Magnetron sputtering coating equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses magnetron sputtering coating equipment. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment comprises a main body, a target material assembly, a winding conveying assembly, a barrier piece and an inert gas source, a vacuum cavity is formed in the main body; the target material assembly is arranged in the vacuum cavity; the winding and conveying assembly is arranged in the vacuum cavity and comprises a film coating roller and a winding and conveying roller set, the film coating roller is arranged on the outer side of the target material assembly, and the winding and conveying roller set is at least used for unwinding a base film onto the film coating roller or winding the base film from the film coating roller; the multiple blocking pieces are at least arranged on the two sides of the target material assembly, airflow channels are formed in the blocking pieces, and a first gap allowing a base film to penetrate through is formed between an outlet of each airflow channel and the coating roller; and the inert gas source is communicated with the gas flow channel. According to the magnetron sputtering coating device, the problem that target material atoms are easy to escape to pipelines and components in a vacuum cavity when magnetron sputtering coating equipment in the prior art works can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of vacuum coating, in particular to a magnetron sputtering coating device. Background Art

[0002] Conductive metal film is a polymer material with metal plated on the surface. It is widely used in lithium-ion batteries, mainly as a battery current collector in lithium-ion batteries.

[0003] Magnetron sputtering coating equipment is a common equipment for preparing conductive metal films. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment uses the coating material as the target cathode, uses argon ions to bombard the target material, generates cathode sputtering, and sputters the target material atoms onto the base film to form a deposition layer. The coating material remains solid and does not form a molten pool. For example, in the magnetron sputtering coating equipment disclosed in the Chinese utility model patent with publication number CN108754446A, the base film of the conductive metal film is output from the unwinding roller until it is rolled back at the winding roller. During the process, it passes through the main cooling roller and several sputtering targets located next to the main cooling roller. The target material atoms in the sputtering target are mainly sputtered onto the base film to form a deposition layer, but some target material atoms will also escape into the vacuum chamber, affecting the pipelines, components, etc. in the vacuum chamber. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide a magnetron sputtering coating device to solve the problem in the prior art that when the magnetron sputtering coating device is working, target atoms are easily scattered to the pipelines and components in the vacuum chamber.

[0005] According to one aspect of the utility model, a magnetron sputtering coating device is provided, wherein the magnetron sputtering coating device is used to coat a base film, comprising:

[0006] A main body, wherein a vacuum chamber is provided on the main body;

[0007] A target assembly, wherein the target assembly is disposed in the vacuum chamber;

[0008] A winding and conveying assembly, wherein the winding and conveying assembly is arranged in the vacuum chamber, the winding and conveying assembly comprises a coating roller and a winding and conveying roller group, the coating roller is arranged outside the target material assembly, and the winding and conveying roller group is at least used to unwind the base film onto the coating roller or to rewind the base film from the coating roller;

[0009] A barrier, wherein there are a plurality of barrier members, and the plurality of barrier members are arranged at least on two sides of the target assembly, and an air flow channel is arranged on the barrier, and a first gap for the base film to pass through is provided between the outlet of the air flow channel and the coating roller;

[0010] An inert gas source is communicated with the gas flow channel.

[0011] Furthermore, the barrier member includes a plurality of plates, the plurality of plates are arranged to surround the airflow channel, and the airflow channel has a narrowing section close to the outlet, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the narrowing section gradually decreases in the direction close to the outlet.

[0012] Furthermore, the outlet is an elongated hole, the length of the outlet is not less than the length of the coating roller, and the length of the coating roller is the length of the coating roller in the direction of its own axis.

[0013] Further, the air flow channel extends in the radial direction of the coating roller; or,

[0014] Along the air inlet direction of the air flow channel, the air flow channel is inclined toward a direction close to the target assembly.

[0015] Furthermore, the winding and conveying roller group includes a unwinding roller, a winding roller and at least two tensioning rollers, the unwinding roller is arranged on the input side of the coating roller, at least one tensioning roller is arranged between the input side of the winding roller and the unwinding roller, the winding roller is arranged on the output side of the coating roller, and at least one tensioning roller is arranged between the winding roller and the output side of the coating roller.

[0016] Furthermore, along the circumferential direction of the coating roller, the minimum spacing between the blocking members on both sides of the target assembly is 50% to 75% of the circumference of the coating roller.

[0017] Furthermore, a plurality of the barrier members are disposed on both sides of the target assembly, and the plurality of barrier members are sequentially spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the coating roller.

[0018] Furthermore, the width of the first gap is greater than or equal to 8 micrometers and less than or equal to 10 millimeters.

[0019] Furthermore, the magnetron sputtering coating equipment also includes a partition, which is arranged on a side of the blocking member close to the target assembly, and a second gap is provided between the partition and the coating roller.

[0020] Furthermore, a width of the second gap is greater than or equal to 8 micrometers and less than or equal to 10 millimeters.

[0021] In the utility model, since both sides of the target assembly, i.e., the input side and the output side close to the coating roller, are provided with barrier members, and the barrier members are provided with air flow channels, the inert gas source is connected with the air flow channels. When the magnetron sputtering equipment is working, the inert gas source can continuously introduce inert gas into the air flow channel, and after the inert gas flows out from the outlet, an air curtain or air screen can be formed in the first gap, and the air curtain or air screen can isolate the space where the target assembly is located from the external space, so that the target atoms in the space where the target assembly is located can be prevented from escaping from the first gap to the side of the barrier member away from the target assembly, and then the target atoms can be prevented from being deposited on other pipelines or components of the magnetron sputtering equipment and affecting the pipelines or components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present invention. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetron sputtering coating device disclosed in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second magnetron sputtering coating device disclosed in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a third magnetron sputtering coating device disclosed in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a front view of the barrier member disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 5 A top view of the barrier disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a side view of the barrier member disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model.

[0029] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0030] 10. Main body; 11. Vacuum chamber; 20. Target assembly; 21. Target; 30. Winding and conveying assembly; 31. Coating roller; 32. Winding and conveying roller group; 321. Unwinding roller; 322. Winding roller; 323. Tensioning roller; 40. Barrier; 41. Air flow channel; 411. Outlet; 42. Narrowing section; 50. First gap; 60. Second gap; 70. Inert gas source; 80. Partition; 100. Base film. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0032] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the utility model. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the utility model. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, methods and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant field may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, methods and equipment should be regarded as a part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so once a certain item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0034] See also Figures 1 to 6 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a magnetron sputtering coating device is provided. The magnetron sputtering coating device is used to coat a base film 100 .

[0035] Specifically, the magnetron sputtering coating device in this embodiment includes a main body 10 , a target assembly 20 , a winding conveying assembly 30 , a barrier 40 and an inert gas source 70 .

[0036] Among them, a vacuum chamber 11 is arranged on the main body 10; the target material assembly 20 is arranged in the vacuum chamber 11; the winding and conveying assembly 30 is arranged in the vacuum chamber 11, and the winding and conveying assembly 30 includes a coating roller 31 and a winding and conveying roller group 32, the coating roller 31 is arranged on the outer side of the target material assembly 20, and the winding and conveying roller group 32 is at least used to unwind the base film 100 onto the coating roller 31 or rewind it from the coating roller 31; there are multiple blocking members 40, and multiple blocking members 40 are at least arranged on both sides of the target material assembly 20, where the two sides refer to the side of the target material assembly 20 close to the input side of the coating roller 31 and the side of the target material assembly 20 close to the output side of the coating roller 31, and an air flow channel 41 is arranged on the blocking member 40, and a first gap 50 is provided between the outlet 411 of the air flow channel 41 and the coating roller 31, and the outlet 411 is located on the side of the blocking member 40 close to the coating roller 31; the inert gas source 70 is connected to the air flow channel 41.

[0037] When the magnetron sputtering coating device in this embodiment is used to coat the base film 100, the base film 100 can be unwound onto the coating roller 31 or rolled up from the coating roller 31 through the function of the winding conveying assembly 30. Since the coating roller 31 in this embodiment is arranged outside the target assembly 20, after the base film 100 is wound, the magnetron sputtering device starts to work, and the atoms sputtered from the target assembly 20 can be coated on the surface of the base film 100 on the coating roller 31.

[0038] In the present invention, since both sides of the target assembly 20, i.e., both sides of the input side and the output side close to the coating roller 31, are provided with a barrier 40, and an air flow channel 41 is provided on the barrier 40, the inert gas source 70 is connected with the air flow channel 41. When the magnetron sputtering device is working, the inert gas source 70 can continuously introduce inert gas into the air flow channel 41, and after the inert gas flows out from the outlet 411, an air curtain or air screen can be formed in the first gap 50, and the air curtain or air screen can isolate the space where the target assembly 20 is located from the external space, so that the target atoms in the space where the target assembly 20 is located can be prevented from escaping from the first gap 50 to the side of the barrier 40 away from the target assembly 20, and thus the target atoms can be prevented from being deposited on other pipelines or components of the magnetron sputtering device and affecting the pipelines or components.

[0039] It is understandable that the source of the inert gas source 70 in this embodiment can be the original inert gas of the magnetron sputtering coating equipment, or can be an additional external gas source. The input side and output side of the coating roller 31 in this embodiment refer to the inlet side and outlet side of the base film 100 on the coating roller 31, respectively.

[0040] In this embodiment, the main body 10 is the installation body of the device, and the above-mentioned vacuum chamber 11 is arranged on the main body 10. When working, the vacuum chamber 11 is evacuated by an external vacuum pump, etc. to prevent other substances from contaminating the coating layer during the coating process.

[0041] Furthermore, the target assembly 20 in this embodiment includes a plurality of target materials 21, which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the coating roller 31, so as to facilitate coating of the base film 100 wound on the coating roller 31, and can improve the production efficiency of the magnetron sputtering equipment in this embodiment to a certain extent.

[0042] In this embodiment, the winding conveying roller group 32 includes an unwinding roller 321, a winding roller 322, and at least two tensioning rollers 323. The unwinding roller 321 is arranged at the input side of the coating roller 31, at least one tensioning roller 323 is arranged between the input side of the winding roller 322 and the unwinding roller 321, the winding roller 322 is arranged at the output side of the coating roller 31, and at least one tensioning roller 323 is arranged between the winding roller 322 and the output side of the coating roller 31. In this embodiment, two tensioning rollers 323 are arranged between the unwinding roller 321 and the coating roller 31, and between the winding roller 322 and the coating roller 31, so as to facilitate the tensioning and guiding of the base film 100.

[0043] In this embodiment, at least one barrier 40 is provided on both sides of the two target material assemblies 20. During operation, an inert gas can be continuously introduced into the air flow channel 41 on the barrier 40, so that an air curtain or air screen can be formed in the first gap 50, thereby separating the target material assembly 20 from the space on the side of the barrier 40 away from the target material assembly 20, thereby preventing the target material atoms generated at the target material assembly 20 from escaping from the first gap 50 to the outside and causing adverse effects on other mechanisms.

[0044] Optionally, multiple barriers 40 are provided on both sides of the target assembly 20 in this embodiment, and the multiple barriers 40 are sequentially spaced along the circumferential direction of the coating roller 31. In this way, when the magnetron sputtering coating device is working, multiple air curtains or air screens can be formed, and the barrier effect is better. Exemplarily, the barrier 40 on both sides of the target assembly 20 can be set to one, two, or more than two.

[0045] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the airflow channel 41 extends along the radial direction of the coating roller 31, that is, the outlet 411 on the airflow channel 41 is arranged facing the surface of the coating roller 31, so that the inert gas flowing out of the airflow channel 41 can be directly blown to the base film 100 on the surface of the coating roller 31, which can effectively increase the thickness of the coating layer. At the same time, since the outlet 411 is arranged facing the surface of the coating roller 31, the straight-line distance between the outlet 411 and the first gap 50 of the coating roller 31 is smaller, and the inert gas in the first gap 50 is more dense, which can well prevent the target atoms generated by the target assembly 20 from escaping from the first gap 50.

[0046] See also Figure 2 As shown, in other embodiments of the present invention, along the air inlet direction of the air flow channel 41, the air flow channel 41 is inclined toward the direction close to the target assembly 20. That is to say, the outlet 411 of the air flow channel 41 is inclined toward the direction close to the target assembly 20, so that the inert gas flowing out of the air flow channel 41 can be gathered toward the target assembly 20, which can not only improve the coating efficiency to a certain extent, but also prevent the target atoms from escaping from the first gap 50.

[0047] Combination Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the outlet 411 in this embodiment is a long strip hole, and the length of the outlet 411 is not less than the length of the coating roller 31, wherein the length of the coating roller 31 is the length of the coating roller 31 in the direction of its own axis. That is to say, the length of the outlet 411 in this embodiment is greater than or equal to the length of the coating roller 31. After the base film 100 is wound on the coating roller 31, the length of the outlet 411 is greater than or equal to the width of the base film 100. In this way, when the inert gas flows out from the outlet 411 to form an air curtain or air curtain, the air curtain or air curtain can extend along the width direction of the base film 100, and can well stop the target atoms generated by the target assembly 20 on the side of the barrier 40 close to the target assembly 20, and can well prevent the target from escaping from the first gap 50 to the side of the barrier 40 away from the target assembly 20.

[0048] Furthermore, the barrier 40 in the present embodiment includes a plurality of plates, which are arranged to form an airflow channel 41, and the airflow channel 41 has a narrowing section 42 close to the outlet 411. The cross-sectional area of ​​the narrowing section 42 gradually decreases in the direction close to the outlet 411. That is to say, the airflow channel 41 gradually narrows in the direction close to the outlet 411, thereby ensuring the strength of the air curtain and being able to fully block the target atoms.

[0049] Further, along the circumferential direction of the coating roller 31, the minimum spacing between the blocking members 40 on both sides of the target assembly 20 is 50% to 75% of the circumference of the coating roller 31, such as 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70% or 75%. That is to say, the minimum spacing between the blocking members 40 on both sides of the target assembly 20 along the circumferential direction of the coating roller 31 is 50% to 75% of the circumference of the coating roller 31. When the minimum spacing between the blocking members 40 on both sides of the target assembly 20 is less than 50%, the space for the target atoms to move generated by the target assembly 20 is relatively small, which is easy to reduce the coating efficiency of the magnetron sputtering coating device; when the minimum spacing between the blocking members 40 on both sides of the target assembly 20 is greater than 75%, the space where the target assembly 20 is located is relatively large, and the target atoms are not easy to be coated on the base film 100.

[0050] See also Figure 3 As shown, the magnetron sputtering coating device further includes a partition 80, which is disposed on a side of the barrier 40 close to the target assembly 20, and a second gap 60 is provided between the partition 80 and the coating roller 31. Through the action of the partition 80, the atoms generated by the target assembly 20 can be further stopped in the space where the target assembly 20 is located. The setting of the second gap 60 can provide necessary space for the base film 100 to pass through.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width of the first gap 50 is greater than or equal to 8 micrometers and less than or equal to 10 millimeters; and / or the width of the second gap 60 is greater than or equal to 8 micrometers and less than or equal to 10 millimeters. In this embodiment, by setting the width of the first gap 50 and the second gap 60 (i.e., the distance from the side of the partition 80 and the barrier 40 close to the coating roller 31 to the surface of the coating roller 31) to between 8 micrometers and 10 millimeters, it is not only convenient for the base film 100 to pass through, but also can well prevent the target atoms from escaping.

[0052] According to the above embodiments, it can be known that the magnetron sputtering coating equipment body 10, the target assembly 20, the winding conveying assembly 30, the barrier 40 and the inert gas source 70 of the utility model. In order to prevent the target atoms generated at the target assembly 20 from escaping, the utility model is provided with a barrier 40 on both sides of the target assembly 20, and an airflow channel 41 is provided on the barrier 40. The barrier 40 and the coating roller 31 are separated by a first gap 50, and the first gap 50 can allow the base film 100 to pass through. Preferably, the first gap 50 is not less than 8 microns, and preferably, the gap is 8 microns to 10 mm. The airflow channel 41 is connected to the inert gas source 70. The inert gas can be, for example, argon, which is the most commonly used inert gas in the magnetron sputtering coating process itself. The source of the inert gas can be other gases that are transported to the barrier 40 through a pipeline added at the sputtering target, or it can be an inert gas transported from the outside. When the magnetron sputtering device is working, the inert gas can flow out from the gas flow channel 41 and form an air curtain or air screen in the first gap 50, which can prevent the target material atoms from passing through the first gap 50, thereby preventing the scattered target material atoms from damaging the components in the vacuum chamber; the gas flow channel 41 is in a strip shape as a whole, and its length is not less than the width of the coating roller 31. In actual design, it is not important whether the outlet 411 of the gas flow channel 41 is aligned with the axis of the coating roller 31. The gas flow channel 41 is tilted, which can not only increase the arrangement of more sputtering targets and increase the effective working area of ​​sputtering coating, but also prevent the scattered target material atoms or the target material atoms at the air curtain from moving to the side away from the target assembly 20, thereby preventing the target material atoms from damaging the components in the vacuum chamber.

[0053] The air curtain or air curtain formed by the inert gas can not only cool down the coating layer on the base film 100, realize double-sided cooling, and quickly and stably form the coating layer, but also form a strong barrier, which can prevent the target atoms scattered from the target assembly from passing through the first gap 50, thereby preventing the scattered target atoms from damaging the components in the vacuum chamber. Optionally, the target material in this embodiment can be a copper target material or an aluminum target material, which is selected according to the finished product to be processed, and is not specifically limited in this application.

[0054] The preferred temperature of the inert gas is -20 degrees Celsius to -35 degrees Celsius, which can effectively cool the coating layer.

[0055] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0056] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. If not otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0057] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may be subject to various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A magnetron sputtering coating device, the magnetron sputtering coating device is used to coat a base film (100), characterized in that: include: A main body (10), wherein a vacuum chamber (11) is provided on the main body (10); A target assembly (20), wherein the target assembly (20) is arranged in the vacuum chamber (11); A winding and conveying assembly (30), wherein the winding and conveying assembly (30) is arranged in the vacuum chamber (11), the winding and conveying assembly (30) comprises a coating roller (31) and a winding and conveying roller group (32), the coating roller (31) is arranged on the outside of the target material assembly (20), and the winding and conveying roller group (32) is at least used to unwind the base film (100) onto the coating roller (31) or to rewind the base film (100) from the coating roller (31); A barrier member (40), wherein there are a plurality of barrier members (40), wherein the plurality of barrier members (40) are arranged at least on two sides of the target assembly (20), wherein an air flow channel (41) is arranged on the barrier member (40), wherein a first gap (50) is provided between an outlet (411) of the air flow channel (41) and the coating roller (31) for the base film (100) to pass through; and an inert gas source (70), wherein the inert gas source (70) is connected to the air flow channel (41).

2. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blocking member (40) comprises a plurality of plates, the plurality of plates being arranged to surround and form the airflow channel (41), and the airflow channel (41) has a narrowing section (42) close to the outlet (411), and the cross-sectional area of ​​the narrowing section (42) gradually decreases in a direction close to the outlet (411).

3. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The outlet (411) is a long strip hole, and the length of the outlet (411) is not less than the length of the coating roller (31). The length of the coating roller (31) is the length of the coating roller (31) in the direction of its own axis.

4. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air flow channel (41) extends in the radial direction of the coating roller (31); or, Along the air inlet direction of the air flow channel (41), the air flow channel (41) is inclined towards a direction close to the target assembly (20).

5. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that: The winding conveying roller group (32) includes a unwinding roller (321), a winding roller (322) and at least two tensioning rollers (323), wherein the unwinding roller (321) is arranged on the input side of the coating roller (31), and at least one tensioning roller (323) is arranged between the input side of the winding roller (322) and the unwinding roller (321), the winding roller (322) is arranged on the output side of the coating roller (31), and at least one tensioning roller (323) is arranged between the winding roller (322) and the output side of the coating roller (31).

6. The magnetron sputtering coating device according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that: Along the circumferential direction of the coating roller (31), the minimum spacing between the blocking members (40) on both sides of the target assembly (20) is 50% to 75% of the circumference of the coating roller (31).

7. The magnetron sputtering coating device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A plurality of the blocking members (40) are arranged on both sides of the target assembly (20), and the plurality of the blocking members (40) are arranged in sequence and at intervals along the circumferential direction of the coating roller (31).

8. The magnetron sputtering coating device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 and 7, characterized in that: The width of the first gap (50) is greater than or equal to 8 micrometers and less than or equal to 10 millimeters.

9. The magnetron sputtering coating device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 and 7, characterized in that: The magnetron sputtering coating device further comprises a partition (80), wherein the partition (80) is arranged on a side of the barrier (40) close to the target assembly (20), and a second gap (60) is provided between the partition (80) and the coating roller (31).

10. The magnetron sputtering coating equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that: The width of the second gap (60) is greater than or equal to 8 micrometers and less than or equal to 10 millimeters.

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