An automatic coating thickness correction device, a coating method and an optical filter

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic thickness correction device, coating method, and filter for optical filters. The device includes a mask, multiple correction mechanisms, multiple thickness detection devices, and an electronic control board. The mask is disposed in a vacuum cavity between an evaporation source and the filter to be coated. Multiple opening areas are formed on the mask. The multiple correction mechanisms are electrically connected to the electronic control board and are respectively disposed on the side of the mask in the opening area away from the filter. They are used to block the opening areas according to control signals from the electronic control board to correct the thickness. The multiple thickness detection devices are electrically connected to the electronic control board and are respectively disposed on the side of the mask in the opening area closer to the filter. They are used to perform real-time thickness detection and transmit the detection results to the electronic control board. This invention achieves automatic thickness correction, improves thickness uniformity, uses a stainless steel plate as the correction plate, and extends its service life through sandblasting, saving maintenance time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of filter coating technology, and particularly to an automatic filter coating thickness correction device, coating method, and filter. Background Technology

[0002] Existing vacuum ion plating machines primarily utilize an electron gun to heat the vapor deposition material within a crucible, evaporating it onto the surface of optical components to form an optical film. In filter coating, a correction plate (or shield) is placed as a precision baffle between the evaporation / sputtering source and the workpiece (filter substrate) to correct film thickness uniformity. Because the particle flow from the evaporation / sputtering source exhibits a cosine distribution, the film thickness in the central region directly opposite the source is significantly greater than at the edges, leading to a shift in the filter's center wavelength, passband offset, and poor uniformity. The correction plate addresses this through a combination of "shielding + opening": a shielding area is placed directly above the source (the thickest area), while openings / flow passages are placed at the edges (thinnest areas), forcing particles to flow more towards the edges and less towards the center, thus ensuring a more uniform film thickness across the entire batch / substrate.

[0003] Currently used correction plates typically use an aluminum plate wrapped with aluminum foil. When adjusting the film thickness, a piece of aluminum sheet is trimmed or cut off with scissors to compensate for the corresponding position, and then taped on. This process is complicated, and the aluminum sheet is easily deformed. When aluminum foil is wrapped around the correction aluminum sheet, the film on the surface of the aluminum foil begins to peel off every two days, affecting the cleanliness and requiring frequent replacement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In existing technologies, using a correction plate to correct the coating thickness presents problems such as complex operation and cumbersome maintenance.

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, an automatic coating thickness correction device, coating method, and filter for optical filters are proposed. By integrating a coating thickness detection unit and a correction mechanism onto a mask, the coating thickness of the corresponding area can be detected in real time during coating. When the thickness difference exceeds a specified threshold, a control signal is output to drive the correction mechanism to block particles, reducing particle deposition thickness and achieving automatic correction of coating thickness, thus improving thickness uniformity. A stainless steel plate is used as the correction plate, and sandblasting extends its service life and saves maintenance time.

[0006] In a first aspect, an automatic thickness correction device for a filter coating includes: Mask plate; Multiple correctional bodies; Multiple thickness detection devices; Electronic control board; The mask plate is disposed in a vacuum cavity between the evaporation source and the filter to be coated; The mask plate is provided with multiple opening areas; The plurality of correction mechanisms are electrically connected to the electronic control board and are respectively disposed on the side of the mask plate in the opening area away from the filter, for use to block the opening area according to the control signal of the electronic control board in order to correct the thickness; The plurality of thickness detection devices are electrically connected to the electronic control board and are respectively disposed on the side of the mask plate in the opening area near the filter, for real-time thickness detection and transmission of the detection results to the electronic control board.

[0007] In conjunction with the automatic thickness correction device for the filter coating described in the first aspect of the present invention, in a first possible embodiment, the correction mechanism includes: Correction plate; Drive unit; The correction plate is disposed inside the housing of the correction mechanism and is connected to the drive device for transmission. The driving device is used to drive the correction plate to extend and retract according to the control signal of the electronic control board.

[0008] In conjunction with the first possible embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, in the second possible embodiment, the correction plate is made of stainless steel. The correction plate is: It is made by sandblasting stainless steel sheets.

[0009] In conjunction with the second and third possible embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, the roughness of the correction plate is greater than 7 units.

[0010] In a second aspect, a method for coating a filter, comprising using the automatic thickness correction device for the filter coating described in the first aspect for correction, including: Step 100: Pre-process the filter and fix the pre-processed filter on the workpiece holder in the vacuum chamber, and configure the target coating thickness, rotation speed and thickness deviation threshold. Step 200: Start the coating process using an electron gun. During the coating process, use a thickness detection device to detect the coating thickness of the corresponding area in real time and transmit the coating thickness detection data to the electronic control board to obtain the thickness deviation. Step 300: If the thickness deviation is greater than the thickness deviation threshold, the control board outputs a control signal to the corresponding correction mechanism for correction. If all thickness deviations are less than the thickness deviation threshold, the coating of this layer is completed.

[0011] In conjunction with the filter coating method described in the second aspect of the present invention, in a first possible embodiment, step 200 includes: Step 210: Obtain the coating thickness of each area of ​​the thickness detection device; Step 220: Compare the coating thickness of all the regions with the target coating thickness to obtain the thickness deviation of each region.

[0012] In conjunction with the first possible embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, in the second possible embodiment, step 300 includes: Step 310: If the thickness deviation is greater than the thickness deviation threshold, a control signal is transmitted to the driving device; Step 320: According to the control signal, the driving device drives the correction plate to extend out of the specified length.

[0013] In conjunction with the second possible embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, in a third possible embodiment, step 300 further includes: Step 330: If the thickness deviation is less than the thickness deviation threshold, then transmit a drive signal to the drive device; Step 340: According to the control signal, the driving device drives the correction plate to retract and return to its original position.

[0014] In conjunction with the filter coating method described in the second aspect of the present invention, in a fourth possible embodiment, the target coating thickness is configured to be 100 nm, the coating rotation speed is configured to be 30 r / min, and the film thickness deviation threshold is configured to be 0.5 nm.

[0015] Thirdly, a filter is vacuum coated using the coating method described in the second aspect.

[0016] The automatic coating thickness correction device, coating method, and filter of the present invention integrate a coating thickness detection unit and a correction mechanism on the mask plate. The coating thickness of the corresponding area can be detected in real time during coating. When the thickness difference exceeds the specified threshold, a control signal is output to drive the correction mechanism to block particles, reduce the particle deposition thickness, and realize automatic correction of coating thickness, thereby improving thickness uniformity. Stainless steel plate is used as correction plate, and sandblasting improves the service life and saves correction plate maintenance time. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments 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 these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the coating cavity and correction mechanism of the present invention; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the coating cavity and correction mechanism of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the filter coating method of the present invention; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of step 200; Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of step 300; Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another specific embodiment following step 320.

[0019] Component names and serial numbers 101--Workpiece holder, 102--Filter, 103--Thickness detection device, 104--Mask plate, 105--Correction mechanism, 106--Electrical control board, 107--Evaporation source, 108--Coating chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of this invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are all within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0022] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0023] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application 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 limitations on this application.

[0024] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0025] To address the above problems, an automatic thickness correction device, a coating method, and a filter 102 for an optical filter 102 are proposed.

[0026] Firstly, an automatic thickness correction device for the coating of a filter 102, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the coating chamber 108 and correction mechanism 105 of the present invention; it includes a mask plate 104, multiple correction mechanisms 105, multiple thickness detection devices 103, and an electronic control board 106; the mask plate 104 is disposed in the vacuum chamber 108 between the evaporation source 107 and the filter 102 to be coated; multiple opening areas are provided on the mask plate 104; the multiple correction mechanisms 105 are electrically connected to the electronic control board 106 respectively, and are respectively disposed on the side of the mask plate 104 in the opening area away from the filter 102, for blocking the opening area according to the control signal of the electronic control board 106 to correct the thickness; the multiple thickness detection devices 103 are electrically connected to the electronic control board 106 respectively, and are respectively disposed on the side of the mask plate 104 in the opening area close to the filter 102, for performing real-time thickness detection and transmitting the detection results to the electronic control board 106.

[0027] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the coating chamber 108 and the correction mechanism 105 of the present invention; the filter 102 is fixed on the workpiece holder 101, the mask plate 104 is fixed in the vacuum chamber 108 between the evaporation source 107 and the filter 102 to be coated, and the correction mechanism 105 uses the extension of the correction plate to block the particles, thereby adjusting the coating thickness and improving uniformity.

[0028] In this embodiment, the thickness detection device 103, the control board, and the correction mechanism 105 form a thickness correction closed loop, ensuring the uniformity of the coating thickness.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the correction mechanism 105 includes a correction plate and a drive device; the correction plate is disposed inside the housing of the correction mechanism 105 and is connected to the drive device in a transmission manner; the drive device is used to drive the correction plate to extend or retract according to the control signal of the electronic control board 106.

[0030] In this embodiment, under the drive of the driving device, the correction plate performs a telescopic movement, extending to block particles and reduce the coating thickness in the corresponding area of ​​the filter, which helps to solve the problems of "detection lag and passive correction" in traditional coating.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the correction plate is made of stainless steel; the correction plate is made by sandblasting the stainless steel plate. The roughness of the correction plate is greater than 7 units.

[0032] In this embodiment, sandblasting is beneficial for the safety, stability, and slag-free coating process, increases surface roughness, and enhances film adhesion. When the correction plate is coated with film in a vacuum for a long time, the smooth stainless steel film is prone to peeling, flaking, and slag. After sandblasting, the surface becomes rough, the film "grips firmly", and the film cracks, powdering, and contamination of the lens are reduced. During sandblasting, the abrasive particle size is 64 mesh and the sandblasting pressure is above 0.3 MPa.

[0033] In this embodiment, by integrating a coating thickness detection unit and a correction mechanism 105 on the mask plate 104, the coating thickness of the corresponding area can be detected in real time during coating. When the thickness difference exceeds a specified threshold, a control signal is output to drive the correction mechanism 105 to block particles, reduce the particle deposition thickness, and realize automatic correction of coating thickness, thereby improving thickness uniformity. Stainless steel plate is used as the correction plate, and sandblasting improves the service life and saves the maintenance time of the correction plate.

[0034] Secondly, a coating method for a filter 102, such as... Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the coating method for the filter 102 of the present invention; the coating thickness is corrected using an automatic coating thickness correction device for the filter 102 of the first aspect, including: Step 100: Pre-process the filter 102, fix the pre-processed filter 102 on the workpiece holder 101 in the vacuum chamber 108, and configure the target coating thickness, rotation speed and thickness deviation threshold.

[0035] In this embodiment, the filter 102 to be coated is fixed on the workpiece holder 101 of the coating chamber 108, the chamber 108 is closed, and a vacuum is drawn to a preset vacuum level (e.g., 1×10⁻⁶). -3Pa); Parameter configuration: Through the human-computer interaction interface, input parameters such as target film thickness (e.g., 100nm), coating speed (e.g., 30r / min), and film thickness deviation threshold (e.g., ±0.5nm).

[0036] Step 200: Start the coating process using an electron gun. During the coating process, use the thickness detection device 103 to detect the coating thickness in the corresponding area in real time, and transmit the coating thickness detection data to the electronic control board 106 to obtain the thickness deviation.

[0037] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 4 , Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of step 200; step 200 includes: step 210, obtaining the coating thickness of each region of the thickness detection device 103; step 220, comparing the coating thickness of all regions with the target coating thickness to obtain the thickness deviation of each region.

[0038] Coating start: The material generates coating particles through the energy of the electron gun, and the filter 102 rotates with the workpiece holder 101 to start the first layer of film formation; Real-time detection: During the first layer of film formation, multiple film thickness detection devices 103 synchronously collect film thickness data and transmit it to the control module.

[0039] Step 300: If the thickness deviation is greater than the thickness deviation threshold, the control board outputs a control signal to the corresponding correction mechanism 105 for correction. If all thickness deviations are less than the thickness deviation threshold, the coating of this layer is completed.

[0040] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 5 , Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of step 300; step 300 includes: step 310, if the thickness deviation is greater than the thickness deviation threshold, then transmit a control signal to the driving device; step 320, according to the control signal, the driving device drives the correction plate to extend out of the specified length.

[0041] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 6 , Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another specific embodiment following step 320. Step 300 further includes: step 330, if the thickness deviation is less than the thickness deviation threshold, then a drive signal is transmitted to the drive device; step 340, according to the control signal, the drive device drives the correction plate to retract and return to its original position.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the target coating thickness is configured to be 100 nm, the coating rotation speed is configured to be 30 r / min, and the film thickness deviation threshold is configured to be 0.5 nm.

[0043] Thirdly, a filter 102 is vacuum coated using the coating method of the filter 102 in the second aspect.

[0044] The automatic coating thickness correction device, coating method, and filter 102 of the present invention integrate a coating thickness detection unit and a correction mechanism 105 on a mask plate 104. This allows for real-time detection of the coating thickness in the corresponding area during coating. When the thickness difference exceeds a specified threshold, a control signal is output to drive the correction mechanism 105 to block particles, reducing particle deposition thickness and achieving automatic correction of the coating thickness. This improves thickness uniformity. The use of a stainless steel plate as the correction plate and sandblasting extend the service life and save correction plate maintenance time.

[0045] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic coating thickness correction device for optical filters, characterized by, include: Mask plate; Multiple correctional bodies; Multiple thickness detection devices; Electronic control board; The mask plate is disposed in a vacuum cavity between the evaporation source and the filter to be coated; The mask plate is provided with multiple opening areas; The plurality of correction mechanisms are electrically connected to the electronic control board and are respectively disposed on the side of the mask plate in the opening area away from the filter, for use to block the opening area according to the control signal of the electronic control board in order to correct the thickness; The plurality of thickness detection devices are electrically connected to the electronic control board and are respectively disposed on the side of the mask plate in the opening area near the filter, for real-time thickness detection and transmission of the detection results to the electronic control board.

2. The automatic coating thickness correction device for the filter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The correction mechanism includes: Correction plate; Drive unit; The correction plate is disposed inside the housing of the correction mechanism and is connected to the drive device for transmission. The driving device is used to drive the correction plate to extend and retract according to the control signal of the electronic control board.

3. The automatic coating thickness correction device for the filter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The correction plate is made of stainless steel. The correction plate is: It is made by sandblasting stainless steel sheets.

4. The automatic coating thickness correction device for the filter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The roughness of the correction plate is greater than 7 units.

5. A method for coating a filter, comprising using the automatic thickness correction device for the filter coating as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, include: Step 100: Pre-process the filter and fix the pre-processed filter on the workpiece holder in the vacuum chamber, and configure the target coating thickness, rotation speed and thickness deviation threshold. Step 200: Start the coating process using an electron gun. During the coating process, use a thickness detection device to detect the coating thickness of the corresponding area in real time and transmit the coating thickness detection data to the electronic control board to obtain the thickness deviation. Step 300: If the thickness deviation is greater than the thickness deviation threshold, the control board outputs a control signal to the corresponding correction mechanism for correction. If all thickness deviations are less than the thickness deviation threshold, the coating of this layer is completed.

6. The method for coating a filter according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step 200 includes: Step 210: Obtain the coating thickness of each area of ​​the thickness detection device; Step 220: Compare the coating thickness of all the regions with the target coating thickness to obtain the thickness deviation of each region.

7. The method for coating a filter according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step 300 includes: Step 310: If the thickness deviation is greater than the thickness deviation threshold, a control signal is transmitted to the driving device; Step 320: According to the control signal, the driving device drives the correction plate to extend out of the specified length.

8. The method for coating a filter according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step 300 further includes: Step 330: If the thickness deviation is less than the thickness deviation threshold, then transmit a drive signal to the drive device; Step 340: According to the control signal, the driving device drives the correction plate to retract and return to its original position.

9. The method for coating a filter according to claim 5, characterized in that, The target coating thickness is configured to be 100 nm, the coating rotation speed is configured to be 30 r / min, and the film thickness deviation threshold is configured to be 0.5 nm.

10. A filter, characterized in that, Vacuum coating is performed using the coating method for the filter according to any one of claims 5-9.

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