WO2017018350A1 - Powder coating apparatus and method for using same - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a powder coating apparatus having a mechanism for leveling the surface of a powder when forming a film. The powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present invention comprises: a barrel 3; an air discharge means 4 for evacuating the barrel; and a sputtering device 2 provided in the barrel and having at least one target 6. The barrel has a main axis C oriented in the horizontal direction and rotates around the main axis C. The sputtering device forms a coating film on the surface of a powder 7 in the barrel. The powder coating apparatus 100 further comprises a component 13 for preventing upward movement of the powder and a powder leveling component 9. The component 13 for preventing upward movement of the powder is fixed to a part of the sputtering device which does not correspond to the target itself and a part electrically connected to the target or attached to a component modularized with the sputtering device so as to be secured.

Description

Powder coating apparatus and method of using the same

The present disclosure relates to a powder coating apparatus for coating the surface of each particle of powder with a thin film, and particularly to a mechanism for stirring and leveling the powder.

In order to give a function to the powder, a thin film may be coated on the surface of the particle. There is a sputtering method as a technique for coating by a dry method, and various types of coating apparatuses for powder using the sputtering method have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4).

In Patent Document 1, a sputtering apparatus including a rotating barrel whose inside is maintained in a vacuum, a target unit disposed in the rotating barrel, and a DC sputtering power source connected to the target unit and capable of generating plasma. A technique for sputtering platinum onto carbon powder using a tantalum is disclosed. Here, coating is performed by sputtering the target while rotating the rotating barrel. And the stirring blade is arrange | positioned in the barrel, and it rocks within the range of the angle of (alpha) centering on the rotating shaft of a rotation barrel, and prevents aggregation of carbon powder.

Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for coating various metals on the surface of a magnetic powder using a sputtering apparatus having a rotating barrel. Also in this document, the stirring blade is disposed in the barrel and swings within an angle range of ± α around the rotation axis of the rotating barrel to prevent the aggregation of the magnetic powder.

Patent Document 3 discloses a powder coating apparatus that forms a uniform coating layer on the surface of powder particles while stirring the raw material powder charged in the rotating drum and scraping off the raw material powder adhering to the inner wall of the drum. Here, the powder particles in the upper layer portion and the lower layer portion forming the fluidized bed are mixed with each other by the stirring plate, and the individual powder particles are equally subjected to sputtering. The scraper scrapes off the powder that adheres to the drum inner surface and tries to rotate around the drum body, and returns the powder particles to the fluidized bed. Further, the wiper returns the powder particles dropped and deposited on the upper surface of the casing to the fluidized bed.

Patent Document 4 discloses a powder coating apparatus in which a rotating cylindrical container is arranged in a vacuum container because the structure becomes complicated when the vacuum container itself is rotated. Here, the stirring bar arranged with a clearance between the drum and the drum is rotated or swung by an independent drive unit. Further, a stirring member that moves in conjunction with the stirring bar and abuts against the drum is provided.

JP 2012-182067 A Japanese Patent No. 4183098 JP-A-5-271922 JP 2014-159623 A

When forming a film on a substrate using a sputtering apparatus, the substrate is arranged in parallel to the target. According to this, in the powder coating apparatus, it is ideal that the surface of the powder, that is, the surface formed by the aggregate of fine particles is flat along the inner wall surface of the cylindrical drum.

However, in any of the powder coating apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 to 4, powder is put in a rotating drum. Therefore, the surface of the powder, that is, the surface formed by the aggregate of fine particles forms a mountain shape during film formation and constantly deforms. The powder agitation mechanism of these devices does not work to level the powder surface.

If there is a mountain shape on the surface of the powder, for example, a spatter particle coming from the diagonal toward the powder will be blocked by the mountain, or a situation where only a specific part will be hit is created. Therefore, it is required that the surface of the powder is leveled when the film is formed.

Furthermore, in a multi-source sputtering apparatus that simultaneously sputters a plurality of types of targets, the direction in which the sputtered particles vary depends on the type of target, so that the powder surface is required to be even.

Therefore, the present disclosure is a powder coating apparatus that solves the problems that could not be avoided when using the powder coating apparatus described in Patent Documents 1 to 4, that is, the surface of the powder is leveled during film formation. An object of the present invention is to provide a device having a mechanism.

As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have determined that (1) the part that scrapes off the powder adhering to the barrel is fixed so as not to depend on the rotation of the barrel, and the part determines the upper limit position of the powder rising And (2) the present invention has been completed by finding that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by providing a powder leveling part that performs a peristaltic motion about the main axis of the barrel. That is, the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a barrel, an exhaust unit that evacuates the barrel, and a sputtering apparatus that is installed in the barrel and has at least one target. In the powder coating apparatus in which the main axis is oriented in the horizontal direction and rotates about the main axis, and the sputtering apparatus forms a coating film on the surface of the powder put in the barrel, the powder coating apparatus includes: Further, among the inner side walls of the barrel, disposed in contact with the side wall of the portion that moves upward due to the rotation of the barrel, a powder rise restraining part that defines an upper limit position where the powder creeps, and the powder rise restraint Positioned below the part, spaced from the inner side wall of the barrel, and swings about the main axis The powder leveling component that moves, and the powder rise suppression component is connected to a portion of the sputtering apparatus that does not correspond to either the target itself or a portion that is electrically connected to the target. Or by being connected to a modularized part with the sputtering apparatus.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the sputtering apparatus is capable of adjusting the angle by rotating around the main axis. When the tilt of the sputtering apparatus is variable, the powder rise suppressing component moves in conjunction with the tilting movement of the sputtering apparatus, so that the relative positional relationship between the target and the powder rise suppressing component can be kept constant.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the powder rise restraining part, the smoothing part, and the target in a cross section that crosses the main axis vertically and passes through the powder rise restraining part, the smoothing part, and the target. Are expressed in polar coordinates, the position of the main axis is the origin O of the polar coordinates, the vertical downward line passing through the main axis is a start line with an angle of 0 °, and the rotation direction of the barrel is the start line Is a direction that takes a positive angle, β is an angle at which the powder rise suppressing component is fixed, and the number of targets on the cross section is 1, or a normal line of the target surface or an extension line thereof And the angle 1 of the line intersecting the main axis is θ, or the normal of the target surface located in the center when the number of targets on the cross section is an odd number (excluding 1) Is an extension line thereof, and when the angle 2 of the line intersecting the main axis is θ, or when the number of targets on the cross section is an even number, the normal lines of the two target surfaces located in the center or the extension thereof The angle 3 of the line connecting the point where the lines intersect with the main axis is θ, and the maximum angle of the swinging motion of the smoothing part is set to the positive direction with α ₁ and negative with the line taking the angle θ as the center. When the direction is α ₂ , the angle β, the angle θ, the angle α _1, and the angle α ₂ satisfy the expressions 1, 2, 3, and 4.
(Equation 1) 0 ° <β− (θ + α ₁ ) <45 °
(Equation 2) 90 ° ≦ β <135 °
(Equation 3) 0 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 °
(Equation 4) 0 ° <α ₂ <60 °

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the powder rise suppressing component is preferably a brush or a spatula. A brush or spatula can efficiently scrape powder from the barrel.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the leveling part is preferably a bar or a plate. The bar or plate can easily level the powder in a mountain shape.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, when the leveling part swings in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the barrel, the lowest side position of the inner side wall of the barrel or the position beyond the position. It is preferable to wrap. The leveling part can level the whole powder uniformly.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable to have a first angle adjustment mechanism that can change the inclination θ of the target and can fix the inclination at any angle in the angular range of Formula 3. When the target is tilted and fixed at any angle in the angle range of Equation 3 by the first angle adjustment mechanism, the position of the powder rise suppressing component can be moved in conjunction with the tilted angle by the same angle. it can.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, when the number of targets on the cross section is 1, the powder rise suppressing component is above the intersection of the line extending the target surface and the inner side wall of the barrel. When the number of targets on the cross section is an odd number (excluding 1), a line extending the target surface located in the center and the inner side wall of the barrel When the number of targets on the cross section is an even number, the line connecting the opposite ends of the two target surfaces located at the center and the above It is preferable to be fixed in a state of being arranged above the intersection with the inner side wall of the barrel. It is possible to prevent the powder rise suppressing component from being contaminated by sputtering.

The powder coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a first angle adjustment mechanism that changes the inclination θ of the target and can fix the inclination at any angle in the angle range of Formula 3, When the number of targets on the surface is 1, the powder rise suppressing component can be fixed at a position above the intersection of the line extending the target surface and the inner side wall of the barrel with variable position. When the second angle adjusting mechanism is provided, or when the number of targets on the cross section is an odd number (excluding 1), the powder rise suppression component is a line extending the target surface located in the center; When there is a second angle adjustment mechanism that can be fixed in a variable position at a position above the intersection with the inner side wall of the barrel, or when the number of targets on the cross section is an even number, A second angle adjusting mechanism capable of fixing the powder rising restraint component with a variable position at a position above the intersection of the inner side wall of the barrel and the line connecting the opposing ends of the two target surfaces located at the center. It is preferable to have. Independent of the inclination of the target, the fixing position of the powder rise suppressing component can be adjusted, and contamination of the powder rise suppressing component by sputtering can be suppressed.

The method of using the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention is a method of using the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the amount of powder to be put into the barrel is such that the leveling part swings in the rotational direction of the barrel. The amount of powder that is sometimes passed through the interior of the powder pile and smoothed when the peristaltic motion is opposite to the direction of rotation of the barrel.

The powder coating apparatus of the present disclosure can prevent the powder from rotating together with the barrel due to the rotation of the barrel. At this time, since the upper limit position of the powder rush is determined, the sputtered particles can be efficiently applied to the powder. Further, the powder tends to have a mountain shape due to the rotation of the barrel. By smoothing the mountain, the sputter particles can be easily applied to the entire powder.

It is a whole block diagram of the powder coating apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is the schematic of the AA cross section about a target unit, a barrel, a powder rise suppression component, and a leveling component. It is a perspective schematic diagram about a target unit and a barrel. It is the schematic for demonstrating the relationship between the direction of a target, and the position of powder. It is the schematic for demonstrating the motion by the 1st angle adjustment mechanism of a target unit. In the powder coating apparatus which concerns on this embodiment, it is the schematic explaining the motion which stirs and equalizes powder. The leveling parts move in the order of (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) in chronological order, and return to (a) again to be repeated. It is the schematic which shows another example of the cross-sectional shape of a leveling part, (a) is an example when a leveling part is plate shape, (b) is the 1st when a leveling part is a cross-sectional semicircle shape. One example, (c), shows a second example when the leveling part has a semicircular cross section. It is the schematic for demonstrating the motion of the powder when a leveling part moves to the rotation direction R of a barrel. It is the schematic for demonstrating the motion of the powder when a leveling part moves to the direction opposite to the rotation direction R of a barrel. It is a schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating each positional relationship of a powder raise suppression component, a leveling component, and a target, and has shown the form with which one target is provided. It is a schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating each positional relationship of a powder raise suppression component, leveling components, and a target, and has shown the form with which the odd number (specifically three) target is provided. It is a schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating each positional relationship of a powder raise suppression component, a leveling component, and a target, and has shown the form by which the even number (specifically two) target is provided.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments, but the present invention is not construed as being limited to these descriptions. As long as the effect of the present invention is exhibited, the embodiment may be variously modified.

Prior to explaining the mechanism for leveling the powder surface, the film forming mechanism will be explained first. The powder coating apparatus according to the present embodiment is a rotating barrel type sputtering apparatus that can coat a whole particle surface of a powder. Here, explanation will be given while illustrating a multi-source sputtering apparatus. The apparatuses described in the cited documents 1 to 4 are unitary sputtering apparatuses. In this embodiment, a mechanism for leveling the surface of the powder can be installed in either a multi-element or single-unit sputtering apparatus.

First, refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a powder coating apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the AA cross section of the target unit, barrel, powder rise restraining part and leveling part. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the target unit and the barrel. As shown in FIG. 1, a powder coating apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes a barrel 3, an exhaust unit 4 that evacuates the inside of the barrel 3, and a sputtering apparatus that is installed in the barrel 3 and has at least one target 6. The barrel 3 has the main axis C oriented in the horizontal direction and rotates around the main axis C, and the sputtering apparatus 2 applies a coating film on the surface of the powder 7 put in the barrel 3. Form. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the sputtering apparatus 2 attaches two or more targets 6 (6a, 6b, 6c, three in FIG. 2), so that the fixing unit 10 (10a, 10b, 10c). As shown in FIG. 3, when the target 6 (6a, 6b, 6c) is attached to the fixed portion 10 (10a, 10b, 10c), the sputtering apparatus 2 has the spindle 6a, 6b, 6c They are arranged in parallel with each other at the same level in the direction of C.

The powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is a rotary barrel type multi-source sputtering apparatus that can coat a whole powder particle surface. This apparatus can simultaneously sputter two or more targets, and each target is individually connected to a power source 1. Each target is preferably connected to one power source. For example, if two or more types of targets are mounted, a plurality of materials can be sputtered simultaneously. Further, since the output of each target can be adjusted individually, it is possible to perform sputtering at an arbitrary ratio.

The barrel 3 is supported by a drive roll 5a and a driven roll 5b. The drive roll 5a can receive power from the drive motor 5 and rotate the main shaft C of the barrel 3 as a horizontal axis. The barrel 3 is provided with a barrel main body 3d having an open upper end of the cylinder and a lid 3e that closes the barrel main body 3d, and is sealed with an O-ring (not shown). Powder 7 is put into the barrel 3 from the opening of the barrel body 3d. Further, the barrel 3 may have a vertically or horizontally divided structure instead of having the barrel body 3d and the lid 3e. In this case, the powder 7 is charged at the time of division.

Barrel 3 also serves as a vacuum vessel. The exhaust means 4 for evacuating exhausts the gas in the internal space of the barrel 3. The exhaust means 4 is airtightly held by a vacuum seal type bearing 4a.

The sputtering apparatus 2 installed in the barrel 3 is connected to a sputtering power source 1 installed outside the barrel 3. The sputtering power source 1 may be either a direct current power source or a high frequency power source. The sputtering apparatus 2 is inserted into the barrel 3 by an arm 1b that is airtightly held by a vacuum seal type bearing 1a. In the airtightly held arm 1b, a target cooling water passage inlet 1c, a target cooling water passage outlet 1d, and an argon gas inlet 1e are incorporated.

Two or more sputtering apparatuses 2 are installed in the barrel 3 (in FIG. 2, three sputtering apparatuses 2a, 2b, and 2c are installed). The above targets 6 can be installed (in FIG. 2, three targets 6a, 6b, 6c are installed). The sputtering apparatus 2 has one fixing portion 10 (10a, 10b, 10c) per target. That is, in FIG. 2, the three sputtering apparatuses 2a, 2b, and 2c have the fixing portions 10a, 10b, and 10c, respectively. Moreover, the sputtering power sources 1 are separately connected to the sputtering apparatuses 2a, 2b, and 2c, and the outputs are controlled separately. Thereby, the sputtering apparatus 2 becomes a multi-source sputtering apparatus.

The heel fixing portion 10 is a backing plate that holds the target 6. A target 6 is attached to the front side of the backing plate by a mounting bracket. On the front side of the backing plate, a shield cover serving as a counter electrode for generating plasma is attached at a predetermined distance from the backing plate. On the other hand, a plurality of recesses for accommodating magnets are formed on the back side of the backing plate. A cooling water passage connected to the target cooling water passage inlet 1c and the target cooling water passage outlet 1d is disposed on the back side of the backing plate.

When the target 6 is attached to the fixed portion 10, the targets 6a, 6b, 6c are arranged in parallel with each other at the same level position with respect to the direction of the main axis C, as shown in FIG. For example, it is preferable that the positions of the centers of gravity of the targets 6a, 6b, and 6c in the direction of the main axis C are aligned with each other. Further, when the sizes of the targets 6a, 6b, and 6c in the direction of the main axis C are the same, it is preferable that the positions of both ends of each target in the direction of the main axis C are aligned with each other. Since the barrel 3 rotates around the main axis C, if the targets 6a, 6b, 6c are arranged in parallel to each other at the same level position with respect to the direction of the main axis C, they jump out of the targets 6a, 6b, 6c. Since the sputtered particles uniformly hit the powder put in the rotating barrel 3, composition unevenness hardly occurs. In addition, the length of each target 6a, 6b, 6c in the direction of the main axis C is preferably slightly shorter than the length of the barrel 3 in the axial direction in order to avoid interference.

If the targets are arranged in order along the direction of the main axis C without arranging the targets shown in FIG. 3, the powder is difficult to mix in the direction of the main axis C, so that only the sputtered particles that have jumped out from one target hit the film. The composition unevenness occurs. That is, since a plurality of types of sputtered particles jumping out from a plurality of targets do not reach the surface of the powder particles at the same time, a uniform alloy film, double oxide film, double nitride film, or double carbide film cannot be formed. If each target is arranged in order along the direction of the main axis C and the orientation of the target surface is adjusted so that the target particles protruding from each target gather in a predetermined area, the above problem can be solved. It is limited to a part of the barrel side wall in the C direction. As a result, the amount of powder that can be processed per volume of the barrel is small, and thus the productivity is poor. Even if the same type of target is used, productivity is similarly poor.

Next, refer to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the direction of the target and the position of the powder. In the powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, each of the targets 6 a, 6 b, 6 c has a target surface parallel to the normal lines ha, hb, hc of the target surface to the inner side wall 3 a of the barrel 3. When projected toward the front, it is preferable that the projections are directed in an overlapping direction before reaching the inner side wall 3a. Since the elements (sputtered particles) jumping out from the targets 6a, 6b, and 6c reach the powder 7 put in the barrel 3 in a more mixed state, the elements are uniformly taken in from the targets. A thin film can be deposited on the surface of the powder particles. Specifically, the position before reaching the inner side wall 3a is preferably the surface of the powder 7. For example, when the radius of the barrel 3 (the distance between the main axis C and the inner side wall 3a) is r, the inner side wall 3a is separated from the inner side wall 3a. The range is from 0.05r to 0.15r toward the main axis C. The targets 6a, 6b, and 6c are more preferably oriented so that the normal passing through the center of gravity of the target surface overlaps on the inner side wall 3a or the surface of the particles of the powder 7. FIG. 3 illustrates a form in which normals (ha, hb, hc) passing through the center of gravity of the target surface are directed in an overlapping direction on the surface of the powder particles. Even when the sizes of the targets 6a, 6b, and 6c are not uniform, the elements jumping out from the targets 6a, 6b, and 6c can be mixed more and reach the powder. Furthermore, it is preferable to set the size of the target or the opening of the shield cover and the orientation of the target so that the projections completely overlap on the inner side wall 3a or on the surface of the powder particles. The composition unevenness is further suppressed.

In the powder coating apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the targets 6a, 6b, and 6c have different compositions. Composition unevenness can be reduced when an alloy film, a double oxide film, a double nitride film, a double carbide film, or the like is formed. As an alloy film, there is an example in which a Pt—Au alloy film is formed on the surface of a glass bead using a platinum target and a gold target. In addition, if the composition of each target 6a, 6b, 6c is made the same, the same effect as increasing the film-forming amount within a predetermined time can be obtained. That is, the film formation rate can be increased. The combination of the compositions of the targets 6a, 6b, and 6c can be selected as appropriate. For example, when an oxide target such as SiO ₂ or TiO ₂ is used, the deposition rate is slow, so two or three are sputtered simultaneously. As a result, the deposition rate can be increased. For example, when the target is a three, each target (6a, 6b, 6c) a _{(SiO 2, SiO 2, SiO} 2), to such _{(TiO 2, TiO 2, TiO} 2). In addition, when a composite film is formed using a target with a high deposition rate (for example, metal) and a target with a low deposition rate (for example, an oxide), the target with a low deposition rate is relatively increased. The number of targets with a low film speed is set to be larger than the number of targets with a high film formation speed. For example, when there are three targets, two targets with a low film formation rate are set, and one target with a high film formation rate is set. For example, each target (6a, 6b, 6c) is set to (Pt, SiO ₂ , SiO ₂ ).

Next, refer to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement of the target unit by the first angle adjustment mechanism. In the powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, each fixing portion 10 a, 10 b, 10 c is attached to the target unit 2 </ b> U in order to fix the relative orientation relationship of each attached target. It is preferable that the target unit 2U is mounted so as to be rotatable about the main axis C, and the first angle adjusting mechanism 8 of the target unit 2U is further provided. When the barrel 3 is rotated, the powder 7 rises. The angle of the target unit 2U can be adjusted in accordance with the degree of the rise. The target unit 2U has, for example, a configuration in which the fixing units 10a, 10b, and 10c are fixed by fixing the sputtering devices 2a, 2b, and 2c to one housing, or each sputtering device 2a, There is a form in which the fixing portions 10a, 10b, and 10c are fixed by fixing the arms 2b and 2c with the arm 12. The first angle adjusting mechanism 8 adjusts the angle of each target 6a, 6b, 6c attached to each fixing portion 10a, 10b, 10c while keeping the distance from the main axis C constant. Even if the powder 7 moves up with the rotation of the barrel 3 by the first angle adjusting mechanism 8, the relative positional relationship between the targets 6 a, 6 b, 6 c and the powder 7 can be kept constant.

Next, the mechanism for leveling the powder surface will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement of stirring and leveling the powder in the powder coating apparatus according to the present embodiment. The leveling parts move in the order of (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) in chronological order, and return to (a) again to be repeated. In the powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3 is disposed in contact with the side wall of the portion that moves upward by the rotation of the barrel 3. The powder rise restraining part 13 for determining the upper limit position where the powder 7 approaches, and the lower side of the powder rise restraining part 13 are arranged at intervals on the inner side wall 3a of the barrel 3 and swings with the main shaft C as the center of rotation. And a leveling part 9 of the powder 7 that moves. The side wall of the inner side wall 3a of the barrel 3 that moves upward by the rotation of the barrel 3 is the right half of the circle formed by the side wall of the barrel 3, as illustrated in FIG. FIG. 6 shows a case where the leveling part 9 is a round bar type with a circular cross section.

The powder rise suppressing component 13 is preferably a brush or a spatula. The brush or spatula can scrape off the powder 7 from the barrel 3 efficiently. The powder rise suppression component 13 is fixed to, for example, a portion that supports the sputtering apparatus 2 of FIG. By adopting such a structure, it is possible to simplify the attachment structure of the powder rise suppressing component. A part modularized with the sputtering apparatus (part fixed and integrated with the sputtering apparatus) can be a part supporting the sputtering apparatus 2. In addition, it is preferable that the part which supports the sputtering apparatus 2 is a place where the grounding countermeasure is taken. The component modularized with the sputtering apparatus is, for example, the arm 12 of the target unit 2U shown in FIG. When each sputtering apparatus 2a, 2b, 2c is fixed to one housing, the sputtering apparatus and modularized parts are the housing. In addition, instead of being fixed to the part supporting the sputtering apparatus 2, the powder rise suppressing component 13 is a part that does not correspond to either the target itself or the part that is electrically connected to the target in the sputtering apparatus, For example, it may be fixed by being connected to a place where grounding measures are taken, such as a case of the sputtering apparatus main body. In FIG. 2, the powder rise suppressing component 13 may be fixed by being connected to a portion that does not correspond to either the sputtering apparatus 2 c, particularly the target itself or a portion that is electrically connected to the target. By adopting such a structure, it is possible to simplify the attachment structure of the powder rise suppressing component. Note that the powder rise suppressing component 13 may include a support bar. When providing the support rod, one end of the support rod is connected to the main body of the powder rise restraining component 13, and the other end of the support rod does not correspond to either the target itself or the portion of the sputtering apparatus that is electrically connected to the target. It is connected to a part or a modularized part with a sputtering apparatus. At this time, it is preferable that the length and shape of the support rod are determined so as not to pass through the space between the target surface and the inner wall surface of the barrel. The powder rise restraint component 13 is fixed to a portion that does not move together with the barrel 3 rotating, so that the powder rise restraint component 13 causes the powder 7 to rotate in the same manner as the barrel 3 due to the rotation of the barrel 3. Can be prevented. In addition, since the position of the powder rise restraining component 13 is fixed at least during film formation, the position becomes the upper limit position for the powder 7 to rise. By matching the position of the powder rise suppressing component 13 and the boundary position of the irradiation region of the sputtered particles, the sputtered particles can be irradiated onto the powder 7 more efficiently. That is, since the sputtered particles can be applied in a state where the surge of the powder 7 is retained by the powder rise suppressing component 13, the irradiation efficiency of the sputtered particles can be increased.

The leveling part 9 is preferably a bar or a plate. When the leveling part 9 is a bar, the cross-sectional shape may be a circle, a semi-circle, an ellipse, a semi-ellipse, or a polygon such as a triangle or a rectangle. Further, when the leveling part 9 is a plate, there is a form in which the shape of the cross section is a rectangle having a long side and a short side. The bar or plate can easily level the pile 7b of the powder 7. The leveling component 9 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the agitating motor 9b that is airtightly held by the vacuum seal type bearing 9a shown in FIG. 1, and the angle (α ₁ ) shown in FIG. Swing within the range of + α ₂ ). This rotation axis is coaxial with the main axis C which is the rotation axis of the barrel 3. In the present embodiment, the range of the angle θ preferably includes the existence range of the powder 7 during the barrel rotation. The rocking angle and rocking speed can be adjusted as appropriate according to the agglomeration state of the powder 7, but it is necessary to set the rocking speed and the rocking speed so that the powder does not fly due to the rocking speed being too fast. For example, the swing speed is set to 2 reciprocations / minute, but may be 1 to 10 reciprocations / minute. The leveling component 9 may be intermittently swung.

When the leveling part 9 performs a peristaltic motion along the rotation direction R of the barrel 3 (see, for example, FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (c)), the leveling part 9 may be folded back below the powder rise suppressing part 13. preferable. It is preferable to make the point between the peak of the peak 7a of the powder 7 and the powder rise suppressing component 13 a turning point. For example, it is more preferable that a place where the leveling part 9 is in contact with the powder rise suppressing part 13 is set as a turning point, or a place within 20 mm below the powder rising suppressing part 13 is set as a turning point. When the leveling part 9 performs the peristaltic motion in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R of the barrel 3, the entire powder 7 can be leveled uniformly. Further, the leveling part 9 has higher stirring efficiency than the case where the powder rise suppressing part 13 simply scrapes off the powder adhering to the inner wall of the barrel.

When the leveling part 9 performs a peristaltic movement in a direction opposite to the rotation direction R of the barrel 3 (see, for example, FIGS. 6 (d) to 6 (e)), of the inner side wall 3a of the barrel 3, It is preferable to turn back at a position 3c beyond the lowest position 3b (see, for example, FIGS. 6 (e) to 6 (a)). When the leveling part 9 performs a peristaltic motion in the rotation direction of the barrel 3, the entire powder 7 can be agitated. The position 3c beyond the lowest position 3b is preferably a position beyond the boundary where the powder 7 exists. For example, the vertical direction may be 0 °, and a position of 1 to 45 ° in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R may be used as the turning point.

The relationship between the peristaltic motion of the leveling part 9 and the motion of the powder 7 will be described. First, the powder 7 moves up in the rotation direction R by the rotation of the barrel 3. At this time, the powder 7 moves up while creating a mountain 7a. Here, the leveling part 9 enters the pile 7a of the powder 7 when performing a peristaltic movement along the rotation direction R of the barrel 3 (see, for example, FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (c)). (See FIG. 6B.) Further, when moving to the front of the powder rise restraining part 13, the mountain 7a is removed (see FIG. 6C). As a result, the powder 7 is stirred including the inside. Next, when the leveling part 9 is reversed and performs a peristaltic movement in a direction opposite to the rotation direction R of the barrel 3 (see, for example, FIGS. 6 (d) to 6 (e)), a peak 7b of the powder 7 is used. (See FIG. 6D). When the turn-up point of the leveling part 9 is reached (see FIG. 6E), the surface of the powder 7 is leveled flat. As a result, the sputtered particles are likely to hit the entire powder 7 uniformly, and in particular, in the case of multi-source sputtering, it is possible to suppress film composition unevenness. In addition, that the surface of the powder 7 is planarized means that the said surface is leveled along the shape of the inner surface of the side wall of a barrel. Here, the amount of powder to be put into the barrel 3 is that the leveling part 9 passes through the inside of the peak 7a of the powder 7 when the swinging movement 9 is performed in the rotation direction R of the barrel 3, and the rotation direction R of the barrel is The amount of powder pile 7b to be leveled when performing a peristaltic motion in the opposite direction.

7 to 9, the form in which the powder 7 is stirred by the leveling part 9 and the form in which the powder 7 is leveled will be described in more detail. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing another example of the cross-sectional shape of the leveling part, where (a) shows an example when the leveling part has a plate shape, and (b) shows a leveling part with a semicircular cross section. (C) shows a second example when the leveling part has a semicircular cross section. FIG. 8 is a schematic view for explaining the movement of the powder when the leveling part moves in the rotation direction R of the barrel. In FIG. 8, a solid arrow extending from the smoothing part 9 as a starting point indicates a moving direction of the smoothing part 9 (the same direction as the R direction). FIG. 9 is a schematic view for explaining the movement of powder when the leveling part moves in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R of the barrel. In FIG. 9, a solid-line arrow extending from the leveling part 9 as a starting point indicates the direction in which the leveling part 9 is moving (the direction opposite to the R direction). As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7C, the leveling part 9 has a first surface 9 c that faces the rotation direction R of the barrel 3. The first surface 9c is preferably inclined in the direction opposite to the rotational direction R as it approaches the main axis C (not shown in FIG. 7, see FIG. 6). That is, when approaching the powder rise restraining part 13, it is preferable to incline so as to scoop up the powder 7. As shown in FIG. 8, when the leveling part 9 moves in the rotation direction R, the powder 7 is scooped up on the first surface 9c. That is, the powder 7 that is above the lower end of the first surface 9 c passes over the leveling part 9 and forms a flow 7 f 1 of the powder 7. On the other hand, the powder 7 below the lower end of the first surface 9 c passes below the leveling part 9 and forms a flow 7 f 2 of the powder 7. Thus, since the leveling part 9 has the 1st surface 9c, the efficiency of stirring of the powder 7 can be improved more. The first surface 9c preferably has irregularities, and when the powder 7 is scooped up by the first surface 9c, the powder 7 is easily mixed. When the leveling part 9 shown in FIG. 7B moves in the rotation direction R, the powder 7 hitting the leveling part 9 is divided into upper and lower parts to form a powder flow. Will be.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b), the leveling part 9 has a second surface 9 d oriented in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R of the barrel 3. The second surface 9d is inclined with respect to the radial direction of the barrel. Specifically, as it approaches the main axis C (not shown in FIG. 7; see FIG. 6 for the position of the C axis), the rotation direction R It is preferable to be inclined in the opposite direction. That is, when moving away from the powder rise restraining part 13, it is preferable to incline so that the powder 7 is pressed. As shown in FIG. 9, when the leveling part 9 moves in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R, the powder 7 is pushed down by the second surface 9d. That is, the powder 7 below the upper end of the second surface 9d is moved in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R and easily passes under the leveling part 9, thereby forming a flow 7f4 of the powder 7. On the other hand, the powder 7 above the upper end of the second surface 9d passes over the leveling part 9 and forms a flow 7f3 of the powder 7. When the amount of the powder 7 is decreased, the flow 7f3 of the powder 7 is not seen. And the surface of the powder 7 after the leveling part 9 has passed is leveled. Thus, when the leveling component 9 has the second surface 9d, the surface of the powder 7 can be leveled by the second surface 9d when the leveling component 9 moves in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R. . The second surface 9d preferably has a smooth surface, and the powder 7 can be pushed down smoothly by the second surface 9d. When the leveling part 9 shown in FIG. 7C moves in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R, the powder 7 hitting the leveling part 9 is divided into upper and lower parts to form a powder flow. Compared with the case where the leveling part 9 shown in FIG. 7 (a) and FIG. 7 (b) is used, the powder 7 can be leveled thicker.

In addition, when the leveling part 9 is in the shape of a square bar or a plate, if there is a corner, it may cause abnormal discharge, so it is preferable to round the corner.

The speed of the peristaltic movement of the leveling part 9 is preferably the same when moving along the rotational direction R of the barrel 3 and when moving in the opposite direction. Further, the speed of the peristaltic movement of the leveling part 9 may be different when moving along the rotation direction R and when moving in the opposite direction.

Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the positional relationship among the powder rise suppression component, the leveling component, and the target will be described in more detail. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the positional relationship among the powder rise suppressing component, the leveling component, and the target, and shows a form in which one target is provided. Here, in the cross section which crosses the main axis C perpendicularly and passes through the powder rise restraining part 13, the smoothing part 9 and the target 6, the respective positions of the powder rise restraining part 13, the smoothing part 9 and the target 6 are polar coordinates. It shall be expressed above. The position of the main axis C is the origin O of polar coordinates, the vertical downward line passing through the main axis C is the start line S at an angle of 0 °, and the rotation direction of the barrel 3 is the direction that takes a positive angle with respect to the start line. Let β be the angle at which the powder rise suppression component 13 is fixed. In addition, the radius of movement in the polar coordinates of the powder rise restraining part 13 is when the powder rise restraining part 13 is in contact with the side wall of the inner side wall of the barrel 3 that moves upward due to the rotation of the barrel 3. The distance from the origin O to the powder rise restraining part 13.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the number of targets 6 on the cross section is 1, an angle 1 of a line h that is a normal line of the target surface or an extension line thereof and intersects the main axis C is defined as θ. Around a line h taking angle theta, and alpha ₂ the maximum angle of swing width to the positive alpha ₁ and the negative direction to the direction of rocking of the leveling part 9. At this time, it is preferable that the angle β, the angle θ, the angle α _1, and the angle α ₂ satisfy the expressions 1, 2, 3, and 4.
(Equation 1) 0 ° <β− (θ + α ₁ ) <45 °
(Equation 2) 90 ° ≦ β <135 °
(Equation 3) 0 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 °
(Equation 4) 0 ° <α ₂ <60 °

In the case of the form shown in FIG. 10, θ, which is the angle 1 of the line h, satisfies Equation 3. That is, the target surface of the target 6 is directed vertically downward or inclined in the direction of the rotation direction R of the barrel 3. When the barrel 3 rotates, powder (not shown) is pushed up in the rotation direction R side. Therefore, it is preferable to set θ using the first angle adjustment mechanism so that the target surface faces the front with respect to the pushed-up powder. If θ is less than 0 °, that is, a negative angle, there is a possibility that the sputtered particles do not efficiently hit the swelled powder. If θ exceeds 45 °, there is a possibility that the powder will be excessively inclined with respect to the surge of the powder, and there is a possibility that the sputtered particles do not efficiently hit the powder. θ is preferably 10 ° or more, and more preferably 15 ° or more. Further, θ is preferably 35 ° or less, and more preferably 30 ° or less.

The angle β at which the powder rise restraining part 13 is fixed satisfies Equation 2. If β is less than 90 °, the sputtered particles are likely to hit the powder rise suppressing component 13 and impurities may easily enter the powder. If β is 135 ° or more, the powder may rise when the powder is separated from the barrel 3. β is preferably 92 ° or more, and more preferably 95 ° or more. Β is preferably 110 ° or less, and more preferably 105 ° or less.

α ₁ and α ₂ are preferably set so that the whole of the powder pushed up by the swinging of the leveling part 9 is leveled. α ₂ may be equal to α ₁ , but is not necessarily equal and is less than 60 ° so that the leveling part 9 is leveled to include the bottom end of the pressed-up powder or to near the bottom end. Set. α ₁ is determined so as to satisfy Equation 1 in consideration of the set angles of θ and β. According to Equation 1, the upper limit in the R direction of the swing of the smoothing part 9 is set lower than the powder rise suppressing part 13 [{β− (θ + α ₁ )}> 0 °]. When the leveling part 9 is swung until it comes into contact with the powder rise suppressing part 13, {β− (θ + α ₁ )} = 0 °. On the other hand, according to Equation 1, the lower limit in the R direction of the swing of the smoothing part 9 is lower than the powder rise suppressing part 13 and {β− (θ + α ₁ )} is smaller than 45 °. If {β− (θ + α ₁ )} is 45 ° or more, the powder rise restraining part 13 is positioned above the area where the powder is smoothed by the smoothing part 9, so the powder rise restraining part 13 Merely serves to scrape off the powder adhering to the barrel 3. Furthermore, since the powder rise suppression component 13 is away from the region where the powder is leveled by the leveling component 9, the inner wall surface of the barrel 3 may be exposed. At this time, sputter particles reach the inner wall surface of the barrel 3, There is a risk of film formation. {Β- (θ + α ₁ )} is preferably 5 ° or more, and more preferably 15 ° or more. Further, {β− (θ + α ₁ )} is preferably 40 ° or less, and more preferably 30 ° or less.

Next, with reference to FIG. 11, another embodiment of the positional relationship between the powder rise suppressing component, the leveling component, and the target will be described. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the positional relationship among the powder rise suppressing component, the leveling component, and the target, and shows a mode in which an odd number (specifically three) targets are provided. Yes. About the said positional relationship, it is the same as that of the case of FIG. 10 about expressing using a polar coordinate.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the number of targets on the cross section is an odd number (excluding 1), it is a normal hb of the target surface of the target 6b located at the center or an extension thereof and intersects with the main axis C. The angle 2 of the line to be performed is θ. In the case of FIG. 11, the target located in the center is the target 6b. About a line hb taking angle theta, and alpha ₂ the maximum angle of swing width to the positive alpha ₁ and the negative direction to the direction of rocking of the leveling part 9. At this time, it is preferable that the angle β, the angle θ, the angle α _1, and the angle α ₂ satisfy the expressions 1, 2, 3, and 4. The other targets 6a and 6c other than the target 6b located at the center are preferably arranged in a line symmetrical relationship with the line hb.

In the case of the form shown in FIG. 11, θ, which is the angle 2 of the line hb, satisfies Equation 3. That is, the target surface of the target 6 b is directed vertically downward or inclined in the direction of the rotation direction R of the barrel 3. It is preferable that the target surface of the target 6a and the target surface of the target 6b face the direction approaching the line hb as the normal line approaches the inner wall surface of the barrel 3, respectively. Sputtered particles popping out from the target surfaces of the targets 6a, 6b and 6c are mixed and easily reach the powder (not shown). The relationship between θ, α ₁ and α _2, β, and {β− (θ + α ₁ )} in FIG. 11 is preferably the same as θ described in FIG.

Next, with reference to FIG. 12, another embodiment of the positional relationship between the powder rise suppressing part, the leveling part and the target will be described. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the positional relationship between the powder rise suppressing component, the leveling component, and the target, and shows an embodiment in which an even number (specifically, two) of targets are provided. Yes. About the said positional relationship, it is the same as that of the case of FIG. 10 about expressing using a polar coordinate.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the number of targets on the cross section is an even number, the normal D ha and hc of the target surfaces of the two targets 6a and 6c located at the center or the extension D intersect with the principal axis C. An angle 3 of a line connecting the two is θ. In the case of FIG. 12, the two targets located in the center are the targets 6a and 6c. For example, when the number of targets is four (not shown), the two targets sandwiched between the targets at both ends are the two targets located in the center. Around the line j joining the C and D to take the angle theta, and alpha ₂ the maximum angle of swing width to the positive alpha ₁ and the negative direction to the direction of rocking of the leveling part 9. At this time, it is preferable that the angle β, the angle θ, the angle α _1, and the angle α ₂ satisfy the expressions 1, 2, 3, and 4. The targets 6a and 6c are preferably arranged in a line symmetrical relationship with the line j.

In the case of the form shown in FIG. 12, θ, which is the angle 3 of the line j, satisfies Equation 3. That is, the target surfaces of the targets 6a and 6c are directed to the point D, but the point D is positioned vertically below the point C or arranged at a position shifted to the direction side of the rotation direction R of the barrel 3. Has been. Sputtered particles popping out from the target surfaces of the targets 6a and 6c are mixed and easily reach the powder (not shown). In the case where the number of targets is an even number of four or more, it is preferable that the target surfaces face the direction approaching the line j as the normal line approaches the inner wall surface of the barrel 3. The relationships among θ, α ₁ and α _2, β, and {β− (θ + α ₁ )} in FIG. 12 are preferably the same as those described with reference to FIG.

Next, the embodiment having the first angle adjusting mechanism 8 will be described in more detail. First, a form (referred to as form A) having one target will be described with reference to FIG. In the powder coating apparatus according to the present embodiment, a first angle adjustment mechanism (in FIGS. 1 and 5) that can change the inclination θ of the target 6 and can fix the inclination at any angle in the angle range of Formula 3. It is preferably indicated by 8 and not shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, the powder rise suppressing component 13 is connected to a portion that does not correspond to either the sputtering apparatus 2, in particular, the target itself or a portion that is electrically connected to the target, through the support rod 13 s. When the sputtering apparatus 2 is fixed to the arm 12 as shown in FIG. 5 and the arm 12 is modularized with respect to the sputtering apparatus 2c, the powder rise suppression component 13 is connected to the arm 12 via the support bar 13s. May be. When the target 6 is tilted and fixed by the first angle adjusting mechanism 8, the position of the powder rise suppressing component 13 can be moved in conjunction with the tilted angle by the same angle. Thus, the positional relationship between the target surface and the powder rise suppressing component 13 can be made constant regardless of the inclination of the target 6 by a simple mechanism.

Referring to FIG. 11, in the form with an odd number (specifically, three) of targets (referred to as form B), on the side wall of the portion of the inner side wall of barrel 3 that moves upward due to the rotation of barrel 3. The target 6a, 6b, 6c is tilted by the first angle adjusting mechanism 8 by connecting the support bar 13s to a portion of the nearest sputtering apparatus 2c that does not correspond to either the target itself or a portion conducting to the target. When fixed, the position of the powder rise suppressing component 13 can be moved in conjunction with the tilted angle by the same angle. Further, the support bar 13s may be connected to a portion of the sputtering apparatuses 2a and 2b that does not correspond to either the target itself or a portion conducting to the target. The support bar 13s may be connected to the arm 12 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 12, in the form with an even number (specifically, two) of targets (referred to as “C form”), on the side wall of the portion of the inner side wall of barrel 3 that moves upward by the rotation of barrel 3. When the target 6a, 6c is tilted and fixed by the first angle adjusting mechanism 8 by connecting the support bar 13s to a portion of the nearest sputtering apparatus 2c that does not correspond to either the target itself or a portion conducting to the target. The position of the powder rise suppressing component 13 can be moved in conjunction with the tilted angle by the same angle. Further, the support bar 13s may be connected to a portion of the sputtering apparatus 2a that does not correspond to either the target itself or a portion that is electrically connected to the target. The support bar 13s may be connected to the arm 12 shown in FIG.

Next, in the A form, the B form, and the C form, a preferable positional relationship between the target surface and the powder rise suppressing component will be described. In the A form shown in FIG. 10, the powder rise suppressing component 13 is preferably fixed in a state of being arranged above the intersecting portion e between the line E extending the target surface and the inner side wall of the barrel 3. . Moreover, in the B form shown in FIG. 11, the powder rise suppressing component 13 is disposed above the intersection eb between the line Eb extending the target surface of the target 6 b located at the center and the inner side wall of the barrel 3. It is preferably fixed in a state. Furthermore, in the C form shown in FIG. 12, the powder rise suppressing component 13 is based on the intersection g between the line G connecting the opposite ends of the target surfaces of the two targets 6 a and 6 c located at the center and the inner side wall of the barrel 3. Also, it is preferable to be fixed in a state of being disposed on the upper side. Since the powder rise suppressing component 13 is disposed above the target surface, contamination due to deposition of sputtered particles can be suppressed.

Next, in addition to the first angle adjustment mechanism 8, a mode provided with a second angle adjustment mechanism capable of fixing the powder rise suppression component 13 with a variable position will be described. In the A form, B form, and C form shown in FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the support rod 13s that supports the powder rise restraining component 13 is placed on either the target itself or the portion that is electrically connected to the target in the sputtering apparatus. However, instead of adopting such a form, it is modularized with a part that does not correspond to either the target itself or a portion that is electrically connected to the target or a sputtering apparatus. It is good also as a deformation | transformation form which provides a movable base to the components and connects the support bar 13s which supports the powder raise suppression component 13 to the stand (not shown). A movable stage is the second angle adjustment mechanism. The powder rise suppressing component 13 can be fixed at the same position as the A form, the B form, and the C form by the second angle adjustment mechanism. Independent of the inclination of the target, the fixing position of the powder rise suppressing component 13 can be finely adjusted, and contamination of the powder rise suppressing component by sputtering can be suppressed.

(Modification 1)
The barrel 3 may be placed in a vacuum chamber (not shown). In this case, since it is not necessary to seal the barrel 3, the structure of the barrel can be simplified.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not construed as being limited to the examples.

Example 1
A powder having a Pt—Au alloy thin film formed on the surface of a glass bead is produced using the powder coating apparatus shown in FIG. First, one Pt target (purity 99.9%, target surface 150 × 35 mm) was prepared and attached to the fixing portion 10a. Also, one Au target (purity 99.99%, target surface 150 × 35 mm) was prepared and attached to the fixing portion 10c. A blank was used without attaching a target to the fixed portion 10b. The sputtering power source 1 was a high frequency power source (frequency 13.56 MHz). Next, after evacuating to 3 × 10 ⁻³ Pa or less with no powder in the barrel 3, argon gas is flowed and adjusted to maintain a pressure of 0.4 Pa, sputtering is performed, The rates of the Pt target and Au target according to the output of the power source were confirmed. Subsequently, 150 g of glass beads having a diameter of 1 mm were put into the barrel 3 and evacuated to 1.3 × 10 ⁻³ Pa, and then adjusted to maintain a pressure of 0.4 Pa by flowing argon gas. . Then, 200 W was applied to the Pt target and 100 W was applied to the Au target, and the barrel 3 was rotated to form a film on the glass bead surface while the leveling part 9 (round bar type) was being swung. The amount of powder (150 g) placed in the barrel is such that when the leveling part is peristaltic in the direction of rotation of the barrel, it passes through the inside of the pile of powder and perturbs in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the barrel. Sometimes it was the amount to level the powder pile. The output of the high frequency power source was obtained by calculating from the sputtering rate confirmed above so that Pt-50 wt% Au. The film formation time was 30 minutes. Analysis of the glass beads taken out after the film formation confirmed that a Pt-48 wt% Au alloy thin film was formed on the surface. The composition of the thin film was determined using an ICP emission spectroscopic analyzer (SPECTRO-CIROS manufactured by Rigaku).

(Example 2)
Using the powder coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a powder in which a two-layer film of a Ti thin film (lower layer) and an Au thin film (upper layer) is formed on the surface of glass beads is produced. First, one Ti target (purity 99.9%, target surface 150 × 35 mm) was prepared and attached to the fixing portion 10b. Also, one Au target (purity 99.99%, target surface 150 × 35 mm) was prepared and attached to the fixing portion 10c. A blank was used without attaching a target to the fixed portion 10a. The sputtering power source 1 was a high frequency power source (frequency 13.56 MHz). Next, sputtering is performed with no powder in the barrel 3, and after evacuating to 3 × 10 ⁻³ Pa or less, argon gas is flowed to adjust the pressure to 0.4 Pa, and high frequency The rates of the Ti target and Au target according to the output of the power source were confirmed. Subsequently, 150 g of glass beads having a diameter of 1 mm were put into the barrel 3 and evacuated to 2.1 × 10 ⁻³ Pa, and then adjusted to maintain a pressure of 0.4 Pa by flowing argon gas. Thereafter, 200 W was applied only to the Ti target, the barrel 3 was rotated, and sputtering was performed for 30 minutes while the leveling part 9 (round bar type) was swung to form a Ti film on the glass bead surface. Subsequently, 200 W was applied only to the Au target, the barrel 3 was rotated, and the leveling part 9 (round bar type) was swung to perform sputtering for 1 hour, and an Au film was further formed on the surface of the Ti film. . As a result, glass beads on which two layers of Ti (lower layer) / Au (upper layer) were formed were obtained without opening the barrel 3 to the atmosphere on the way. The amount of powder (150 g) placed in the barrel is such that when the leveling part is peristaltic in the direction of rotation of the barrel, it passes through the inside of the pile of powder and perturbs in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the barrel. Sometimes it was the amount to level the powder pile. The deposited thin film had good adhesion. If the Au film is directly formed on the glass beads, the adhesion is poor. Therefore, a Ti film was formed as an intermediate layer for improving adhesion.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sputtering power supply 1a Vacuum seal type bearing 1b Arm 1c Target cooling water path inlet 1d Target cooling water path outlet 1e Argon gas inlet 2 Sputtering device 3 Barrel 3a Barrel inner side wall 3b Barrel lowest position 3c Barrel lower position 3d Barrel body 3e Lid 4 Exhaust means 4a Vacuum seal bearing 5 Drive motor 5a Drive roll 5b Drive roll 6, 6a, 6b, 6c Target 7 Powder 7a, 7b Powder piles 7f1, 7f2, 7f3, 7f4 Flow 8 First angle adjusting mechanism 9 Leveling part 9a Vacuum seal type bearing 9b Stirring motor 9c First surface 9d Second surface 10, 10a, 10b, 10c Fixed part 12 Arm 13 Powder rise suppressing part 13s Support rods ha, hb, hc Target surface normal 2U Target unit 100 Powder coating apparatus R Rotating direction of barrel C Main axis D Point G where normal of target surface intersects Line S connecting two opposite ends of two target surfaces located at the center S Start line g Intersection of line G and inner side wall of barrel Line j connecting lines D and C, Eb Line e extending the target surface e Intersection of line E and inner side wall of barrel eb Intersection of line Eb and inner side wall of barrel

Claims (10)

1. A barrel, an exhaust means for evacuating the barrel, and a sputtering apparatus installed in the barrel and having at least one target, the barrel having a main axis oriented in a horizontal direction, and In the powder coating apparatus that rotates about the main axis, the sputtering apparatus forms a coating film on the surface of the powder put in the barrel,
   The powder coating apparatus further comprises:
   Of the inner side wall of the barrel, disposed in contact with the side wall of the portion that moves upward by the rotation of the barrel, a powder rise suppression component that defines an upper limit position where the powder rushes, and
   The powder leveling part which is arranged at a position lower than the powder rise restraining part and spaced from the inner side wall of the barrel and performs a peristaltic motion with the main shaft as a rotation center;
   The powder rise suppression component is connected to a portion of the sputtering apparatus that does not correspond to either the target itself or a portion that is electrically connected to the target, or a component modularized with the sputtering apparatus. A powder coating apparatus characterized by being fixed by being connected.
2. 2. The powder coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sputtering apparatus is capable of adjusting an angle by rotating about the main axis.
3. The positions of the powder rise restraining part, the leveling part, and the target are represented by polar coordinates in a cross section that vertically crosses the main axis and passes through the powder rise restraining part, the leveling part, and the target. The position of the main axis is the origin O of the polar coordinates, the vertical downward line passing through the main axis is a start line with an angle of 0 °, and the direction of rotation of the barrel takes a positive angle with respect to the start line And
   The angle at which the powder rise suppression component is fixed is β,
   When the number of targets on the cross section is 1, the angle 1 of the line that is the normal line of the target surface or its extension and intersects the main axis is θ, or the number of targets on the cross section is When the number is an odd number (except 1), the angle 2 of the normal line of the target surface located in the center or its extension line and intersecting the main axis is θ, or the target on the cross section When the number is an even number, θ is an angle 3 of the line connecting the normal line of the two target surfaces located at the center or a point where the extension line intersects the main axis,
   Centering on the line taking the angle θ, when the maximum swing angle of the smoothing part is α _{1 in the} positive direction and α _{2 in the} negative direction,
   3. The powder coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle β, the angle θ, the angle α _1, and the angle α ₂ satisfy the expressions 1, 2, 3, and 4.
   (Equation 1) 0 ° <β− (θ + α ₁ ) <45 °
   (Equation 2) 90 ° ≦ β <135 °
   (Equation 3) 0 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 °
   (Equation 4) 0 ° <α ₂ <60 °
4. The powder coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the powder rise suppressing part is a brush or a spatula.
5. 5. The powder coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the leveling part is a bar or a plate.
6. 2. The leveling part is folded back at the lowest position or beyond the inner side wall of the barrel when performing a peristaltic motion in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the barrel. The powder coating apparatus according to any one of 1 to 5.
7. 7. A first angle adjustment mechanism that changes the inclination θ of the target and that can fix the inclination at any angle in the angular range of Formula 3. The powder coating apparatus described in 1.
8. The powder rise suppression component is
   When the number of targets on the cross section is 1, it is fixed in a state of being arranged above the intersection of the line extending the target surface and the inner side wall of the barrel, or
   When the number of targets on the cross section is an odd number (excluding 1), the target is located above the intersection of the line extending the target surface located in the center and the inner side wall of the barrel. Is fixed, or
   When the number of targets on the cross section is an even number, it is fixed in a state of being arranged above the intersection of the line connecting the opposite ends of the two target surfaces located in the center and the inner side wall of the barrel. The powder coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a powder coating apparatus.
9. A first angle adjusting mechanism capable of changing the inclination θ of the target and fixing the inclination at any angle in the angle range of Formula 3,
   When the number of targets on the cross section is 1, the powder rise suppression component is fixed at a position that is above the intersection of the line extending the target surface and the inner side wall of the barrel, with variable position. Has a possible second angle adjustment mechanism, or
   When the number of targets on the cross section is an odd number (excluding 1), the powder rise restraining component is arranged more than the intersection of the line extending the target surface located at the center and the inner side wall of the barrel. It has a second angle adjustment mechanism that can be fixed in a variable position at the upper position, or
   When the number of targets on the cross section is an even number, the powder rise suppression component is located above the intersection of the line connecting the opposite ends of the two target surfaces located in the center and the inner side wall of the barrel. The powder coating apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, further comprising a second angle adjusting mechanism that can be fixed at a position.
10. A method of using the powder coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
    The amount of powder put into the barrel is such that when the leveling part performs a peristaltic motion in the direction of rotation of the barrel, the peristaltic motion passes in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the barrel. A method of using a powder coating apparatus, characterized in that the amount of powder is leveled when the powder is applied.
    

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