Evaporation boat and vacuum evaporation coating equipment
By setting a right-angle isolation section between the boat body and the lug of the evaporation boat, the lithium metal ramping phenomenon is solved, short circuits are prevented, evaporation uniformity and film quality are improved, and stable film deposition is achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
AI Technical Summary
In traditional evaporation boat designs, the improper design of the boat lugs causes molten lithium metal to climb up the boat wall, creating a ramp phenomenon that leads to short circuits and uneven evaporation, affecting film quality.
An isolation section is set between the hull and the lug of the evaporation boat, with a right angle between them, to prevent the molten metal plating from climbing up to the electrode connection point. The width of the lug is smaller than the width of the hull to ensure uniform heat distribution and avoid the accumulation of molten metal.
It effectively prevents molten lithium metal from climbing up, avoids short circuits, improves evaporation uniformity, and enhances film quality.
Smart Images
Figure CN223963559U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of vacuum evaporation coating technology, and more specifically, to an evaporation boat and a vacuum evaporation coating apparatus. Background Technology
[0002] Vacuum evaporation coating is a common thin film preparation technology. It involves evaporating raw materials and depositing them onto a substrate to form a thin film. An evaporation boat is a device used for evaporation coating, typically made of metals such as tungsten or molybdenum. The evaporated raw materials are deposited on the substrate surface to form a thin film. Evaporation coating can prepare various thin films, such as metal thin films, semiconductor thin films, and optical thin films, and is widely used in electronics, optics, and solar energy fields. In traditional evaporation boat designs, the design of the boat lugs is often flawed, easily causing molten lithium metal to climb up the boat wall, creating a "climbing" phenomenon. The cross-sectional area at the boat lugs is relatively large, resulting in uneven heat distribution and potential accumulation of molten metal, which could eventually lead to short circuits due to the conductive connection between the positive and negative electrode surfaces. These phenomena not only lead to metal waste but can also cause uneven evaporation and splashing, affecting the quality of the thin film. Utility Model Content
[0003] The purpose of this disclosure is to address the technical problems in related technologies by providing an evaporation boat and a vacuum evaporation coating apparatus. The specific solution is as follows:
[0004] A first aspect of this disclosure provides an evaporation boat, comprising:
[0005] The hull is provided with a molten metal pool, and the hull is configured to be a metal plating material that evaporates and melts in the molten metal pool.
[0006] Boat ears, located at both ends of the evaporation boat, are configured to be clamped by an external clamping device to move the boat body;
[0007] An isolation section is disposed between the boat body and the boat lug, configured to prevent the molten metal plating from climbing up to the electrode connection point, wherein the angle between the isolation section and the boat lug is a right angle.
[0008] In some embodiments, the width of the lugs is smaller than the width of the hull in the width direction of the hull.
[0009] In some embodiments, the boat ear includes: a vertical connecting plate connected to the edge of the isolation portion; and a horizontal clamping plate, the side of which is connected to the edge of the vertical connecting plate.
[0010] In some embodiments, graphite pads are provided on both sides of the horizontal clamping plate.
[0011] In some embodiments, the scaphoid ear includes: a first through hole, which is disposed through the vertical connecting plate and configured to be connected to an external electrode post.
[0012] In some embodiments, the distance from the center of the first through hole to the edge of the horizontal clamping plate is less than the distance from the center of the first through hole to the edge of the boat lug.
[0013] In some embodiments, the vertical connecting plate is provided with at least two first through holes, and the diameter of the first through hole is not less than 1 mm.
[0014] In some embodiments, the isolation portion includes: a first side connected to the hull; and a second side connected to the boat ear, wherein the length of the first side is greater than the length of the second side.
[0015] In some embodiments, the metal plating is lithium.
[0016] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a vacuum evaporation coating apparatus, comprising: an evaporation boat as described in any one of the first aspects of this disclosure.
[0017] Compared with related technologies, the above-described solutions of this disclosure have at least the following beneficial effects:
[0018] This disclosure provides an evaporation boat and a vacuum evaporation coating apparatus. The evaporation boat includes an isolation section disposed between the boat body and the boat lug, with the isolation section forming a right angle with the boat lug. This effectively prevents molten lithium metal from climbing upwards along the boat wall, thus preventing a "climbing" phenomenon. It also avoids the accumulation of molten metal at the boat lug, which could lead to short circuits caused by the conductive connection between the positive and negative electrode liquid surfaces. This effectively reduces the waste of metal plating material, ensures uniform evaporation, and improves the quality of the thin film.
[0019] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description
[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings:
[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of an evaporation boat based on a related technology.
[0022] Figure 2 This is a front view of an evaporation boat according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0023] Figure 3 This is a left view of an evaporation boat according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0024] Figure 4 This is a top view of an evaporation boat according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0025] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an evaporation boat according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0026] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of another evaporation boat according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0027] Figure 7 This is a left view of another evaporation boat shown according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0028] Figure label:
[0029] Evaporation boat 100', molten metal pool 101', boat lugs 300';
[0030] Evaporation boat 100, molten metal pool 101, boat body 110, isolation section 200, first side 210, second side 220, first through hole 301, boat lug 300, vertical connecting plate 310, horizontal clamping plate 320. Detailed Implementation
[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.
[0032] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in the embodiments of this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise; “multiple” generally includes at least two, and other quantifiers are similarly intended.
[0033] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe embodiments of this disclosure, these descriptions should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the described objects. For example, first may also be referred to as second without departing from the scope of embodiments of this disclosure, and similarly, second may also be referred to as first. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0034] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
[0035] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected" or "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.
[0036] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that an article or device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such an article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or device that includes said element.
[0037] Vacuum coating technology involves depositing a metal coating onto a substrate by converting a metal plating material into an evaporated metal plating material within a vacuum evaporation coating apparatus. Specifically, the metal plating material is transported to an evaporation boat 100', where it sublimates into an evaporated metal plating material, which moves upwards towards the evaporation boat 100'. Further, the substrate to be coated is passed over the evaporation boat 100', and the evaporated metal plating material is deposited as a thin metal layer on the substrate surface, thus achieving vapor deposition of the substrate.
[0038] In the vacuum coating process, a constant vapor flow is required within the vacuum evaporation coating equipment. Typically, the evaporation boat 100' is directly heated to approximately 1500°C. Then, a metal plating material is fed in, causing it to liquefy on the metal surface of the boat and evaporate in a vacuum environment. The evaporation boat 100' allows for the deposition of a uniformly thick metal layer across the entire width of the substrate.
[0039] In related technologies, such as Figure 1 As shown, the evaporation boat 100' has a molten metal pool 101' inside. After the metal plating material is fed into the evaporation boat 100', it melts into a molten metal plating liquid in the molten metal pool 101'. Further, the molten metal plating liquid is converted into evaporated metal plating material, which is then deposited upwards onto the substrate surface. During this process, since the boat body 110' of the evaporation boat 100' is directly connected to the lugs 300', the molten metal plating solution easily moves along the lugs towards the end away from the boat body when the metal plating material melts. Since the lugs are used to connect to the electrodes, this movement of the metal plating material can easily cause molten lithium metal to accumulate at the lugs 300', potentially leading to a short circuit due to the connection between the positive and negative electrode surfaces. These phenomena not only result in metal waste but may also cause a decrease in evaporation amount and rate, leading to uneven evaporation and, consequently, splashing points that affect the quality of the thin film.
[0040] In view of this, the present disclosure provides an evaporation boat, comprising: a boat body having a molten metal pool, the boat body being configured to evaporate a metal plating material molten in the molten metal pool; boat ears being disposed at both ends of the evaporation boat and configured to be clamped by an external clamping device to move the boat body; and an isolation portion being disposed between the boat body and the boat ears and configured to prevent the molten metal plating material from contaminating the electrode connection, wherein the angle between the isolation portion and the boat ears is a right angle.
[0041] The optional embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0042] A first aspect of this disclosure provides an evaporation boat 100, such as... Figure 2 As shown, it includes: a boat body 110, the boat body 110 having an overall elongated structure, the middle part of the boat body 110 sinking to form a molten metal pool 101, the evaporation boat 100 being a metal boat, and the surface of the molten metal pool 101 being a metal surface, used to melt the metal plating material into a molten metal plating liquid.
[0043] The evaporation boat 100 can be made of tungsten, molybdenum, or tantalum. The resistance of the evaporation boat 100 is greater than 1 mΩ. After the metal plating is placed in the molten metal pool 101, the evaporation boat 100 can be heated to melt the metal plating into a molten metal plating solution. Further, a portion of the molten metal plating solution evaporates due to the high temperature of the evaporation boat 100. The evaporated metal plating moves towards the substrate to be coated and deposits on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film. The thickness and quality of the thin film depend on factors such as the temperature of the evaporation boat 100, the evaporation time, the purity of the raw materials, and the temperature of the substrate. The evaporation boat 100 provided in this embodiment can achieve film deposition rates of 10 μm or higher and a stable film deposition rate of 5 nm / s or higher.
[0044] It should be noted that this disclosure does not limit the shape of the evaporation boat 100. The evaporation boat 100 can be a rectangular structure, a trapezoidal structure, or any other shape and structure that can accommodate the molten metal pool 101 and melt the metal plating in the molten metal pool 101.
[0045] In some embodiments, the evaporation boat 100 further includes boat ears 300, which are disposed at both ends of the evaporation boat 100 and configured to be clamped by an external clamping device to move the boat body 110. An isolation portion 200 is also provided between the boat ears 300 and the boat body 110. The isolation portion 200 is configured to block the molten metal plating from climbing up, so as to prevent the molten metal plating from climbing up to the electrode connection of the boat ears 300, causing the positive and negative electrode liquid surfaces to conduct and causing a short circuit, or causing the molten metal to accumulate at the boat ears 300, resulting in waste of metal plating.
[0046] In some embodiments, the metal plating material can be a lithium bar. After the metal plating material melts in the metal molten pool 101, due to the high temperature of the evaporation boat 100, the surface of the lithium liquid may fluctuate. Furthermore, the lithium liquid may move along the side wall of the metal molten pool 101 toward the isolation part 200. In order to prevent the molten metal plating material from climbing from the isolation part 200 to the boat ear 300, the angle between the isolation part 200 and the boat ear 300 can be set to a right angle. This not only prevents the lithium liquid from moving to the boat ear 300, but also improves the problem of low and unstable film formation rate.
[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, in the width direction of the boat body 110, the width of the lug 300 is smaller than the width of the boat body 110. If the cross-sectional area at the lug 300 is large, uneven heat distribution will occur, easily leading to the accumulation of molten lithium metal at the lug 300, which may eventually cause the positive and negative electrode liquid surfaces to conduct, resulting in a short circuit. These phenomena not only lead to lithium metal waste but may also cause uneven evaporation, generating splash points that affect the quality of the film. Therefore, adjusting the width of the lug 300 to be smaller than the width of the boat body 110 can ensure uniform heat distribution and prevent the accumulation of molten metal plating.
[0048] In some embodiments, the width of the boat ear 300 is smaller than the width of the upper surface of the evaporation boat 100.
[0049] In some embodiments, the isolation portion 200 includes: a first side 210 and a second side 220, the first side 210 being connected to the boat body 110, and the second side 220 being connected to the boat lug 300, wherein the length of the first side 210 is greater than the length of the second side 220. For example... Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the isolation part 200 can be a trapezoidal structural member, with the long side of the trapezoidal structural member connected to the boat body 110 and the short side of the trapezoidal structural member connected to the boat lug 300.
[0050] In some embodiments, the scaphoid ear 300 includes a vertical connecting plate 310 and a horizontal clamping plate 320. The vertical connecting plate 310 is connected to the edge of the isolation portion 200, and the side of the horizontal clamping plate 320 is connected to the edge of the vertical connecting plate 310. To ensure a stable connection between the scaphoid ear 300 and the electrode, graphite pads may be provided on both sides of the horizontal clamping plate 320.
[0051] In some embodiments, the scaphoid 300 may further include a first through hole 301, such as Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the first through hole 301 is disposed through the vertical connecting plate 310 and configured to connect to the external electrode post. To prevent the molten metal plating inside the evaporation boat 100 from contacting the electrode post, the distance from the center of the first through hole 301 to the edge of the horizontal clamping plate 320 is less than the distance from the center of the first through hole 301 to the edge of the boat lug. At least two first through holes 301 are provided on the same vertical connecting plate 310, and the diameter of the first through hole 301 is not less than 1 mm.
[0052] It should be noted that this disclosure does not limit the shape of the first through hole 301. The first through hole 301 can be a circular structure, a rectangular structure, or any other shape that allows the evaporation boat 100 to be connected to the electrode.
[0053] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a vacuum evaporation coating apparatus, comprising: an evaporation boat 100 as described in any one of the first aspects of this disclosure. The vacuum evaporation coating apparatus is internally provided with a mounting bracket for mounting the evaporation boat 100, thereby ensuring the stability of the evaporation boat 100 within the apparatus.
[0054] The vacuum evaporation coating equipment may further include a wire feeding tube for conveying the metal plating material to the molten metal pool 101. Specifically, the metal plating material is fed into the molten metal pool 101 along the wire feeding tube, where it is melted into a molten metal plating liquid. Under continuous heating by the evaporation boat 100, the molten metal plating liquid is evaporated. The wire feeding tube protects the metal plating material from premature melting; the isolation section 200 protects the boat lugs 300 from the molten metal plating material rising to the boat lugs 300, which could cause molten metal to accumulate at the boat lugs 300, potentially leading to a short circuit due to the positive and negative electrode liquid surfaces becoming connected.
[0055] In some embodiments, the vacuum evaporation coating equipment further includes a substrate for receiving the evaporated metal plating material, so that the evaporated metal plating material is deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film, thereby achieving evaporation coating of the substrate.
[0056] In summary, this disclosure provides an evaporation boat 100 and a vacuum evaporation coating apparatus. The evaporation boat 100 includes an isolation section 200, which is disposed between the boat body 110 and the boat lug 300. The angle between the isolation section 200 and the boat lug 300 is a right angle, which can effectively prevent molten lithium metal from climbing upwards along the boat wall and forming a slope phenomenon. It also avoids the accumulation of molten metal at the boat lug 300, which could lead to short circuits caused by the positive and negative electrode liquid surfaces. This effectively reduces the waste of metal plating material, ensures uniform evaporation, and improves the quality of the thin film.
[0057] The specific structure, working principle, and beneficial effects of the evaporation boat 100 and vacuum evaporation coating equipment provided in this disclosure can be referred to in any of the above embodiments of the evaporation boat 100 and vacuum evaporation coating equipment, and will not be repeated here.
[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the systems or apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the descriptions are relatively simple, and relevant parts can be referred to the method section.
[0059] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure, and are not intended to limit it. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure.
Claims
1. An evaporation boat, characterized in that, include: The hull is provided with a molten metal pool, and the hull is configured to be a metal plating material that evaporates and melts in the molten metal pool. Boat ears, located at both ends of the evaporation boat, are configured to be clamped by an external clamping device to move the boat body; An isolation section, disposed between the boat body and the boat lug, is configured to prevent the molten metal plating from climbing up to the electrode connection point. The angle between the isolation section and the scaphoid ear is a right angle.
2. The evaporation boat according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the width direction of the hull, the width of the boat lug is smaller than the width of the hull.
3. The evaporation boat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scaphoid ear includes: A vertical connecting plate, which is connected to the edge of the isolation portion; A horizontal clamping plate, the side of which is connected to the edge of the vertical connecting plate.
4. The evaporation boat according to claim 3, characterized in that, Graphite pads are provided on both sides of the horizontal clamping plate.
5. The evaporation boat according to claim 3, characterized in that, The scaphoid ear includes: A first through hole is provided through the vertical connecting plate and is configured to connect to an external electrode post.
6. The evaporation boat according to claim 5, characterized in that, The distance from the center of the first through hole to the edge of the horizontal clamping plate is less than the distance from the center of the first through hole to the edge of the boat lug.
7. The evaporation boat according to claim 5, characterized in that, The vertical connecting plate is provided with at least two first through holes, and the diameter of the first through hole is not less than 1 mm.
8. The evaporation boat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The isolation unit includes: The first side is connected to the hull. The second side connects to the scaphoid ear. The length of the first side is greater than the length of the second side.
9. The evaporation boat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal plating material is lithium.
10. A vacuum evaporation coating apparatus, characterized in that, include: The evaporation boat according to any one of claims 1-9.