A double-layer sealing structure for circular target cathode rod sealing

Abstract

The present application discloses a double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod, comprising a cathode rod protective sleeve, a locking screw, a locking nut, a conical sealing sleeve, an O-ring, and a cathode mounting seat. The cathode mounting seat is a sleeve with a central through hole arranged axially, the cathode mounting seat is coaxially sleeved on the cathode rod, the inner wall of the cathode mounting seat is provided with at least two annular sealing grooves distributed in the circumferential direction along the axial direction, each of the annular sealing grooves is provided with an O-ring, each of the O-rings is embedded in the annular sealing groove and sleeved on the cathode rod; the upper end pipe opening of the cathode mounting seat is an outward-expanding conical hole, and the outer wall of the upper end of the cathode mounting seat is provided with an external thread; the locking nut comprises a nut sleeve provided with an internal thread interface and a sealing sleeve coaxially arranged on the upper end of the nut sleeve. The present application has a simple structure, reliable sealing performance, convenient adjustment of the target-base distance, and the sealing structure is easy to maintain during normal use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of film deposition, and in particular to a double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod. Background Art

[0002] In the circular target magnetron sputtering thin film deposition process, the distance between the target material and the substrate needs to be adjusted according to different sputtering processes. Due to the frequent adjustment of the cathode rod axis on the mounting seat and the influence of the target head's own weight, the sealing performance of the cathode rod will be seriously affected over time, and the sealing ring needs to be replaced frequently, which brings great difficulties to operation and maintenance. At present, the utility model patent with patent number CN202123239049.7 discloses a bias-enhanced small desktop glow discharge device. The device constructs a discharge chamber with a transparent glass sleeve, a workbench and an anode flange. The glow discharge plasma of the cathode target is obtained by using a glow discharge power supply. A bias power supply is set on the sample table to increase the energy of the glow ionized target material ions moving to the sample table, improve the coating structure, and increase the coating density. The patent connects the cathode rod to the upper insulating ceramic tube by brazing to achieve a vacuum seal. The distance between the target material and the substrate is fixed and cannot be adjusted. Although the sealing performance is good, it is not practical. A structure that can flexibly adjust the distance between the target material and the substrate and ensure good sealing when the cathode rod moves has not been studied, so it is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main purpose of this application is to provide a double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod, so as to solve the problems in the existing circular target magnetron sputtering thin film deposition process where the cathode rod frequently moves and is difficult to seal, and the target head's own weight easily causes the cathode rod to move and reduces the accuracy of use.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the present application provides a double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod, including a cathode rod protection sleeve, a locking screw, a locking nut, a conical sealing sleeve, an O-ring, and a cathode mounting seat. The cathode mounting seat is a sleeve with a central through hole arranged axially, and the cathode mounting seat is coaxially sleeved on the cathode rod. The inner wall of the cathode mounting seat is provided with at least two annular sealing grooves distributed in the circumferential direction along the axial direction, and an O-ring is arranged in each of the annular sealing grooves. Each of the O-rings is embedded in the annular sealing groove and sleeved on the cathode rod; the upper end pipe mouth of the cathode mounting seat is an outward-expanded conical hole, and the outer wall of the upper end of the cathode mounting seat is provided with an external thread; the locking nut includes a nut sleeve provided with an internal thread interface and a sealing sleeve coaxially arranged on the upper end of the nut sleeve, and the inner hole of the nut sleeve A circle of annular bosses are provided on the wall along the circumferential direction; the locking nut is sleeved on the cathode rod, and the lower end of the locking nut is sealed with the external thread of the cathode mounting seat through the internal thread interface; a cathode rod protection sleeve is provided between the inner wall of the center hole of the sealing sleeve and the outer wall of the cathode rod, the cathode rod protection sleeve is sleeved on the cathode rod, and the lower end of the cathode rod protection sleeve is supported by the upper end face of the annular boss; the conical sealing sleeve is coaxially arranged in the threaded hole of the locking nut and sleeved on the cathode rod, the downward part of the conical end of the conical sealing sleeve is embedded in the conical hole of the cathode mounting seat, and the upper end of the conical sealing sleeve abuts against the lower end face of the annular boss; at least two radial threaded holes are provided on the side wall of the sealing sleeve of the locking nut along the circumferential direction, and a locking screw is provided in each of the threaded holes.

[0005] In the above technical solution, the cathode rod protection sleeve is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, and the wall thickness of the cathode rod protection sleeve is preferably 2 mm.

[0006] In the above technical solution, the conical sealing sleeve is made of polytetrafluoroethylene or fluororubber.

[0007] In the above technical solution, the O-ring is made of fluororubber or nitrile rubber.

[0008] In the above technical solution, the cathode mounting seat is made of high-quality stainless steel, and the roughness of the conical sealing surface of the conical hole of the cathode mounting seat and the annular sealing groove are both less than 1.6 μm.

[0009] In the above technical solution, the locking screw is a set screw, and the set screw can press the side wall of the cathode rod protection sleeve onto the cathode rod.

[0010] In the above technical solution, a flange 1 is provided at the lower end of the cathode mounting seat, the lower end of the cathode mounting seat is connected to a vertically placed pole tube, a flange 2 is provided at the upper end of the pole tube, a ring groove 1 with a semicircular cross-section is provided on a lower end face of the flange along the circumferential direction, and a ring groove 2 with a semicircular cross-section is provided on an upper end face of the flange 2 along the circumferential direction, the lower end of the cathode mounting seat and the upper end of the pole tube are butted together through the flange 1 and the end face of the flange 2, wherein the butt joint is sealed by an O-ring placed in the annular groove 1 and the annular groove 2.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the upper end surface of the flange plate 1 is an inclined conical surface inclined upward, and the lower end surface of the flange plate 2 is an inclined conical surface inclined downward.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the flange 1 and flange 2 are supported by the base 1 and base 2.

[0013] In the above technical solution, two horizontal grooves with trapezoidal cross-sections are symmetrically provided on the inner side surfaces of the base 1 and the base 2, and the flange 1 and the flange 2 are supported and fixed by being embedded in the horizontal grooves on both sides.

[0014] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0015] The present invention has a simple structure, low manufacturing cost, reliable sealing performance, and the target-base distance is easy to adjust. The sealing structure is easy to maintain during normal use. Only two O-rings need to be replaced to ensure the sealing requirements. During normal use, due to the presence of the locking screw, the target head will not move slightly due to its own weight, which brings a lot of convenience to the operation and maintenance of the circular target, fundamentally reduces the number of maintenance times, and improves the accuracy and reliability of the target-base distance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The drawings that constitute part of this application are used to provide a further understanding of this application and make other features, objects and advantages of this application more apparent. The illustrative embodiment drawings of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute an improper limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to Example 1 of the present invention.

[0018] 1- cathode rod protection sleeve;

[0019] 2-locking screw;

[0020] 3-locking nut; 31-nut sleeve; 32-sealing sleeve; 321-threaded hole; 33-annular boss;

[0021] 4-conical sealing sleeve;

[0022] 5-O-ring;

[0023] 6- cathode mounting seat; 61- annular sealing groove; 62- tapered hole; 63- flange 1;

[0024] 7- cathode rod;

[0025] 8-pole tube; 81-flange plate 2;

[0026] 9-O-ring;

[0027] 10- horizontal groove;

[0028] 101-base one;

[0029] 102-Base II. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequential order. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described here. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0032] In this application, terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," "middle," "outer," "front," and "back" indicate positions or locations based on the positions or locations shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily intended to better describe this application and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the devices, elements, or components indicated to having a specific orientation, or to being constructed or operated in a specific orientation.

[0033] Furthermore, some of the above terms may be used to express other meanings besides indicating a position or location. For example, the term "on" may also be used to indicate a dependency or connection in certain circumstances. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] Furthermore, the terms "disposed" and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connected" can mean a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediary, or it can be internal communication between two devices, elements, or components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments in this application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0036] Example 1:

[0037] Please see the attached Figure 1, a double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a cathode rod protection sleeve 1, a locking screw 2, a locking nut 3, a conical sealing sleeve 4, an O-ring 5, and a cathode mounting seat 6, wherein the cathode mounting seat 6 is a sleeve with a central through hole arranged in the axial direction, the cathode mounting seat 6 is coaxially sleeved on the cathode rod 7, the inner wall of the cathode mounting seat 6 is provided with at least two annular sealing grooves 61 distributed in the circumferential direction along the axial direction, each of the annular sealing grooves 61 is provided with an O-ring 5, each of the O-rings 5 ​​is embedded in the annular sealing groove 61 and sleeved on the cathode rod 7; the upper end pipe mouth of the cathode mounting seat 6 is an outward-expanded conical hole 62, and the outer wall of the upper end of the cathode mounting seat 6 is provided with a section of external thread; the locking nut 3 comprises a nut sleeve 31 with an internal thread interface and a sealing sleeve 32 coaxially arranged on the upper end of the nut sleeve 31, and the inner hole wall of the nut sleeve 31 is provided with a circle of annular bosses 33 along the circumferential direction; the locking The tightening nut 3 is sleeved on the cathode rod 7, and the lower end of the locking nut 3 is sealed with the external thread of the cathode mounting seat 6 through the internal thread interface; a cathode rod protection sleeve 1 is provided between the inner wall of the center hole of the sealing sleeve 32 and the outer wall of the cathode rod 7, the cathode rod protection sleeve 1 is sleeved on the cathode rod 7, and the lower end of the cathode rod protection sleeve 1 is limited and supported by the upper end face of the annular boss 33; the conical sealing sleeve 4 is coaxially arranged in the threaded hole of the locking nut 3 and sleeved on the cathode rod 7, the downward part of the conical end of the conical sealing sleeve 4 is embedded in the conical hole of the cathode mounting seat 6, and the upper end of the conical sealing sleeve 4 abuts against the lower end face of the annular boss 33; at least two radial threaded holes 321 are provided on the side wall of the sealing sleeve 32 of the locking nut 3 along the circumferential direction, and a locking screw 2 is provided in each of the threaded holes 321 to fix the cathode rod protection sleeve 1 and the cathode rod 7 in the radial direction to prevent relative sliding.

[0038] The present invention focuses on the application of a mobile cathode rod in a circular target magnetron sputtering thin film deposition process to adjust the distance between the target material and the substrate, and proposes a double-layer sealing structure for sealing the circular target cathode rod. The first seal is formed by the close cooperation between the O-ring 5 and the cathode rod 7, wherein a sealing ring with an inner diameter equivalent to the cathode rod axis is selected, and the sealing ring 5 is installed in the sealing groove of the cathode mounting seat 6. The cathode rod 7 passes through the center of the cathode mounting seat 6, and the O-ring forms the first seal by the extrusion effect of the cathode rod. Put the conical sealing sleeve between the cathode mounting seat 6 and the cathode rod 7, install the locking nut 3, and during the process of tightening the locking nut 3 and the external thread of the cathode mounting seat, an extrusion effect is formed on the conical sealing sleeve 4, thereby achieving a second seal between the conical sealing sleeve 4 and the cathode rod, install the cathode rod protection sleeve 1 on the inner ring of the locking nut, and tighten the locking screw at the same time, so as to avoid damage to the cathode rod 7 during the tightening process of the locking screw. After the locking screw is tightened, the weight of the cathode target is completely transferred from the cathode mounting seat 6 to the mounting flange, which effectively avoids slight movements caused by its own weight and ensures the installation accuracy and reliability of the target-base distance.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the cathode rod protection cover 1 is preferably made of polytetrafluoroethylene, and the wall thickness of the cathode rod protection cover 1 is preferably 2 mm.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the material of the conical sealing sleeve 4 is preferably polytetrafluoroethylene or fluororubber.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the O-ring 5 is made of fluororubber or nitrile rubber.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the cathode mounting seat 6 is made of high-quality stainless steel, and the roughness of the conical sealing surface of the conical hole of the cathode mounting seat 6 and the annular sealing groove are both less than 1.6 μm.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the locking screw 2 is a set screw, which can press the side wall of the cathode rod protection sleeve 1 onto the cathode rod 7 .

[0044] In the above embodiment, a flange 1 63 is provided at the lower end of the cathode mounting seat 6, and the lower end of the cathode mounting seat 6 is connected to the vertical pole tube 8. A flange 2 81 is provided at the upper end of the pole tube 8. An annular groove 1 with a semicircular cross-section is provided on the lower end surface of the flange 1 63 along the circumferential direction, and an annular groove 2 with a semicircular cross-section is provided on the upper end surface of the flange 2 81 along the circumferential direction. The lower end of the cathode mounting seat 6 and the upper end of the pole tube 8 are butted together through the flange 1 63 and the end surface of the flange 2 81, and the butt joint is sealed by an O-ring 9 placed in the annular groove 1 and the annular groove 2.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the upper end surface of the flange 1 63 is an upwardly inclined conical surface, and the lower end surface of the flange 2 81 is a downwardly inclined conical surface.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the flange 1 63 and the flange 2 81 are supported by the base 101 and the base 2 102 , ensuring that the cathode mounting seat 6 is stably fixed on the base 101 and the base 2 102 and has good detachability.

[0047] In the above embodiment, two horizontal grooves 10 with trapezoidal cross-sections are symmetrically provided on the inner side surfaces of the base 101 and the base 2 102. The flange 1 63 and the flange 2 81 are supported and fixed by being embedded in the horizontal grooves 10 on both sides, and have a good anti-loosening effect.

[0048] In the above embodiment, it can be understood that when it is necessary to adjust the distance between different target materials and the substrate, it is only necessary to loosen the locking screw 2, and the cathode rod 7 can move up and down relative to the cathode mounting seat 6 to adjust the distance between different target materials and the substrate. The adjustment speed is fast, the adjustment is simple, and the sealing performance is good.

[0049] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod, characterized in that: It includes a cathode rod protection sleeve (1), a locking screw (2), a locking nut (3), a conical sealing sleeve (4), an O-ring (5), and a cathode mounting seat (6), wherein: The cathode mounting seat (6) is a shaft sleeve with a central through hole provided in the axial direction. The cathode mounting seat (6) is coaxially sleeved on the cathode rod (7). The inner wall of the cathode mounting seat (6) is provided with at least two annular sealing grooves (61) distributed in the circumferential direction along the axial direction. An O-shaped sealing ring (5) is provided in each of the annular sealing grooves (61). Each of the O-shaped sealing rings (5) is embedded in the annular sealing groove (61) and sleeved on the cathode rod (7). The pipe opening at the upper end of the cathode mounting seat (6) is an outwardly expanded tapered hole (62), and the outer wall of the upper end of the cathode mounting seat (6) is provided with an external thread; The locking nut (3) comprises a nut sleeve (31) provided with an internal thread interface and a sealing sleeve (32) coaxially and integrally provided on the upper end of the nut sleeve (31); an annular boss (33) is provided on the inner hole wall of the nut sleeve (31) along the circumferential direction; The locking nut (3) is sleeved on the cathode rod (7), and the lower end of the locking nut (3) is thread-sealed with the external thread of the cathode mounting seat (6) through the internal thread interface; A cathode rod protection sleeve (1) is provided between the inner wall of the central hole of the sealing sleeve (32) and the outer wall of the cathode rod (7), the cathode rod protection sleeve (1) is sheathed on the cathode rod (7), and the lower end of the cathode rod protection sleeve (1) is limitedly supported by the upper end surface of the annular boss (33); The conical sealing sleeve (4) is coaxially arranged in the threaded hole of the locking nut (3) and is sleeved on the cathode rod (7), the conical end of the conical sealing sleeve (4) is embedded in the conical hole of the cathode mounting seat (6), and the upper end of the conical sealing sleeve (4) abuts against the lower end surface of the annular boss (33); The side wall of the sealing sleeve (32) of the locking nut (3) is provided with at least two radial threaded holes (321) along the circumferential direction, and a locking screw (2) is provided in each of the threaded holes (321); A flange plate 1 (63) is provided at the lower end of the cathode mounting seat (6), the lower end of the cathode mounting seat (6) is connected to the vertical pole tube (8), a flange plate 2 (81) is provided at the upper end of the pole tube (8), an annular groove 1 with a semicircular cross section is provided on the lower end face of the flange plate 1 (63) along the circumferential direction, and an annular groove 2 with a semicircular cross section is provided on the upper end face of the flange plate 2 (81) along the circumferential direction, the lower end of the cathode mounting seat (6) and the upper end of the pole tube (8) are butted together through the flange plate 1 (63) and the end face of the flange plate 2 (81), wherein the butt joint is sealed by an O-ring (9) placed in the annular groove 1 and the annular groove 2.

2. A double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cathode rod protection sleeve (1) is made of polytetrafluoroethylene material, and the wall thickness of the cathode rod protection sleeve (1) is 2 mm.

3. The double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to claim 2, characterized in that: The conical sealing sleeve (4) is made of polytetrafluoroethylene or fluororubber.

4. The double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to claim 3, characterized in that: The O-ring (5) is made of fluororubber or nitrile rubber.

5. The double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cathode mounting seat (6) is made of stainless steel, and the roughness of the conical hole sealing surface of the cathode mounting seat (6) and the annular sealing groove are both less than 1.6 μm.

6. The double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking screw (2) is a set screw, and the set screw can press the side wall of the cathode rod protection sleeve (1) onto the cathode rod (7).

7. The double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end surface of the flange plate 1 (63) is an inclined conical surface inclined upward, and the lower end surface of the flange plate 2 (81) is an inclined conical surface inclined downward.

8. The double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to claim 7, characterized in that: The flange 1 (63) and the flange 2 (81) are supported by the base 1 (101) and the base 2 (102).

9. The double-layer sealing structure for sealing a circular target cathode rod according to claim 8, characterized in that: Two horizontal grooves (10) with trapezoidal cross-sections are symmetrically provided on the inner side surfaces of the base 1 (101) and the base 2 (102), and the flange 1 (63) and the flange 2 (81) are fixed by being embedded in the horizontal grooves (10) on both sides.

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