A stepped crucible for vacuum coating

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of step type crucible for vacuum coating, including coating roller;And crucible, be set below the coating roller, at least the part of lower portion of the coating roller is enclosed, the crucible includes with the coating roller axis same direction extension, multiple crucible grooves are arranged in horizontal direction, multiple the crucible grooves are arranged into step, from the coating roller directly below to both sides gradually elevated.This application can maximize the effective coating area while making the evaporation distance between the evaporation material in each crucible groove and the coating roller equal and stable, ultimately forming a dense and uniform single material thin film or composite material thin film on the substrate surface, and the replenishment process is simple and convenient, the present application is suitable for evaporation material with melting point lower than 300 DEG C, especially suitable for evaporation coating of low melting point materials such as lithium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of vacuum coating, and more specifically, to a stepped crucible for vacuum coating. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, functional material thin films and composite thin films have seen significant development. Coating technology and thin film products have been widely used in industry, especially in the field of electronic materials and components, where they hold an extremely important position. Coating methods can be classified into vapor phase deposition, oxidation, ion implantation, diffusion, electroplating, coating, and liquid phase growth methods. Among these, vapor phase deposition can be further divided into physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and electrical discharge polymerization.

[0003] Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a technique that uses physical methods under vacuum conditions to vaporize a material source surface into gaseous atoms or molecules, or partially ionize them into ions, and then deposits a thin film with specific functions onto a substrate surface under low pressure. PVD is mainly divided into three categories: vacuum evaporation deposition, vacuum sputtering deposition, and vacuum ion deposition.

[0004] Vacuum evaporation is a technique in which an evaporation material is heated and evaporated under vacuum conditions, causing a large number of atoms and molecules to vaporize and leave the liquid evaporation material or sublimate from the surface of the solid evaporation material, and finally deposit on the surface of the substrate.

[0005] Patent JP6771887B2 discloses an evaporation source and a telescopic vacuum deposition apparatus. It has an evaporation source located directly below the main roller and only has one crucible container. The effective coating area is only the area directly below the main roller and perpendicular to the crucible container. The lower left and lower right of the main roller are far from the crucible container, so the film deposition efficiency is significantly reduced and the effective coating area is small.

[0006] US20230011303A1 discloses a tightly coupled diffuser for physical vapor deposition web coating, which is provided with multiple evaporation sources located below and on the left and right sides of the main roller. Each evaporation source contains a crucible for heating and storing the evaporated material.

[0007] While this application enables coating at positions below and on both sides of the main roller, it is difficult to ensure a consistent distance between the actual liquid level of the evaporating material in multiple crucibles and the lower surface of the main roller. Furthermore, as evaporation progresses, the amount of evaporating material in the crucibles gradually decreases, leading to an increasing distance between the evaporating material in each crucible and the coating roller, thus affecting coating quality. In addition, the evaporating material adheres to unnecessary surfaces of the tube walls and containers during its movement, resulting in low utilization efficiency.

[0008] Furthermore, the crucibles are not connected to each other. When the liquid level drops and evaporation material needs to be replenished, each evaporation source needs to be removed individually and fed separately. At this time, the crucible temperature is high, and it needs to be cooled before it can be removed. After replenishing the evaporation material, it can be heated again. The replenishment process is cumbersome and difficult to adapt to the needs of large-scale mass production.

[0009] Furthermore, during use, as the liquid level of the evaporating material in the crucible gradually decreases, the evaporation distance also gradually increases, causing changes in the core process parameters. It is necessary to adjust the evaporation temperature to regulate the evaporation rate, which makes the process quite challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a stepped crucible for vacuum coating, which can maximize the effective coating area while ensuring that the evaporation distance between the evaporation material and the coating roller in each crucible tank is equal and stable, and finally forms a dense and uniform single material film or composite material film on the substrate surface. Moreover, the material replenishment process is simple and convenient. The present invention is applicable to evaporation materials with melting points below 300°C, and is especially suitable for evaporation coating of low melting point materials such as lithium metal.

[0011] A stepped crucible for vacuum coating includes a coating roller; and a crucible disposed below the coating roller, at least surrounding a portion of the lower part of the coating roller. The crucible includes a plurality of crucible grooves extending in the same direction as the axis of the coating roller and arranged in a horizontal direction. The plurality of crucible grooves are arranged in a stepped manner, gradually increasing in height from directly below the coating roller on both sides.

[0012] Furthermore, the walls of two adjacent crucible tanks are connected longitudinally to form a single unit and extend upwards to form the tank wall.

[0013] Furthermore, the sidewalls and walls of the crucible tank are inclined, with the included angle between them and the horizontal plane ranging from 30° to 150°.

[0014] Furthermore, overflow ports are provided on the tank wall, and each overflow port and its adjacent overflow ports can be staggered in the same direction as the axis of the coating roller.

[0015] Furthermore, a heater is installed on the outer wall of the crucible tank.

[0016] Furthermore, a baffle is provided between the uppermost crucible tank and the coating roller. One end of the baffle is connected to the top of the side wall of the crucible tank, and the other end is close to the coating roller and is kept at a fixed distance from the coating roller.

[0017] Furthermore, the uppermost crucible tank is connected to a feeding mechanism.

[0018] Furthermore, the lowest-level crucible tank is connected to a liquid storage tank.

[0019] Furthermore, the stepped crucible used for vacuum evaporation may also include a cover plate, which is disposed between the crucible and the coating roller. The cover plate has an arc-shaped plate structure and uniformly distributed vent holes.

[0020] Furthermore, at least one evaporation material can be contained in the crucible.

[0021] It should be understood that the description in the Summary of the Invention is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the crucible structure of the stepped crucible for vacuum coating of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 1;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 2;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 3;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 4;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 5;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 6;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a side view of Example 6.

[0031] in, Figures 1 to 7 The correspondence between the reference numerals and component names in the attached drawings is as follows:

[0032] 1. Coating roller; 2. Crucible; 201 First crucible tank; 202 Second crucible tank; 203 Third crucible tank; 204 Fourth crucible tank; 205 Fifth crucible tank; 206 Sixth crucible tank; 207 Seventh crucible tank; 208 Eighth crucible tank; 209 Ninth crucible tank; 210 Tenth crucible tank; 211 Eleventh crucible tank; 212 Twelfth crucible tank; 213 Thirteenth crucible tank; 3. Tank wall; 4. Overflow port; 5. Heater; 6. Feeding pipe; 7. Baffle; 8. Feeding mechanism; 80 First feeding mechanism; 81 Second feeding mechanism; 82 Third feeding mechanism; 9. Storage tank; 90 First storage tank; 91 Second storage tank; 92 Third storage tank; 10. Cover plate; 100. Vent hole; 11. Transfer tank; 12. Unwinding shaft; 13. Rewinding shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0034] Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0035] The following reference Figures 1 to 7 This invention describes a stepped crucible for vacuum coating provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a stepped crucible for vacuum coating is characterized by comprising a coating roller 1 and a crucible 2, wherein the crucible 2 is disposed below the coating roller 1, at least surrounding a portion of the lower part of the coating roller 1, and the crucible 2 includes a plurality of crucible grooves 201-213 extending in the same direction as the axis of the coating roller 1 and arranged in a horizontal direction, the plurality of crucible grooves 201-213 being arranged in a stepped shape, gradually rising from directly below the coating roller 1 on both sides.

[0037] In this embodiment, an unwinding shaft 12 and a winding shaft 13 are respectively arranged on both sides above the coating roller 1 in the same direction as the coating roller 1 axis. The strip to be coated, which is wound on the unwinding shaft 12, extends downward from one side of the unwinding shaft 12, passes around the lower half of the coating roller 1 and is coated here, and then extends upward to the winding shaft 13 and is wound on the winding shaft 13. The strip remains in a taut state during this process.

[0038] In this embodiment, the number of crucible grooves 201-213 is at least three, and can be increased indefinitely, so that the midpoints of each crucible groove 201-213 can be approximately fitted to a circular arc surface when connected by a line. The number of crucible grooves is preferably an odd number.

[0039] The crucible trough 201-213 can be in various shapes, including rectangular, semi-cylindrical, etc.

[0040] In this embodiment, a heater 5 is installed on the outer wall of each crucible tank 201-213, including the side wall and the bottom. The heater 5 can be of various forms, including resistance heating, electromagnetic induction heating, infrared radiation heating, etc. The heater 5 on the side wall of each crucible tank 201-213 can be controlled independently. The heater 5 can also be replaced with heat insulation material.

[0041] In this embodiment, the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213 are connected to a feeding mechanism 8 for continuously replenishing the evaporation material into the crucible 2. A feeding pipe 6 connects the feeding mechanism 8 to the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213. The outer periphery of the feeding pipe 6 is covered with a heating and insulation mechanism, ensuring that the evaporation material is melted before entering the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213. The feeding mechanism 8 includes a wire feeding mechanism, a particle feeding mechanism, and a liquid feeding mechanism. The wire feeding mechanism inserts filamentous material into crucible 2. The filamentous material melts into a liquid state at the connection between the wire feeding mechanism and crucible 2, flows to the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213, and then flows downward to each level crucible tank 202-212. The particle feeding mechanism feeds granular material into crucible 2 through various means such as screw feeders or mechanical clamps. The granular material melts into a liquid state at the connection between the particle feeding mechanism and crucible 2, and then flows downward to each level crucible tank 202-212. The liquid feeding mechanism injects molten liquid material into crucible 2 through the relationship between pumps, air pressure, mechanical pressure, and the gravity of the evaporating material itself. The liquid material can flow directly from the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213 downward to each level crucible tank 202-212.

[0042] When using the stepped crucible of the present invention, it is preferable that the melting point of the evaporation material used is not higher than 300°C.

[0043] In this embodiment, the walls of two adjacent crucible tanks are connected longitudinally to form a single unit and extend upward to form a tank wall 3, so that the evaporation material can flow naturally from the upper crucible tank to the lower crucible tank under the action of gravity, and evaporation material is retained in each crucible tank 201-213.

[0044] The sidewalls of the crucible tanks 201-213 and each tank wall 3 can be inclined, with the included angle between them and the horizontal plane pointing towards the coating roller controlled within the range of 30-150°, preferably 80-100°. When the angle is 30-90°, the inclined sidewalls of the crucible tanks 201-213 and tank walls 3 can reduce the adhesion of the evaporation material on the sidewalls, increase the flow rate of the evaporation material in the crucible 2, and also play a certain guiding role in the evaporation of the evaporation material. When the angle is 90-150°, the evaporation material can flow and fall stably along the tank wall 3, improving the stability of the evaporation material in the crucible 2. However, when the angle is greater than 150° or less than 30°, the inclination angle of the tank wall 3 is too large, blocking the evaporation of the gaseous evaporation material, ultimately affecting the coating efficiency and quality.

[0045] In this embodiment, an overflow port 4 is provided on the tank wall 3. The width of the overflow port 4 is 1 / 10 of the width of the tank wall 3 to the same width as the tank wall 3. When the width of the overflow port 4 is less than 1 / 2 of the width of the tank wall 3, the overflow port 4 at the current position and the overflow port 4 adjacent to it are staggered in the same direction as the axial direction of the coating roller 1. The overflow port 4 is set at one end of the tank wall 3, so that the evaporation material in the upper crucible tank flows through the overflow port 4 on the upper tank wall 3 to one end of the crucible tank at the current position, and then remains in the current crucible tank and flows to the other end of the current crucible tank. The evaporation material remaining is at the same height as the overflow port 4. The evaporation material flows to the overflow port 4 on the tank wall 3 of the current crucible tank, and then continues to flow downward to the lower crucible tank. The evaporation material is replenished at the corresponding overflow port 4 of each crucible tank and its adjacent upper-level crucible tank, and then flows from one end to the other in each crucible tank, finally overflowing downwards at the overflow port 4 of each crucible tank and its adjacent lower-level crucible tank. This avoids stagnation in some areas within each crucible tank 201-213, ensuring that the evaporation material in each crucible tank 201-213 flows and is replaced, thus guaranteeing a uniform temperature of the evaporation material in each crucible tank 201-213.

[0046] In addition, the distance between the upper edge of the tank wall 3 and the lower edge of the overflow port 4 is 2 to 10 mm, preferably 3 mm.

[0047] In this embodiment, the lowest-level crucible tank 207 is connected to a storage tank 9, which is used to collect the evaporation material flowing from the upper-level crucible tanks 201-206 and 208-213 into the lowest-level crucible tank 207. The storage tank 9 can be connected to a feeding pipe 6 to realize the circulation of the liquid evaporation material, so that the evaporation material supplied to the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213 comes from both the solid or liquid evaporation material replenished by the feeding mechanism 8 and the liquid evaporation material stored and circulated in the storage tank 9.

[0048] In this embodiment, a baffle 7 is provided between the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213 and the coating roller 1. One end of the baffle 7 is connected to the top of the side wall of the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213, and the other end is close to the coating roller 1, leaving a distance of 0.5 to 5 mm between it and the coating roller 1 to allow the strip product to pass through. This distance is preferably 2 mm. The angle between the baffle 7 and the horizontal plane can be adaptively tilted within the range of 0 to 60°, thereby optimizing the gas phase space during the evaporation of the evaporating material and reducing the waste of evaporating material deposited on the baffle 7.

[0049] In this embodiment, a cooling mechanism is also provided below the crucible 2, which can rapidly cool the crucible 2 when it is not in operation. This embodiment does not limit the location of the cooling mechanism, as long as it achieves the desired cooling effect.

[0050] In this embodiment, there can be more than one type of evaporation material. When multiple material films need to be deposited, different evaporation materials can be added to different crucible tanks 201-213 according to actual needs, and the heights of the feeding mechanism 8, storage tank 9, tank wall 3, and overflow port 4 corresponding to each evaporation material can be set accordingly.

[0051] The following is a description of specific embodiments:

[0052] Example 1

[0053] In this embodiment 1, as Figure 2 As shown, the stepped crucible for vacuum coating includes a coating roller 1 and a crucible 2. The crucible 2 is positioned below the coating roller 1, surrounding the lower half of the coating roller 1. The crucible 2 includes thirteen rectangular crucible grooves 201-213 extending horizontally in the same direction as the axis of the coating roller 1. The thirteen crucible grooves 201-213 are arranged in a stepped shape, gradually increasing in height from directly below the coating roller 1 on both sides. Figure 1As shown, from left to right, the crucible tanks are: first crucible tank 201, second crucible tank 202, third crucible tank 203, fourth crucible tank 204, fifth crucible tank 205, sixth crucible tank 206, seventh crucible tank 207, eighth crucible tank 208, ninth crucible tank 209, tenth crucible tank 210, eleventh crucible tank 211, twelfth crucible tank 212, and thirteenth crucible tank 213.

[0054] In this embodiment, each crucible tank 201-213 has a resistance heater 5 installed on its outer wall, and each resistance heater 5 can be controlled independently, so that the temperature of each crucible tank 201-213 can be controlled separately.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first crucible tank 201 and the thirteenth crucible tank 213 are respectively connected to the wire feeding mechanism to continuously replenish the same evaporation material into the crucible 2; the seventh crucible tank 207 is connected to the liquid storage tank 9 to collect the evaporation material and discharge floating impurities.

[0056] In this embodiment, the walls of two adjacent crucible tanks are connected longitudinally to form a single unit and extend upward to form a tank wall 3, so that the evaporation material in the first crucible tank 201 and the thirteenth crucible tank 213 can flow naturally to the seventh crucible tank 207 under the action of gravity, and sufficient evaporation material is left in each crucible tank 201-213.

[0057] In this embodiment, each tank wall 3 is provided with an overflow port 4, wherein the width of the overflow port 4 is 1 / 10 of the width of the tank wall 3, and they are staggered in the same direction as the axial direction of the coating roller 1.

[0058] The side walls and tank walls 3 of each crucible tank 201-213 are vertically arranged, and the evaporation material can flow through the tank wall 3 below the lower edge of the overflow port 4 when it flows downward.

[0059] In this embodiment, horizontally installed baffles 7 are respectively provided between the first crucible tank 201 and the thirteenth crucible tank 213 and the coating roller 1. One end of the baffle 7 is connected to the top of the side wall of the crucible tank 201 and 213, and the other end is close to the coating roller 1, with a 3mm gap between it and the coating roller 1 for passing the strip product.

[0060] A cooling mechanism is provided below the crucible 2, which can quickly cool the crucible 2 when it is not in operation.

[0061] Example 2

[0062] In this embodiment 2, the other structures of the stepped crucible used for vacuum coating are the same as in embodiment 1. The difference is that the sidewalls of each crucible tank 201-213 and each tank wall 3 are inclined, such as... Figure 3As shown, the angle between it and the horizontal plane pointing towards the coating roller is 60°, which allows the liquid evaporation material in the upper crucible tank to overflow directly from the overflow port 4 of the tank wall 3 and drip into the lower crucible tank. This reduces the contact flow between the evaporation material and the side walls of the crucible tanks 201-213, further increases the guiding effect of each crucible tank 201-213 on the evaporation material, reduces the adhesion of the evaporation material on the side walls of each crucible tank 201-213, and improves the evaporation efficiency.

[0063] Example 3

[0064] In this embodiment, the other structures of the stepped crucible used for vacuum coating are the same as in Example 1. The difference lies in that the crucible 2 surrounds a portion of the lower part of the coating roller 1, and the number of crucible grooves 201, 206-208, and 213 is five, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, from left to right, they are the first crucible tank 201, the sixth crucible tank 206, the seventh crucible tank 207, the eighth crucible tank 208, and the thirteenth crucible tank 213.

[0065] In this embodiment, the baffle 7, which is connected to the top of the side wall of the first crucible tank 201 and the thirteenth crucible tank 213 respectively, is inclined and the angle between it and the horizontal plane pointing towards the coating roller is 45°, which optimizes the space occupied by the vapor phase of the evaporating material and reduces the waste caused by the deposition of the evaporating material on the baffle 7.

[0066] Example 4

[0067] In this embodiment, the other structures of the stepped crucible used for vacuum coating are the same as in Example 1. The difference is that the feeding mechanism 8 is a liquid feeding mechanism 8, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the liquid feeding mechanism 8 is connected to the first crucible tank 201 and the thirteenth crucible tank 213 by transfer tanks 11 respectively. The liquid evaporation material is first fed into the transfer tanks 11 by the liquid feeding mechanism 8, and then enters the first crucible tank 201 and the thirteenth crucible tank 213 from the transfer tanks 11 respectively.

[0068] In this embodiment, the inlet of the storage tank 9 is connected to the seventh crucible tank 207, and the outlet is connected to two transfer tanks 11, respectively, to realize the recycling of the liquid evaporation material in the storage tank 9. A pump is installed on the pipeline between the storage tank 9 and the transfer tanks 11 to extract the evaporation material from the storage tank 9; a valve is installed on the pipeline between the transfer tanks 11 and the crucible 2 to control the flow rate of the liquid evaporation material entering the crucible 2, ultimately maintaining a stable liquid level in the crucible tanks 201-213. The liquid level in the crucible tanks 201-213 can be kept constant by controlling the pumping rate between the storage tank 9 and the transfer tanks 11.

[0069] In this embodiment, the outer periphery of the pipelines between the seventh crucible tank 207 and the storage tank 9, between the storage tank 9 and the transfer tank 11, and between the transfer tank 11 and the crucible 2 are all covered with heaters 5. The heaters 5 can also be replaced with heat-insulating materials to heat or insulate the pipelines, so that the evaporation material in the pipelines can remain in a molten state, preventing the liquid evaporation material from solidifying due to temperature drop when flowing in the pipelines, causing blockage in the pipelines and affecting the normal operation of the equipment.

[0070] Example 5

[0071] In this embodiment, the other structures of the stepped crucible used for vacuum coating are the same as in Example 2. The difference is that it also includes a cover plate 10, as shown in Example 2. Figure 6 As shown, the cover plate 10 is disposed between the crucible 2 and the coating roller 1. It is an arc-shaped plate structure. The cover plate 10 has evenly distributed vent holes 100, which allow the evaporating material to pass through freely.

[0072] In this embodiment, as the evaporating material continuously transforms from a liquid state to a gaseous state, the pressure inside the crucible 2 increases. At this time, a cover plate 10 is set between the crucible 2 and the coating roller 1. The nozzle effect of the vent holes 100 on the cover plate 10 can be used to guide and control the evaporating material, so that the steam has an instantaneous jetting force after passing through the vent holes 100, forming a uniformly sized jetting surface on the strip surface. By reasonably and evenly arranging the vent holes 100, multiple jetting surfaces are interconnected and interwoven, ultimately forming a dense and uniform solid film on the strip surface.

[0073] Example 6

[0074] In this embodiment, the other structures of the stepped crucible used for vacuum coating are the same as in Example 1. The difference is that the evaporation materials used include three types: a first evaporation material, a second evaporation material, and a third evaporation material, and the number and position of the feeding mechanism 8, the storage tank 9, and the overflow port 4 are adjusted according to the type of evaporation material.

[0075] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first crucible tank 201, the second crucible tank 202, the third crucible tank 203, and the fourth crucible tank 204 are used to hold the first evaporation material. Wherein, as... Figure 8 As shown, there is no overflow port 4 on the tank wall 3 between the fourth crucible tank 204 and the fifth crucible tank 205. The first crucible tank 201 is connected to the first feeding mechanism 80, and the fourth crucible tank 204 is connected to the first liquid storage tank 90.

[0076] The eighth crucible tank 208, the ninth crucible tank 209, the tenth crucible tank 210, the eleventh crucible tank 211, the twelfth crucible tank 212, and the thirteenth crucible tank 213 are used to hold the third evaporation material. The tank wall 3 between the seventh crucible tank 207 and the eighth crucible tank 208 has no overflow port 4. The thirteenth crucible tank 213 is connected to the third feeding mechanism 82, and the eighth crucible tank 208 is connected to the third liquid storage tank 92.

[0077] The fifth crucible tank 205, the sixth crucible tank 206, and the seventh crucible tank 207 are used to hold the second evaporation material. The fifth crucible tank 205 is connected to the second feeding mechanism 81, and the seventh crucible tank 207 is connected to the second liquid storage tank 91.

[0078] In Examples 1-6 above, a dense and uniform solid film was obtained on the surface of the strip. Examples 1-5 yielded a single-material solid film, and Example 6 yielded a composite material solid film.

[0079] According to the embodiments of this disclosure, the following technical effects are achieved:

[0080] By setting a stepped crucible with the lowest point in the middle and gradually increasing in height towards both sides, the evaporation material in the upper crucible tank can flow naturally to the lower crucible tank under the influence of gravity, realizing the flow of the evaporation material within crucible 2. A feeding mechanism is installed at the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213, and a liquid storage tank 9 is installed at the lowest crucible tank 207. This allows for a single feeding at the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213 to cover all crucible tanks 201-213, eliminating the complex cooling and heating process during replenishment and simplifying the replenishment process. The liquid storage tank 9 can be connected to the uppermost crucible tanks 201 and 213. The feeding pipe 6 enables the circulation of the evaporation material, improving its utilization rate. By controlling the feeding speed at the feeding pipe 6, the liquid level of the evaporation material in each crucible trough 201-213 is kept stable, ensuring that the evaporation distance of the evaporation material in each crucible trough 201-213 is equal, ultimately resulting in a uniform and dense solid film. The crucible 2 can surround the lower half of the coating roller 1, maximizing the effective coating area. By setting the crucible troughs 201-213 with tiltable sidewalls and the tiltable trough wall 3, the adhesion of the evaporation material to the sidewalls of the crucible troughs 201-213 and the trough wall 3 is reduced. The flow rate of the vapor phase of the evaporating material is increased, and it also plays a certain guiding role in the evaporating material; the baffle 7 can be adaptively tilted within a reasonable range, which can increase the effective coating area on the one hand, and optimize the space occupied by the vapor phase of the evaporating material on the baffle 7 on the other hand, reducing the waste of evaporating material deposited on the baffle 7; by setting independently controllable heaters 5 on the outer wall of the crucible tank 201-213 and setting a cooling mechanism below the crucible 2, the device can quickly heat up and cool down, and the temperature can be controlled according to the physical properties of different evaporating materials; by setting the tank wall 3 and the staggered overflow ports, the device can achieve rapid heating and cooling. 4. This prevents the liquid evaporation material from overflowing directly from the top edge of the tank wall 3, but instead allows it to overflow from the overflow port 4, ensuring the stability of the liquid evaporation material in each crucible tank 201-213. Furthermore, it allows the liquid evaporation material to flow from the upper crucible tank to the lower crucible tank, and within each crucible tank, it can flow from one end to the other, ensuring the temperature consistency of the evaporation material in each crucible tank 201-213. By setting a cover plate 10 with vent holes 100, the nozzle effect of the gas pressure inside the crucible 2 is used to guide and control the gaseous evaporation material, further improving the uniformity and density of the formed solid film.

[0081] In the description of this specification, the terms "connection," "installation," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0082] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0083] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A stepped crucible for vacuum coating, characterized in that, include: Coating rollers; and A crucible is positioned below the coating roller, at least surrounding a portion of the lower part of the coating roller. The crucible includes multiple crucible grooves extending in the same direction as the axis of the coating roller and arranged horizontally. The multiple crucible grooves are arranged in a stepped shape, gradually increasing in height from both sides directly below the coating roller. The walls of two adjacent crucible tanks are longitudinally connected to form a single unit and extend upwards to form the tank wall. An overflow port is provided on the tank wall. The uppermost crucible tank is connected to a feeding mechanism.

2. The stepped crucible for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sidewalls and the wall of the crucible tank are both inclined, and the angle between them and the horizontal plane ranges from 30° to 150°.

3. The stepped crucible for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the overflow ports and the adjacent overflow ports are staggered in a direction in the same direction as the axis of the coating roller.

4. The stepped crucible for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crucible tank has a heater installed on its outer wall.

5. The stepped crucible for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: A baffle is provided between the uppermost crucible tank and the coating roller. One end of the baffle is connected to the top of the side wall of the crucible tank, and the other end is close to the coating roller and is kept at a fixed distance from the coating roller.

6. The stepped crucible for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lowest level crucible tank is connected to a liquid storage tank.

7. The stepped crucible for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A cover plate, which is disposed between the crucible and the coating roller, has an arc-shaped plate structure and uniformly distributed ventilation holes.

8. The stepped crucible for vacuum coating according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crucible may contain at least one evaporation material.

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