Evaporation equipment with automatic crystal oscillator replacement function

Abstract

The utility model relates to evaporation equipment with an automatic crystal oscillator replacement function. The evaporation equipment comprises an evaporation process cavity, a crystal oscillator working cavity arranged on the side wall of the evaporation process cavity, and a crystal oscillator storage cavity communicated with the crystal oscillator working cavity, the crystal oscillator working cavity is internally provided with a working position and a transposition mechanism for sending a crystal oscillator probe into and out of the working position, a normally open gate valve is arranged between the evaporation process cavity and the crystal oscillator working cavity, and a normally closed gate valve is arranged between the crystal oscillator storage cavity and the atmosphere. According to the evaporation equipment, the time for waiting for cooling, vacuumizing and heating of the linear evaporation source is saved, the production takt is improved, and the maintenance cost is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vapor deposition technology, and in particular to a vapor deposition equipment with an automatic crystal oscillator replacement function. Background Technology

[0002] In existing vapor deposition equipment, crystal oscillator monitoring is a crucial method for monitoring irregular film systems. This involves precisely calibrating the film thickness by adjusting the ratio (tooling factor) between the thickness of the deposited film on the crystal oscillator and the substrate. Regardless of the ratio, the crystal oscillator needs to be replaced when its deposition thickness exceeds a certain value. Higher deposition rates lead to higher crystal wear and more frequent replacements. However, vapor deposition requires a heated vacuum environment within the chamber; opening the chamber to replace the crystal reduces operational efficiency and incurs additional costs. Existing vapor deposition equipment typically addresses this by adding a filter to the crystal oscillator sleeve to reduce material consumption on the crystal, or by using a chopper to minimize material wear on the crystal oscillator. This extends the crystal oscillator's lifespan and achieves sustainable vapor deposition results.

[0003] Chinese patent CN115216735A discloses a quartz crystal deposition monitoring device. This device monitors the deposition rate by adjusting the aperture ratio of a chopper located in front of a sensor measuring the deposition thickness. While this significantly extends the lifespan of the crystal oscillator, a large amount of material accumulates on the chopper after prolonged deposition. Material shedding during the deposition process causes fluctuations in the deposition rate, affecting film thickness uniformity. Long-term material accumulation also reduces the chopper aperture ratio, impacting the repeatability of film thickness between wafers. After all the multi-head crystal wafers are used up, the evaporation source inside the chamber needs to be cooled, and the chamber opened to clean the chopper. The evacuation and heating / cooling processes significantly impact production capacity.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the vapor deposition structure to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a vapor deposition equipment with an automatic crystal oscillator replacement function, which eliminates the need for film thickness calibration, saving time, reducing material waste, and improving work efficiency.

[0006] This utility model achieves the above-mentioned objective through the following technical solution: A vapor deposition equipment with automatic crystal oscillator replacement function, comprising a vapor deposition process chamber, a crystal oscillator working chamber disposed on the side wall of the vapor deposition process chamber, and a crystal oscillator storage chamber that is in communication with the crystal oscillator working chamber. The crystal oscillator working chamber has a working position and a switching mechanism for sending the crystal oscillator probe into and out of the working position. A normally open valve is provided between the vapor deposition process chamber and the crystal oscillator working chamber, and a normally closed valve is provided between the crystal oscillator storage chamber and the atmosphere.

[0007] Specifically, a first slide rail and a second slide rail are provided between the crystal oscillator working cavity and the crystal oscillator storage cavity. The working position is located at the lower outlet of the first slide rail, and the second slide rail extends upward from the working position to the crystal oscillator storage cavity. The switching mechanism switches the crystal oscillator probe from the first slide rail to the second slide rail.

[0008] Specifically, the vapor deposition equipment also includes a cooling mechanism for cooling the crystal oscillator probe at the working position.

[0009] Specifically, the upper part of the evaporation process chamber is for the evaporation substrate to pass through, and the lower part is provided with a linear evaporation source. The crystal oscillator working chamber is provided with a sleeve, one end of which faces the working crystal oscillator probe, and the other end faces the linear evaporation source.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this utility model's technical solution are:

[0011] In this equipment, the crystal oscillator working chamber and the crystal oscillator storage chamber form a transitional space for replacing the crystal oscillator probe. The working chamber is the area where the crystal oscillator probe stays during film thickness measurement, while the storage chamber is the area for replacing the old and new crystal oscillator probes. Because the evaporation process chamber needs to be evacuated during the evaporation process, but the crystal oscillator probe needs to continuously measure film thickness, the normally closed valve must be kept closed to prevent leakage in the evaporation process chamber, while the normally open valve must be kept open to enable the crystal oscillator probe to perform the measurement. When the crystal oscillator probe needs to be replaced, the normally open valve is closed first, and then the normally closed valve is opened. This way, the vacuum in the evaporation process chamber is not broken; only the film thickness measurement is paused. This saves the time spent waiting for the linear evaporation source to cool, re-evacuate, and reheat, improving production cycle time and reducing maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the vapor deposition equipment.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a magnified view of a portion of the crystal oscillator's working cavity.

[0014] The numbers in the image represent:

[0015] 1- Evaporation equipment,

[0016] 11-Evaporation process chamber, 111-Linear evaporation source, 112-Normally open valve.

[0017] 12-Crystal oscillator working cavity, 121-Sleeve, 122-Transposition mechanism.

[0018] 13 - Crystal storage cavity, 131 - Normally closed valve,

[0019] 14-Crystal oscillator probe,

[0020] 15-Cooling mechanism,

[0021] 16a - First slide rail, 16b - Second slide rail;

[0022] 2-Evaporated substrate. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0024] Example:

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the vapor deposition equipment 1 of this utility model with automatic crystal oscillator replacement function includes a vapor deposition process chamber 11, a crystal oscillator working chamber 12 disposed on the side wall of the vapor deposition process chamber 11, a crystal oscillator storage chamber 13 communicating with the crystal oscillator working chamber 12, a plurality of crystal oscillator probes 14 disposed in the crystal oscillator working chamber 12 and the crystal oscillator storage chamber 13, and a cooling mechanism 15 for cooling the crystal oscillator probes 14 in the working position. A normally open valve 112 is provided between the vapor deposition process chamber 11 and the crystal oscillator working chamber 12, and a normally closed valve 131 is provided between the crystal oscillator storage chamber 13 and the atmosphere.

[0026] The vapor deposition process chamber 11 is the space where vapor deposition occurs. The crystal oscillator working chamber 12 and the crystal oscillator storage chamber 13 form a transition space for replacing the crystal oscillator probe 14. The crystal oscillator working chamber 12 is the area where the crystal oscillator probe 14 stays during film thickness detection, and the crystal oscillator storage chamber 13 is the area for replacing the old and new crystal oscillator probes 14. Because the vapor deposition process chamber 11 needs to be evacuated during vapor deposition, but the crystal oscillator probe 14 needs to continuously detect film thickness, the normally closed valve 131 must be kept closed to prevent air leakage in the vapor deposition process chamber 11, and the normally open valve 112 must be kept open to enable the detection by the crystal oscillator probe 14. When the crystal oscillator probe 14 needs to be replaced, the normally open valve 112 is closed first, and then the normally closed valve 131 is opened. In this way, the vacuum in the vapor deposition process chamber 11 is not broken, only the film thickness detection is paused. This saves the time waiting for the linear evaporation source 111 to cool down, be evacuated again, and be reheated, improving the production cycle and saving maintenance costs. The cooling mechanism 15 is used to prevent the crystal oscillator probe 14 from overheating. Since the crystal oscillator probe 14 has only one working position, the cooling mechanism 15 only needs to cool the single working position, thus saving costs.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the upper part of the vapor deposition process chamber 11 is for the vapor deposition substrate 2 to pass through, and the lower part is provided with a linear evaporation source 111. The crystal oscillator working chamber 12 is provided with a sleeve 122. One end of the sleeve 121 faces the working crystal oscillator probe 14, and the other end faces the linear evaporation source 111.

[0028] The vapor-deposited material must pass through the sleeve 121 and adhere to the crystal oscillator on the crystal oscillator probe 14 in order to obtain the test results. The sleeve 121 only needs to provide the aperture through which the crystal oscillator probe 14 detects the film thickness, reducing the contamination of other parts of the crystal oscillator working cavity 12 by the vapor-deposited material.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a first slide rail 16a and a second slide rail 16b are provided between the crystal working cavity 12 and the crystal storage cavity 13. The crystal working cavity 12 has a working position located below the exit of the first slide rail 16. The second slide rail 16b extends upward from the working position to the crystal storage cavity 13. The crystal working cavity 12 is also provided with a switching mechanism 122 for switching the crystal probe 14 from the first slide rail 16a to the second slide rail 16b.

[0030] The crystal oscillator probe 14 is a combination of an electrode and a crystal oscillator. The crystal oscillator probe 14 is separately designed on two slide rails. Multiple crystal oscillator probes 14 can be placed within the crystal oscillator working chamber 12, eliminating the hassle of opening and closing valves each time they are replaced, and also eliminating the need for additional wiring and cooling water circuits. The method of fixing the monitoring crystal oscillator probe 14 also eliminates the need for a multi-head crystal oscillator air drive device, thus saving costs to a certain extent. The crystal oscillator probe 14 in the working position is used to detect film thickness. The crystal oscillator probes on the first slide rail 16a are unused and await replacement. The crystal oscillator probes on the second slide rail 16b are those that have reached the end of their service life and await recycling. When a crystal oscillator probe in the working position reaches the end of its service life, it moves away along the second slide rail 16b, and the crystal oscillator probe on the first slide rail 16a takes its place. The switching mechanism 122 is a motor-driven latch that can feed the crystal oscillator probe 14 into and out of the working position. If the crystal oscillator is replaced during the vapor deposition process, a delay effect using a fixed current mode can stably control the deposition rate. During the switching process, if the deposition rate mode is used, the Z-Ratio of the film thickness monitor can be adjusted appropriately. Changing the Z-Ratio from 1 to between 2 and 5 can compensate for fluctuations in the deposition rate in a timely manner, thus achieving stable deposition rate control. Once the storage capacity of the crystal oscillator probe 14 on the second slide rail 16b reaches its upper limit, the normally open valve 112 and normally closed valve 131 are switched, allowing the crystal oscillator storage chamber 13 to be evacuated, replaced, and then inserted into the crystal oscillator storage chamber 13. After the normally closed valve 131 is closed, the chamber is evacuated to a high vacuum state, and the normally open valve 112 is opened. This process does not affect the deposition rate, allowing for continuous deposition. By recording the usage process of each crystal oscillator, the materials tested by the crystal oscillator can be distinguished, facilitating subsequent recycling.

[0031] The working process of this equipment is as follows: Open the normally closed valve 131, and load multiple spare crystal oscillator probes 14 into the first slide rail 16a. The crystal oscillator probes 14 slide down the first slide rail 16a until the lowest crystal oscillator probe 14 reaches the working position. Close the normally closed valve 131, heat and evacuate the vapor deposition process chamber 11, and pass the vapor deposition substrate 2 over the vapor deposition process chamber 11. While the linear evaporation source 111 deposits the vapor deposition material onto the lower surface of the vapor deposition substrate 2, it also deposits it onto the crystal oscillator plate of the crystal oscillator probe 14 through the sleeve 121. The crystal oscillator probe 14 can then perform film deposition. Thickness detection; when the crystal oscillator probe 14 reaches the set recycling state, the switching mechanism 122 sends the previous crystal oscillator probe to the second slide rail 16b, and the next crystal oscillator probe is placed in the working position. The evaporation process chamber 11 continues to detect film thickness without stopping the machine; when all the crystal oscillator probes 14 stored in the crystal oscillator storage chamber 13 are used up, the normally open valve 112 is closed, and then the normally closed valve 131 is opened. The worker recycles the crystal oscillator probes 14 and replaces them with new ones; after the replacement is completed, the normally closed valve 131 is closed, the normally open valve 112 is opened, and the next round of evaporation and film thickness detection continues.

[0032] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of this utility model, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A vapor deposition equipment with automatic crystal oscillator replacement function, characterized in that: The device includes a vapor deposition process chamber, a crystal oscillator working chamber located on the side wall of the vapor deposition process chamber, and a crystal oscillator storage chamber that is in communication with the crystal oscillator working chamber. The crystal oscillator working chamber has a working position and a switching mechanism for sending the crystal oscillator probe into and out of the working position. A normally open valve is provided between the vapor deposition process chamber and the crystal oscillator working chamber, and a normally closed valve is provided between the crystal oscillator storage chamber and the atmosphere.

2. The vapor deposition equipment with automatic crystal oscillator replacement function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first slide rail and a second slide rail are provided between the working cavity of the crystal oscillator and the storage cavity of the crystal oscillator. The working position is located at the lower outlet of the first slide rail. The second slide rail extends upward from the working position to the storage cavity of the crystal oscillator. The switching mechanism switches the crystal oscillator probe from the first slide rail to the second slide rail.

3. The vapor deposition equipment with automatic crystal oscillator replacement function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vapor deposition equipment also includes a cooling mechanism for cooling the crystal oscillator probe at the working position.

4. The vapor deposition equipment with automatic crystal oscillator replacement function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper part of the vapor deposition process chamber is for the vapor deposition substrate to pass through, and the lower part is provided with a linear evaporation source. The crystal oscillator working chamber is provided with a sleeve, one end of which faces the working crystal oscillator probe, and the other end faces the linear evaporation source.

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