Vacuum deposition apparatus and method

Abstract

The invention provides a vacuum deposition device and method, and relates to the technical field of surface engineering. The vacuum deposition device comprises a vacuum cavity, a vacuumizing device, a baking device, a magnetron sputtering device, an unwinding roller, a winding roller, an unwinding motor, a winding motor and a plurality of guide rollers, an unwinding area, a baking area, a magnetron sputtering area and a winding area which are sequentially connected are arranged in the vacuum cavity, the unwinding motor and the unwinding roller are both arranged in the unwinding area, the baking device is arranged in the baking area, and the magnetron sputtering area is arranged in the winding area. The magnetron sputtering device is arranged in the magnetron sputtering area, the winding motor and the winding roller are both arranged in the winding area, the base body is wound on the unwinding roller, and one end of the base body penetrates out of the unwinding area under the guidance of the guide rollers and sequentially penetrates through the baking area and the magnetron sputtering area to enter the winding area so as to be arranged on the winding roller. On the basis, attachments such as water vapor on the substrate can be removed before the substrate enters the magnetron sputtering area, so that the gas release amount of the substrate in the magnetron sputtering area is reduced, the growth of a film layer is improved, and the purity is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of surface engineering technology, and in particular to a vacuum deposition device and method. Background Art

[0002] Vacuum deposition is a technology that deposits materials on the surface of a substrate by physical or chemical methods in a vacuum environment to form a film layer. There are many ways to achieve it, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), but in recent years, physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition are the most widely used. In related technologies, polyurethane sponge can be used as a substrate, and nickel is plated on the polyurethane sponge by magnetron sputtering (a type of physical vapor deposition), and finally a foam nickel with a three-dimensional network structure, high porosity and large specific surface area is obtained; however, during the magnetron sputtering process, the polyurethane sponge has a relatively large amount of outgassing, which can easily contaminate the film layer, causing the purity of the film layer to fail to meet the standard, thereby affecting the effect of the subsequent foam nickel during use. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application provides a vacuum deposition device and method, which aims to solve the problem in the related art that the film layer deposited when preparing nickel foam by magnetron sputtering is easily contaminated and the purity cannot meet the standard.

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks existing in the related art, the first aspect of the present application provides a vacuum deposition device, which includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum pumping device, a baking device, a magnetron sputtering device, a reeling motor, a reeling motor, a reeling roller, a reeling roller and a plurality of guide rollers, the vacuum pumping device is connected to the vacuum chamber, and the interior of the vacuum chamber is divided into a plurality of functional areas, the plurality of functional areas include an unwinding area, a baking area, a magnetron sputtering area and a reeling area connected in sequence, the unwinding motor and the unwinding roller are both arranged in the unwinding area, the unwinding roller is arranged on the output shaft of the unwinding motor, the baking device is arranged in the baking area, the magnetron sputtering device is arranged in the magnetron sputtering area, the reeling motor and the reeling roller are both arranged in the reeling area, the reeling roller is arranged on the output shaft of the reeling motor, and the plurality of guide rollers are respectively arranged in the plurality of functional areas, the substrate to be vacuum deposited is wound on the unwinding roller, and one end of the substrate passes through the unwinding area under the guidance of the plurality of guide rollers, and passes through the baking area and the magnetron sputtering area in sequence to enter the reeling area to be arranged on the reeling roller. Specifically, the vacuum pumping device is used to evacuate the vacuum chamber; the unwinding motor and the winding motor are used to drive the unwinding roller and the winding roller to rotate respectively, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller; the baking device is used to bake the opposite sides of the substrate; the magnetron sputtering device is used to sputter the preset material onto the opposite sides of the substrate, so as to form corresponding film layers on the opposite sides of the substrate respectively.

[0005] In some implementation schemes, the vacuum deposition device also includes a central controller that is communicatively connected to the vacuum pumping device, baking device, magnetron sputtering device, unwinding motor and winding motor, and is used to control the operation of the vacuum pumping device, baking device, magnetron sputtering device, unwinding motor and winding motor.

[0006] In some implementations, the baking device includes a power supply and two heating components, the power supply is communicatively connected to the central controller, the two heating components are electrically connected to the power supply, and the two heating components are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate. Specifically, the power supply is used to supply power to the two heating components; the two heating components are used to generate heat to bake the two opposite sides of the substrate.

[0007] In one implementation, the heating assembly includes at least one heating element. When the heating assembly includes a plurality of heating elements, the plurality of heating elements are spaced apart along the length direction of the substrate. In this implementation, the heating element includes any one of a resistive heating element, an electromagnetic induction heating element, a far infrared heating element, and a semiconductor heating element.

[0008] In some implementation schemes, the magnetron sputtering zone includes two magnetron sputtering zones connected in sequence, one magnetron sputtering zone is connected to the baking zone, and the other magnetron sputtering zone is connected to the winding zone; the magnetron sputtering device includes two magnetron sputtering devices, the two magnetron sputtering devices are respectively arranged in the two magnetron sputtering zones, and the two magnetron sputtering devices are respectively located on two opposite sides of the substrate, for respectively sputtering the preset material on two opposite sides of the substrate.

[0009] In one of the implementation schemes, the magnetron sputtering device includes at least one magnetron sputtering unit. When the magnetron sputtering device includes multiple magnetron sputtering units, the multiple magnetron sputtering units are spaced apart along the length direction of the substrate, each magnetron sputtering unit is communicatively connected to the central controller, and each magnetron sputtering unit is used to sputter a preset material onto the surface of the substrate.

[0010] In some implementations, the vacuum pumping device includes a rough vacuum pumping component and a fine vacuum pumping component respectively connected to the central controller in communication, and the rough vacuum pumping component and the fine vacuum pumping component are respectively connected to the vacuum chamber. Specifically, the rough vacuum pumping component is used to roughly vacuum the vacuum chamber; and the fine vacuum pumping component is used to finely vacuum the vacuum chamber after the rough vacuum pumping component roughly vacuums the vacuum chamber.

[0011] In one implementation scheme, the rough vacuum assembly includes a rotary vane pump, a Roots pump, a first electric valve and a second electric valve which are respectively communicatively connected to the central controller, the rotary vane pump, the Roots pump, the first electric valve and the second electric valve are connected in sequence, and the second electric valve is connected to the unwinding area in the vacuum chamber.

[0012] In one of the implementation schemes, the fine vacuum assembly includes a diffusion pump, a first molecular pump, a second molecular pump and a third electric valve which are respectively connected to the central controller in communication, one end of the third electric valve is connected to the unwinding area in the vacuum chamber, and the other end is connected to the diffusion pump, the diffusion pump is connected to the first electric valve, the first molecular pump is connected to the magnetron sputtering area near the baking area in the vacuum chamber, the second molecular pump is connected to the magnetron sputtering area near the winding area in the vacuum chamber, and the first molecular pump and the second molecular pump are respectively connected to the first electric valve. In this implementation scheme, when the magnetron sputtering device includes two magnetron sputtering units, the first molecular pump and the second molecular pump are both located between the corresponding two magnetron sputtering units.

[0013] In some implementation schemes, the vacuum deposition device includes, in addition to the structure given above, a plurality of partition plates. Any two connected functional areas are separated by a partition plate, and each partition plate is provided with a channel for the substrate to pass through.

[0014] The second aspect of the present application provides a vacuum deposition method, which is applied to the vacuum deposition device provided in the first aspect of the present application, and includes: winding the substrate to be vacuum deposited on a unwinding roller; using multiple guide rollers to guide one end of the substrate to pass through the unwinding area, and pass through the baking area and the magnetron sputtering area in sequence to enter the winding area to be set on the winding roller; using a vacuum pumping device to evacuate the vacuum chamber; using an unwinding motor and a winding motor to drive the unwinding roller and the winding roller to rotate respectively, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller; in the process of winding the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller, using a baking device to bake the opposite sides of the substrate, and using a magnetron sputtering device to sputter a preset material on the opposite sides of the substrate, so that corresponding film layers are formed on the opposite sides of the substrate.

[0015] The vacuum deposition device provided in the first aspect of the present application is composed of a vacuum chamber, an unwinding roller, a winding roller, an unwinding motor, a winding motor, a vacuum pumping device, a baking device, a magnetron sputtering device and a plurality of guide rollers. The vacuum pumping device is connected to the vacuum chamber, and the vacuum chamber is divided into a plurality of functional areas (i.e., an unwinding area, a baking area, a magnetron sputtering area and a winding area connected in sequence). The unwinding motor and the unwinding roller are both arranged in the unwinding area, the unwinding motor is driven and connected to the unwinding roller, the baking device is arranged in the baking area, the magnetron sputtering device is arranged in the magnetron sputtering area, the winding motor and the winding roller are both arranged in the winding area, the winding motor is driven and connected to the winding roller, and the plurality of guide rollers are respectively arranged in the plurality of functional areas. In actual applications, the substrate to be vacuum deposited can be wound on a unwinding roller, and then a plurality of guide rollers are used to guide one end of the substrate to pass through the unwinding area, and then pass through the baking area and the magnetron sputtering area in sequence to enter the winding area, so that one end of the substrate can be set on the winding roller. Subsequently, a vacuum pumping device can be used to evacuate the vacuum chamber. After the vacuum pumping is completed, the baking device and the magnetron sputtering device are started, and the unwinding motor and the winding motor are used to drive the unwinding roller and the winding roller to rotate respectively, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller. During this process, the baking device will bake the opposite sides of the substrate, and the magnetron sputtering device will sputter the preset material on the opposite sides of the substrate, so that corresponding film layers are formed on the opposite sides of the substrate. It can be seen that in the process of winding the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller, the substrate will pass through the baking zone and the magnetron sputtering zone successively. That is to say, the substrate will first be baked by the baking device in the baking zone, and then be sputtered by the magnetron sputtering device for the preset material in the magnetron sputtering zone. The baking in the baking zone can effectively remove the attachments on the substrate (such as absorbed water vapor, etc.), thereby reducing the outgassing of the substrate in the magnetron sputtering zone, thereby improving the growth of the film layer and increasing the purity of the film layer.

[0016] Regarding the vacuum deposition method provided in the second aspect of the present application, since the vacuum deposition method is implemented based on the vacuum deposition device provided in the first aspect of the present application, the vacuum deposition method has all the advantages of the vacuum deposition device provided in the first aspect of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the related technologies or the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the related technologies or the embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, not all embodiments. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a vacuum deposition device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of the vacuum deposition method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] The symbols in the above drawings represent:

[0021] 1-vacuum chamber, 2-vacuum pumping device, 3-baking device, 4-magnetron sputtering device, 5-unwinding roller, 6-winding roller, 7-guide roller, 8-partition plate, 11-unwinding area, 12-baking area, 13-magnetron sputtering area, 14-winding area, 21-rough vacuum pumping component, 22-fine vacuum pumping component, 211-rotary vane pump, 212-Roots pump, 213-first electric valve, 214-second electric valve, 221-diffusion pump, 222-first molecular pump, 223-second molecular pump, 224-third electric valve, 31-heating component, 311-heating element, 41-magnetron sputtering unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In the related art, polyurethane sponge can be used as a substrate, and nickel is plated on the polyurethane sponge by magnetron sputtering (a type of physical vapor deposition), and finally a foamed nickel with a three-dimensional network structure, high porosity and large specific surface area is obtained; however, during the magnetron sputtering process, the polyurethane sponge releases a large amount of gas, which can easily contaminate the film layer, causing the purity of the film layer to fail to meet the standard, thereby affecting the effect of the subsequent foamed nickel during use. In view of this, the present application proposes a vacuum deposition device and method in the following embodiments to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks in the related art.

[0023] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application and the corresponding drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application described below are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application, that is, based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0024] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1: is a structural schematic diagram of a vacuum deposition device. This embodiment provides a vacuum deposition device, which includes a vacuum chamber 1, a vacuum pumping device 2, a baking device 3, a magnetron sputtering device 4, an unwinding motor (not shown), a winding motor (not shown), an unwinding roller 5, a winding roller 6 and a plurality of guide rollers 7. The vacuum pumping device 2 is connected to the vacuum chamber 1. The vacuum chamber 1 is divided into a plurality of functional areas (not shown). The plurality of functional areas include an unwinding area 11, a baking area 12, a magnetron sputtering area 13 and a winding area 14 connected in sequence. The unwinding motor and the unwinding roller 5 are both arranged in the unwinding area 11. The unwinding roller 5 is arranged on the output shaft of the unwinding motor (i.e., the unwinding motor drives the unwinding roller 5). The unwinding roller 5 is driven and connected to the unwinding roller 5), the baking device 3 is arranged in the baking area 12, the magnetron sputtering device 4 is arranged in the magnetron sputtering area 13, the winding motor and the winding roller 6 are both arranged in the winding area 14, the winding roller 6 is arranged on the output shaft of the winding motor (that is, the winding motor is driven and connected to the winding roller 6), and a plurality of guide rollers 7 are respectively arranged in a plurality of functional areas. The substrate to be vacuum deposited is wound on the unwinding roller 5, and one end of the substrate passes through the unwinding area 11 under the guidance of the plurality of guide rollers 7, and passes through the baking area 12 and the magnetron sputtering area 13 in sequence to enter the winding area 14, and the end of the substrate entering the winding area 14 is arranged on the winding roller 6. Preferably, the guide rollers 7 of this embodiment include four, and one guide roller 7 is respectively arranged in the unwinding area 11, the baking area 12, the magnetron sputtering area 13 and the winding area 14; of course, two or more guide rollers 7 can also be arranged in each functional area, and the number of guide rollers 7 arranged in the functional areas can also be different, which can be selected according to actual needs, and this embodiment does not make a sole limitation on this.

[0025] Specifically, the vacuum pumping device 2 is used to evacuate the vacuum chamber 1; the unwinding motor and the winding motor are used to respectively drive the unwinding roller 5 and the winding roller 6 to rotate, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller 5 to the winding roller 6. During this process, the substrate will move at a uniform speed along the winding path, which is the unwinding area 11→baking area 12→magnetron sputtering area 13→winding area 14; the baking device 3 is used to bake the two opposite sides of the substrate; the magnetron sputtering device 4 is used to sputter the preset material on the two opposite sides of the substrate, thereby forming a film layer of the preset material on the two opposite sides of the substrate respectively. That is to say, the actual vacuum deposition process of the substrate is as follows: the substrate is wound on the unwinding roller 5; one end of the substrate is guided by a plurality of guide rollers 7 to pass through the unwinding area 11, and sequentially pass through the baking area 12 and the magnetron sputtering area 13 to enter the winding area 14, and then the end of the substrate entering the winding area 14 is set on the winding roller 6; the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 2 so that the pressure (i.e., vacuum degree) in the vacuum chamber 1 meets the requirements of magnetron sputtering; the baking device 3 and the magnetron sputtering device 4 are started; the unwinding motor and the winding motor are used to drive the unwinding roller 5 and the winding roller 6 to rotate respectively, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller 5 to the winding roller 6; when the substrate moves along the winding path, the baking device 3 will bake the two opposite sides of the substrate, and the magnetron sputtering device 4 will sputter the preset material on the two opposite sides of the substrate and form a corresponding film layer; after the substrate is completely wound on the winding roller 6, the finished product (i.e., the substrate with the film layer) can be removed from the winding roller 6.

[0026] In this embodiment, the substrate can be either metal / alloy (such as stainless steel, copper, aluminum, titanium and titanium alloy, etc.) or non-metal (such as glass, ceramic, plastic, sponge and semiconductor material, etc.), which can be selected according to actual needs, and this embodiment does not make a sole limitation on this. The preset material can be either metal / alloy (such as chromium, titanium, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, etc.), or metal oxide (such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and aluminum oxide, etc.), or other materials (such as nitride, carbon and carbide, etc.), which can be selected according to actual needs, and this embodiment does not make a sole limitation on this. For example, with polyurethane sponge as the substrate and nickel as the preset material, the vacuum deposition device of this embodiment can sputter nickel on the opposite sides of the polyurethane sponge, and finally obtain foamed nickel.

[0027] In this embodiment, the control of the vacuum device 2, the baking device 3, the magnetron sputtering device 4, the unwinding motor and the winding motor, etc., can be either manual or automatic, but in order to improve the intelligence and automation of the vacuum deposition device, the control of the vacuum device 2, the baking device 3, the magnetron sputtering device 4, the unwinding motor and the winding motor, etc. is preferably automatic control. Specifically, if the control of the vacuum device 2, the baking device 3, the magnetron sputtering device 4, the unwinding motor and the winding motor, etc. is automatic control, then the vacuum deposition device includes, in addition to the structure given above, a central controller (not shown in the figure), and the vacuum device 2, the baking device 3, the magnetron sputtering device 4, the unwinding motor and the winding motor are respectively connected to the central controller for communication, and the central controller is used to control the operation of the vacuum device 2, the baking device 3, the magnetron sputtering device 4, the unwinding motor and the winding motor. Exemplarily, the central controller can adopt any device commonly used in the art that has control and data processing and analysis functions, such as small computers, single-chip microcomputers and other micro central controllers, as well as industrial control computers (IPCs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), distributed control systems (DCSs), etc. This embodiment does not make a sole limitation to this.

[0028] As can be seen from the above, in the process of winding the substrate from the unwinding roller 5 to the winding roller 6, that is, in the process of moving the substrate along the winding path, the substrate will successively pass through the baking zone 12 and the magnetron sputtering zone 13, that is, the substrate will first be baked by the baking device 3 in the baking zone 12, and then be sputtered by the magnetron sputtering device 4 for a preset material in the magnetron sputtering zone 13, and the baking in the baking zone 12 can effectively remove the attachments on the substrate (such as absorbed water vapor, etc.), thereby reducing the amount of outgassing of the substrate in the magnetron sputtering zone 13, thereby improving the growth of the film layer and increasing the purity of the film layer.

[0029] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 In order to ensure the independence of multiple functional areas in the vacuum chamber 1 and avoid interference between different functional areas, the vacuum deposition device includes multiple partitions 8 in addition to the structure given above. Any two connected functional areas are separated by a partition 8, and each partition 8 is provided with a channel for the substrate to pass through (not shown). It can be understood that a partition 8 is set between every two connected functional areas, and each partition 8 is provided with a channel for the substrate to pass through. This can not only meet the winding requirements of the substrate, but also ensure that any two connected functional areas do not interfere with each other to the greatest extent, so that the effect of the function realized in each functional area can be optimized (such as the baking effect in the baking area 12, the magnetron sputtering effect in the magnetron sputtering area 13, etc.), thereby ensuring the overall vacuum deposition effect.

[0030] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 The baking device 3 includes a power supply (not shown) and two heating components 31. The power supply is communicatively connected to the central controller. The two heating components 31 are electrically connected to the power supply respectively. The two heating components 31 are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate. Specifically, the power supply is used to supply power to the two heating components 31; the two heating components 31 are both used to generate heat to bake the two opposite sides of the substrate respectively. That is to say, during the actual vacuum deposition process of the substrate, the central controller can control the power supply to transmit electrical energy to the two heating components 31, and the two heating components 31 can generate heat based on this electrical energy, thereby achieving baking of the two opposite sides of the substrate. As one or more embodiments thereof, the heating component 31 includes at least one heating element 311. When the heating component 31 includes two or more (such as three) heating elements 311, these heating elements 311 are spaced apart along the length direction of the substrate, thereby optimizing the baking effect on the substrate. Exemplarily, the heating element 311 can be any element with a heating function commonly used in the art, such as a resistive heating element, an electromagnetic induction heating element, a far-infrared heating element, and a semiconductor heating element, etc., which can be selected according to actual needs, and this application does not make a sole limitation on this. Preferably, the heating element 311 adopts a resistive heating element, such as a heating wire, etc. In addition, it should be noted that the baking temperature of the baking device 3 can be set according to actual needs, preferably selected within 0~200℃, such as 120℃, etc., and this application does not make a sole limitation on this.

[0031] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 , the magnetron sputtering zone 13 includes two magnetron sputtering zones 13 connected in sequence, one magnetron sputtering zone 13 is connected to the baking zone 12, and the other magnetron sputtering zone 13 is connected to the winding zone 14, and the two magnetron sputtering zones 13 are also separated by a partition plate 8. Based on this, the magnetron sputtering device 4 includes two magnetron sputtering devices 4, which are respectively arranged in the two magnetron sputtering zones 13, and the two magnetron sputtering devices 4 are respectively located on the opposite sides of the substrate, and the two magnetron sputtering devices 4 are used to sputter the preset material on the opposite sides of the substrate. It can be understood that the two magnetron sputtering zones 13 are connected in sequence and separated by the partition plate 8, which makes the two magnetron sputtering devices 4 located in the two magnetron sputtering zones 13 staggered. In this case, the sputtering areas of the two magnetron sputtering devices 4 on the opposite sides of the substrate are also staggered (preferably without overlap), which can effectively reduce the sputtering temperature and further reduce the outgassing amount of the substrate in the magnetron sputtering zone 13.

[0032] As one or more embodiments, the magnetron sputtering device 4 includes at least one magnetron sputtering unit 41. When the magnetron sputtering device 4 includes two or more magnetron sputtering units 41, each magnetron sputtering unit 41 is connected to the central controller for communication, and each magnetron sputtering unit 41 is used to sputter the preset material on the surface of the substrate, and these magnetron sputtering units 41 are spaced apart along the length direction of the substrate, so as to optimize the effect of sputtering the preset material to the substrate surface. Preferably, each magnetron sputtering device 4 includes two spaced magnetron sputtering units 41. In addition, it should be noted that when the magnetron sputtering unit 41 is used to sputter the preset material on the surface of the substrate, a certain amount of working gas needs to be filled into the magnetron sputtering area 13, such as 100 sccm of argon (or krypton, xenon, etc.), which can be selected according to actual needs, and this application does not make a sole limitation on this.

[0033] Exemplarily, the magnetron sputtering unit 41 uses a cathode (not shown in the figure), which mainly includes a pole plate (not shown in the figure), a copper back plate (not shown in the figure) and a magnet (not shown in the figure) connected between the pole plate and the copper back plate, and the side of the copper back plate that is not connected to the magnet faces the substrate, and a target material of a preset material is arranged on the side of the copper back plate facing the substrate (not shown in the figure). For example, when preparing nickel foam, a nickel target material is arranged on the side of the copper back plate facing the substrate. In addition, it should be noted that the technology of the magnetron sputtering unit 41 (i.e., the cathode) in this field is relatively mature. As for which structures other than the pole plate, the copper back plate and the magnet are included in the magnetron sputtering unit 41 and the principle of sputtering the preset material, this application will not elaborate on this.

[0034] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 , the vacuum pumping device 2 includes a rough vacuum pumping component 21 and a fine vacuum pumping component 22 which are respectively connected to the central controller in communication, and the rough vacuum pumping component 21 and the fine vacuum pumping component 22 are respectively connected to the vacuum chamber 1. Specifically, the rough vacuum pumping component 21 is used to roughly vacuum the vacuum chamber 1; the fine vacuum pumping component 22 is used to finely vacuum the vacuum chamber 1 after the rough vacuum pumping component 21 roughly vacuums the vacuum chamber 1. That is to say, in the actual vacuum deposition process of the substrate, when the vacuum chamber 1 is vacuumed, the central controller will first control the rough vacuum pumping component 21 to roughly vacuum the vacuum chamber 1 so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 reaches a certain value, and then control the fine vacuum pumping component 22 to finely vacuum the vacuum chamber 1 so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 reaches a target value, which is the vacuum degree required for the magnetron sputtering device 4 to sputter the preset material on the substrate surface.

[0035] As one or more embodiments thereof, the rough vacuum pumping assembly 21 includes a vane pump 211, a roots pump 212, a first electric valve 213 and a second electric valve 214 which are respectively connected to the central controller in communication, and the vane pump 211, the roots pump 212, the first electric valve 213 and the second electric valve 214 are connected in sequence, and the second electric valve 214 is connected to the unwinding area 11 in the vacuum chamber 1. Specifically, in the rough vacuum pumping stage of the vacuum chamber 1, the central controller controls the first electric valve 213 and the second electric valve 214 to open, and then controls the vane pump 211 to start, and uses the vane pump 211 to evacuate the vacuum chamber 1, and then controls the roots pump 212 to start, so that the roots pump 212 and the vane pump 211 work in series and evacuate the vacuum chamber 1, and after the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber 1 reaches a certain value (such as 10Pa), the central controller controls the second electric valve 214 to close. In addition, it should be noted that the connection between the rotary vane pump 211, the roots pump 212, the first electric valve 213 and the second electric valve 214, as well as the connection between them and the vacuum chamber 1, should be achieved through a vacuum pipeline (not shown). It should also be noted that the first electric valve 213 and the second electric valve 214 are preferably electric vacuum valves.

[0036] It can be understood that the rotary vane pump 211 can reduce the pressure of the vacuum chamber 1 from atmospheric pressure. In the rough vacuuming stage of the vacuum chamber 1, the rotary vane pump 211 is first turned on to extract most of the air in the vacuum chamber 1, so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is initially reduced (for example, to 500Pa). The Roots pump 212 cannot be started from atmospheric pressure alone, and it must work normally under a certain vacuum degree. Therefore, after the rotary vane pump 211 reduces the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 to a certain degree, the Roots pump 212 is turned on to work in series with the rotary vane pump 211. The Roots pump 212 can speed up the rough vacuuming process and further reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 (for example, to 10Pa), thereby preparing for the subsequent fine vacuuming of the vacuum chamber 1 by the fine vacuuming component 22.

[0037] As one or more embodiments thereof, the fine vacuum assembly 22 may include a diffusion pump 221, a first molecular pump 222, a second molecular pump 223 and a third electric valve 224 which are respectively connected to the central controller in communication, one end of the third electric valve 224 is connected to the unwinding area 11 in the vacuum chamber 1, and the other end is connected to the diffusion pump 221, the diffusion pump 221 is connected to the first electric valve 213, the first molecular pump 222 is connected to the magnetron sputtering area 13 near the baking area 12 in the vacuum chamber 1, the second molecular pump 223 is connected to the magnetron sputtering area 13 near the winding area 14 in the vacuum chamber 1, and the first molecular pump 222 and the second molecular pump 223 are respectively connected to the first electric valve 213. Specifically, in the fine vacuum stage of the vacuum chamber 1, the central controller first controls the third electric valve 224 to open, and then controls the diffusion pump 221, the first molecular pump 222 and the second molecular pump 223 to open at the same time and evacuate the vacuum chamber 1 until the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 reaches the target value. Preferably, when the magnetron sputtering device 4 includes two spaced magnetron sputtering units 41, in the magnetron sputtering zone 13 connected to the baking zone 12, the first molecular pump 222 is located between the corresponding two magnetron sputtering units 41, and in the magnetron sputtering zone 13 connected to the winding zone 14, the second molecular pump 223 is also located between the corresponding two magnetron sputtering units 41, so that the stability and uniformity of the process pressure can be guaranteed to the greatest extent. In addition, it should be noted that whether it is the connection between the diffusion pump 221, the first molecular pump 222, the second molecular pump 223 and the third electric valve 224, or the connection between them and the vacuum chamber 1, they should be realized through a vacuum pipeline (not shown). It should also be noted that the third electric valve 224 is preferably an electric vacuum valve.

[0038] It can be understood that when the vacuum chamber 1 is roughly evacuated by using the rough vacuum pumping component 21 so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 drops to a certain level, the diffusion pump 221 is turned on and the vacuum chamber 1 is evacuated by using the diffusion pump 221 to further reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1, and the first molecular pump 222 and the second molecular pump 223 can work in conjunction with the diffusion pump 221, that is, the first molecular pump 222 and the second molecular pump 223 are turned on while the diffusion pump 221 is working, so that the gas in the magnetron sputtering area 13 can be effectively evacuated, and the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 can be further reduced. Finally, through this fine vacuum pumping, the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is reduced to a target value that meets the magnetron sputtering (such as 0.005Pa), thereby preparing for the subsequent magnetron sputtering device 4 to sputter a preset material onto the substrate surface.

[0039] In addition, those skilled in the art should be aware that when the vacuum chamber 1 is roughly evacuated using the rough vacuum pumping component 21 so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 drops to a certain level, the central controller will only control the second electric valve 214 to close, and will not control the first electric valve 213, Roots pump 212, etc. to close. This is because they need to subsequently assist the fine vacuum pumping component 22 to finely evacuate the vacuum chamber 1. This is also the reason why the diffusion pump 221, the first molecular pump 222, and the second molecular pump 223 are respectively connected to the first electric valve 213. After the vacuum chamber 1 is vacuumed by the vacuum pumping component 22, that is, after the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is reduced to the target value that meets the magnetron sputtering, it is not necessary to turn off the vacuum pumping component 22, but it is necessary to keep the vacuum pumping component 22 working continuously until the vacuum deposition of the substrate is completed. Only then can all the devices in the vacuum pumping device 2 be turned off. The reason is as follows: Vacuum deposition belongs to a continuous production method, which requires that the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber 1 remain highly stable throughout the production process. Even if the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber 1 fluctuates briefly, it will cause uneven film thickness, composition deviation or defects, which will ultimately affect the quality of the product. Keeping the vacuum pumping component 22 working continuously is the key to maintaining a highly stable vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber 1.

[0040] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a vacuum deposition method. This embodiment provides a vacuum deposition method, which is applied in the vacuum deposition device described above, and the vacuum deposition method includes steps 201 to 205 (abbreviated as S201 to S205), namely: S201, winding the substrate to be vacuum deposited on the unwinding roller; S202, using multiple guide rollers to guide one end of the substrate to pass through the unwinding area, and pass through the baking area and the magnetron sputtering area in sequence to enter the winding area to be set on the winding roller; S203, using a vacuum pumping device to evacuate the vacuum chamber; S204, using the unwinding motor and the winding motor to drive the unwinding roller and the winding roller to rotate, respectively, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller; S205, in the process of winding the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller, using the baking device to bake the two opposite sides of the substrate, and using the magnetron sputtering device to sputter the preset material on the two opposite sides of the substrate, so that corresponding film layers are formed on the two opposite sides of the substrate. It should be noted that for any incomplete description of the vacuum deposition method, please refer to the previous description of the vacuum deposition device, and this application will not go into details.

[0041] In order to facilitate those skilled in the art to more clearly understand the vacuum deposition method of this embodiment, an example of preparing nickel foam is given below. In this example, polyurethane sponge is used as the matrix and nickel is used as the preset material. Specifically, the preparation process of nickel foam is: wind the polyurethane sponge on the unwinding roller 5; use multiple guide rollers 7 to guide one end of the polyurethane sponge to pass through the unwinding area 11, and pass through the baking area 12 and the magnetron sputtering area 13 in turn to enter the winding area 14, and then set the end of the polyurethane sponge entering the winding area 14 on the winding roller 6; start the rough vacuum component 21, and use the rough vacuum component 21 to roughly vacuum the vacuum chamber 1, so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is reduced to 10Pa; close the second electric valve 214 and start the fine vacuum component 22, and use the fine vacuum component 22 to fine vacuum the vacuum chamber 1, so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is further reduced to 0.005Pa; keep the fine vacuum component 22 and start the baking device 3, so that each heating wire (i.e., heating element 311) in the baking device 3 The temperature reaches 120°C; argon gas (100 sccm) is respectively filled into the two magnetron sputtering areas 13, so that the pressure in the two magnetron sputtering areas 13 is stabilized at 0.3 Pa; the two magnetron sputtering devices 4 are started, and it is ensured that the power of all cathodes (i.e., magnetron sputtering units 41) is 10KW; the unwinding motor and the winding motor are used to drive the unwinding roller 5 and the winding roller 6 to rotate respectively, so that the polyurethane sponge moves along the winding path at a uniform speed of 1m / min, and finally the polyurethane sponge is wound from the unwinding roller 5 to the winding roller 6 (in this process, the baking device 3 will bake the two opposite sides of the polyurethane sponge, and the magnetron sputtering device 4 will sputter nickel on the two opposite sides of the polyurethane sponge and form corresponding film layers); after the polyurethane sponge is completely wound onto the winding roller 6, the finished product (i.e., foamed nickel) is removed from the winding roller 6. Preferably, sensors can be arranged in the unwinding area 11 and the winding area 14, and the sensors can be used to detect in real time the winding diameter of the polyurethane sponge wound on the unwinding roller 5 and the winding diameter of the polyurethane sponge wound on the winding roller 6, and the central controller can control the rotation speed of the unwinding motor and the winding motor in real time according to these two winding diameters and the thickness of the polyurethane sponge, thereby ensuring that the polyurethane sponge always moves along the winding path at a speed of 1 m / min.

[0042] The above embodiments are only preferred implementations of the present application, and they are not the only limitations on the vacuum deposition apparatus and related methods. In this regard, those skilled in the art can flexibly set them according to the actual application scenarios based on the above embodiments. It can be understood that, through the implementation of the above embodiments of the present application, a vacuum deposition device is constituted by using a vacuum chamber 1, an unwinding roller 5, a winding roller 6, an unwinding motor, a winding motor, a vacuum pumping device 2, a baking device 3, a magnetron sputtering device 4 and a plurality of guide rollers 7. The vacuum pumping device 2 is connected to the vacuum chamber 1, and the vacuum chamber 1 is divided into a plurality of functional areas (i.e., an unwinding area 11, a baking area 12, a magnetron sputtering area 13 and a winding area 14 connected in sequence). The unwinding motor and the unwinding roller 5 are both arranged in the unwinding area 11, and the unwinding motor is driven and connected to the unwinding roller 5. The baking device 3 is arranged in the baking area 12, and the magnetron sputtering device 4 is arranged in the magnetron sputtering area 13. The winding motor and the winding roller 6 are both arranged in the winding area 14, and the winding motor is driven and connected to the winding roller 6. The plurality of guide rollers 7 are respectively arranged in the plurality of functional areas. In actual applications, the substrate to be vacuum deposited can be wound on the unwinding roller 5, and then a plurality of guide rollers 7 are used to guide one end of the substrate to pass through the unwinding area 11, and then pass through the baking area 12 and the magnetron sputtering area 13 in sequence to enter the winding area 14, so that one end of the substrate can be set on the winding roller 6, and then the vacuum chamber 1 can be evacuated by the vacuum pumping device 2. After the vacuum pumping is completed, the baking device 3 and the magnetron sputtering device 4 are started, and the unwinding motor and the winding motor are used to drive the unwinding roller 5 and the winding roller 6 to rotate respectively, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller 5 to the winding roller 6. During this process, the baking device 3 will bake the two opposite sides of the substrate, and the magnetron sputtering device 4 will sputter the preset material on the two opposite sides of the substrate, so that corresponding film layers are formed on the two opposite sides of the substrate. It can be seen that in the process of winding the substrate from the unwinding roller 5 to the winding roller 6, the substrate will pass through the baking area 12 and the magnetron sputtering area 13 successively, that is, the substrate will first be baked by the baking device 3 in the baking area 12, and then be sputtered by the magnetron sputtering device 4 for a preset material in the magnetron sputtering area 13. The baking in the baking area 12 can effectively remove the attachments on the substrate (such as water vapor, etc.), thereby reducing the amount of outgassing of the substrate in the magnetron sputtering area 13, thereby improving the growth of the film layer and increasing the purity of the film layer.

[0043] It should be noted that the several embodiments shown in the present application are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can refer to each other. It should also be noted that in the text description of the present application, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply that there is such an actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Further, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other corresponding variants are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or equipment including a series of elements includes not only these elements, but also other elements that are not explicitly listed, or may also include elements inherent to such process, method, article or equipment; and, in the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "including one..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or equipment including the elements.

[0044] In addition, by implementing the several embodiments shown above in the present application, professionals and technicians in this field can implement or use the present application. For the several embodiments shown above in the present application, various modifications will be obvious to professionals and technicians in this field, and the general principles defined in the present application can be implemented in other embodiments not shown without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the several embodiments shown above, but will comply with the widest range consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed in the present application.

Claims

1. A vacuum deposition device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a vacuum chamber, a vacuum pumping device, a baking device, a magnetron sputtering device, an unwinding motor, a winding motor, an unwinding roller, a winding roller and a plurality of guide rollers, wherein the vacuum pumping device is connected to the vacuum chamber, and the vacuum chamber is divided into a plurality of functional areas, wherein the plurality of functional areas comprise an unwinding area, a baking area, a magnetron sputtering area and a winding area which are connected in sequence, the unwinding motor and the unwinding roller are both arranged in the unwinding area, the unwinding roller is arranged on the output shaft of the unwinding motor, and the baking device is arranged in the baking area. The magnetron sputtering device is arranged in the magnetron sputtering area, the winding motor and the winding roller are both arranged in the winding area, the winding roller is arranged on the output shaft of the winding motor, a plurality of guide rollers are respectively arranged in a plurality of functional areas, the substrate to be vacuum deposited is wound on the unwinding roller, one end of the substrate passes through the unwinding area under the guidance of the plurality of guide rollers, and sequentially passes through the baking area and the magnetron sputtering area to enter the winding area to be arranged on the winding roller, wherein: The vacuum pumping device is used to vacuum the vacuum chamber; The unwinding motor and the winding motor are used to drive the unwinding roller and the winding roller to rotate respectively, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller; The baking device is used to bake two opposite sides of the substrate; The magnetron sputtering device is used to sputter a preset material onto two opposite surfaces of the substrate to form corresponding film layers on the two opposite surfaces of the substrate.

2. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a central controller that is communicatively connected to the vacuum pumping device, the baking device, the magnetron sputtering device, the unwinding motor and the winding motor, and is used to control the operation of the vacuum pumping device, the baking device, the magnetron sputtering device, the unwinding motor and the winding motor.

3. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The baking device comprises a power supply and two heating components electrically connected to the power supply, the power supply is communicatively connected to the central controller, and the two heating components are respectively located on opposite sides of the base, wherein: The power supply is used to supply power to the two heating components; The two heating components are both used to generate heat to bake the two opposite sides of the substrate respectively.

4. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heating component includes at least one heating element. When the heating component includes a plurality of the heating elements, the plurality of the heating elements are distributed at intervals along the length direction of the substrate.

5. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The heating element includes any one of a resistive heating element, an electromagnetic induction heating element, a far-infrared heating element and a semiconductor heating element.

6. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The magnetron sputtering zone includes two magnetron sputtering zones connected in sequence, one magnetron sputtering zone is connected to the baking zone, and the other magnetron sputtering zone is connected to the winding zone; The magnetron sputtering devices include two, the two magnetron sputtering devices are respectively arranged in the two magnetron sputtering areas, and the two magnetron sputtering devices are respectively located on two opposite sides of the substrate, and are used to sputter the preset material on two opposite surfaces of the substrate respectively.

7. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The magnetron sputtering device includes at least one magnetron sputtering unit. When the magnetron sputtering device includes a plurality of the magnetron sputtering units, the plurality of the magnetron sputtering units are spaced apart along the length direction of the substrate, each of the magnetron sputtering units is communicatively connected to the central controller, and each of the magnetron sputtering units is used to sputter the preset material onto the surface of the substrate.

8. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The vacuum pumping device comprises a rough vacuum pumping component and a fine vacuum pumping component respectively connected to the central controller in a communication manner, and the rough vacuum pumping component and the fine vacuum pumping component are respectively connected to the vacuum chamber, wherein: The rough vacuuming component is used to perform rough vacuuming on the vacuum chamber; The fine vacuum pumping component is used to perform fine vacuum pumping on the vacuum chamber after the rough vacuum pumping component performs rough vacuum pumping on the vacuum chamber.

9. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The rough vacuum assembly includes a rotary vane pump, a Roots pump, a first electric valve and a second electric valve which are respectively communicatively connected to the central controller, the rotary vane pump, the Roots pump, the first electric valve and the second electric valve are connected in sequence, and the second electric valve is connected to the unwinding area in the vacuum chamber.

10. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The fine vacuum assembly includes a diffusion pump, a first molecular pump, a second molecular pump and a third electric valve which are respectively communicatively connected to the central controller, one end of the third electric valve is connected to the unwinding area in the vacuum chamber, and the other end is connected to the diffusion pump, the diffusion pump is connected to the first electric valve, the first molecular pump is connected to the magnetron sputtering area near the baking area in the vacuum chamber, the second molecular pump is connected to the magnetron sputtering area near the winding area in the vacuum chamber, and the first molecular pump and the second molecular pump are respectively connected to the first electric valve.

11. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The magnetron sputtering device includes two magnetron sputtering units, and the first molecular pump and the second molecular pump are both located between the two corresponding magnetron sputtering units.

12. The vacuum deposition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a plurality of partition plates, any two connected functional areas are separated by a partition plate, and each of the partition plates is provided with a channel for the substrate to pass through.

13. A vacuum deposition method, characterized in that: The vacuum deposition device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising: Winding the substrate to be vacuum deposited on a take-up roll; Using a plurality of guide rollers to guide one end of the substrate to pass through the unwinding area, and sequentially pass through the baking area and the magnetron sputtering area to enter the winding area to be arranged on the winding roller; Using a vacuum pump to evacuate the vacuum chamber; Using an unwinding motor and a winding motor to drive the unwinding roller and the winding roller to rotate respectively, so as to wind the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller; In the process of winding the substrate from the unwinding roller to the winding roller, the two opposite sides of the substrate are baked by a baking device, and the preset material is sputtered on the two opposite sides of the substrate by a magnetron sputtering device, so that corresponding film layers are formed on the two opposite sides of the substrate.

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