A continuous line magnetron sputtering device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a continuous line magnetron sputtering device, comprising a device body and a vertical tray, wherein the vertical tray vertically fixes a substrate, the device body comprising a cavity with a vertical slit structure, a conveying unit for controlling the vertical tray to pass through the cavity, the vertical tray comprising a frame and a travel portion, the travel portion comprising multiple pairs of travel wheels located on both sides and a plurality of magnetic plates arranged at the bottom, the conveying unit comprising a pair of seamless rails passing through the lower portion of the cavity, a plurality of coils arranged along the conveying direction between the two seamless rails, and a magnetically permeable box body separating the coils from the cavity, the magnetically permeable box body being provided with a cooling unit for cooling the coils. The vertical tray is firmly attached to the seamless rails under the combined action of gravity and magnetic force, and does not experience violent up and down shaking when moving, thereby ensuring the quality of sputtering; the electromagnetic induction force generated by electromagnetic induction provides the power for the movement of the vertical tray, eliminating the need to worry about slipping, which is conducive to improving the processing efficiency of sputtering.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of vacuum sputtering, in particular to a continuous line magnetron sputtering device. Background Art

[0002] Vacuum magnetron sputtering equipment is generally composed of a vacuum system, a transmission system, a heating system, a cathode and other parts. The core of sputtering coating lies in the continuous and stable preparation of the required uniform film layer. The current substrate and equipment sizes are getting larger and larger as terminal demand changes, which puts higher and higher requirements on the transmission system. The speed of the transmission system will affect the production rhythm of the equipment, and the vibration and stability during the transmission process will affect the uniformity of the film layer.

[0003] Chinese patent CN201990723U discloses a substrate transport mechanism for a vertical vacuum coating machine. A rollerless glass carrier is used to place the substrate, which then passes vertically through the vertical vacuum coating machine, where a sputtering source is used to sputter one side of the substrate. The glass carrier is moved using multiple conveyor wheels arranged side by side. This conveying method presents the following problems:

[0004] 1. It is difficult to ensure the same height for all conveyor wheels. Even if the initial fixing accuracy is very high, the height of the conveyor wheels will fluctuate before and after the load is applied. Therefore, the glass carrier is prone to bumps every time it contacts the next conveyor wheel. For sputtering, bumps will make the coating uneven and cause quality problems.

[0005] 2. The driving force behind the glass carrier's forward motion is the friction between the conveyor wheels and the glass carrier. The heavier the glass carrier and substrate, the more pronounced the inertial effect. Therefore, the conveyor speed cannot be increased arbitrarily. Once slippage occurs between the conveyor wheels and the glass carrier, further acceleration of the conveyor wheels will not increase the acceleration, thus limiting production efficiency.

[0006] Chinese patent CN101483145A discloses an elevator subsystem for a substrate processing system, comprising a linear motor, a movable transport device, and multiple pole pieces. The linear motor generates magnetic force, and the movable transport device includes multiple magnetic elements. The pole pieces are connected to the elevator base and couple the magnetic field from the linear motor to the magnetic elements. In this system, to avoid positional conflict with the elevator mechanism on the other side, the linear motor is located on the opposite side of the elevator mechanism, magnetically coupling with the transport device. However, the bottom structure of the transport device is unilaterally suspended, with three sets of wheels. The middle set is used to support the guide rails, and the upper and lower wheels move laterally against the two guide rails. However, this embodiment uses a linear motor to move the transport device in and out of the elevator during the lifting and rerouting phase. The unilateral suspension structure is inherently unstable, and in this system, it is impossible to guide the upper portion of the transport device. This can cause the substrate to tilt left and right during transportation, resulting in an unstable distance between the substrate and the sputtering source, thus posing quality risks.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the structure of the continuous line magnetron sputtering equipment to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a continuous line magnetron sputtering device, which can avoid the influence of conveying jitter on sputtering quality, does not need to worry about slipping problems, and is conducive to improving the processing efficiency of sputtering.

[0009] The present invention achieves the above-mentioned purpose through the following technical solutions: A continuous line magnetron sputtering device is used to vertically transport and sputter substrates, including a device body and a vertical tray, the vertical tray vertically fixes the substrate, the device body includes a cavity with a vertical slit structure, a conveying unit located at the lower part of the cavity and controlling the vertical tray to pass through the cavity, a vacuum unit for evacuating the cavity, a heating unit and a cathode respectively arranged on both sides of the cavity, the conveying unit includes a pair of seamless slide rails passing through the lower part of the cavity, a plurality of coils arranged along the conveying direction between the two seamless slide rails, and a magnetically permeable box body separating the coils from the cavity, the vertical tray includes a frame and a walking part located at the bottom of the frame, the walking part includes a strip-shaped support base, multiple pairs of walking wheels located on both sides of the support base, and a plurality of magnetic plates arranged in a straight line at the bottom of the support base, the magnetic plates are opposite to the coils, a cooling unit for cooling the coils is provided through the magnetically permeable box body, and the walking wheels travel on the seamless slide rails.

[0010] Specifically, a flange is provided on the inner side of the traveling wheel, which abuts against one side of the seamless slide rail.

[0011] Specifically, a guard plate in an inverted J shape is provided on the outer side of the seamless slide rail to surround the running wheel.

[0012] Specifically, a guide bar is provided on the top of the frame, and the device body further includes a guide unit provided on the upper part of the cavity, the guide unit includes a first baffle and a second baffle arranged opposite to each other, and the guide bar moves between the first baffle and the second baffle.

[0013] Furthermore, the entry and exit sides of the first baffle and the second baffle are opened to both sides.

[0014] Furthermore, the guide bar is a magnetic bar with two poles located on both sides of its length direction, the first baffle and the second baffle are respectively connected to the two poles of the magnet, and the magnetic poles of the first baffle and the second baffle are opposite to the two poles of the guide bar.

[0015] Specifically, a plurality of fixing clips for clamping the edges of the substrate are provided on the inner side of the frame.

[0016] Specifically, a vacuum unit for evacuating the cavity is provided on the upper portion of the device body.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the technical solution of the present invention are:

[0018] 1. The vertical tray will be firmly attached to the seamless slide rail under the combined action of gravity and magnetism. As long as there are no seams on the seamless slide rail, the vertical tray will not vibrate violently when moving, improving the stability of the conveying and ensuring the quality of sputtering.

[0019] 2. The vertical pallet is powered by electromagnetic induction, not friction. There is no need to worry about slipping, which allows the moving speed to be controlled more accurately, thereby improving the sputtering processing efficiency.

[0020] 3. The vertical tray uses the walking wheels on both sides to move along two seamless slide rails. The bottom of the vertical tray is stable, so the distance between the substrate and the cathode will not be affected by the swing of the substrate, ensuring the sputtering quality.

[0021] 4. In order to prevent the coil from overheating and melting, a magnetically permeable box is used to separate the cavity and the coil, and cooling water is passed through the cooling unit to cool the coil, ensuring production safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the position of the vertical tray containing the substrate before it enters the equipment body;

[0023] Figure 2 This is the front view of the vertical tray when it is equipped with a base plate;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of position A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 4 This is the left side view of the vertical tray when entering the equipment body;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of position B in the middle;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of the middle C position;

[0028] Figure 7 It is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the seamless slide rail and the magnetically permeable box body.

[0029] The numbers in the figure represent:

[0030] 1-Substrate;

[0031] 2-Continuous line magnetron sputtering equipment,

[0032] 21- Equipment body, 211- Cavity, 212- Conveying unit, 2121- Seamless slide rail, 2122- Magnetic permeable box, 2123- Guard plate, 2124- Coil, 213- Vacuum unit, 214- Heating unit, 215- Cathode, 216- Guide unit, 2161- First baffle, 2162- Second baffle, 217- Cooling unit,

[0033] 22-vertical tray, 221-frame, 2211-fixing clamp, 222-travel part, 2221-support base, 2222-travel wheel, 22221-flange, 2223-magnetic plate, 223-guide strip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0035] Example:

[0036] like Figure 1 、 Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, a continuous line magnetron sputtering device 2 of the present invention is used to vertically transport and sputter a substrate 1, including an equipment body 21 and a vertical tray 22. The vertical tray 12 vertically fixes the substrate 1. The equipment body 21 includes a cavity 211 with a vertical slit structure, a conveying unit 212 located at the lower part of the cavity 211 and controlling the vertical tray 12 to pass through the cavity 211, a vacuum unit 213 for evacuating the cavity 211, a heating unit 214 and a cathode 215 respectively arranged on both sides of the cavity 211, and a guiding unit 216 arranged at the upper part of the cavity 211.

[0037] The substrate 1 uses the vertical tray 12 as a carrier and passes through the cavity 211 in a horizontal direction in a vertical state. The conveying unit 212 is used to provide power for the horizontal movement of the vertical tray 12 and the substrate 1. The heating unit 214 is used to provide heat to the cavity 211 so that sputtering is completed within a certain temperature range. The cathode 215 serves as a sputtering source to provide sputtering material, so that the sputtering material is deposited on the surface of the substrate 1 in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface when the substrate 1 moves at a constant speed. The vacuum unit 213 evacuates the upper part of the cavity 211 to prevent floating objects in the cavity 211 from sticking to the sputtering surface of the substrate 1 and affecting the sputtering quality.

[0038] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the vertical tray 22 includes a frame 221, a running section 222 located at the bottom of the frame 221, and a guide bar 223 located at the top of the frame 221. The frame 221 is provided with a plurality of fixing clamps 2211 on the inner side for clamping the edges of the substrate 1. The running section 222 includes a strip-shaped support base 2221, multiple pairs of running wheels 2222 located on both sides of the support base 2221, and a plurality of magnetic plates 2223 arranged linearly at the bottom of the support base 2221.

[0039] The edge of the substrate 1 is clamped by the fixing clamp 2211, and the middle part of the substrate 1 is not blocked, so the sputtering operation can be performed.

[0040] like Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the conveying unit 212 includes a pair of seamless rails 2121 passing through the lower portion of the cavity 211, a plurality of coils 2124 arranged along the conveying direction between the two seamless rails 2121, and a magnetically permeable box 2122 separating the coils 2124 from the cavity 211. A cooling unit 217 is provided in the magnetically permeable box 2122 to cool the coils 2124. Travel wheels 2222 travel on the seamless rails 2121.

[0041] The vertical tray 22 is moved along two seamless slide rails 2121 using the walking wheels 2222 on both sides. The bottom of the vertical tray 22 is stable, so the distance between the substrate 1 and the cathode 215 will not be affected by the swing of the substrate 1, thereby ensuring the sputtering quality. The power of the vertical tray 22 comes from the coil 2124. Similar to the principle of a linear motor, the coil 2124 will generate a magnetic field when it is energized. The electromagnetic induction force generated by the coil 2124 on the magnetic plate 2223 has a component force along the moving direction and a downward direction. The component force along the moving direction makes the vertical tray 22 move forward, and the component force in the downward direction cooperates with the gravity of the vertical tray 22 itself to make the vertical tray 22 firmly attached to the seamless slide rail 2121. As long as there is no seam on the seamless slide rail 2121, the vertical tray 22 will not shake violently up and down when moving, which improves the stability of transportation and thus ensures the sputtering quality. Furthermore, the vertical tray 22 is driven by electromagnetic induction, not friction, so there's no need to worry about slipping. This allows for more precise control of the moving speed, which helps improve the efficiency of the sputtering process. When the transfer unit 212 is operating, the coil 2124 itself generates heat. During the sputtering process, the cavity 211 is heated by the heating unit 214, and some of the heat is inevitably conducted to the coil 2124. To prevent the coil 2124 from overheating and fusing, the magnetically permeable box 2122 separates the cavity 211 from the coil 2124, and cooling water is passed through the cooling unit 217 to cool the coil 2124, ensuring production safety. The material of the magnetically permeable box 2122 cannot be magnetized, but must allow the magnetic field to pass through it. Otherwise, the driving force for the vertical tray 22 to move will not be generated. In order to avoid direct contact between coil 2124 and cooling water, coil 2124 can conduct heat through the heat sink, that is, the lower part of coil 2124 is close to but not in contact with the heat sink, allowing cooling water to flow under the heat sink, thereby quickly taking away the heat of coil 2124.

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, the inner side of the running wheel 2222 is provided with a flange 22221 that abuts against one side of the seamless slide rail 2121. The outer side of the seamless slide rail 2121 is provided with a guard plate 2123 that surrounds the running wheel 2222 and is in an inverted J shape.

[0043] The flange 22221 can limit the direction of the running wheel 2222 from the inner side of the running wheel 2222 to ensure that the vertical tray 22 moves in a straight line. The guard plate 2123 avoids the moving path of the running wheel 2222, which can prevent some contaminants from sticking to the seamless slide rail 2121 and avoid the running wheel 2222 from pressing on the contaminants and causing bumps.

[0044] like Figure 6As shown, the guide unit 216 includes a first stop bar 2161 and a second stop bar 2162 arranged opposite each other. The entry and exit sides of the first stop bar 2161 and the second stop bar 2162 are flared to the sides, and the guide bar 223 moves between the first stop bar 2161 and the second stop bar 2162. The guide bar 223 is a magnetic bar with poles located on both sides of its length. The first stop bar 2161 and the second stop bar 2162 are respectively connected to the poles of the magnet. The magnetic poles of the first stop bar 2161 and the second stop bar 2162 are opposite to the poles of the guide bar 223.

[0045] The first and second stop bars 2161, 2162 guide the upper portion of the vertical tray 22 forward, minimizing vibration during transport and ensuring sputtering quality. The open entry and exit sides of the first and second stop bars 2161, 2162 effectively guide the entry and exit of the guide bar 223. The first and second stop bars 2161, 2162 simultaneously exert a repulsive force on the guide bar 223, maintaining the upper portion of the vertical tray 22 centered between the first and second stop bars 2161, 2162 without contact. Because the stop bars do not contact the guide bar 223, they do not generate frictional resistance, impacting transport speed, or causing wear on components.

[0046] The above are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention, which all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuous line magnetron sputtering apparatus for vertically transporting and sputtering substrates, comprising an apparatus body and a vertical tray for vertically securing the substrates. The apparatus body comprises a chamber with a vertical slit structure, a conveying unit located below the chamber and controlling the vertical tray to pass through the chamber, a vacuum unit for evacuating the chamber, and heating units and cathodes disposed on either side of the chamber. The apparatus is characterized in that: The conveying unit includes a pair of seamless slide rails passing through the lower part of the cavity, a plurality of coils arranged between the two seamless slide rails along the conveying direction, and a magnetically permeable box body separating the coils from the cavity. The vertical tray includes a frame and a running part located at the bottom of the frame. The running part includes a bar-shaped support base, a plurality of pairs of running wheels located on both sides of the support base, and a plurality of magnetic plates arranged in a straight line at the bottom of the support base. The magnetic plates are opposite to the coils. A cooling unit for cooling the coils is provided through the magnetically permeable box body. The running wheels run on the seamless slide rails. A guide bar is provided at the top of the frame. The device body also includes a guide unit located at the upper part of the cavity. The guide unit includes a first baffle and a second baffle arranged opposite to each other. The guide bar moves between the first baffle and the second baffle. The entry and exit sides of the first baffle and the second baffle are open to both sides. The guide bar is a magnetic bar with two poles located on both sides of its length direction. The first baffle and the second baffle are respectively connected to the two poles of the magnet. The magnetic poles of the first baffle and the second baffle are opposite to the two poles of the guide bar.

2. The continuous line magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner side of the traveling wheel is provided with a flange which abuts against one side of the seamless slide rail.

3. The continuous line magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the seamless slide rail is provided with a guard plate surrounding the running wheel and in an inverted J shape.

4. The continuous line magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of fixing clips for clamping the edges of the substrate are provided on the inner side of the frame.

5. The continuous line magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A vacuum unit for evacuating the cavity is provided on the upper portion of the device body.

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