction gas. That is, the reactor 200 may be porous so that the purge gas or the reaction gas supplied from the supply module 200 reaches the particles P in the reactor 200 . For example, at least a portion of the reactor 200 may be formed of a porous mesh.

In addition, the reactor 200 has a pair of bottom surfaces 201 and 203 through which the central axis C passes and a side surface 202 connecting the two bottom surfaces 201 and 203, and the side surface 202 is at least Some areas may be porous through which purge gas and reactant gas may pass. In addition, at least one of the lower surfaces 201 and 203 may be provided to be able to open and close, and accordingly, it may be possible to introduce and withdraw particles.

In addition, the reactor 200 may be mounted on the transfer unit 300 rotatably based on the central axis (C). The central axis C may be a rotation axis of the reactor 200 .

In addition, the supply unit 200 may be arranged to supply a purge gas and a reaction gas to the side surface 202 of the reactor 200 . For example, when the reactor 200 is transported, the supply unit 400 and the pumping unit 500 may be disposed above and below the transport unit 300 , respectively.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the transfer unit 300 includes a rail unit 301 on which the reactor 200 is seated and guides movement in a direction (MD direction) from the inlet to the outlet, and the reactor 200 seated on the rail unit 301 . ) may include a rotation driving unit 310 for rotating.

In one embodiment, the rotation driving unit 310 includes a holder (not shown) for seating the reactor 200 on the rail unit 301 in a rotatable state with respect to the central axis (C), the rail unit 310 . It may include a driving source, such as a motor mounted in the, and a power transmission member (such as a belt) for transmitting the rotational power of the driving source to the reactor 200 side. In addition, the rail unit 301 may include a roller chain or a timing belt, and the rotation driving unit 310 may rotate the reactor 200 by interaction of a sprocket or a pulley provided in the reactor 200 . .

In addition, the particle coating apparatus 100 may include a control unit for controlling the transfer unit 300 , the supply module 400 , and the pumping unit 500 . The control unit is provided to control at least one of a traveling speed of the rail unit 301 , a rotation speed of the rotation driving unit 310 , and a rotation direction.

The transfer unit 300 may be provided to transfer the plurality of reactors 200 in the first space portion 113 . In this structure, a plurality of rotation driving units 310 spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval may be provided on the rail unit 301 .

In addition, the transfer unit 300 may be provided to individually control the rotation of each reactor 200 . To this end, each of the reactors 200 may be individually provided with a rotation driving unit 310 , and a driving source of each rotation driving unit 310 may be individually controlled. That is, the plurality of rotation driving units 310 on the rail unit 301 may be individually controlled. In addition, the transfer unit 300 may be provided to adjust at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the reactor 200 . In addition, the transfer unit 300 may be provided to adjust at least one of the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the reactor 200 according to the position of the reactor 200 in the first space 113 during transportation.

In addition, the supply module 400 includes a purge gas supply unit 410, a first reaction gas (precursor) supply unit 420, a purge gas supply unit 430, and a second reaction gas (precursor) that are sequentially arranged along the transport direction of the reactor. It may include a supply unit 440. In addition, the first reaction gas supply unit 420 and the second reaction gas supply unit 440 may be provided to supply different precursor gases. For example, the first reaction gas supply unit 420 may supply trimethylaluminum (TMA), and the second reaction gas supply unit 440 may supply H ₂ O.

Also, in the supply module 400 , the purge gas supply unit 410 , the first reaction gas supply unit 420 , the purge gas supply unit 430 , and the second reaction gas supply unit 440 may be controlled to operate in sequence. That is, the purge gas is first supplied to the reactor 200 side, the first precursor is supplied after the supply of the purge gas is completed, the purge gas is supplied again after the supply of the first precursor gas is completed, and the supply of the purge gas is supplied. After this is completed, it may be provided to supply the second precursor.

In addition, a plurality of supply modules 400 may be provided along the transfer direction MD. In this case, the supply module located on the upstream side (inlet side) and the supply module located on the downstream side (outlet side) with respect to the transfer direction MD may be provided to supply different precursor gases. In this case, the upstream-side supply module and the downstream-side supply module may constitute the first deposition unit and the second deposition unit, respectively. _{For example, source gases of TMA and H 2} O may be used in the first deposition unit, and _{source gases of TiCl 4} and H ₂ O may be used in the second deposition unit. In addition, as the source gas, various combinations of oxides, nitrides, sulfides, and single elements are possible.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and various modifications, changes, and additions may be made by those skilled in the art having ordinary knowledge of the present invention within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes and additions shall be deemed to fall within the scope of the following claims.

100: particle coating device
110: outer chamber
200: reactor
300: transfer unit
400: supply unit
500: pumping unit

Claims (12)

an outer chamber having an inlet, an outlet, and a first space positioned between the inlet and the outlet;
a transfer unit which enters the inlet of the outer chamber and transports the reactor so that it is discharged to the outlet after passing through the first space, and is provided to rotate the reactor during the transfer process in the first space;
at least one supply unit including at least one purge gas supply unit for supplying a purge gas to the reactor passing through the first space and at least one reaction gas supply unit for supplying a reaction gas; and
Particle coating apparatus comprising a pumping unit for exhaust in the first space. The method of claim 1,
The reactor is a hollow cylinder in which particles are accommodated, and the cylinder has a porous particle coating device through which at least a portion of the purge gas and the reaction gas can pass. The method of claim 1,
The reactor has a pair of bottom surfaces through which the central axis passes and a side connecting the two bottom surfaces,
The side surface is a particle coating device in which at least a part of the area is porous through which the purge gas and the reaction gas can pass. 3. The method of claim 2,
The reactor is a particle coating device that is mounted on the transfer unit rotatably about the central axis. The method of claim 1,
Particle coating apparatus including a rail part for guiding the transfer part to which the reactor is seated and to move in a direction from the inlet to the outlet, and a rotation driving part for rotating the reactor seated on the rail part. The method of claim 1,
The supply unit is a particle coating apparatus including a purge gas supply part, a first reaction gas supply part, a purge gas supply part, and a second reaction gas supply part which are sequentially arranged along the transport direction of the reactor. 7. The method of claim 6,
A particle coating device provided to supply different precursor gases to the first reactive gas supply unit and the second reactive gas supply unit. 7. The method of claim 6,
A plurality of supply modules are provided along the transport direction,
A particle coating device provided to supply different precursor gases to the supply module located on the upstream side and the supply module located on the downstream side based on the transport direction. The method of claim 1,
The transfer unit is a particle coating device provided to transfer a plurality of reactors in the first space. 10. The method of claim 9
A particle coating device that individually controls the rotation of each reactor. The method of claim 1,
The transfer unit is a particle coating device provided for controlling at least one of the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the reactor. The method of claim 1,
Particle coating device for controlling at least one of the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the reactor according to the position of the transfer unit in the first space during transfer.

Images