Vacuum chamber and vacuum processing equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vacuum processing, and particularly discloses a vacuum chamber and vacuum processing equipment, the vacuum chamber comprises a chamber mechanism, a transmission driving mechanism and a rotation driving mechanism; the chamber mechanism comprises a chamber body, a first opening and closing door and a second opening and closing door, mounting openings are formed in the two opposite sides of the chamber body in the first direction, and the first opening and closing door and the second opening and closing door can open or close the two mounting openings in a one-to-one correspondence mode; inlets and outlets are formed in the two opposite sides of the cavity body in the second direction; the transmission driving mechanism is arranged on the cavity body; the rotation driving mechanism is arranged on the chamber body. The vacuum chamber is high in universality, when the vacuum chamber is used for multi-chamber vacuum processing equipment, the installation consistency is high, assembly can be simplified, the early-stage delivery speed and the later-stage maintenance efficiency of the equipment are improved, a chamber standby warehouse is simple, the maintenance cost and the material waiting cost are low, and the problem that equipment production is interrupted for a long time due to disorder is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vacuum processing technology, and in particular to a vacuum chamber and vacuum processing equipment. Background Art

[0002] Vacuum processing equipment is a type of equipment used to perform various processes in a vacuum environment. Its applications range widely, including but not limited to vacuum coating equipment and vacuum etching equipment. The vacuum processing chamber of a vacuum processing equipment is a sealed container used to perform specific processes in a vacuum environment. Its core function is to achieve surface treatment of substrates through physical or chemical methods while simultaneously controlling parameters such as pressure and temperature.

[0003] In the prior art, when the vacuum processing chamber in the vacuum processing equipment is multi-chamber, the outermost side of one or more vacuum processing chambers is connected to a wafer entry and exit chamber, and a conveying mechanism is provided between two adjacent chambers, so as to realize the transportation of substrates between the wafer entry and exit chamber and the vacuum processing chamber, as well as the transportation between the vacuum processing chambers. However, the vacuum chambers of the existing vacuum processing equipment have poor versatility, slow equipment delivery speed in the early stage, low maintenance efficiency in the later stage, and complicated preparation of multiple chambers, which is prone to confusion and leads to long-term interruption of equipment production, and high maintenance costs and waiting material costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vacuum chamber and vacuum processing equipment to solve the problems in the prior art, such as slow equipment delivery in the early stage, low maintenance efficiency in the later stage, complex inventory of multiple chambers, easy confusion resulting in long equipment production interruptions, and high maintenance costs and waiting costs for materials.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention provides a vacuum chamber capable of transporting a substrate loading mechanism, wherein the substrate loading mechanism comprises a transport frame and a rotating frame rotatably disposed within the transport frame, wherein the rotating frame is used to load a substrate, and the vacuum chamber comprises:

[0007] A chamber mechanism, the chamber mechanism comprising a chamber body, a first switch door, and a second switch door, wherein the chamber body is provided with mounting openings on opposite sides along a first direction, the first switch door and the second switch door being capable of correspondingly opening or closing the two mounting openings; and the chamber body is provided with an inlet and an outlet on opposite sides along a second direction;

[0008] a transmission drive mechanism, the transmission drive mechanism being provided in the chamber body and being configured to move the substrate loading mechanism along the second direction so as to enable the substrate loading mechanism to enter or exit the chamber body through the inlet and outlet;

[0009] A rotation drive mechanism is provided in the chamber body and is used for detachably connecting and driving the rotating frame in the chamber body to rotate relative to the transport frame.

[0010] As an optional solution for the above-mentioned vacuum chamber, one side of the first switch door is hinged to the chamber body, and one side of the second switch door is hinged to the chamber body; the first switch door can be installed with a sputtering device, and the second switch door can be installed with a plasma generating device.

[0011] As an optional solution for the above-mentioned vacuum chamber, a door flange is provided at the inlet and outlet of the chamber body, and the door flange is detachably connected to a blind plate or an atmosphere isolation door or a vacuum isolation valve.

[0012] As an optional solution for the above-mentioned vacuum chamber, the transmission drive mechanism includes a first drive motor and a sprocket transmission assembly, the first drive motor is arranged in the chamber body and is located outside the chamber body, and the driving end of the first drive motor is connected to the sprocket transmission assembly, which is used to drive the sprocket transmission assembly to drive the substrate loading mechanism to move along the second direction.

[0013] As an optional solution for the above-mentioned vacuum chamber, the rotation drive mechanism includes a second drive motor and a gear transmission assembly, the second drive motor is arranged in the chamber body and is located outside the chamber body, the driving end of the second drive motor is connected to the gear transmission assembly, and when the substrate loading mechanism is located in the chamber body, the gear transmission assembly can be connected to the rotating frame in a transmission manner.

[0014] As an optional solution of the above-mentioned vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber further includes a blocking component, which is arranged on the chamber body, and is used to extend to stop the transport frame from moving, or retract to avoid the transport frame.

[0015] As an optional solution of the above-mentioned vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber further includes a positioning assembly, which is provided on the chamber body and is used to extend along the first direction to abut against and position the transport frame, or retract to release the transport frame.

[0016] As an optional solution of the above-mentioned vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber further includes an offset assembly, the offset assembly includes a sliding guide rail, the sliding guide rail is connected to the transport frame, and the transport frame can move on the transmission drive mechanism through the sliding guide rail.

[0017] As an optional solution of the above-mentioned vacuum chamber, a positioning sensor is further provided on the chamber body, and the positioning sensor is used to detect the position of the substrate loading mechanism.

[0018] On the other hand, the present invention provides a vacuum processing device, comprising the vacuum chamber as described above, wherein the vacuum chamber comprises at least two vacuum chambers, and the inlets and outlets of the at least two vacuum chambers are sequentially spaced apart along the second direction.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] The vacuum chamber includes a chamber mechanism, a transmission drive mechanism, and a rotation drive mechanism. The chamber mechanism includes a chamber body, a first switch door, and a second switch door. The chamber body is provided with mounting openings on opposite sides along a first direction. The first switch door and the second switch door can open or close the two mounting openings in a one-to-one correspondence. Thus, by opening the first switch door and / or the second switch door, a worker can conveniently install a sputtering device, a plasma generator, a heater, a condensing mechanism, a cryopump, a vacuum pump assembly, a vacuum breaking assembly, and a vacuum detection element on the inside or outside of the vacuum chamber through the mounting openings as required, thereby forming a wafer entry and exit chamber or a film coating chamber. This eliminates the need to prepare multiple chambers, reduces the complexity of the inventory, improves assembly efficiency, and facilitates subsequent maintenance. At the same time, the chamber body is provided with an inlet and an outlet on both sides of the opposite sides along the second direction, and the transmission drive mechanism is provided in the chamber body, which is used to move the substrate loading mechanism along the second direction, so that the substrate loading mechanism enters or exits the chamber body through the inlet and outlet, thereby realizing the movement of the substrate loading mechanism, thereby directly arranging the transmission drive mechanism in the chamber body, which can eliminate the need for an external transport mechanism and further reduce the complexity of the preparation warehouse. Among them, the rotation drive mechanism is provided in the chamber body, which is used to detachably connect and drive the rotating frame in the chamber body to rotate relative to the transport frame, so that when the rotation drive mechanism is connected to the rotating frame, it can drive the rotating frame to rotate, and when the rotation drive mechanism is detached from the rotating frame, the transmission drive mechanism can normally transport the substrate loading mechanism. The vacuum chamber can form a basic chamber unit by arranging a first opening and closing door, a second opening and closing door, a transmission drive mechanism and a rotation drive mechanism on the chamber body. Therefore, after selecting and installing different devices on the vacuum chamber, chambers of different functional types can be formed. The vacuum chamber has strong versatility. When facing multi-chamber vacuum processing equipment, the installation consistency is high, which can simplify assembly, improve the early delivery speed and later maintenance efficiency of the equipment, and the chamber inventory is simple, and the maintenance cost and waiting material cost are low, so there will be no confusion that causes the equipment production to be interrupted for a long time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the vacuum chamber structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2A first structural schematic diagram of multiple vacuum chambers provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a second structural schematic diagram of multiple vacuum chambers provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] In the picture:

[0025] 1. Chamber mechanism; 11. Chamber body; 111. Mounting port; 112. Inlet and outlet; 113. Door flange; 12. First opening and closing door; 13. Second opening and closing door; 2. Transmission drive mechanism; 21. First drive motor; 22. Sprocket drive assembly; 3. Rotation drive mechanism; 31. Second drive motor; 4. Atmospheric isolation door; 5. Vacuum isolation valve; 6. Substrate loading mechanism; 61. Transport frame; 62. Rotating frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Among them, the terms "first position" and "second position" are two different positions, and the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a vacuum chamber capable of transporting a substrate loading mechanism 6 , wherein the substrate loading mechanism 6 includes a transport frame 61 and a rotating frame 62 rotatably disposed within the transport frame 61 .

[0031] The vacuum chamber includes a chamber mechanism 1, a transmission drive mechanism 2, and a rotation drive mechanism 3. The chamber mechanism 1 includes a chamber body 11, a first switch door 12, and a second switch door 13. The chamber body 11 is provided with mounting openings 111 on opposite sides along a first direction (i.e., the X direction in the drawings). The first switch door 12 and the second switch door 13 can open or close the two mounting openings 111 in a one-to-one correspondence. Thus, by opening the first switch door 12 and / or the second switch door 13, workers can conveniently install sputtering devices, plasma generators, heaters, condensing mechanisms, cryogenic pumps, vacuum pumping components, vacuum breaking components, and vacuum detection elements on the inside or outside of the vacuum chamber through the mounting openings 111 as needed, thereby forming a wafer entry and exit chamber or a coating chamber. This eliminates the need to prepare multiple chambers, reduces the complexity of the inventory, improves assembly efficiency, and facilitates subsequent maintenance.

[0032] At the same time, the chamber body 11 is provided with an inlet and outlet 112 on both sides of the opposite sides along the second direction (i.e., the Y direction in the accompanying drawings), and the transmission drive mechanism 2 is provided in the chamber body 11, which is used to move the substrate loading mechanism 6 along the second direction, so that the substrate loading mechanism 6 enters or exits the chamber body 11 through the inlet and outlet 112, thereby realizing the movement of the substrate loading mechanism 6, so that the transmission drive mechanism 2 is directly set in the chamber body 11, which can eliminate the use of an external conveying mechanism and further reduce the complexity of the preparation warehouse, wherein the rotation drive mechanism 3 is provided in the chamber body 11, which is used to detachably connect and drive the rotating frame 62 in the chamber body 11 to rotate relative to the transport frame 61, so that when the rotation drive mechanism 3 is connected to the rotating frame 62, it can drive the rotating frame 62 to rotate, and when the rotation drive mechanism 3 is detached from the rotating frame 62, the transmission drive mechanism 2 can normally convey the substrate loading mechanism 6. Optionally, the transmission drive mechanism 2 is provided on the lower end plate of the chamber body 11, and the rotation drive mechanism 3 is provided on the upper end plate of the chamber body 11. The upper end plate of the chamber body 11 is provided with reinforcing ribs to improve the structural strength of the upper end plate. The first direction and the second direction are arranged perpendicular to each other.

[0033] The vacuum chamber is capable of forming a basic chamber unit by arranging a first opening and closing door 12, a second opening and closing door 13, a transmission drive mechanism 2, and a rotation drive mechanism 3 on the chamber body 11. Thus, by selecting and installing different devices on the vacuum chamber, chambers of different functional types can be formed. The vacuum chamber has strong versatility. When facing multi-chamber vacuum processing equipment, the installation consistency is high, which can simplify assembly, improve the early delivery speed and later maintenance efficiency of the equipment, and the chamber inventory is simple, and the maintenance cost and waiting material cost are low, so there will be no confusion that causes the equipment production to be interrupted for a long time.

[0034] Furthermore, one side of the first switch door 12 is hinged to the chamber body 11, and one side of the second switch door 13 is hinged to the chamber body 11, so that the first switch door 12 and the second switch door 13 can be flipped open without removing the chamber body 11, and it is convenient for the staff to operate on both sides of the first switch door 12 at the same time, or on both sides of the second switch door 13 at the same time, thereby reducing the difficulty of installing the device. The first switch door 12 can be installed with a sputtering device, and the second switch door 13 can be installed with a plasma generator, thereby reducing the occupation of the internal space of the chamber body 11 and improving space utilization. At the same time, when the sputtering device is installed on the first switch door 12 and the plasma generator is installed on the second switch door 13, the installation difficulty of both is relatively low. When the vacuum chamber is maintained later, it is only necessary to open the first switch door 12 and / or the second switch door 13, without disassembling the sputtering device and the plasma generator, thereby improving the convenience of maintenance. Specifically, the first switch door 12 is arranged in an arc shape, and the sputtering device includes a plurality of targets, which are arranged on the first switch door 12 along the arc surface in sequence.

[0035] Furthermore, a door flange 113 is provided at the inlet and outlet 112 of the chamber body 11. The door flange 113 can be detachably connected to a blind plate or an atmospheric isolation door 4 or a vacuum isolation valve 5, so that the chamber body 11 can be installed with different sealing parts through the door flange 113 to form chambers with different functions. When the atmospheric isolation door 4 is installed on one side of the chamber body 11 and the vacuum isolation valve 5 is installed on the other side, an inlet and outlet chamber can be formed; when the vacuum isolation valve 5 is installed on both sides of the chamber body 11, a coating chamber can be formed; when a blind plate is installed on one side of the chamber body 11 and a vacuum isolation valve 5 is installed on the other side, a coating chamber can also be formed.

[0036] Furthermore, the transmission drive mechanism 2 includes a first drive motor 21 and a sprocket transmission assembly 22. The first drive motor 21 is arranged in the chamber body 11 and is located outside the chamber body 11. The driving end of the first drive motor 21 is connected to the sprocket transmission assembly 22, which is used to drive the sprocket transmission assembly 22 to drive the substrate loading mechanism 6 to move along the second direction. By arranging the first drive motor 21 outside the chamber body 11, the occupation of the internal space of the chamber body 11 can be reduced, and the space utilization rate can be improved. By driving the substrate loading mechanism 6 to move through the sprocket transmission assembly 22, the transmission efficiency and transmission accuracy can be improved. At the same time, the rotation drive mechanism 3 includes a second drive motor 31 and a gear transmission assembly. The second drive motor 31 is arranged in the chamber body 11 and is located outside the chamber body 11. The driving end of the second drive motor 31 is connected to the gear transmission assembly. When the substrate loading mechanism 6 is located in the chamber body 11, the gear transmission assembly can be connected to the rotating frame 62. By arranging the second drive motor 31 outside the chamber body 11, the occupation of the internal space of the chamber body 11 can be reduced, and the rotating frame 62 is driven to rotate by the gear transmission assembly. The transmission accuracy is high, and the rotation angle and speed of the rotating frame 62 can be effectively controlled, thereby improving the coating accuracy of the substrate on the rotating frame 62.

[0037] Furthermore, the vacuum chamber includes a blocking assembly disposed on the chamber body 11. The blocking assembly is configured to extend to stop the transport frame 61 from moving, or retract to clear the transport frame 61. Thus, when the transport drive mechanism 2 moves the substrate loading mechanism 6 to the assembly position, the blocking assembly extends to stop the substrate loading mechanism 6, thereby facilitating the docking between the rotation drive mechanism 3 and the rotating frame 62. When the substrate loading mechanism 6 needs to move to the next chamber, the blocking assembly can retract to clear the substrate loading mechanism 6. Optionally, the blocking assembly is a stop cylinder.

[0038] Furthermore, the vacuum chamber also includes a positioning assembly, which is provided in the chamber body 11. The positioning assembly is used to extend in a first direction to abut and position the transport frame 61, or retract to release the transport frame 61. Thus, through the use of the positioning assembly, the transport frame 61 can be abutted and positioned from the first direction, thereby improving the position accuracy of the substrate loading mechanism 6 within the chamber body 11, facilitating the docking between the rotation drive mechanism 3 and the rotating frame 62, and at the same time, the positioning assembly continuously abuts and positions the transport frame 61, and can also ensure the overall stability of the substrate loading mechanism 6 when the rotating frame 62 rotates relative to the transport frame 61, thereby improving the coating accuracy. Optionally, the positioning assembly includes a plurality of positioning assemblies, and the plurality of positioning assemblies are respectively located on opposite sides of the chamber body 11 along the first direction. Further optionally, the positioning assembly is a positioning cylinder. At the same time, the vacuum chamber also includes an offset component, which includes a sliding guide rail, which is connected to the transport frame 61. The transport frame 61 can move on the transmission drive mechanism 2 through the sliding guide rail, thereby reducing the difficulty of the overall lateral movement of the substrate loading mechanism 6 when the positioning component abuts against the transport frame 61.

[0039] Furthermore, a positioning sensor is also provided on the chamber body 11, which is used to detect the position of the substrate loading mechanism 6, so as to facilitate and realize the transportation of the substrate loading mechanism 6 by the transmission drive mechanism, the docking of the transmission drive mechanism 2 with the rotating frame 62 in the substrate loading mechanism 6, the stopping of the transport frame 61 by the blocking component, and the abutment positioning of the transport frame 61 by the positioning component.

[0040] This embodiment also provides a vacuum processing equipment, including a vacuum chamber as described above, the vacuum chamber including at least two, the inlets and outlets 112 of the at least two vacuum chambers are arranged in sequence along the second direction, so that by using the vacuum chamber as described above, when two vacuum chambers are set, the two vacuum chambers are arranged side by side, one of which can be a sheet entry and exit chamber, and the other can be a coating chamber; when three vacuum chambers are set, the three vacuum chambers are arranged side by side, one of which can be a sheet entry and exit chamber, and the other two can be coating chambers, and the sheet entry and exit chambers are located on one side edge of the whole, or two of them can be sheet entry and exit chambers, and the other can be a coating chamber, and the coating chamber is located between the two sheet entry and exit chambers; and so on, when several vacuum chambers are set, the several vacuum chambers are arranged side by side, one of which can be a sheet entry and exit chamber, and the rest can be coating chambers, and the sheet entry and exit chambers are located on one side edge of the whole, or two of them can be sheet entry and exit chambers, and the rest can be coating chambers, and the rest coating chambers are located between the two sheet entry and exit chambers.

[0041] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum chamber capable of transporting a substrate loading mechanism (6), wherein the substrate loading mechanism (6) comprises a transport frame (61) and a rotating frame (62) rotatably arranged in the transport frame (61), wherein the rotating frame (62) is used to load a substrate, characterized in that: The vacuum chamber comprises: A chamber mechanism (1), the chamber mechanism (1) comprising a chamber body (11), a first switch door (12) and a second switch door (13), the chamber body (11) being provided with mounting openings (111) on opposite sides along a first direction, the first switch door (12) and the second switch door (13) being capable of correspondingly opening or closing the two mounting openings (111); the chamber body (11) being provided with inlets and outlets (112) on opposite sides along a second direction; a transmission drive mechanism (2), the transmission drive mechanism (2) being provided in the chamber body (11) and being used for moving the substrate loading mechanism (6) along the second direction so that the substrate loading mechanism (6) enters or exits the chamber body (11) through the inlet and outlet (112); A rotation drive mechanism (3) is provided on the chamber body (11) and is used for being detachably connected to and driving the rotating frame (62) in the chamber body (11) to rotate relative to the transport frame (61).

2. The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: One side of the first switch door (12) is hinged to the chamber body (11), and one side of the second switch door (13) is hinged to the chamber body (11); the first switch door (12) can be installed with a sputtering device, and the second switch door (13) can be installed with a plasma generating device.

3. The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The inlet and outlet (112) of the chamber body (11) is provided with a door flange (113), and the door flange (113) is detachably connected to a blind plate or an atmosphere isolation door (4) or a vacuum isolation valve (5).

4. The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The transmission drive mechanism (2) comprises a first drive motor (21) and a sprocket transmission assembly (22), wherein the first drive motor (21) is provided on the chamber body (11) and is located outside the chamber body (11), and a driving end of the first drive motor (21) is connected to the sprocket transmission assembly (22) for driving the sprocket transmission assembly (22) to drive the substrate loading mechanism (6) to move along the second direction.

5. The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The rotation drive mechanism (3) includes a second drive motor (31) and a gear transmission assembly. The second drive motor (31) is provided in the chamber body (11) and is located outside the chamber body (11). The driving end of the second drive motor (31) is connected to the gear transmission assembly. When the substrate loading mechanism (6) is located in the chamber body (11), the gear transmission assembly can be connected to the rotating frame (62) in a transmission manner.

6. The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The vacuum chamber further comprises a blocking component, which is arranged on the chamber body (11) and is used to extend to stop the transport frame (61) from moving, or retract to avoid the transport frame (61).

7. The vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The vacuum chamber further comprises a positioning assembly, which is arranged on the chamber body (11), and is used to extend along the first direction to abut against and position the transport frame (61), or retract to release the transport frame (61).

8. The vacuum chamber according to claim 7, wherein: The vacuum chamber further comprises an offset assembly, wherein the offset assembly comprises a sliding guide rail, wherein the sliding guide rail is connected to the transport frame (61), and the transport frame (61) can be moved on the transmission drive mechanism (2) via the sliding guide rail.

9. The vacuum chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: A positioning sensor is also provided on the chamber body (11), and the positioning sensor is used to detect the position of the substrate loading mechanism (6).

10. A vacuum processing device, characterized in that: The vacuum chamber comprises the vacuum chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the vacuum chamber comprises at least two inlets and outlets (112) of the at least two vacuum chambers are sequentially spaced apart along the second direction.

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