Workpiece loading frame

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of vacuum treatment, and discloses a workpiece loading frame. The workpiece loading frame comprises a rotating frame and a plate assembly, wherein the rotating frame is used for loading workpieces; the plate assemblies are arranged on the periphery of the rotating frame, gaps exist between the plate assemblies and workpieces loaded on the rotating frame, and notches are formed in the plate assemblies. When the workpiece loading frame is arranged in the vacuum chamber, at least part of the notch is opposite to a vacuum processing source arranged in the vacuum chamber, the plate assembly divides the vacuum chamber into a first area and a second area, and the rotating frame rotates in the first area. By arranging the plate assembly, the vacuum chamber is divided into the first area to serve as the processing space, the vacuum processing source conducts vacuum processing on the workpiece in the first area from the notch, and the inner space of the first area is smaller than the space in the vacuum chamber; therefore, working substances such as process gas, plasma and sputtered particles can fully act on the workpiece, waste of the working substances is reduced, and the utilization rate of the working substances is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vacuum processing technology, and more particularly to a workpiece loading rack. Background Technology

[0002] In vacuum processing, a workpiece rotating frame is often installed within the vacuum processing chamber. The workpiece is mounted on the outer periphery of the rotating frame, while the target material, ion source, and other related functional components are located on the inner wall of the chamber, with gaps between them and the rotating frame to achieve vacuum processing of the workpiece. Taking sputtering deposition as an example, plasma generated by inert gas within the vacuum processing chamber bombards the target surface under the influence of electric and magnetic fields. The sputtered particles move to the workpiece surface, thereby forming a thin film on the workpiece surface.

[0003] The working substances, such as gases, plasmas, and sputtered particles, in the vacuum processing chamber are distributed between the inner wall of the vacuum processing chamber and the periphery of the workpiece rotating frame. The internal space of the vacuum processing chamber is often significantly larger than that of the workpiece rotating frame. Some of the process gases, plasmas, and sputtered particles do not act on the workpiece, resulting in a waste of coating materials and other working substances, which can easily lead to a decrease in the utilization rate of the working substances. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a workpiece loading rack to solve the problem that in the prior art, the internal space of the vacuum processing chamber is often significantly larger than the workpiece rotating rack, and most of the process gases, plasmas and sputtered particles and other working substances do not act on the workpiece, resulting in the waste of coating materials and other working substances, which easily leads to a decrease in the utilization rate of working substances, thereby improving the utilization rate of working substances.

[0005] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A workpiece loading rack is provided, comprising:

[0007] A rotating frame for loading workpieces;

[0008] A plate assembly is disposed around the rotating frame and has a gap between it and the workpiece loaded on the rotating frame; the plate assembly is provided with a notch.

[0009] When the workpiece is mounted on the vacuum chamber, at least a portion of the notch is opposite to the vacuum processing source disposed in the vacuum chamber, the plate assembly divides the vacuum chamber into a first region and a second region, and the rotating frame rotates within the first region.

[0010] As an optional technical solution for the workpiece loading rack, the workpiece is disposed around the rotation axis of the rotating frame, the plate assembly includes a surrounding plate assembly, the surrounding plate assembly is disposed on the circumference of the rotating frame in the horizontal direction, and the gap is disposed on the side of the workpiece away from the rotation axis, and the notch is disposed in the surrounding plate assembly.

[0011] As an optional technical solution for the workpiece loading rack, the enclosure assembly includes a first partition and a second partition. The first partition surrounds the circumference of the rotating frame along the horizontal direction and has a gap with the workpiece loaded on the rotating frame. The notch is provided on the first partition. The second partition is provided at the ends of the first partition near the notch on both sides and extends in a direction close to the side wall of the vacuum chamber.

[0012] As an optional technical solution for the workpiece loading rack, the distance between any position of the first partition and the rotation axis of the rotating frame is equal.

[0013] As an optional technical solution for the workpiece loading rack, the plate assembly further includes a third partition, which consists of two sets, respectively located at the top and bottom of the enclosure assembly, and there is a gap between the third partition and the rotating frame.

[0014] As an optional technical solution for the workpiece loading rack, the vacuum processing source is provided in at least two locations, and the number of notches corresponds to the number of vacuum processing sources.

[0015] As an optional technical solution for the workpiece loading rack, the vacuum processing source includes a target group and / or an ion source group.

[0016] As an optional technical solution for the workpiece loading rack, the workpiece loading rack further includes a fixed frame, the rotating frame is rotatably disposed within the fixed frame, the plate assembly is detachably disposed between the fixed frame and the rotating frame and is rotatably connected to the rotating frame, and the fixed frame can drive the rotating frame and the plate assembly to move together into or out of the vacuum chamber.

[0017] As an optional technical solution for a workpiece loading rack, the fixing frame is provided with an opening, through which the plate assembly and the workpiece are moved into or out of the fixing frame.

[0018] As an optional technical solution for the workpiece loading rack, the workpiece loading rack also includes a shaft rod, which is disposed through the center of the rotating frame. The upper and lower sides of the fixed frame are provided with shaft holes, and the two ends of the shaft rod pass through the two shaft holes respectively and are clearance-fitted with the shaft holes.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0020] This application discloses a workpiece loading rack, including a rotating frame and a plate assembly. The rotating frame is used to load workpieces. The plate assembly is disposed around the rotating frame and has gaps between it and the workpieces loaded on the rotating frame. The plate assembly has notches. When the workpiece loading rack is placed in a vacuum chamber, at least part of the notches are opposite to a vacuum processing source disposed in the vacuum chamber. The plate assembly divides the vacuum chamber into a first region and a second region. The rotating frame rotates within the first region. By setting the plate assembly, the vacuum chamber is divided into a first region as a processing space. The vacuum processing source performs vacuum processing on the workpieces in the first region from the notches. Since the internal space of the first region is smaller than the space inside the vacuum chamber, most of the process gases, plasma, and sputtered particles can effectively act on the workpieces, reducing the waste of working materials and improving the utilization rate of working materials. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the content of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of a sputtering coating equipment in the prior art;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a first schematic diagram of a workpiece loading rack placed inside a sputtering coating equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram of the workpiece loading rack provided in an embodiment of the present invention placed inside a sputtering coating equipment;

[0025] Figure 4 This is an isometric schematic diagram of the workpiece loading rack provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] In the picture:

[0027] 1. Workpiece;

[0028] 10. Workpiece loading rack; 11. Rotating rack; 12. Plate assembly; 121. First partition; 122. Second partition; 123. Third partition; 13. Fixing frame; 131. Reinforcing rod; 14. Shaft; 15. Bearing;

[0029] 20. Vacuum processing source; 21. Target assembly; 22. Ion source assembly;

[0030] 30. Vacuum chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0032] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0034] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, 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 limitations on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0035] The following description of the implementation method uses a sputtering coating equipment as an example. In the following description, the sputtering coating chamber is collectively referred to as a vacuum chamber.

[0036] In the prior art, see Figure 1 The process gas, plasma, and sputtered particles within the vacuum chamber 30 are distributed between the inner wall of the vacuum chamber 30 and the periphery of the rotating frame 11. The internal space of the vacuum chamber 30 is often significantly larger than that of the rotating frame 11, and some of the gas, plasma, and sputtered particles do not act on the workpiece 1. Figure 1 (The airflow arrow disperses, which leads to waste of working material and reduces the utilization rate of working material.)

[0037] To address the aforementioned problems, this embodiment provides a workpiece loading rack 10, see reference. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The system includes a rotating frame 11 and a plate assembly 12. The rotating frame 11 is used to load the workpiece 1. The plate assembly 12 is disposed around the rotating frame 11 and there is a gap between it and the workpiece 1 loaded on the rotating frame 11. The plate assembly 12 is provided with a notch. When the workpiece loading frame 10 is disposed in the vacuum chamber 30, at least part of the notch is opposite to the vacuum processing source 20 placed in the vacuum chamber 30. The plate assembly 12 divides the vacuum chamber 30 into a first region and a second region. The rotating frame 11 rotates in the first region. By setting up the plate assembly 12, the vacuum chamber 30 is divided into a first region as a processing space. The vacuum processing source 20 performs vacuum processing on the workpiece 1 in the first region from the notch. Since the internal space of the first region is smaller than the space inside the vacuum chamber 30, the working substances such as process gas, plasma and sputtered particles can fully act on the workpiece 1, reducing the waste of working substances, improving the utilization rate of working substances, and helping to improve the control of performance parameters such as film composition and film thickness, such as coating uniformity. In addition, the setting of the plate assembly 12 confines the working substances such as coating materials as much as possible inside the plate assembly 12, reducing the degree of contamination of the vacuum chamber 30 by the working substances, and providing convenience for cleaning and maintenance work in vacuum coating production.

[0038] Understandably, taking sputtering coating as an example, "the notch is opposite to the vacuum processing source 20 placed in the vacuum chamber 30" means that the coating material emission area of ​​the sputtering target is opposite to the notch, so that the coating material enters the first region through the notch and reaches the surface of the workpiece 1 to be coated. Understandably, the first region and the second region can be connected through the notch.

[0039] Further, the workpiece 1 is disposed circumferentially around the rotation axis of the rotating frame 11. The plate assembly 12 includes a surrounding plate assembly, which is disposed on the circumferential side of the rotating frame 11 in the horizontal direction, with a gap on the side of the workpiece 1 away from the rotation axis, and a notch in the surrounding plate assembly. Specifically, the surrounding plate assembly includes a first partition 121 and a second partition 122. The first partition 121 surrounds the circumferential side of the rotating frame 11 in the horizontal direction and has a gap with the workpiece 1 loaded on the rotating frame 11. A notch is provided on the first partition 121 (in this embodiment, the notch specifically refers to the range between the two ends of the first partition 121). The second partition 122 is disposed on the ends of the first partition 121 near the notch on both sides and extends in a direction close to the side wall of the vacuum chamber 30. In some embodiments, the rotating frame 11 is configured as a cylinder or a polygonal prism, the first partition 121 is configured as an arc-shaped plate, and the second partition 122 is configured as a straight plate. The second partition 122 has a gap with the inner wall of the vacuum chamber 30 to facilitate the disassembly of the plate assembly 12. Understandably, the second partition 122 can further seal the gap between the first partition 121 and the side wall of the vacuum chamber 30, thereby further isolating the first region and the second region.

[0040] Furthermore, when the cross-section of the first partition 121 is arc-shaped and the center is a certain point on the rotation axis of the rotating frame 11, the distance between any position of the first partition 121 and the rotation axis of the rotating frame 11 is equal. The absence of dead angles or corners within the first region ensures the stability of the airflow within the first region, which helps improve the control over performance parameters such as coating uniformity, film composition, and film thickness.

[0041] Further, see Figure 3 The plate assembly 12 also includes a third partition 123, which consists of two sets located at the top and bottom of the enclosure assembly, respectively. A gap exists between the third partition 123 and the rotating frame 11. Specifically, the third partition 123 is circular or near-circular, partially or completely covering both ends of the enclosure assembly. The third partition 123 prevents a large amount of working material from diffusing from the first area to the second area, and also prevents dust from the second area from entering the first area and contaminating the workpiece 1, thus improving the utilization rate of the working material and the yield of vacuum processing of the workpiece 1. Specifically, the third partition 123 can be inserted into or screwed to the first partition 121. Furthermore, the third partition 123 is provided with vent holes to achieve vacuum exhaust from the first area.

[0042] In some embodiments, the vacuum processing source 20 is provided with at least two notches, the number of which corresponds to the number of vacuum processing sources 20. Specifically, the vacuum processing source 20 includes a target group 21 and / or an ion source group 22, which are spaced apart around the central axis of the vacuum chamber 30. The two notches divide the first partition 121 into two arc-shaped plates, and a second partition 122 is provided at the ends of the first partition 121 near the two notches. It should be noted that since the coating of the workpiece 1 by the target group 21 and the ion source group 22 is a very mature technology in the prior art, its structure and principle will not be described in detail here.

[0043] Further, see Figure 4 The workpiece loading rack 10 also includes a fixed frame 13, within which the rotating frame 11 is rotatably mounted. Specifically, the workpiece loading rack 10 further includes a shaft 14, which is disposed through the center of the rotating frame 11. The fixed frame 13 has shaft holes on both its upper and lower sides, and the two ends of the shaft 14 pass through the two shaft holes respectively, fitting with a clearance fit. To increase the smoothness of the rotation of the rotating frame 11, the workpiece loading rack 10 also includes a bearing 15, which is disposed between the shaft 14 and the shaft holes.

[0044] Furthermore, one end of the shaft 14 can be connected to a power source to drive the rotating frame 11 to rotate. The power source can be located on top of the fixed frame 13 or on top of the vacuum chamber 30. Specifically, the power source can be a rotary motor or the like.

[0045] The plate assembly 12 is detachably disposed between the fixed frame 13 and the rotating frame 11 and is rotatably connected to the rotating frame 11. This detachable arrangement of the plate assembly 12 facilitates the removal and cleaning or replacement of the first partition 121, the second partition 122, and the third partition 123, improving cleaning and production efficiency. Maintaining the cleanliness of the plate assembly 12 also improves the cleanliness of the vacuum chamber 30. The arrangement of the plate assembly 12 confines the working substances, such as coating materials, as much as possible within the plate assembly 12, reducing the degree of contamination within the vacuum chamber 30 and facilitating cleaning and maintenance of the vacuum coating process, thereby improving the yield of the workpiece 1 in vacuum treatment. Specifically, the fixed frame 13 has an opening through which the plate assembly 12 and the workpiece 1 can be moved into or out of the fixed frame 13.

[0046] Furthermore, the fixed frame 13 can drive the rotating frame 11 and the plate assembly 12 to move into or out of the vacuum chamber 30 together. Specifically, the fixed frame 13 can move into or out of the vacuum chamber 30 by means of guide rails, rollers or lead screws, etc., which will not be listed here.

[0047] Understandably, in some embodiments, when the workpiece loading rack 10 is not provided with a fixed frame 13, the rotating frame 11 and the plate assembly 12 are provided as a detachable integrated structure. The rotating frame 11 is rotatably mounted on the plate assembly 12. The bottom of the plate assembly 12 is provided with a base that can cooperate with the movement of guide rails, rollers or lead screws. Under the action of the conveying mechanism, it can move into or out of the vacuum chamber 30 together with the rotating frame 11.

[0048] Specifically, the fixing frame 13 is configured as a square frame structure, with the rotating frame 11 and plate assembly 12 both placed inside the frame. Reinforcing rods 131 are provided on both the upper and lower sides of the frame to improve the stability of the square frame. In this embodiment, the vacuum processing source 20 is located in two places, so the plate assembly 12 includes two notches. No reinforcing rods 131 are provided on the side of the fixing frame 13 opposite to the two notches, facilitating the removal of the rotating frame 11 and plate assembly 12 while avoiding interference with the airflow of the vacuum processing source 20. Reinforcing rods 131 are also provided on the other two sides of the fixing frame 13, dividing the square frame into multiple triangular frames to improve the stability of the square frame.

[0049] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A workpiece loading rack, characterized in that, include: A rotating frame (11) is used to load the workpiece (1); A plate assembly (12) is disposed around the rotating frame (11) and there is a gap between the plate assembly (1) and the workpiece (1) loaded on the rotating frame (11). The plate assembly (12) is provided with a notch. When the workpiece is mounted on the vacuum chamber (30), at least part of the notch is opposite to the vacuum processing source (20) disposed in the vacuum chamber (30), the plate assembly (12) divides the vacuum chamber (30) into a first region and a second region, and the rotating frame (11) rotates in the first region.

2. The workpiece loading rack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The workpiece (1) is disposed around the rotation axis of the rotating frame (11). The plate assembly (12) includes a surrounding plate assembly, which is disposed on the circumference of the rotating frame (11) in the horizontal direction, and the gap is disposed on the side of the workpiece (1) away from the rotation axis. The notch is disposed on the surrounding plate assembly.

3. The workpiece loading rack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The enclosure assembly includes a first partition (121) and a second partition (122). The first partition (121) surrounds the circumference of the rotating frame (11) along the horizontal direction and has a gap with the workpiece (1) loaded on the rotating frame (11). The notch is provided on the first partition (121). The second partition (122) is provided at the ends of the first partition (121) near the notch on both sides and extends along the direction near the side wall of the vacuum chamber (30).

4. The workpiece loading rack according to claim 3, characterized in that, The distance between any position of the first partition (121) and the rotation axis of the rotating frame (11) is equal.

5. The workpiece loading rack according to claim 3, characterized in that, The plate assembly (12) also includes a third partition (123), which consists of two sets, respectively located at the top and bottom of the enclosure assembly, and there is a gap between the third partition (123) and the rotating frame (11).

6. The workpiece loading rack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vacuum processing source (20) is provided in at least two places, and the number of gaps corresponds to the number of vacuum processing sources (20).

7. The workpiece loading rack according to claim 6, characterized in that, The vacuum processing source (20) includes a target assembly (21) and / or an ion source assembly (22).

8. The workpiece loading rack according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The workpiece loading rack also includes a fixed frame (13), the rotating frame (11) is rotatably disposed within the fixed frame (13), the plate assembly (12) is detachably disposed between the fixed frame (13) and the rotating frame (11) and is rotatably connected to the rotating frame (11), and the fixed frame (13) can drive the rotating frame (11) and the plate assembly (12) to move together into or out of the vacuum chamber (30).

9. The workpiece loading rack according to claim 8, characterized in that, The fixing frame (13) is provided with an opening through which the plate assembly (12) and the workpiece (1) move into or out of the fixing frame (13).

10. The workpiece loading rack according to claim 8, characterized in that, The workpiece loading frame also includes a shaft (14), which is disposed through the center of the rotating frame (11). The upper and lower sides of the fixed frame (13) are provided with shaft holes, and the two ends of the shaft (14) pass through the two shaft holes respectively and are clearance-fitted with the shaft holes.

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