WO2014103677A1 - Dispositif de dépôt de film mince - Google Patents

Dispositif de dépôt de film mince Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014103677A1
WO2014103677A1 PCT/JP2013/082938 JP2013082938W WO2014103677A1 WO 2014103677 A1 WO2014103677 A1 WO 2014103677A1 JP 2013082938 W JP2013082938 W JP 2013082938W WO 2014103677 A1 WO2014103677 A1 WO 2014103677A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
chamber
film forming
vacuum
container
containers
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/JP2013/082938
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English (en)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
弘幸 大島
藤本　圭一
博康 田渕
中谷　正樹
Original Assignee
麒麟麦酒株式会社
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
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Publication date
Application filed by 麒麟麦酒株式会社 filed Critical 麒麟麦酒株式会社
Priority to JP2014554284A priority Critical patent/JP6068511B2/ja
Publication of WO2014103677A1 publication Critical patent/WO2014103677A1/fr

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
    • C23C16/04—Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
    • C23C16/045—Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
    • C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
    • C23C16/458—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber
    • C23C16/4581—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating characterised by the method used for supporting substrates in the reaction chamber characterised by material of construction or surface finish of the means for supporting the substrate
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
    • C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
    • C23C16/46—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating characterised by the method used for heating the substrate
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
    • C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
    • C23C16/54—Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D23/00—Details of bottles or jars not otherwise provided for
    • B65D23/02—Linings or internal coatings

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a gas barrier such as a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) film, a SiOx film, a SiOC film, a SiOCN film, a SiNx film, or an AlOx film on one or both of an inner surface and an outer surface of a container such as a PET bottle (PET bottle).
  • a gas barrier such as a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) film, a SiOx film, a SiOC film, a SiOCN film, a SiNx film, or an AlOx film on one or both of an inner surface and an outer surface of a container such as a PET bottle (PET bottle).
  • PET bottle PET bottle
  • plastic containers have been used to fill soft drinks, etc., but the use of plastic containers in the beverage and food fields has been rapidly expanding from the viewpoint of convenience and cost.
  • PET bottles occupy a significant portion of the total container.
  • plastic containers have lower gas barrier properties than metal cans or glass bottles, and oxygen intrusion into the container or release of carbon dioxide gas to the outside of the container may occur, resulting in poor quality maintenance performance of the contents. Therefore, attempts have been made to form a thin film having a high gas barrier property such as a DLC film on the inner surface of the container.
  • a thin film having a high gas barrier property such as a DLC film can be formed on the inner surface or outer surface of the container by a plasma CVD method, a metal vapor deposition method, a heating element CVD method, a sputtering method, or the like in a vacuum chamber under a vacuum.
  • the gas barrier property against the inflow of oxygen into the container, the release of carbon dioxide gas outside the container, and the like can be dramatically improved.
  • the container When mass production of a container with a thin film such as a DLC film on its surface is performed, the container is deposited in a vacuum chamber maintained in a vacuum state, and after the deposition is completed, the vacuum chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure and processed. After the subsequent container is taken out, the next container is placed in the vacuum chamber and evacuated to form a film repeatedly. Therefore, when evacuating the vacuum chamber, since the evacuation is always performed from the atmospheric pressure, there is a problem that the evacuation time of the vacuum chamber becomes long and the cycle time is delayed. In order to shorten the evacuation time and reduce the cycle time, a large vacuum pump is required, and there is a problem that equipment costs and running costs increase.
  • the heating element CVD method is also called a hot wire CVD method, a hot filament CVD method, a catalytic chemical vapor deposition method, or the like.
  • a heating element is provided near the container.
  • the heating element is placed in a vacuum chamber in order to perform the film formation process. Since the vacuum chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure after the film forming process is completed, the heating element is periodically exposed to the air. As a result, there is a problem that the heating element deteriorates due to oxidation or the like and the film forming function is lowered.
  • the film forming apparatus for plastic containers in the beverage and food fields forms a thin film on the surface of the container by the plasma CVD method.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a thin film that can prevent deterioration of a heating element used when forming a thin film on the surface of a container and can shorten a vacuuming time when evacuating a chamber during film formation. It is to provide a film forming apparatus.
  • a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem is a film forming apparatus for forming a thin film on the surface of a container, and a plurality of heat generating elements arranged inside are maintained by using a heating element.
  • a transport mechanism for carrying in and out of the film forming chamber, and film forming in the film forming chamber is performed in a state where a plurality of containers are held in the handling container.
  • a film forming apparatus for forming a thin film on the surface of a container, and a plurality of heat generating elements arranged inside are maintained by using a heating element.
  • the at least one gate chamber is a plurality of gate chambers.
  • the apparatus further includes an evacuation unit that evacuates each of the plurality of gate chambers independently.
  • the film forming chamber is disposed above the gate chamber, an opening is formed at a lower end of the gate chamber, and the film forming apparatus includes a plate for sealing the opening of the gate chamber. Furthermore, the said conveyance mechanism is comprised so that the said plate may be raised / lowered, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
  • the film forming apparatus further includes a lifting platform disposed on the plate and capable of moving up and down independently of the plate, and the transporting apparatus holds the plurality of containers. A plurality of containers are moved between the gate chamber and the film forming chamber by raising and lowering the lifting platform on which the containers are placed.
  • the film forming apparatus further includes a loading / unloading unit for loading / unloading the handling container holding a plurality of containers into / from the gate chamber.
  • the carry-in / out unit includes a supply unit disposed adjacent to a container loading conveyor, a discharge unit disposed adjacent to a container discharge conveyor, the supply unit, and the discharge unit.
  • An intermediate unit disposed between the container and the loading / unloading unit, the supply unit loading a plurality of containers into the handling container from the container loading conveyor, and the intermediate unit including a plurality of containers.
  • the held handling container is carried into the gate chamber from the supply unit, and the handling container holding the plurality of containers on which the thin film is formed is carried out from the gate chamber to the discharge unit in the intermediate unit, In the discharge unit, the plurality of containers on which the thin film is formed are discharged to the bottle discharge conveyor. Characterized in that the.
  • a film forming apparatus for forming a thin film on one or both of an inner surface and an outer surface of a container using a heating element under a vacuum pressure.
  • a first vacuum preliminary chamber that is evacuated in a pressure region including a range up to the first vacuum pressure, and from the first vacuum pressure to a predetermined second vacuum pressure lower than the first vacuum pressure.
  • a first load-lock chamber that is evacuated in a pressure region including the range, and a film-forming chamber for film-forming the container using the heating element under the second vacuum pressure,
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber is connected to the first load lock chamber, the first load lock chamber is connected to the film forming chamber, and the container includes the first vacuum preliminary chamber and the first vacuum lock chamber.
  • a second vacuum preliminary chamber that is evacuated in a pressure region including a range from atmospheric pressure to the first vacuum pressure, and from the first vacuum pressure to the second vacuum pressure.
  • a second load lock chamber that is evacuated in a pressure region that includes a range of the following: the second vacuum reserve chamber is connected to the second load lock chamber, and the second load lock chamber is The container connected to the film forming chamber is transported to the atmospheric space via the second load lock chamber and the second vacuum preliminary chamber in this order. It is characterized by.
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber and the first load lock chamber are connected to the first vacuum evacuation means and the second vacuum evacuation means, and are evacuated independently. It is characterized by that.
  • the second load lock chamber and the second vacuum pre-chamber are connected to a third evacuation unit and a fourth evacuation unit, and are evacuated independently of each other. It is characterized by that.
  • the container is a plurality of containers, and the plurality of containers pass through the first vacuum preliminary chamber and the first load lock chamber in this order while being held by a platen container. And transported to the film forming chamber.
  • the platen container has a plurality of storage spaces, and the bottoms of the plurality of containers are respectively stored in the plurality of storage spaces.
  • the container further includes a recovery mechanism for recovering the platen container after the film forming process of the container.
  • a third aspect of the present invention is a film forming apparatus for placing a container in a vacuum chamber, evacuating the vacuum chamber, and forming a thin film on the surface of the container using a heating element in the vacuum chamber in a vacuum state.
  • the vacuum chamber includes a film-dedicated chamber for holding the heating element in a vacuum state and forming a plurality of containers into a film, and a container for taking a plurality of containers into and out of the film-dedicated chamber.
  • a chamber for standby, and a vacuum isolation means disposed between the chamber dedicated for film formation and the chamber for standby of the container, and the chamber dedicated for film formation and the chamber for standby of the container are connected to a vacuum exhaust means,
  • the loading and unloading of the plurality of containers into the container standby chamber and the film formation of the plurality of containers in the film formation dedicated chamber are performed in a state where the plurality of containers are accommodated in the handling container. .
  • a heating element is a member having a primarily metal surface that is not substantially volatilized by itself and that can decompose a source gas into catalytic species by catalytic chemical reaction and / or thermally, such as tantalum, tantalum carbide, It is a wire mainly composed of tungsten, tungsten carbide, nickel-chromium alloy or carbon.
  • the vacuum chamber is divided into a film formation dedicated chamber for holding the heating element in a vacuum state and performing film formation, and a container standby chamber for taking the container in and out of the film formation dedicated chamber. Therefore, the inside of the chamber dedicated for film formation can always be maintained in a vacuum state. Therefore, deterioration of the heating element can be prevented and the film forming function is not lowered.
  • the container standby chamber since only the container standby chamber is repeatedly evacuated and opened to the atmosphere, and the film formation dedicated chamber is always in a vacuum state, only the container standby chamber needs to be evacuated during film formation. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the evacuation time of the entire vacuum chamber during film formation, and it is possible to shorten the cycle time.
  • a plurality of containers can be aligned with the handling container, and a handling container containing a plurality of aligned containers can be taken into and out of the vacuum chamber and a film forming process can be performed in the vacuum chamber.
  • a film forming process can be performed in the vacuum chamber.
  • the film formation dedicated chamber is disposed on the upper side
  • the container standby chamber is disposed on the lower side
  • a lower end of the container standby chamber is opened
  • a lower end of the container standby chamber is disposed.
  • the opening is hermetically sealed by a plate that can be raised and lowered.
  • the container standby chamber can be sealed or opened by moving the plate up and down. That is, since the plate itself plays the role of an open / close gate, useless devices can be suppressed, and the film forming apparatus can be miniaturized and the apparatus cost can be reduced.
  • the handling container containing a plurality of containers is placed on the plate, and the handling container is carried in and out of the container standby chamber by raising and lowering the plate.
  • loading / unloading of a handling container containing a plurality of containers into and from a container standby chamber can be performed by moving the plate up and down by an elevator installed outside. Since the elevator is located outside the vacuum chamber in this way, the vacuum chamber can be minimized and the evacuation time can be shortened.
  • a lifting platform that can be lifted and lowered independently of the plate is disposed on the plate, and the handling container containing a plurality of containers is placed on the lifting platform.
  • a plurality of containers accommodated in the handling container are moved between the bottle standby chamber and the film formation dedicated chamber by moving up and down.
  • a mechanism that can adjust the ascending / descending speed can adjust the film formation time of each part of the container according to the container shape, container heat resistance characteristics and the performance required for the container, making it easy to adjust the barrier performance and container appearance Therefore, this is a more preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • the first elevating mechanism for elevating the plate and the second elevating mechanism for elevating the elevating platform are arranged below the vacuum chamber.
  • the film formation dedicated chamber and the container standby chamber are respectively connected to individual vacuum exhaust means.
  • the film-dedicated chamber is always maintained in a vacuum state.
  • the heating element can be held in a vacuum state at all times. Will not drop.
  • the container standby chamber is evacuated from the atmospheric pressure during film formation of the container and is brought into a vacuum state, and is returned to atmospheric pressure when the container is taken out after the film formation is completed. To do.
  • a loading / unloading unit for loading / unloading the handling container containing a plurality of containers into / from the vacuum chamber is arranged on both sides of the vacuum chamber.
  • the two loading / unloading units arranged on both sides of the vacuum chamber alternately load / unload the handling container containing a plurality of containers into / from the vacuum chamber.
  • the handling containers containing a plurality of containers can be alternately loaded / unloaded into the vacuum chamber from the two loading / unloading units.
  • the vacuum chamber has almost no waiting time, and the vacuum chamber can be operated almost continuously.
  • the vacuum chamber since the loading and unloading of the container to and from the handling container and the transfer of the handling container containing the container can be performed during the film forming process of the container in the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber has almost no waiting time, and It can be operated almost continuously.
  • the carry-in / out unit comprises: a supply unit disposed adjacent to a container loading conveyor; a discharge unit disposed adjacent to a container discharge conveyor; the supply unit; An intermediate unit disposed between the discharge unit and the supply unit, the supply unit is loaded with a plurality of containers from the container loading conveyor, and the intermediate unit contains the plurality of containers.
  • Received from the supply unit and carried into the vacuum chamber received the handling container containing a plurality of containers formed in the vacuum chamber in the intermediate unit from the vacuum chamber and carried out to the discharge unit, and the discharge unit
  • a plurality of containers in the handling container are discharged to the container discharge conveyor. And wherein the door.
  • the first aspect of the present invention has the effects listed below. (1) Since the heating element can always be held in a vacuum state, the heating element can be prevented from being deteriorated and the film forming function is not lowered. (2) Since only the gate chamber is repeatedly evacuated and opened to the atmosphere, and the film forming chamber is always kept in a vacuum state, only the gate chamber needs to be evacuated during film formation. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the evacuation time of the entire film formation chamber at the time of film formation, and it is possible to shorten the cycle time.
  • the second aspect of the present invention has the effects listed below. (1) Since the heating element can always be held in a vacuum state, the heating element can be prevented from being deteriorated and the film forming function is not lowered. (2) By depressurizing the first vacuum preliminary chamber and the first load lock chamber in stages, the container can be transported to the film forming chamber at shorter time intervals. Therefore, it is possible to improve the throughput by shortening the cycle time of film formation. (3) By using a platen container, a plurality of containers can be transported as one unit to form a film. Therefore, the number of processes per unit time can be increased.
  • the third aspect of the present invention has the following effects. (1) Since the heating element can always be held in a vacuum state, the heating element can be prevented from being deteriorated and the film forming function is not lowered. (2) Since only the container standby chamber is repeatedly evacuated and opened to the atmosphere, and the film formation dedicated chamber is always in a vacuum state, only the container standby chamber needs to be evacuated during film formation. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the evacuation time of the entire vacuum chamber during film formation, and it is possible to shorten the cycle time. (3) A plurality of containers can be aligned with a handling container, and a handling container containing a plurality of aligned containers can be used as a unit to carry in and out of the vacuum chamber and perform a film forming process in the vacuum chamber.
  • the positioning of the plurality of containers can be performed accurately and easily.
  • a large number of PET bottles can be subjected to film formation at the same time, and high throughput can be realized.
  • There is no upper limit on the number of handling containers as long as it can be stored in the vacuum chamber, but in the case of a typical 500 ml PET bottle, 150 or less is realistic.
  • the vacuum chamber Since the loading / unloading of the container to / from the handling container and the transfer of the handling container containing the container can be performed during the film forming process of the container in the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber has almost no waiting time. Can be operated almost continuously.
  • Loading and unloading of the handling container containing the container into the vacuum chamber can be performed by raising and lowering it with an elevator installed externally. Since the elevator is thus outside the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber can be minimized and the evacuation time can be shortened.
  • the vacuum chamber can be sealed or opened by raising and lowering the plate on which the handling container containing the container is placed. That is, since the plate itself plays the role of an open / close gate, useless devices can be suppressed, and the film forming apparatus can be miniaturized and the apparatus cost can be reduced.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a thin film deposition apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a top view of the film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a top view of the platen container.
  • FIG. 4 is a top view showing another example of the platen container.
  • FIG. 5 is a diagram showing fluctuations in vacuum pressure in the first vacuum preliminary chamber and the first load lock chamber.
  • FIG. 6 is a diagram showing fluctuations in the vacuum pressure in the second vacuum preliminary chamber and the second load lock chamber.
  • FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a cross section of the film forming chamber.
  • FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a thin film deposition apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG.
  • FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing details of the film forming unit.
  • FIG. 11A is a diagram showing the operation of the film forming unit shown in FIG.
  • FIG. 11B is a diagram showing an operation of the film forming unit shown in FIG.
  • FIG. 11C is a diagram showing an operation of the film forming unit shown in FIG.
  • FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where a heating element is inserted into a plastic bottle accommodated in a platen container after the elevator base is raised to a predetermined position.
  • FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the overall operation of the thin film deposition apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention configured as shown in FIGS.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a thin film forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a view of the film forming apparatus 1 as viewed from above.
  • the film formation apparatus 1 includes a first vacuum preliminary chamber 2, a first load lock chamber 4, a film formation chamber 6, a second load lock chamber 8, and a second vacuum. And a spare chamber 10.
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2, the first load lock chamber 4, the film forming chamber 6, the second load lock chamber 8, and the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 are connected in series in this order.
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4 communicate with the film forming chamber 6 and constitute a gate chamber in which the inside is evacuated.
  • the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 and the second load lock chamber 8 communicate with the film forming chamber 6 and constitute a gate chamber in which the inside is evacuated.
  • the PET bottle 50 as a container is carried into the film forming apparatus 1 by a carry-in conveyor 55. Further, the PET bottle 50 passes through the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2, the first load lock chamber 4, the film forming chamber 6, the second load lock chamber 8, and the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 in this order, Then, it is carried out by the carry-out conveyor 75.
  • the first vacuum prechamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4 are arranged upstream of the film forming chamber 6 in the flow direction of the PET bottle 50, and the second load lock chamber 8 and the second vacuum prechamber 10 are arranged. Is disposed downstream of the film forming chamber 6.
  • a first gate valve 20 as a first vacuum isolation means is provided between the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the atmospheric space (ambient space), and the pet is opened by opening the first gate valve 20.
  • the bottle 50 is carried into the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2.
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 is disposed adjacent to the first load lock chamber 4.
  • a second gate valve 22 as a second vacuum isolation means is provided between the first vacuum prechamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4. By opening the second gate valve 22, a second gate valve 22 is provided.
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4 communicate with each other.
  • the first load lock chamber 4 is disposed adjacent to the film forming chamber 6.
  • a third gate valve 24 serving as a third vacuum isolation means is provided between the first load lock chamber 4 and the film forming chamber 6, and the first gate valve 24 is opened to open the first gate valve 24.
  • the load lock chamber 4 and the film forming chamber 6 communicate with each other.
  • the second load lock chamber 8 is disposed adjacent to the film forming chamber 6.
  • a fourth gate valve 26 as a fourth vacuum isolation means is provided between the film forming chamber 6 and the second load lock chamber 8, and the film forming chamber is opened by opening the fourth gate valve 26. 6 communicates with the second load lock chamber 8.
  • the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 is disposed adjacent to the second load lock chamber 8.
  • a fifth gate valve 28 serving as a fifth vacuum isolation means is provided between the second load lock chamber 8 and the second vacuum preparatory chamber 10. By opening the fifth gate valve 28, a fifth gate valve 28 is provided.
  • the second load lock chamber 8 and the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 communicate with each other.
  • a sixth gate valve 30 is provided between the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 and the atmospheric space. By opening the sixth gate valve 30, the plastic bottle 50 is removed from the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10. It is carried out to the atmospheric space.
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 is connected to a vacuum pump VP1 as vacuum evacuation means through a vacuum line 32, and a vacuum is formed in the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 by the vacuum pump VP1.
  • the first load lock chamber 4, the second load lock chamber 8, and the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 are connected to vacuum pumps VP 2, VP 3 as vacuum exhaust means via vacuum lines 33, 35, 36. , VP4, respectively, and the vacuum pumps VP2, VP3, VP4 are used to bring the inside of the first load lock chamber 4, the film forming chamber 6, the second load lock chamber 8 and the second vacuum prechamber 10 inside.
  • a vacuum is formed.
  • the chambers 2, 4, 8, and 10 are evacuated independently by the vacuum pumps VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4.
  • the first load lock chamber 4 and the film forming chamber 6 can be evacuated simultaneously.
  • An atmosphere release valve 92 is attached to the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2, and the atmosphere inside the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 is opened by opening the atmosphere release valve 92.
  • an air release valve 73 is attached to the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10, and the atmosphere inside the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 is opened by opening the air release valve 73.
  • a transport mechanism 40 including a belt conveyor is disposed between the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the carry-in conveyor 55. Further, the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2, the first load lock chamber 4, the film forming chamber 6, the second load lock chamber 8, and the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 are provided with a transport mechanism 41 including a belt conveyor. , 42, 43, 44, 45 are provided respectively. By driving the transport mechanisms 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, the PET bottle 50 has the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2, the first load lock chamber 4, the film forming chamber 6, and the second load lock chamber. 8. The second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 is conveyed in this order.
  • FIG. 3 is a top view of the platen container 56.
  • the platen container 56 has a plurality of partitions 56a. In the plurality of storage spaces formed by these partitions 56a, the bottoms of the plastic bottles 50 are stored one by one.
  • the accommodation space is not limited to this example, and may be constituted by, for example, a circular recess formed at the bottom of the platen container 56.
  • 16 PET bottles 50 are placed and transported as one unit on the platen container 56, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example, and the capacity of the film forming chamber 6 is not limited.
  • a platen container that can hold more plastic bottles based on the above may be used.
  • a platen container 56 that can hold 56 PET bottles 50 may be used.
  • the untreated PET bottle 50 is transported from the atmospheric space to the film forming chamber 6 where the vacuum pressure is formed via the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4.
  • the treated PET bottle 50 is transported from the film forming chamber 6 to the atmospheric space via the second load lock chamber 8 and the second vacuum prechamber 10.
  • the pressure in the chambers 2, 4, 8, and 10 varies as the PET bottle 50 moves.
  • FIG. 5 is a diagram showing fluctuations in the vacuum pressure in the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4, and FIG. 6 shows the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 and the second load lock chamber 8. It is a figure which shows the fluctuation
  • the first vacuum prechamber 2 and the second vacuum prechamber 10 are evacuated in a pressure region from atmospheric pressure to at least a first predetermined vacuum pressure
  • the load lock chamber 4 and the second load lock chamber 8 are evacuated in a pressure region from the first vacuum pressure to a predetermined second vacuum pressure lower than the first vacuum pressure.
  • the film forming chamber 6 is always maintained at a predetermined target vacuum pressure (second vacuum pressure in this example).
  • the transport mechanisms 40 and 41 are driven to transport the plastic bottle 50 together with the platen container 56 to the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2.
  • the first gate valve 20 is closed to make the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 airtight.
  • the vacuum pump VP1 connected to the vacuum line 32
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 is evacuated to a predetermined third vacuum pressure. This third vacuum pressure is higher than the first vacuum pressure.
  • the first load lock chamber 4 is evacuated to the second vacuum pressure by the vacuum pump VP2, and a higher degree of vacuum is formed in the first load lock chamber 4 than in the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2. ing.
  • the second gate valve 22 is opened in this state, the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4 communicate with each other, and the pressure in these chambers 2 and 4 is the third vacuum pressure.
  • the first vacuum pressure is an intermediate pressure between the first vacuum pressure and the second vacuum pressure.
  • the transport mechanisms 41 and 42 are driven to transport the PET bottle 50 together with the platen container 56 from the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 to the first load lock chamber 4.
  • the vacuum pumps VP1 and VP2 continue the evacuation operation, whereby the pressure in the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4 is changed from the first vacuum pressure. Further decrease.
  • the second gate valve 22 is closed. The vacuum pump VP2 evacuates the first load lock chamber 4 to the second vacuum pressure.
  • the inside of the film forming chamber 6 is previously evacuated by the vacuum pump VP2, and a second vacuum pressure is formed in the film forming chamber 6.
  • the third gate valve 24 is opened in a state where the vacuum pressures in the first load lock chamber 4 and the film forming chamber 6 are substantially the same, and the PET bottle 50 and the platen container 56 are first loaded by the transfer mechanisms 42 and 43.
  • the film is transferred from the lock chamber 4 to the film forming chamber 6.
  • the third gate valve 24 is closed. Then, the PET bottle 50 is subjected to film formation under vacuum pressure in the film formation chamber 6 as will be described later.
  • the film-formed PET bottle 50 is transferred from the film formation chamber 6 to the second load lock chamber 8. More specifically, the second load lock chamber 8 is evacuated to the second vacuum pressure by the vacuum pump VP 3, and the second load lock chamber 8 has a degree of vacuum substantially the same as that of the film forming chamber 6. Is formed. In this state, the fourth gate valve 26 is opened, and the PET bottle 50 is transferred from the film forming chamber 6 to the second load lock chamber 8 by the transport mechanisms 43 and 44 together with the platen container 56. At this time, the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 is evacuated by the vacuum pump VP4 to the third vacuum pressure (third vacuum pressure> first vacuum pressure> second vacuum pressure).
  • the fourth gate valve 26 is closed, and then the fifth gate valve 28 is opened.
  • the second load lock chamber 8 and the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 communicate with each other, and the pressure in these chambers 8 and 10 is an intermediate pressure between the third vacuum pressure and the second vacuum pressure.
  • the first vacuum pressure is obtained.
  • the transport mechanisms 44 and 45 are driven to transport the PET bottle 50 together with the platen container 56 from the second load lock chamber 8 to the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10.
  • the fifth gate valve 28 is closed.
  • the atmosphere release valve 73 is opened, and thereby the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 is opened to the atmosphere.
  • the sixth gate valve 30 is opened, and the PET bottle 50 is transported together with the platen container 56 from the second vacuum preliminary chamber 10 to the atmospheric space.
  • the treated PET bottle 50 transported to the atmospheric space is transported to the unloading conveyor 75 by a chuck (not shown).
  • the platen container 56 after the PET bottle 50 is taken out is raised to the transport rail 82 by the lift conveyor 80.
  • the lift conveyor 80 includes a plurality of hooks 85 fixed to the belt conveyor, and a plurality of platen containers 56 can be continuously hooked on the hooks 85 and lifted to the transport rail 82.
  • the conveyance rail 82 extends from the lift conveyor 80 to the descending conveyor 90 while being inclined downward.
  • the transport rail 82 has a plurality of rotatable rollers 87, and the platen container 56 moves on the plurality of rollers 87 toward the descending conveyor 90 by its own weight.
  • a stopper 89 is disposed in front of the descending conveyor 90, and the movement of the platen container 56 to the descending conveyor 90 is stopped by the stopper 89.
  • the stopper 89 is configured to send the platen containers 56 to the descending conveyor 90 one by one at a predetermined interval. Accordingly, the plurality of platen containers 56 are lowered by the lowering conveyor 90 at predetermined intervals and placed on the transport mechanism 40.
  • the lift conveyor 80, the transport rail 82, and the descending conveyor 90 constitute a recovery mechanism that recovers the platen container 56.
  • the air release valve 92 is opened, whereby the first The vacuum prechamber 2 is opened to the atmosphere. Then, the subsequent PET bottle 50 is carried into the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 together with the platen container 56, and the above-described steps are repeated.
  • the first vacuum prechamber 2 is evacuated in the pressure region from atmospheric pressure to at least the first vacuum pressure
  • the first load lock chamber 4 is evacuated from the first vacuum pressure to the second vacuum pressure. Is evacuated in the pressure region up to the vacuum pressure ( ⁇ first vacuum pressure).
  • the film forming chamber 6 is always maintained at the second vacuum pressure.
  • the first vacuum preliminary chamber 2 and the first load lock chamber 4 are depressurized stepwise, so that compared with the case where one load lock chamber is provided upstream of the film forming chamber 6.
  • the PET bottle 50 can be transported to the film forming chamber 6 at short time intervals. Therefore, the cycle time of film formation can be shortened and the throughput can be improved.
  • the second vacuum prechamber 10 is evacuated in a pressure region from atmospheric pressure to at least the first vacuum pressure, and the second load lock chamber 8 is evacuated from the first vacuum pressure to the second vacuum pressure. Is evacuated in the pressure region up to the vacuum pressure ( ⁇ first vacuum pressure).
  • the second load lock chamber 8 and the second vacuum preparatory chamber 10 are depressurized step by step, so that compared to the case where one load lock chamber is provided on the downstream side of the film forming chamber 6.
  • the PET bottle 50 can be carried out from the film forming chamber 6 at short time intervals. Therefore, the cycle time of film formation can be shortened and the throughput can be improved.
  • FIG. 7 is a view schematically showing a cross section of the film forming chamber 6.
  • a heating element unit 65 including a heating element 61 and a gas supply pipe 62 that supplies a source gas into the PET bottle 50 is disposed in the film forming chamber 6. Electric power is supplied to the heating element unit 65 from a power source (not shown), whereby the heating element 61 generates heat.
  • the heating element can be easily heated by energization.
  • an AC or DC power source that is less expensive than a combination of a high-frequency power source and a matching unit used in the plasma CVD method can be used.
  • a heating element is a member that does not substantially volatilize itself and can decompose the source gas into chemical species by catalytic chemical reaction and / or thermally, for example, tantalum, tantalum carbide, tungsten, tungsten carbide, It is a wire mainly composed of nickel-chromium alloy or carbon.
  • 16 sets of heating element units 65 are arranged for 16 plastic bottles 50 (only four sets of heating element units 65 are shown in FIG. 7). The number of these can be appropriately changed according to the number of PET bottles 50 on the platen container 56.
  • the PET bottle 50 conveyed into the film forming chamber 6 is lifted by the lifting mechanism 69 together with the platen container 56.
  • the lifting mechanism 69 includes a support base 67 on which the platen container 56 is placed, a support shaft 70 that supports the support base 67, and a lift motor 71 connected to the support shaft 70.
  • a seal member (not shown) is disposed at a portion where the support shaft 70 penetrates the film forming chamber 6.
  • the film formation of the PET bottle 50 will be described.
  • the platen container 56 and the plastic bottle 50 are raised by the elevating mechanism 69, and the heating element 61 and the gas supply pipe 62 are placed on the platen container 56 as shown in FIG.
  • the raw material gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 62 into the PET bottle 50 and a current is passed through the heating element 61.
  • the heating element 61 becomes high temperature
  • the heating element 61 becomes a thermal catalyst.
  • the raw material gas blown out from the gas supply pipe 62 comes into contact with the heating element 61 that has become a thermal catalyst, and is decomposed into chemical species by catalytic chemical reaction and / or thermally.
  • This chemical species reaches the inner surface of the plastic bottle 50 and forms a thin film on the inner surface of the plastic bottle 50.
  • a thin film having a predetermined film thickness is formed on the inner surface of the PET bottle 50, the platen container 56 and the PET bottle 50 are lowered by the lifting mechanism 69.
  • Each plastic bottle 50 is raised / lowered by a lifting mechanism 69 at a predetermined speed, whereby each heating element 61 is inserted / removed into / from each plastic bottle 50. It is good also as adjustment of the raising / lowering speed which raises / lowers the PET bottle 50 at the time of film-forming. With such a configuration, the film formation time of each part of the container can be adjusted according to the container shape, the container heat resistance characteristics and the performance required for the container, and the barrier performance and the container appearance can be easily adjusted.
  • the heating element 61 may be inserted into and removed from the PET bottle 50 by moving the heating element 61 up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown).
  • the inside of the film forming chamber 6 in which the heating element 61 is arranged is always kept at a vacuum pressure. Therefore, deterioration of the heating element 61 is prevented, and the film forming function of the heating element 61 is not lowered.
  • FIGS. 8 to 13 the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
  • FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a thin film forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG.
  • the thin film forming apparatus 101 includes a bottle loading conveyor (loading conveyor) 103 for loading a PET bottle 50 as a container to be processed, and a bottle discharging conveyor for discharging the processed PET bottle 50. (Unloading conveyor) 104.
  • the thin film forming apparatus 101 is a platen container that can accommodate a large number of PET bottles 50, for example, 8 to 64 PET bottles 50 in order to achieve a high processing capacity, for example, a processing capacity of 600 bottles per minute.
  • the platen container 56 containing a large number of PET bottles 50 is moved in the apparatus and the film forming process is performed.
  • the platen container 56 can accommodate 28 (4 columns ⁇ 7 rows) PET bottles 50.
  • the platen container 56 constitutes a handling container for carrying in and out a plurality of PET bottles 50 to and from the vacuum chamber and for performing a film forming process on the plurality of PET bottles 50.
  • the thin film deposition apparatus 101 is disposed in the center and disposed on the left and right of the deposition unit 110 for performing a deposition process on the PET bottle 50.
  • the uncontained PET bottle 50 is carried into the membrane unit 110, and the carry-in / out units 130 and 130 for carrying out the treated PET bottle 50 from the film formation unit 110 are configured. Since the left and right loading / unloading units 130 and 130 have the same configuration, only the right loading / unloading unit 130 will be described below.
  • the carry-in / out unit 130 includes a supply unit 131 disposed adjacent to the bottle loading conveyor 103, a discharge unit 133 disposed adjacent to the bottle discharge conveyor 104, and a supply unit 131. And an intermediate unit 132 arranged between the discharge unit 133 and the discharge unit 133.
  • the supply unit 131 can place a plurality of platen containers 56 arranged in parallel. In the present embodiment, three platen containers 56 are placed on the supply unit 131.
  • the plurality of platen containers 56 on the supply unit 131 are sequentially loaded with the PET bottles 50 on the bottle loading conveyor 103 by loading means (not shown). When a predetermined number (28) of PET bottles 50 are loaded in all the platen containers 56 on the supply unit 131, the supply unit 131 passes the plurality of platen containers 56 to the intermediate unit 132.
  • the intermediate unit 132 can mount a plurality of platen containers 56 arranged in parallel. In the present embodiment, three platen containers 56 are mounted on the intermediate unit 132.
  • the intermediate unit 132 supplies the plurality of platen containers 56 received from the supply unit 131 to the film forming unit 110.
  • the intermediate unit 132 receives a plurality of platen containers 56 containing the processed PET bottles 50 formed in the film forming unit 110 from the film forming unit 110, and receives the received plurality of platen containers 56 to the discharge unit 133. It is supposed to pass.
  • the discharge unit 133 can place a plurality of platen containers 56 arranged in parallel. In the present embodiment, three platen containers 56 are placed on the discharge unit 133.
  • a predetermined number (28) of processed PET bottles 50 accommodated in the platen container 56 placed on the discharge unit 133 are sequentially discharged to the bottle discharge conveyor 104 by discharge means (not shown).
  • the bottle loading conveyor 103 (loading conveyor) and the bottle discharging conveyor (loading conveyor) 104 are respectively composed of two conveyors: a conveyor corresponding to the left loading / unloading unit 130 and a conveyor corresponding to the right loading / unloading unit 130. It is preferable to become.
  • the film forming unit 110 includes a plurality of film forming units.
  • the film forming units 110 are accommodated in the three platen containers 56 received from the supply unit 131.
  • Three sets of film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C are configured so that 28 PET bottles 50 can be formed simultaneously. Since the three sets of film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C are composed of vacuum chambers having the same configuration, only the film forming unit 110B (unit surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. 9) will be described below.
  • FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing details of the film forming unit 110B.
  • the film forming unit 110 ⁇ / b> B includes two chambers, a film forming chamber 6 and a bottle standby chamber 112.
  • the film forming chamber 6 is disposed on the upper side
  • the bottle waiting chamber 112 is disposed on the lower side.
  • the film forming chamber 6 and the bottle standby chamber 112 are connected via a gate valve 123.
  • the bottle standby chamber 112 communicates with the film forming chamber 6 and constitutes a gate chamber in which the inside is evacuated.
  • the film forming chamber 6 is connected to a vacuum pump VP5 as a vacuum evacuation means via a connecting portion 6a, and the inside of the film forming chamber 6 is evacuated by the vacuum pump VP5.
  • a large number of heating element units 65 each having a linear heating element 61 are arranged in the film forming chamber 6 so that a large number of PET bottles 50 accommodated in the platen container 56 can be simultaneously formed.
  • the base of the linear heating element is made of a copper rod-shaped member (not shown), and is not substantially heated when the heating element 61 generates heat. Electric power is supplied to the heating element unit 65 from a power source (not shown), whereby the heating element 61 generates heat.
  • the heating element can be easily heated by energization.
  • each heating element 61 is inserted into each plastic bottle 50 held upright in the film forming chamber 6.
  • 28 heating element units 65 are arranged, and the film forming process of a total of 28 PET bottles 50 accommodated in the platen container 56 can be performed in the film forming chamber 6.
  • the bottle standby chamber 112 is connected to a vacuum pump VP6 as a vacuum exhaust means via a connecting portion 112a, and the bottle standby chamber 112 is evacuated by the vacuum pump VP6.
  • the lower surface of the bottle standby chamber 112 is open, but a plate 114 configured to be lifted and lowered by an elevator 113 is installed below the bottle standby chamber 112.
  • the inside of the bottle waiting chamber 112 can be sealed by raising the plate 114 by the elevator 113 and closing the lower end opening of the bottle waiting chamber 112, and the plate 114 becomes the lower surface of the chamber.
  • a sealing member such as an O-ring is provided on the upper surface of the plate 114, and the bottle waiting chamber 112 is kept airtight when the plate 114 closes the lower end opening in the bottle waiting chamber 112. Is done.
  • a lifting table 115 is installed on the upper surface of the plate 114 serving as the lower surface of the chamber, and a platen container 56 containing a PET bottle 50 is placed on the lifting table 115.
  • the elevator 115 can be moved up and down integrally with the plate 114 by raising and lowering the plate 114 by the elevator 113, and the elevator 115 can be lifted and lowered independently of the plate 114. That is, the elevator 113 has a double elevator class, and the plate 114 can be raised and lowered together with the elevator 115 by operating the first elevator mechanism, and the elevator 115 is independently operated by operating the second elevator mechanism. Can be moved up and down.
  • shaft of a 2nd raising / lowering mechanism penetrates the plate 114, the sealing mechanism is provided in this penetration part, and the plate 114 can maintain the chamber 112 for waiting for bottles airtightly.
  • FIG. 11A the inside of the film forming chamber 6 is always in a vacuum state, and the heating element 61 in the film forming chamber 6 is always kept in a vacuum state.
  • the gate valve 123 as a vacuum isolation means between the film forming chamber 6 and the bottle standby chamber 112 is closed, and the communication between the film forming chamber 6 and the bottle standby chamber 112 is blocked.
  • the platen container 56 containing a large number of PET bottles 50 is supplied from the intermediate unit 132 onto the lifting platform 115 of the film forming unit 110B. At this time, the lower surface of the bottle standby chamber 112 is open.
  • the first elevating mechanism of the elevator 113 is operated to raise the first elevating shaft 121, and the plate 114 is raised together with the elevating table 115 on which the platen container 56 is placed.
  • the inside of the bottle waiting chamber 112 is sealed by closing the lower end opening of the waiting chamber 112.
  • the platen container 56 that accommodates a large number of PET bottles 50 on the lifting platform 115 is disposed in the bottle standby chamber 112.
  • the vacuum pump VP6 is operated to start evacuation in the bottle standby chamber 112.
  • the gate valve 123 is opened to open the film forming chamber 6 and the bottle waiting chamber. 112 is communicated.
  • the vacuum pressure in the bottle standby chamber 112 increases and becomes equal to the vacuum pressure in the film forming chamber 6. Therefore, the time for evacuating the bottle standby chamber 112 can be shortened.
  • the second elevating mechanism of the elevator 113 is operated to raise the second elevating shaft 122, and the elevating table 115 on which the platen container 56 is placed is raised alone, so that a large number of PET bottles 50 Is fed into the film forming chamber 6.
  • the elevator 115 is raised to a predetermined position, each heating element 61 is inserted into each plastic bottle 50.
  • Each plastic bottle 50 is raised / lowered at a predetermined speed by the lifting / lowering table 115, whereby each heating element 61 is inserted / removed into / from each plastic bottle 50.
  • FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the heating element 61 is inserted into the plastic bottle 50 accommodated in the platen container 56 after the elevating table 115 is raised to a predetermined position.
  • the heating element 61 and the gas supply pipe 62 of the heating element unit 65 are inserted into the PET bottle 50 due to the raising and lowering of the lifting platform 115.
  • the film formation chamber 6 reaches a vacuum pressure at which film formation is possible, and the raw material gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 62 into the PET bottle 50 and a current flows through the heating element 61.
  • the heating element 61 becomes high temperature
  • the heating element 61 becomes a thermal catalyst.
  • the raw material gas blown out from the gas supply pipe 62 comes into contact with the heating element 61 that has become a thermal catalyst, and is decomposed into chemical species by catalytic chemical reaction and / or thermally.
  • This chemical species reaches the inner surface of the plastic bottle 50 and forms a thin film on the inner surface of the plastic bottle 50.
  • a thin film having a predetermined thickness is formed on the inner surface of the PET bottle 50, the film formation is completed.
  • the film forming time of each part of the container is adjusted according to the shape of the container, the heat resistance characteristics of the container, and the performance required of the container by adjusting the raising / lowering speed for raising and lowering the PET bottle 50. It is possible to easily adjust the barrier performance and the container appearance.
  • the second elevating mechanism of the elevator 113 is operated to lower the second elevating shaft 122, and the platen container 56 containing the treated PET bottle 50 is taken out from the film forming chamber 6 and returned to the bottle standby chamber 112.
  • the gate valve 123 is closed.
  • This state is the same as the state shown in FIG. 11B except that the unprocessed PET bottle 50 is changed to the processed PET bottle 50.
  • a vacuum break valve (atmospheric release valve) (not shown) installed in the bottle standby chamber 112 is operated to release the inside of the bottle standby chamber 112 to the atmosphere.
  • the inside of the film forming chamber 6 is always in a vacuum state, and the heating element 61 in the film forming chamber 6 is always kept in a vacuum state.
  • the first elevating mechanism of the elevator 113 is operated to lower the first elevating shaft 121, the plate 114 is lowered together with the elevating table 115 on which the platen container 56 is placed, and the processed plastic bottle 50 is placed in the bottle waiting chamber. Remove from 112. This state is the same as the state shown in FIG. 11A except that an unprocessed PET bottle 50 is changed to a processed PET bottle 50.
  • the platen container 56 containing the treated PET bottle 50 is paid out from the lifting platform 115 to the intermediate unit 132 of the carry-in / out unit 130. Then, a platen container 56 containing a new plastic bottle 50 is supplied from the intermediate unit 132 onto the lifting platform 115. After the platen container 56 is supplied onto the lifting platform 115, the above-described process of carrying the PET bottle 50 into the film forming chamber 6 and the film forming process of the PET bottle 50 are repeated.
  • FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing the flow of the PET bottle 50 to be processed in the thin film forming apparatus 101. Since the left and right loading / unloading units 130 and 130 perform the same operation, the operation of the right loading / unloading unit 130 will be mainly described below.
  • the PET bottles 50 to be processed are conveyed in a row in the direction of arrow A by the bottle loading conveyor 103. At this time, three empty platen containers 56 are placed on the supply unit 131. As indicated by the arrow 1, the PET bottles 50 on the bottle loading conveyor 103 are sequentially loaded into the platen containers 56 on the supply unit 131 by loading means (not shown).
  • the supply unit 131 moves the three platen containers 56 into the intermediate unit 132 as indicated by an arrow 2. hand over.
  • the intermediate unit 132 carries the three platen containers 56 received from the supply unit 131 into the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C as indicated by the arrow 3.
  • the film forming process shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C is performed, and the inner surface of the 28 PET bottles 50 respectively accommodated in the three platen containers 56 has a predetermined film thickness. A thin film is formed.
  • the intermediate unit 132 receives the three platen containers 56 containing the treated PET bottles 50 from the film formation units 110A, 110B, and 110C as indicated by the arrow 4.
  • the three platen containers 56 containing the treated PET bottles 50 are unloaded from the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C, as shown by the arrow 5, unprocessed from the intermediate unit 132 of the left loading / unloading unit 130.
  • the three platen containers 56 containing the PET bottles 50 are carried into the film forming units 110A, 110B, 110C.
  • the three platen containers 56 containing the PET bottles 50 subjected to the film forming process in the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C are discharged to the intermediate unit 132 of the left carry-in / out unit 130. That is, three platen containers 56 containing unprocessed PET bottles 50 are alternately carried into the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C from the left and right carry-in / out units 130 and 130.
  • the intermediate unit 132 in the right carry-in / out unit 130 passes the three platen containers 56 containing the treated PET bottles 50 to the discharge unit 133 as indicated by arrows 6.
  • the PET bottles 50 accommodated in the three platen containers 56 placed on the discharge unit 133 are sequentially discharged to the bottle discharge conveyor 104 by discharge means (not shown) as indicated by an arrow 7.
  • the bottle discharge conveyor 104 conveys the processed PET bottles 50 in a row in the direction of arrow B.
  • a plurality of PET bottles 50 are aligned with the platen container 56, and one platen container 56 containing a plurality of aligned PET bottles 50 is provided. It is possible to carry in / out the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C as a unit and perform film forming processes in the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C. In this way, by using the platen container 56 to manage the plurality of plastic bottles 50 as a unit, the positioning of the plurality of plastic bottles 50 can be performed accurately and easily.
  • the loading and unloading of the PET bottle 50 to and from the platen container 56 and the transfer of the platen container 56 containing the PET bottle 50 can be performed during the film forming process of the PET bottle 50 in the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C. Therefore, the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C have almost no waiting time, and the film forming units 110A, 110B, and 110C can be operated almost continuously.
  • Loading and unloading of the platen container 56 containing the PET bottle 50 into and from the respective film forming units (vacuum chambers) 110A, 110B, and 110C can be performed by raising and lowering the plate 114 by an elevator installed externally. Since the elevator is thus outside the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber can be minimized and the evacuation time can be shortened. In the vacuum chamber, the plate 114 on which the platen container 56 that accommodates a large number of PET bottles 50 is raised, whereby the vacuum chamber can be sealed. That is, since the plate itself plays the role of an open / close gate, useless devices can be suppressed, and the film forming apparatus can be miniaturized and the apparatus cost can be reduced.
  • the present invention has been described so far, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention may be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea.
  • the outer surface of the container can be formed by arranging the heating element outside the container.
  • the present invention relates to a gas barrier such as a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) film, a SiOx film, a SiOC film, a SiOCN film, a SiNx film, or an AlOx film on one or both of an inner surface and an outer surface of a container such as a PET bottle (PET bottle). It can be used for a film forming apparatus for forming a thin film having high properties.
  • a gas barrier such as a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) film, a SiOx film, a SiOC film, a SiOCN film, a SiNx film, or an AlOx film on one or both of an inner surface and an outer surface of a container such as a PET bottle (PET bottle). It can be used for a film forming apparatus for forming a thin film having high properties.

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  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
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Abstract

La présente invention porte sur un dispositif de dépôt de film mince pour le dépôt d'un film mince tel qu'un film de carbone sous forme de diamant amorphe (CDA), etc. présentant d'excellentes propriétés de barrière aux gaz sur la surface interne, la surface externe ou les deux surfaces d'un récipient tel qu'une bouteille en PET. Le dispositif de dépôt de film est doté de : une chambre (6) de dépôt de film, dont l'intérieur est maintenu sous vide et qui effectue un dépôt de film sur de multiples récipients à l'aide d'éléments chauffants disposés dans la chambre; au moins une chambre d'entrée (2, 4, 8, 10) qui communique avec la chambre (6) de dépôt de film et dont l'intérieur est mis sous vide; et des mécanismes transporteurs (41-45) pour faire passer des récipients de manipulation (56), qui contiennent de multiples récipients, dans les chambres d'entrée (2, 4, 8, 10) et les faire entrer dans la chambre (6) de dépôt de film et les transporter hors de la chambre (6) de dépôt de film. Le dépôt de film dans la chambre (6) de dépôt de film est effectué alors que de multiples récipients sont contenus dans les récipients de manipulation (56).
PCT/JP2013/082938 2012-12-26 2013-12-09 Dispositif de dépôt de film mince WO2014103677A1 (fr)

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