A magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine, comprising a vacuum chamber cover, a vacuum chamber cavity, a workpiece rack assembly and a magnetic field device, wherein the vacuum chamber cavity has an opening at the top, the vacuum chamber cover is covered on the top of the vacuum chamber cavity, the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber cavity is provided with an exhaust duct connected to a vacuum exhaust system, a target material rotating mechanism is provided in the exhaust duct, a plurality of target material mounting positions are provided on the peripheral side of the target material rotating mechanism, a telescopic baffle is provided at an interface position in the vacuum chamber cavity, a filament fixing frame and a workpiece rack electrical connection point are provided, the workpiece rack assembly comprises a top shielding plate and a workpiece rack, the workpiece rack comprises a body and a connecting ear, both ends of the connecting ear are fixedly connected to the body, the connecting ear is fixedly connected and insulated with the top shielding plate, the top shielding plate is supported by the vacuum chamber cavity, the workpiece rack electrical connection point contacts and is electrically connected with the connecting ear, and the magnetic field device is arranged outside the vacuum chamber cavity, and its magnetic field crosses the vacuum chamber cavity. The invention has a compact structure and can improve the coating efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vacuum coating machine, in particular to a magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine. Background Art

[0002] Magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine is mainly used for plasma etching cleaning and coating of cathode surface. The basic process of sputtering coating is that the filament is used as cathode to emit electrons, and the positive potential of the anode can realize self-sustaining glow discharge. The target and substrate are placed at both ends of the plasma, negative high voltage is applied to the target, and the substrate is grounded. Since the target potential is negative high voltage relative to the plasma, a dark area is formed near the target, and the ions in the plasma are accelerated through the dark area and bombard the target surface for sputtering.

[0003] In the above process, electrons can easily escape from the glow zone and be consumed by recombining on the container wall. Therefore, the magnetic field is used to change the movement trajectory of electrons, confine them in the glow zone for a longer time, reduce the loss and consumption of electrons, and increase the collision probability and ionization efficiency of electrons and gas molecules.

[0004] In the prior art, the sputtering of multiple targets usually requires setting up multiple target mounting positions in a vacuum chamber, and then setting up corresponding baffle mechanisms to shield the targets that do not need to be in working state. In order to take into account the uniformity of the coating on the workpiece, the workpiece holder is designed to be larger than the target mounting position, and is sometimes set to a rotatable structure. In addition, a magnetic field device needs to be set up, which makes the vacuum chamber larger in size as a whole, the vacuum pumping time is longer, the coating area space is large, and the target utilization rate is reduced. Therefore, it is not suitable for coating tests of small batches of small workpieces. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the task of the present invention is to provide a magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine, which makes the coating machine compact in structure, reduces the volume of the vacuum chamber, and improves the operating efficiency.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine, comprising a vacuum chamber cover, a vacuum chamber cavity, a workpiece rack assembly and a magnetic field device, the vacuum chamber cavity having an opening at the top, the vacuum chamber cover covering the top of the vacuum chamber cavity, the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber cavity being provided with an exhaust duct connected to a vacuum exhaust system, a target material rotating mechanism being provided in the exhaust duct, a plurality of target material mounting positions being provided on the peripheral side surface of the target material rotating mechanism, when the target material rotating mechanism rotates, one of the target material mounting positions is aligned with the interface between the exhaust duct and the bottom surface, and a telescopic baffle for opening and closing the interface is provided at the interface position in the vacuum chamber cavity A filament fixing frame and a workpiece frame electrical connection point are provided in the vacuum chamber cavity, a filament is fixedly connected to the filament fixing frame, the workpiece frame assembly includes a top shielding plate and a workpiece frame, the workpiece frame includes a body and a connecting ear, both ends of the connecting ear are fixedly connected to the body, the connecting ear is fixedly connected and insulated from the top shielding plate, the top shielding plate is supported by the vacuum chamber cavity so that the body of the workpiece frame is placed above the target material rotating mechanism, the workpiece frame electrical connection point is in contact with and electrically connected to the connecting ear, the magnetic field device is arranged outside the vacuum chamber cavity, and the magnetic field of the magnetic field device crosses the vacuum chamber cavity.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to facilitate personnel to operate the baffle and the target material rotation mechanism and reduce the contamination of the vacuum by the driving mechanism, the vacuum chamber cavity is provided with a magnetic coupling push rod and a rotating handle, the rod head of the magnetic coupling push rod is connected to the telescopic baffle, and the rotating handle is arranged outside the vacuum chamber cavity, and the rotating handle drives the target material rotation mechanism to rotate through a coupling mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, the rotating shaft of the target rotating mechanism is driven by a gear set and the rotating shaft of the coupling mechanism.

[0009] Furthermore, the top of the body of the workpiece rack passes through the top shielding plate upwards. The workpiece in the workpiece rack can be replaced after the vacuum chamber cover is opened.

[0010] Furthermore, a support flange is provided on the top of the vacuum chamber cavity, the edge of the top shielding plate is supported by the support flange, and a handle is provided on the top surface of the top shielding plate. This makes it easy to take and put the entire workpiece rack assembly, thereby exposing the vacuum chamber cavity and the target material rotating mechanism, making it convenient to clean the cavity and replace the target material.

[0011] Furthermore, an insulating gasket is provided between the top shielding plate and the connecting ear, a shielding cover is provided around the outer periphery of the insulating gasket, and a gap is left between the shielding cover and the insulating gasket. The provision of the shielding cover can reduce the deposition on the insulating gasket during coating, which may cause the top shielding plate and the connecting ear to be connected, thereby extending the service life of the workpiece rack assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, the filament fixing frames are arranged in pairs and are located on both sides of the interface, left and right shielding plates are arranged between the filament and the side wall of the vacuum chamber cavity, and longitudinal front and rear shielding plates are arranged on the top shielding plate at the front and rear sides of the main body of the workpiece holder. The shielding plates further limit the coating area to the surroundings of the main body of the workpiece holder, thereby improving efficiency.

[0013] Furthermore, the wall surfaces of the vacuum chamber cover and the vacuum chamber cavity are both hollow structures and are provided with water inlets and outlets. A water jacket structure is formed on the vacuum chamber cover and the vacuum chamber cavity, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the coating space.

[0014] The advantages of the present invention compared with the prior art are:

[0015] The present invention has a compact structure and utilizes the peripheral side of the target rotating mechanism to arrange the target, which saves space and can effectively control the size of the workpiece rack. The vacuum chamber cavity has a small space and can be quickly evacuated to meet the vacuum degree requirement. The target utilization rate is high, and the efficiency of the coating operation is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a front view cutaway diagram of the workpiece holder assembly.

[0018] Figure 3 A side cutaway schematic diagram of a workpiece holder assembly.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a top view schematic diagram of the workpiece rack assembly cooperating with the filament fixing frame and the left and right shielding plates. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0021] Example, please combine Figure 1 As shown, a magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine involved in this embodiment includes a vacuum chamber cover 1, a vacuum chamber cavity 2, a workpiece rack assembly and a magnetic field device (not shown in the figure). The top of the vacuum chamber cavity 2 is open, and the vacuum chamber cover 1 is connected to the vacuum chamber cavity 2 by a flip mechanism. The vacuum chamber cover 1 covers the top of the vacuum chamber cavity 2, and the joint surface of the two is sealed with an "O" type fluororubber sealing ring. The pre-tightening force of the vacuum chamber cover 1 depends on the weight of the vacuum chamber cover 1 itself, and the sealing of the vacuum chamber cover 1 depends on the atmospheric pressure.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment, the wall of the vacuum chamber cover 1 and the vacuum chamber cavity 2 are both hollow structures and are provided with water inlet and outlet 3. A water jacket structure is formed on the vacuum chamber cover 1 and the vacuum chamber cavity 2. When working, cooling water is introduced to dissipate heat from the internal space of the vacuum chamber cavity 2. Two sets of magnetic field coils are installed on the outside of the vacuum chamber cavity 2. When the magnetic field coils are energized, a magnetic field is formed horizontally across the vacuum chamber cavity 2. The magnetic field changes the motion trajectory of the electrons emitted by the filament, confining it in the glow area for a longer time to improve efficiency.

[0023] The bottom surface of the vacuum chamber cavity 2 is provided with an exhaust duct 4 connected to the vacuum exhaust system, and the connection port between the exhaust duct 4 and the bottom surface is an interface 5, on which a lower shielding plate 6 is provided, and a through hole opposite to the interface 5 is provided in the center of the lower shielding plate 6. A target rotating mechanism 7 is provided in the exhaust duct 4, and a rotating shaft 8 of the target rotating mechanism 7 is horizontally connected to the side wall of the exhaust duct 4 for rotation. In order to control the rotation of the target rotating mechanism 7 from the outside of the vacuum chamber, a coupling 9 is provided outside the side wall of the exhaust duct 4, and a rotating handle 10 is connected to the outer end of the coupling 9, and a first gear 17 is installed at the inner end of the coupling 9, and a second gear 18 is installed on the rotating shaft 8 of the target rotating mechanism 7, and the first gear 17 and the second gear 18 fit each other. When the rotating handle 10 is rotated outside the vacuum chamber, the target rotating mechanism 7 can be driven to rotate. The target rotating mechanism 7 is used to install the target material, and a plurality of target material installation positions 11 are provided on the peripheral side of the target rotating mechanism 7. In this embodiment, the target rotating mechanism 7 is in a rectangular parallelepiped structure, and threaded holes are provided on the four sides thereof as the target material installation positions 11, and the target material is fixed to the target rotating mechanism 7 through the threaded holes. The rotating handle 10 is rotated to align different surfaces of the target rotating mechanism 7 with the aforementioned interface 5, that is, the targets at different target material installation positions 11 are in the working position, so as to perform sputtering.

[0024] Because it is necessary to apply reverse voltage to the workpiece for cleaning before sputtering, which is equivalent to sputtering with the workpiece as a handle, in order to prevent contamination of the target material, a telescopic baffle 12 is arranged above the through hole of the lower shielding plate 6 to block the target material. The telescopic baffle 12 is fixedly mounted on the rod head of a magnetic coupling push rod 13, and the magnetic coupling push rod 13 is fixed to the side of the vacuum chamber cavity 2. By operating the magnetic coupling push rod 13, the telescopic baffle 12 can be translated to open or cover the interface 5.

[0025] The bottom surface of the vacuum chamber cavity 2 is also provided with a filament holder 14, left and right shielding plates 15 and a workpiece rack electrical connection point 16, wherein the filament holders 14 are arranged in pairs and are located on both sides of the interface 5. The filament 19 for emitting electrons is fixed on the filament holder 14. After the filament 19 is powered on, it is heated to increase the internal temperature to ensure that the workpiece is stress-free before coating. At the same time, electrons are emitted to form a coating glow discharge area to achieve sputtering coating. The left and right shielding plates 15 are located between the filament 19 and the side wall of the vacuum chamber cavity 2. The workpiece rack electrical connection point 16 is between the two groups of filament holders 14 and is located on the side of the interface 5.

[0026] Please combine Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the workpiece rack assembly includes a top shielding plate 20, front and rear shielding plates 21 and a workpiece rack. The workpiece rack includes a body 22 and a connecting ear 23. The body 22 is an annular metal part. The two ends of the connecting ear 23 are fixedly connected to the body 22 and are conductive with the body 22. The connecting ear 23 is fixedly connected and insulated with the top shielding plate 20. Specifically, insulating gaskets 24 are padded above and below the connecting ear 23, and are suspended and connected to the bottom surface of the top shielding plate 20 by screws 25. The screws 25 do not contact the connecting ear 23. A shielding cover 26 is arranged around the outer periphery of the insulating gasket 24. A gap is left between the shielding cover and the insulating gasket 24. The shielding cover 26 can prevent the insulating gasket 24 from being plated with a metal film and failing in insulation, thereby extending the service life of the workpiece rack assembly. A through hole is opened in the middle of the top shielding plate 20. After the connecting ear 23 is connected to the top shielding plate 20, the top of the body 22 of the workpiece rack passes through the top shielding plate 20 upward, so that the workpiece in the workpiece rack can be replaced after the vacuum chamber cover 1 is opened. The bottom surface of the top shielding plate 20 is also fixed with longitudinal front and rear shielding plates 21 on the front and rear sides of the workpiece rack body 22. The top surface of the top shielding plate 20 is provided with a handle 27 for lifting the workpiece rack assembly so that the workpiece rack assembly can be taken out of the vacuum chamber for daily cleaning.

[0027] A support flange is provided on the top of the vacuum chamber cavity 2. When the workpiece rack assembly is placed, the edge of the top shielding plate 20 is supported by the support flange, and the body 22 of the workpiece rack is located directly above the interface 5 on the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber cavity 2. At the same time, the workpiece rack electrical connection point 16 in the vacuum chamber cavity 2 is in contact with the connecting ear 23 to achieve electrical connection, so that the workpiece is powered through the connecting ear 23 and the body 22 of the workpiece rack. After the workpiece rack assembly is placed, the front and rear shielding plates 21 and the left and right shielding plates 15 establish shielding around the interface 5 and the body 22 of the workpiece rack to prevent the target material from overflowing, polluting the vacuum chamber, and saving the target material.

[0028] The magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine works like this: the inflow of nitrogen into the vacuum chamber cavity 2 is controlled from the gas port at the bottom of the vacuum chamber cavity 2, so that the vacuum chamber reaches a certain working pressure (10-2 ~10 1 Pa), then energize the filament, heat the cathode filament, and when the temperature reaches the appropriate level, the filament surface begins to emit electrons. Under the action of the discharge voltage between the cathode (filament) and the anode (the wall of the vacuum chamber cavity 2), the electrons accelerated to sufficient energy collide with the working gas (N2) molecules, ionizing the nitrogen to form a nitrogen plasma. The outer wall of the vacuum chamber cavity 2 has a constrained magnetic field, so that the electrons flying to the wall of the vacuum chamber cavity 2 are reflected back to the plasma, thereby increasing the electron density and plasma density. Before the workpiece is sputtered, it is first cleaned, the workpiece is connected to negative high voltage, the telescopic baffle 12 between the workpiece and the target is grounded, and the telescopic baffle 12 is operated to shield the target to complete the cleaning. Then the telescopic baffle 12 is operated to expose the lower interface 5 position, even if the target is exposed, the target is connected to negative high voltage, the workpiece is grounded, and the ions are accelerated to the target. Through momentum transfer, the target atoms are knocked out and deposited on the workpiece. When different target materials need to be sputtered, it is only necessary to turn the rotating handle to make the target rotating mechanism 7 rotate through a target fixed position.

Claims

1. A magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine, characterized in that: The invention comprises a vacuum chamber cover, a vacuum chamber cavity, a workpiece rack assembly and a magnetic field device, wherein the top of the vacuum chamber cavity is open, the vacuum chamber cover is covered on the top of the vacuum chamber cavity, the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber cavity is provided with an exhaust duct connected to a vacuum exhaust system, a target material rotating mechanism is provided in the exhaust duct, a plurality of target material mounting positions are provided on the peripheral side surface of the target material rotating mechanism, when the target material rotating mechanism rotates, one of the target material mounting positions is aligned with the interface between the exhaust duct and the bottom surface, a telescopic baffle for opening and closing the interface is provided in the vacuum chamber cavity at the interface position, and a A filament fixing frame and a workpiece frame electrical connection point, the filament fixing frame is fixedly connected to a filament, the workpiece frame assembly includes a top shielding plate and a workpiece frame, the workpiece frame includes a body and a connecting ear, both ends of the connecting ear are fixedly connected to the body, the connecting ear is fixedly connected to and insulated from the top shielding plate, the top shielding plate is supported by the vacuum chamber cavity so that the body of the workpiece frame is placed above the target material rotating mechanism, the workpiece frame electrical connection point is in contact with and electrically connected to the connecting ear, the magnetic field device is arranged outside the vacuum chamber cavity, and the magnetic field of the magnetic field device crosses the vacuum chamber cavity.

2. The magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum chamber cavity is provided with a magnetic coupling push rod and a rotating handle, the rod head of the magnetic coupling push rod is connected to the telescopic baffle, the rotating handle is arranged outside the vacuum chamber cavity, and the rotating handle drives the target rotating mechanism to rotate through a coupling mechanism.

3. The magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotating shaft of the target material rotating mechanism is driven by the rotating shaft of the coupling mechanism through a gear set.

4. The magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the body of the workpiece rack passes through the top shielding plate upward.

5. The magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A supporting flange is arranged on the top of the vacuum chamber cavity, the edge of the top shielding plate is supported by the supporting flange, and a handle is arranged on the top surface of the top shielding plate.

6. The magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: An insulating gasket is arranged between the top shielding plate and the connecting ear, a shielding cover is arranged around the outer periphery of the insulating gasket, and a gap is left between the shielding cover and the insulating gasket.

7. The magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filament fixing frames are arranged in pairs and are located on both sides of the interface, left and right shielding plates are arranged between the filament and the side wall of the vacuum chamber cavity, and longitudinal front and rear shielding plates are arranged on the top shielding plate on the front and rear sides of the body of the workpiece holder.

8. The magnetron sputtering vacuum coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wall surfaces of the vacuum chamber cover and the vacuum chamber cavity are both hollow structures and are provided with water inlets and outlets, and a water jacket structure is formed on the vacuum chamber cover and the vacuum chamber cavity, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the coating space.

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