Transition chamber and vacuum coating equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a transition chamber and vacuum coating equipment relates to vacuum coating equipment technical field, wherein the transition chamber includes chamber body and gas transmission subassembly, gas transmission subassembly includes guide plate and gas transmission pipe, guide plate surface is attached to chamber body's inner wall, guide plate is provided with guide channel, gas transmission pipe is provided with the guide channel, the gas transmission pipe is provided with the guide channel. A plurality of flow guide holes are formed in the side wall of the flow guide plate and communicate with the flow guide channel, one end of the air conveying pipe communicates with the flow guide channel, and the other end of the air conveying pipe extends to the outer side of the cavity body. According to the transition chamber and the vacuum coating equipment disclosed by the utility model, after gas enters the transition chamber, raised dust caused by flowing of the gas around a substrate can be reduced, so that the surface of the substrate is cleaner, and the quality of the substrate is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of vacuum coating, in particular to a transition chamber and vacuum coating equipment. Background Art

[0002] Vacuum coating equipment is a device that vacuum coats materials through magnetron sputtering, ion etching, electron beam evaporation and other technologies. Some vacuum coating equipment is equipped with a transition chamber between the low vacuum film feeding chamber and the high vacuum coating chamber, and a vacuum valve is provided between adjacent chambers. After the vacuum valve is opened, the substrate can be transferred between two adjacent chambers.

[0003] In the related art, before opening the vacuum valve, gas is input into or extracted from the transition chamber to make the air pressure in the transition chamber and the adjacent chamber roughly equal, so as to avoid damage to the vacuum valve and the components in the chamber due to excessive instantaneous pressure difference. However, it is found during use that after the gas enters the transition chamber, it is easy to flow around the substrate and generate dust, which affects the cleanliness of the substrate surface and further affects the quality of the substrate. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the utility model proposes a transition chamber, after the gas enters the transition chamber, it can reduce the dust generated by the gas flowing around the substrate, so that the substrate surface is cleaner and the substrate quality is better.

[0005] The utility model also provides a vacuum coating device having the transition chamber.

[0006] According to the transition chamber of the first aspect of the present invention, the gas delivery component includes a chamber body and a gas delivery pipe. The plate surface of the guide plate is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body. The guide plate is provided with a guide channel. The side wall of the guide plate is provided with a plurality of guide holes. The plurality of guide holes are connected to the guide channel. One end of the gas delivery pipe is connected to the guide channel, and the other end extends to the outside of the chamber body.

[0007] The transition chamber according to the embodiment of the utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0008] In the utility model, the gas pump and other equipment inputs gas into the gas pipe, and the gas then enters the guide channel of the guide plate, and finally inputs into the inner cavity of the chamber body through the guide holes of the guide plate. Since the plate surface of the guide plate is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body, and multiple guide holes are arranged on the side wall of the guide plate, after the gas is discharged from the guide holes, the gas will flow near the inner wall of the transition chamber where the guide plate is installed, and the flow direction is roughly parallel to the inner wall. In this way, when the substrate is located in the chamber body, the gas can be reduced from flowing around the substrate to generate dust, thereby making the substrate surface cleaner and the substrate quality better.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the guide plate includes a first plate and a second plate, the first plate is provided with a guide groove, the guide hole is provided on the side wall of the first plate and connected to the guide groove, the second plate is attached to the first plate, and the second plate covers the guide groove to form the guide channel.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a first sealing ring is provided between the first plate and the second plate, and the first sealing ring surrounds the outer side of the guide groove.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of the guide holes are arranged on a side wall on the same side of the guide plate.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an extension direction of the guide hole is perpendicular to a thickness direction of the guide plate.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the guide plate is provided with an air inlet hole connected to the guide channel, and the gas supply assembly also includes a connecting portion, which is provided at one end of the gas pipe close to the guide plate, and the connecting portion is detachably connected to the guide plate, and the connecting portion is provided with an air vent, and both ends of the air vent are respectively connected to the gas pipe and the air inlet hole.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a second sealing ring is provided between the connecting portion and the guide plate, and the second sealing ring surrounds the outer side of the connecting position between the air inlet and the air vent.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the utility model, the gas delivery component further includes a switch valve and a regulating valve, the switch valve is arranged on the gas delivery pipe, and the regulating valve is arranged on the gas delivery pipe.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the transition chamber further includes a first vacuum pump, which is connected to the chamber body to evacuate the chamber body.

[0017] The vacuum coating equipment according to the second embodiment of the utility model includes the transition chamber described in the first embodiment.

[0018] The vacuum coating device according to the embodiment of the utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0019] The transition chamber of the first aspect of the present invention is adopted. Since the surface of the guide plate is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body, and multiple guide holes are arranged on the side wall of the guide plate, after the gas is discharged from the guide holes, the gas will flow near the inner wall of the transition chamber where the guide plate is installed, and the flow direction is roughly parallel to the inner wall. In this way, when the substrate is located in the chamber body, the gas can be reduced from flowing around the substrate to generate dust, thereby making the substrate surface cleaner and the substrate quality better.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be partially given in the following description, and some of the additional aspects and advantages will become apparent from the following description, or will be understood through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The present invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of three chambers of the vacuum coating equipment according to the utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a transition chamber according to the utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gas transmission component;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Another perspective of the picture;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0027] Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the guide plate;

[0028] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of diversion channels and diversion holes.

[0029] Figure Number:

[0030] transition chamber 10;

[0031] Chamber body 100;

[0032] Gas delivery assembly 200; guide plate 201; gas delivery pipe 202; guide channel 203; guide hole 204; first plate 205; second plate 206; first sealing ring 207; air inlet 208; connecting portion 209; vent 210; second sealing ring 211; switch valve 212; regulating valve 213;

[0033] A first vacuum pump 300;

[0034] Film feeding chamber 20;

[0035] Coating chamber 30;

[0036] A second vacuum pump 400;

[0037] A first vacuum valve 40;

[0038] Second vacuum valve 50 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0040] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the descriptions involving orientation, such as the orientation or positional relationship indicated as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0041] In the description of the present utility model, "a plurality" refers to two or more than two. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0042] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0043] Vacuum coating equipment is a device that vacuum coats materials through magnetron sputtering, ion etching, electron beam evaporation and other technologies. Vacuum coating equipment is widely used in the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. Some vacuum coating equipment is equipped with a transition chamber between the low vacuum film feeding chamber and the high vacuum coating chamber. A vacuum valve is provided between adjacent chambers. After the vacuum valve is opened, the substrate can be transferred between the two adjacent chambers. The transition chamber realizes the transition of the vacuum state, which is used to reduce the mutual influence between the coating chamber and the film feeding chamber due to the large difference in vacuum degree.

[0044] In the related art, before the vacuum valve is opened, gas is input into or extracted from the transition chamber to make the air pressure in the transition chamber and the adjacent chamber approximately equal, so as to avoid excessive instantaneous pressure difference and damage to the vacuum valve and the equipment in the chamber. Specifically, before the substrate enters the transition chamber from the film feed chamber, gas is input into the transition chamber to make the air pressure in the transition chamber and the film feed chamber approximately equal, then the vacuum valve between the film feed chamber and the transition chamber is opened, and then the substrate is transferred from the film feed chamber to the transition chamber. Before the substrate enters the coating chamber from the transition chamber, gas is extracted from the transition chamber to make the air pressure in the transition chamber and the coating chamber approximately equal, then the vacuum valve between the transition chamber and the coating chamber is opened, and then the substrate is transferred from the transition chamber to the coating chamber.

[0045] However, it is found during use that after the gas enters the transition chamber, the gas tends to flow around the substrate and generate dust. The dust adheres to the surface of the substrate and affects the cleanliness of the substrate surface, thereby affecting the overall quality of the substrate.

[0046] To this end, the utility model proposes a transition chamber and a vacuum coating device, which can effectively solve the above problems.

[0047] Reference below Figures 1 to 7 A transition chamber and a vacuum coating device according to an embodiment of the utility model are described.

[0048] According to the transition chamber 10 of the first embodiment of the utility model, Figures 1 to 7 As shown, it includes a chamber body 100 and a gas delivery component 200 .

[0049] The chamber body 100 may be in a square frame shape or other suitable shapes. The chamber body 100 is formed with a receiving cavity. The chamber body 100 may be provided with a clearance hole. For example, the clearance hole may be provided on the bottom plate of the chamber body 100 .

[0050] The gas delivery assembly 200 includes a guide plate 201 and a gas delivery pipe 202. The guide plate 201 can be connected to the chamber body 100 by fasteners, welding or bonding, etc. The plate surface of the guide plate 201 is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body 100, that is, the surface of the guide plate 201 in the thickness direction is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body 100, for example, it can be attached to the inner side wall of the chamber body 100. A guide channel 203 is provided in the guide plate 201, and a plurality of guide holes 204 are provided on the side wall of the guide plate 201, that is, the surface of the guide plate 201 in the length direction or the width direction is provided with guide holes 204, and the guide holes 204 can be provided with four, five, six or other suitable numbers, and the plurality of guide holes 204 are connected to the guide channel 203. One end of the gas pipe 202 is connected to the guide plate 201 and connected to the guide channel 203, and the other end is passed through the give way hole of the chamber body 100 and extends to the outside of the chamber body 100. The end of the gas pipe 202 away from the guide plate 201 can be connected to an air pump or other equipment that can input gas into the gas pipe 202.

[0051] An air pump or other suitable equipment inputs gas into the gas delivery pipe 202 , and the gas then enters the guide channel 203 of the guide plate 201 , and finally is input into the inner cavity of the chamber body 100 through the guide holes 204 of the guide plate 201 .

[0052] According to the transition chamber 10 of the embodiment of the utility model, since the plate surface of the guide plate 201 is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body 100, multiple guide holes 204 are arranged on the side wall of the guide plate 201, and then after the gas is discharged from the guide holes 204, the gas will flow near the inner wall of the transition chamber 10 where the guide plate 201 is installed, and the flow direction is roughly parallel to the inner wall. In this way, when the substrate is located in the chamber body 100, the gas can be reduced from flowing around the substrate to generate dust, thereby making the substrate surface cleaner and the substrate quality better.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the guide plate 201 includes a first plate 205 and a second plate 206, the first plate 205 is provided with a guide groove, the guide hole 204 is provided on the side wall of the first plate 205 and connected to the guide groove, the second plate 206 is attached to the first plate 205, and the second plate 206 covers the guide groove to form a guide channel 203. For example, the first plate 205 and the second plate 206 can be connected by a plurality of fasteners, the plate surface of the first plate 205 and the plate surface of the second plate 206 are attached, the guide groove is provided on the plate surface of the first plate 205 close to the second plate 206, and the second plate 206 covers the guide groove to form a guide channel 203.

[0054] In this embodiment, the guide plate 201 is configured as a split structure, which makes it easier and more convenient to process the guide channel 203, saves time and effort, and facilitates cleaning of the guide channel 203, thus improving practicality.

[0055] It should be noted that in some other embodiments of the present invention, the guide plate 201 may also be an integral structure, so that the guide plate 201 may be formed by injection molding, and the guide channel 203 is formed accordingly during the molding process.

[0056] refer to Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the second plate 206 is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body 100, a plurality of fasteners are provided between the second plate 206 and the chamber body 100, the second plate 206 is provided with a plurality of first positioning holes, the chamber body 100 is provided with a plurality of second positioning holes aligned with the first positioning holes, and the first positioning holes and the second positioning holes are used to insert positioning pins. In this embodiment, such a configuration makes it faster and more convenient to install the guide plate 201, and the practicality is better.

[0057] refer to Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, a first sealing ring 207 is provided between the first plate 205 and the second plate 206, and the first sealing ring 207 surrounds the outer side of the guide groove. For example, a first annular groove may be provided on the plate surface of the second plate 206 close to the first plate 205, and the first sealing ring 207 is installed in the first annular groove.

[0058] In this embodiment, a first sealing ring 207 is provided between the first plate 205 and the second plate 206 and surrounds the outer side of the guide groove, so as to provide better sealing performance, so that the gas can only flow out from the guide hole 204 instead of flowing around, thereby further reducing the generation of dust, thereby making the substrate surface cleaner and the substrate quality better.

[0059] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of guide holes 204 are provided on the side wall of the same side of the guide plate 201. For example, when the guide plate 201 is attached to the inner side wall of the chamber body 100, the plurality of guide holes 204 can be provided on the top surface of the guide plate 201. In this embodiment, the plurality of guide holes 204 are provided on the side wall of the same side of the guide plate 201. In this way, the gas flows out from the same side of the guide plate 201, thereby further reducing the situation that the gas flows around, thereby further reducing the generation of dust, making the substrate surface cleaner and the substrate quality better.

[0060] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 7As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the extension direction of the guide hole 204 is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the guide plate 201. For example, when the guide hole 204 is set as a circular hole, that is, the axial direction of the guide hole 204 is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the guide plate 201, such a setting can further reduce the situation where the gas flows around the substrate and generates dust, thereby making the substrate surface cleaner and the substrate quality better.

[0061] refer to Figures 2 to 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the guide plate 201 is provided with an air inlet 208 connected to the guide channel 203, and the gas delivery assembly 200 further includes a connecting portion 209, which is provided at one end of the gas delivery pipe 202 close to the guide plate 201, and the connecting portion 209 is detachably connected to the guide plate 201, and the connecting portion 209 is provided with a vent 210, and the two ends of the vent 210 are respectively connected to the gas delivery pipe 202 and the air inlet 208. For example, the connecting portion 209 can be set as a block structure, one of the end faces of the connecting portion 209 is attached to the plate surface of the guide plate 201, and the connecting portion 209 and the guide plate 201 can be connected by a plurality of fasteners.

[0062] In this embodiment, a connecting portion 209 is provided to facilitate the connection between the gas delivery pipe 202 and the guide plate 201 and to make the gas delivery pipe 202 communicate with the guide channel 203 .

[0063] refer to Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, a second sealing ring 211 is provided between the connecting portion 209 and the guide plate 201, and the second sealing ring 211 surrounds the outer side of the connecting position of the air inlet 208 and the vent hole 210. For example, a second annular groove may be provided on one side of the first plate 205 in the guide plate 201 close to the connecting portion 209, and the second sealing ring 211 is installed in the second annular groove.

[0064] In this embodiment, a second sealing ring 211 is arranged between the connecting portion 209 and the guide plate 201. The second sealing ring 211 surrounds the outer side of the connecting position between the air inlet 208 and the air vent 210, and has a better sealing effect, so that the gas can only enter the guide channel 203 and flow out from the guide hole 204 without flowing around, thereby further reducing the generation of dust, thereby making the substrate surface cleaner and the substrate quality better.

[0065] refer to Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments of the present utility model, the gas delivery component 200 further includes a switch valve 212 and a regulating valve 213, wherein the switch valve 212 is disposed on the gas delivery pipe 202, and the regulating valve 213 is disposed on the gas delivery pipe 202. The switch valve 212 is disposed, and the switch valve 212 can open or close the gas delivery pipe 202 according to actual needs, and the regulating valve 213 is disposed, and the regulating valve 213 can adjust the flow rate and flow velocity of the gas in the gas delivery pipe 202 according to actual needs, which is more practical.

[0066] refer to Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the transition chamber 10 further includes a first vacuum pump 300, which is connected to the chamber body 100 to evacuate the chamber body 100. The first vacuum pump 300 is provided, and before the substrate enters the coating chamber 30 from the transition chamber 10, the gas is extracted from the transition chamber 10 by the first vacuum pump 300, so that the gas pressure in the transition chamber 10 and the coating chamber 30 are roughly equal, and then the vacuum valve between the transition chamber 10 and the coating chamber 30 is opened, and then the substrate is transferred from the transition chamber 10 to the coating chamber 30, which can avoid excessive pressure difference between the transition chamber 10 and the coating chamber 30, thereby avoiding damage to the vacuum valve between the transition chamber 10 and the coating chamber and the components in the two chambers.

[0067] The vacuum coating equipment according to the second embodiment of the utility model comprises the transition chamber 10 of the first embodiment.

[0068] For example, refer to Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum coating equipment may also include a film feeding chamber 20 and a coating chamber 30, a transition chamber 10 is arranged between the film feeding chamber 20 and the coating chamber 30, a first vacuum valve 40 is arranged between the transition chamber 10 and the film feeding chamber 20, a second vacuum valve 50 is arranged between the transition chamber 10 and the coating chamber 30, and the coating chamber 30 may be provided with a second vacuum pump 400.

[0069] According to the vacuum coating equipment of the embodiment of the utility model, by adopting the transition chamber 10 of the first aspect of the utility model, since the plate surface of the guide plate 201 is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body 100, and multiple guide holes 204 are arranged on the side wall of the guide plate 201, and then after the gas is discharged from the guide holes 204, the gas will flow near the inner wall of the transition chamber 10 where the guide plate 201 is installed, and the flow direction is roughly parallel to the inner wall. In this way, when the substrate is located in the chamber body 100, the situation in which the gas flows around the substrate and generates dust can be reduced, thereby making the substrate surface cleaner and the substrate quality better.

[0070] It should be noted that, since the vacuum coating equipment can adopt all the technical solutions of the transition chamber 10 of the above-mentioned first embodiment, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned first embodiment, and these additional beneficial effects will not be repeated here.

[0071] It is understandable that other structures and operations of the vacuum coating equipment according to the embodiment of the utility model are known to ordinary technicians in the field and will not be described in detail here.

[0072] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the knowledge scope of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transition chamber, characterized in that: include: chamber body; The gas delivery component includes a guide plate and a gas delivery pipe. The plate surface of the guide plate is attached to the inner wall of the chamber body. A guide channel is provided in the guide plate. The side wall of the guide plate is provided with a plurality of guide holes. The plurality of guide holes are connected to the guide channel. One end of the gas delivery pipe is connected to the guide channel, and the other end extends to the outside of the chamber body.

2. The transition chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide plate comprises: A first plate is provided with a guide groove, and the guide hole is provided on a side wall of the first plate and connected to the guide groove; The second plate is attached to the first plate, and the second plate covers the guide groove to form the guide channel.

3. The transition chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first sealing ring is provided between the first plate and the second plate, and the first sealing ring surrounds the outer side of the guide groove.

4. The transition chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The plurality of guide holes are arranged on the side wall of the guide plate on the same side.

5. The transition chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The extension direction of the guide hole is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the guide plate.

6. The transition chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The guide plate is provided with an air inlet hole connected to the guide channel, and the gas delivery assembly further includes: The connecting part is arranged at one end of the air supply pipe close to the guide plate, the connecting part is detachably connected to the guide plate, and the connecting part is provided with an air vent, and the two ends of the air vent are respectively connected to the air supply pipe and the air inlet.

7. The transition chamber according to claim 6, characterized in that A second sealing ring is provided between the connecting portion and the guide plate, and the second sealing ring surrounds the outer side of the connecting position between the air inlet and the air vent.

8. The transition chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The gas delivery assembly also includes: A switch valve, arranged on the gas pipeline; A regulating valve is arranged on the gas transmission pipe.

9. The transition chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The transition chamber also includes: The first vacuum pump is connected to the chamber body to evacuate the chamber body.

10. A vacuum coating device, characterized in that: Comprising a transition chamber as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images