Vacuum coating apparatus capable of adjusting position of workpiece, coating method

Abstract

The application discloses a vacuum coating equipment capable of adjusting the position of a workpiece, and a coating method. The vacuum coating equipment capable of adjusting the position of a workpiece comprises a process cavity used for vacuum coating, a transition cavity arranged adjacent to the process cavity, a workpiece holder used for carrying a workpiece to be coated and capable of moving between the process cavity and the transition cavity, a pushing member movably arranged on the workpiece holder and having a first position and a second position and used for pushing the workpiece to move on the workpiece holder, and a first power device arranged in the transition cavity and used for driving the pushing member. The coating method comprises the following steps: loading the workpiece on the workpiece holder, performing first-time coating in the process cavity, driving the workpiece holder to enter the transition cavity, pushing the workpiece to be displaced on the workpiece holder, returning the workpiece holder together with the workpiece to the process cavity, and performing second-time coating. The application drives the pushing member to switch positions in the transition cavity, drives the workpiece to adjust the position relative to the workpiece holder, thereby exposing a shielding area before the position adjustment, and completing the coating of the shielding area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vacuum coating technology, and in particular to a vacuum coating equipment and coating method with adjustable workpiece position. Background Technology

[0002] Vacuum coating technology typically involves placing the substrate to be coated into a process chamber to complete the coating process. During the coating process, the substrate carrier is located in the process chamber, and the substrate and the supporting part of the carrier inevitably come into contact with each other, resulting in partial obstruction of the substrate. Obviously, the obstructed areas are difficult to coat.

[0003] The conventional process involves sending the substrate and substrate holder out of the vacuum environment process chamber together after the initial coating is completed. After leaving the vacuum environment, the relative position of the substrate and substrate holder is adjusted to expose the areas of the substrate that were covered during the initial coating. Then, the substrate is sent back into the process chamber for a second coating.

[0004] In the above technical solution, the process chamber for vacuum coating needs to be devastated after the initial coating before the substrate holder and substrate can be sent out; and the vacuum environment needs to be recreated before the second coating. In other words, although it appears that two coating processes are completed, the time for devastating and creating the vacuum is actually increased, resulting in a significant increase in production cycle time. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a vacuum coating equipment with adjustable workpiece position to address the aforementioned technical problems.

[0006] This application discloses a vacuum coating apparatus with adjustable workpiece position, comprising:

[0007] The process chamber is used for vacuum coating;

[0008] The transition cavity is disposed adjacent to the process cavity;

[0009] The workpiece holder is used to support the workpiece to be coated and can move between the process chamber and the transition chamber;

[0010] A pusher is movably disposed on the workpiece holder and has a first position and a second position for pushing the workpiece to move on the workpiece holder;

[0011] A first power unit is disposed within the transition cavity and is used to drive the pusher.

[0012] Several alternative methods are provided below, but they are not intended as additional limitations on the overall solution above. They are merely further additions or optimizations. Provided there are no technical or logical contradictions, each alternative method can be combined individually with respect to the overall solution above, or multiple alternative methods can be combined with each other.

[0013] Optionally, the workpiece holder is a vertical structure;

[0014] The vacuum coating equipment includes a blocking member movably disposed on the workpiece holder, having a released state that allows the pushing member to move from a first position to a second position, and a blocking state that prevents the pushing member from returning from the second position to the first position.

[0015] Optionally, the blocking member is rotatably mounted on the workpiece holder.

[0016] Optionally, the blocking element can only rotate in one direction.

[0017] Optionally, the natural state of the blocking member is the released state, and the blocking member is held in the blocking state by the weight of the workpiece itself.

[0018] The transition cavity is equipped with a second power device that drives the blocking member to switch from a released state to a blocking state.

[0019] Optionally, the natural state of the blocking member is the blocking state, and it is switched to the releasing state by the pushing member.

[0020] Optionally, the blocking element is reset by gravity.

[0021] Optionally, a support member for supporting the workpiece may be provided above the first position.

[0022] This application provides a coating method for a vacuum coating apparatus, comprising:

[0023] The workpiece is loaded onto the workpiece holder and the first coating is performed inside the process chamber;

[0024] The workpiece holder carries the workpiece into the transition cavity, causing the workpiece to shift on the workpiece holder;

[0025] The workpiece holder, along with the workpiece, returns to the process chamber for a second coating.

[0026] Optionally, the coating method includes: cooling the workpiece within a transition cavity.

[0027] The vacuum coating equipment and coating method with adjustable workpiece position described in this application have at least the following technical effects:

[0028] The vacuum coating equipment of this application, which can adjust the position of the workpiece, can use a first power device to drive a pusher to complete the position switching in the transition cavity. The position switching of the pusher drives the workpiece to adjust its position relative to the workpiece holder, thereby exposing the shielded area before the position adjustment, so as to perform coating on the shielded area in the process cavity.

[0029] In the coating method of this vacuum coating equipment, the workpiece is loaded onto a workpiece holder, and there is a contact area between the two. During the first coating process, the contact area is blocked by the workpiece holder and cannot be coated. This application moves the workpiece holder into a transition chamber to reposition the workpiece, changing the contact area between the workpiece and the workpiece holder, and then returns it to the process chamber for a second coating process. This allows the uncoated areas that were blocked during the first coating process to be coated, and ultimately all surfaces of the workpiece are coated. This application further performs a cooling treatment on the workpiece within the transition chamber, i.e., reducing the workpiece temperature during the repositioning process. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vacuum coating apparatus in one embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figures 2-3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cavity;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the use process of the vacuum coating equipment in one embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figures 5-6 This is a schematic diagram showing the fit between the workpiece and the workpiece holder in a vacuum coating apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the position adjustment process of the workpiece and the workpiece holder in one embodiment of this application. The arrows in the diagram indicate that the first power device 601 and the second power device 602 act in sequence.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the position adjustment process of the workpiece and the workpiece holder in one embodiment of this application. The arrows indicate that the first power device 601 and the second power device 602 retract in sequence.

[0036] Figure 9 for Figure 8 The diagram shows the adjustment result. In the diagram, the blocking component 420 is kept in the blocking state by the weight of the pushing component 410.

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece rack of the vacuum coating equipment returning to the process chamber for secondary coating in one embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figures 11-15 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece resetting process relative to the workpiece holder in one embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figures 16-18 This is a schematic diagram of the position adjustment process of the workpiece and the workpiece holder in one embodiment of this application. The arrows in the diagram indicate the function of the first power device.

[0040] The annotations in the figure are explained as follows:

[0041] 100. Process cavity; 110. First transmission wheel;

[0042] 200, Transition chamber; 210, Second transmission wheel; 300, Slide valve;

[0043] 400. Workpiece holder; 401. Support rod; 402. Positioning hole; 403. Sliding rail; 404. First stop; 405. Second stop;

[0044] 410. Pushing component; 411. Bearing component; 412. Sliding component; 413. Force-bearing component;

[0045] 420. Blocking component; 421. First part; 422. Second part; 423. Force-bearing part;

[0046] 430. Support component; 440. Guide component;

[0047] 500. Workpiece; 601. First power unit; 602. Second power unit. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0049] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or it can be connected to a component in between. When a component is said to be "set on" another component, it can be directly set on the other component or it may be set to a component in between.

[0050] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0051] In this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number or order of the indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0052] In this application, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a system, product, or device that includes a series of units is not necessarily limited to those units that are explicitly listed, but may include other units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such products or devices.

[0053] In this application, the terms "corresponding," "matching," "adapted," such as "B corresponding to A," "B corresponding to A," "A and B corresponding," or "B and A corresponding," indicate that B and A have a corresponding relationship in shape, position, or function, and that B can be determined based on A. Determining B based on A does not mean determining B solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0054] In this application, terms such as "center," "length," "width," "thickness," "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "axial," and "circumferential" indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in certain accompanying drawings, or based on the spatial posture of the product under normal use. Of course, they are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the location or original object must have a specific orientation, or a specific structure and operation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0055] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between components; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0056] One embodiment of this application provides a coating method for a vacuum coating apparatus, comprising: step S1, loading a workpiece onto a workpiece holder and performing a first coating in a process chamber; step S2, the workpiece holder drives the workpiece into a transition chamber and pushes the workpiece to shift on the workpiece holder; step S3, the workpiece holder and the workpiece return to the process chamber for a second coating.

[0057] The workpiece can be, for example, a substrate to be coated, and its material can be, for example, glass. Correspondingly, the workpiece holder can be considered a substrate holder. The workpiece is loaded onto the workpiece holder, and there is a contact area between the two. During the first coating process, the contact area is blocked by the workpiece holder and cannot be coated. In step S2, the workpiece holder is moved into the transition cavity to reposition the workpiece, changing the contact area between the workpiece and the workpiece holder. Then, a second coating process is performed, allowing the uncoated area that was blocked during the first coating to be coated. Finally, all surfaces of the workpiece are coated.

[0058] Further, step S2 includes: cooling the workpiece within the transition cavity, for example, by placing the transition cavity in a low-temperature, low-pressure nitrogen environment to achieve cooling. The coating time in the process cavity is generally relatively long, while the operation of moving the workpiece on the workpiece holder takes relatively short time. During the coating process, the workpiece temperature becomes excessively high due to the increased coating time. In this embodiment, cooling the workpiece within the transition cavity is performed, i.e., reducing the workpiece temperature during the movement process.

[0059] The process chamber and the transition chamber can be kept in a sealed environment. During the movement of the workpiece holder between the process chamber and the transition chamber, both chambers are maintained in a vacuum environment. Position adjustment is completed within the vacuum environment of the transition chamber, allowing the workpiece device position to be changed without breaking the vacuum. This avoids the need to repeatedly release and create a vacuum environment when adjusting the workpiece position relative to the workpiece holder.

[0060] See Figures 1-4 One embodiment of this application provides a vacuum coating apparatus with an adjustable workpiece position 500, including a process chamber 100 and a transition chamber 200. The process chamber 100 is used for vacuum coating, and the transition chamber 200 is disposed adjacent to the process chamber 100. The two are connected by a gate valve 300. During coating in the process chamber 100, the transition chamber 200 and the process chamber 100 are maintained in a vacuum environment together, and the gate valve 300 is closed to prevent sputtering.

[0061] Workpiece 500 enters process chamber 100 with workpiece holder 400 for the first coating; after a certain time, slide gate valve 300 is opened, and workpiece 500 enters transition chamber 200 with workpiece holder 400, and slide gate valve 300 is closed; after adjusting the position of workpiece 500 relative to workpiece holder 400, slide gate valve 300 is opened, and workpiece 500 returns to process chamber 100 with workpiece holder 400 to continue coating.

[0062] The vacuum coating equipment includes a workpiece holder 400, which carries the workpiece 500 to be coated and can move between the process chamber 100 and the transition chamber 200. For example, a first drive wheel 110 is provided in the process chamber 100, and a second drive wheel 210 is provided in the transition chamber 200. The workpiece holder 400 is fixed with a support rod 401 that cooperates with the first drive wheel 110 and the second drive wheel 210. After the slide gate valve 300 is opened, the workpiece holder 400 moves between the process chamber 100 and the transition chamber 200 under the action of the first drive wheel 110 and the second drive wheel 210.

[0063] See Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The vacuum coating equipment includes a pusher 410 and a first power unit 601. The pusher 410 is movably mounted on the workpiece holder 400 and has a first position and a second position for pushing the workpiece 500 to move on the workpiece holder 400. The first power unit 601 is disposed in the transition cavity 200 for driving the pusher 410.

[0064] The workpiece holder 400 has a positioning hole 402, and a positioning device, such as a positioning cylinder, is installed in the transition cavity 200. By detecting that the workpiece holder 400 has reached the expected position in the transition cavity 200 through a sensor, the positioning device is controlled to insert and cooperate with the positioning hole 402 to achieve positioning, so as to adjust the position of the workpiece 500 relative to the workpiece holder 400.

[0065] See Figures 5-7 The vacuum coating equipment can be applied as a vertical coating equipment, with the workpiece holder 400 having a vertical structure. The vacuum coating equipment includes a blocking member 420, which is movably mounted on the workpiece holder 400. The blocking member 420 has a released state that allows the pushing member 410 to move from a first position to a second position, and a blocking state that prevents the pushing member 410 from returning from the second position to the first position. The second position is the position where the pushing member 410 is blocked by the blocking member 420. Specifically, the first and second positions are at different heights, with the second position being higher than the first position. The pushing member 410 moves under the action of the first power device 601, pushing the workpiece 500 to move vertically on the workpiece holder 400.

[0066] The vacuum coating equipment includes a support 430 and a guide 440. The support 430, being higher than the first position, supports the workpiece 500 and can be considered as the base of the workpiece 500. The guide 440 is fixed to the workpiece holder 400 and guides the workpiece 500 to move vertically, preventing it from tipping over. The guide 440 is spaced apart or slidably fitted to the workpiece 500. Since the support 430 is higher than the first position, when the pusher 410 is in the first position, the workpiece 500 is supported by the support 430. When the pusher 410 is in the second position, the workpiece 500 tends to descend under gravity, and is supported by the pusher 410, which is blocked by the blocking member 420.

[0067] The pusher 410 has a bearing portion 411 that mates with the workpiece 500, a sliding portion 412 that mates with the workpiece holder 400, and a force-receiving portion 413 (such as a lifting plate that is integrally fixed or separately fixed) that receives external forces. The workpiece holder 400 has a sliding track 403, which mates with the sliding portion 412. The blocking member 420 is rotatably mounted on the workpiece holder 400 and can only rotate in one direction to achieve rotational limitation. During the rotation of the blocking member 420, it has a first limit position and a second limit position. Unidirectional rotation means that when the blocking member 420 rotates from the first limit position to the second limit position, and from the second limit position to the first limit position, the switching is achieved by unidirectional rotation.

[0068] Specifically, the workpiece holder 400 is provided with a first stop 404 and a second stop 405. For example, the workpiece holder 400 clamps and fixes a baffle, and the first stop 404 and the second stop 405 serve as the two edges of the baffle. The blocking member 420 has a first portion 421 and a second portion 422 located on opposite sides of the rotating shaft. The first portion 421 is restricted by the first stop 404, forming a first limit for the rotation of the blocking member 420; the second portion 422 is restricted by the second stop 405, forming a second limit for the blocking member 420.

[0069] See Figures 5-10 In one embodiment, the natural state of the blocking member 420 is the released state, and the blocking member 420 is held in the blocking state by the weight of the workpiece 500. A second power device 602 is provided in the transition cavity 200 to drive the blocking member 420 from the released state to the blocking state. The blocking member 420 has a force-receiving part 423 that cooperates with the second power device 602, such as a lifting plate fixed to the blocking member 420. In this embodiment, the weight of the first part 421 is less than the weight of the second part 422.

[0070] Workpiece 500 and workpiece holder 400 have relative initial positions and adjusted positions. In the initial position, pusher 410 is in the first position, and support 430 carries workpiece 500. The position adjustment process includes: first power device 601 drives pusher 410 through a second position and away from blocking member 420; second power device 602 drives blocking member 420 from a released state to a blocking state; retracting first power device 601 causes pusher 410 to return to blocking member 420 under gravity (falling onto blocking member 420); blocking member 420 remains in the blocking state due to the weight of workpiece 500. After position adjustment, workpiece holder 400 enters process chamber 100 with workpiece 500 to complete coating. Multiple first power devices 601 and second power devices 602 are available and can be arranged symmetrically relative to workpiece 500.

[0071] For example, a cylinder can be used. The positioning device, the first power device 601 and the second power device 602 in each embodiment can realize the automatic adjustment of the position of the workpiece 500.

[0072] See Figures 11-15 After the coating is completed, the workpiece holder 400 returns to the transition cavity 200 to reset the workpiece 500. The workpiece 500 reset process includes: the first power device drives the pusher 410 to pass through the second position and move away from the blocking member 420. The blocking member 420 naturally recovers (by gravity) to the released state. The first power device 601 is retracted so that the pusher 410 returns to the first position under the action of gravity. The workpiece 500 returns to the initial position under the action of gravity.

[0073] After the workpiece 500 returns to its initial position, the natural state of the blocking member 420 is the released state, which facilitates the replacement of the workpiece 500 relative to the workpiece holder 400.

[0074] See Figures 16-18 In one embodiment, the natural state of the blocking member 420 is the blocking state, which is switched to the releasing state by the pusher 410. For example, the blocking member 420 is reset by gravity.

[0075] Workpiece 500 and workpiece holder 400 have relative initial positions and adjusted positions. In the initial position, pusher 410 is in the first position, and support 430 carries workpiece 500. The position adjustment process includes: the first power device 601 drives pusher 410 through the second position and away from blocking member 420. During the passage through the second position, pusher 410 impacts and pushes blocking member 420, causing it to switch to a released state. Blocking member 420 naturally returns to the blocking state (due to gravity). The first power device 601 is then withdrawn, causing pusher 410 to return to blocking member 420 under gravity. Workpiece 500 returns to the second position under gravity. In this embodiment, the position adjustment of workpiece 500 relative to workpiece holder 400 can be completed without the second power device 602.

[0076] The technical features of the embodiments described above can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as the combination of these technical features does not contradict each other, it should be considered to be within the scope of this specification. When technical features of different embodiments are embodied in the same drawing, it can be regarded as the drawing also disclosing examples of combinations of the various embodiments involved.

[0077] The embodiments described above are merely examples of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A vacuum coating equipment with adjustable workpiece position, characterized in that, include: The process chamber is used for vacuum coating; The transition cavity is disposed adjacent to the process cavity; A workpiece holder is used to support the workpiece to be coated and can move between the process chamber and the transition chamber. The workpiece holder has a vertical structure, and the supporting part of the workpiece holder is in contact with the workpiece so that the workpiece is partially obscured. A pusher is movably disposed on the workpiece holder, having a first position and a second position above the first position, for pushing the workpiece to move vertically on the workpiece holder. The position of the pusher is switched and the workpiece is adjusted relative to the workpiece holder, thereby exposing the obscured area before the position adjustment. A first power unit is disposed within the transition cavity and is used to drive the pusher.

2. The vacuum coating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The vacuum coating equipment includes a blocking member movably disposed on the workpiece holder, having a released state that allows the pushing member to move from a first position to a second position, and a blocking state that prevents the pushing member from returning from the second position to the first position.

3. The vacuum coating equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The blocking component is rotatably mounted on the workpiece holder.

4. The vacuum coating equipment as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The blocking component can only rotate in one direction.

5. The vacuum coating equipment as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The natural state of the blocking member is the released state, and the blocking member is held in the blocking state by the weight of the workpiece itself. The transition cavity is equipped with a second power device that drives the blocking member to switch from a released state to a blocking state.

6. The vacuum coating equipment as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The natural state of the blocking member is the blocking state, and it is switched to the releasing state by the pushing member.

7. The vacuum coating equipment as described in any one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that, The blocking component is reset by gravity.

8. The vacuum coating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes a support member above the first position for supporting the workpiece.

9. A coating method using a vacuum coating equipment, characterized in that, include: The workpiece is loaded onto a vertical workpiece holder and the first coating is performed inside the process chamber. The supporting part of the workpiece holder is in contact with the workpiece so that the workpiece is partially obscured. The workpiece holder carries the workpiece into the transition cavity. The pusher pushes the workpiece to move vertically on the workpiece holder. The position of the pusher switches and drives the workpiece to adjust its position relative to the workpiece holder, thereby exposing the obscured area before the position adjustment. The workpiece holder, along with the workpiece, returns to the process chamber for a second coating.

10. The coating method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, include: The workpiece is cooled within the transition cavity.

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