Integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering equipment, and relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing and surface treatment.The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering equipment structurally comprises a printing chamber, a sputtering chamber, a pre-vacuumizing chamber and a magnetron sputtering chamber, the printing chamber is used for printing a part from a printing material according to a designed 3D model through the 3D technology, and the part printed in the printing chamber is subjected to magnetron sputtering treatment; and the pre-pumping chamber is used for carrying out air pressure pre-pumping treatment on the printed parts. According to the integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering equipment, synchronous manufacturing and surface treatment of materials are achieved, magnetron sputtering treatment can be conducted in real time in the 3D printing process, the mechanical performance, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity and the like of the materials are improved, the production cycle can be shortened, the production cost is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical fields of additive manufacturing and surface treatment, and specifically to an integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of technology, 3D printing technology has received extensive attention for its ability to rapidly manufacture parts with complex shapes and is reshaping the pattern of traditional manufacturing. In particular, the successful application of metal 3D printing technology in high-end fields such as aerospace precision components and biomedical implants marks that the technology has entered the stage of industrial maturity. However, traditional 3D printing technology has certain limitations in material selection and performance improvement.

[0003] Meanwhile, the magnetron sputtering process in physical vapor deposition technology shows unique advantages in the field of material modification. This technology enhances atomic-level thin film deposition through a plasma field, can deposit various metal and alloy thin films on the surface of the substrate, and realizes the improvement of hardness and corrosion resistance, thereby improving the performance and function of the material. This technology has been widely applied in fields such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment and new energy battery electrodes.

[0004] In existing integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering devices, these two advanced manufacturing technologies are usually carried out separately, and there are still significant gaps in their collaborative application. The surface treatment of parts after 3D printing relies on traditional CNC machining to achieve surface precision control, while the magnetron sputtering coating process usually requires an independent vacuum chamber environment. This separation of processes not only increases the equipment investment cost but also raises the material waste rate, seriously restricting the production efficiency and product performance of the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (I) Technical Problems to be Solved Aiming at the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device, which solves the problems that the surface treatment of parts after 3D printing relies on traditional CNC machining to achieve surface precision control, the magnetron sputtering coating process requires an independent vacuum chamber environment, the separation of processes leads to an increase in equipment investment cost, and the material waste rate is increased, seriously restricting the production efficiency and product performance of the equipment.

[0006] (II) Technical Solutions To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is realized through the following technical solutions: An integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device, including: A printing chamber that prints parts from printing materials according to a designed 3D model through 3D technology; A sputtering chamber that performs magnetron sputtering treatment on the parts printed in the printing chamber; A pre-pumping chamber for subjecting the printed parts to air pressure pre-pumping treatment, with both sides of the pre-pumping chamber fixedly connected to the printing chamber and the sputtering chamber respectively; Channel 1, which is opened between the printing chamber and the pre-pumping chamber; Channel 2, which is opened between the pre-pumping chamber and the sputtering chamber; Both Channel 1 and Channel 2 are used for the transmission of printed parts.

[0007] With the above-mentioned equipment, the 3D printing technology and the magnetron sputtering technology can be organically combined to realize the synchronous manufacturing and surface treatment of materials. Through this integrated equipment, magnetron sputtering treatment can be carried out in real time during the 3D printing process, thereby improving the mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of the materials. In addition, this equipment can also shorten the production cycle, reduce the production cost and improve the production efficiency.

[0008] Preferably, a powder adding bin is fixedly connected to the inner top side of the printing chamber, a motor is fixedly connected to the bottom of the powder adding bin, a flipping assembly is fixedly connected to the bottom of the motor, a printing bin is fixedly installed at the bottom of the flipping assembly, a lifting platform is fixedly installed on the surface of the motor, and both sides of the lifting platform are fixedly installed on both sides of the interior of the printing chamber.

[0009] Preferably, a sample stage 1 is fixedly installed inside the printing chamber, and the sample stage 1 is located at the bottom side of the printing bin.

[0010] Preferably, an operating system 1 is fixedly connected to the inner bottom side of the printing chamber, a power supply system is fixedly connected to the bottom of the operating system 1, and a material recovery section is fixedly connected to the bottom of the power supply system.

[0011] Through the printing chamber, parts can be printed from printing materials by 3D printing technology, and printing materials can be selected according to needs, improving the practicability of the equipment.

[0012] Preferably, the sputtering chamber includes target 1, target 2 and sample stage 2. Target 1 and target 2 are respectively movably connected to both sides of the interior of the sputtering chamber, and the sample stage 2 is fixedly installed inside the sputtering chamber.

[0013] Preferably, an operating system 2 is fixedly connected to the inner bottom side of the sputtering chamber, a sputtering power supply is fixedly connected to the bottom of the operating system 2, and a bias power supply is fixedly connected to the bottom of the sputtering power supply.

[0014] Preferably, a gas input end is opened inside the sputtering chamber, and the gas input end is located on one side of the sample stage 2.

[0015] The sputtering chamber can perform magnetron sputtering treatment on the surface of the printed parts, enabling rapid surface treatment of the printed parts, improving the production efficiency of the equipment for parts, and allowing the selection of target materials according to the coating type. Moreover, target one and target two can be the same or different, enhancing the practicality of the equipment.

[0016] Preferably, a vacuum pump is fixedly connected to the inner bottom side of the pre-pumping chamber. A first air extraction channel is jointly opened between the inner bottom side and the inner top side of the pre-pumping chamber, and a second air extraction channel is jointly opened between the inner bottom side of the pre-pumping chamber and the inner top side of the sputtering chamber.

[0017] Preferably, a vacuum chamber one is formed on the top side of the first air extraction channel, and a vacuum chamber two is formed on the top side of the second air extraction channel. Channel one is located on one side of the vacuum chamber one, and channel two is located between the vacuum chamber one and the vacuum chamber two. Target one, target two, and sample stage two are all located inside the vacuum chamber two.

[0018] The pre-pumping chamber can transfer the parts through the pre-pumping chamber to the sputtering chamber in a vacuum environment, enabling pre-pumping treatment of the parts, thereby ensuring that the parts are in a vacuum state when entering the sputtering chamber, guaranteeing the effect during sputtering treatment, and improving the usage effect of the equipment.

[0019] (III) Beneficial effects The present invention provides an integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device, which has the following beneficial effects: (I) For this integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device, through the integrated design, the 3D printing and magnetron sputtering technologies are integrated in the same device, realizing the synchronous progress of material manufacturing and surface treatment, enabling precise control of materials and optimization of performance, avoiding the complexity and inconsistency of multiple processing in traditional processes, improving material performance while shortening the production cycle and enhancing production efficiency.

[0020] (II) For this integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device, precise control: By precisely controlling the sputtering parameters and printing parameters, precise regulation of material performance can be achieved, meeting the requirements of different application scenarios and enhancing the practicality of the equipment.

[0021] (III) For this integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device, through the miniaturized design, the device is compact in design, small in volume, convenient to use in laboratories, ships or small production environments, with a wide range of usage scenarios and less restricted usage, and also reducing the floor area and investment cost of the equipment.

[0022] (4) The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device can be applied to 3D printing and magnetron sputtering treatment of various materials, and can select printing materials and sputtering targets according to needs. This device has wide applicability and market prospects. Description of the Drawings

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the whole invention.

[0024] In the figure: 1. Printing chamber; 101. Powder adding bin; 102. Motor; 103. Flipping assembly; 104. Printing bin; 105. Lifting table; 106. Sample table 1; 107. Operating system 1; 108. Power supply system; 109. Material recycling section; 2. Sputtering chamber; 201. Target 1; 202. Target 2; 203. Sample table 2; 204. Operating system 2; 205. Sputtering power supply; 206. Bias power supply; 207. Gas input end; 3. Pre-pumping chamber; 301. Vacuum pump; 302. First air extraction channel; 303. Second air extraction channel; 4. Channel 1; 5. Channel 2. Detailed Embodiments

[0025] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] Refer to Figure 1 , the present invention provides a technical solution: an integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device, the structure of which includes: Printing chamber 1, which prints parts from the printing material according to a designed 3D model through 3D technology; Sputtering chamber 2, which performs magnetron sputtering treatment on the parts printed in the printing chamber 1; Pre-pumping chamber 3, which is used to perform air pressure pre-pumping treatment on the printed parts. The two sides of the pre-pumping chamber 3 are fixedly connected to the printing chamber 1 and the sputtering chamber 2 respectively; Channel 1 4, which is opened between the printing chamber 1 and the pre-pumping chamber 3; Channel 2 5, which is opened between the pre-pumping chamber 3 and the sputtering chamber 2; Both channel 1 4 and channel 2 5 are used for the transmission of printed parts.

[0027] First, select the appropriate printing material and put it into the powder adding bin 101. Use the lifting platform 105 to drive the printing bin 104 to descend until the printing bin 104 reaches the top of the sample stage. Then, according to the designed 3D model, print the part through 3D printing technology in the printing bin 104, thus printing out the part. Transfer the printed part into the pre-pumping chamber 3 through the first channel 4, and then perform pre-pumping treatment on the part. After that, use the second channel 5 to enter the sputtering chamber 2, where the part undergoes surface treatment in the sputtering chamber 2, so that the combination of 3D printing technology and magnetron sputtering technology can be realized, becoming an integrated small device. Through this integrated device, magnetron sputtering treatment can be carried out in real time during the 3D printing process.

[0028] Among them, the inner top side of the printing chamber 1 is fixedly connected with a powder adding bin 101. The bottom of the powder adding bin 101 is fixedly connected with a motor 102. The bottom of the motor 102 is fixedly connected with a flipping assembly 103. The bottom of the flipping assembly 103 is fixedly installed with a printing bin 104. The surface of the motor 102 is fixedly installed with a lifting platform 105, and both sides of the lifting platform 105 are fixedly installed on both sides inside the printing chamber 1.

[0029] Among them, a first sample stage 106 is fixedly installed inside the printing chamber 1, and the first sample stage 106 is located at the bottom side of the printing bin 104.

[0030] Among them, the inner bottom side of the printing chamber 1 is fixedly connected with an operating system 107. The bottom of the operating system 107 is fixedly connected with a power supply system 108. The bottom of the power supply system 108 is fixedly connected with a material recycling unit 109.

[0031] When printing a part in the printing chamber 1, select the appropriate printing material and put it into the powder adding bin 101. Use the lifting platform 105 to drive the printing bin 104 to descend until the printing bin 104 reaches the top of the sample stage. The motor 102 can drive the flipping assembly 103 to rotate and flip, so that the printing bin 104 can continuously rotate and flip to print the corresponding part.

[0032] Among them, the sputtering chamber 2 includes a first target 201, a second target 202, and a second sample stage 203. The first target 201 and the second target 202 are respectively movably connected to both sides inside the sputtering chamber 2. The second sample stage 203 is fixedly installed inside the sputtering chamber 2. The first target 201 and the second target 202 are not limited to chromium targets, and can be any other targets according to the coating type. Moreover, the first target 201 and the second target 202 can be the same or different.

[0033] Among them, an operating system two 204 is fixedly connected to the inner bottom side of the sputtering chamber 2. A sputtering power supply 205 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the operating system two 204. A bias power supply 206 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the sputtering power supply 205. The magnetron sputtering power supply 205 is not limited to a pulsed DC magnetron sputtering power supply 205, and can be any one of a deep oscillation magnetron sputtering power supply 205, a high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering power supply 205, and a pulsed DC magnetron sputtering power supply 205.

[0034] Among them, a gas input end 207 is provided inside the sputtering chamber 2. The gas input end 207 is located on one side of the sample stage two 203. The gas input end 207 can input working gas into the sputtering chamber 2, such as argon or nitrogen.

[0035] When the sputtering chamber 2 performs surface treatment on parts, the parts entering the sputtering chamber 2 through the channel two 5 are placed on the sample stage two 203. Then, the target material is selected as needed. Here, two chromium target materials are fixed on both sides inside the sputtering chamber 2, and the working gas is input through the gas input end 207. After adjusting the corresponding parameters, the surface of the parts is treated, so that a coating is obtained on the surface of the parts, improving their anti-corrosion and strength performance.

[0036] Among them, a vacuum pump 301 is fixedly connected to the inner bottom side of the pre-pumping chamber 3. A first air extraction channel 302 is jointly provided between the inner bottom side and the inner top side of the pre-pumping chamber 3. A second air extraction channel 303 is jointly provided between the inner bottom side of the pre-pumping chamber 3 and the inner top side of the sputtering chamber 2.

[0037] Among them, a vacuum chamber one is formed on the top side of the first air extraction channel 302, a vacuum chamber two is formed on the top side of the second air extraction channel 303. The channel one 4 is located on one side of the vacuum chamber one. The channel two 5 is located between the vacuum chamber one and the vacuum chamber two. The target material one 201, the target material two 202, and the sample stage two 203 are all located inside the vacuum chamber two.

[0038] When the pre-pumping chamber 3 is working, the vacuum pump 301 is started to pump air while printing. The vacuum pump 301 pumps air through the first air extraction channel 302 and pre-pumps the inside of the vacuum chamber one. The printed parts are transmitted through the channel one 4 to the pre-pumping chamber 3 for pre-pumping, and then the pre-pumped sample parts are transmitted through the channel two 5 to the vacuum chamber two of the sputtering chamber 2. The vacuum pump 301 pumps air through the second air extraction channel 303, making the air pressure inside the vacuum chamber two become lower.

[0039] During operation, when preparing a chromium nitride (CrN) coating, first select a suitable printing material and place it in the powder adding bin 101. Use the lifting platform 105 to drive the printing bin 104 down until the printing bin 104 reaches the top of the sample stage. Then, according to the designed 3D model, use 3D printing technology to print parts through the printing bin 104, thus printing out the parts. The motor 102 can drive the flipping assembly 103 to rotate and flip, enabling the printing bin 104 to continuously rotate and flip and print the corresponding parts. While printing, start the vacuum pump 301 to pump air. The vacuum pump 301 pumps air through the first air extraction channel 302 and makes the pre-pumping pressure in the first vacuum chamber lower than 1*10 -4 Pa. Transfer the printed parts through the channel 4 to the pre-pumping chamber 3 for pre-pumping, and then transfer the pre-pumped sample parts through the channel 5 to the second vacuum chamber of the sputtering chamber 2. The vacuum pump 301 pumps air through the second air extraction channel 303 and makes the air pressure in the second vacuum chamber lower than 1*10 -3 Pa to start glow cleaning. Connect the bias power supply 206 to the substrate, set the pulse parameters as -500 V, the air pressure as 1.0 Pa, and the argon gas flow rate as 80 sccm, and then clean the sample parts for 20 minutes. Both the target 1 201 and the target 2 202 use chromium (Cr) metal targets. The chromium target is connected to the pulsed DC magnetron sputtering power supply 205. Set the pulsed power supply parameters, the working gas argon gas flow rate as 60 sccm, the working air pressure as 0.8 Pa, set the sputtering power as 500 W, the bias voltage as -60 V, and the time as 15 min to prepare a chromium adhesion layer about 500 nm thick. Similarly, both the target 1 201 and the target 2 202 use chromium metal targets at the same time. The chromium target is connected to the pulsed DC magnetron sputtering power supply 205. Set the pulsed power supply parameters, the working gas argon gas as 60 sccm, the nitrogen gas flow rate as 30 sccm, the working air pressure as 0.8 Pa, set the sputtering power as 1 kW, the bias voltage as -150 V, and the time as 60 min to prepare a chromium nitride coating about 3 μm thick. After completing the preparation of the chromium nitride coating, wait for 15 - 30 minutes and then take out the sample.

[0040] It should be noted that, in this document, 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 any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprising", "including" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements not only includes those elements but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or further includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "comprising an..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising said element.

[0041] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. Integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering equipment, characterized in that: include: A printing room (1), wherein the printing room (1) prints parts using 3D technology using printing materials according to a designed 3D model; A sputtering chamber (2) for performing magnetron sputtering treatment on the parts printed in the printing chamber (1); A pre-pumping chamber (3), the pre-pumping chamber (2) being used to perform air pressure pre-pumping on the printed parts, and two sides of the pre-pumping chamber (3) are respectively fixedly connected to the printing chamber (1) and the sputtering chamber (2); Channel 1 (4), the channel 1 (4) being opened between the printing chamber (1) and the pre-extraction chamber (3); Channel 2 (5), the channel 2 (5) is opened between the pre-evacuation chamber (3) and the sputtering chamber (2); The channel one (4) and the channel two (5) are both used for the transmission of printed parts.

2. The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top side of the interior of the printing chamber (1) is fixedly connected to a powder adding bin (101), the bottom of the powder adding bin (101) is fixedly connected to a motor (102), the bottom of the motor (102) is fixedly connected to a flip assembly (103), the bottom of the flip assembly (103) is fixedly mounted with a printing bin (104), a lifting platform (105) is fixedly mounted on the surface of the motor (102), and two sides of the lifting platform (105) are fixedly mounted on two sides of the interior of the printing chamber (1).

3. The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A sample stage 1 (106) is fixedly installed inside the printing chamber (1), and the sample stage 1 (106) is located at the bottom side of the printing chamber (104).

4. The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An operating system 1 (107) is fixedly connected to the inner bottom side of the printing chamber (1), a power system (108) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the operating system 1 (107), and a material recovery unit (109) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the power system (108).

5. The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sputtering chamber (2) comprises a target material 1 (201), a target material 2 (202) and a sample stage 2 (203); the target material 1 (201) and the target material 2 (202) are respectively movably connected to two sides of the interior of the sputtering chamber (2); and the sample stage 2 (203) is fixedly installed inside the sputtering chamber (2).

6. The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner bottom side of the sputtering chamber (2) is fixedly connected to an operating system 2 (204), the bottom of the operating system 2 (204) is fixedly connected to a sputtering power supply (205), and the bottom of the sputtering power supply (205) is fixedly connected to a bias power supply (206).

7. The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A gas input end (207) is provided inside the sputtering chamber (2), and the gas input end (207) is located on one side of the second sample stage (203).

8. The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A vacuum pump (301) is fixedly connected to the inner bottom side of the pre-evacuation chamber (3), a first exhaust passage (302) is provided between the inner bottom side of the pre-evacuation chamber (3) and the inner top side of the pre-evacuation chamber (3), and a second exhaust passage (303) is provided between the inner bottom side of the pre-evacuation chamber (3) and the inner top side of the sputtering chamber (2).

9. The integrated 3D printing magnetron sputtering device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The top side of the first vacuum channel (302) forms a vacuum chamber one, the top side of the second vacuum channel (303) forms a vacuum chamber two, the channel one (4) is located on one side of the vacuum chamber one, the channel two (5) is located between the vacuum chamber one and the vacuum chamber two, and the target material one (201), the target material two (202) and the sample stage two (203) are all located inside the vacuum chamber two.

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