Magnetron sputtering film layer detection method and system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a film layer detection method and system for magnetron sputtering, which relates to the field of magnetron sputtering coating technology. The method includes the following steps: setting a monitoring strip in a magnetron sputtering chamber, and coating the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate at the same time; according to the progress of the coating operation, after the current coating section of the monitoring strip reaches a preset vapor deposition time, controlling the current coating section of the monitoring strip to move so as to input the current coating section into a film layer measurement device; after the film layer measurement device sets a conductive layer on the non-coating surface of the input monitoring strip, the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is set is cut to obtain a monitoring piece of a preset length, and then the monitoring piece is measured for capacitance by a capacitance detector to obtain the capacitance value of the monitoring piece, and the capacitance value is used to evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the aforementioned insulating substrate. The present invention can timely, efficiently and accurately obtain the deposition status of the conductive coating layer in the magnetron sputtering chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of magnetron sputtering coating, and in particular to a magnetron sputtering film layer detection method and system. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, touch panels, which can be used in combination with display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and allow input operations to be performed by touching the screen, have become increasingly popular in various electronic devices, including tablets and smartphones. Touch panels typically use a conductive film layer (also called a conductive film) with a conductive layer formed on a polymer substrate, forming a layered structure with a conductive layer. The polymer substrate layer is typically made of a plastic film such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, or polycarbonate, while the conductive film layer can be made of various metal films or conductive oxides.

[0003] The preparation of conductive thin film layers is a crucial process in the fabrication of touch panel devices. In the past, adhesives such as glue or organic resins were often used to create a layered structure with a conductive layer. Currently, coating techniques are primarily used to deposit one or more conductive thin film layers (also known as coating layers) onto the surface of a substrate. Common coating methods include vacuum coating (a type of physical coating) and chemical coating. Magnetron sputtering, a type of physical vapor deposition (PVD), offers advantages such as simple equipment, ease of control, large coating areas, and strong adhesion. It is often used to prepare conductive thin film layers, such as metal thin films.

[0004] When using magnetron sputtering coating technology, it is often necessary to detect the deposition of film materials during the magnetron sputtering process in the magnetron sputtering chamber to record the coating process and ensure the coating quality. Especially in the continuous coating production process, it is often necessary to control and adjust the coating process in the magnetron sputtering chamber according to the deposition of the film layer to achieve controllability and adjustability of the coating process, which is very important for realizing automated production control and improving product quality. However, the film layer detection solutions provided by the existing technology usually directly detect the coated substrate, and usually require all coating layers to be completed before the measurement is completed; on the other hand, the coated substrate is generally subjected to destructive testing during measurement - such as intercepting a specific area of ​​the substrate for optical and / or electrical property testing, and manually recording the detected area and measurement information, which is relatively cumbersome.

[0005] In summary, how to timely, efficiently and accurately detect the deposition of the conductive coating layer on the substrate during the magnetron sputtering process is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a film layer detection method and system for magnetron sputtering. The film layer detection scheme provided by the present invention sets a monitoring strip corresponding to the insulating substrate of the coating, and combines the monitoring strip with another conductive layer to form a thin film capacitor. The thin film capacitor principle is used to detect the electrical characteristics of the monitoring segment of a preset length, so as to evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the aforementioned insulating substrate, and can timely, efficiently and accurately obtain the deposition of the conductive coating layer in the magnetron sputtering chamber. Furthermore, the present invention can also reflect the changes in the deposition of the film material during the sputtering process, facilitate the recording of the coating process data, and provide data reference for ensuring the coating quality and realizing the controllability and adjustability of the coating process.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] A magnetron sputtering film layer detection method is used to detect a conductive coating layer deposited on an insulating substrate, comprising the following steps:

[0009] A monitoring strip is provided in the magnetron sputtering chamber. The monitoring strip is made of the same material and has the same thickness as the insulating substrate. During the coating process of the insulating substrate, the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate are coated simultaneously.

[0010] According to the progress of the coating operation, after the current coating section of the aforementioned monitoring strip reaches a preset vapor deposition time, the current coating section of the aforementioned monitoring strip is controlled to move so as to input the current coating section into the film layer measurement device; at this time, a conductive coating layer is deposited on the opposite coating surface of the monitoring strip;

[0011] Among them, the film layer measuring device is configured to: collect the input operation of the monitoring strip, set a conductive layer on the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip, and then cut the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is set to obtain a monitoring piece of preset length; measure the capacitance of the aforementioned monitoring piece through a capacitance detector to obtain the capacitance value of the monitoring piece, and evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the aforementioned insulating substrate through the capacitance value of the monitoring piece.

[0012] Furthermore, according to a preset measurement standard length, the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is provided is cut multiple times to obtain monitoring pieces of multiple standard lengths;

[0013] At this time, the method of evaluating the coating effect of the conductive coating layer by the capacitance value of the monitoring piece is: each time a cutting operation is performed, the capacitance of the monitoring piece of the obtained standard length is measured, and the position information of the monitoring piece on the monitoring strip and the capacitance value of the monitoring piece are recorded; when the measurement of N monitoring pieces of the input monitoring strip is completed, the capacitance values ​​of the N monitoring pieces are compared based on the position sequence of the monitoring pieces to obtain the capacitance change trend of the input monitoring strip as the evaluation information of the coating effect of the conductive coating layer, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0014] Furthermore, a conductive layer is set on the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip by pasting or spraying. At this time, the film layer measuring device includes a conductive layer pasting part or a conductive layer spraying part for pasting or spraying a conductive layer of preset size on the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip.

[0015] Furthermore, when a conductive layer spraying part is used, a conductive layer spraying structure is set on the non-coated surface of the corresponding monitoring strip, which is used to spray conductive material on the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip to form a conductive layer; the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is sprayed is input into the cutter position for cutting operation.

[0016] Furthermore, when a conductive layer covering portion is used, it also includes a conductive layer covering cavity, in which a conductive sheet is placed. When the monitoring strip is input into the film layer measuring device, it first enters the conductive layer covering cavity, and when the monitoring strip enters the conductive layer covering cavity, the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip is arranged corresponding to the aforementioned conductive sheet; the entered monitoring strip is bonded to the aforementioned conductive sheet to form a conductive layer, and the monitoring strip after being coated with the conductive layer is input into the cutter position for cutting operation.

[0017] Furthermore, the aforementioned current coating section is controlled to enter the conductive layer laminating chamber while the conductive sheet laminating operation is performed to form a conductive layer, and at the same time, the strip of the conductive layer laminating is output to the cutter position for cutting operation to form a monitoring sheet of standard length; until the formation of all monitoring sheets of the current coating section is completed.

[0018] Furthermore, a cutting mark is provided on the monitoring strip, and the distance between adjacent cutting marks is the aforementioned standard length; the cutter is provided with a mark recognition mechanism, and when the cutter recognizes the cutting mark, the cutting operation is performed corresponding to the position of the cutting mark.

[0019] Furthermore, numbers or codes are provided between adjacent cutting marks of the monitoring strip, and the numbers or codes are used to identify the position information of each fragment on the monitoring strip; for any monitoring piece, its position information on the monitoring strip is obtained through the aforementioned numbers or codes on the monitoring piece.

[0020] Furthermore, the film layer measuring device further comprises an electrode setting portion corresponding to the capacitance detector to respectively set detection electrodes on the two conductive layers of the monitoring sheet, and the detection electrodes are respectively connected to the two poles of the capacitance detector;

[0021] The electrode setting part is configured to: set a conductive layer electrode on the conductive layer of the monitoring piece, and set a conductive grid on the conductive coating layer of the monitoring piece, the conductive grid includes conductive strips arranged in rows and / or columns, and the multiple conductive strips of the conductive grid are used to electrically connect multiple unconnected deposition areas of the conductive coating layer, thereby improving the capacitance detection accuracy of the conductive coating layer whose deposition areas are unconnected.

[0022] The present invention also provides a magnetron sputtering film layer detection system for detecting a conductive coating layer deposited on an insulating substrate, the system comprising a magnetron sputtering device, a monitoring strip control device and a film layer measurement device;

[0023] The magnetron sputtering device includes a chamber for performing magnetron sputtering, and a monitoring strip is set in the magnetron sputtering chamber. The monitoring strip is made of the same material and has the same thickness as the insulating substrate. During the coating process of the insulating substrate, the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate are coated simultaneously;

[0024] The monitoring strip control device is used to arrange the monitoring strip in the magnetron sputtering chamber and, according to the progress of the coating operation, control the current coating section of the monitoring strip to move after the current coating section of the monitoring strip reaches a preset vapor deposition time so as to input the current coating section into the film layer measurement device; at this time, a conductive coating layer is deposited on the coating surface of the monitoring strip;

[0025] The film layer measuring device is used to collect the input operation of the monitoring strip, and after setting a conductive layer of adapted size on the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip, cut the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is set to obtain a monitoring piece of preset length; and measure the capacitance of the aforementioned monitoring piece through a capacitance detector to obtain the capacitance value of the monitoring piece, and evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the aforementioned insulating substrate through the capacitance value of the monitoring piece.

[0026] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages and positive effects compared to the prior art, as an example: the present invention provides a monitoring strip corresponding to the insulating substrate to be coated, and combines the monitoring strip with another conductive layer to form a thin film capacitor. The thin film capacitor principle is used to detect the electrical characteristics of a monitoring segment of a preset length, thereby evaluating the coating effect of the conductive coating layer on the insulating substrate. This can timely, efficiently, and accurately obtain the deposition status of the conductive coating layer in the magnetron sputtering chamber. Furthermore, the present invention can also reflect the changes in the deposition status of the film material during the sputtering process, facilitating the recording of coating process data and providing data reference for ensuring coating quality and achieving controllable and adjustable coating processes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 A flow chart of a magnetron sputtering film detection method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a monitoring strip provided in a magnetron sputtering chamber corresponding to an insulating substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the layered structure of the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is provided according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the operation of cutting a monitoring strip segment to form a monitoring piece of standard length provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the connection between the capacitance detector and the electrodes of the monitoring sheet provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of the conductive grid on the conductive coating layer provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Description of reference numerals:

[0034] Insulating substrate 10, metal target 20;

[0035] The coating section 100 of the monitoring strip, the monitoring strip 110, the conductive coating layer 120, and the conductive layer 130;

[0036] Strip storage chamber 101, coated strip recovery chamber 102;

[0037] Conductive layer covering portion 200;

[0038] Cutting portion 300;

[0039] Capacitance detector 400 , first electrode 410 , second electrode 420 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, further details the magnetron sputtering film inspection method and system disclosed in the present invention. It should be noted that technologies (including methods and devices) known to persons skilled in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail; however, where appropriate, such known technologies are considered part of this specification. Furthermore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. The structures, proportions, and sizes depicted in the drawings of this specification are intended solely to facilitate understanding and reading by those familiar with the art, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the invention may be implemented.

[0041] In the description of the embodiments of this application, " / " represents "or," and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" represents the following three situations: A and B exist alone, B exists alone, and A and B exist at the same time. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "plurality" means two or more.

[0042] The technical concept and solution of the present invention are introduced below based on exemplary application scenarios. Example

[0043] The magnetron sputtering process takes place in a vacuum chamber equipped with a magnetron sputtering device. The magnetron sputtering process involves electrons being accelerated by an electric field toward the insulating substrate layer, where they collide with the sputtering gas argon, ionizing a large number of argon ions and electrons. The electrons fly toward the insulating substrate layer, continuously colliding with argon atoms, generating more argon atoms and electrons. The argon ions, accelerated by the electric field, bombard the metal target, sputtering a large number of metal target particles (such as target atoms). These neutral metal target particles are deposited on the surface of the insulating substrate layer to form a film (i.e., coating).

[0044] In this embodiment, the insulating substrate to be coated is preferably a flexible insulating substrate, specifically a plastic film such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or polycarbonate. The vacuum coating device is preferably a roll-to-roll coating device, which may include a series of rollers as transmission and guide structures. Specifically, a substrate unwinding mechanism and a substrate rewinding mechanism may be provided for the corresponding insulating substrate, both of which may adopt roller structures. The substrate unwinding mechanism is used to install an insulating substrate roll and unwind the roll, and the substrate rewinding mechanism is used to wind up the unwound flexible substrate to form a roll. The flexible insulating substrate to be coated is unwound between the substrate unwinding mechanism and the substrate rewinding mechanism. The unwound substrate segment is located in a vacuum coating chamber and is subjected to a magnetron sputtering coating process in the vacuum coating chamber. The vacuum coating chamber is provided with target materials and other magnetron sputtering devices (not shown in the figure) required for coating the film layer. When coating is initiated, the target and substrate are sequentially introduced into a vacuum chamber according to the magnetron sputtering coating process. The chamber is then evacuated and filled with working gas. During coating, the substrate unwinding and rewinding mechanisms synchronize the unwinding and rewinding processes, achieving roll-to-roll coating. Roll-to-roll coating devices for magnetron sputtering are well-known and will not be further described here.

[0045] The present invention improves upon the above-mentioned existing technologies by proposing a method for timely, efficient, and accurate detection of the deposition status of conductive coatings within a magnetron sputtering chamber. This method is used to analyze and evaluate the coating performance of conductive coatings deposited on insulating substrates during magnetron sputtering. Specifically, the present invention evaluates the deposition of film materials by measuring the electrical properties of the conductive coatings.

[0046] Capacitance, also known as "capacitance," refers to the amount of free charge stored under a given potential difference. The ratio of the charge Q held by a capacitor to the voltage U across its two electrodes is its capacitance, denoted by C.

[0047] The capacitance is calculated as follows:

[0048] C=εrS / 4πkd

[0049] Where εr represents the relative dielectric constant, S represents the area of ​​the capacitor plates, d represents the distance between the capacitor plates, and k represents the electrostatic force constant.

[0050] For a metal film capacitor, taking a three-layer structure as an example, it can include upper and lower metal film layers (i.e., upper and lower conductive layers) and an insulating dielectric layer located between the upper and lower metal film layers. The upper and lower metal film layers form the capacitor plates of the capacitor, and the insulating dielectric layer forms the insulating dielectric layer of the capacitor. With other parameters unchanged, the capacitance C of a metal film capacitor is positively correlated with the area S facing the capacitor plates. In other words, by measuring the capacitance value C of a metal film capacitor, the corresponding area S facing the metal film layers (conductive layers) on both sides of the metal film capacitor can be obtained. If the relevant information (such as the size) of the metal film layer on one side is constant, the capacitance value C can reflect the conductive area of ​​the other metal film layer. The present invention utilizes the operating principle of a film capacitor to improve the existing technology and proposes a solution that provides a monitoring strip and combines the monitoring strip with another conductive layer to form a film capacitor. The principle of the film capacitor is used to detect the electrical characteristics of a monitoring segment of a preset length to evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the aforementioned insulating substrate.

[0051] For details, see Figure 1 As shown, the method specifically includes the following steps.

[0052] S100: A monitoring strip is provided in a magnetron sputtering chamber. The monitoring strip is made of the same material and has the same thickness as the insulating substrate. During the coating process, the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate are simultaneously coated. During the coating process, target particles generated by the metal target material are vapor-deposited on one surface of the insulating substrate and the monitoring strip to form a conductive coating layer.

[0053] S200, according to the progress of the coating operation, after the current coating section of the aforementioned monitoring strip reaches the preset vapor deposition time, the current coating section of the aforementioned monitoring strip is controlled to move so as to input the current coating section into the film layer measurement device; at this time, a conductive coating layer is deposited on the opposite coating surface of the monitoring strip.

[0054] Among them, the film layer measuring device is configured to: collect the input operation of the monitoring strip, set a conductive layer on the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip, and then cut the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is set to obtain a monitoring piece of preset length; measure the capacitance of the aforementioned monitoring piece through a capacitance detector to obtain the capacitance value of the monitoring piece, and evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the aforementioned insulating substrate through the capacitance value of the monitoring piece.

[0055] See also Figure 2The figure shows a typical arrangement of monitoring strips in a magnetron sputtering chamber. In the magnetron sputtering coating chamber, monitoring strips are positioned corresponding to the insulating substrate 10; these monitoring strips are positioned in the gap between the insulating substrate 10 and the metal target 20. During the coating process, the monitoring strips and the insulating substrate 10 are coated simultaneously. The capacitance characteristics of the conductive coating layer on the monitoring strips are then measured, and the deposition of the conductive coating layer on the insulating substrate 10 is analyzed based on the capacitance measurement results of the conductive coating layer on the monitoring strips.

[0056] The capacitance detector can specifically be a digital multimeter. When using a digital multimeter to detect a capacitor, the capacitance gear can be used for direct detection. As an example and not a limitation, for example, some digital multimeters have the function of measuring capacitance, and the commonly used range can be divided into multiple gears, suitable for different ranges. The range gear can be pre-set by the user according to the measurement needs. When measurement is required, after obtaining the monitoring piece (equivalent to a small metal film capacitor), the conductive layers on both sides of the monitoring piece (metal film capacitor) can be directly connected to the Cx end on the meter board through pins (electrodes), and the displayed data can be read. The displayed data is the capacitance value of the current measuring piece (metal film capacitor).

[0057] In this embodiment, corresponding to the wound insulating substrate 10, in order to enable the monitoring strip to move synchronously with the winding of the insulating substrate 10, the monitoring strip can also adopt a winding structure. At this time, a monitoring strip control device can also be provided corresponding to the monitoring strip.

[0058] The monitoring strip control device is configured to control the movement of the current coating segment of the monitoring strip, based on coating process information, after the current coating segment of the monitoring strip reaches a preset vapor deposition time, so as to input the current coating segment into the film layer measurement device. As the current coating segment enters the film layer measurement device, the new (uncoated) monitoring strip following the current coating segment is also placed in the gap channel. This process continues until the wound monitoring strip is exhausted, at which point the monitoring strip control device can also issue a notification to the user indicating the end of the monitoring strip.

[0059] As an example of a typical approach, see Figure 2 As shown, the monitoring strip manipulation device may specifically include a control unit (not shown in the figure), a strip storage chamber 101 and a coated strip recovery chamber 102 .

[0060] The strip storage chamber 101 is provided on the side where the substrate is unwound. A strip reel and an unwinding mechanism may be provided in the strip storage chamber 101. The monitoring strip is wound on the strip reel. The unwinding mechanism is used to unwind the strip reel to output the monitoring strip.

[0061] The coated strip recovery chamber 102 is provided on one side of the substrate winding. As an example of a typical embodiment, the coated strip recovery chamber 102 may be provided with a guide structure, a recovery disk, a winding mechanism, a strip cutter and a recovery disk transmission structure.

[0062] The guide structure is used to guide the coated strip to the recovery disk and can limit or release the strip. Specifically, it can be achieved by using two guide rollers that cooperate with each other. The limiting or releasing of the limit can be achieved by moving the two rollers closer and farther away.

[0063] The reeling mechanism is provided with multiple recovery trays, one of which is currently in operation. The reeling mechanism may also include a robotic arm for securing the free end of the strip to the currently in operation recovery tray and rewinding the strip via the recovery tray (operating synchronously with the unwinding mechanism), with the reeled, coated strip being wound around the currently in operation recovery tray.

[0064] After the coated strip is recovered, the two rollers of the guide structure can limit the strip's position—for example, the two rollers move closer together to clamp the strip. The control unit then controls the strip cutter to move to the guide structure to cut the strip, allowing the recovery reel with the coated strip wound on it to be removed from the reel. At this point, the monitoring strip is cut to form a free end, which the reel secures to a new recovery reel (becoming the new, currently active recovery reel) for the next strip recovery.

[0065] In this embodiment, the recovery tray is removed from the winding mechanism and transported to the film layer measuring device by the recovery tray transport structure. The recovery tray transport structure preferably uses another robotic arm to flexibly remove the recovery tray from the winding mechanism and transport it.

[0066] The control unit, as a control structure for operating the monitoring strip, can be a programmable logic controller, and is primarily used to control the unwinding mechanism, rewinding mechanism, guide structure, strip cutter, and recovery tray transmission structure to operate according to the coating operation. Specifically, the control unit can include a coating information acquisition unit, an unwinding mechanism control unit, a rewinding mechanism control unit, a guide structure control unit, a strip cutter control unit, and a recovery tray transmission structure control unit.

[0067] The coating information acquisition unit is used to obtain various coating operation parameters set by the user for the coating operation. For example, coating operation parameters may include input airflow information, input voltage information, target material information (such as target material type, target number, target size, etc.), substrate information (such as substrate material type, substrate size, etc.), target-substrate distance (i.e., the distance between the substrate and target in magnetron sputtering, typically ranging from 5cm to 30cm), vapor deposition time, and film layer information (such as film thickness, number of film layers, etc.). When the substrate is a coil, the operation parameters also include the winding speed of the substrate during coating.

[0068] The unwinding mechanism control unit is used to control the unwinding mechanism of the monitoring strip to output the monitoring strip according to the preset coating operation parameters obtained by the coating information acquisition unit.

[0069] The winding mechanism control unit is used to control the winding mechanism of the monitoring strip to operate according to the preset coating operation parameters obtained by the coating information acquisition unit, so as to recycle the coated monitoring strip to the recovery disk; and control the winding mechanism to fix the free end of the strip on the currently working recovery disk.

[0070] The guide structure control unit is used to control the two rollers of the guide structure to rotate, approach, move away, etc. according to the recovery information of the monitoring strip, thereby achieving the guidance, limitation, and release of the monitoring strip.

[0071] The strip cutter control unit is used to control the strip cutter to move to the guide structure to cut the strip after the coated strip is recovered, so that the coated strip segment to be tested is separated from the new strip segment. After the strip is cut, the recovery disk for recovering the coated strip can be moved out from the winding mechanism.

[0072] The recovery disk transmission structure control unit is used to control the grabbing part of the recovery disk transmission structure to move to the winding mechanism after the strip is cut, remove the recovery disk that recovers the coated strip from the winding mechanism, and transmit it to the film layer measuring device.

[0073] For insulating substrates coated on a roll, the control unit can also be configured to control the sputtering coating time and coating area of ​​the monitoring strip, thereby synchronizing the coating section of the wound insulating substrate. Specifically, the control unit can adjust the speed of the monitoring strip in the aforementioned gap channel through the winding and unwinding mechanisms, thereby adjusting the exposure time of the current coated section of the monitoring strip in the coating chamber. In this way, by controlling the pulling speed of the monitoring strip, the exposure time of the monitoring strip (corresponding to the vapor deposition time) is adjusted, thereby controlling the sputtering time and area.

[0074] The film layer measuring device can set a conductive layer on the non-coated surface of the recovery disk monitoring strip (coated) on the recovery disk transmission structure when collecting the recovery disk entering. Figure 3 As shown; and, the monitoring strip provided with the conductive layer is cut to obtain a monitoring piece of a preset length, see Figure 4 As shown; then, the capacitance of the monitoring piece is measured by the capacitance detector to obtain the capacitance value of the monitoring piece, see Figure 5 As shown, the coating effect of the conductive coating layer on the insulating substrate is evaluated by monitoring the capacitance value of the sheet.

[0075] In this embodiment, preferably, according to the preset measurement standard length, the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is set is cut multiple times to obtain monitoring pieces of multiple standard lengths. At this time, the method of evaluating the coating effect of the conductive coating layer by the capacitance value of the monitoring piece is as follows: each time the cutting operation is performed, the capacitance of the obtained monitoring piece of standard length is measured, and the position information of the monitoring piece on the monitoring strip and the capacitance value of the monitoring piece are recorded; when the measurement of the N monitoring pieces of the input monitoring strip is completed, the capacitance values ​​of the N monitoring pieces are compared based on the position sequence of the monitoring pieces to obtain the capacitance change trend of the input monitoring strip as the coating effect evaluation information of the conductive coating layer, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. As an example and not a limitation, Figure 4 The example in which the monitoring strip after setting the conductive layer is divided into 5 detection pieces is given.

[0076] In this embodiment, a conductive layer is preferably applied to the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip by laminating or spraying. In this case, the film layer measurement device includes a conductive layer laminating unit or a conductive layer spraying unit. The conductive layer laminating unit is used to apply a conductive layer of preset size to the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip, and the conductive layer spraying unit is used to spray a conductive layer of preset size on the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip.

[0077] Specifically, when a conductive layer spraying unit is used, a conductive layer spraying structure is provided on the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip to spray a predetermined thickness of conductive material (such as conductive paint) onto the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip to form a conductive layer. After the conductive layer is sprayed, the monitoring strip can be fed into the cutter position for cutting.

[0078] When a conductive layer covering part is used, a dedicated conductive layer covering cavity can be set up, in which a conductive sheet is placed. When the monitoring strip is input into the film layer measuring device, it first enters the conductive layer covering cavity, and when the monitoring strip enters the conductive layer covering cavity, the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip is arranged corresponding to the aforementioned conductive sheet; the entered monitoring strip is bonded with the aforementioned conductive sheet to form a conductive layer, and the monitoring strip after being coated with the conductive layer is input into the cutter position for cutting operation.

[0079] Preferably, the current coating section is controlled to enter the conductive layer coating cavity while the conductive sheet bonding operation is performed to form a conductive layer, and at the same time, the strip coated with the conductive layer is directly output to the cutter position for cutting operation to form a monitoring sheet of standard length; until the formation of all monitoring sheets of the current coating section is completed.

[0080] It should be noted that the above-mentioned method of applying the conductive layer is preferred but not limited. For example, in one embodiment, after controlling the recovery disk with the monitoring strip wound thereon to enter the conductive layer applying chamber, the recovery disk can be controlled to rotate to release the monitoring strip, and the monitoring strip can be flattened on a preset operating table by a second robotic arm. Then, the flattened monitoring strip segment is subjected to a conductive sheet bonding operation as a whole to obtain a monitoring strip segment coated with the conductive layer; then, the monitoring strip segment coated with the conductive layer is input as a whole to the second cutter position for cutting operation to obtain multiple monitoring strips of standard lengths. For another example, in another embodiment, after controlling the recovery disk with the monitoring strip wound thereon to enter the conductive layer applying chamber, the recovery disk can be controlled to rotate to release the monitoring strip while the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip is subjected to a conductive sheet bonding operation until the monitoring strip on the recovery disk is completely coated with the conductive sheet; then, the monitoring strip segment coated with the conductive layer is input as a whole to the second cutter position for cutting operation to obtain multiple monitoring strips of standard lengths.

[0081] Preferably, a cutting mark is provided on the monitoring strip, and the distance between adjacent cutting marks is the aforementioned standard length. The cutter is provided with a mark recognition mechanism, and when the cutter recognizes the cutting mark, the cutting operation is performed at the position where the cutting mark is located.

[0082] In this embodiment, numbers or codes may be provided between adjacent cut marks of the monitoring strip, and the numbers or codes are used to identify the position information of each segment on the monitoring strip. For any monitoring segment, its position information on the monitoring strip can be obtained by the numbers or codes on the monitoring segment.

[0083] In this embodiment, the film layer measuring device may further include an electrode setting portion corresponding to the capacitance detector, wherein the electrode setting portion is used to respectively set detection electrodes for the two conductive layers of the monitoring piece, and the detection electrodes may be respectively connected to the two levels of the capacitance detector through electrical wires.

[0084] Specifically, the electrode setting part is configured to: set a conductive layer electrode on the conductive layer of the monitoring piece, and set a conductive grid on the conductive coating layer of the monitoring piece, the conductive grid includes conductive strips arranged in rows and / or columns, and the multiple conductive strips of the conductive grid are used to electrically connect multiple unconnected deposition areas of the conductive coating layer, thereby improving the capacitance detection accuracy of the conductive coating layer whose deposition areas are unconnected.

[0085] The typical structure of the conductive grid can be found in Figure 6 As shown, the multiple conductive strips of the conductive grid can electrically connect multiple disconnected deposition areas of the conductive coating layer (due to uneven deposition, the conductive material deposition areas are dispersed, resulting in disconnected deposition areas), thereby making the area S of the conductive coating layer, which serves as the capacitor plate, more consistent with actual deposition conditions. If only one detection electrode (pin) is provided at the edge or in the middle of the conductive coating layer, when the deposition area is uneven and there are multiple disconnected areas, the measured capacitance value will have a large error compared to the actual deposition conditions.

[0086] Another embodiment of the present invention further provides a film layer detection system for magnetron sputtering, which is used to detect a conductive coating layer deposited on an insulating substrate.

[0087] The system may specifically include a magnetron sputtering device, a monitoring strip control device and a film layer measurement device.

[0088] The magnetron sputtering device includes a chamber for magnetron sputtering, and a monitoring strip is set in the magnetron sputtering chamber. The monitoring strip is made of the same material and has the same thickness as the aforementioned insulating substrate. During the coating process of the insulating substrate, the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate are coated simultaneously.

[0089] The monitoring strip control device is configured to arrange a monitoring strip in the magnetron sputtering chamber and, based on the progress of the coating operation, control the movement of the current coating segment of the monitoring strip after the current coating segment reaches a preset vapor deposition time, thereby inputting the current coating segment into the film layer measurement device. At this point, a conductive coating layer is deposited on the coating surface of the monitoring strip.

[0090] The film layer measuring device is used to collect the input operation of the monitoring strip, and after setting a conductive layer of adapted size on the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip, cut the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is set to obtain a monitoring piece of preset length; and measure the capacitance of the aforementioned monitoring piece through a capacitance detector to obtain the capacitance value of the monitoring piece, and evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the aforementioned insulating substrate through the capacitance value of the monitoring piece.

[0091] For other technical features, please refer to the description of the previous embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0092] It should be noted that those skilled in the art should be aware that in order to make the coating information of the monitoring strip more accurately represent the coating information of the insulating substrate, it is necessary to maximize the identity of the coating operation process of the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate, thereby reducing the difference between the two in the coating operation process. For example, when arranging the monitoring strip, the distance between the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate can be made within a preset distance threshold range to improve the identity of the coating process of the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate. The distance threshold is related to the target-substrate distance (i.e., the distance value between the magnetron sputtering substrate and the target material). When setting it, those skilled in the art can make adaptive adjustments based on the target-substrate distance (the commonly used target-substrate distance range is generally 5cm-30cm). In this embodiment, the distance threshold is preferably 2cm-15cm, not exceeding 1 / 2 of the target-substrate distance.

[0093] For another example, the width of the monitoring strip should not be set too large to avoid affecting the deposition and growth of the metal target material on the substrate. In this embodiment, the width of the monitoring strip is preferably 1mm-10mm, and the specific width value can be selected within the above preferred range according to actual needs.

[0094] In the above description, the disclosure of the present invention is not intended to limit itself to these aspects. Rather, within the scope of the intended protection of the present disclosure, the components can be selectively and operationally combined in any number. In addition, terms such as "including", "encompassing" and "having" should be interpreted as inclusive or open by default, rather than exclusive or closed, unless they are explicitly defined to the contrary. All technical, scientific or other terms have the meaning understood by those skilled in the art unless they are defined to the contrary. Common terms found in dictionaries should not be interpreted too idealistically or too impractically in the context of relevant technical documents, unless the present disclosure explicitly defines them as such. Any changes and modifications made by a person of ordinary skill in the field of the present invention based on the above disclosure are within the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A magnetron sputtering film layer detection method for detecting a conductive coating layer deposited on an insulating substrate, characterized in that Including steps: A monitoring strip is provided in the magnetron sputtering chamber. The monitoring strip is made of the same material and has the same thickness as the insulating substrate. During the coating process of the insulating substrate, the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate are coated simultaneously. According to the progress of the coating operation, after the current coating section of the aforementioned monitoring strip reaches a preset vapor deposition time, the current coating section of the aforementioned monitoring strip is controlled to move so as to input the current coating section into the film layer measurement device; at this time, a conductive coating layer is deposited on the opposite coating surface of the monitoring strip; The film layer measurement device is configured to: collect input operations of the monitoring strip, provide a conductive layer on the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip to form a thin film capacitor, cut the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is provided to obtain a monitoring strip of a preset length; measure the capacitance of the monitoring strip using a capacitance detector to obtain the capacitance value of the monitoring strip, and evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the insulating substrate based on the capacitance value of the monitoring strip; The film layer measuring device also includes an electrode setting portion corresponding to the capacitance detector to respectively set detection electrodes for the two conductive layers of the monitoring piece, and the detection electrodes are respectively connected to the two levels of the capacitance detector; wherein, a conductive layer electrode is set on the conductive layer of the monitoring piece, and a conductive grid is set on the conductive coating layer of the monitoring piece, and the conductive grid includes conductive strips arranged in rows and / or columns, and the multiple conductive strips of the conductive grid are used to electrically connect multiple unconnected deposition areas of the conductive coating layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: According to the preset measurement standard length, the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is set is cut multiple times to obtain monitoring pieces of multiple standard lengths; At this time, the method of evaluating the coating effect of the conductive coating layer by the capacitance value of the monitoring piece is: each time a cutting operation is performed, the capacitance of the monitoring piece of the obtained standard length is measured, and the position information of the monitoring piece on the monitoring strip and the capacitance value of the monitoring piece are recorded; when the measurement of N monitoring pieces of the input monitoring strip is completed, the capacitance values ​​of the N monitoring pieces are compared based on the position sequence of the monitoring pieces to obtain the capacitance change trend of the input monitoring strip as the evaluation information of the coating effect of the conductive coating layer, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: A conductive layer is set on the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip by pasting or spraying. At this time, the film layer measuring device includes a conductive layer pasting part or a conductive layer spraying part for pasting or spraying a conductive layer of preset size on the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: When a conductive layer spraying part is used, a conductive layer spraying structure is set on the non-coated surface of the corresponding monitoring strip, which is used to spray conductive material on the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip to form a conductive layer; the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is sprayed is input into the cutter position for cutting operation.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein: When a conductive layer covering part is used, it also includes a conductive layer covering cavity, in which a conductive sheet is placed. When the monitoring strip is input into the film layer measuring device, it first enters the conductive layer covering cavity, and when the monitoring strip enters the conductive layer covering cavity, the non-coated surface of the monitoring strip is arranged corresponding to the aforementioned conductive sheet; the entered monitoring strip is bonded with the aforementioned conductive sheet to form a conductive layer, and the monitoring strip after being coated with the conductive layer is input into the cutter position for cutting operation.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that: While controlling the aforementioned current coating section to enter the conductive layer coating chamber, the conductive sheet bonding operation is performed to form a conductive layer. At the same time, the strip coated with the conductive layer is output to the cutter position for cutting operation to form a monitoring sheet of standard length; until the formation of all monitoring sheets of the current coating section is completed.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that: A cutting mark is provided on the monitoring strip, and the distance between adjacent cutting marks is the aforementioned standard length; the cutter is provided with a mark recognition mechanism, and when the cutter recognizes the cutting mark, the cutting operation is performed corresponding to the position of the cutting mark.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: Numbers or codes are also provided between adjacent cutting marks of the monitoring strip, and the numbers or codes are used to identify the position information of each fragment on the monitoring strip; for any monitoring piece, its position information on the monitoring strip is obtained through the aforementioned numbers or codes on the monitoring piece.

9. A film layer detection system for magnetron sputtering according to the method of claim 1, used for detecting a conductive coating layer deposited on an insulating substrate, characterized in that: The system includes a magnetron sputtering device, a monitoring strip control device and a film layer measurement device; The magnetron sputtering device includes a chamber for performing magnetron sputtering, and a monitoring strip is set in the magnetron sputtering chamber. The monitoring strip is made of the same material and has the same thickness as the insulating substrate. During the coating process of the insulating substrate, the monitoring strip and the insulating substrate are coated simultaneously; The monitoring strip control device is used to arrange the monitoring strip in the magnetron sputtering chamber and, according to the progress of the coating operation, control the current coating section of the monitoring strip to move after the current coating section of the monitoring strip reaches a preset vapor deposition time so as to input the current coating section into the film layer measurement device; at this time, a conductive coating layer is deposited on the coating surface of the monitoring strip; The film layer measuring device is used to collect the input operation of the monitoring strip, and after setting a conductive layer of adapted size on the non-coated surface of the input monitoring strip, cut the monitoring strip after the conductive layer is set to obtain a monitoring piece of preset length; and measure the capacitance of the aforementioned monitoring piece through a capacitance detector to obtain the capacitance value of the monitoring piece, and evaluate the coating effect of the conductive coating layer of the aforementioned insulating substrate through the capacitance value of the monitoring piece.

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