Gear strengthening process and equipment based on ion implantation and gradient coating

Abstract

The invention provides a gear strengthening process and equipment based on ion implantation and gradient coating, and belongs to the technical field of gear production equipment.The gear strengthening process comprises the steps of workpiece preparation, workpiece cleaning, ion implantation and functional coating deposition, and the multiple procedures of workpiece preparation, cleaning, ion implantation, functional coating deposition and the like are completed in the same process cavity in an integrated mode. Workpieces do not need to be transferred among different devices, the repeated vacuumizing and waiting process is effectively avoided, and the production efficiency is remarkably improved. Meanwhile, the surface of the gear is pretreated through nitrogen ion implantation, the organization structure and the stress state of the surface layer of the gear can be improved, and a good combination foundation is provided for subsequent coating deposition; and due to the gradient deposition design of the CrN layer and the WC-DLC coating, the interface stress between the coating and the substrate can be effectively relieved, the film-substrate bonding strength is improved, and therefore the problems that in a traditional single coating technology, the film-substrate bonding force is poor, and stripping is prone to occurring are solved, the abrasion resistance of the gear is improved, and the service life of the gear is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of gear manufacturing equipment technology, specifically relating to a gear strengthening process and equipment based on ion implantation and gradient coating. Background Technology

[0002] Aerospace gears are core precision components in aircraft power transmission systems. Their design, materials, and manufacturing processes are all geared towards achieving near-absolute reliability under extremely demanding operating conditions. These gears must be able to operate stably for tens of thousands of hours in harsh environments with high speeds, heavy loads, drastic temperature fluctuations, and limited lubrication. Their failure directly impacts flight safety. Therefore, their manufacturing transcends the scope of ordinary mechanical parts, entering a field that demands the ultimate integration of materials science, precision machining, and surface engineering.

[0003] As machine operating speeds increase, the working environment for gears becomes increasingly harsh, leading to more stringent requirements for gear surface performance in industry. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, with their superior mechanical properties, extremely low coefficient of friction, and excellent chemical stability, have shown promising application prospects in the surface treatment of aerospace gears. However, problems such as high internal stress and insufficient film-substrate bonding strength severely restrict their service reliability and lifespan.

[0004] Traditional gear surface strengthening technologies often employ single-coating processes, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). These methods suffer from poor film-substrate adhesion, easy coating peeling, and difficulty in covering complex tooth surfaces. For high-precision gears, traditional ion implantation technology struggles to achieve uniform treatment across the entire tooth profile, resulting in insufficient wear resistance and fatigue strength, thus impacting gear lifespan and reliability. When multiple strengthening processes are required, the workpiece must be transferred to different equipment, incurring lengthy transfer times and multiple waiting periods for vacuuming, severely hindering production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the aforementioned technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating, which can solve the problem of low production efficiency.

[0006] Secondly, the present invention provides a gear strengthening device based on ion implantation and gradient coating for implementing the above-described process.

[0007] The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes: Workpiece preparation: The gear to be processed is sent into the process chamber; Workpiece cleaning: The process chamber is evacuated, argon gas is introduced until the pressure is constant, then the ECR ion source is turned on to generate argon plasma, and then the DC bias power supply connected to the gear is turned on to clean the gear. Ion implantation: Nitrogen gas is introduced into the process chamber to maintain the nitrogen and argon gas concentrations, and the Cr target and WC target in the process chamber are shielded to perform nitrogen ion implantation on the gear; Functional coating deposition: First, the shielding of the Cr target is removed, and a CrN layer is deposited; then, the shielding of the WC target is removed, nitrogen supply is stopped, and acetylene gas is introduced to deposit a WC-DLC coating.

[0008] The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: The process in this embodiment integrates multiple steps, including workpiece preparation, cleaning, ion implantation, and functional coating deposition, into a single process chamber. This eliminates the need to transfer workpieces between different devices, effectively avoiding multiple vacuuming and waiting processes, and significantly improving production efficiency. Simultaneously, nitrogen ion implantation pretreatment of the gear surface improves the microstructure and stress state of the gear surface layer, providing a good bonding foundation for subsequent coating deposition. Furthermore, the gradient deposition design of the CrN layer and the WC-DLC coating effectively alleviates the interfacial stress between the coating and the substrate, improving the film-substrate bonding strength. This solves the problems of poor film-substrate bonding and easy peeling in traditional single-coating processes, thereby improving the wear resistance and service life of the gear.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, during the cleaning of the workpiece, the process chamber is first evacuated to a vacuum level. Pa to Pa.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a negative bias voltage of -50V to -500V is applied to the gear during the cleaning of the workpiece.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, during the ion implantation, the ECR ion source is kept on to generate nitrogen plasma of a set concentration, and then the DC bias power supply is increased to 10kV to 40kV.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when performing the functional coating deposition, the nitrogen gas supply is first turned off, the argon gas supply is increased to 300 SCCM, and after the gas pressure is constant, the shielding of the Cr target is removed, the Cr layer is deposited first, and then the nitrogen gas supply is turned on to deposit the CrN layer.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the amount of argon gas fed in is reduced during the deposition of the CrN layer.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when removing the shielding of the Cr target, the DC sputtering current of the Cr target is first turned on, and the shielding is removed after the power stabilizes. When removing the shielding from the WC target, first turn on the HiPIMS power supply of the WC target, and then remove the shielding after the power stabilizes.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature is below 200°C during the workpiece cleaning, ion implantation, and functional coating deposition.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the shielding methods for the Cr target and the WC target include: First, rotate the sputtering surface of the target away from the gear, and then perform magnetic shielding between the two. Alternatively, move the target away from the gear first, and then perform magnetic shielding between the two. Alternatively, the target can be moved away from the gear, the sputtering surface of the target can be rotated away from the gear, and then magnetic shielding can be applied between the two.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a gear strengthening apparatus based on ion implantation and gradient coating is used to implement the above-described gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating, comprising: The equipment body defines a process chamber; A workpiece platform is disposed in the process chamber and configured to support gears; A biasing system, which is disposed on the workpiece platform, is used to apply a negative electric field to the gear; A vacuum system connected to the process chamber for adjusting the vacuum level of the process chamber; A plasma generating device, wherein the plasma generating device is disposed in the process chamber, is used to generate plasma; A magnetron sputtering system is disposed in the process chamber and is circumferentially offset from the plasma generation device around the process chamber. The magnetron sputtering system is rotatably equipped with a Cr target and a WC target. Both the Cr target and the WC target include a target material surface and a magnetic shielding surface. During rotation, the target material surface and the magnetic shielding surface can alternately face the gear. A gas supply system, connected to the process chamber, is used to supply nitrogen, argon, and acetylene to the process chamber; A temperature control system is connected to the process chamber and is used to regulate the temperature of the process chamber.

[0018] The gear strengthening device based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: This embodiment integrates ion implantation and magnetron sputtering coating functions into the same vacuum process chamber, and is equipped with a rotatable workpiece support and bias system. This enables continuous, integrated processing of the gear surface, performing ion implantation strengthening and gradient coating deposition sequentially in a single vacuum environment. This significantly shortens the process time and avoids the contamination risks and efficiency losses associated with traditional multi-device transfer. The ion implantation pretreatment effectively enhances the film-substrate bonding strength and substrate surface activity, while the rotatable support ensures the uniformity of complex tooth surface treatment, thereby improving the overall service reliability, wear resistance, and fatigue life of the gear coating.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and some of these additional aspects and advantages will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of process chambers in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one lifting operation of the lifting mechanism in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a pretreatment chamber in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0022] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0024] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0025] In the description of this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0026] Aerospace gears are core precision components in aircraft power transmission systems. Their design, materials, and manufacturing processes are all geared towards achieving near-absolute reliability under extremely demanding operating conditions. These gears must be able to operate stably for tens of thousands of hours in harsh environments with high speeds, heavy loads, drastic temperature fluctuations, and limited lubrication. Their failure directly impacts flight safety. Therefore, their manufacturing transcends the scope of ordinary mechanical parts, entering a field that demands the ultimate integration of materials science, precision machining, and surface engineering.

[0027] As machine operating speeds increase, the working environment for gears becomes increasingly harsh, leading to more stringent requirements for gear surface performance in industry. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, with their superior mechanical properties, extremely low coefficient of friction, and excellent chemical stability, have shown promising application prospects in the surface treatment of aerospace gears. However, problems such as high internal stress and insufficient film-substrate bonding strength severely restrict their service reliability and lifespan.

[0028] Traditional gear surface strengthening technologies often employ single-coating processes, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). These methods suffer from poor film-substrate adhesion, easy coating peeling, and difficulty in covering complex tooth surfaces. For high-precision gears, traditional ion implantation technology struggles to achieve uniform treatment across the entire tooth profile, resulting in insufficient wear resistance and fatigue strength, thus impacting gear lifespan and reliability. When multiple strengthening processes are required, the workpiece must be transferred to different equipment, incurring lengthy transfer times and multiple waiting periods for vacuuming, severely hindering production efficiency.

[0029] Therefore, this invention provides a gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating, which can solve the problem of low production efficiency.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating includes the following steps: Workpiece preparation: The gear to be processed is sent into the process chamber; Workpiece cleaning: Evacuate the process chamber, introduce argon gas until the pressure is constant, turn on the ECR ion source to generate argon plasma, and then turn on the DC bias power supply connected to the gear to clean the gear. Ion implantation: Nitrogen gas is introduced into the process chamber to maintain the nitrogen and argon gas concentrations, and the Cr and WC targets in the process chamber are shielded to perform nitrogen ion implantation on the gear. Functional coating deposition: First, remove the shielding of the Cr target and deposit the CrN layer; then remove the shielding of the WC target, stop the nitrogen supply, and introduce acetylene gas to deposit the WC-DLC coating.

[0031] The process in this embodiment integrates multiple steps, including workpiece preparation, cleaning, ion implantation, and functional coating deposition, into a single process chamber. This eliminates the need to transfer workpieces between different devices, effectively avoiding multiple vacuuming and waiting processes, and significantly improving production efficiency. Simultaneously, nitrogen ion implantation pretreatment of the gear surface improves the microstructure and stress state of the gear surface layer, providing a good bonding foundation for subsequent coating deposition. Furthermore, the gradient deposition design of the CrN layer and the WC-DLC coating effectively alleviates the interfacial stress between the coating and the substrate, improving the film-substrate bonding strength. This solves the problems of poor film-substrate bonding and easy peeling in traditional single-coating processes, thereby improving the wear resistance and service life of the gear.

[0032] In some embodiments of the present invention, when cleaning the workpiece, the process chamber is first evacuated to a vacuum level. Pa to Pa.

[0033] This vacuum range setting effectively removes impurities such as air and moisture from the process chamber, preventing them from interfering with the subsequent plasma cleaning effect. It also provides a suitable low-pressure environment for the stable generation of argon plasma, ensuring that the plasma density and energy meet the requirements for efficient removal of contaminants from the gear surface.

[0034] After reaching the set vacuum level, argon gas with a purity ≥99.99% is introduced into the process chamber through the gas supply system. The argon gas flow rate is controlled to stabilize the gas pressure within the chamber between 0.5 Pa and 2.0 Pa. This pressure range ensures that the ECR ion source can efficiently excite the argon gas to form a high-density plasma. The ECR ion source is then turned on, and its microwave power is adjusted to 800W to 1500W, allowing the argon gas to be fully ionized into plasma under the influence of the electromagnetic field. At this time, the DC bias power supply connected to the gear is activated, applying a negative bias voltage of -50V to -500V to the gear. Under the acceleration effect of the bias electric field, the argon ions gain sufficient energy and bombard the gear surface at high speed, removing the oxide layer, grease, and other adsorbed contaminants from the gear surface through a physical sputtering effect. Simultaneously, this creates a certain degree of lattice distortion and a fresh surface on the gear surface, preparing it for subsequent ion implantation and coating deposition. The cleaning time is typically controlled between 10 and 30 minutes, and the specific duration can be adjusted according to the degree of contamination on the gear surface to ensure cleaning effectiveness.

[0035] This embodiment significantly improves the adhesion between the subsequent coating and the substrate by thoroughly removing trace contaminants, oxides, and adsorbed water molecules from the gear surface before coating deposition.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, during ion implantation, the ECR ion source is kept on to generate nitrogen plasma of a set concentration, and then the DC bias power supply is increased to 10kV to 40kV.

[0037] High-energy nitrogen ions, accelerated by a strong electric field, bombard the gear surface, not only penetrating the surface material to form a modified layer but also refining the surface grains, thereby improving the hardness and fatigue resistance of the gear surface. The ion implantation time is set according to the required implantation dose, generally ranging from 60 to 180 minutes, to ensure that the implantation depth and concentration meet the preset requirements, providing an excellent transition interface for subsequent coatings.

[0038] In some embodiments, the parameters set during ion implantation include: gas pressure 0.02 Pa, temperature 20℃-200℃, DC bias power supply -40 kV, implantation depth 20 nm-80 nm, implantation metering 2 × 10¹⁷ atoms / cm², and implantation time 1-3 hours.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, when performing functional coating deposition, the nitrogen gas supply is first turned off, the argon gas supply is increased to 300 SCCM, and after the gas pressure is constant, the shielding of the Cr target is removed, the Cr layer is deposited first, and then the nitrogen gas supply is turned on to deposit the CrN layer.

[0040] The deposition of the Cr layer serves as a transition layer, further enhancing the bonding strength between the subsequent CrN layer and the gear substrate. The deposition time is controlled at 30 minutes. After nitrogen gas is introduced, the ratio of nitrogen to argon flow rates is adjusted to ensure the reaction gas atmosphere meets the conditions for CrN compound formation. The deposition time is set according to the required CrN layer thickness.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present invention, the amount of argon gas introduced is reduced during the deposition of the CrN layer. This promotes the full reaction of Cr atoms and N atoms to generate stable CrN compounds, ensuring that the coating has high density and hardness.

[0042] In some embodiments, the parameters are set as follows when depositing the functional coating: Stage 1: Deposition of Cr layer, Cr target power is 5kW, DC bias power supply is -120V, argon flow rate is 300SCCM, process chamber pressure is 0.5Pa, temperature range is 20℃-200℃, time is 30 minutes.

[0043] Phase 2: Deposition of CrN layer, Cr target power is 5kW, DC bias power supply is -120V, argon flow rate is 100SCCM, nitrogen flow rate is 200SCCM, process chamber pressure is 0.5Pa, temperature range is 20℃-200℃, time is 30 minutes.

[0044] Phase 3: Deposition of WC-DLC layer, WC target power is 5kW, DC bias power supply is -120V, argon flow rate is 100SCCM, acetylene flow rate is 200SCCM, process chamber pressure is 0.5Pa, temperature range is 20℃-200℃, time is 60 minutes.

[0045] By controlling the temperature throughout the process to not exceed 200℃, gear annealing can be effectively avoided.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, when removing the shielding of the Cr target, the DC sputtering current of the Cr target is turned on first, and the shielding is removed after the power stabilizes. When removing the shielding of the WC target, the HiPIMS power supply of the WC target is turned on first, and the shielding is removed after the power stabilizes.

[0047] This step-by-step approach of turning on the target power and then removing the shielding effectively prevents the target from being suddenly exposed to the process environment before reaching a stable operating state, thus preventing uneven sputtering or a decrease in the initial deposition quality of the coating due to instantaneous power fluctuations. For Cr targets, the stable output of DC sputtering current ensures a uniform evaporation rate of Cr atoms, thereby guaranteeing the thickness accuracy and compositional consistency during the deposition of Cr and CrN layers. For WC targets, the HiPIMS power supply, with its high-power pulse mode, generates high-density plasma, enabling the WC target to be fully ionized and deposited uniformly. Combined with the introduction of acetylene gas, the composition and structure of the WC-DLC coating can be precisely controlled, further optimizing key performance parameters such as the coating's hardness, wear resistance, and coefficient of friction. Throughout the entire functional coating deposition stage, the temperature control system monitors and maintains the process chamber temperature within the set range of 20℃-200℃ in real time. This prevents excessively high temperatures from causing changes in the gear substrate performance or increasing the internal stress of the coating. It also provides suitable thermodynamic conditions for the atomic diffusion and chemical bonding of each coating material, ensuring a smooth transition in performance from the CrN layer to the WC-DLC layer and maximizing the synergistic strengthening effect.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present invention, the shielding of the Cr target and the WC target includes first rotating the sputtering surface of the target away from the gear, and then performing magnetic shielding between them. Magnetic shielding prevents the magnetic field of the target from affecting ion implantation by forming a shield between the target and the gear.

[0049] In magnetic shielding mode, the magnetic field generated by the target is confined to a localized area around the target, preventing interference with plasma distribution and ion trajectory during ion implantation. This ensures that nitrogen ions can be perpendicularly incident on the gear surface under the influence of a bias electric field, achieving a uniform and controllable ion implantation effect. When coating deposition is required, a mechanical transmission mechanism rotates the target sputtering surface to face the gear, and the magnetic shielding component is removed, allowing the plasma generated by the target to smoothly reach the gear surface for deposition. This combination of mechanical and magnetic shielding ensures process purity during ion implantation and enables rapid switching to operating mode during coating deposition, further enhancing the equipment's integration and ease of operation.

[0050] Alternatively, shielding can be achieved by first moving the target away from the gear, and then applying magnetic shielding between them. Or, the target can be moved away from the gear first, then the sputtering surface of the target can be rotated away from the gear, and finally magnetic shielding can be applied between them.

[0051] Reference Figures 1 to 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, a gear strengthening device based on ion implantation and gradient coating is proposed for implementing the above-mentioned gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating, including: The equipment body 100 defines a process chamber 101; Workpiece platform 103 is disposed in process chamber 101 and configured to support gears; A biasing system is installed on the workpiece platform 103 to apply a negative electric field to the gear. A vacuum system is connected to the process chamber 101 and is used to adjust the vacuum level of the process chamber 101. Plasma generating device 1012 is disposed in process chamber 101 and is used to generate plasma; The magnetron sputtering system 1011 is disposed in the process chamber 101 and is circumferentially offset from the plasma generation device 1012 around the process chamber 101. The magnetron sputtering system is rotatably equipped with a Cr target and a WC target. Both the Cr target and the WC target include a target material surface and a magnetic shielding surface. During rotation, the target material surface and the magnetic shielding surface can alternately face the gear. The gas supply system is connected to the process chamber and is used to supply nitrogen, argon, and acetylene to the process chamber. The temperature control system is connected to the process chamber and is used to regulate the temperature of the process chamber.

[0052] This embodiment integrates ion implantation and magnetron sputtering coating functions into the same vacuum process chamber, and is equipped with a rotatable workpiece support and bias system. This enables continuous, integrated processing of the gear surface, performing ion implantation strengthening and gradient coating deposition sequentially in a single vacuum environment. This significantly shortens the process time and avoids the contamination risks and efficiency losses associated with traditional multi-device transfer. The ion implantation pretreatment effectively enhances the film-substrate bonding strength and substrate surface activity, while the rotatable support ensures the uniformity of complex tooth surface treatment, thereby improving the overall service reliability, wear resistance, and fatigue life of the gear coating.

[0053] Understandably, the plasma generation device is equipped with an ECR ion source. The bias system applies a DC bias power supply to the gears.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 In some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of Cr targets 10111 and WC targets 10112 are alternately arranged around the process chamber 101 in the circumferential direction, so as to provide a more uniform deposition material during the sputtering process.

[0055] Specifically, in some embodiments, the circumferential sidewalls of the process chamber 101 are configured as polygonal structures, and the Cr target 10111, WC target 10112 and plasma generation device 1012 are disposed on different sidewalls of the process chamber 101 to ensure the uniformity of the relevant processes and to facilitate the installation of the relevant structures.

[0056] Reference Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, a workpiece platform is rotatably provided with a workpiece support portion 1031, and a plurality of loading components 1032 are arranged around the rotation center of the workpiece support portion 1031. The loading components 1032 are rotatably connected to the workpiece support portion 1031 and are used to load gears. With the structural arrangement of this embodiment, multiple gears can be loaded by multiple loading components 1032, controlling both the rotation of the gears on their own axis and their revolution around the workpiece support portion 1031.

[0057] Considering that in some application scenarios, the sputtering target requires a large space to rotate, which could easily interfere with the gears inside the process chamber 101, in some embodiments of the present invention, the magnetron sputtering system 1011 is also provided with a withdrawal mechanism connected to the sputtering target to control the sputtering target away from the center of the process chamber 101. This allows the sputtering target to be controlled away from the center of the process chamber 101 before rotation, and then reset after rotation, thereby overcoming the aforementioned problem.

[0058] In some embodiments, the sidewall of the process chamber 101 has multiple mounting windows, and the magnetron sputtering system 1011 covers and seals the mounting windows. The withdrawal mechanism includes a withdrawal slide rail and a rotating base, the rotating base being slidably mounted on the withdrawal slide rail and driven by it to move. The sputtering target is rotatably mounted on the rotating base.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, a temperature control system is provided with a plurality of heating elements 1013 uniformly arranged along the circumference of the process chamber 101, and a temperature monitoring module is configured to adjust the temperature of the process chamber 101.

[0060] Reference Figure 1 In some embodiments of the present invention, the main body 100 of the equipment is further provided with a plurality of pretreatment chambers 102, which are movable and adjustable along a first direction to connect one by one with the process chambers 101, and a vacuum system is also connected to the pretreatment chambers 102. The pretreatment chambers 102 can be used to perform some processing on the gears in the preceding process, and can also be used for loading and unloading the gears, and to perform vacuuming in advance, so that when the gears are sent from the pretreatment chambers 102 into the process chambers 101, the time and number of vacuuming operations can be reduced.

[0061] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 To facilitate gear transfer, in some embodiments of the present invention, the pretreatment chamber 102 is located below the process chamber 101. The pretreatment chamber 102 is equipped with a lifting mechanism for lifting the workpiece platform 103 into the process chamber 101. In this embodiment, two pretreatment chambers 102 are provided, each equipped with a lifting mechanism and a workpiece platform 103. During operation, the gears are quickly changed by switching between the two pretreatment chambers 102, achieving non-stop operation.

[0062] Specifically, the lifting mechanism is equipped with four bevel gear transmission assemblies 1021, and synchronous shafts 1022 are provided between the four bevel gear transmission assemblies 1021 for synchronization. A transmission screw 1023 is vertically mounted on each bevel gear transmission assembly 1021, and a support frame 1024 is mounted on the transmission screw 1023. The four support frames 1024 together support the workpiece platform 103. When the lifting mechanism drives one bevel gear transmission assembly 1021, the four transmission screws 1023 rotate synchronously, thereby controlling the lifting and lowering movement of the support frames 1024, and thus driving the workpiece platform 103 to rise or fall, so as to enter or exit the process chamber 101.

[0063] Understandably, the bottom of the process chamber 101 is equipped with a valve structure to seal it during normal process handling.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature control system uses infrared thermometry for temperature monitoring, and a water chiller is provided to cool the corresponding components to prevent overheating.

[0065] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other.

Claims

1. A gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating, characterized in that, include: Workpiece preparation: The gear to be processed is sent into the process chamber; Workpiece cleaning: The process chamber is evacuated, argon gas is introduced until the pressure is constant, then the ECR ion source is turned on to generate argon plasma, and then the DC bias power supply connected to the gear is turned on to clean the gear. Ion implantation: Nitrogen gas is introduced into the process chamber to maintain the nitrogen and argon gas concentrations, and the Cr target and WC target in the process chamber are shielded to perform nitrogen ion implantation on the gear; Functional coating deposition: First, the shielding of the Cr target is removed, and a CrN layer is deposited; then, the shielding of the WC target is removed, nitrogen supply is stopped, and acetylene gas is introduced to deposit a WC-DLC coating.

2. The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the cleaning of the workpiece, the process chamber is first evacuated to a vacuum level. Pa to Pa.

3. The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the cleaning of the workpiece, a negative bias voltage of -50V to -500V is applied to the gear.

4. The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the ion implantation, the ECR ion source is kept on to generate nitrogen plasma of a set concentration, and then the DC bias power supply is increased to 10kV to 40kV.

5. The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the deposition of the functional coating, the nitrogen gas supply is first turned off, the argon gas supply is increased to 300 SCCM, and after the gas pressure is constant, the shielding of the Cr target is removed. The Cr layer is deposited first, and then the nitrogen gas supply is turned on to deposit the CrN layer.

6. The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to claim 5, characterized in that, During the deposition of the CrN layer, the amount of argon gas supplied is reduced.

7. The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, When removing the shielding of the Cr target, first turn on the DC sputtering current of the Cr target, and then remove the shielding after the power stabilizes. When removing the shielding from the WC target, first turn on the HiPIMS power supply of the WC target, and then remove the shielding after the power stabilizes.

8. The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature is below 200°C during the workpiece cleaning, ion implantation, and functional coating deposition.

9. The gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating according to claim 1, characterized in that, The methods for shielding the Cr target and the WC target include: First, rotate the sputtering surface of the target away from the gear, and then perform magnetic shielding between the two. Alternatively, move the target away from the gear first, and then perform magnetic shielding between the two. Alternatively, the target can be moved away from the gear, the sputtering surface of the target can be rotated away from the gear, and then magnetic shielding can be applied between the two.

10. A gear strengthening device based on ion implantation and gradient coating, characterized in that, For implementing the gear strengthening process based on ion implantation and gradient coating as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: The equipment body defines a process chamber; A workpiece platform is disposed in the process chamber and configured to support gears; A biasing system, which is disposed on the workpiece platform, is used to apply a negative electric field to the gear; A vacuum system connected to the process chamber for adjusting the vacuum level of the process chamber; A plasma generating device, wherein the plasma generating device is disposed in the process chamber, and is used to generate plasma; A magnetron sputtering system is disposed in the process chamber and is circumferentially offset from the plasma generation device around the process chamber. The magnetron sputtering system is rotatably equipped with a Cr target and a WC target. Both the Cr target and the WC target include a target material surface and a magnetic shielding surface. During rotation, the target material surface and the magnetic shielding surface can alternately face the gear. A gas supply system, connected to the process chamber, is used to supply nitrogen, argon, and acetylene to the process chamber; A temperature control system is connected to the process chamber and is used to regulate the temperature of the process chamber.

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