A powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating device

Abstract

This invention relates to a powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus. The invention includes a powder carrier, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a transmission mechanism. The powder carrier is disposed at one end of the driven shaft, and the other end of the driven shaft is connected to one end of the drive shaft via the transmission mechanism. The central axis of the driven shaft forms an angle α with the horizontal direction. This invention enables the formation of a uniform, dense, and strongly adherent functional film layer on the surface of a powder substrate, and the apparatus has a simple structure and is easy to operate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of magnetron sputtering coating technology, and particularly relates to a powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating device. Background Technology

[0002] Adding silicon carbide (SiC) powder to aluminum alloys can significantly improve their mechanical properties. However, silicon carbide is a ceramic phase, while liquid aluminum alloy is a metallic phase. The significant difference in intermolecular forces between the two leads to the tendency of silicon carbide powder to agglomerate and float in aluminum alloys, making uniform dispersion difficult. Nickel (Ni) and aluminum (Al), on the other hand, both have face-centered cubic (FCC) structures and meet the requirements for forming a finite solid solution in the Hume-Rothery model. Nickel exhibits good wettability in molten aluminum, avoiding significant non-fusion and agglomeration. Leveraging the advantage of nickel and aluminum forming a good solid solution, nickel deposition on the surface of silicon carbide powder using magnetron sputtering effectively solves the problem of uneven distribution of silicon carbide in aluminum alloys. During the Ni film deposition process on SiC powder using magnetron sputtering, it is crucial to ensure that each particle has the opportunity to expose its surface during film growth, allowing Ni deposition on each particle. This ensures that the Ni-encapsulated SiC powder is uniformly distributed in the molten aluminum.

[0003] Traditional magnetron sputtering coating is primarily designed for planar substrates or bulk materials. However, when coating powder substrates, the powder particles are densely packed and mutually obscure each other. Simple motion is insufficient to effectively agitate the powder, resulting in some powder surfaces remaining uncoated and severely impacting coating quality. Existing technologies include devices that agitate powder using rotation or ultrasonic vibration; however, these devices operate on a single motion pattern, offering limited agitation and failing to achieve adequate powder surface exposure. Therefore, developing a device capable of realizing complex three-dimensional powder motion to obtain a uniform powder coating is crucial. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention addresses the technical problems of powder agglomeration, uneven coating, and poor film adhesion in existing magnetron sputtering coating processes by providing a powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating device. This invention can form a uniform, dense, and strongly adherent functional film layer on the surface of a powder substrate, and the device has a simple structure and is easy to operate.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: The present invention is a powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating device, which is characterized in that: the powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating device includes a powder carrier device, a drive shaft, a driven shaft and a transmission mechanism. The powder carrier device is disposed at one end of the driven shaft, and the other end of the driven shaft is connected to one end of the drive shaft through the transmission mechanism. The central axis of the driven shaft is inclined at an angle α with the horizontal direction.

[0006] Furthermore, the gear transmission mechanism includes a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear that mesh with each other. The first bevel gear is fixedly installed at one end of the drive shaft, and the second bevel gear is fixedly installed at the end where the driven shaft connects to the drive shaft.

[0007] Furthermore, the included angle α is 45°.

[0008] Furthermore, the powder carrier is movably connected to the driven shaft and can rotate around the driven shaft.

[0009] Furthermore, the powder carrier has a cylindrical, conical, or bowl-shaped structure.

[0010] Furthermore, a boss is provided around the bottom of the powder carrier.

[0011] Furthermore, the boss structure is a ring-shaped or stepped protrusion.

[0012] Furthermore, the boss and the powder carrier are integrated into one structure.

[0013] Furthermore, a first bearing is provided on the drive shaft.

[0014] Furthermore, a second bearing is provided on the driven shaft.

[0015] This invention provides a powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus. The core of this invention lies in transforming the original single rotational motion of the equipment into a complex motion of the powder-carrying device through a spatial gear mechanism. Rotation breaks up the powder agglomeration, exposing more of the powder surface. This invention features a compact structure, complex motion modes, and the ability to utilize existing equipment drives to effectively achieve three-dimensional tumbling of powder particles, thereby obtaining a uniform, all-around magnetron sputtering coating. Therefore, this invention has the following advantages:

[0016] 1) Highly efficient powder tumbling to prevent accumulation: During the compound motion of this invention, the bottom protrusions continuously disrupt the flow of powder particles. When the powder tends to slide or accumulate at the bottom of the powder carrier due to centrifugal force, the protrusions can block and lift the powder, enhancing the three-dimensional tumbling effect of the powder particles, effectively preventing local accumulation of powder particles, and achieving excellent exposure of powder particles.

[0017] 2) Extremely high coating uniformity: This invention converts the rotation of the drive shaft into the rotation of the driven shaft through bevel gears, so that the powder carrier device "rotates" around the driven shaft while simultaneously "revolving" around the drive shaft along with the driven shaft as a whole. The combination of these two motions, along with the inclined installation angle, causes the powder particles to produce complex three-dimensional tumbling motion, ensuring that all surfaces of every powder particle are uniformly coated.

[0018] 3) Efficient use of existing equipment: This invention directly uses the existing magnetron sputtering equipment's built-in rotating frame drive as a power source, eliminating the need for an additional motor, simplifying the system structure, reducing costs, and ensuring the integrity of the vacuum system.

[0019] 4) High reliability: The invention uses bearing support, which ensures smooth and reliable operation and has a compact structure, making it very suitable for use in vacuum cavities with limited space. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the powder carrier device of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a top view of the powder carrier device of the present invention.

[0023] The symbols in the attached image are explained as follows:

[0024] 1. Drive shaft; 2. First bearing; 3. First bevel gear; 4. Second bevel gear; 5. Driven shaft; 6. Second bearing; 7. Powder bearing device; 8. Boss. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The overall solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0026] See Figure 1 The specific embodiment of the present invention includes a powder carrying device 7, a drive shaft 1, a driven shaft 5, and a transmission mechanism. The powder carrying device 7 is fixedly connected to one end of the driven shaft 5, and the other end of the driven shaft 5 is connected to one end of the drive shaft 1 through the transmission mechanism. The central axis of the driven shaft 5 forms an inclined angle α with the horizontal direction; that is, the central axis of the powder carrying device 7 forms an inclined angle α with the horizontal direction. This angle α is preferably 45°, which achieves the best balance between the tumbling effect of the powder and preventing the powder from being thrown out. The gear transmission mechanism consists of a pair of meshing bevel gears, including a first bevel gear 3 and a second bevel gear 4 that mesh with each other. The first bevel gear 3 is fixedly installed at one end of the drive shaft 1, and the second bevel gear 4 is fixedly installed at the end where the driven shaft 5 connects to the drive shaft 1. A pair of first bearings 2 are provided on the drive shaft 1. A pair of second bearings 6 are provided on the driven shaft 5. The axes of the drive shaft 1 and the driven shaft 5 intersect in space. The powder carrying device 7 has a cylindrical, conical, or bowl-shaped structure; in this embodiment, it is a cylindrical structure.

[0027] See Figure 2 , 3The powder carrier device 7 of the present invention has a boss 8 arranged around its bottom. The boss 8 has a stepped protrusion structure. The boss 8 is generally annular or arc-shaped. The boss 8 is integrally formed with the powder carrier device 7, which can effectively enhance the three-dimensional tumbling effect of powder particles and prevent the local accumulation of powder particles.

[0028] During installation, the drive shaft 1 is directly connected to the existing rotating frame drive device within the vacuum chamber of the magnetron sputtering equipment. The drive shaft 1 is supported and fixed to the bracket inside the vacuum chamber of the magnetron sputtering equipment via a pair of first bearings 2, ensuring smooth rotation. Similarly, the driven shaft 5 is supported on the bracket fixed inside the vacuum chamber of the magnetron sputtering equipment via a pair of second bearings 6.

[0029] The working principle of this invention is as follows: the rotating frame drive device is activated, driving the drive shaft 1 to rotate; the rotation of the drive shaft 1 is converted into the rotation of the driven shaft 5 through the first bevel gear 3 and the second bevel gear 4, and on the other hand, it drives the driven shaft 5 and the powder carrier device 7 to revolve. Therefore, the powder carrier device 7 simultaneously performs two movements: "rotation" around the driven shaft 5 and "revolution" around the drive shaft 1. The combination of these two movements causes the powder particles in the powder carrier device 7 to produce an extremely complex three-dimensional tumbling motion. Under the combined action of centrifugal force, gravity, and the bottom protrusion 8, the powder particles continuously change position and orientation. Particles pressed at the bottom are turned to the surface, and particles on the sides slide to the center. This tumbling ensures that every surface of every powder particle has a very high probability of being directly exposed to the atoms generated by the sputtering target, thereby achieving all-round uniform coating. The protrusion 8 at the bottom of the powder carrier device 7 further increases the time of powder exposure to the surface, improving the tumbling effect.

[0030] The technical contents of this invention and those not specifically described in the above embodiments are the same as those in the prior art.

[0031] The above are merely specific embodiments disclosed in this invention, but the scope of protection disclosed in this invention is not limited thereto. The scope of protection disclosed in this invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus, characterized in that: The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus includes a powder carrier, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a transmission mechanism. The powder carrier is located at one end of the driven shaft, and the other end of the driven shaft is connected to one end of the drive shaft through the transmission mechanism. The central axis of the driven shaft is inclined at an angle α with the horizontal direction.

2. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gear transmission mechanism includes a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear that mesh with each other. The first bevel gear is fixedly installed at one end of the drive shaft, and the second bevel gear is fixedly installed at the end where the driven shaft connects to the drive shaft.

3. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: The included angle α is 45°.

4. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that: The powder carrier is movably connected to the driven shaft and can rotate around the driven shaft.

5. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The powder carrier is cylindrical, conical, or bowl-shaped.

6. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The powder carrier device has a raised platform surrounding its bottom.

7. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The boss structure is a ring-shaped or stepped protrusion.

8. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that: The boss and the powder carrier are an integral structure.

9. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The drive shaft is equipped with a first bearing.

10. The powder magnetron sputtering uniform coating apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that: A second bearing is provided on the driven shaft.

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