A crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of coating machine technology, specifically to a crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine. The device includes a coating machine with a rotating frame inside, driven by a motor. Several fixed plates are fixedly mounted above the rotating frame, equidistantly distributed about the central axis of the rotating frame. A target crucible is positioned directly below each fixed plate. The crystal wafers in this invention are initially fixed using magnetic adsorption via an electromagnet, and mechanically secured using rubber rings and elastic support points. This allows for rapid assembly and disassembly of the crystal wafers without the need for tools. Furthermore, the crystal control device integrates a wafer replacement slot, an ultrasonic cleaning slot, and a waste wafer placement slot. The transfer and handling of the crystal wafers do not disrupt the main vacuum chamber environment of the coating machine, significantly reducing crystal wafer replacement and maintenance time and adapting to continuous batch production requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of coating machine technology, specifically to a crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of magnetron sputtering coating, crystal control devices are the core components for achieving precise monitoring and control of thin film thickness. Their operational stability, ease of operation, and adaptability directly affect the quality of coated products and production efficiency.

[0003] In traditional crystal control devices, crystal wafers are mostly fixed with bolts or a single mechanical clamping structure. Replacement requires disassembly with special tools, and some structures require disrupting the vacuum environment of the main vacuum chamber of the coating machine, resulting in long replacement times and severely impacting continuous production efficiency. Furthermore, the sealing reliability between the crystal wafer and the mounting base depends on manual assembly precision, and poor sealing can easily lead to a decrease in the chamber vacuum, interfering with the stability of the coating process. Additionally, in existing devices, the height adjustment of the workpiece and the crystal wafer are mostly independent control systems, requiring separate adjustments during operation. It is difficult to ensure that they are always at the same height plane, causing a deviation between the deposition rate monitored by the crystal wafer and the actual deposition rate of the workpiece, thus leading to film thickness measurement errors. Moreover, for non-circular or large-sized workpieces, the crystal wafer cannot cover the film thickness monitoring needs of different areas of the workpiece, failing to adapt to diverse coating scenarios.

[0004] To address this, we propose a crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine, which solves the aforementioned technical defects.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine, comprising a coating machine, wherein a rotating frame is mounted inside the coating machine via a motor, and a plurality of fixed plates are fixedly mounted above the interior of the rotating frame, wherein the plurality of fixed plates are distributed at equal angles about the central axis of the rotating frame, and a target crucible is mounted directly below each of the plurality of fixed plates; a support frame is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the fixed plates, and a workpiece placement frame is movably mounted below the support frame, and a coating workpiece assembly is mounted at the bottom of the workpiece placement frame; a lifting control frame is slidably mounted inside the support frame, and a connecting frame is fixedly mounted below the surface of the lifting control frame by bolts, and a crystal control auxiliary frame is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the connecting frame by bolts; two crystal control application frames are symmetrically mounted inside the crystal control auxiliary frame, and crystal control through slots are symmetrically mounted on both sides of the bottom of the crystal control auxiliary frame; a crystal control adjustment frame is movably mounted on the outer periphery of the workpiece placement frame, and a crystal control assembly is mounted inside the crystal control adjustment frame.

[0007] Preferably, a drive motor is fixedly installed on the top of the inner wall of the coating machine, and a drive gear is fixedly installed at the bottom of the output shaft of the drive motor; a lifting control screw is provided with an internal thread of the lifting control frame, the top of the lifting control screw is rotatably connected to the top of the inner wall of the coating machine, and a driven gear is fixedly installed above the surface of the lifting control screw, and the tooth surface of the driven gear meshes with the tooth surface of the drive gear for transmission.

[0008] Preferably, the bottom end of the lifting control frame is fixedly connected to the top of the workpiece placement frame, and the coated workpiece assembly includes an electrostatic chuck fixedly disposed at the bottom of the workpiece placement frame, and the bottom of the electrostatic chuck adsorbs the coated workpiece.

[0009] Preferably, the inner wall of the crystal control frame is fixedly provided with a plurality of connecting blocks, and the bottom of each of the plurality of connecting blocks is rotatably provided with sliding balls. The top of the workpiece placement frame is provided with a rotating groove, and the bottom of each of the plurality of sliding balls is slidably connected to the inside of the rotating groove.

[0010] Preferably, control motors are fixedly installed around the inside of the workpiece placement rack, and control gears are fixedly installed at the top of the output shafts of the four control motors. An internal gear ring is fixedly installed inside the crystal control frame, and the tooth surfaces of the four control gears mesh with the internal teeth of the internal gear ring for transmission.

[0011] Preferably, the crystal control application frame is provided with a wafer replacement slot, an ultrasonic cleaning slot and a waste wafer placement slot; the ultrasonic cleaning slot is provided with an ultrasonic generator, a transducer and a cleaning fluid; and crystal control through slots are provided on both sides of the bottom of the inner wall of the crystal control auxiliary frame.

[0012] Preferably, a plurality of limit frames are fixedly provided at the bottom of the crystal control frame, and the plurality of limit frames are distributed at equal angles about the central axis of the crystal control frame; an adjustment motor is fixedly provided at the top of the crystal control frame, and an adjustment screw is fixedly provided at the bottom end of the output shaft of the adjustment motor through a coupling; an adjustment block is slidably provided inside the limit frame, and the bottom end of the adjustment screw is connected to the internal thread of the adjustment block.

[0013] Preferably, a crystal mounting frame is fixedly provided at the bottom of the adjusting block, and a mounting groove is provided in the middle of the bottom of the crystal mounting frame. A crystal plate is movably provided at the bottom of the crystal mounting frame, and an electromagnet is fixedly provided in the middle of the top of the crystal plate and above the inside of the mounting groove. The two electromagnets are connected by magnetic attraction.

[0014] Preferably, a mounting rubber ring is fixedly provided on the outer periphery of the bottom of the crystal mounting bracket, and three elastic support points are provided at equal angles on the bottom of the mounting rubber ring, with the bottom of each of the three elastic support points contacting the top of the crystal sheet.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, it has the following advantages:

[0016] 1. The crystal sheet in this invention is initially fixed by magnetic adsorption using an electromagnet, and mechanically fixed by installing a rubber ring and elastic support points. The crystal sheet can be quickly installed and removed without tools. At the same time, the crystal control application frame integrates a replacement slot, an ultrasonic cleaning slot and a waste plate placement slot. The transfer and processing of the crystal sheet does not require damage to the main vacuum chamber environment of the coating machine, which greatly shortens the replacement and maintenance time of the crystal sheet and is suitable for continuous batch production needs.

[0017] 2. The height of the workpiece to be coated is precisely adjusted by a linkage mechanism consisting of a drive motor, a lifting control screw, and a lifting control frame. At the same time, the height of the crystal wafer is independently and precisely controlled by an adjustment mechanism consisting of an adjustment motor, an adjustment screw, and an adjustment block. During operation, the heights of both can be adjusted simultaneously to ensure that the crystal wafer and the workpiece to be coated are always at the same height plane, ensuring that the deposition rate monitored by the crystal wafer is consistent with the actual deposition rate of the workpiece, and reducing the error in film thickness measurement.

[0018] 3. The crystal control system can automatically collect the initial oscillation frequency and the final oscillation frequency after coating of the crystal wafer. By calculating the frequency change, it can automatically judge the state of the crystal wafer without the need for manual intervention. For reusable crystal wafers, they can be directly transferred to the ultrasonic cleaning tank for in-situ cleaning. After cleaning, they can be reinstalled by the wafer picking mechanism and the initial frequency can be automatically calibrated, simplifying the reuse process. For scrapped crystal wafers, they can be transferred to a special waste wafer placement tank for recycling, avoiding the loss of crystal wafers or contamination of the cavity, and improving the standardization and convenience of maintenance operations.

[0019] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures pointed out in the description and the drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the crystal control device structure of a magnetron sputtering coating machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating frame and support frame structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting control frame, support frame, and crystal control adjustment frame structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the crystal control frame and crystal control auxiliary frame structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the support frame, crystal control frame, and limiting frame structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting frame, crystal mounting frame, and crystal plate structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the crystal wafer, crystal mounting frame, and electromagnet structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece placement rack, electrostatic chuck, and coated workpiece structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece placement rack and crystal control frame structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating groove and sliding ball structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the diagram, 1. Coating machine; 2. Fixing plate; 3. Support frame; 4. Crystal control control frame; 5. Crystal control auxiliary frame; 6. Lifting control frame; 7. Workpiece placement frame; 8. Lifting control screw; 9. Drive motor; 10. Drive gear; 11. Driven gear; 12. Connecting frame; 13. Crystal control application frame; 14. Changing slot; 15. Ultrasonic cleaning tank; 16. Waste slot; 17. Crystal control through slot; 18. Limiting frame; 19. Coated workpiece; 20. Crystal sheet; 21. Adjusting block; 22. Adjusting screw; 23. Adjusting motor; 24. Crystal mounting frame; 25. Mounting slot; 26. Electromagnet; 27. Mounting rubber ring; 28. Electrostatic chuck; 29. ​​Control motor; 30. Control gear; 31. Rotating slot; 32. Sliding ball; 33. Rotating frame. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] Please see Figures 1 to 10As shown, a crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine includes a coating machine 1. Inside the coating machine 1, a rotating frame 33 is rotatably mounted via a motor. Several fixed plates 2 are fixedly mounted above the rotating frame 33, with the fixed plates 2 arranged at equal angles about the central axis of the rotating frame 33. A target crucible is positioned directly below each of the fixed plates 2. A support frame 3 is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the fixed plates 2, and a workpiece placement frame 7 is movably mounted below the support frame 3. A coating workpiece assembly is positioned at the bottom of the workpiece placement frame 7. A lifting control frame 6 is slidably mounted inside the support frame 3. A connecting frame 12 is bolted to the lower surface of the lifting control frame 6, and a crystal control auxiliary frame 5 is bolted to the bottom of the connecting frame 12. Two crystal control application frames 13 are symmetrically arranged inside the crystal control auxiliary frame 5, and crystal control through slots 17 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bottom of the crystal control auxiliary frame 5. A crystal control adjustment frame 4 is movably mounted on the outer periphery of the workpiece placement frame 7, and a crystal control assembly is positioned inside the crystal control adjustment frame 4.

[0034] Specifically, a drive motor 9 is fixedly installed at the top of the inner wall of the coating machine 1, and a drive gear 10 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the output shaft of the drive motor 9; a lifting control screw 8 is threaded inside the lifting control frame 6, the top of the lifting control screw 8 is rotatably connected to the top of the inner wall of the coating machine 1, and a driven gear 11 is fixedly installed above the surface of the lifting control screw 8, the tooth surface of the driven gear 11 meshes with the tooth surface of the drive gear 10 for transmission; the support frame 3 has a sliding groove inside that cooperates with the lifting control frame 6, allowing the lifting control frame 6 to slide up and down inside the support frame 3, and the output shaft of the drive motor 9 controls the rotation of the drive gear 10, which in turn drives the meshing driven gear 10. Wheel 11 rotates, and driven gear 11 drives lifting control screw 8 to rotate. During the rotation of lifting control screw 8, due to the internal threaded connection between lifting control screw 8 and lifting control frame 6, lifting control frame 6 slides up and down inside support frame 3. By controlling lifting control screw 8 to rotate clockwise, lifting control frame 6 slides upward inside support frame 3; by controlling lifting control screw 8 to rotate counterclockwise, lifting control frame 6 slides downward inside support frame 3. The bottom end of lifting control frame 6 is fixedly connected to the top of workpiece placement rack 7. The coated workpiece assembly includes an electrostatic chuck 28 fixedly installed at the bottom of workpiece placement rack 7, and the bottom of electrostatic chuck 28 adsorbs coated workpiece 19.

[0035] It should be noted that the electrostatic chuck 28 is used to adsorb and position the workpiece 19 inside the coating machine 1. The lifting control screw 8 is used to control the lifting control frame 6 to slide up and down inside the support frame 3. This allows for flexible adjustment of the position of the workpiece 19 inside the coating machine 1. The distance between the workpiece 19 and the target material is adjusted according to the coating process requirements of different workpieces 19 and the type of target material, ensuring effective coating treatment of the workpiece 19.

[0036] Specifically, the inner wall of the crystal control frame 4 is fixedly provided with several connecting blocks, and the bottom of each connecting block is rotatably provided with sliding balls 32. The top of the workpiece placement frame 7 is provided with a rotating groove 31, and the bottom of each sliding ball 32 is slidably connected to the inside of the rotating groove 31. The four sides of the inside of the workpiece placement frame 7 are fixedly provided with control motors 29, and the top of the output shaft of each of the four control motors 29 is fixedly provided with control gears 30. The inside of the crystal control frame 4 is fixedly provided with an internal gear ring, and the tooth surfaces of the four control gears 30 mesh with the internal teeth of the internal gear ring for transmission. It should be noted that during the rotation drive of the crystal control frame 4, the output shafts of the four control motors 29 inside the workpiece placement frame 7 control the control gears 30 to rotate. The four control gears 30 mesh with the internal gear ring fixed inside the crystal control frame 4 to achieve rotation control of the crystal control frame 4 on the outer circumference of the workpiece placement frame 7. When the crystal control frame 4 rotates on the outer circumference of the workpiece placement frame 7, the sliding balls 32 at the bottom of several connecting blocks on the inner wall of the crystal control frame 4 slide in contact with the rotating groove 31 at the top of the workpiece placement frame 7, ensuring the smoothness of the rotation of the crystal control frame 4 on the outer circumference of the workpiece placement frame 7. This allows for flexible adjustment of the position of the crystal control components inside the crystal control frame 4, enabling flexible control of the crystal control components and allowing the crystal control device to be used for crystal oscillation film thickness monitoring of multiple coated workpieces 19.

[0037] Specifically, the crystal control application frame 13 is internally equipped with a wafer replacement slot 14, an ultrasonic cleaning tank 15, and a waste wafer placement slot 16. The wafer replacement slot 14 holds a new crystal control structure; the ultrasonic cleaning tank 15 contains an ultrasonic generator, a transducer, and cleaning fluid; and the waste wafer placement slot 16 holds a damaged crystal control structure. Crystal control through slots 17 are provided on both sides of the bottom of the inner wall of the crystal control auxiliary frame 5. These two through slots connect the crystal control structure to the interior of the coating machine 1, enabling monitoring and processing of the coating thickness on the surface of the coated workpiece 19.

[0038] Specifically, a number of limit frames 18 are fixedly installed at the bottom of the crystal control frame 4, and the limit frames 18 are distributed at equal angles about the central axis of the crystal control frame 4; an adjusting motor 23 is fixedly installed at the top of the crystal control frame 4, and an adjusting screw 22 is fixedly installed at the bottom end of the output shaft of the adjusting motor 23 through a coupling; an adjusting block 21 is slidably installed inside the limit frame 18, and the bottom end of the adjusting screw 22 is threadedly connected to the inside of the adjusting block 21; the adjusting screw 22 is controlled to rotate forward and backward by the output shaft of the adjusting motor 23, and the threaded connection between the adjusting screw 22 and the adjusting block 21 enables the adjusting block 21 to slide up and down inside the limit frame 18; a crystal mounting bracket 24 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the adjusting block 21, and the crystal mounting bracket 24 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the adjusting block 21. A mounting groove 25 is provided in the middle of the bottom of the mounting bracket 24. A crystal plate 20 is movably mounted on the bottom of the crystal mounting bracket 24. An electromagnet 26 is fixedly mounted on the middle of the top of the crystal plate 20 and on the upper part of the inside of the mounting groove 25. The two electromagnets 26 are connected by magnetic attraction. A mounting rubber ring 27 is also fixedly mounted on the outer periphery of the bottom of the crystal mounting bracket 24. Three elastic support points are evenly distributed at the bottom of the mounting rubber ring 27. The bottom of the three elastic support points are in contact with the top of the crystal plate 20. The elastic support points are small protrusions made of polytetrafluoroethylene. The elastic support points have built-in micro springs, which can absorb the small impact force of the crystal plate 20 when it oscillates and simultaneously compensate for the thermal expansion and contraction of the crystal plate 20 caused by temperature changes, so as to prevent the crystal plate 20 from being damaged by deformation.

[0039] It should be noted that during the surface coating process on the workpiece 19, the height of the crystal wafer 20 is adjusted according to the height of the workpiece 19. The output shaft of the adjusting motor 23 controls the rotation of the adjusting screw 22. As the adjusting screw 22 rotates clockwise, the adjusting block 21 slides downwards inside the limiting frame 18; conversely, as the adjusting screw 22 rotates counterclockwise, the adjusting block 21 slides upwards inside the limiting frame 18. This adjusts the height of the crystal wafer 20 at the bottom of the crystal mounting frame 24, ensuring that the crystal wafer 20 is at the same height as the bottom surface of the workpiece 19. During the surface coating process on the workpiece 19, the height of the crystal wafer 20 is controlled by the crystal mounting frame 24. The crystal wafer 20 is set to oscillate stably at a preset frequency. During oscillation, the crystal wafer 20 generates a weak alternating charge due to the piezoelectric effect. The alternating charge is transmitted to the signal acquisition terminal of the base through the electrode. The acquisition terminal converts the charge signal into an alternating current signal, which is then transmitted to the frequency acquisition unit of the crystal control system through a shielded cable. The frequency acquisition unit processes the current signal and calculates the real-time oscillation frequency of the crystal wafer 20. Based on the real-time oscillation frequency of the crystal wafer 20, the Sagnac effect and the mass loading characteristics of the quartz crystal are used to infer the mass of the thin film deposited on the substrate by the change in wafer mass. The film thickness is then calculated by combining the film density, thereby realizing the real-time visualization monitoring of the surface of the coated workpiece 19 after coating. Meanwhile, if the vibration frequency of the crystal chip 20 drops below the preset value of the initial frequency, it indicates that the crystal chip 20 needs to be replaced. The crystal chip 20 is then sent into the waste chip placement tank 16, and a new crystal chip 20 is installed in the replacement tank 14 to continue the real-time monitoring of the coating of the coated workpiece 19. If the vibration frequency of the crystal chip 20 does not drop below the preset value, the crystal chip 20 can be sent into the ultrasonic cleaning tank 15 to be cleaned using a cleaning solution and ultrasonic waves to remove the deposited film on the surface of the crystal chip 20 and restore the initial frequency of the crystal chip 20.

[0040] Example 2

[0041] Specifically, this embodiment discloses a method for operating a crystal control device of a magnetron sputtering coating machine, including the following steps:

[0042] The workpiece 19 to be coated is placed on the electrostatic chuck 28 at the bottom of the workpiece placement rack 7. The adsorption function of the electrostatic chuck 28 is activated, and the workpiece 19 is firmly positioned by electrostatic force to prevent the workpiece from shifting during the coating process. The operator presets the process parameters in the control system of the coating machine 1 according to the material of the workpiece 19, the target film thickness and the target material type, including sputtering power, argon flow rate, target vacuum value and estimated coating time range.

[0043] Open the cavity door of the coating machine 1, take out a new crystal wafer 20 from the wafer changing slot 14 of the crystal control application frame 13, and align it with the installation position at the bottom of the crystal mounting frame 24: activate the electromagnet 26 on the crystal mounting frame 24 and the crystal wafer 20, and use the magnetic attraction force of opposite magnetic poles to initially fix the crystal wafer 20; at the same time, the mounting rubber ring 27 on the outer periphery of the bottom of the crystal mounting frame 24 contacts the top of the crystal wafer 20, and the three elastic support points of polytetrafluoroethylene at its bottom are tightly attached to the crystal wafer 20 to achieve mechanical auxiliary fixation and buffering; activate the signal detection unit corresponding to the crystal control auxiliary frame 5, connect the signal transmission channel between the crystal wafer 20 and the inside of the coating machine 1 through the crystal control through slot 17, measure the initial oscillation frequency of the crystal wafer 20, and record the initial frequency data into the crystal control system database to complete the initial calibration of the crystal wafer 20.

[0044] Start the drive motor 9, and its output shaft drives the drive gear 10 to rotate. Since the drive gear 10 and the driven gear 11 above the surface of the lifting control screw 8 are meshed, the driven gear 11 drives the lifting control screw 8 to rotate synchronously. Since the lifting control screw 8 is internally threaded to the lifting control frame 6, and the sliding direction of the lifting control frame 6 is limited in the sliding groove of the support frame 3, the rotation of the lifting control screw 8 is converted into the up and down sliding of the lifting control frame 6. The bottom end of the lifting control frame 6 is fixedly connected to the top of the workpiece placement frame 7, thereby driving the workpiece placement frame 7 and the coated workpiece 19 at the bottom to move up and down until the distance between the bottom end face of the coated workpiece 19 and the target crucible reaches the preset process value.

[0045] Start the adjusting motor 23, whose output shaft drives the adjusting screw 22 to rotate forward or reverse through the coupling; the adjusting screw 22 is internally threaded to the adjusting block 21, and the adjusting block 21 is limited to the sliding direction within the limit frame 18. The rotation of the adjusting screw 22 causes the adjusting block 21 to slide up and down; the bottom of the adjusting block 21 is fixedly connected to the crystal mounting frame 24, thereby driving the crystal wafer 20 to move up and down until the bottom end face of the crystal wafer 20 is at the same height as the bottom end face of the coated workpiece 19, ensuring that the deposition rates of the two are consistent.

[0046] Close the cavity door of the coating machine 1, start the vacuum system to evacuate the cavity until the vacuum level inside the cavity reaches the preset process vacuum level; at the same time, start the preheating device integrated in the crystal mounting bracket 24 to raise the temperature of the crystal bracket to the preset process temperature, so that the crystal wafer 20 can adapt to the coating environment and eliminate the influence of temperature changes on the initial frequency.

[0047] Once the vacuum and temperature meet the standards, the sputtering power supply corresponding to the target crucible is activated. The target material is sputtered under plasma bombardment, and target atoms are deposited towards the coating workpiece 19 and the crystal wafer 20, thus officially starting the coating process. The high-frequency excitation unit of the crystal control system continuously applies a stable high-frequency voltage to the crystal wafer 20 through the electrodes built into the crystal mounting bracket 24 to maintain the oscillation state of the crystal wafer 20. At the same time, the frequency acquisition unit acquires the current oscillation frequency of the crystal wafer 20 in real time through the same electrode and calculates the frequency change. To avoid plasma interference with the frequency signal, the crystal mounting bracket 24 is wrapped with an electromagnetic shield, and the signal acquisition line uses double-shielded cables to ensure the accuracy of the frequency data.

[0048] The signal processing unit of the crystal control system substitutes the real-time frequency change data into the film thickness conversion formula to calculate the real-time film thickness. This calculation, along with the preset target film thickness and allowable error range, is displayed on the control panel screen of coating machine 1, enabling visualized real-time monitoring of the film thickness. The crystal control system calculates the instantaneous deposition rate in real time. If the rate deviates from the preset value, the system automatically adjusts the process parameters: if the rate is too low, it increases the sputtering power and supplements the argon flow rate; if the rate is too high, it decreases the sputtering power and reduces the argon flow rate to ensure the deposition rate returns to the normal range and avoids an increase in film thickness deviation. If the coated workpiece 19 is non-circular or requires monitoring... To ensure uniformity of film thickness in different areas, four control motors 29 inside the workpiece placement rack 7 are activated, and their output shafts drive the control gears 30 to rotate. Due to the meshing transmission between the control gears 30 and the internal gear ring fixed inside the crystal control frame 4, the crystal control frame 4 rotates on the outer circumference of the workpiece placement rack 7. During the rotation, the sliding ball 32 at the bottom of the connecting block on the inner wall of the crystal control frame 4 slides in the rotating groove 31 at the top of the workpiece placement rack 7 to ensure smooth rotation. The crystal control frame 4 drives the bottom limiting frame 18, the crystal mounting frame 24 and the crystal plate 20 to rotate synchronously, realizing the replacement and cleaning operation of the crystal plate 20.

[0049] When the crystal control system detects that the real-time film thickness has reached the target film thickness and the error is within the allowable range, it immediately triggers a closed-loop control command: sends a signal to the sputtering power supply to cut off the sputtering voltage of the target material and stop the atomic sputtering of the target material; sends a signal to the vacuum valve to close the sputtering channel corresponding to the target material to avoid the deposition of excess atoms; and sends a signal to the substrate transfer system to release the adsorption of the electrostatic chuck 28 and transfer the coated workpiece 19 to the next process.

[0050] For the discarded crystal chip 20: Start the adjustment motor 23 and drive motor 9 to adjust the positions of the crystal mounting frame 24 and the workpiece placement frame 7 respectively, so that the crystal chip 20 is aligned with the waste chip placement slot 16 of the crystal control application frame 13; turn off the electromagnet 26 on the crystal chip 20 and the crystal mounting frame 24, and the crystal chip 20 falls into the waste chip placement slot 16 under the action of gravity to complete the recycling. Take out the new crystal chip 20 from the replacement slot 14, repeat the initial installation and calibration operation of the crystal control component in the initial preparation stage, and complete the installation and initial frequency calibration of the new crystal chip 20.

[0051] For the reusable crystal chip 20: Adjust the position of the crystal mounting frame 24 and the workpiece placement frame 7 so that the crystal chip 20 is aligned with the ultrasonic cleaning tank 15 of the crystal control application frame 13; turn off the electromagnet 26, and the crystal chip 20 falls into the ultrasonic cleaning tank 15. Start the ultrasonic generator and transducer of the ultrasonic cleaning tank 15, and use ultrasonic vibration in conjunction with the cleaning fluid in the tank to peel off the deposited film on the surface of the crystal chip 20; after cleaning, reinstall the crystal chip 20 into the crystal mounting frame 24 using the electromagnet 26 and calibrate the initial frequency to complete the reuse preparation.

[0052] The next workpiece 19 to be coated is placed on the electrostatic chuck 28 and fixed. The initial preparation stage of height synchronization adjustment between the workpiece and the crystal wafer, as well as the subsequent coating and crystal control monitoring, crystal control maintenance and cycle stage operations are repeated to achieve crystal control monitoring for continuous batch coating.

[0053] Furthermore, any content not described in detail in this specification is existing technology known to those skilled in the art.

[0054] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0055] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine, characterized in that, The coating machine (1) includes a rotating frame (33) inside which is rotated by a motor. Several fixed plates (2) are fixedly installed above the rotating frame (33). The fixed plates (2) are distributed at equal angles about the central axis of the rotating frame (33). A target crucible is installed directly below each of the fixed plates (2). A support frame (3) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the fixed plate (2). A workpiece placement frame (7) is movably installed below the support frame (3). A coating workpiece assembly is installed at the bottom of the workpiece placement frame (7). The support frame (3) is slidably provided with a lifting control frame (6), and a connecting frame (12) is fixedly provided below the surface of the lifting control frame (6) by bolts. The bottom of the connecting frame (12) is fixedly provided with a crystal control auxiliary frame (5) by bolts. The crystal control auxiliary frame (5) is symmetrically provided with two crystal control application frames (13) inside, and crystal control through slots (17) are symmetrically provided on both sides of the bottom of the crystal control auxiliary frame (5). The outer peripheral surface of the workpiece placement frame (7) is movably provided with a crystal control adjustment frame (4), and a crystal control component is provided inside the crystal control adjustment frame (4). The bottom end of the lifting control frame (6) is fixedly connected to the top of the workpiece placement frame (7). The coated workpiece assembly includes an electrostatic chuck (28) fixedly installed at the bottom of the workpiece placement frame (7), and the bottom of the electrostatic chuck (28) is adsorbed with a coated workpiece (19). The bottom of the crystal control frame (4) is fixedly provided with several limit frames (18), and the several limit frames (18) are distributed at equal angles about the central axis of the crystal control frame (4); the top of the crystal control frame (4) is fixedly provided with an adjustment motor (23), and the bottom end of the output shaft of the adjustment motor (23) is fixedly provided with an adjustment screw (22) through a coupling. The inside of the limit frame (18) is provided with an adjustment block (21) that slides up and down, and the bottom end of the adjustment screw (22) is connected to the inside of the adjustment block (21) by a thread; the bottom of the adjustment block (21) is fixedly provided with a crystal mounting bracket ( 24), and a mounting groove (25) is provided in the middle of the bottom of the crystal mounting frame (24). A crystal plate (20) is movably provided at the bottom of the crystal mounting frame (24). An electromagnet (26) is fixedly provided in the middle of the top of the crystal plate (20) and above the inside of the mounting groove (25). The two electromagnets (26) are connected by magnetic adsorption. A mounting rubber ring (27) is also fixedly provided on the outer periphery of the bottom of the crystal mounting frame (24). Three elastic support points are provided at equal angles on the bottom of the mounting rubber ring (27). The bottom of the three elastic support points are in contact with the top of the crystal plate (20). The output shaft of the adjusting motor (23) is used to control the adjusting screw (22) to rotate. As the adjusting screw (22) rotates clockwise, the adjusting block (21) slides downward inside the limit frame (18). Conversely, as the adjusting screw (22) rotates counterclockwise, the adjusting block (21) slides upward inside the limit frame (18). This allows for height adjustment of the crystal plate (20) at the bottom of the crystal mounting frame (24), ensuring that the crystal plate (20) and the bottom surface of the coated workpiece (19) are at the same height.

2. The crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, A drive motor (9) is fixedly installed on the top of the inner wall of the coating machine (1), and a drive gear (10) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the output shaft of the drive motor (9); a lifting control screw (8) is provided in the internal thread of the lifting control frame (6), the top of the lifting control screw (8) is rotatably connected to the top of the inner wall of the coating machine (1), and a driven gear (11) is fixedly installed above the surface of the lifting control screw (8), and the tooth surface of the driven gear (11) meshes with the tooth surface of the drive gear (10) for transmission.

3. The crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the crystal control frame (4) is fixedly provided with several connecting blocks, and the bottom of each of the several connecting blocks is rotatably provided with sliding balls (32). The top of the workpiece placement frame (7) is provided with a rotating groove (31), and the bottom of each of the several sliding balls (32) is slidably connected to the inside of the rotating groove (31).

4. The crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The workpiece placement rack (7) is fixedly equipped with control motors (29) on all four sides, and control gears (30) are fixedly installed at the top of the output shafts of the four control motors (29). The crystal control frame (4) is fixedly equipped with an internal gear ring, and the tooth surfaces of the four control gears (30) mesh with the internal teeth of the internal gear ring.

5. The crystal control device for a magnetron sputtering coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crystal control application frame (13) is provided with a wafer replacement slot (14), an ultrasonic cleaning tank (15) and a waste wafer placement slot (16) respectively; the ultrasonic cleaning tank (15) is provided with an ultrasonic generator, a transducer and a cleaning fluid; the crystal control auxiliary frame (5) is provided with crystal control through slots (17) on both sides of the bottom of the inner wall.

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