Inclined grating etching tool and etching equipment
Through the innovative design of tilting grating etching fixtures and etching equipment, rapid and stable etching of multiple workpieces was achieved, solving the problems of long time consumption and insufficient equipment applicability in existing technologies, and improving production efficiency and etching quality.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520576587.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-03-28
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies are time-consuming to etch tilted gratings, and traditional etching equipment cannot process tilted gratings in batches, resulting in low production efficiency.
A tilting grating etching fixture was designed, including a tray, a tilting mounting base, a workpiece mounting groove, a limiting strip, and a helium gas through hole. Rapid etching is achieved by tilting multiple workpieces in batches and introducing helium gas. Combined with the carrier disk and back helium gas hole of the etching equipment, the etching process is simplified and the step of rotating the carrier disk is avoided.
It reduces etching time, improves production efficiency, is suitable for batch etching of tilted gratings, and ensures etching quality and precision.
Smart Images
Figure CN223897675U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of optical element processing especially to a kind of inclined grating etching tool and etching equipment. BACKGROUND
[0002] Inclined grating can be used to improve the brightness of optical waveguide and reduce light leakage due to its high-efficiency diffraction performance in specific diffraction orders, so it is widely used in the diffraction optical waveguide technology of augmented reality (AR) and also applicable to silicon-based optical waveguide, beam shaping, spectral analysis and optical fiber sensing and other fields. Currently, reactive ion beam etching (RIBE), reactive ion etching (RIE), inductively coupled plasma etching (ICP) and capacitively coupled plasma etching (CCP) are commonly used to etch the sample to be etched and form a grating structure.
[0003] For example, etching a 300nm SiO2 grating structure requires the above-mentioned etching methods to go through the steps of sample loading, gas pumping, light turning on, stabilizing, etching, gas pumping and sample unloading, which takes a long time of 105-160s. The mainstream processing scheme is to use reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) to process the sample, which requires the sample to be etched to be installed on a rotatable stage, and the stage is rotated relative to the ion beam incident path to obtain a predetermined tilt angle, so as to achieve the purpose of etching an inclined grating. Compared with the other three types of flat plate etching equipment, RIBE takes a long time of 440s. The other three types of flat plate etching equipment can only perform vertical etching, and the stage cannot be rotated, so they do not have the condition to perform inclined grating etching. SUMMARY
[0004] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the first object of the utility model is to provide an inclined grating etching tool, which has the advantage of facilitating batch inclined installation of multiple workpieces.
[0005] The second object of the utility model is to provide an etching equipment, which has the advantages of reducing etching time and being suitable for batch inclined grating etching.
[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned first object, the utility model provides the following technical scheme:
[0007] An inclined grating etching tool includes a supporting plate, a plurality of inclined mounting seats passing through the supporting plate, a workpiece mounting groove recessed on the inclined surface of the inclined mounting seat, a limiting strip mounted on the inclined mounting seat by an elastic member, and a helium gas through hole opened in the bottom surface of the inclined mounting seat. The movement path of the limiting strip passes above the workpiece mounting groove, and the helium gas through hole is connected to the workpiece mounting groove.
[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the workpiece is pre-fixed on the tilted mounting base through the workpiece mounting slot. Different etching angles, i.e., the tilt angle of the tilted grating, are matched with different tilted mounting bases. The pre-tightening effect of the elastic element is used to achieve the overlapping and detachment of the limiting strip at the edge of the workpiece surface, thus completing the installation of the workpiece on the tilted mounting base. During actual etching, back helium can be directly introduced through the helium gas through-hole to control the workpiece temperature to be approximately constant. In this process, multiple workpieces can be installed in batches at an angle through the workpiece mounting slot and the limiting strip, and the back helium can be introduced through the helium gas through-hole. This achieves the purpose of facilitating the etching of the workpiece with tilted gratings, directly overcoming the defect of the original RIBE requiring a rotating carrier disk, and helping to reduce the time consumption of the etching process.
[0009] The present invention is further configured such that the inclined mounting base is detachably connected to the tray.
[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the detachable connection method not only allows for the quick replacement of tilt mounts with different tilt angles according to the required etching tilt grating angle, improving the flexibility and applicability of the etching fixture, but also facilitates the cleaning and maintenance of the tilt mount, ensuring the stability of the etching process and the quality of the workpiece; in addition, this design is conducive to the standardization and serialization of tilt mount production, reducing production costs and improving production efficiency.
[0011] The present invention is further configured such that: the inclined mounting base is formed through a stepped groove, and the inclined mounting base is tightly inserted into the stepped groove.
[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, it is easy to disassemble and replace tilt mounting bases with different tilt angles.
[0013] The present invention is further configured such that the side wall of the workpiece mounting groove is arranged relative to the peripheral wall of the workpiece.
[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the sidewall of the workpiece mounting groove maintains a certain relative positional relationship with the peripheral wall of the workpiece. This design makes the workpiece more stable during installation and less prone to displacement or shaking. At the same time, this setting also helps to maintain the consistency of the workpiece during etching, ensuring the accuracy and precision of the etching pattern. In addition, by rationally designing the shape and size of the sidewall of the workpiece mounting groove, it can also adapt to workpieces of different shapes and sizes, further improving the versatility and flexibility of the etching fixture.
[0015] The present invention is further configured such that: at least two limiting strips are provided and are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the workpiece mounting groove.
[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, at least two points of the workpiece can be limited in the mounting groove, which further improves the stability of the workpiece during the installation process. The number and arrangement of the limiting strips can be reasonably designed according to the shape and size of the workpiece to ensure that the workpiece is firmly fixed in the mounting groove and does not shake, thus avoiding the problem of inaccurate etching patterns or reduced precision caused by workpiece offset or shaking.
[0017] The present invention is further configured such that: the elastic element includes a rotating shaft disposed on the inclined mounting base, a baffle disposed on the rotating shaft, and a compression spring sleeved on the rotating shaft; the limiting strip is slidably sleeved on the rotating shaft; and the two ends of the compression spring are respectively fixed to the baffle and the limiting strip.
[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the position of the limiting strip can be flexibly adjusted to adapt to workpieces of different shapes and sizes; at the same time, the setting of the compression spring gives the limiting strip a certain buffering effect during installation, avoiding the problem of tooling damage or workpiece damage caused by the impact force generated during workpiece installation.
[0019] The present invention is further configured such that: multiple helium gas through holes are provided and are evenly distributed along the bottom wall of the workpiece mounting groove.
[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, uniform gas supply can be achieved at different positions in the workpiece mounting groove, ensuring the uniformity of gas distribution during the etching process, thereby improving the consistency and accuracy of the etching pattern; at the same time, the setting of multiple helium gas through holes can also improve the efficiency of gas flow, shorten the etching time, and improve production efficiency.
[0021] To achieve the second objective mentioned above, this utility model provides the following technical solution:
[0022] An etching apparatus includes an etching reaction chamber, a carrier disk disposed within the etching reaction chamber and having a back helium gas port, and the etching fixture described above, wherein the etching fixture is mounted on the carrier disk with a helium gas through-hole connected to the back helium gas port.
[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, after multiple workpieces are pre-installed on the etching fixture in batches, the etching fixture is directly installed on the carrier plate, and the etching operation is carried out by introducing reaction gas through the etching reaction chamber. Helium gas is introduced into the back side of the workpiece through the back helium gas hole to achieve precise control of the workpiece temperature, ensuring etching quality and efficiency. Compared with the original method of rotating and tilting the RIBE first, etching away chromium, and then cutting, this design adopts the method of cutting first, then tilting and pre-installing, and etching away chromium. This avoids the cumbersome steps of rotating the carrier plate to obtain the predetermined tilt angle, reduces etching time, improves production efficiency, and is suitable for batch tilting grating etching.
[0024] The present invention is further configured such that: a positioning clamp is provided on the carrier plate and a positioning groove is formed thereon, the jaws of the positioning clamp are arranged relative to the surface of the pallet, and the pallet is partially embedded in the positioning groove.
[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, the positioning fixture and positioning groove enable the etching tooling to be stably and accurately installed on the carrier plate, avoiding offset or shaking during the installation process. This helps to further reduce errors in the etching process and ensures that the quality of the final etched tilted grating meets the design requirements.
[0026] The present invention is further configured to include: a sample inlet chamber selectively connected to the etching reaction chamber via a gate, a tooling stage disposed within the sample inlet chamber for placing the etching fixture, and a robotic arm, wherein the moving path of the gripping end of the robotic arm passes sequentially through the tooling stage and the carrier plate.
[0027] By adopting the above technical solution, the robotic arm can automatically pick up the etching fixture from the loading table and accurately place it on the carrier plate through the gate, without the need for manual operation, which greatly improves the automation level and production efficiency of the etching operation. At the same time, the selective connection design of the gate can effectively control the gas exchange between the sample injection chamber and the etching reaction chamber, avoid gas leakage and contamination during the etching process, and ensure the stability of the etching environment and the reliability of the etching quality.
[0028] In summary, the beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows:
[0029] 1. The etching fixture of this utility model completes the batch tilting installation of multiple workpieces through the workpiece mounting groove and the limiting strip, and is supplemented by helium gas through hole to ensure back helium inlet, which can facilitate the tilting grating etching of workpieces, directly overcoming the defect of the original RIBE requiring a rotating carrier disk, and helping to reduce the time consumption of the etching process.
[0030] 2. The etching equipment of this utility model avoids the cumbersome steps of rotating the carrier disk to obtain the predetermined tilt angle, reduces etching time, improves production efficiency, and is suitable for batch tilting grating etching. Attached Figure Description
[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the etching equipment of this utility model.
[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the carrier, positioning fixture, positioning groove and etching tooling of this utility model.
[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the etching fixture of this utility model.
[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the tray and the inclined mounting base of this utility model.
[0035] In the figure, 1. Etching reaction chamber; 11. Carrier plate; 12. Back helium gas port; 13. Positioning fixture; 14. Positioning groove; 2. Gate; 3. Sample inlet chamber; 31. Tooling loading platform; 4. Robotic arm; 5. Pallet; 51. Step groove; 6. Inclined mounting base; 7. Workpiece mounting groove; 8. Elastic element; 81. Rotating shaft; 82. Baffle; 83. Compression spring; 9. Limiting strip; 10. Helium gas through hole. Detailed Implementation
[0036] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this utility model clearer and easier to understand, the present utility model will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0037] Reference Figure 1 This invention discloses an etching apparatus, comprising an etching reaction chamber 1, a carrier plate 11 disposed within the etching reaction chamber 1 and having a back helium gas port 12, a positioning clamp 13 and a positioning groove 14 disposed on the carrier plate 11, a sample inlet chamber 3 selectively connected to the etching reaction chamber 1 via a gate 2, a tooling stage 31 disposed within the sample inlet chamber 3, a robotic arm 4, and etching fixtures. The movement path of the gripping end of the robotic arm 4 sequentially passes through the tooling stage 31 and the etching fixtures on the carrier plate 11. The positioning clamp 13 is configured as a pneumatic gripper, with the gripper arranged relative to the surface of the support plate 5. The etching fixture portion is embedded in the positioning groove 14.
[0038] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 This utility model also discloses a tilted grating etching fixture, including a support plate 5 partially embedded in a positioning groove 14, multiple tilted mounting seats 6 passing through the support plate 5, a workpiece mounting groove 7 recessed in the tilted surface of the tilted mounting seat 6, a limiting strip 9 mounted on the tilted mounting seat 6 by an elastic member 8, and a helium gas through hole 10 opened on the bottom surface of the tilted mounting seat 6. The moving path of the limiting strip 9 passes above the workpiece mounting groove 7, and the helium gas through hole 10 connects to the workpiece mounting groove 7.
[0039] Reference Figure 4 To achieve standardized and serialized production of the tilting mount 6, the tilting mount 6 is detachably connected to the support plate 5. Specifically, a stepped groove 51 is formed through the tilting mount 6, and the tilting mount 6 is tightly inserted into the stepped groove 51. This detachable connection not only allows for quick replacement of tilting mounts 6 with different tilt angles as needed for etching, improving the flexibility and applicability of the etching fixture, but also facilitates cleaning and maintenance of the tilting mount 6, ensuring the stability of the etching process and the quality of the workpiece.
[0040] In addition, the sidewall of the workpiece mounting groove 7 is positioned relative to the peripheral wall of the workpiece. Maintaining a certain relative position between the sidewall of the workpiece mounting groove 7 and the peripheral wall of the workpiece makes the workpiece more stable during installation, less prone to displacement or shaking. Simultaneously, this arrangement helps maintain workpiece consistency during etching, ensuring the accuracy and precision of the etching pattern. Furthermore, by rationally designing the shape and size of the sidewall of the workpiece mounting groove 7, it can accommodate workpieces of different shapes and sizes, further improving the versatility and flexibility of the etching fixture.
[0041] Two limiting strips 9 are provided and arranged at intervals along the circumference of the workpiece mounting groove 7. The two limiting strips 9 can achieve bidirectional limiting of the workpiece in the mounting groove, further improving the stability of the workpiece during the installation process. The number and arrangement of the limiting strips 9 can be reasonably designed according to the shape and size of the workpiece to ensure that the workpiece is firmly fixed in the mounting groove without shaking, avoiding problems such as inaccurate etching patterns or reduced precision caused by workpiece displacement or shaking.
[0042] The elastic element 8 includes a rotating shaft 81 mounted on the inclined mounting base 6, a baffle 82 mounted on the rotating shaft 81, and a compression spring 83 sleeved on the rotating shaft 81. A limiting strip 9 is slidably sleeved on the rotating shaft 81, and the two ends of the compression spring 83 are respectively fixed to the baffle 82 and the limiting strip 9. The elastic element 8 allows for flexible adjustment of the position of the limiting strip 9 to accommodate workpieces of different shapes and sizes. Simultaneously, the compression spring 83 provides a buffering effect during installation, preventing damage to the tooling or workpiece caused by impact forces during installation.
[0043] Multiple helium gas through-holes 10 are provided and evenly distributed along the bottom wall of the workpiece mounting groove 7. This allows for uniform gas supply to different positions within the workpiece mounting groove 7, ensuring uniform gas distribution during etching and thus improving the consistency and accuracy of the etching pattern. Simultaneously, the multiple helium gas through-holes 10 also improve gas flow efficiency, shorten etching time, and increase production efficiency.
[0044] The implementation principle of this embodiment is as follows: the workpiece is pre-fixed on the inclined mounting base 6 through the workpiece mounting groove 7. Different etching angles, i.e., the tilt angle of the tilt grating, are matched with different tilt mounting bases 6. The pre-tightening effect of the elastic element 8 is used to realize the overlap and detachment of the limiting strip 9 on the edge of the workpiece surface, thus completing the installation of the workpiece on the tilt mounting base 6. During actual etching, back helium can be directly introduced through the helium gas through hole 10 to control the workpiece temperature to be approximately constant. In this process, multiple workpieces are installed in batches at an inclined angle through the workpiece mounting groove 7 and the limiting strip 9, and the back helium is introduced through the helium gas through hole 10, which can facilitate the etching of the workpiece at an inclined grating. This directly overcomes the defect that the original RIBE required rotating the carrier disk 11, which helps to reduce the time consumption of the etching process. After multiple workpieces are pre-installed on the etching fixture in batches, the etching fixture is directly installed on the carrier plate 11, and the etching operation is carried out by introducing reaction gas through the etching reaction chamber 1. Helium gas is introduced into the back side of the workpiece through the back helium gas hole 12 to achieve precise control of the workpiece temperature and ensure etching quality and efficiency. Compared with the original method of rotating and tilting the RIBE first, etching to remove chromium, and then cutting, this design adopts the method of cutting first, then tilting and pre-installing, and etching to remove chromium. This avoids the cumbersome steps of rotating the carrier plate 11 to obtain the predetermined tilt angle, reduces etching time, improves production efficiency, and is suitable for batch tilting grating etching.
[0045] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this utility model, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.
Claims
1. A tilting grating etching fixture, characterized in that: The device includes a tray (5), multiple inclined mounting seats (6) passing through the tray (5), a workpiece mounting groove (7) recessed on the inclined surface of the inclined mounting seat (6), a limiting strip (9) mounted on the inclined mounting seat (6) by an elastic element (8), and a helium gas through hole (10) opened on the bottom surface of the inclined mounting seat (6). The moving path of the limiting strip (9) passes above the workpiece mounting groove (7), and the helium gas through hole (10) is connected to the workpiece mounting groove (7).
2. The tilting grating etching fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inclined mounting base (6) is detachably connected to the tray (5).
3. The tilting grating etching fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inclined mounting base (6) is formed through the stepped groove (51), and the inclined mounting base (6) is tightly inserted into the stepped groove (51).
4. The tilting grating etching fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sidewall of the workpiece mounting groove (7) is set relative to the peripheral wall of the workpiece.
5. The tilting grating etching fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting strip (9) is provided in at least two parts and is arranged at intervals along the circumference of the workpiece mounting groove (7).
6. The tilting grating etching fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic element (8) includes a rotating shaft (81) disposed on the inclined mounting base (6), a baffle (82) disposed on the rotating shaft (81), and a compression spring (83) sleeved on the rotating shaft (81). The limiting strip (9) is slidably sleeved on the rotating shaft (81), and the two ends of the compression spring (83) are respectively fixed on the baffle (82) and the limiting strip (9).
7. The tilting grating etching fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple helium gas through holes (10) are provided and are evenly distributed along the bottom wall of the workpiece mounting groove (7).
8. An etching apparatus, characterized in that: The device includes an etching reaction chamber (1), a carrier disk (11) disposed in the etching reaction chamber (1) and having a back helium gas port (12), and an etching fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the etching fixture is mounted on the carrier disk (11) with a helium gas through hole (10) connected to the back helium gas port (12).
9. An etching apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: The carrier plate (11) is provided with a positioning clamp (13) and a positioning groove (14). The jaws of the positioning clamp (13) are arranged relative to the surface of the tray (5), and the tray (5) is partially embedded in the positioning groove (14).
10. An etching apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a sample inlet chamber (3) selectively connected to the etching reaction chamber (1) via a gate (2), a tooling loading stage (31) disposed in the sample inlet chamber (3) for placing etching tooling, and a robotic arm (4), the moving path of the gripping end of the robotic arm (4) passing through the tooling loading stage (31) and the carrier plate (11) in sequence.