Burning bearing device for keeping uniform ITO (indium tin oxide) plane target density and working method of burning bearing device

Abstract

The invention discloses a burning bearing device for keeping uniform ITO plane target density, and relates to the technical field of target material sintering, the burning bearing device comprises a plane bottom plate, one side of the plane bottom plate is provided with a plurality of cross-shaped clamping grooves, and a cross-shaped supporting shell is detachably embedded in each cross-shaped clamping groove; a cavity structure is arranged in the plane bottom plate, groove holes communicating with the cavity structure are formed in the bottom of the cross-shaped clamping groove, four ports of the cross-shaped supporting shell are open, and air holes correspondingly communicating with the groove holes are formed in the bottoms of the four ports of the cross-shaped supporting shell. An air inlet is formed in the other side of the plane bottom plate and is used for being connected with an external oxygen pipe; by adopting the sintering device, the heat transfer uniformity of the target material in the sintering process can be improved, so that the density uniformity of the sintered target material is improved, and the quality level of the target material is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of target material sintering, and in particular to a sintering device for maintaining uniform density of an ITO plane target and a working method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of flat display technology, the demand for ITO flat targets is also growing. Especially in high-end application fields, such as large-area and large-size TFT-LCD, OLED, etc., ITO flat targets have become an indispensable key material with their high density, high purity, high uniformity and other characteristics.

[0003] In the current sintering process of ITO flat targets, the traditional method of laying them flat on an alumina support plate exposes many problems: the downward side of the target is difficult to fully contact the oxygen-rich environment, and the heat transfer cannot be evenly covered, which causes the volatilization of lipid substances in the target to be blocked, uneven heat transfer, and thus causes uneven local density of the target; this unevenness will cause a series of problems such as inconsistent film thickness, uneven component distribution, and decreased adhesion in subsequent sputtering applications, seriously affecting the quality and performance of the film, and ultimately leading to a decrease in product qualification rate and an increase in production costs.

[0004] At present, although there are some improved support structures trying to solve these problems, most of them have shortcomings such as fixed structure and poor applicability, and cannot fundamentally solve the problem of insufficient contact between the target material and the oxygen-rich environment and uneven heating during the sintering process. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sintering device and a working method thereof for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets, and to solve the following technical problems:

[0006] How to make the density of ITO planar target more uniform after sintering.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a sintering device for maintaining uniform density of an ITO planar target, comprising a planar bottom plate, a plurality of cross-shaped slots are provided on one side of the planar bottom plate, and a cross-shaped support shell is detachably embedded in each cross-shaped slot;

[0009] A cavity structure is arranged inside the planar bottom plate, a slot hole communicating with the cavity structure is provided at the bottom of the cross-shaped card slot, and four ports of the cross-shaped support shell are open and an air hole corresponding to the slot hole is provided at the bottom;

[0010] An air inlet is provided on the other side of the plane bottom plate for connecting with an external oxygen pipe.

[0011] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of cross-shaped slots are evenly distributed in a matrix, and the center distance between two adjacent cross-shaped slots is 50-100 mm.

[0012] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the angles between the two sides of some of the cross-shaped slots and the row and column lines are both 45°.

[0013] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the cross-shaped support shell is made of any one of molybdenum-titanium-zirconium alloy, tungsten alloy or nickel-based alloy.

[0014] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the cross-section of one end of the cross-shaped support shell away from the cross-shaped slot is conical.

[0015] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the conical top of the cross-shaped slot is configured as a chamfered structure.

[0016] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the roughness of the chamfered structure of the conical top of the cross-shaped slot is Ra≤1.5um.

[0017] In a further solution of the present invention: two cross-distributed reinforcing rods are provided on a side of the planar bottom plate away from the cross-shaped slot.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the present invention, an electrically controlled valve is provided in the reactor to control the flow rate of oxygen passing therethrough.

[0019] In a second aspect, the present invention further discloses a working method of the above-mentioned sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets, comprising the following steps:

[0020] Step 1: Seal and connect the external oxygen tube to the air inlet on the flat bottom plate, and then place the flat bottom plate horizontally on the workbench with the cross-shaped slot facing upwards;

[0021] Step 2: insert the cross-shaped support shell into the cross-shaped slot accordingly, and then place the ITO plane target on the cross-shaped support shell;

[0022] Step 3, placing the sintering device into the sintering furnace, sintering the ITO planar target according to the sintering process, and introducing oxygen into the inside of the planar bottom plate through an external oxygen pipe during the sintering process; intermittently detecting the oxygen concentration on the upper and lower sides of the ITO planar target during the sintering process, and controlling the oxygen flow rate entering the planar bottom plate according to the detection result, so that the oxygen concentration on the upper and lower sides of the ITO planar target is the same;

[0023] Step 4: After sintering is completed, wait for the ITO planar target to cool down, remove the ITO planar target from the cross-shaped support shell, and carry out subsequent processing and testing procedures.

[0024] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0025] 1. In the structure of the ITO planar target with uniform density sintering device of the present invention, a zigzag support frame with a unique structure is provided to support the target material, which can greatly reduce the contact area between the support point and the target material, so that oxygen can more fully contact the bottom of the target material. At the same time, the zigzag support frame is connected to the flat bottom plate, so that the four ports of the zigzag support frame can be used as oxygen outlets, thereby transporting oxygen to the area between the cross-shaped support frame and the bottom of the target material to form an oxygen-rich environment, thereby ensuring that the upper and lower sides of the target material are in the same oxygen-rich environment. Therefore, the heat transfer uniformity of the target material during the sintering process can be improved, thereby improving the density uniformity of the target material after sintering, and greatly improving the quality level of the target material.

[0026] 2. The ITO planar target with uniform density sintering device of the present invention can be formulated according to the actual conditions such as the size, shape, and application scenario of the target material, and has the advantages of strong adaptability and a wide range of applications.

[0027] 3. When the ITO planar target with uniform density sintering device of the present invention is working, the oxygen concentration on the upper and lower sides of the ITO planar target can be intermittently detected during the sintering process, and the opening size of the electric control valve in the air inlet can be controlled according to the detection result, thereby controlling the oxygen flow rate entering the flat bottom plate, so that the oxygen concentration on the upper and lower sides of the ITO planar target is the same, further improving the uniformity of the contact between the upper and lower sides of the target and oxygen. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a sintering device for maintaining uniform density of an ITO planar target in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of a sintering device for maintaining uniform density of an ITO planar target;

[0031] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A is a schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of the middle part;

[0032] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the sintering device for maintaining uniform density of the ITO planar target;

[0033] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cross-shaped support shell in a sintering device for maintaining uniform density of an ITO planar target;

[0034] Figure 6 yes Figure 5Schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the central cross-shaped support shell.

[0035] In the figure: 100, flat bottom plate; 101, cross-shaped slot 101; 102, slot hole; 103, air inlet; 200, cross-shaped supporting shell; 201, oxygen outlet; 202, air hole; 300, reinforcing rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] See also Figure 1 The present embodiment discloses a firing device for maintaining uniform density of an ITO planar target, comprising a planar base plate 100, wherein a plurality of cross-shaped slots 101 distributed in a matrix are provided on the upper side of the planar base plate 100, wherein the angles between the two sides of each cross-shaped slot 101 and the matrix line are both 45°, and a cross-shaped support shell 200 is detachably embedded in each cross-shaped slot 101.

[0039] The flat bottom plate 100 serves as the base of the cross-shaped support shell 200. No matter what different plane conditions it faces, it can provide a basic plane with good flatness for the laying of the cross-shaped support shell 200, which plays a vital role in ensuring the stability of the entire support structure and the flatness of the target material; the processing of the flat bottom plate 100 needs to be strictly controlled to achieve the required flatness, which is the basis for ensuring the stability of the entire support structure and the flatness of the target material; the cross-shaped support shell 200 is embedded in the flat bottom plate 100 with good flatness, which further ensures its flatness in contact with the target material; when the cross-shaped support shell 200 is combined with the flat bottom plate, the top of the cross-shaped support shell 200 directly contacts the target material, and its unique cross shape can effectively reduce the contact area with the target material while ensuring stable support for the target material.

[0040] See also Figure 2-3 The plane bottom plate 100 is provided with a cavity structure inside, and each cross-shaped slot 101 has a slot hole 102 connected to the cavity structure at the bottom; please refer to Figure 4Two cross-distributed reinforcing rods 300 are provided on one side of the plane bottom plate 100 away from the cross-shaped slot 101 to enhance the strength of the plane bottom plate 100. At the same time, two air inlets 103 connected to the cavity structure are provided at the bottom of the plane bottom plate 100 to connect to an external oxygen pipe so that oxygen can be input into the cavity structure; an electric control valve for controlling the flow rate of oxygen is provided in the air inlet 103, and the oxygen intake amount can be effectively adjusted by controlling the opening size of the electric control valve.

[0041] It should be noted that there is no specific restriction on the number and size of the cross-shaped slots 101, which can be formulated according to the actual situation such as the size, shape and application scenario of the ITO planar target. For example, in this embodiment, the cross-shaped slots 101 are arranged in 9 rows and 16 columns, totaling 144. The two sides of the cross-shaped slots 101 are 50 mm long and 5 mm deep respectively. The center distance between two adjacent cross-shaped slots 101 should be maintained at 50-100 mm. For example, in this embodiment, the center distance between two adjacent cross-shaped slots 101 is set to 80 mm. When determining the size of the cross-shaped slots 101, factors such as the size and weight of the target material and the requirements for oxygen and heat distribution need to be fully considered. For example, for high-precision scientific research targets, more precise support structure dimensions may be required to ensure sintering quality. For large-scale industrial targets, the size of the support structure should be reasonably selected while ensuring quality, considering cost and production efficiency.

[0042] See also Figure 5-6 The shape of the lower end of the cross-shaped support shell 200 is the same as that of the cross-shaped slot 101, and the size is slightly smaller than the cross-shaped slot 101, so as to ensure that the bottom of the cross-shaped support shell 200 can be matched and embedded in the cross-shaped slot 101; the bottom of the cross-shaped support shell 200 is provided with an air hole 202 corresponding to the slot 102, and the four ports of the cross-shaped support shell 200 are open to form an oxygen outlet 201; therefore, the oxygen in the internal cavity structure of the flat bottom plate 100 can enter the cross-shaped support shell 200 through the connected slot 102 and the air hole 202, and be discharged from the four oxygen outlets 201 of the cross-shaped support shell 200.

[0043] In detail, when the ITO planar target is placed on the cross-shaped support shell 200 for sintering, the upper side of the target can be fully in contact with oxygen; the electrically controlled valve in the air inlet 103 is opened to allow external oxygen to enter the cavity structure of the planar base plate 100, and enter the cross-shaped support shell 200 through the connected slots 102 and pores 202, and finally be discharged from the four oxygen outlets 201 of the cross-shaped support shell 200 to the lower side area of ​​the target, so that the lower part of the target can also be more fully in contact with the oxygen-rich environment, and the heat transfer is more uniform, thereby effectively improving the uniformity of the target sintering density.

[0044] The material of the cross-shaped support shell 200 can be any one of molybdenum-titanium-zirconium alloy, tungsten alloy or nickel-based alloy. Among them, the good stability of molybdenum-titanium-zirconium alloy at high temperature can fully meet the strict requirements on the stability of the support structure of the cross-shaped support shell 200 during target sintering; tungsten alloy can still stably support the target at a high temperature close to its melting point (about 3400°C), ensuring the sintering quality of the target under extreme temperature conditions, and is suitable for special ITO target sintering scenarios with extremely high requirements on sintering temperature; nickel-based alloy can stably support the target in an oxygen-rich environment, and the cost is relatively controllable, which is more economical and efficient; based on this, any of the above materials can be selected as the material of the cross-shaped support shell 200. For example, in this embodiment, the material of the cross-shaped support shell 200 is selected from the Inconel series alloy in the nickel-based alloy.

[0045] The upper end cross-section of the cross-shaped support shell 200 is set to be conical, and the top of the cone is set to be a chamfered structure. When the target material is placed on the cross-shaped support shell 200, the contact area between the bottom surface of the target material and the cross-shaped support shell 200 can be minimized, and the smoothness of the chamfered structure can prevent the cross-shaped support shell 200 from causing damage to the bottom surface of the target material; the roughness of the chamfered structure is Ra≤1.5um, which can effectively reduce the friction between the support point and the target material. The advantage of this is that during the sintering process of the target material, the target material will shrink. If the surface of the support point is too rough, the large friction will generate friction stress, which may cause the target material to deform or produce internal defects. After reducing the roughness, this friction stress can be reduced, ensuring that the target material maintains its own integrity and quality while being stably supported, avoiding the sintering effect due to stress problems.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] This embodiment discloses a working method of a sintering device for maintaining uniform density of an ITO planar target based on the embodiment 1, comprising the following steps:

[0048] Step 1: seal the external oxygen tube to the air inlet 103 on the flat bottom plate 100, carefully check to ensure that the seal is good, and connect the other end of the external oxygen tube to the oxygen supply system; then place the flat bottom plate 100 horizontally on the workbench with the cross-shaped slot 101 facing upwards;

[0049] Step 2: insert the cross-shaped support shell 200 into the cross-shaped slot 101 to ensure that the two are closely matched and achieve the limiting effect; then place the ITO plane target on the cross-shaped support shell 200 to ensure that the target is placed stably and fully in contact with the cross-shaped support shell 200;

[0050] Step 3, placing the sintering device into the sintering furnace, and sintering the ITO planar target according to the predetermined sintering process. During the sintering process, the external oxygen supply system is started, and oxygen is introduced into the interior of the planar bottom plate 100 through the external oxygen pipe. The oxygen enters the cross-shaped support shell 200 through the connected slots 102 and the air holes 202, and is finally discharged from the four oxygen outlets 201 of the cross-shaped support shell 200 to the lower side area of ​​the target material, so that an oxygen-rich environment is formed at the lower part of the target material; during the sintering process, the oxygen concentration on the upper and lower sides of the ITO planar target is intermittently detected, and the opening size of the electric control valve in the air inlet 103 is controlled according to the detection result, so as to control the oxygen flow entering the planar bottom plate 100, so that the oxygen concentration on the upper and lower sides of the ITO planar target is the same;

[0051] Step 4: After sintering is completed, wait for the ITO planar target to cool down, remove the ITO planar target from the cross-shaped support shell 200, and perform subsequent processing and testing procedures;

[0052] Inspect and maintain the used cross-shaped support shell 200 and the flat base plate 100, especially check whether the cross-shaped slot 101 and related matching structures are damaged. At the same time, check whether the size of the cross-shaped support shell 200 has changed due to factors such as high temperature during the sintering process, ensure its dimensional accuracy and structural integrity, and whether the cross-shaped support shell 200 is still within the specified range, so as to provide reliable guarantee for subsequent use; for the flat base plate 100, check whether the air inlet 103 and the external oxygen pipe are blocked or damaged, clean up the impurities that may remain in the pipeline, and ensure the smooth flow and sealing of the pipeline system for the next use; for the cross-shaped support shell 200 used in different application scenarios, carry out targeted maintenance and care according to its actual use; for example, for the support structure used in a high temperature and highly corrosive environment, more stringent inspection and maintenance measures may be required to ensure its performance and reliability in subsequent use.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction and a specific direction structure and operation, and therefore, cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, "first" and "second" are only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0054] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", etc. should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] The above is a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention, but the content is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and cannot be considered to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All equivalent changes and improvements made within the scope of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the patent coverage of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sintering device for maintaining uniform density of an ITO planar target, comprising a planar bottom plate (100), characterized in that: A plurality of cross-shaped slots (101) are provided on one side of the planar bottom plate (100), and a cross-shaped support shell (200) is detachably embedded in each cross-shaped slot (101); The plane bottom plate (100) is provided with a cavity structure inside, the bottom of the cross-shaped slot (101) is provided with a slot hole (102) communicating with the cavity structure, and the four ports of the cross-shaped support shell (200) are open and the bottom is provided with air holes (202) corresponding to and communicating with the slot hole (102); An air inlet (103) is provided on the other side of the flat bottom plate (100) for connecting to an external oxygen pipe.

2. The sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of cross-shaped slots (101) are distributed in a determinant manner and at equal intervals, and the center distance between two adjacent cross-shaped slots (101) is 50-100 mm.

3. The sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to claim 2, characterized in that: The included angles between the two sides of the cross-shaped slots (101) and the row and column lines are both 45°.

4. The sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material of the cross-shaped support shell (200) is any one of a molybdenum-titanium-zirconium alloy, a tungsten alloy or a nickel-based alloy.

5. The sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cross-section of one end of the cross-shaped support shell (200) away from the cross-shaped slot (101) is conical.

6. The sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to claim 2, characterized in that: The conical top of the cross-shaped slot (101) is arranged as a chamfered structure.

7. The sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to claim 2, characterized in that: The roughness of the chamfered structure of the conical top of the cross-shaped slot (101) is Ra≤1.5um.

8. The sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two cross-distributed reinforcing rods (300) are provided on a side of the planar bottom plate (100) away from the cross-shaped slot (101).

9. The sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The (103) is provided with an electric control valve for controlling the flow rate of oxygen.

10. The working method of the sintering device for maintaining uniform density of ITO planar targets according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The steps include: Step 1: seal the external oxygen tube to the air inlet (103) on the flat bottom plate (100), and then place the flat bottom plate (100) horizontally on a workbench with the cross-shaped slot (101) facing upwards; Step 2: insert the cross-shaped support shell (200) into the cross-shaped slot (101) accordingly, and then place the ITO plane target on the cross-shaped support shell (200); Step 3, placing the sintering device into a sintering furnace, sintering the ITO planar target according to the sintering process, and introducing oxygen into the inside of the planar bottom plate (100) through an external oxygen pipe during the sintering process; intermittently detecting the oxygen concentration on the upper and lower sides of the ITO planar target during the sintering process, and controlling the oxygen flow rate entering the planar bottom plate (100) based on the detection result, so that the oxygen concentration on the upper and lower sides of the ITO planar target is the same; Step 4: After sintering is completed, wait for the ITO planar target to cool down, remove the ITO planar target from the cross-shaped support shell (200), and carry out subsequent processing and testing procedures.

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