Magnetron sputtering assisted solid phase diffusion bonding apparatus and method for aluminum alloy

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of diffusion welding, in particular to a magnetron sputtering assisted aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion connecting device and method. The device comprises vacuum manipulators I, a buffer cavity, a magnetron sputtering cavity, a diffusion welding cavity and vacuum manipulators II which are sequentially connected, the buffer cavity is used for vacuum storage of a lower welding aluminum piece; the magnetron sputtering cavity is used for cleaning and nano-aluminum coating sputtering of an upper welding surface of the lower welding aluminum piece; the diffusion welding cavity is used for top forging diffusion welding of upper and lower welding aluminum pieces, the lower welding surface of the upper welding aluminum piece is provided with a micro-channel groove filled with a stress tool inside; the vacuum manipulator I is used for component transmission between the buffer cavity and the magnetron sputtering cavity; and the vacuum manipulator II is used for component transmission between the magnetron sputtering cavity and the diffusion welding cavity. The application realizes reliable solid-phase connection of aluminum alloys under low-pressure and low-temperature conditions, solves the problem of instability of a micro-channel sidewall pressure rod, and simultaneously reduces production cost, improves process adaptability and welding quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of diffusion welding technology, and in particular to a magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-phase diffusion bonding device and method for aluminum alloys. Background Technology

[0002] Aluminum alloys, due to their low density and excellent thermal conductivity, are widely used in high-end equipment components such as microfluidic heat dissipation elements. Diffusion welding is one of the key processes for achieving reliable connections between aluminum alloy components. However, existing aluminum alloy diffusion welding technologies still have several shortcomings:

[0003] First, conventional diffusion welding processes are demanding, typically requiring the introduction of a nanocrystalline interlayer to reduce the pressure and temperature required for welding. However, the process window is narrow and the connection requirements are high, making it difficult to adapt to the mass production of complex structures such as high aspect ratio microchannels.

[0004] Secondly, the surface treatment process before welding has obvious limitations. Taking 6061 aluminum alloy as an example, the existing process requires the removal of the surface oxide film by mechanical grinding or chemical methods: mechanical grinding is prone to introducing surface damage and residual impurities; chemical cleaning is prone to environmental pollution, and the treated surface is prone to secondary oxidation, all of which will reduce the bonding quality of the welding interface and affect the reliability of the joint.

[0005] Furthermore, aluminum alloy heat dissipation elements containing microchannels suffer from structural stability defects. When the aspect ratio of the microchannel sidewall is greater than 3, the ballast conditions of conventional diffusion welding can easily cause the sidewall pressure bar to become unstable, leading to channel deformation and blockage, which seriously affects the performance of the heat dissipation element.

[0006] Furthermore, traditional ultrasonic welding of aluminum is a liquid-phase welding process that relies on frictional heat to achieve surface melting. This differs significantly from the process principle, amplitude control, and mechanism of solid-phase diffusion welding. Therefore, it cannot be directly used to reduce the connection pressure and temperature of solid-phase diffusion welding, nor can it effectively improve the interfacial bonding strength of nano-aluminum crystals. At the same time, existing equipment often uses built-in motor structures, resulting in high costs and difficulty in matching the cycle times of ion cleaning, coating, and welding processes, leading to low production efficiency.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-phase diffusion bonding device and method for aluminum alloys to solve the problems of harsh process conditions, easy oxidation of surface treatment, easy instability of microchannel sidewalls, high equipment cost and poor process adaptability in the above-mentioned existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies in aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion welding, such as harsh process conditions, easy secondary oxidation of surface treatment, easy instability of microchannel sidewall pressure bars, poor adaptability of traditional ultrasonic welding, high equipment cost, and mismatch of process cycle time, this invention provides a magnetron sputtering-assisted aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion bonding device and method. The aim is to achieve reliable solid-phase bonding of aluminum alloys under low pressure and low temperature conditions, solve the problem of microchannel sidewall pressure bar instability, and at the same time reduce production costs, improve process adaptability and welding quality.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0010] This invention provides a magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-state diffusion bonding device for aluminum alloys, comprising a vacuum manipulator I, a buffer chamber, a magnetron sputtering chamber, a diffusion welding chamber, and a vacuum manipulator II connected in sequence. The buffer chamber serves as a vacuum storage chamber for the lower aluminum component to be welded; the magnetron sputtering chamber is used for cleaning the upper surface of the lower aluminum component to be welded and for sputtering a nano-aluminum coating; the diffusion welding chamber is used for upsetting diffusion welding of the upper and lower aluminum components, wherein the lower surface of the upper aluminum component to be welded has microchannel grooves filled with stress-reducing fixtures; the vacuum manipulator I is used for component transfer between the buffer chamber and the magnetron sputtering chamber; and the vacuum manipulator II is used for component transfer between the magnetron sputtering chamber and the diffusion welding chamber.

[0011] A gate valve I is provided between the buffer chamber and the magnetron sputtering chamber, which is used to switch the buffer chamber and the magnetron sputtering chamber on and off; a gate valve II is provided between the magnetron sputtering chamber and the diffusion welding chamber, which is used to switch the magnetron sputtering chamber and the diffusion welding chamber on and off.

[0012] The diffusion welding cavity includes a diffusion welding cavity body, a first lifting and rotating assembly, a second lifting and rotating assembly, an upper loading stage, an upper heater, a heat insulation pad, a lower loading stage, a horizontal moving stage, a lower lifting stage, and an ultrasonic vibration module. The first and second lifting and rotating assemblies are respectively located at the top and bottom of the diffusion welding cavity body, and both have degrees of freedom for lifting and rotating. The output end of the first lifting and rotating assembly is located inside the diffusion welding cavity body and is sequentially connected to the heat insulation pad, the upper heater, and the upper loading stage. The upper loading stage is used to fix the upper welded aluminum part. The output end of the second lifting and rotating assembly is located inside the diffusion welding cavity body and is sequentially connected to the lower lifting stage, the horizontal moving stage, and the lower loading stage. The horizontal moving stage slides horizontally with the lower lifting stage. The ultrasonic vibration module is located on the lower lifting stage and is used to provide ultrasonic vibration.

[0013] The ultrasonic vibration module includes an ultrasonic variable amplitude rod and a piezoelectric ceramic transducer. The lower end of the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod is connected to the lower lifting platform, and the upper end is in contact with or connected to the side of the horizontal moving platform. The piezoelectric ceramic transducer is disposed at the lower end of the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod. The ultrasonic vibration generated by the piezoelectric ceramic transducer is amplified by the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod and transmitted to the horizontal moving platform, causing the horizontal moving platform to drive the download platform to reciprocate horizontally.

[0014] The diffusion welding chamber is also equipped with an argon ion bombardment cleaning module I, which is used to clean the lower surface to be welded of the upper aluminum part and to sputter a nano-aluminum coating.

[0015] The microchannel grooves are multiple and arranged in parallel;

[0016] The stress fixture includes multiple microchannel filler sheets arranged in parallel at intervals and an external connecting piece for connecting the multiple microchannel filler sheets. The multiple microchannel filler sheets are sequentially filled into each microchannel groove of the upper welded aluminum part.

[0017] The upper loading platform has a U-shaped groove, and the upper welded aluminum part is accommodated in the U-shaped groove of the upper loading platform; both the upper loading platform and the stress fixture are made of steel.

[0018] The magnetron sputtering cavity includes a magnetron sputtering cavity body, a third lifting and rotating assembly, an argon ion bombardment cleaning module II, and a support platform. The third lifting and rotating assembly is located at the bottom of the magnetron sputtering cavity body, and its output end is placed inside the magnetron sputtering cavity body and connected to the support platform. The third lifting and rotating assembly is used to drive the support platform to lift and rotate. The argon ion bombardment cleaning module II is located at the top inner side of the magnetron sputtering cavity body. The argon ion bombardment cleaning module II is used to clean the upper surface to be welded of the aluminum part to be welded and to sputter the nano-aluminum coating.

[0019] The buffer cavity includes a buffer cavity body, a fourth lifting and rotating assembly, and a buffer plate. The fourth lifting and rotating assembly is located at the bottom of the buffer cavity body, and its output end is placed inside the buffer cavity body and connected to the buffer plate. The fourth lifting and rotating assembly is used to drive the buffer plate to lift and rotate.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention provides a magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-phase diffusion bonding method for aluminum alloys using the apparatus described above, comprising the following steps:

[0021] Step S1: Place the lower aluminum part to be welded in the buffer chamber. After the buffer chamber is established with a high vacuum environment, the lower aluminum part to be welded is sent into the magnetron sputtering chamber by the vacuum robot I.

[0022] Step S2: The upper surface of the aluminum part to be welded is cleaned by argon ion bombardment in the magnetron sputtering chamber, and then a nano-aluminum coating is prepared by DC magnetron sputtering.

[0023] Step S3: Assemble the upper aluminum part with the stress tooling in the diffusion welding cavity, and remove the oxide film on the lower surface of the upper aluminum part to be welded;

[0024] Step S4: The lower welding aluminum part, which has been cleaned and sputtered with nano-aluminum coating, is sent into the diffusion welding chamber by vacuum robot II, and upsetting pressure is applied to the lower welding aluminum part and the upper welding aluminum part.

[0025] Step S5: Diffusion welding is completed by heating under ultrasonic assistance, upsetting pressure, and welding prestress.

[0026] Step S6: After releasing the vacuum, remove the stress fixture.

[0027] The present invention has the following beneficial effects and advantages:

[0028] 1. Optimized process conditions and improved welding quality: Argon ion bombardment cleaning replaces traditional mechanical / chemical cleaning, thoroughly removing the oxide film and preventing secondary oxidation; the nano-aluminum coating prepared by magnetron sputtering serves as an intermediate layer, which, combined with solid-phase ultrasonic assistance, significantly reduces the pressure and temperature required for welding, avoids the surface melting problem of traditional liquid-phase ultrasonic welding, and significantly improves the interface bonding quality and joint reliability.

[0029] 2. Solving the problem of microchannel structural instability: The compressive stress tooling provides additional bonding stress to the welding surface, effectively solving the problem of pressure bar instability of the sidewall of microchannels with an aspect ratio of >3 during the welding process, avoiding channel deformation and blockage, and ensuring the structural integrity and performance of the heat dissipation element.

[0030] 3. Reduced production costs and strong process adaptability: The use of magnetohydrodynamic technology to place the drive motor outside the cavity reduces equipment costs; the device as a whole can achieve cycle matching of ion cleaning, coating and welding processes, resulting in high production efficiency and adaptability to batch production needs.

[0031] 4. Strong process versatility: It is suitable for solid-phase diffusion bonding of various aluminum alloy materials such as 6061 aluminum alloy, and is especially suitable for complex components such as aluminum alloy heat dissipation elements with microchannels, with a wide range of application scenarios.

[0032] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, 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 particularly pointed out in the written description and the accompanying drawings.

[0033] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0035] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of a magnetron sputtering-assisted aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion connection device according to the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a magnetron sputtering-assisted aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion bonding device according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of part A;

[0038] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A magnified view of part B;

[0039] Figure 5 for Figure 2 CC section view;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the upper weldment microchannel and pressure tooling before assembly in this invention;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the combination of the microchannel and pressure tooling in the upper weldment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the upper and lower welded parts that, after being welded together, form a microchannel heat dissipation device in this invention.

[0043] In the diagram: 1. Buffer chamber; 2. Magnetron sputtering chamber; 3. Diffusion welding chamber; 4. Vacuum manipulator I; 401. Vacuum manipulator body; 402. Horizontal telescopic rod; 403. Gripper; 5. Vacuum manipulator II; 6. Gate valve I; 7. Gate valve II; 8. Vacuum door; 9. Observation window; 10. First lifting and rotating assembly; 11. Second lifting and rotating assembly; 12. Third lifting and rotating assembly; 13. Fourth lifting and rotating assembly; 1301. Electric lifting rod; 1302. Lifting base plate; 1303. Rotary motor; 1304. Magnetofluid; 1305. Output rod; 14. Lower 1401, Upper surface to be welded; 15, Buffer plate; 16, Upper aluminum part to be welded; 1601, Lower surface to be welded; 1602, Microchannel groove; 17, Upper stage; 18, Upper heater; 19, Heat insulation pad; 20, Stress fixture; 2001, External connecting piece; 2002, Microchannel filling piece; 21, Lower stage; 22, Horizontal moving stage; 23, Lower lifting stage; 24, Lower heat insulation pad; 25, Ultrasonic variable amplitude rod; 26, Piezoelectric ceramic transducer; 27, Argon ion bombardment cleaning module I; 28, Argon ion bombardment cleaning module II; 29, Support stage. Detailed Implementation

[0044] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0045] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0046] See Figures 1 to 8As shown, this invention provides a magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-state diffusion bonding device for aluminum alloys, comprising a vacuum manipulator I4, a buffer chamber 1, a magnetron sputtering chamber 2, a diffusion welding chamber 3, and a vacuum manipulator II5 connected in sequence. The buffer chamber 1 serves as a vacuum storage chamber for the lower aluminum component 14 to be welded; the magnetron sputtering chamber 2 is used for cleaning the upper surface 1401 to be welded on the lower aluminum component 14 and sputtering a nano-aluminum coating; the diffusion welding chamber 3 is used for upsetting diffusion welding of the upper aluminum component 16 and the lower aluminum component 14 to be welded. The lower surface 1601 to be welded on the upper aluminum component 16 has a microchannel groove 1602, which is filled with a stress fixture 20. The stress fixture 20 provides additional bonding stress to the welding surface, solving the problem of instability of the pressure bar on the high aspect ratio microchannel sidewall (aspect ratio > 3); the vacuum manipulator I4 is used for component transfer between the buffer chamber 1 and the magnetron sputtering chamber 2; and the vacuum manipulator II5 is used for component transfer between the magnetron sputtering chamber 2 and the diffusion welding chamber 3.

[0047] Furthermore, a gate valve I6 is provided between the buffer chamber 1 and the magnetron sputtering chamber 2, which is used to open and close the connection between the buffer chamber 1 and the magnetron sputtering chamber 2; a gate valve II7 is provided between the magnetron sputtering chamber 2 and the diffusion welding chamber 3, which is also used to open and close the connection between the magnetron sputtering chamber 2 and the diffusion welding chamber 3. Gate valves I6 and II7 facilitate each chamber to independently control the process environment, which can be air, argon, or vacuum, etc.

[0048] Furthermore, the buffer chamber 1, the magnetron sputtering chamber 2, and the diffusion welding chamber 3 are all equipped with a vacuum door 8 and an observation window 9.

[0049] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the buffer cavity 1 includes a buffer cavity body, a fourth lifting and rotating assembly 13 and a buffer plate 15, wherein the fourth lifting and rotating assembly 13 is disposed at the bottom of the buffer cavity body, the output end of the fourth lifting and rotating assembly 13 is placed in the buffer cavity body and connected to the buffer plate 15; the fourth lifting and rotating assembly 13 is used to drive the buffer plate 15 to lift and rotate, and the buffer plate 15 is used to place the lower welded aluminum part 14.

[0050] Specifically, the fourth lifting and rotating assembly 13 includes a lifting base plate 1302, a rotary motor 1303, a magnetofluid 1304, an output rod 1305, and two electric lifting rods 1301. The two electric lifting rods 1301 are located at the bottom of the buffer cavity and output power vertically. The lifting base plate 1302 is connected to the output ends of the two electric lifting rods 1301. The rotary motor 1303 is mounted on the lifting base plate 1302, and its output end is connected to the lower end of the output rod 1305. The output rod 1305 penetrates the bottom of the buffer cavity to form a cylindrical sealing pair. The upper end of the output rod 1305 is placed inside the buffer cavity and connected to the buffer plate 15. The output rod 1305 and the bottom of the buffer cavity achieve a dynamic seal through the magnetofluid 1304. The rotary motor 1303 is preferably, but not limited to, a servo motor.

[0051] In embodiments of the present invention, vacuum manipulator I4 includes a vacuum manipulator body 401, a horizontal telescopic rod 402, and a gripper 403. The vacuum manipulator body 401 is connected to an interface provided on the side of the buffer cavity 1. The horizontal telescopic rod 402 is horizontally placed inside the buffer cavity 1, with one end connected to the vacuum manipulator body 401 and the other end connected to the gripper 403. The gripper 403 is used to grip the lower welded aluminum part 14. The horizontal telescopic rod 402 can extend into the magnetron sputtering cavity 2 to realize the transfer of the component. Vacuum manipulator II5 has the same structure as vacuum manipulator I4, both having two degrees of freedom, namely horizontal movement and gripping function (clamping the lower welded aluminum part 14).

[0052] See Figure 2 In an embodiment of the present invention, the magnetron sputtering cavity 2 includes a magnetron sputtering cavity body, a third lifting and rotating assembly 12, an argon ion bombardment cleaning module II 28, and a support stage 29. The third lifting and rotating assembly 12 is disposed at the bottom of the magnetron sputtering cavity body, and its output end is located within the magnetron sputtering cavity body and connected to the support stage 29. The third lifting and rotating assembly 12 is used to drive the support stage 29 to lift and rotate. The argon ion bombardment cleaning module II 28 is disposed at the top inner side of the magnetron sputtering cavity body. The argon ion bombardment cleaning module II 28 is used to clean the upper surface 1401 to be welded of the lower aluminum part 14 and to sputter a nano-aluminum coating. The upper surface 1401 to be welded undergoes oxide film removal and surface finish improvement to prevent secondary oxidation. A nano-aluminum coating is deposited on the upper surface 1401 to form a uniform intermediate bonding layer.

[0053] Specifically, the third lifting and rotating assembly 12 and the fourth lifting and rotating assembly 13 have the same structure.

[0054] See Figure 1-2 , Figure 4-5As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the diffusion welding cavity 3 includes a diffusion welding cavity body, a first lifting and rotating assembly 10, a second lifting and rotating assembly 11, an upper loading stage 17, an upper heater 18, a heat insulation pad 19, a lower loading stage 21, a horizontal moving stage 22, a lower lifting stage 23, and an ultrasonic vibration module. The first lifting and rotating assembly 10 and the second lifting and rotating assembly 11 are respectively disposed at the top and bottom of the diffusion welding cavity body, and both have degrees of freedom for lifting and rotating. The output end of the first lifting and rotating assembly 10 is placed inside the diffusion welding cavity body and is sequentially connected to the heat insulation pad 19, the upper heater 18, and the upper loading stage 17. The upper loading stage 17 is used to fix the upper welded aluminum part 16. The output end of the second lifting and rotating assembly 11 is placed inside the diffusion welding cavity body and is sequentially connected to the lower lifting stage 23, the horizontal moving stage 22, and the lower loading stage 21. The horizontal moving stage 22 and the lower lifting stage 23 slide horizontally together. The ultrasonic vibration module is disposed on the lower lifting stage 23 and is used to provide ultrasonic vibration.

[0055] See Figure 4 As shown in the embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic vibration module includes an ultrasonic variable amplitude rod 25 and a piezoelectric ceramic transducer 26. The lower end of the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod 25 is connected to the lower lifting platform 23, and the upper end is in contact with or connected to the side of the horizontal moving platform 22. The piezoelectric ceramic transducer 26 is disposed at the lower end of the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod 25. The ultrasonic vibration generated by the piezoelectric ceramic transducer 26 is amplified by the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod 25 and transmitted to the horizontal moving platform 22, causing the horizontal moving platform 22 to drive the lowering stage 21 to reciprocate horizontally. This enhances the interfacial bonding energy of the nano-aluminum crystals through ultrasonic vibration, reducing the pressure and temperature required for welding.

[0056] Further, see Figure 5 As shown, the diffusion welding chamber is also equipped with an argon ion bombardment cleaning module I27, which is used to clean the lower surface 1601 of the upper aluminum part 16 to be welded and to sputter a nano-aluminum coating. The oxide film on the lower surface 1601 of the upper aluminum part 16 to be welded is removed by ion bombardment cleaning, thereby improving surface activity and reducing the diffusion welding temperature.

[0057] See Figures 6 to 8 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, there are multiple microchannel grooves 1602 arranged in parallel; the stress fixture 20 includes multiple microchannel filling pieces 2002 arranged in parallel and spaced apart, and an external connecting piece 2001 for connecting the multiple microchannel filling pieces 2002. The multiple microchannel filling pieces 2002 are sequentially filled into each microchannel groove 1602 of the upper welded aluminum part 16. The pre-compression stress provided by the stress fixture 20 constrains the sidewall of the microchannel and prevents the pressure rod from becoming unstable.

[0058] Furthermore, the upper stage 17 has a U-shaped groove, and the upper welded aluminum part 16 is accommodated in the U-shaped groove of the upper stage 17; both the upper stage 17 and the stress fixture 20 are made of steel. Preferably, the upper stage 17 is made of stainless steel, grade 304; the stress fixture 20 is made of steel with grade Q235B.

[0059] Specifically, the microchannel width is 149 μm, and the channel height is designed with an aspect ratio (H / W) of 5:1 to balance flow resistance and heat transfer efficiency. The wall thickness of the aluminum microchannels is typically controlled at 149 μm to ensure structural strength and reduce thermal resistance. In this embodiment, eight microchannel grooves 1602 are provided below the upper welded aluminum part 16.

[0060] Assembly method of stress fixture 20: The stress fixture 20 is cooled by liquid nitrogen and then placed on the loading stage 21. The stress fixture 20 and the microchannel groove 1602 of the upper welded aluminum part 16 are fitted together with a clearance fit. When the stress fixture 20 returns to room temperature of 20°C, an interference fit is formed between the stress fixture 20, the upper welded aluminum part 16 and the upper loading stage 17.

[0061] The stress fixture 20 is used as follows: the stress fixture 20, the upper welding aluminum part 16 and the upper stage 17 are heated to the diffusion welding temperature by the upper heater 18. By utilizing the difference in the expansion coefficients of the three, the lower surface 1601 of the upper welding aluminum part 16 is subjected to controllable compressive strain, thereby improving the diffusion welding strength.

[0062] Specifically, the upper welded aluminum part 16 undergoes ion bombardment cleaning to remove the oxide film, with a process cycle of 25 minutes; the lower welded aluminum part 14 also undergoes ion bombardment cleaning to remove the oxide film, with a process cycle of 25 minutes; the lower welded aluminum part 14 is then plated with a nano-aluminum layer, with a process cycle of 120 minutes; the vacuum system requires a vacuum level better than 9 × 10−4 Pa and a maintenance time of 2 hours. To adapt to the cycle optimization requirements of multiple processes such as ion bombardment cleaning to remove the oxide film, vacuum establishment, and nano-aluminum layer plating, the vacuum system of this invention is equipped with a three-chamber vacuum door 8 and supporting components.

[0063] This invention employs a multi-station buffer and continuous operation cycle time matching scheme to improve equipment utilization:

[0064] Buffer station configuration: Buffer chamber 1 can buffer four lower welding aluminum parts 14 at a time, providing continuous workpiece supply for magnetron sputtering chamber 2.

[0065] Continuous operation optimization: The magnetron sputtering cavity 2 can continuously process multiple lower welded aluminum parts 14 without repeatedly establishing a vacuum for a single workpiece, significantly improving the equipment utilization rate of the magnetron sputtering cavity 2.

[0066] Beat matching method: The specific methods for calculating the Gantt chart for beat matching are conventional techniques in this field and will not be elaborated here.

[0067] Maintenance and cycle time isolation: The vacuum door 8 of the magnetron sputtering cavity 2 is mainly used for equipment maintenance to prevent workpiece loading and unloading from affecting the overall production cycle time.

[0068] See Figures 1 to 8 As shown, another embodiment of the present invention provides a magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-phase diffusion bonding method for aluminum alloys based on the device described above, comprising the following steps:

[0069] Step S1: Place the lower welding aluminum part 14 into the buffer chamber 1. Establish a high vacuum environment in the buffer chamber 1, preferably 9×10. - 4 Pa, time is 2h; then open the slide valve I6, and use the vacuum manipulator I4 to send the lower welded aluminum part 14 into the magnetron sputtering chamber 2;

[0070] Step S2: Argon ion bombardment cleaning is performed on the upper surface 1401 of the aluminum part 14 to be welded in the magnetron sputtering chamber 2. The cleaning conditions are: vacuum degree 9×10 -4 Pa, working air pressure 6×10 -2 Pa, voltage 600-1000V, duty cycle 30-60%, cleaning time 5-25min;

[0071] Nano-aluminum coatings were prepared by DC magnetron sputtering: sputtering conditions were: vacuum degree 9×10 -4 Pa, the stage 29 rotates at 3-5 rpm to ensure uniform sputtering, working air pressure 0.5-2 Pa, power 100-150 W, sputtering time 0.5-2 h;

[0072] Step S3: In the diffusion welding cavity 3, the upper welding aluminum part 16 and the stress tooling 20 are assembled and installed on the upper stage 17. The oxide film on the lower welding surface 1601 of the upper welding aluminum part 16 is removed by the argon ion bombardment cleaning module I27.

[0073] Step S4: The lower welding aluminum part 14, which has been cleaned and sputtered with nano aluminum coating, is sent into the lower stage 21 of the diffusion welding chamber 3 by the vacuum robot II5, and a forging pressure of 3-8MPa is applied to the lower welding aluminum part 14 and the upper welding aluminum part 16.

[0074] Step S5: Under the conditions of upsetting pressure, welding prestress and ultrasonic assistance of 600-1000W, heat the upper welding aluminum part 16 and the lower welding aluminum part 14 to 350-550℃, hold for 2-10 minutes, and complete the diffusion welding.

[0075] Step S6: After releasing the vacuum, use mechanical or chemical methods to remove stress from fixture 20.

[0076] This invention improves welding quality and avoids the defects of traditional processes by optimizing the processes of argon ion bombardment cleaning, magnetron sputtering of nano-aluminum coating, and solid-phase ultrasonic assistance. It solves the problem of welding instability of high aspect ratio microchannel sidewalls by using compressive stress tooling, ensuring structural integrity. At the same time, it reduces costs and improves production efficiency by using external drive motors and multi-process cycle matching with magnetohydrodynamic technology. The process is also highly versatile and applicable to solid-phase diffusion bonding of various aluminum alloys and complex components such as heat dissipation elements containing microchannels.

[0077] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-phase diffusion bonding device for aluminum alloys, characterized in that, The assembly includes a vacuum manipulator I (4), a buffer chamber (1), a magnetron sputtering chamber (2), a diffusion welding chamber (3), and a vacuum manipulator II (5) connected in sequence. The buffer chamber (1) is used as a vacuum storage chamber for the lower aluminum part (14) to be welded. The magnetron sputtering chamber (2) is used for cleaning the upper surface (1401) to be welded on the lower aluminum part (14) and sputtering the nano-aluminum coating. The diffusion welding chamber (3) is used for upsetting diffusion welding of the upper aluminum part (16) and the lower aluminum part (14). The lower surface (1601) to be welded on the upper aluminum part (16) has a microchannel groove (1602), and the microchannel groove (1602) is filled with a stress fixture (20). The vacuum manipulator I (4) is used for component transfer between the buffer chamber (1) and the magnetron sputtering chamber (2). The vacuum manipulator II (5) is used for component transfer between the magnetron sputtering chamber (2) and the diffusion welding chamber (3).

2. The magnetron sputtering-assisted aluminum alloy solid-state diffusion bonding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A gate valve I (6) is provided between the buffer chamber (1) and the magnetron sputtering chamber (2), and the gate valve I (6) is used to open and close the connection between the buffer chamber (1) and the magnetron sputtering chamber (2); a gate valve II (7) is provided between the magnetron sputtering chamber (2) and the diffusion welding chamber (3), and the gate valve II (7) is used to open and close the connection between the magnetron sputtering chamber (2) and the diffusion welding chamber (3).

3. The magnetron sputtering-assisted aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion bonding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diffusion welding cavity (3) includes a diffusion welding cavity body, a first lifting and rotating assembly (10), a second lifting and rotating assembly (11), an upper loading stage (17), an upper heater (18), a heat insulation pad (19), a lower loading stage (21), a horizontal moving stage (22), a lower lifting stage (23), and an ultrasonic vibration module. The first lifting and rotating assembly (10) and the second lifting and rotating assembly (11) are respectively located at the top and bottom of the diffusion welding cavity body, and both have degrees of freedom for lifting and rotating. The first lifting and rotating assembly (10) has a transmission... The output end is placed inside the diffusion welding cavity and is connected in sequence to the heat insulation pad (19), the upper heater (18) and the upper loading stage (17). The upper loading stage (17) is used to fix the upper welded aluminum part (16). The output end of the second lifting and rotating assembly (11) is placed inside the diffusion welding cavity and is connected in sequence to the lower lifting stage (23), the horizontal moving stage (22) and the lower loading stage (21). The horizontal moving stage (22) slides horizontally with the lower lifting stage (23). The ultrasonic vibration module is set on the lower lifting stage (23) and is used to provide ultrasonic vibration.

4. The magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-phase diffusion bonding device for aluminum alloys according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ultrasonic vibration module includes an ultrasonic variable amplitude rod (25) and a piezoelectric ceramic transducer (26). The lower end of the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod (25) is connected to the lower lifting platform (23), and the upper end is in contact with or connected to the side of the horizontal moving platform (22). The piezoelectric ceramic transducer (26) is located at the lower end of the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod (25). The ultrasonic vibration generated by the piezoelectric ceramic transducer (26) is amplified by the ultrasonic variable amplitude rod (25) and transmitted to the horizontal moving platform (22), causing the horizontal moving platform (22) to drive the loading platform (21) to reciprocate horizontally.

5. The magnetron sputtering-assisted aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion bonding device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The diffusion welding cavity is also equipped with an argon ion bombardment cleaning module I (27), which is used to clean the lower surface (1601) to be welded of the upper aluminum part (16) and sputter a nano-aluminum coating.

6. The magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-state diffusion bonding device for aluminum alloys according to claim 3, characterized in that, The microchannel grooves (1602) are multiple and arranged in parallel; The stress fixture (20) includes a plurality of microchannel filler pieces (2002) arranged in parallel intervals and an external connecting piece (2001) for connecting the plurality of microchannel filler pieces (2002). The plurality of microchannel filler pieces (2002) are sequentially filled into each microchannel groove (1602) of the upper welded aluminum part (16).

7. The magnetron sputtering-assisted aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion bonding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The upper stage (17) has a U-shaped groove, and the upper welded aluminum part (16) is accommodated in the U-shaped groove of the upper stage (17); the upper stage (17) and the stress fixture (20) are both made of steel.

8. The magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-state diffusion bonding device for aluminum alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetron sputtering cavity (2) includes a magnetron sputtering cavity body, a third lifting and rotating assembly (12), an argon ion bombardment cleaning module II (28), and a support platform (29). The third lifting and rotating assembly (12) is located at the bottom of the magnetron sputtering cavity body. The output end of the third lifting and rotating assembly (12) is placed inside the magnetron sputtering cavity body and connected to the support platform (29). The third lifting and rotating assembly (12) is used to drive the support platform (29) to lift and rotate. The argon ion bombardment cleaning module II (28) is located at the top inner side of the magnetron sputtering cavity body. The argon ion bombardment cleaning module II (28) is used to complete the cleaning of the upper surface (1401) to be welded on the lower aluminum part (14) and the sputtering of the nano-aluminum coating.

9. The magnetron sputtering-assisted aluminum alloy solid-phase diffusion bonding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buffer cavity (1) includes a buffer cavity body, a fourth lifting and rotating assembly (13) and a buffer plate (15), wherein the fourth lifting and rotating assembly (13) is located at the bottom of the buffer cavity body, and the output end of the fourth lifting and rotating assembly (13) is placed in the buffer cavity body and connected to the buffer plate (15); the fourth lifting and rotating assembly (13) is used to drive the buffer plate (15) to lift and rotate.

10. A method for magnetron sputtering-assisted solid-phase diffusion bonding of aluminum alloys based on the apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: Place the lower welding aluminum part (14) in the buffer chamber (1). After the buffer chamber (1) establishes a high vacuum environment, the lower welding aluminum part (14) is sent into the magnetron sputtering chamber (2) by the vacuum manipulator I (4). Step S2: Argon ion bombardment cleaning is performed on the upper surface (1401) of the aluminum part (14) to be welded in the magnetron sputtering cavity (2), and then a nano-aluminum coating is prepared by DC magnetron sputtering. Step S3: Assemble the upper welding aluminum part (16) with the stress fixture (20) in the diffusion welding cavity (3) and remove the oxide film on the lower welding surface (1601) of the upper welding aluminum part (16); Step S4: The lower welded aluminum part (14) that has been cleaned and sputtered with nano-aluminum coating is sent into the diffusion welding chamber (3) by vacuum robot II (5), and upsetting pressure is applied to the lower welded aluminum part (14) and the upper welded aluminum part (16); Step S5: Diffusion welding is completed by heating under ultrasonic assistance, upsetting pressure, and welding prestress. Step S6: After releasing the vacuum, remove the stress fixture (20).

Images