Double-chamber sputter coating equipment and coating process
By designing a dual-chamber structure and transfer device in a vacuum coating equipment, we ensure that the coating chamber is always in a vacuum state, solving the problems of equipment pollution and reliability, and achieving higher coating cleanliness and equipment reliability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411947001.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-07
AI Technical Summary
After the coating treatment is completed, existing vacuum coating equipment is prone to enter the coating chamber due to water vapor and dust in the air during air pressure balance, resulting in contamination; at the same time, the sealing structure is repeatedly opened and closed during the equipment assembly and commissioning process, reducing the reliability of the equipment. sex.
Design a dual-chamber sputtering coating device that includes a connection channel and a transport device between the loading chamber and the coating chamber to ensure that the coating chamber is always in a vacuum state, avoids the inlet of the atmosphere, and reduces the equipment's design by separation chamber Number of disassembly and assemble to improve reliability.
It effectively avoids contamination of the coating chamber and workpiece, improves the cleanliness of the coating process, and improves the reliability and service life of the equipment by reducing the number of disassembly and assembly times.
Smart Images

Figure CN119392198A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to the field of vacuum coating, and in particular to a dual-chamber sputtering coating device and a coating process. Background Art
[0002] After the coating process is completed, the existing vacuum coating equipment needs to introduce gas into the chamber, and then open the chamber door and take out the workpiece when the air pressure inside and outside the chamber is balanced. During this process, water vapor and dust in the air will enter the coating chamber and contaminate the coating chamber and the workpiece. In addition, the current vacuum coating equipment generally adopts a combined form, and the chamber, electrical cabinet, vacuum pump and other components are transported separately to the customer's site for assembly and debugging. During the disassembly and assembly process, the sealing structure is repeatedly opened and closed, which reduces the reliability of the equipment. Summary of the invention
[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a dual-chamber sputtering coating device, which can avoid contamination of the coating chamber and the workpiece during the coating process.
[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented according to the technical solution described below.
[0005] A dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment, characterized in that: it includes a frame, on which a loading chamber and a coating chamber that can be opened and closed are arranged, the loading chamber and the coating chamber are arranged correspondingly and are connected to each other through a connecting channel, the connecting channel is provided with a connection adjustment component for adjusting the connection state of the connecting channel, a transfer device is provided between the loading chamber and the coating chamber, the transfer device is used to realize the transfer of the workpiece between the loading chamber and the coating chamber; a heating device A for heating the workpiece and a carrier for supporting the workpiece to be coated are provided in the coating chamber, and a cleaning device for cleaning the workpiece is provided on the coating chamber. The coating chamber is also connected to an A cooling unit for cooling the coating chamber, an A vacuum unit for evacuating the coating chamber, and an A gas unit for supplying process gas to the coating chamber; a B heating device for baking and degassing the loading chamber is arranged in the loading chamber, and the loading chamber is connected to the B vacuum unit for evacuating the loading chamber; a B cooling unit, a power supply unit, and an electrical control unit are also arranged on the rack, the B cooling unit is used to cool each device, the power supply unit supplies power to each device, and the electrical control unit is used to regulate the operating status of each device.
[0006] The specific plan is: the frame includes a base, a mounting frame arranged on the base, and an outer box located outside the mounting frame, the mounting frame includes a left frame part, a middle frame part and a right frame part arranged from left to right, the coating chamber and the loading chamber are fixedly installed on the top of the left frame part and the middle frame part respectively, the power supply unit is installed inside the middle frame part, and the electrical control unit is installed inside the right frame part.
[0007] The A vacuum unit includes an A molecular pump and an A mechanical pump, and the B vacuum unit includes a B molecular pump and a B mechanical pump. The A mechanical pump is connected to the A vacuum tube provided on the coating chamber, and the B mechanical pump is connected to the B vacuum tube provided on the loading chamber. A plug-in valve and B plug-in valve are provided on the A vacuum tube and the B vacuum tube respectively. The A molecular pump and the B molecular pump are connected to the A mechanical pump and the B mechanical pump respectively. The A molecular pump and the B molecular pump are fixedly installed on the rear sides of the coating chamber and the loading chamber respectively, and the A mechanical pump and the B mechanical pump are fixedly installed inside the right frame.
[0008] A gas unit includes an airflow regulating device arranged on the top of the loading chamber, the cleaning unit includes a cleaning device arranged on the top of the coating chamber, the coating unit includes various sputtering devices arranged on the top of the coating chamber, and the airflow regulating device is used to regulate the air intake volume in the cleaning device, the sputtering device and the coating chamber.
[0009] A cooling unit includes a circulating fan located at the lower side of the coating chamber, the circulating fan is fixedly installed in the left frame part, the inlet of the circulating fan is connected to the coating chamber, the outlet of the circulating fan is connected to the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger is vertically installed on the rear side of the left frame part, and the air outlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the coating chamber.
[0010] The B cooling unit is a water cooling unit, which includes a return water collecting device and an outflow water dividing device, and the return water collecting device and the outflow water dividing device are installed on the rear side of the left frame part.
[0011] The outer box body is composed of a rear box wall, a left box wall, a front box wall, a right box wall and a top box wall. The left box wall is composed of an opening and closing box door. An installation gap is arranged on the front box wall. The installation gap is used to install the A door of the coating chamber and the B door of the loading chamber. A display screen and a pull-out keyboard are also arranged on the front box wall.
[0012] The communication adjustment component is composed of an A1 gate valve.
[0013] An assembly pipe is arranged on the side wall of the loading chamber away from the coating chamber. The assembly pipe is located on the upper side of the right frame part. A moving adjustment component for driving the transfer device to move is arranged in the assembly pipe. The carrier is connected to the lifting and rotating adjustment device and the biasing device arranged on the lower side of the coating chamber. The lifting and rotating adjustment device is used to adjust the carrier to lift and rotate.
[0014] The present invention also provides a dual-chamber sputtering coating process, which includes the following operations.
[0015] S1: Close the door of chamber A of the coating chamber, adjust the coating chamber to a vacuum state, close the A1 gate valve, open the door of chamber B of the loading chamber, place the workpiece to be coated on the carrier, close the door of chamber B, evacuate the loading chamber and start the B heating device to bake and degas the loading chamber, the baking temperature is 100°C, when the vacuum degree of the loading chamber and the coating chamber is balanced, open the A1 gate valve, the transfer device transfers the carrier into the coating chamber and transfers the carrier to the carrier, the transfer device retreats to the loading chamber, closes the A1 gate valve, the loading chamber remains in a vacuum and heated baking state, and the workpiece is a molding die.
[0016] S2: Start the A heating device to heat the carrier and the workpiece to above 500°C, start the cleaning device and the corresponding sputtering device to sequentially clean and coat the workpiece according to the preset process parameters.
[0017] S3: After the coating process is completed, open the process gas interface on the top of the coating chamber, introduce nitrogen or helium, adjust the pressure of the coating chamber to 50000Pa, start the circulating fan to extract the gas in the coating chamber and return it to the coating chamber after cooling through the heat exchanger, so that the temperature in the coating chamber is reduced to below 120℃, then open the A1 gate valve, and the transfer device transfers the carrier and the workpiece back to the loading chamber, then close the A1 gate valve, open the door of chamber B, and take out the coated workpiece.
[0018] According to the above solution provided by the present invention, the coating chamber is always in a vacuum state during the sputtering coating process, thereby preventing the coating chamber from being exposed to the atmosphere and ensuring the cleanliness of the sputtering coating process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.
[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure after removing the outer box.
[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Front view of.
[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Top view of the .
[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Rear view of.
[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 2 Side view of.
[0025] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the assembly of the coating chamber, loading chamber and transfer device.
[0026] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Front view of.
[0027] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the transfer device on the A guide component.
[0028] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer device.
[0029] Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of the vehicle Fig.12 It is a structural schematic diagram of the connecting fork.
[0030] Description of the figure number: 01-A gate valve, 02-B gate valve, 03-A1 gate valve, 04-power supply unit, 05-electrical control device, 06-circulation fan, 07-heat exchanger, 08-assembly pipeline, 10-workpiece, 11-base, 12-left box wall, 13-top box wall, 14-front box wall, 15-assembly lifting hole, 16-display screen, 17-plug-in keyboard, 18-A chamber door, 19-B chamber door, 21-coating chamber, 22-loading chamber, 23-cleaning device, 24-sputtering device, 25-airflow adjustment device, 26-A molecular pump, 27-B molecular pump, 28-A mechanical pump, 29-B mechanical pump, 30-return water collection device, 31-outlet water diversion device , 32-lifting and rotating adjustment device, 33-biasing device, 34-A heating device, 35-carrier, 36-plug-in positioning pin, 37-heating lifting and lowering adjustment mechanism, 38-connecting channel, 40-carrier, 41-A1 body, 42-A2 body, 43-annular mounting groove, 44-annular plug-in groove, 45-heat conduction hole, 46-plug-in positioning hole, 47-annular recess, 50-transfer trolley, 51-connecting fork, 52-A3 detection sensor, 53-A1 roller, 54-A2 roller, 55-universal connector, 56-connector, 57-A guide assembly, 58-A3 roller, 59-B guide assembly, 61-A1 detection sensor, 62-A2 detection sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] In order to make the purpose and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is specifically described below in conjunction with embodiments. It should be understood that the following text is only used to describe one or several specific embodiments of the present invention, and does not strictly limit the scope of protection of the specific claims of the present invention.
[0032] As used herein, the terms "parallel," "perpendicular," and the like are not limited to their strict geometric definitions, but include tolerances for reasonable and inconsistent machining or human errors.
[0033] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, a dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment includes a frame, on which a loading chamber 22 and a coating chamber 21 that can be opened and closed are arranged, the loading chamber 22 and the coating chamber 21 are arranged correspondingly and are connected to each other through a connecting channel, and a connecting adjustment component for adjusting the connecting channel connection state is provided on the connecting channel, and a transfer device is provided between the loading chamber 22 and the coating chamber 21, and the transfer device is used to realize the transfer of the workpiece 10 between the loading chamber 22 and the coating chamber 21; a heating device 34 for heating the workpiece 10 and a carrier for supporting the workpiece 10 to be coated are provided in the coating chamber 21, and a cleaning device for cleaning the workpiece 10 is provided on the coating chamber 21. The coating chamber 21 is also connected to the A cooling unit for cooling the coating chamber 21, the A vacuum unit for evacuating the coating chamber 21, and the A gas unit for supplying process gas to the coating chamber 21; the loading chamber 22 is provided with a B heating device for baking and degassing the loading chamber 22, and the loading chamber 22 is connected to the B vacuum unit for evacuating the loading chamber 22; the frame is also provided with a B cooling unit, a power supply unit 04, and an electrical control unit, the B cooling unit is used to cool each device, the power supply unit 04 supplies power to each device, and the electrical control unit is used to regulate the operating status of each device. By providing the coating chamber 21 and the loading chamber 22, the coating chamber 21 is always in a vacuum state during the sputtering coating process, so as to avoid the coating chamber 21 from being exposed to the atmosphere and ensure the cleanliness of the sputtering coating process.
[0034] like Figure 2As shown: the frame includes a base 11, a mounting frame arranged on the base 11, and an outer box located outside the mounting frame. The mounting frame includes a left frame body, a middle frame body, and a right frame body arranged from left to right. The coating chamber 21 and the loading chamber 22 are fixedly mounted on the top of the left frame body and the middle frame body, respectively. The power supply unit 04 is installed inside the middle frame body, and the electrical control unit is installed inside the right frame body. The base 11 is an integral structure. Two assembly lifting holes 15 are provided on the base 11. The assembly lifting holes 15 are used for inserting the fork arm of a forklift, so as to transport the sputtering coating equipment as a whole, avoid repeated opening and closing of the sealing structure during disassembly and assembly, and improve the reliability of the equipment. The A vacuum unit includes an A molecular pump 26 and an A mechanical pump 28, and the B vacuum unit includes a B molecular pump 27 and a B mechanical pump 29. The A mechanical pump 28 is connected to the A vacuum pipe provided on the coating chamber 21, and the B mechanical pump 29 is connected to the B vacuum pipe provided on the loading chamber 22. A plug valve 01 and B plug valve 02 are provided on the A vacuum pipe and the B vacuum pipe, respectively. The A molecular pump 26 and the B molecular pump 27 are connected to the A mechanical pump 28 and the B mechanical pump 29, respectively. The A molecular pump 26 and the B molecular pump 27 are fixedly installed on the rear side of the coating chamber 21 and the loading chamber 22, respectively. The A mechanical pump 28 and the B mechanical pump 29 are both fixedly installed inside the right frame. The detailed electrical control unit consists of two electrical control devices 05 at the front and rear sides, respectively installed at the front and rear sides of the right frame, and the A mechanical pump 28 and the B mechanical pump 29 are located between the two electrical control devices 05. The A vacuum unit, B vacuum unit, power supply unit 04, electrical control unit, etc. are all placed in a frame structure, which saves floor space and improves the efficiency of on-site assembly and maintenance. The A gas unit includes an airflow regulating device 25 arranged on the top of the loading chamber 22, the cleaning unit includes a cleaning device 23 arranged on the top of the coating chamber, and the coating unit includes sputtering devices 24 arranged on the top of the coating chamber. The airflow regulating device 25 is used to control the air intake of the cleaning device 23, the sputtering device 24 and the coating chamber 21. Specifically, a cleaning device 23 and three sputtering devices 24 can be arranged on the top of the coating chamber 21, and different target materials can be selected for coating according to different process requirements.
[0035] Further, such as Figure 4 , 56: A cooling unit includes a circulating fan 06 located at the lower side of the coating chamber 21, the circulating fan 06 is fixedly installed in the left frame, the inlet of the circulating fan 06 is connected to the coating chamber 21, the outlet of the circulating fan 06 is connected to the heat exchanger 07, the heat exchanger 07 is vertically installed at the rear side of the left frame, and the air outlet of the heat exchanger 07 is connected to the coating chamber 21. A cooling unit also includes a process gas interface for cooling arranged at the top of the coating chamber 21, and the sputtering coating chamber 21 is cooled by passing gas. The circulating heat exchange system composed of the circulating fan 06 and the heat exchanger 07 is used to extract the high-temperature gas in the coating chamber 21 for circulating cooling, so as to realize the rapid cooling of the sputtering coating chamber 21. B cooling unit is a water cooling unit, and B cooling unit includes a return water collection device 30 and an outlet water diversion device 31, and the return water collection device 30 and the outlet water diversion device 31 are installed at the rear side of the left frame. The B cooling unit is used to water-cool the cleaning device 23, the sputtering device 24, the carrier, etc. to ensure the operational reliability of the equipment. The outer box body is composed of a rear box wall, a left box wall 12, a front box wall 14, a right box wall and a top box wall 13. The left box wall 12 is composed of an opening and closing box door. The front box wall 14 is provided with an installation gap, which is used to install the A chamber door 18 of the coating chamber 21 and the B chamber door 19 of the loading chamber 22. The front box wall 14 is also provided with a display screen 16 and a plug-in keyboard 17. The display screen 16 can be set to facilitate observation of the operating status of the equipment, and the plug-in keyboard 17 can facilitate input of control instructions and process parameters. The connection adjustment component is composed of an A1 gate valve 03. An assembly pipe 08 is arranged on the side wall of the loading chamber 22 away from the coating chamber 21. The assembly pipe 08 is located on the upper side of the right frame portion. A moving adjustment component for driving the transfer device to move is arranged in the assembly pipe 08. The carrier is connected to the lifting and rotating adjustment device 32 and the biasing device 33 arranged on the lower side of the coating chamber. The lifting and rotating adjustment device 32 is used to adjust the carrier to lift and rotate.
[0036] The transfer device can be implemented by using a magnetic arm or an electromagnet. The following solutions are preferred: Figures 6 to 12 As shown. The coating chamber 21 is provided with an A guide assembly 57 for supporting the transfer device, and the loading chamber 22 is provided with a B guide assembly 59 for supporting the transfer device. The A guide assembly 57 and the B guide assembly 59 are arranged in a sequential manner. The transfer device and the A guide assembly 57 and the B guide assembly 59 form a movable guide fit along the A direction. The A direction is the length direction of the connecting channel 38. The transfer device and the carrier 40 form a detachable plug-in fit along the A direction. The coating chamber 21 is provided with a carrier for carrying the carrier 40. The transfer device is supported by the A guide assembly 57 and the B guide assembly 59 to avoid the carrier 40 being in a cantilevered state for transfer, thereby meeting the feeding requirements for heavy workpieces 10.
[0037] The structure of the carrier 40 is as follows Fig.11As shown, it includes a carrier 40 body, and the carrier 40 body is provided with an A1 plug-in portion, an A2 plug-in portion and a supporting portion. The supporting portion is used to support the workpiece 10, and the A1 plug-in portion is used to form a detachable plug-in fit with the transfer device, and the A2 plug-in portion is used to form a detachable plug-in fit with the carrier along the B direction, and the B direction is a vertical direction arranged perpendicular to the A direction. By setting two plug-in structures in different directions, the transfer requirements of the carrier 40 can be well met, and the transfer operation is simple, which can meet the assembly requirements of the coating environment. The B direction is set to be arranged vertically, so that the supporting platform in the existing coating chamber 21 can be used for improvement and assembly, simplifying the equipment cost and simplifying the structure of the coating equipment. The carrier 40 body is also provided with a heat conducting portion, which is used to conduct heat to heat the workpiece 10 on the carrier 40 body. The setting of the heat conducting portion is mainly to improve the heating effect of the workpiece 10 and improve the efficiency of the coating treatment of the workpiece 10. The supporting part is composed of an annular mounting groove 43 provided on the upper surface of the carrier 40 body, the notch of the annular mounting groove 43 is arranged upward, and the groove width of the annular mounting groove 43 matches the size of the workpiece 10. By providing the annular groove, the assembly requirements of the workpiece 10 such as the tungsten steel die pressing mold can be well met, the assembly operation of the workpiece 10 is simple, and the workpiece 10 can be assembled in multiples, and the rotation in the coating chamber 21 is stable. Preferably, the carrier 40 body is a cylindrical structure, and the A1 plug-in part is composed of an annular plug-in groove 44 provided on the side wall of the carrier 40 body. The annular plug-in groove 44 and the carrier 40 body are arranged concentrically, and the notch of the annular plug-in groove 44 points in the same radial direction as the carrier 40 body. The heat conduction part is composed of a heat conduction hole 45 provided on the groove bottom of the annular mounting groove 43, and the heat conduction hole 45 is arranged at intervals along the circumference of the carrier 40 body. This embodiment can improve the heat conduction effect and reduce the weight of the carrier 40. The carrier 40 body is composed of an A1 body 41 and an A2 body 42 arranged at the upper and lower parts. The outer diameter of the A1 body 41 is larger than the outer diameter of the A2 body 42. The annular mounting groove 43 is arranged on the upper surface of the A1 body 41. The annular plug-in groove 44 is arranged on the side wall of the A2 body 42 and is arranged adjacent to the A2 body 42. The heat conduction hole 45 is located on the outer side of the A2 body 42. The groove width of the annular plug-in groove 44 is larger than the thickness of the plate body inserted into the annular plug-in groove 44 on the connecting fork 51. Thus, the reliability of the transfer of the carrier 40 is ensured. The A2 plug-in part is composed of a plug-in positioning hole 46 arranged in the middle of the carrier 40 body. The length direction of the plug-in positioning hole 46 is consistent with the height direction of the carrier 40 body. The plug-in positioning hole 46 and the carrier 40 body are arranged concentrically. The lower end of the plug-in positioning hole 46 is arranged in an expanded hole shape. An annular recessed portion 47 is also arranged on the upper surface of the carrier 40 body. The annular recessed portion 47 is located between the annular mounting groove 43 and the plug-in positioning hole 46.The setting of the annular recess 47 can reduce the weight of the carrier 40 and increase the strength of the carrier 40. The lower end of the plug-in positioning hole 46 is set to an expanded hole shape to facilitate the assembly connection between the plug-in positioning pin 36 and the plug-in positioning hole 46. The upper end of the corresponding plug-in positioning pin 36 can also be set to a pointed cone shape.
[0038] like Figure 7 , 9 As shown: the transfer device includes a transfer trolley 50 and an A plug-in portion provided on the transfer trolley 50, and a B plug-in portion is provided on the carrier 40, and the A plug-in portion and the B plug-in portion form a detachable plug-in fit. Through the detachable plug-in fit, the carrier 40 and the transfer trolley 50 can be quickly and conveniently assembled and separated to meet the operational requirements of the coating internal environment. The transfer trolley 50 and the A guide component 57 and the B guide component 59 are assembled by rolling or sliding. The A guide component 57 and the B guide component 59 have the same structure, and the A guide component 57 has an A guide channel in the shape of a closed groove, and the transfer trolley 50 is constrained to move in the A guide channel, and the A plug-in portion is located outside the A guide channel. Specifically: the transfer trolley 50 is provided with A1 rollers 53 and A2 rollers 54 for rolling assembly with the A guide assembly 57. The center line of the A1 roller 53 is arranged horizontally, and the center line of the A2 roller 54 is arranged vertically. A3 rollers 58 are arranged at intervals along the A direction at the bottom of the A guide channel. The center line of the A3 rollers 58 is arranged horizontally. The transfer trolley 50 and the A guide assembly 57 are connected by rolling assembly through the A1 rollers 53, A2 rollers 54, and A3 rollers 58. The detailed A guide assembly 57 can be composed of two L-shaped A guide rails arranged opposite to each other at intervals. The bottom vacant area between the two A guide rails is used to install the A3 roller 58. A strips are respectively arranged on the upper part of the A guide rails. The two A strips and the two A guide rails enclose the A guide channel in the shape of a closed groove. The transfer trolley 50 can be specifically composed of a plate. The A guide assembly 57 and the B guide assembly 59 of the above structure can well meet the requirements of the mobile guide of the transfer device, and can provide reliable support assembly for the connecting fork 51, so that the connecting fork 51 can carry out heavy lifting. The A1 roller 53 and the A2 roller 54 are respectively rolled and assembled with the horizontal guide surface and the vertical guide surface on the L-shaped A guide rail.
[0039] like Fig.10 , 12 As shown: the A plug-in portion includes a connecting fork 51, which has a U-shaped fork opening. The connecting fork 51 is composed of a plate member, and the plate member is arranged vertically in the direction of the plate thickness. The plate thickness at both ends of the fork opening gradually increases along the reverse direction of A, and the spacing between the two ends of the fork opening gradually decreases along the reverse direction of A. The connecting fork 51 is assembled and connected to the middle part of the transfer trolley 50 through a connecting member 56. The reverse direction A is the direction in which the mobile trolley moves from the coating chamber 21 to the loading chamber 22.
[0040] like Figure 7 , 9 As shown, the loading chamber 22 is provided with an assembly pipe 08 arranged along the A direction, and the transport adjustment mechanism includes an electric push rod arranged in the assembly pipe 08, and the electric push rod is connected to the A connection piece 56 through a universal connector 55. The electric push rod can also be composed of an electric cylinder or other components with the same function. Fig. 9 , 10 As shown, an A1 detection sensor 61 and an A2 detection sensor 62 are arranged in the coating chamber 21 or the loading chamber 22. The A1 detection sensor 61 and the A2 detection sensor 62 are respectively used to detect and judge whether the transfer vehicle 50 has reached the starting and ending positions of the moving path. An A3 detection sensor 52 is arranged on the A plug-in portion to detect the positional relationship between the carrier 40 and the connecting fork 51. The A1 detection sensor 61, the A2 detection sensor 62 and the A3 detection sensor 52 transmit the detected signals to the control device for analysis and processing. The control device adjusts the operating status of each device according to the results of the analysis and processing. The A1 detection sensor 61 and the A2 detection sensor 62 can be specifically arranged in the loading chamber 22, and can be specifically arranged at both ends of the A guide assembly 57. The A1 detection sensor 61 and the A2 detection sensor 62 are arranged in the loading chamber 22, and will not be affected by the high temperature heat radiation of the coating chamber 21, so the control process is more reliable. The A3 detection sensor 52 can be specifically arranged on the connecting fork 51. When the carrier 40 moves into the fork of the connecting fork 51, the A3 detection sensor 52 will be triggered to detect a signal. By setting various sensors and control devices, the movement of the transfer device can be automatically and reliably regulated. The position of the transfer trolley 50 is determined by the electric push rod in conjunction with various sensors, and there is no need to use a vacuum servo cylinder, which saves costs. The electric push rod and the transfer trolley 50 are connected using a universal connector 55. When the transfer trolley 50 is spatially displaced, the electric push rod can be protected to prevent its deformation.
[0041] The carrier 40 is provided with a plug-in positioning hole 46 arranged in the vertical direction. The carrier 35 is rotatably installed in the coating chamber 21. The carrier 35 is connected to the lifting and rotating adjustment device 32 for adjusting its rotation and lifting. The middle part of the carrier is provided with a plug-in positioning pin 36 for detachable assembly connection with the plug-in positioning hole 46. The A heating device 34 includes an annular heating component, which is located on the outside of the carrier 35 and the two are arranged concentrically. The annular heating component is installed in the coating chamber 21 in a lifting manner, and the annular heating component is connected to the heating lifting adjustment mechanism 37 for adjusting its lifting. The annular heating component performs radiation heating on the carrier 40 and the workpiece 10. In detail, the carrier 35 and the annular heating component are located on the outside of the end of the B guide component 59 away from the A guide component 57. The carrier 40 is received by the carrier 35 to achieve reliable transfer of the carrier 40. The A heating device 34 is used to achieve heating treatment of the workpiece 10 and improve heating efficiency. The lifting and rotating adjustment device 32 can be implemented according to the existing coating equipment, that is, it is composed of an A1 lifting and adjusting cylinder and an A rotating adjusting motor located outside the coating chamber 21. The A1 lifting and adjusting cylinder and the A rotating adjusting motor are connected to the rotating lifting shaft installed on the lower side of the carrier 35 through a transmission mechanism. The heating lifting and adjusting mechanism 37 is composed of two heating lifting and adjusting units, which are respectively placed on both sides of the lifting and rotating adjustment device 32. The two heating lifting and adjusting units are respectively composed of heating lifting cylinders located on the lower side of the coating chamber 21. The annular heating assembly is installed on the heating bracket, and the piston rod of each heating lifting cylinder is connected to the heating lifting bracket. By adjusting the lifting and lowering movement of the carrier 35 and the annular heating assembly, the entry and exit of the carrier 40 are facilitated.
[0042] The present invention also provides a dual-chamber sputtering coating process, which includes the following operations.
[0043] S1: Close the A chamber door 18 of the coating chamber 21, adjust the coating chamber 21 to be in a vacuum state, close the A1 gate valve 03, open the B chamber door 19 of the loading chamber 22, place the workpiece 10 to be coated on the carrier, close the B chamber door 19, evacuate the loading chamber 22 and start the B heating device to bake and degas the loading chamber 22, the baking temperature is 100°C, when the vacuum degree of the loading chamber 22 and the coating chamber 21 are balanced, open the A1 gate valve 03, the transfer device transfers the carrier to the coating chamber 21 and transfers the carrier to the carrier, the transfer device retreats to the loading chamber 22, closes the A1 gate valve 03, the loading chamber 22 maintains the vacuum and heating and baking state, and the workpiece 10 is a molding mold. In more detail: initially, the transfer cart 50 is located in the loading chamber 22, the A1 detection sensor 61 detects that the transfer cart 50 is in the initial position, the A3 detection sensor 52 detects that the carrier 40 is located in the fork of the connecting fork 51, the connecting fork 51 lifts the carrier 40, places the workpiece 10 to be processed on the carrier 40, adjusts the internal environment of the coating chamber 21 and the loading chamber 22 to meet the requirements, and after adjusting the connecting channel 38 to be in a connected state, starts the electric push rod to push the transfer cart 50 into the coating chamber 21, and when the A2 detection sensor 62 detects that the transfer cart 50 moves to the terminal position, the electric push rod stops pushing, adjusts the carrier 35 to lift, the carrier 35 lifts the carrier 40, and the electric push rod pulls the transfer cart 50 back to the coating chamber 21, and the A3 detection sensor 52 detects that the carrier 40 and the connecting fork 51 are separated, until the A1 detection sensor 61 detects that the transfer cart 50 moves back to the initial position, and then adjusts the connecting channel 38 to be in a closed state.
[0044] S2: Start the A heating device 34 to heat the carrier and the workpiece 10 to above 500°C, start the cleaning device 23 and the corresponding sputtering device 24 to sequentially clean and coat the workpiece 10 according to the preset process parameters. Specifically: adjust the annular heating assembly in the coating chamber 21 to rise and be arranged corresponding to the carrier 40 to perform radiation heating on the carrier and the workpiece 10.
[0045] S3: After the coating process is completed, open the process gas interface on the top of the coating chamber 21, introduce nitrogen or helium, adjust the pressure of the coating chamber 21 to 50000Pa, start the circulating fan 06 to extract the gas in the coating chamber 21 and return it to the coating chamber 21 after cooling through the heat exchanger 07, so that the temperature in the coating chamber 21 is reduced to below 120°C, and then open the A1 gate valve 03, and the transfer device transfers the carrier and the workpiece 10 back to the loading chamber 22, and then close the A1 gate valve 03, open the B chamber door 19, and take out the coated workpiece 10. The specific operation is: first adjust the annular heating assembly to descend back to the initial position, adjust the connecting channel 38 to be in a connected state, start the electric push rod to push the transfer cart 50 to move into the A cavity, and when the A2 detection sensor 62 detects that the transfer cart 50 has moved to the terminal position, the electric push rod stops pushing, and the A3 detection sensor 52 detects that the carrier 40 is located in the fork of the connecting fork 51, and adjusts the carrier 35 to descend. The carrier 40 is supported by the connecting fork 51, and when the carrier 35 descends to the initial position, the electric push rod pulls the transfer cart 50 back to the loading chamber 22 until the A1 detection sensor 61 detects that the transfer cart 50 has returned to the initial position, and then adjusts the connecting channel 38 to be in a closed state, and takes the workpiece 10 out of the loading chamber 22.
[0046] In the above scheme, a precious metal film layer is plated on the surface of the molding die at high temperature. During the coating process, the annular A heating device 34 performs radiation heating on the tray and the workpiece 10, and the heating is uniform, so that the surface temperature of the molding die can reach above 500°C, thereby improving the bonding strength of the precious metal element film layer, improving the wear resistance of the molding die, and increasing the number of uses.
[0047] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered as the protection scope of the present invention. The structures, devices and operating methods not specifically described and explained in the present invention shall be implemented according to the conventional means in the art unless otherwise specified and limited.
Claims
1. A dual-chamber sputtering coating device, characterized in that: The machine comprises a frame, on which a loading chamber and a coating chamber which can be opened and closed are arranged, the loading chamber and the coating chamber are arranged correspondingly and are connected via a connecting channel, a connecting regulating component for regulating the connecting channel connecting state is arranged on the connecting channel, a transfer device is arranged between the loading chamber and the coating chamber, the transfer device is used to realize the transfer of the workpiece between the loading chamber and the coating chamber; a heating device A for heating the workpiece and a carrier for carrying the workpiece to be coated are arranged in the coating chamber, a cleaning unit for cleaning the workpiece and a carrier for coating the workpiece are arranged on the coating chamber. The coating unit for film processing, the coating chamber is also connected with an A cooling unit for cooling the coating chamber, an A vacuum unit for evacuating the coating chamber, and an A gas unit for supplying process gas to the coating chamber; a B heating device for baking and degassing the loading chamber is arranged in the loading chamber, and the loading chamber is connected with the B vacuum unit for evacuating the loading chamber; a B cooling unit, a power supply unit, and an electrical control unit are also arranged on the rack, the B cooling unit is used to cool each device, the power supply unit supplies power to each device, and the electrical control unit is used to regulate the operating status of each device.
2. The dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame includes a base, a mounting frame arranged on the base, and an outer box located outside the mounting frame. The mounting frame includes a left frame part, a middle frame part, and a right frame part arranged from left to right. The coating chamber and the loading chamber are fixedly installed on the top of the left frame part and the middle frame part, respectively. The power supply unit is installed inside the middle frame part, and the electrical control unit is installed inside the right frame part.
3. The dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The A vacuum unit includes an A molecular pump and an A mechanical pump, and the B vacuum unit includes a B molecular pump and a B mechanical pump. The A mechanical pump is connected to the A vacuum tube provided on the coating chamber, and the B mechanical pump is connected to the B vacuum tube provided on the loading chamber. A plug-in valve and B plug-in valve are provided on the A vacuum tube and the B vacuum tube respectively. The A molecular pump and the B molecular pump are connected to the A mechanical pump and the B mechanical pump respectively. The A molecular pump and the B molecular pump are fixedly installed on the rear sides of the coating chamber and the loading chamber respectively, and the A mechanical pump and the B mechanical pump are fixedly installed inside the right frame.
4. The dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: A gas unit includes an airflow regulating device arranged on the top of the loading chamber, the cleaning unit includes a cleaning device arranged on the top of the coating chamber, the coating unit includes various sputtering devices arranged on the top of the coating chamber, and the airflow regulating device is used to regulate the air intake volume in the cleaning device, the sputtering device and the coating chamber.
5. The dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: A cooling unit includes a circulating fan located at the lower side of the coating chamber, the circulating fan is fixedly installed in the left frame part, the inlet of the circulating fan is connected to the coating chamber, the outlet of the circulating fan is connected to the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger is vertically installed on the rear side of the left frame part, and the air outlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the coating chamber.
6. The dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The B cooling unit is a water cooling unit, which includes a return water collecting device and an outflow water dividing device, and the return water collecting device and the outflow water dividing device are installed on the rear side of the left frame part.
7. The dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer box body is composed of a rear box wall, a left box wall, a front box wall, a right box wall and a top box wall. The left box wall is composed of an opening and closing box door. An installation gap is arranged on the front box wall. The installation gap is used to install the A door of the coating chamber and the B door of the loading chamber. A display screen and a pull-out keyboard are also arranged on the front box wall.
8. The dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The communication adjustment component is composed of an A1 gate valve.
9. The dual-chamber sputtering coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: An assembly pipe is arranged on the side wall of the loading chamber away from the coating chamber. The assembly pipe is located on the upper side of the right frame part. A moving adjustment component for driving the transfer device to move is arranged in the assembly pipe. The carrier is connected to the lifting and rotating adjustment device and the biasing device arranged on the lower side of the coating chamber. The lifting and rotating adjustment device is used to adjust the carrier to lift and rotate.
10. A dual-chamber sputtering coating process, characterized in that: The following operations are included: S1: Close the door of chamber A of the coating chamber, adjust the coating chamber to a vacuum state, close the A1 gate valve, open the door of chamber B of the loading chamber, place the workpiece to be coated on the carrier, close the door of chamber B, evacuate the loading chamber and start the B heating device to bake and degas the loading chamber, the baking temperature is 100°C, when the vacuum degree of the loading chamber and the coating chamber is balanced, open the A1 gate valve, the transfer device transfers the carrier into the coating chamber and transfers the carrier to the stage, the transfer device returns to the loading chamber, closes the A1 gate valve, the loading chamber remains in a vacuum and heated state, and the workpiece is a molding die; S2: Start the A heating device to heat the carrier and the workpiece to above 500°C, start the cleaning device and the corresponding sputtering device to sequentially clean and coat the workpiece according to the preset process parameters; S3: After the coating process is completed, open the process gas interface on the top of the coating chamber, introduce nitrogen or helium, adjust the pressure of the coating chamber to 50000Pa, start the circulating fan to extract the gas in the coating chamber and return it to the coating chamber after cooling through the heat exchanger, so that the temperature in the coating chamber is reduced to below 120℃, then open the A1 gate valve, and the transfer device transfers the carrier and the workpiece back to the loading chamber, then close the A1 gate valve, open the door of chamber B, and take out the coated workpiece.