Vacuum coating equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses vacuum coating equipment, which comprises a crucible, an automatic wire feeding mechanism and a wire feeding pipe arranged on the crucible, the automatic wire feeding mechanism continuously conveys evaporation materials and enters the crucible through the wire feeding pipe, the crucible is provided with a wire feeding hole for installing the wire feeding pipe, and the wire feeding pipe is arranged in the wire feeding hole. And the wire feeding pipe is obliquely arranged in the wire feeding hole and extends into the crucible so as to guide an evaporation material to enter the crucible. The wire feeding pipe is arranged on the crucible, the wire feeding pipe is obliquely arranged and extends into the crucible, on one hand, an evaporation material is continuously conveyed into the crucible through the wire feeding pipe, continuous coating of the vacuum coating equipment is ensured, on the other hand, the wire feeding pipe plays a guiding role in the conveying process of the evaporation material, and the vacuum coating equipment is prevented from being damaged. And the evaporation material is prevented from being bent at high temperature to influence normal conveying.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of evaporation coating equipment, and particularly relates to a vacuum coating equipment. Background Art

[0002] After the material to be coated is melted, under vacuum conditions, the melted material to be coated forms on the surface of the substrate, and this process is evaporation coating. In the current vacuum coating equipment, there is a crucible, which is mainly used to heat and melt the material to be coated to vaporize it and finally form a thin film. However, in the current crucible, the material to be coated is placed in the crucible in advance. This method will cause the material to be coated in the crucible to only coat a thin film of a specific size. If more films need to be coated at one time, the material to be coated needs to be added after the machine is stopped, and this method has low efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, the prior art still needs to be improved and enhanced. Content of the Utility Model

[0004] In view of the deficiencies of the above prior art, the purpose of the present utility model is to provide a vacuum coating equipment.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A vacuum coating equipment includes a crucible, an automatic wire feeding mechanism, and a wire feeding tube disposed on the crucible. The automatic wire feeding mechanism continuously conveys the evaporation coating material and enters the crucible through the wire feeding tube. A wire feeding hole for installing the wire feeding tube is provided on the crucible. The wire feeding tube is inclined and disposed in the wire feeding hole and extends into the interior of the crucible to guide the evaporation coating material into the crucible.

[0007] A limiting member is provided on the crucible. The limiting member defines a nozzle opening for guiding the evaporated evaporation coating material to the surface of the substrate.

[0008] The limiting member is a crucible cover. The crucible cover is disposed above the crucible. The nozzle is disposed on the crucible cover, and the nozzle opening is provided with a chamfer.

[0009] The length of the nozzle opening is 30 mm - 100 mm, and the width of the nozzle opening is 20 mm - 50 mm.

[0010] The height of the crucible cover is 40 mm - 100 mm.

[0011] The limiting member includes a first baffle disposed in the crucible and a second baffle having the same height as the first baffle. The first baffle and the second baffle define a nozzle opening in the crucible.

[0012] The height difference between the first baffle and the upper end surface of the crucible is 0 - 4 cm.

[0013] The aperture of the wire feeding tube is 2 mm - 5 mm.

[0014] The height difference between the lower end of the wire feeding tube and the bottom of the crucible is 5 mm - 60 mm.

[0015] The inner diameter of the crucible is 100 mm - 120 mm, and the outer diameter of the crucible is 120 mm - 140 mm.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, a vacuum coating device provided by the present utility model includes a crucible, an automatic wire feeding mechanism, and a wire feeding tube disposed on the crucible. The automatic wire feeding mechanism continuously conveys evaporation materials and enters the crucible through the wire feeding tube. A wire feeding hole for installing the wire feeding tube is provided on the crucible. The wire feeding tube is inclined and disposed in the wire feeding hole and extends into the interior of the crucible to guide the evaporation materials into the crucible. In this application, a wire feeding tube is provided on the crucible, and the wire feeding tube is inclined and extends into the interior of the crucible. On the one hand, the evaporation materials are continuously conveyed into the crucible through the wire feeding tube to ensure that the vacuum coating device realizes continuous coating. On the other hand, the wire feeding tube plays a guiding role during the transportation of the evaporation materials, avoiding the bending of the evaporation materials at high temperature and affecting the normal transportation. Description of the Drawings

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the vacuum coating device provided by the present utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a top view of the crucible and the crucible cover in an embodiment of the vacuum coating device provided by the present utility model.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the vacuum coating device provided by the present utility model.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a top view of the crucible in another embodiment of the vacuum coating device provided by the present utility model.

[0021] Reference Numerals in the Drawings

[0022] Crucible 1, wire feeding tube 11, wire feeding hole 12, crucible cover 2, nozzle port 20, chamfer 201, first baffle 21, second baffle 22, wire feeding disc 3, wire 31. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0023] To make the purpose, technical solutions and effects of the present utility model clearer and more definite, the following further describes the present utility model in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and by way of examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present utility model and are not used to limit the present utility model.

[0024] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "mounted on", "fixed to", or "disposed on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time.

[0025] It should also be noted that the directional terms such as left, right, up, and down in the embodiments of the present utility model are only relative concepts to each other or are referenced based on the normal use state of the product, and should not be considered restrictive.

[0026] After melting the material to be plated, under vacuum conditions, the melted material to be plated forms on the surface of the substrate, and this process is evaporation coating. In current vacuum coating equipment, there is a crucible, which is mainly used to heat and melt the material to be plated to vaporize it and finally form a thin film. However, the material to be plated in the current crucible is placed in the crucible in advance. This method will cause the material to be plated in the crucible to only coat thin films of a specific size. If more films need to be coated at one time, it is necessary to stop the machine and add the material to be plated again, and this method is inefficient; in addition, opening the equipment two or more times to supplement the material to be plated requires re-pumping the vacuum. On the one hand, it will increase huge additional costs, and on the other hand, there is a risk of impurities entering, which greatly affects the quality of the coating.

[0027] The present utility model provides a vacuum coating device. Please refer to Figures 1 - 4, comprising a crucible 1, an automatic wire feeding mechanism (not shown in the figure) and a wire feeding tube 11 arranged on the crucible 1, the automatic wire feeding mechanism continuously transports the evaporation material and enters the crucible 1 through the wire feeding tube 11, the crucible 1 is provided with a wire feeding hole 12 for installing the wire feeding tube 11, the wire feeding tube 11 is tiltedly arranged at the wire feeding hole 12 and extends into the interior of the crucible 1 to guide the evaporation material into the crucible 1. In this application, a wire feeding tube 11 is arranged on the crucible 1, and the wire feeding tube 11 is tilted and extends into the interior of the crucible 1. On the one hand, the evaporation material is continuously transported into the crucible 1 through the wire feeding tube 11, ensuring that the vacuum coating equipment realizes continuous coating. On the other hand, the wire feeding tube 11 plays a guiding role in the transportation process of the evaporation material, preventing the evaporation material from bending at high temperature and affecting normal transportation. Compared with the prior art of placing the evaporation material into the crucible at one time, the setting of the wire feeding tube 11 of the present application does not require opening the equipment twice or even multiple times to replenish the evaporation material, which reduces costs, reduces the possibility of impurities entering the equipment, and is conducive to ensuring the evaporation effect. The upper end of the wire feeding tube 11 can be set along the inclination angle of the lower end of the wire feeding tube 1, that is, the wire feeding tube 11 is straight; of course, the upper end of the wire feeding tube 11 can also be bent with the lower end of the wire feeding tube 11; the upper end of the wire feeding tube 11 is the part of the wire feeding tube 1 located outside the crucible 1, and the lower end of the wire feeding tube 11 is the part of the wire feeding tube 11 located inside the crucible 1. In any case, the angle between the lower end of the wire feeding tube 11 and its projection on the horizontal plane is an acute angle, which is conducive to smoother transportation of the evaporation material, ensuring that the evaporation material is more fully and quickly melted and evaporated on the surface of the substrate, and improving the evaporation efficiency.

[0028] The vacuum coating apparatus of the present application includes a vacuum chamber (not shown), a crucible 1, and an automatic wire feeding mechanism. The crucible 1 and the automatic wire feeding mechanism are both located within the vacuum chamber. The automatic wire feeding mechanism is disposed adjacent to a wire feeding tube 11 and is used to load and continuously feed the evaporation material. The crucible 1 can be a general cylindrical crucible 1 or, depending on actual needs, a structure with a polygonal horizontal cross-section.

[0029] Further, the aperture diameter of the wire feeding tube 11 is 2 mm - 5 mm. The evaporation material is generally transported into the crucible 1 in the form of a wire 31. The automatic wire feeding mechanism includes a wire feeding spool 3 for loading the evaporation material. The wire feeding spool 3 continuously operates during the evaporation process to transport the evaporation material, ensuring the continuity of the coating. The material of the wire feeding tube 11 can be selected as high-temperature resistant graphite or other materials with similar properties. By limiting the aperture diameter of the wire feeding tube 11, on the one hand, it avoids unstable wire feeding caused by a large aperture or difficult wire feeding caused by a small aperture, which helps to precisely control the wire feeding speed, ensures the stable supply of the evaporation material during the evaporation process and the thickness uniformity of the evaporation layer, and improves the quality of evaporation. On the other hand, the aperture diameter of the wire feeding tube 11 affects the evaporation efficiency of the evaporation material. An appropriate aperture diameter of the wire feeding tube 11 can ensure that the evaporation material smoothly enters the evaporation area and quickly evaporates at high temperature, improving the evaporation efficiency and reducing the waste of the evaporation material. It should be noted that the aperture diameter of the wire feeding tube 11 refers to the inner diameter of the wire feeding tube 11. The aperture diameter of the wire feeding tube 11 can be selected according to the actual situation. Generally, the aperture diameter of the wire feeding tube 11 is slightly larger than the diameter of the wire 31. The present application does not specifically limit the aperture diameter of the wire feeding tube 11 here.

[0030] Further, the height difference between the lower end of the wire feeding tube 11 and the bottom of the crucible 1 is 5 mm - 60 mm. Keeping a certain height difference between the lower end of the wire feeding tube 11 and the bottom of the crucible 1 can prevent the wire 31 from directly impacting the bottom of the crucible 1 and causing wear to the crucible 1, extend the service life of the crucible 1, reduce the splashing caused by the impact, and improve the stability of the evaporation process; the design of the wire feeding tube 11 enables the evaporation material to be smoothly and continuously fed into the interior of the crucible 1 and quickly enter the evaporation area, avoiding the accumulation or blockage of the evaporation material at the mouth of the wire feeding tube 11, and ensuring the continuity and stability of the evaporation process; at the same time, the lower end of the wire feeding tube 11 extends into the interior of the crucible 1, making the evaporation material closer to the heat source (such as a resistance heater, an electron beam, etc.), so that it can reach the evaporation temperature and evaporate faster, which helps to increase the evaporation rate, shorten the evaporation time, and improve the production efficiency. In addition, the lower end of the wire feeding tube 11 extends into the interior of the crucible 1 and has a certain distance from the inner wall of the crucible 1, preventing the evaporation material from bending and contacting the inner wall of the crucible 1 to cause splashing or blocking the wire feeding tube 11 during the preheating process before entering the evaporation area after entering the interior of the crucible 1 through the wire feeding tube 11. It should be noted that the present application does not specifically limit the height difference between the lower end of the wire feeding tube 11 and the bottom of the crucible 1, and it can be adjusted adaptively according to the wire feeding speed, evaporation temperature, the material of the crucible 1, etc.

[0031] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the crucible 1 is 100 mm - 120 mm, and the outer diameter of the crucible 1 is 120 mm - 140 mm. In this application, the crucible 1 has a larger inner diameter compared to traditional crucibles 1 with an inner diameter of only a few dozen millimeters. A larger inner diameter means that there is more space for the evaporation material to diffuse and mix during the evaporation process, which helps reduce the formation of impurities and pores and improves the quality of the evaporated coating. In addition, the larger inner diameter reduces the possibility of the evaporation material splashing onto the wall of the crucible 1 during the heating process, reduces potential safety hazards, increases the service life of the crucible 1, and enables the crucible 1 to meet the requirements of various evaporation materials. Whether it is a high-melting-point or low-melting-point material, the smooth progress of the evaporation process can be ensured. Compared with the relatively small outer diameter of traditional crucibles 1, the outer diameter of the crucible 1 in this application is larger, enabling the crucible 1 to be stably installed in the evaporation equipment and reducing equipment damage or safety accidents caused by vibration or impact. In the embodiment of this application, the difference between the inner diameter and the outer diameter is 20 mm. For example, the inner diameter of the crucible 1 is 110 mm, and the outer diameter of the crucible 1 is 130 mm. The 20-mm wall thickness of the crucible 1 helps maintain the internal stability of the crucible 1 during the evaporation process, reduces heat dissipation, and at the same time, the thicker crucible 1 wall helps achieve a uniform temperature distribution during the evaporation process, reducing uneven evaporated coatings or other quality problems caused by temperature gradients.

[0032] Furthermore, a limiting member is provided on the crucible 1. The limiting member defines a nozzle opening 20 for guiding the evaporated evaporation material to the surface of the substrate. The nozzle opening 20 is a key part connecting the inside of the crucible 1 and the vacuum chamber. By heating the evaporation material in the crucible 1 to its evaporation point, the nozzle opening 20 guides the evaporated material into the vacuum chamber for evaporating onto the surface of the substrate. During the evaporation process, the design of the nozzle opening 20 is conducive to the uniform and stable evaporation of the evaporation material and its effective transfer to the surface of the substrate. The design and structure of the nozzle directly affect the spraying accuracy and distribution uniformity of the evaporation material. A reasonable nozzle design can ensure that the evaporation material is sprayed onto the surface of the workpiece at an appropriate speed and angle, thereby obtaining a high-quality evaporated coating.

[0033] In one embodiment of this application, please refer to Figures 1 - 2, the limiting member is the crucible lid 2, the crucible lid 2 is arranged above the crucible 1, the nozzle orifice 20 is arranged on the crucible lid 2, and the nozzle orifice 20 is provided with a chamfer 201. The chamfer 201 is an oblique angle. The setting of the chamfer 201 makes the opening of the nozzle orifice 20 on the crucible lid 2 present a shape that is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. The opening of the nozzle orifice 20 on the lower end surface of the crucible lid 2 is smaller than the opening of the crucible 1. The nozzle orifice 20 is provided with a chamfer 201, which can change the hydrodynamic characteristics of the nozzle orifice 20, making the evaporation material flow more smoothly during the spraying process, reducing the phenomena of vortex and turbulence, thereby improving the uniformity and stability of evaporation coating; the setting of the chamfer 201 can also optimize the spraying angle and speed of the evaporation material, further improving the uniformity of the evaporation coating layer. In addition, the nozzle orifice 20 is provided with a chamfer 201, which can reduce the stress concentration phenomenon at this place; since the nozzle is affected by various factors such as high temperature and high pressure during the evaporation coating process, it is easy to generate stress concentration and fatigue damage. The existence of the chamfer 201 can disperse stress and improve the durability and reliability of the nozzle orifice 20. The crucible lid 2 is pressed on the crucible 1, and the lower end surface of the crucible lid 2 contacts the upper end surface of the crucible 1. Since there is usually a small gap between the crucible lid 2 and the crucible 1, when the evaporation material evaporates and approaches the crucible lid 2, it may condense or accumulate on the crucible lid 2. The setting of the chamfer 201 can be used as a guiding structure, so that the condensed evaporation material flows back into the interior of the crucible 1 along the inclined surface of the chamfer 201. This reflux mechanism helps to reduce the accumulation of the evaporation material on the crucible lid 2, keep the crucible lid 2 as clean as possible, and improve the utilization rate and evaporation coating efficiency of the evaporation material.

[0034] Further, the length of the nozzle orifice 20 is 30 mm - 100 mm, and the width of the nozzle orifice 20 is 20 mm - 50 mm. Limiting the size of the nozzle orifice 20 within this range can improve the evaporation coating efficiency and avoid the problem that the crucible 1 cannot be processed and formed due to the too large size of the nozzle orifice 20. The nozzle orifice 20 is a long and narrow opening, which can be a waist-shaped hole, a rectangular hole or a long and narrow opening with a shape as shown in Figure 4 etc.; compared with the nozzle orifice in the prior art which is in the shape of a hole, preferably, the opening of the nozzle orifice 20 is rectangular, which is beneficial to improving the evaporation coating efficiency. The rectangular shape covers a large film area and can form a coating in a larger area.

[0035] Further, the height of the crucible lid 2 is 40 mm - 100 mm. Such a height is beneficial to improving the structural stability of the crucible lid 2 on the one hand, and preventing the crucible lid 2 from being pushed open by the pressure generated by heating in the crucible 1 on the other hand, avoiding potential safety hazards. The diameter of the crucible lid 2 is larger than the outer diameter of the crucible 1, which is convenient for taking and placing the crucible lid 2. The nozzle orifice 20 is arranged in the middle of the crucible lid 2 and directly above the opening of the crucible 1, and the nozzle orifice 20 is smaller than the opening of the crucible 1.

[0036] In this application, the material of the crucible 1 can be high-temperature materials such as silicon nitride and silicon carbide; the material of the crucible lid 2 is graphite, which can withstand high temperatures up to 1500 °C and can be used on the crucible 1 for a long time to improve the service life of the crucible lid 2; of course, the crucible lid 2 can also be made of other high-temperature materials, which is not limited in this application.

[0037] In another embodiment of this application, please refer to Figures 3 - 4 , the crucible 1 is cylindrical and hollow inside. The limiting member includes a first baffle 21 disposed inside the crucible 1 and a second baffle 22 having the same height as the first baffle 21. The first baffle 21 and the second baffle 22 define a nozzle orifice 20 inside the crucible 1. The first baffle 21 and the second baffle 22 are horizontally disposed on the inner wall of the crucible 1, and the crucible 1 is arranged vertically. The first baffle 21 and the second baffle 22 are arranged at the same height and form a long and narrow opening (i.e., the nozzle orifice 20) inside the crucible 1; the wire feeding hole 12 is disposed on the side wall of the crucible 1 and is located below the first baffle 21 and the second baffle 22. The lower end of the wire feeding tube 11 extends into the wire feeding hole 12 to guide the evaporation material to be transported into the crucible 1 and melted inside the crucible 1. The setting of the two baffles can effectively limit the diffusion range of the evaporation material in the vacuum chamber, reduce the pollution of the evaporation material to the vacuum system, and at the same time, the defined nozzle orifice 20 limits the spraying path of the evaporation material, enabling it to be sprayed out more effectively through the nozzle orifice 20 and deposited on the surface of the substrate. In order to make the evaporation material spray out more smoothly from the crucible 1 through the nozzle orifice 20, the first baffle 21 and the second baffle 22 can be inclined in a positive V shape, which can optimize the spraying angle and speed of the evaporation material.

[0038] Further, the height difference between the first baffle 21 and the upper end surface of the crucible 1 is 0-4 cm; the first baffle 21 and the second baffle 22 are disposed close to the upper end of the crucible 1, leaving enough evaporation space for the evaporation material inside the crucible 1 to ensure that the evaporation material is uniformly heated; it can also block the evaporation material to prevent the evaporation material from directly spraying out of the crucible 1; in addition, it can also reduce the splashing of the evaporation material to other places during the process of upward deposition to form a film and cause pollution. The materials of the first baffle 21 and the second baffle 22 can be graphite or other high-temperature resistant materials, which can be specifically selected according to actual needs.

[0039] In summary, a vacuum coating device provided by the present utility model includes a crucible, an automatic wire feeding mechanism, and a wire feeding tube disposed on the crucible. The automatic wire feeding mechanism continuously conveys evaporation materials and enters the crucible through the wire feeding tube. A wire feeding hole for installing the wire feeding tube is provided on the crucible. The wire feeding tube is inclined and disposed in the wire feeding hole and extends into the interior of the crucible to guide the evaporation materials into the crucible. In this application, the wire feeding tube is provided on the crucible, and the wire feeding tube is inclined and extends into the interior of the crucible. On the one hand, the evaporation materials are continuously conveyed into the crucible through the wire feeding tube to ensure that the vacuum coating device realizes continuous coating. On the other hand, the wire feeding tube plays a guiding role during the conveying process of the evaporation materials, avoiding the bending of the evaporation materials at high temperature and affecting normal conveying.

[0040] It can be understood that for those of ordinary skill in the art, equivalent substitutions or changes can be made according to the technical solution of the present utility model and its inventive concept, and all such changes or substitutions should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A vacuum coating device, characterized in that, It includes a crucible, an automatic wire feeding mechanism, and a wire feeding tube disposed on the crucible. The automatic wire feeding mechanism continuously conveys evaporation materials and enters the crucible through the wire feeding tube. A wire feeding hole for installing the wire feeding tube is provided on the crucible. The wire feeding tube is inclined and disposed in the wire feeding hole and extends into the interior of the crucible to guide the evaporation materials into the crucible.

2. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A limiting member is provided on the crucible. The limiting member defines a nozzle opening for guiding the evaporated evaporation materials to the surface of a substrate.

3. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 2, wherein The limiting member is a crucible cover. The crucible cover is disposed above the crucible. The nozzle is disposed on the crucible cover, and a chamfer is provided at the nozzle opening.

4. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The length of the nozzle opening is 30 mm - 100 mm, and the width of the nozzle opening is 20 mm - 50 mm.

5. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The height of the crucible cover is 40 mm - 100 mm.

6. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 2, wherein The limiting member includes a first baffle disposed in the crucible and a second baffle having the same height as the first baffle. The first baffle and the second baffle define a nozzle opening in the crucible.

7. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The height difference between the first baffle and the upper end face of the crucible is 0 - 4 cm.

8. The vacuum coating equipment according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The aperture of the wire feeding tube is 2 mm - 5 mm.

9. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 8, wherein, The height difference between the lower end of the wire feeding tube and the bottom of the crucible is 5 mm - 60 mm.

10. The vacuum coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the crucible is 100 mm - 120 mm, and the outer diameter of the crucible is 120 mm - 140 mm.

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