WO2021182010A1

WO2021182010A1 - Powder film forming device and powder film forming method

Info

Publication number: WO2021182010A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/005227
Authority: WO
Inventors: 藤井　博文
Original assignee: 株式会社神戸製鋼所
Priority date: 2020-03-12
Filing date: 2021-02-12
Publication date: 2021-09-16
Also published as: JP7488071B2; JP2021143393A

Abstract

Provided are a powder film forming device and a powder film forming method with which it is possible to continuously carry out, on powder, film forming processing, while suppressing the mixing of or contact between raw material gases at any location other than the surfaces of particles that constitute the powder. A device body (10) of a powder film forming device (1) includes at least one film forming processing unit (100C) that is arranged in a powder flow channel (100) through which powder (F) moves. The film forming processing unit (100C) includes: a first gas containing part (101) that contains a first raw material gas; a second gas containing part (103) that contains a second raw material gas; and a plurality of powder reservoirs (105). The powder (F) stored in the powder reservoirs (105) seals a space between the first gas containing part (101) and the second gas containing part (103) and prevents mixing or contacting between the raw material gases.

Description

Powder deposition equipment and powder deposition method

The present invention relates to a powder film forming apparatus and a powder film forming method for forming a film forming process on powder.

Conventionally, an atomic layer deposition treatment technique is known as a technique for forming a film on a powder. In this technique, by alternately exposing the powder to two kinds of raw material gases, a film can be formed on the powder by the mutual reaction of the respective raw material gases.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which powder laminated on a belt conveyor is conveyed by the belt conveyor so as to pass through a plurality of gas accommodating portions, and a film is sequentially formed on the powder. .. Further, in Patent Document 2, in a state where the reaction vessel is filled with the first raw material gas, the powder is dropped in the reaction vessel to attach the ions of the first raw material gas onto the powder, and the reaction vessel is described. Disclosed is a technique for forming a film on the powder by completely discharging the first raw material gas from the above, and then dropping the powder again in a state where the reaction vessel is filled with the second raw material gas. There is.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0363136 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0015106

In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the powder is conveyed by the belt conveyor, a predetermined gap is formed between the partition wall for partitioning the adjacent gas accommodating portions and the powder on the belt conveyor. There is. Therefore, when different raw material gases come into contact with each other in the gap and react with each other, there is a problem that a film thicker than the original set value is irregularly formed on the powder, and the reaction product produced by the above reaction is powdered. There was a problem that it was mixed in the body. Further, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to repeat the process of filling the reaction vessel with the raw material gas and then completely discharging the raw material gas every time a single atomic layer is formed. There is a problem that the film treatment time becomes long.

An object of the present invention is a powder film forming apparatus and a powder capable of continuously performing a film forming process on a powder while suppressing contact between raw material gases other than the surface of the particles constituting the powder. The purpose is to provide a film forming method.

Provided by the present invention is a powder film forming apparatus for performing a film forming process on powder, the apparatus main body, a first gas supply unit capable of supplying a first raw material gas, and the first gas supply unit. A second gas supply unit capable of supplying a second source gas different from the first source gas, and gas molecules of the first source gas and gas molecules of the second source gas provided in the main body of the apparatus. It is at least one film forming processing portion capable of forming a film on the surface of powder particles by a reaction, and has a plurality of tops and a plurality of bottoms, and moves to intersect the vertical direction while meandering up and down. At least one film forming process section in which a powder flow path that allows powder to flow in the direction is formed, and the at least one film forming process section continuously distributes powder along the powder flow path. It is equipped with a powder moving mechanism that can be moved to. The at least one film forming processing unit constitutes the bottom portion of the powder flow path, and constitutes a plurality of powder storage portions for storing powder and the top portion of the powder flow path, respectively. A plurality of gas storage units that connect adjacent powder storage units to each other and store gas inside, and receive the first raw material gas from the first gas supply unit. A plurality of gas accommodating units including at least a first gas accommodating unit for accommodating the first raw material gas and a second gas accommodating unit for receiving the second raw material gas from the second gas supply unit and accommodating the second raw material gas. The powder transfer mechanism has the above, and the powder is exposed to the gas in the gas accommodating portion by flowing into the gas accommodating portion from the powder accommodating portion, and the powder is exposed from the gas accommodating portion to the next powder. The powder is moved in the powder flow path so as to flow into the body storage section, and the plurality of powder storage sections allow gas to flow along the powder flow path between adjacent gas storage sections. It has a shape for storing powder so that this can be suppressed by the stored powder.

Further, what is provided by the present invention is a powder forming method for forming a film on a powder, which has a plurality of tops and a plurality of bottoms and moves to intersect the vertical direction while meandering up and down. A preparatory step for preparing an apparatus main body in which a powder flow path that allows powder to flow in a direction is formed, and a powder is stored in a region of the powder flow path below the plurality of tops. A powder storage step of partitioning between the plurality of tops by the stored powder, and the movement of the first raw material gas from one of the tops while accommodating the first raw material gas in one of the tops. A gas accommodating step of accommodating a second raw material gas different from the first raw material gas at another top on the downstream side in the direction, and the powder flow path in the main body of the apparatus are continuous with the powder in the moving direction. The powder is exposed to the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas in order by moving to, and the particles of the powder are reacted by the reaction between the gas molecules of the first raw material gas and the gas molecules of the second raw material gas. It is provided with a film forming step of performing a film forming process on the surface of the above.

FIG. 1 is a schematic normal cross-sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic normal cross-sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic normal cross-sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic horizontal sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective perspective view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic normal cross-sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the modified embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the powder film forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The powder film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment performs a film forming process on the powder by atomic layer deposition (Atomic Layer Deposition). FIG. 1 is a schematic normal cross-sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The powder film forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 10, a raw material gas exhaust unit 120, a first gas supply unit 121, a purge gas supply unit 122, a second gas supply unit 123, a purge gas exhaust unit 124, and powder. It has a moving mechanism 125 and. _{In the following, a case where alumina (Al 2} O ₃ ) is formed on powder (for example, metal powder or iron powder) by the powder film forming apparatus 1 will be described as an example.

The apparatus main body 10 corresponds to the main body portion of the powder film forming apparatus 1, and has a rectangular parallelepiped housing structure in the present embodiment. As will be described in detail later, a powder flow path 100 that allows powder to flow is formed inside the apparatus main body 10 so as to pass through a plurality of gas accommodating portions.

The raw material gas exhaust unit 120 is composed of a vacuum pump, and each gas accommodating unit in the apparatus main body 10 is evacuated (vacuum drawing). The raw material gas exhaust unit 120 includes a first gas exhaust unit 120A and a second gas exhaust unit 120B. The first gas exhaust unit 120A puts the first gas accommodating unit 101 in a vacuum state and exhausts the first raw material gas from the first gas accommodating unit 101. Similarly, the second gas exhaust unit 120B puts the second gas accommodating unit 103 in a vacuum state and exhausts the second raw material gas from the second gas accommodating unit 103. By arranging the first gas exhaust unit 120A and the second gas exhaust unit 120B independently of each other, it is possible to prevent the first source gas and the second source gas from coming into contact with each other in each exhaust path.

The first gas supply unit 121 is capable of supplying the first raw material gas to the first gas storage unit 101 in the apparatus main body 10. In this embodiment, TMA (Trimethylaluminum) is used as the first raw material gas.

The second gas supply unit 123 is capable of supplying a second raw material gas different from the first raw material gas to the second gas accommodating unit 103 in the apparatus main body 10. In this embodiment, water vapor (H ₂₀ ) or oxygen plasma is used as the second raw material gas.

The purge gas supply unit 122 is capable of supplying purge gas to the purge gas accommodating unit 102 in the apparatus main body 10. The purge gas is a gas different from the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas, and is for removing excess of the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas from the powder. In this embodiment, nitrogen gas is used as the purge gas.

The purge gas exhaust unit 124 includes a vacuum pump provided independently of the raw material gas exhaust unit 120, and exhausts the purge gas from the purge gas accommodating unit 102.

The powder transfer mechanism 125 is capable of continuously moving the powder F along the powder flow path 100 in the film forming processing unit 100C described later in the apparatus main body 10. In the present embodiment, the powder moving mechanism 125 generates vibration that gives vibration to the apparatus main body 10 in a specific direction (arrow D1 in FIG. 1) including a moving direction (right direction) and a vertical direction of the powder F, respectively. Including part.

The apparatus main body 10 has a supply-side storage chamber 100A, a discharge-side storage chamber 100B, and a plurality of film-forming processing units 100C arranged between the supply-side storage chamber 100A and the discharge-side storage chamber 100B. The supply-side storage chamber 100A is arranged at the left end of the apparatus main body 10, and a powder supply port 10P for receiving the powder F is opened on the upper surface thereof. Similarly, the discharge side storage chamber 100B is arranged at the right end portion of the apparatus main body 10, and a powder discharge port 10Q for discharging the powder F is opened on the lower surface portion thereof. A cover (not shown) that can be opened and closed is attached to each of the powder supply port 10P and the powder discharge port 10Q.

The plurality of film forming processing units 100C each form a film on the surface of the particles constituting the powder F by the reaction between the gas molecules of the first raw material gas and the gas molecules of the second raw material gas. Note that FIG. 1 shows in detail one of the plurality of film forming processing units 100C, the film forming processing unit 100C. In the apparatus main body 10, other film forming processing units 100C are continuously arranged on the upstream side (left side) and the downstream side (right side) of the film forming processing unit 100C of FIG. 1, respectively. Such a plurality of film forming processing units 100C form the above-mentioned powder flow path 100. As shown by arrows D2 and D3 in FIG. 1, the powder flow path 100 has a plurality of tops and a plurality of bottoms, and the powder F moves in a horizontal moving direction (right direction) while meandering up and down. Allow to flow.

The film forming processing unit 100C includes a first gas accommodating unit 101, each of which constitutes the top of the powder flow path 100, and one purge gas accommodating unit 102 and a second purge gas accommodating unit 102 arranged on the downstream side of the first gas accommodating unit 101. The gas accommodating portion 103, another purge gas accommodating portion 102 (above, a plurality of gas accommodating portions) arranged on the downstream side of the second gas accommodating portion 103, and the other gas accommodating portions 102 are arranged adjacent to each other below these gas accommodating portions. , Each having four powder storage units 105 (plurality of powder storage units) constituting the bottom of the powder flow path 100.

The first gas accommodating portion 101 constitutes a part of the powder flow path 100. The first gas accommodating unit 101 receives the first raw material gas from the first gas supply unit 121 and accommodates the first raw material gas.

The second gas accommodating portion 103 constitutes a part of the powder flow path 100. The second gas accommodating unit 103 is arranged downstream of the first gas accommodating unit 101 in the moving direction, receives the second raw material gas from the second gas supply unit 123, and accommodates the second raw material gas.

Each purge gas accommodating unit 102 is arranged between the first gas accommodating unit 101 and the second gas accommodating unit 103 in the powder flow in the powder flow path 100, receives the purge gas from the purge gas supply unit 122, and receives the purge gas. Contain.

The plurality of powder storage units 105 are arranged below the first gas storage unit 101, the purge gas storage unit 102, and the second gas storage unit 103 so as to straddle different gas storage units. In other words, each of the plurality of gas accommodating portions connects the adjacent powder storage portions 105 of the plurality of powder storage portions 105 to each other. As shown in FIG. 1, each powder storage unit 105 stores powder F up to the vicinity of the upper end portion of the second partition portion 112 described later. Further, the plurality of powder storage units 105 store the powder so that the flowing of gas along the powder flow path 100 between the adjacent gas storage units can be suppressed by the stored powder. It has a shape to store.

Here, the structure in which each of the above gas accommodating portions and powder accommodating portions is formed in the apparatus main body 10 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 10 includes a bottom wall 10B, a top wall 10T arranged above the bottom wall 10B, a plurality of first partition portions 111 (at least three first partition portions), and a plurality of first partition portions 111. It has a second partition portion 112 (a plurality of second partition portions) of the above.

The plurality of first partition portions 111 are arranged on the top wall 10T of the apparatus main body 10 at intervals in the moving direction, and extend downward from the top wall 10T to define the powder flow path 100. doing. Each first partition 111 has a tip (lower end, first partition tip) arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the bottom wall 10B.

The plurality of second partition portions 112 are arranged on the bottom wall 10B of the apparatus main body 10 so as to be arranged between the first partition portions 111 adjacent to each other in the moving direction among the plurality of first partition portions 111. They are arranged at intervals in the moving direction and extend upward from the bottom wall 10B to define the powder flow path 100. Each second partition 112 has a tip (upper end, second partition tip) arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the top wall 10T.

As shown in FIG. 1, among the plurality of first partition portions 111, a plurality of pairs of first partition portions 111 adjacent to each other in the moving direction are at least the second partition portion in the space between the first partition portions 111. A first gas accommodating portion 101, a purge gas accommodating portion 102, and a second gas accommodating portion 103 are defined in a portion above the tip end portion of the 112.

Further, among the plurality of second partition portions 112, a plurality of pairs (at least a pair) of the second partition portions 112 adjacent to each other in the moving direction are the first partition portions 111 (first) between the second partition portions 112. The powder storage portions 105 are defined so as to sandwich the partition tip portion) from both the left and right sides.

As shown in FIG. 1, the powder F is charged into the supply side storage chamber 100A from the powder supply port 10P while the powder moving mechanism 125 applies vibration in the direction indicated by the arrow D1 to the apparatus main body 10. Then, the powder F moves to the downstream side in the moving direction in response to the vibration. The powder F stored in the powder storage unit 105 located on the most upstream side of the film forming processing unit 100C dives under the first partition portion 111 as shown by the arrow D2, as shown by the arrow D3. , Overcome the second partition 112. While repeating such movements, powder F is eventually stored in each powder storage unit 105 as shown in FIG. Next, the first gas supply unit 121, the purge gas supply unit 122, and the second gas supply unit 123 supply the corresponding gas to the first gas storage unit 101, the purge gas storage unit 102, and the second gas storage unit 103, respectively. .. At this time, the powder F stored in each powder storage unit 105 defines and seals the lower surface portion of each gas storage unit. The first gas supply unit 121, the purge gas supply unit 122, and the second gas supply unit 123 may supply gas in order from the gas storage unit sealed by the powder F. In this way, in the film forming processing unit 100C, the powder F passes through the first gas accommodating unit 101, the purge gas accommodating unit 102, the second gas accommodating unit 103, and the other purge gas accommodating unit 102 in this order. Then, when the powder F flows into the first gas accommodating portion 101, trimethylaluminum functioning as a precursor adheres to the surface of the particles of the powder F. At this time, one aluminum group is bonded to the oxygen group on the surface of the particles of the powder F (base) to form a nucleus, and the methyl group in the trimethylaluminum is desorbed from the powder F. Then, the film grows in the lateral direction (direction along the surface) starting from this nucleus, and an aluminum layer (layer) is formed on the particles of the powder F. When the oxygen groups on the surface of the particles of the powder F are buried, the aluminum groups cannot adhere to the particles of the powder F any more, so that the trimethylaluminum existing around the powder F becomes a surplus. Therefore, when the powder F enters the purge gas accommodating portion 102 due to the movement by the powder moving mechanism 125, the surplus of trimethylaluminum around the powder F is present together with the purge gas (nitrogen) in the purge gas accommodating portion 102. It is exhausted by the purge gas exhaust unit 124.

Next, when the powder F flows into the second gas accommodating portion 103, the oxygen groups in the water vapor adhere to the aluminum groups on the surface of the particles of the powder F, and a layer of oxygen groups is formed so as to enclose the powder F. NS. Similarly, after the excess water vapor (oxygen group) is exhausted in the next purge gas accommodating portion 102, trimethylaluminum adheres to the oxygen group in the first gas accommodating portion 101 of the film forming processing unit 100C further downstream. do. _{By repeating such a step, an alumina film (Al 2} O ₃ ) containing a plurality of aluminum atomic layers is formed on the surface of the powder F particles discharged from the powder discharge port 10Q. As described above, in the present embodiment, the film can be continuously formed on the powder F. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a purge gas accommodating unit 102 is arranged between the first gas accommodating unit 101 and the second gas accommodating unit 103, and powder stored in the two powder storage units 105. The body F separates (seals) the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 from each other. Therefore, in a portion different from the particle surface constituting the powder F (for example, the inner wall of the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103), the first raw material gas (trimethylaluminum) and the second raw material gas (water vapor). ) And react with each other to prevent the formation and adhesion of alumina. In addition, when the film forming treatment for the powder F as described above is performed, the powder F which is initially used only for sealing each gas accommodating portion and has not undergone sufficient film forming treatment is again powdered. It may be put into the supply side storage chamber 100A from the body supply port 10P and reused.

Here, the structure of the film forming processing unit 100C according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be grasped as follows with reference to the first gas accommodating unit 101 and the second gas accommodating unit 103. The film forming processing unit 100C includes a first gas accommodating unit 101, a first purge gas accommodating unit 102A, a second gas accommodating unit 103, a second purge gas accommodating unit 102B, a first powder storage unit 100J, and a second. It has a powder storage unit 100K and two intermediate

powder storage units

100M and 100N.

A first purge gas accommodating unit 102A is arranged between the first gas accommodating unit 101 and the second gas accommodating unit 103. Similarly, a second purge gas accommodating portion 102B is arranged on the downstream side of the second gas accommodating portion 103 (between the second gas accommodating portion 103 and the next first gas accommodating portion 101). The first purge gas accommodating portion 102A and the second purge gas accommodating portion 102B form a part of the powder flow path 100. Further, the first purge gas accommodating unit 102A and the second purge gas accommodating unit 102B receive the purge gas from the purge gas supply unit 122 and accommodate the purge gas.

The first powder storage unit 100J corresponds to the powder storage unit 105 immediately upstream of the first gas storage unit 101 in FIG. 1. The first powder storage unit 100J constitutes a part of the powder flow path 100. The first powder storage unit 100J communicates with the upstream portion of the first gas storage unit 101 in the moving direction from below, and can store the powder F supplied to the first gas storage unit 101. ing. The first powder storage unit 100J stores the powder F so as to prevent the first raw material gas from flowing from the first gas storage unit 101 to the purge gas storage unit 102 on the upstream side of the first gas storage unit 101. do. In the case of the film forming process section 100C in which the film forming process section 100C shown in FIG. 1 is located on the most upstream side, the first powder storage section 100J is from the first gas accommodating section 101 to the supply side storage chamber 100A. The flow of the first raw material gas is suppressed.

Further, the second powder storage unit 100K corresponds to the powder storage unit 105 immediately upstream of the second gas storage unit 103 in FIG. 1. The second powder storage unit 100K constitutes a part of the powder flow path 100. The second powder storage unit 100K communicates with the upstream portion of the second gas storage unit 103 in the moving direction from below, and can store the powder F supplied to the second gas storage unit 103. ing. Further, the second powder storage unit 100K communicates with the downstream portion of the first purge gas storage unit 102A in the moving direction from below, and can receive the powder F that has passed through the first purge gas storage unit 102A. ing.

Further, the intermediate powder storage unit 100M communicates with each of the downstream portion of the first gas accommodating portion 101 in the moving direction and the upstream portion of the first purge gas accommodating portion 102A in the moving direction from below, and the powder F is communicated with each other. It is possible to store. The intermediate powder storage unit 100M is a powder so as to prevent the first raw material gas and the purge gas from flowing between the first gas storage unit 101 and the first purge gas storage unit 102A by the stored powder F, respectively. Store body F.

Further, the intermediate powder storage unit 100N corresponds to the powder storage unit 105 immediately downstream of the second gas storage unit 103. The intermediate powder storage unit 100N constitutes a part of the powder flow path 100. The intermediate powder storage unit 100N communicates with the downstream portion of the second gas storage unit 103 in the moving direction from below, and can store (accept) the powder F that has passed through the second gas storage unit 103. Has been done. Further, the intermediate powder storage unit 100N communicates with the upstream portion of the second purge gas storage unit 102B in the moving direction from below, and stores and stores the powder F supplied to the second purge gas storage unit 102B. The powder F is stored so as to suppress the flow of the second raw material gas and the purge gas between the second gas accommodating portion 103 and the second purge gas accommodating portion 102B, respectively.

The purge gas supply unit 122 of FIG. 1 has a flow rate control valve 122C (see FIG. 2, pressure adjusting mechanism) capable of controlling the supply amount of the purge gas to the purge gas accommodating unit 102. In the flow control valve 122C, the pressure of the first purge gas accommodating portion 102A and the pressure of the second purge gas accommodating portion 102B are lower than the pressure of the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the pressure of the second gas accommodating portion 103. The pressure of the first purge gas accommodating portion 102A and the pressure of the second purge gas accommodating portion 102B are adjusted respectively. On the other hand, the purge gas exhaust unit 124 exhausts the purge gas from the first purge gas accommodating unit 102A and the second purge gas accommodating unit 102B, respectively. Therefore, since each purge gas accommodating portion 102 is set to a negative pressure with respect to the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103, the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas remaining in the powder F are charged. The surplus is likely to be attracted to each purge gas accommodating portion 102. Therefore, the purge gas exhaust unit 124 can reliably exhaust these excess gases together with the purge gas.

Further, in the present embodiment, the raw material gas exhaust unit 120 and the purge gas exhaust unit 124 exhaust the gas from the first gas accommodating unit 101, the purge gas accommodating unit 102, and the second gas accommodating unit 103. Therefore, since the required amount of raw material gas can be supplied while evacuating each gas accommodating portion, the purity of the raw material gas in each gas accommodating portion can be increased. As a result, the powder F can be subjected to a high-purity film forming process.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the powder moving mechanism 125 continuously moves the powder F through the powder flow path 100 of the film forming processing section 100C, so that the powder F is transferred to the first gas accommodating section. By being sequentially exposed to the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas in the 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103, a film is continuously formed on the surface of the particles of the powder F by undergoing the reaction of the gas molecules of both gases. Can be formed. Further, each powder storage unit 105 arranged between the first gas storage unit 101 and the second gas storage unit 103 of the film forming processing unit 100C has the first gas storage unit 101 and the first gas storage unit 105 depending on the powder F to be stored. 2 The space between the gas accommodating portion 103 and the gas accommodating portion 103 can be sealed. Therefore, the movement of each raw material gas between the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 is suppressed. As a result, it is suppressed that the raw material gases come into contact with each other at a portion different from the surface of the powder F particles in any of the gas accommodating portions, for example, the wall surface of the gas accommodating portion, and the reaction between the two gases is suppressed. be able to.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the plurality of gas accommodating units, the first gas accommodating unit 101 and the second gas accommodating unit 103 are alternately arranged along the moving direction, and the plurality of gas accommodating units are arranged as described above. A plurality of purge gases that are arranged between the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 in the flow of the powder F in the powder flow path 100, receive the purge gas from the purge gas supply unit 122, and accommodate the purge gas. It further has an accommodating portion 102. According to such a configuration, the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas are prevented from coming into contact with each other except on the surface of the particles of the powder F, and the powder F passing through the second gas accommodating portion 103 is the second to the powder F. 2 The surplus of the raw material gas can be removed in the second purge gas accommodating portion 102B. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the surplus second raw material gas from reacting with the first raw material gas in the next treatment step to generate a reaction product independent of the powder F.

Further, in the present embodiment, the plurality of first partition portions 111 and the plurality of second partition portions 112 arranged in the apparatus main body 10 form a powder flow path 100 meandering up and down in the apparatus main body 10. , The first gas accommodating unit 101, the second gas accommodating unit 103, and the powder storage unit 105 can be defined, respectively. In particular, since the gas accommodating portion or the powder accommodating portion is arranged close to each other with each partition portion interposed therebetween, the powder is compared with the case where the gas accommodating portion and the powder accommodating portion are arranged apart from each other. The size of the powder film forming apparatus 1 in the moving direction of F can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the powder F that has passed through the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 of one film forming processing unit 100C is the first of the other film forming processing unit 100C on the further downstream side. A plurality of film forming processing units 100C are connected to each other in the apparatus main body 10 so as to pass through the gas accommodating unit 101 and the second gas accommodating unit 103, and a continuous powder flow path 100 is formed. At this time, the second purge gas accommodating unit 102B of the film forming processing unit 100C of one of the plurality of film forming processing units 100C moves more than the film forming processing unit 100C of one of the plurality of film forming processing units 100C. The first powder storage unit 100J communicates with the first powder storage unit 100J of another film formation processing unit 100C on the downstream side in the direction, and the first powder storage unit 100J is connected to the one film formation processing unit 100C by the stored powder F. The powder F is added so as to prevent the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas from flowing between the second gas accommodating portion 103 and the first gas accommodating portion 101 of the other film forming processing unit 100C. It is stored. Therefore, the film forming process for the powder F can be continuously and efficiently performed in the plurality of film forming processing units 100C. Further, the flow of the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas between the film forming processing units 100C can be suppressed by the layer of the powder F, and the reaction of both gases other than the surface of the powder F can be suppressed. The second purge gas accommodating unit 102B, which is arranged between the second gas accommodating unit 103 of the one film forming processing unit 100C and the first gas accommodating unit 101 of the other film forming processing unit 100C, is also described above. Similarly, it has a function of suppressing the contact of the raw material gas.

Further, in the present embodiment, the powder moving mechanism 125 includes a vibration generating portion capable of applying vibration to the apparatus main body 10. Therefore, by applying vibration in a specific direction to the apparatus main body 10, it is possible to apply a moving force for moving the powder flow path 100 to the powder F. Therefore, the powder F can be stably moved so as to pass through each gas accommodating portion without having a mechanical moving mechanism that directly contacts the powder F like a rotating blade member. In particular, as compared with the case where the mechanical moving mechanism as described above is provided, the apparatus can be simplified and the particles constituting the powder F can be prevented from being crushed by the mechanical moving force. be able to. In addition, it is possible to prevent a part of the blade member from being mixed with the powder (contamination).

Further, the powder film forming method according to the present embodiment is a powder film forming method in which a powder is subjected to a film forming process, and has a plurality of tops and a plurality of bottoms and moves horizontally while meandering up and down. A preparatory step for preparing an apparatus main body 10 in which a powder flow path 100 for allowing powder to flow in a direction is formed, and a powder in a region of the powder flow path 100 below the plurality of tops. A powder storage step of storing F and partitioning between the plurality of apexes by the stored powder F, and accommodating the first raw material gas in one of the plurality of apexes, while accommodating the first raw material gas. A gas accommodating step of accommodating a second raw material gas different from the first raw material gas at another apex on the downstream side in the moving direction from the top of the powder F, and powder F in the moving direction along the powder flow path. By continuously moving the powder F, the powder F is exposed to the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas in order, and by the reaction between the gas molecules of the first raw material gas and the gas molecules of the second raw material gas. It includes a film forming step of performing a film forming process on the surface of the particles of the powder F.

According to such a method, the powder F is sequentially exposed to the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas at a plurality of tops, so that the powder F undergoes the reaction of both gases to continuously form a film on the powder F. Can be formed. Further, the stored powder F can seal between a plurality of tops of the powder flow path 100. Therefore, the movement of each raw material gas between the plurality of tops is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the raw material gases from coming into contact with each other at a portion different from the surface of the particles constituting the powder F, and to prevent the two gases from reacting with each other.

In the above method, the film forming step includes moving the powder F in the moving direction by applying vibrations in specific directions including the moving direction and the vertical direction to the apparatus main body 10. .. According to such a method, the powder F can be stably moved so as to pass through each top.

FIG. 2 is a schematic normal cross-sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, each raw material gas and purge gas are supplied from above to the first gas accommodating portion 101, the purge gas accommodating portion 102, and the second gas accommodating portion 103, but the present invention is limited thereto. It is not something that is done. As shown in FIG. 2, the first gas supply unit 121 includes a first gas tank 121A for accommodating the first raw material gas and a first gas nozzle 121B. Similarly, the purge gas supply unit 122 has a purge gas tank 122A (gas tank) for storing the purge gas and a purge gas nozzle 122B, and the second gas supply unit 123 has a second gas tank 123A for storing the second raw material gas and a second gas tank 123A. It has two gas nozzles 123B. At least one of the first gas supply unit 121, the purge gas supply unit 122, and the second gas supply unit 123 may have the above-mentioned structure.

Further, in the present embodiment, the first gas nozzle 121B, the purge gas nozzle 122B, and the second gas nozzle 123B (all of which are gas ejection portions) are the first powder storage unit 100J, the intermediate

powder storage unit

100M, and 100N in FIG. 1, respectively. , It is arranged in the powder F stored in the second powder storage unit 100K, and each gas can be ejected toward the first gas storage unit 101, the purge gas storage unit 102, and the second gas storage unit 103. It is possible.

According to such a configuration, the gas accommodating portion is directed toward the upstream portion of the gas accommodating portion in which each gas nozzle is arranged on the downstream side of each powder storage portion and further downstream in the flow direction of the powder F. It is arranged so that the same kind of raw material gas can be ejected. Therefore, when the gas nozzle ejects the raw material gas, the powder can be fluidized by the ejection output to promote the transportation by vibration. Assuming that each of the above gas nozzles is arranged in the powder F, the gas nozzles may be arranged on the wall surface or the bottom surface of the powder storage portion, and the tip portion of the nozzle may be exposed in the powder F.

FIG. 3 is a schematic normal cross-sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the first and second embodiments described above, the powder flow path 100 is formed by partitioning the inside of the box-shaped apparatus main body 10 by a plurality of first partition portions 111 and a plurality of second partition portions 112. Although described in the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus main body 10 may be made of a pipe (pipe material) meandering up and down. Also in this case, the first gas accommodating portion 101, each purge gas accommodating portion 102, and the second gas accommodating portion 103 are formed at the top of the pipe, and the powder storage portion 105 for storing the powder F is formed at the bottom of the pipe. NS. Even in such a configuration, the powder moving mechanism 125 applies vibration to the apparatus main body 10, so that the powder F passes through each gas accommodating portion and a film forming process is performed on the particles constituting the powder F. be able to.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the powder film forming apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the plurality of film forming processing units 100C according to the first embodiment are connected to each other so that the powder flow path 100 is spirally arranged around a central axis extending in the vertical direction. .. According to such a configuration, the film forming process for the powder F can be continuously performed in the plurality of film forming processing sections 100C, and the plurality of film forming processing sections 100C are connected to each other along the horizontal direction. Compared with the case, the installation area of the powder film forming apparatus 1 can be reduced. When the powder F is conveyed so as to go down the spiral, the powder moving mechanism 125 applies vibration in the direction of arrow D1 in FIG. 4, so that the powder F goes up the spiral. When transporting F, the powder moving mechanism 125 may apply vibration in the direction of arrow D1'in FIG.

5 and 6 are a schematic horizontal sectional view and a perspective perspective view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a single film forming processing unit 100C is arranged in the cylindrical apparatus main body 10, and the upstream side and the downstream side thereof are connected to each other.

Specifically, the second purge gas accommodating portion 102B of the film forming processing unit 100C (FIG. 1) so that the powder F can repeatedly pass through the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 of the same film forming processing unit 100C. (See) communicates with the first powder storage unit 100J (see FIG. 1) of the film forming processing unit 100C (infinite loop shape). Then, the first powder storage unit 100J of the film forming processing unit 100C receives the first raw material gas and the said first raw material gas between the second gas storage unit 103 and the first gas storage unit 101 on the downstream side by the stored powder F. The powder F is stored so as to prevent the flow of the second raw material gas. Then, by applying the vibration in the direction of the arrow D1 in FIG. 6, the powder F goes under each of the first partition portions 111 as shown by the arrows D2 in FIGS. 5 and 6, and as shown by the arrows D3 in FIGS. 5 and 6. The powder F can get over each of the second partition portions 112.

According to such a configuration, by passing the powder F through the same first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103, the film forming process can be continuously performed on the powder F. Therefore, the size of the powder film forming apparatus 1 can be reduced as compared with the case where more film forming processing sections 100C are connected to each other, and the first gas accommodating section 101 and the powder F having the same powder F can be reduced. Compared with the case where the second gas accommodating portion 103 is passed once, it is not necessary to arrange a large number of powder accommodating portions and gas accommodating portions, and the minimum number of powder accommodating portions and gas accommodating portions can be configured. can. As a result, the powder F can be efficiently formed into a film. The infinite loop-shaped structure as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may be a structure in which a plurality of film forming processing units 100C are continuously connected and arranged in a loop shape.

Although the powder film forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention and the film forming treatment method using the same have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these forms, and the following modifications are carried out. The form is possible.

(1) In the above first embodiment, the raw material gas exhaust unit 120, the first gas supply unit 121, the purge gas supply unit 122, the second gas supply unit 123, and the purge gas exhaust unit 124 are arranged as shown in FIG. However, the number of these structures is not limited to the above aspect. As an example, one first gas exhaust unit 120A may communicate with a plurality of first gas accommodating units 101 and exhaust the first raw material gas from each of the first gas accommodating units 101. Similarly, one second gas exhaust unit 120B may communicate with a plurality of second gas accommodating units 103 and exhaust the second raw material gas from each of the second gas accommodating units 103. Further, one purge gas exhaust unit 124 may communicate with a plurality of purge gas accommodating units 102, and the purge gas may be exhausted from each purge gas accommodating unit 102. The same applies to other embodiments. Further, in each embodiment, the number of film forming processing units 100C arranged in the apparatus main body 10 is not limited, and at least one film forming processing unit 100C may be arranged.

(2) In the first embodiment described above, the device main body 10 is arranged so as to extend in the horizontal direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. In FIG. 1, the device main body 10 may be arranged at an angle so that the downstream portion in the moving direction of the device main body 10 is located lower than the upstream portion in the moving direction. According to such a configuration, since the powder flow path 100 can be set downward along the moving direction, the movement of the powder F can be promoted under the action of gravity. In this case as well, the powder F is moved in a moving direction including at least a horizontal direction. Further, in other embodiments as well, the apparatus main body 10 may be inclined in the same manner.

(3) In the above first embodiment, the first purge gas accommodating unit 102A is arranged between the first gas accommodating unit 101 and the second gas accommodating unit 103, and the second purge gas accommodating unit 102A is located on the downstream side of the second gas accommodating unit 103. Although the embodiment in which the purge gas accommodating portion 102B is arranged has been described, these purge

gas accommodating portions

102A and 102B may not be arranged, and only one of the purge gas accommodating portions 102 may be arranged.

FIG. 7 is a schematic normal cross-sectional view of the powder film forming apparatus according to the modified embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 are alternately arranged along the moving direction so as to straddle the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 from below. , Each powder storage unit 105 may be arranged. That is, in this modified embodiment, the first purge gas accommodating portion 102A, the second purge gas accommodating portion 102B, the intermediate

powder storage portions

100M, and 100N of FIG. 1 are not provided, and each of the plurality of powder storage portions 105 is provided. , The first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 communicate with the upstream portion of one of the first gas accommodating portions 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 in the moving direction from below. The other gas accommodating portion of the gas accommodating portion communicates with the downstream portion in the moving direction from below. According to such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the size of the powder film forming apparatus 1 in the moving direction as compared with the case where the purge gas accommodating portion 102 as in the first embodiment is provided.

(4) Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the purge gas exhaust unit 124 exhausts the purge gas from the first purge gas accommodating unit 102A and the second purge gas accommodating unit 102B, respectively, and each purge gas accommodating unit 101 The present invention has been described in the manner in which the negative pressure is set with respect to the second gas accommodating portion 103, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The flow control valve 122C (pressure adjusting mechanism) sets the pressure of each purge gas accommodating portion so that the pressure of the purge

gas accommodating portions

102A and 102B is higher than the pressure of the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the pressure of the second gas accommodating portion 103. May be adjusted. In this case, since each purge gas accommodating portion is set to a positive pressure with respect to each gas accommodating portion, excess amounts of the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas remaining in the powder flow into each purge gas accommodating portion and come into contact with each other. It can be prevented from doing so.

(5) Further, the moving direction of the powder F in the powder film forming apparatus 1 is not limited to the right direction (horizontal direction), but is a substantially horizontal direction inclined upward or downward with respect to the horizontal direction. Alternatively, if the powder F can be moved, it may be in a predetermined moving direction that intersects the vertical direction at a sharp angle. The predetermined direction includes a horizontal direction and the substantially horizontal direction. Further, in order to stably convey the powder F, the angle formed by the moving direction and the horizontal direction is preferably set within 60 degrees, and more preferably set within 45 degrees.

(6) Further, in the above embodiment, the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 are alternately arranged along the moving direction, and the first gas accommodating portion 101 and the second gas accommodating portion 103 are arranged alternately. Although a plurality of purge gas accommodating portions 102 are respectively arranged between the above, even if a plurality of dummy gas accommodating portions that do not accommodate the dedicated gas are arranged in place of the plurality of purge gas accommodating portions 102, respectively. good. That is, the purge gas is not supplied from the purge gas supply unit 122 to the dummy gas storage unit. Even in such a case, it is possible to prevent the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas from coming into contact with each other except on the surface of the particles of the powder F. In order to exhaust each raw material gas that has flowed into the dummy gas accommodating portion, an exhaust mechanism similar to that of the purge gas exhaust portion 124 is connected to the dummy gas accommodating portion. As a result, it is possible to prevent the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas from coming into contact with each other and staying in the dummy gas accommodating portion.

Provided by the present invention is a powder film forming apparatus for performing a film forming process on powder, the apparatus main body, a first gas supply unit capable of supplying a first raw material gas, and the first gas supply unit. A second gas supply unit capable of supplying a second source gas different from the first source gas, and gas molecules of the first source gas and gas molecules of the second source gas provided in the main body of the apparatus. It is at least one film forming processing portion capable of forming a film on the surface of powder particles by a reaction, and has a plurality of tops and a plurality of bottoms, and moves to intersect the vertical direction while meandering up and down. At least one film forming process section in which a powder flow path that allows powder to flow in the direction is formed, and the at least one film forming process section continuously distributes powder along the powder flow path. It is equipped with a powder moving mechanism that can be moved to. The at least one film forming processing unit constitutes the bottom portion of the powder flow path, and constitutes a plurality of powder storage portions for storing powder and the top portion of the powder flow path, respectively. A plurality of gas storage units that connect adjacent powder storage units to each other and store gas inside, and receive the first raw material gas from the first gas supply unit. A plurality of gas accommodating units including at least a first gas accommodating unit for accommodating the first raw material gas and a second gas accommodating unit for receiving the second raw material gas from the second gas supply unit and accommodating the second raw material gas. The powder transfer mechanism is exposed to the gas in the gas accommodating portion by flowing the powder from the powder accommodating portion into the gas accommodating portion, and the powder is next from the gas accommodating portion. The powder is moved in the powder flow path so as to flow into the powder storage section, and the plurality of powder storage sections allow gas to flow along the powder flow path between adjacent gas storage sections. It has a shape for storing powder so that the flow can be suppressed by the stored powder.

According to this configuration, when the powder continuously moves in the powder flow path of the film forming processing portion, the powder is transferred to the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion in the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas. It is possible to continuously form a film on the powder by the reaction of each gas molecule adsorbed on the surface of each particle. Further, the plurality of powder storage units can prevent gas from flowing along the powder flow path between adjacent gas storage units by the stored powder. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the raw material gases from coming into contact with each other except on the surface of the particles constituting the powder.

In the above configuration, in the plurality of gas accommodating portions, the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion are alternately arranged along the moving direction, and each of the plurality of powder accommodating portions is arranged. , It is desirable that the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion communicate with each other.

According to this configuration, each powder storage unit of the film forming processing unit communicates with the first gas storage unit and the second gas storage unit, respectively, so that the powder to be stored can be used as the first gas storage unit and the second gas storage unit. It can be sealed between the gas accommodating part. Therefore, the movement of each raw material gas between the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the raw material gases from coming into contact with each other at a portion different from the surface of the particles constituting the powder, and to prevent the two gases from reacting with each other. Further, the size of the powder film forming apparatus in the moving direction can be reduced as compared with the case where the powder film forming apparatus has another gas accommodating portion that accommodates a gas different from the raw material gas such as a purge gas accommodating portion.

In the above configuration, it is possible to supply a purge gas for removing the surplus first raw material gas or the second raw material gas from the powder, which is a gas different from the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas. A possible purge gas supply unit is further provided, and in the plurality of gas accommodating units, the first gas accommodating unit and the second gas accommodating unit are alternately arranged along the moving direction, and the plurality of gas accommodating units are arranged. A plurality of purge gas accommodating portions that are arranged between the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion in the powder flow in the powder flow path, receive the purge gas from the purge gas supply unit, and accommodate the purge gas. It is desirable to have more.

According to this configuration, a plurality of purge gas accommodating portions are arranged between the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion to accommodate the purge gas, so that the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas are on the surface of the powder. Other than that, it is possible to prevent the powder from coming into contact with each other and remove the excess amount of the raw material gas from the powder that has passed through the gas accommodating portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the excess gas molecules of the first raw material gas and the gas molecules of the second raw material gas from reacting with each other to generate an unnecessary reaction product.

In the above configuration, with a pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts the pressure of the purge gas accommodating portion so that the pressure of the purge gas accommodating portion is lower than the pressure of the first gas accommodating portion and the pressure of the second gas accommodating portion. It is desirable to further include an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the purge gas from the purge gas accommodating portion.

According to this configuration, since each purge gas accommodating portion is set to a negative pressure with respect to each gas accommodating portion, excess amounts of the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas remaining in the powder are attracted to each purge gas accommodating portion. Easy to get rid of. Therefore, the exhaust mechanism can reliably exhaust these excess gases together with the purge gas.

In the above configuration, the pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts the pressure of the purge gas accommodating portion so that the pressure of the purge gas accommodating portion becomes higher than the pressure of the first gas accommodating portion and the pressure of the second gas accommodating portion. , An exhaust mechanism for exhausting the purge gas from the purge gas accommodating portion may be further provided.

According to this configuration, since the purge gas accommodating portion is set to a positive pressure with respect to each gas accommodating portion, the surplus of the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas remaining in the powder flows into each purge gas accommodating portion. It is possible to prevent them from touching each other.

In the above configuration, in the plurality of gas accommodating portions, the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion are alternately arranged along the moving direction, and the plurality of gas accommodating portions are the powder. An exhaust mechanism that further has a plurality of dummy gas accommodating portions arranged between the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion in the flow of powder in the body flow path, and is connected to the dummy gas accommodating portion. May be further provided.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas from coming into contact with each other except on the surface of the powder particles. Further, the exhaust mechanism can prevent the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas from coming into contact with each other and staying in the dummy gas accommodating portion.

In the above configuration, the device main body is arranged on the bottom wall, the top wall arranged above the bottom wall, and the top wall of the device main body at intervals in the moving direction, and the top wall. At least three first partitions extending downward from the surface and defining the powder flow path, each having a first partition tip portion arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the bottom wall. The movement direction on the bottom wall of the apparatus main body so as to be arranged between the first partition and the first partition adjacent to each other in the movement direction among the at least three first partitions. A plurality of second partition portions that are spaced apart from each other and extend upward from the bottom wall to define the powder flow path, and are arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the top wall. A plurality of pairs of the first partition portions having a plurality of second partition portions each having a second partition tip portion and adjacent to each other in the moving direction among the at least three first partition portions are at least said. In the portion above the tip of the second partition, the plurality of gas accommodating portions are defined, and at least a pair of the second partition portions adjacent to each other in the moving direction among the plurality of second partition portions are formed. It is desirable to define the powder storage portion so as to sandwich the tip of the first partition from both sides.

According to this configuration, the first partition portion and the second partition portion arranged in the main body of the apparatus can define a plurality of gas accommodating portions and powder storage portions, respectively. In this case, since the gas accommodating portion or the powder accommodating portion is arranged close to each other with each partition portion interposed therebetween, the powder is compared with the case where the gas accommodating portion and the powder accommodating portion are arranged apart from each other. The size of the body film forming apparatus can be reduced.

In the above configuration, it is desirable that the device main body is inclined so that the downstream portion in the moving direction of the device main body is located lower than the upstream portion in the moving direction.

According to this configuration, since the powder flow path can be arranged in the downward direction along the moving direction, the movement of the powder can be promoted by the action of gravity.

In the above configuration, the powder that has passed through the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion of the at least one film forming processing unit is the other film forming processing unit of the plurality of film forming processing units. It is desirable that the plurality of film forming processing portions are connected to each other so as to pass through the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion.

According to this configuration, it is possible to continuously perform the film forming process on the powder in a plurality of film forming processing sections, so that the film forming process can be efficiently performed. Further, the flow of the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas between the film forming processing portions can be suppressed by the powder, and the reaction of both gases other than the surface of the particles constituting the powder can be suppressed.

In the above configuration, it is desirable that the plurality of film forming processing portions are connected to each other so that the powder flow path is spirally arranged around a central axis extending in the vertical direction.

According to this configuration, it is possible to continuously perform the film forming process on the powder in the plurality of film forming processing sections, and as compared with the case where the plurality of film forming processing sections are connected to each other along the horizontal direction. , The installation area of the film forming processing apparatus can be reduced.

In the above configuration, the film forming section of the at least one film forming process so that the powder can repeatedly pass through the same first gas accommodating section and the second gas accommodating section of the at least one film forming process section. The portion of the powder flow path downstream of the second gas accommodating portion in the moving direction is the upstream side of the powder flow path of the at least one film forming processing portion in the moving direction of the first gas accommodating portion. It is desirable to communicate with the part.

According to this configuration, the film formation process can be continuously performed on the powder by repeatedly passing the powder through the same first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion. Therefore, as compared with the case where the powder passes through the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion once, it is not necessary to arrange a large number of powder accommodating portions and gas accommodating portions, and the minimum number of powders is required. It can be composed of a storage unit and a gas storage unit.

In the above configuration, it is desirable to further include a vacuum pump that exhausts gas from the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion of the at least one film forming processing unit.

According to this configuration, the required amount of raw material gas can be supplied while evacuating each gas accommodating portion, so that the purity of the raw material gas in each gas accommodating portion can be increased. As a result, the powder can be subjected to a high-purity film forming process.

In the above configuration, it is desirable that the powder moving mechanism includes a vibration generating portion that gives vibration to the device main body in specific directions including the moving direction and the vertical direction, respectively.

According to this configuration, by applying vibration in a specific direction to the main body of the device, it is possible to apply a moving force for moving in the powder flow path to the powder. Therefore, the powder can be stably moved so as to pass through each gas accommodating portion without having a mechanical moving mechanism that directly contacts the powder like a rotating blade member. Therefore, as compared with the case where the mechanical moving mechanism as described above is provided, the apparatus can be simplified and the particles constituting the powder can be prevented from being crushed by the mechanical moving force. Can be done. In addition, it is possible to prevent a part of the blade member from being mixed with the powder (contamination).

In the above configuration, at least one gas supply unit of the first gas supply unit and the second gas supply unit is a gas tank accommodating the first raw material gas or the second raw material gas, and the powder storage. A gas ejection part that is arranged in the powder stored in the unit and is capable of receiving the raw material gas from the gas tank and ejecting the raw material gas toward the first gas accommodating portion or the second gas accommodating portion. , Is desirable. At this time, it is more desirable that the gas ejection part is arranged on the downstream side of the first powder storage part or the downstream side of the second powder storage part.

According to this configuration, when the gas ejection part ejects the raw material gas, the powder can be fluidized by the ejection output and the powder can be promoted to flow into the gas accommodating portion.

Provided by the present invention is a powder forming method for forming a film on a powder, which has a plurality of tops and a plurality of bottoms and meanders vertically in a moving direction intersecting the vertical direction. A preparatory step for preparing an apparatus main body in which a powder flow path that allows powder to flow is formed, and a powder is stored in a region of the powder flow path below the plurality of tops, and the powder is stored. A powder storage process in which the plurality of tops are partitioned by the stored powder, and the movement of the first raw material gas in one of the plurality of tops while accommodating the first raw material gas from the top. A gas accommodating step of accommodating a second raw material gas different from the first raw material gas at another top on the downstream side in the direction, and the powder flow path in the main body of the apparatus are continuous with the powder in the moving direction. By moving the powder to the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas in order, the powder is reacted by the reaction between the gas molecules of the first raw material gas and the gas molecules of the second raw material gas. It is provided with a film forming step of performing a film forming process on the surface of the particles.

In the above method, the film forming step may include moving the powder in the moving direction by applying vibrations in specific directions including the moving direction and the vertical direction to the apparatus main body. desirable.

According to the present invention, a powder film forming apparatus and a powder capable of continuously performing a film forming process on a powder while suppressing contact between raw material gases other than the surface of the particles constituting the powder. A film forming method is provided.

Claims

A powder film forming device that applies film forming processing to powder.
With the device body
A first gas supply unit capable of supplying the first raw material gas and
A second gas supply unit capable of supplying a second raw material gas different from the first raw material gas,
At least one film forming processing unit provided on the main body of the apparatus and capable of forming a film on the surface of powder particles by the reaction between the gas molecules of the first raw material gas and the gas molecules of the second raw material gas. At least one film formation having a plurality of tops and a plurality of bottoms and forming a powder flow path that allows powder to flow in a moving direction that intersects the vertical direction while meandering vertically. Processing unit and
A powder transfer mechanism capable of continuously moving powder along the powder flow path in the at least one film forming processing unit.
With
The at least one film forming processing unit is
A plurality of powder storage portions that form the bottom of the powder flow path and store powder, and
A plurality of gas accommodating portions constituting the tops of the powder flow paths, connecting adjacent powder accumulating portions to each other and accommodating gas inside, among the plurality of powder accommodating portions. A first gas accommodating unit that receives the first raw material gas from the first gas supply unit and stores the first raw material gas, and a second gas accommodating unit that receives the second raw material gas from the second gas supply unit and accommodates the second raw material gas. A plurality of gas accommodating parts including at least two gas accommodating parts, and
Have,
In the powder transfer mechanism, powder flows from the powder storage unit into the gas storage unit to be exposed to the gas in the gas storage unit, and the powder is transferred from the gas storage unit to the next powder storage unit. The powder is moved in the powder flow path so as to flow in.
The plurality of powder storage units store powder so that the flow of gas along the powder flow path between adjacent gas storage units can be suppressed by the stored powder. A powder film forming device that has a shape.
The powder film forming apparatus according to claim 1.
In the plurality of gas accommodating portions, the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion are alternately arranged along the moving direction.
A powder film forming apparatus in which each of the plurality of powder storage units communicates with the first gas storage unit and the second gas storage unit, respectively.
The powder film forming apparatus according to claim 1.
A purge gas supply unit capable of supplying a purge gas that is different from the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas and for removing excess first raw material gas or second raw material gas from the powder. With more
In the plurality of gas accommodating portions, the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion are alternately arranged along the moving direction.
The plurality of gas accommodating portions are respectively arranged between the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion in the flow of powder in the powder flow path, and receive the purge gas from the purge gas supply unit. A powder film forming apparatus further comprising a plurality of purge gas accommodating portions for accommodating purge gas.
The powder film forming apparatus according to claim 3.
A pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts the pressure of the purge gas accommodating portion so that the pressure of the purge gas accommodating portion is lower than the pressure of the first gas accommodating portion and the pressure of the second gas accommodating portion.
An exhaust mechanism that exhausts the purge gas from the purge gas accommodating portion,
A powder film forming apparatus further equipped with.
The powder film forming apparatus according to claim 3.
A pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts the pressure of the purge gas accommodating portion so that the pressure of the purge gas accommodating portion becomes higher than the pressure of the first gas accommodating portion and the pressure of the second gas accommodating portion.
An exhaust mechanism that exhausts the purge gas from the purge gas accommodating portion,
A powder film forming apparatus further equipped with.
The powder film forming apparatus according to claim 1.
In the plurality of gas accommodating portions, the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion are alternately arranged along the moving direction.
The plurality of gas accommodating portions further include a plurality of dummy gas accommodating portions arranged between the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion in the flow of powder in the powder flow path.
A powder film forming apparatus further comprising an exhaust mechanism connected to the dummy gas accommodating portion.
The powder film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The device body
With the bottom wall
The top wall placed above the bottom wall and
At least three first partition portions arranged on the top wall of the apparatus main body at intervals in the moving direction and extending downward from the top wall to define the powder flow path, and the bottom wall. With respect to at least three first partition portions each having first partition tips arranged at predetermined intervals.
Of the at least three first partition portions, they are arranged on the bottom wall of the apparatus main body at intervals in the movement direction so as to be arranged between the first partition portions adjacent to each other in the movement direction. A plurality of second partition portions extending upward from the bottom wall and defining the powder flow path, and second partition tip portions arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the top wall, respectively. With a plurality of second partitions,
Have,
Of the at least three first partitions, a plurality of pairs of the first partitions adjacent to each other in the moving direction define the plurality of gas accommodating portions at least in a portion above the tip of the second partition. death,
A powder in which at least a pair of the second partition portions adjacent to each other in the moving direction of the plurality of second partition portions define the powder storage portion so as to sandwich the first partition tip portion from both sides. Film forming equipment.
The powder film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
A powder film forming apparatus in which the apparatus main body is inclined so that the downstream portion in the moving direction is located lower than the upstream portion in the moving direction of the apparatus main body.
The powder film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The at least one film forming processing section has a plurality of film forming processing sections.
The powder that has passed through the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion of one of the plurality of film forming processing portions is formed in the other of the plurality of film forming processing portions. A powder film forming apparatus in which the plurality of film forming processing sections are connected to each other so as to pass through the first gas accommodating section and the second gas accommodating section of the film processing section.
The powder film forming apparatus according to claim 9.
A powder film forming apparatus in which the plurality of film forming processing sections are connected to each other so that the powder flow path is spirally arranged around a central axis extending in the vertical direction.
The powder film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The powder flow path of the at least one film forming process so that the powder can repeatedly pass through the same first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion of the at least one film forming process. Of these, the portion downstream of the second gas accommodating portion in the moving direction communicates with the portion of the powder flow path of the at least one film forming processing portion on the upstream side of the first gas accommodating portion in the moving direction. Yes, powder film forming equipment.
The powder film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
A powder film forming apparatus further comprising a vacuum pump for exhausting gas from the first gas accommodating portion and the second gas accommodating portion of the at least one film forming processing unit.
The powder film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The powder transfer mechanism is a powder film forming apparatus including a vibration generating portion that gives vibrations in specific directions including the moving direction and the vertical direction to the apparatus main body.
The powder film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
At least one of the first gas supply unit and the second gas supply unit has a gas supply unit.
A gas tank accommodating the first raw material gas or the second raw material gas, and
It is arranged in the powder stored in the powder storage unit, and can receive the raw material gas from the gas tank and eject the raw material gas toward the first gas storage unit or the second gas storage unit. Gas ejection part and
A powder film forming apparatus having.
This is a powder film forming method that applies a film forming process to powder.
A preparatory step for preparing an apparatus main body having a plurality of tops and a plurality of bottoms and having a powder flow path forming a powder flow path that allows powder to flow in a moving direction that intersects the vertical direction while meandering vertically.
A powder storage step of storing powder in a region of the powder flow path below the plurality of tops and partitioning the plurality of tops by the stored powder.
The first raw material gas is housed in one of the plurality of tops, while the second raw material gas different from the first raw material gas is housed in the other top on the downstream side in the moving direction from the one top. Gas storage process and
By continuously moving the powder in the moving direction along the powder flow path in the apparatus main body, the powder is exposed to the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas in order, and the first A film forming step of forming a film on the surface of the powder particles by the reaction between the gas molecule of the first raw material gas and the gas molecule of the second raw material gas.
A powder film forming method comprising.
The powder film forming method according to claim 15.
The film forming step is a powder forming method including moving the powder in the moving direction by applying vibrations in specific directions including the moving direction and the vertical direction to the apparatus main body.