Continuous multi-cavity laser pulse deposition device based on electromagnetic support

Abstract

The invention discloses a continuous multi-cavity laser pulse deposition device based on an electromagnetic bracket, which is suitable for the field of vacuum thin film deposition, in particular to a substrate transferring and sealing system in a laser pulse deposition (PLD) process. The device is formed by sequentially connecting five chambers including a normal-pressure discharging chamber, a forevacuum chamber, a deposition chamber, a pressurizing chamber and a material taking chamber, all the chambers are sealed through flange plates and double-eccentric butterfly valves, and efficient isolation between the chambers is guaranteed through vacuum-resistant fluororubber or polytetrafluoroethylene sealing rings. Material transfer is achieved through the electromagnetic support system, the system controls the adsorption type tray with magnetism through the electromagnet, high-precision material transfer is achieved under the non-contact condition, and the continuity and production efficiency of film preparation are greatly improved. The extension and retraction of the electromagnetic bracket are controlled by a pneumatic device, and the system can accurately operate in an ultrahigh vacuum environment, so that the problems of traditional mechanical wear and vacuum leakage are avoided. The device has the remarkable advantages of modular design, rapid substrate transfer, reduction of maintenance cost, improvement of production efficiency and prolonging of the service life of equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-chamber substrate transfer and sealing system for a laser pulse deposition (PLD) process in the field of vacuum thin film deposition equipment. The present invention focuses on optimizing the contactless transfer of substrates in an ultra-high vacuum environment, improving the sealing performance between chambers, and ensuring that the equipment can transfer materials under different pressure environments, thereby improving the continuity and quality of thin film deposition. Background Art

[0002] Laser pulse deposition is a deposition technology used to prepare thin film materials, especially in the preparation of functional films with complex structures or components. However, with the increasing requirements for film uniformity, precision and mass production, existing laser pulse deposition devices have exposed some shortcomings in practical applications.

[0003] Existing laser pulse deposition equipment generally only has one deposition chamber. When preparing a thin film, the substrate and tray must be installed before vacuum treatment. After the preparation of a thin film is completed, vacuum treatment and substrate installation must be performed again, which reduces the efficiency of the equipment in industrial production.

[0004] Due to the sealing requirements between chambers, how to maintain the stability of the vacuum environment during the substrate movement process is a major problem. In the prior art, the sealing effect of the guide rail system is limited, and the risk of vacuum leakage is high, which may lead to the failure of the entire film preparation process in severe cases. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide an improved laser pulse deposition device, which realizes friction-free, pollution-free, high-precision positioning and efficient transfer in the process of substrate transfer between multiple chambers through the combination of electromagnetic support and electromagnetic force, thereby improving the continuity, uniformity and production efficiency of thin film preparation.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following design scheme: A laser pulse deposition device, characterized in that it is composed of five chambers connected in sequence, and the five chambers are: a normal pressure discharge chamber, a pre-vacuum chamber, a deposition chamber, a pressurization chamber, and a material taking chamber. The chambers are sealed by valves and sealing rings. In addition, the transfer between the material trays between the chambers is realized by the rotation of the electromagnetic bracket, and the rotation of the electromagnetic bracket is completed by the electromagnetic bracket drive motor. The extension and shortening of the electromagnetic bracket are pneumatically controlled. A tray with a magnetic bottom is provided at the end of the electromagnetic bracket. When the electromagnetic bracket rotates, the electromagnet is energized to adsorb the tray. When the tray rotates to the specified position, the pneumatic device pushes the rod to move, so that the material tray enters the next chamber. When the material tray rotates to the next chamber, the electromagnet of the next chamber is energized, and the electromagnet of the previous chamber is de-energized, and the transfer between the two chambers is completed at this time.

[0007] As a preferred solution, the valve between the chambers is a double eccentric butterfly valve.

[0008] As a preferred solution, the sealing ring is made of vacuum-resistant fluororubber or polytetrafluoroethylene material.

[0009] As a preferred solution, the raising and lowering of the pallet motor shaft is achieved by a lead screw.

[0010] As a preferred solution, each chamber should include a monitoring system, and the detection system should at least include a thermometer, a vacuum gauge, a pressure sensor and at least one observation window.

[0011] As a preferred solution, the deposition chamber should include, in addition to the above-mentioned monitoring system, electromagnetic sensors, Raman sensors, camera windows, lasers, substrates and other equipment that a deposition chamber of a traditional laser pulse deposition device should include.

[0012] As a preferred solution, a heater for heating the material should be provided inside the material tray.

[0013] As a preferred solution, the drive motor shaft adopts a spline shaft, and the various holes adopt an internal spline design.

[0014] As a preferred solution, each chamber should include a vacuum system, and the vacuum should include a mechanical pump and a molecular pump. The mechanical pump is used for the primary vacuum treatment between the chambers, and the air inlet of the mechanical pump is connected to the air outlet of the molecular pump for secondary vacuum treatment.

[0015] As a preferred solution, the present invention also includes a precise control system for synchronously controlling the on and off operation of the electromagnets between the chambers to ensure that the substrate is accurately positioned during the transfer process and that the substrate does not shake or deviate during the transfer process.

[0016] The continuous laser pulse system design provided by the present invention has the following obvious advantages compared with the prior art:

[0017] First, compared with traditional laser pulse deposition equipment, the electromagnetic support system can achieve rapid substrate transfer, thereby shortening the preparation cycle and improving overall production efficiency.

[0018] Second, the contactless movement of the electromagnetic bracket reduces mechanical wear, thereby reducing the maintenance frequency and cost of the equipment and extending the service life of the equipment.

[0019] Third, the use of double eccentric butterfly valves and sealing rings at the connections of each chamber can effectively enhance the sealing and reliability of the system.

[0020] Fourth, the equipment adopts a modular design. Each chamber is an independent module that can be replaced or adjusted according to process requirements. This design not only improves the flexibility of the equipment, but also facilitates maintenance and upgrades. Users can adjust the arrangement order of the chambers or add new chamber modules according to the deposition requirements of different materials. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall connection.

[0022] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the deposition chamber.

[0023] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of electromagnetic bracket

[0024] Figure 4 For suction tray DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following is a further description of this design in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0026] The device comprises 1 a normal pressure discharge chamber, 2 a flange, 3 a pre-vacuum chamber, 4 a deposition chamber, 5 a double eccentric butterfly valve, 6 a pressurization chamber, 7 a material taking chamber, 8 (2) a material tray motor hole, 8 (1) a substrate tray motor hole, 9 (2) a lower electromagnetic support rotation hole, 9 (1) an upper electromagnetic support hole, 10 an external cavity pneumatic device connection port, 11 an electromagnetic support, 111 a tray motor hole, 12 an adsorption tray, 113 an electromagnet, 114 a support pneumatic device interface, 115 a support motor hole, 116 a main rod, 117 a secondary rod, 121 a material (substrate) tray, 122 a material (substrate) tray connecting shaft, 123 a laser incident port, 21 a RHEED gun, 22 a temperature gauge hole, 23 a laser incident hole, 24 an observation window, and 25 a pressure gauge hole.

[0027] like Figure 1 The laser pulse deposition device of the present invention is composed of five chambers connected in sequence, including 1 normal pressure discharge chamber, 3 pre-vacuum chamber, 4 deposition chamber, 6 pressurization chamber, 7 material taking chamber. Each chamber is connected to 5 double eccentric butterfly valves through 2 flanges. Sealing rings are provided between the flanges for sealing, and the sealing rings are made of vacuum-resistant fluororubber (FKM) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Each chamber is equipped with an independent vacuum pump and pressure sensor to achieve precise control of the pressure in the chamber.

[0028] like Figure 2As shown, the deposition chamber includes openings for measuring and observing instruments of conventional laser pulse deposition equipment, such as 123 laser incident port, 21 RHEED gun, 22 temperature gauge hole, 23 laser incident hole, 24 observation window and 25 pressure gauge hole. Other unmarked openings can be used to install equipment such as spectrometers, gas analyzers or optical interferometers. The design of these openings can be adjusted and configured according to user needs. Each chamber has two electromagnetic brackets, which are used for transferring material trays and substrates respectively. 9 (1) upper electromagnetic bracket hole and 9 (2) lower electromagnetic bracket rotation hole are used to install these two brackets. The first and second drive motor shafts are connected to 8 (2) material tray motor hole and 8 (1) substrate tray motor hole, and pass through 111 tray motor hole to complete the overall fit. 111 tray motor hole, 122 material (substrate) tray connecting shaft and 121 material (substrate) tray are designed as an integrated whole. When the motor shaft rotates in the tray motor hole 111, it drives the material tray 121 to rotate, thereby realizing the conversion of materials (substrates). In addition, the first and second drive motors are equipped with lifting devices on the outside. When the material tray needs to be transferred to the next chamber, the lifting device drives the motor to move downward, so that the drive motor shaft is separated from the tray motor hole 111, ensuring the smooth rotation of the electromagnetic bracket. The third and fourth drive motor shafts are connected to the bracket motor hole 115 through the upper electromagnetic bracket hole 9 (1) and the lower electromagnetic bracket rotation hole 9 (2), driving the electromagnetic bracket 11 to rotate. The external gas cylinder and the mechanical pump pipeline are connected to the bracket pneumatic device interface 114 through the external cavity pneumatic device connection port 10.

[0029] Figure 3 It is the part of the electromagnetic bracket 11. The rotation of the electromagnetic bracket is realized by the second driving motor. The interior of the main rod 116 is a hollow structure. When the external gas cylinder ventilates the main rod 116 through the interface of the pneumatic device of the bracket 114, it will push the auxiliary rod 117 to move forward. When the auxiliary rod 117 needs to be retracted, the gas supply of the gas cylinder is closed and the gas in the main rod 116 is pumped out by the mechanical pump to complete the retraction of the auxiliary rod 117. The electromagnet 113 is used to control the detachment or connection of the adsorption tray 12 to the electromagnetic bracket 11.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the adsorption tray. The laser is irradiated through the laser incident port 123 to the material in the material tray 121, causing it to generate a plasma plume to coat the substrate.

[0031] As Figure 3, the electromagnetic support is fixed in each chamber, and the adsorption and release of the tray is controlled by the 113 electromagnet. The 12 adsorption tray is connected to the 11 electromagnetic support through the 113 electromagnet, and the electromagnetic support is in a retracted state. When the substrate moves from the 1 normal pressure discharge chamber to the 3 pre-vacuum chamber, the 11 electromagnetic support extends the 117 auxiliary rod through the pneumatic device, and the 113 electromagnet in the 3 pre-vacuum chamber is energized to fix the 12 adsorption tray. At the same time, the 113 electromagnet in the 1 normal pressure discharge chamber is de-energized to release the 12 adsorption tray. This process is carried out in a sealed state to avoid vibration or damage to the substrate caused by the pressure difference.

[0032] The pressure control system of each chamber operates independently. The 1st atmospheric pressure discharge chamber maintains atmospheric pressure and is used to load new substrates or 12 adsorption trays, and performs the first step of vacuum treatment before entering the 3rd pre-vacuum chamber. The 3rd pre-vacuum chamber further performs vacuum treatment on the cavity to balance the pressure in the chamber with the pressure in the 4th deposition chamber. The 4th deposition chamber maintains an ultra-high vacuum environment for laser pulse deposition. The 6th booster chamber gradually increases the pressure to gradually restore the substrate from ultra-high vacuum to a state close to atmospheric pressure, and finally the substrate enters the 7th take-out chamber at atmospheric pressure. During the whole process, each chamber is isolated by 5 double eccentric butterfly valves to ensure that the pressure in the chamber is stable and not disturbed by other chambers.

[0033] 5 double eccentric butterfly valves are installed at the chamber connection to isolate the pressure environment of adjacent chambers. When the substrate needs to be transferred, the 5 double eccentric butterfly valves are opened to connect the adjacent chambers. After the substrate transfer is completed, the 5 double eccentric butterfly valves are closed to restore the independent pressure environment of each chamber. Since the 5 double eccentric butterfly valves adopt a double eccentric structure, they can provide reliable sealing performance under high vacuum conditions and realize fast switching operations through electric or pneumatic actuators.

Claims

1. A laser pulse deposition device, characterized in that: The device includes five chambers connected in sequence, namely, a normal pressure discharge chamber, a pre-vacuum chamber, a deposition chamber, a pressurization chamber and a material removal chamber. The chambers are sealed and connected by flanges and double-eccentric butterfly valves. The sealing rings between the chambers are made of vacuum-resistant fluororubber (FKM) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and each chamber is equipped with an independent vacuum pump and pressure sensor for controlling the pressure in the chamber.

2. The laser pulse deposition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device includes an electromagnetic support system, the electromagnetic support is controlled to rotate by a driving motor and to extend and retract by a pneumatic device, and a magnetic adsorption tray is provided at the end of the electromagnetic support for transferring material trays between multiple chambers.

3. The laser pulse deposition device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electromagnetic support system includes a main rod and a secondary rod. The main rod is a hollow structure. The secondary rod is moved forward and backward by a pneumatic device. When the gas cylinder ventilates into the main rod, the secondary rod extends; when the gas in the main rod is extracted, the secondary rod contracts.

4. The laser pulse deposition device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The adsorption tray is connected to the electromagnetic bracket through an electromagnet. The electromagnet adsorbs the tray when it is powered on and releases the tray when it is powered off, so as to complete the transfer of materials in a contactless state.

5. The laser pulse deposition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deposition chamber includes a laser incident port, a RHEED gun, a temperature gauge hole, an observation window, a pressure gauge hole and other openings for measurement and observation, and the openings are configured according to user needs.

6. The laser pulse deposition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The double eccentric butterfly valve is used to isolate the pressure environment of adjacent chambers. When materials need to be transferred, the double eccentric butterfly valve is opened to connect the adjacent chambers. After the transfer is completed, the valve is closed to restore the independent pressure environment of the chamber.

7. The laser pulse deposition device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The double eccentric butterfly valve is controlled by an electric or pneumatic actuator to achieve rapid switching operation and ensure reliable sealing performance in a high vacuum environment.

8. The laser pulse deposition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pre-vacuum chamber is used to reduce the pressure in the chamber to balance it with the ultra-high vacuum environment in the deposition chamber; the booster chamber is used to gradually increase the pressure in the chamber to restore the material tray from the ultra-high vacuum state to the normal pressure state.

9. The laser pulse deposition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chambers operate independently to ensure that the pressure difference between the chambers will not affect the transfer of the material tray.

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