Gas uniformizing device and coating equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a gas uniformizing device and coating equipment, the gas uniformizing device comprises a first plate and a second plate which are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, a plurality of through structures are arranged on the first plate, each through structure penetrates through the first plate along the thickness direction of the first plate, and the flow areas of the two ends of each through structure are different. The large-diameter end of the through structure faces the spraying plate, and the small-diameter end of the through structure faces the second plate. A plurality of pore channels are formed in the second plate, the pore channels are communicated with one another to form irregular net-shaped channels, the irregular net-shaped channels are provided with openings in the upper surface and the lower surface of the second plate, and the upper surface and the lower surface are oppositely arranged in the thickness direction of the second plate. The gas uniformizing device is arranged in the cavity of the coating equipment and located below the spraying plate, sprayed plasma can be uniformized again, the film thickness flatness on the substrate can be improved, the spraying plate does not need to be replaced many times, and the production efficiency can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vapor deposition technology, and in particular to a gas homogenizing device and a coating equipment. Background Technology

[0002] The structure of the spray plate in the coating equipment is related to the quality of the chemical vapor deposition film on the substrate. (Refer to...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the spray plate 20 is provided with multiple spray holes 201, the diameter of which is about 0.5 mm, to disperse the airflow so that the plasma in the chamber 10 can be evenly distributed on the substrate 30, so that the film thickness at each position of the substrate 30 is consistent.

[0003] In the prior art, due to the small aperture of the spray hole 201, it is easily blocked by tiny foreign objects. The film thickness on the substrate 30 corresponding to the blocked spray hole 201 will differ from the standard thickness, resulting in circular blemishes and poor performance of the TFT components at the corresponding locations. To solve this problem, the spray plate 20 needs to be replaced. However, the positional accuracy of the spray plate 20 after reinstallation is difficult to guarantee, which can also easily lead to overall differences in the film thickness of the substrate 30. Furthermore, since the spray plate 20 is a recycled product, each recycling will increase the aperture of the spray hole 201 by 0.01 mm. This causes the film thickness flatness of the substrate 30 to become increasingly worse as the number of recycling cycles of the spray plate 20 increases. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a gas equalization device that can re-uniform the plasma gas flow, improve the film thickness flatness on the substrate, and eliminate the need for frequent replacement of the spray plate, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0005] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A gas equalization device is provided, comprising a first plate and a second plate disposed at a distance in the vertical direction, which are disposed in the chamber of a coating equipment and located below a spray plate.

[0007] The first plate is provided with multiple through structures, each of which penetrates the first plate along the thickness direction of the first plate, and the flow areas at both ends of the through structure are different. The large diameter end of the through structure faces the spray plate, and the small diameter end of the through structure faces the second plate.

[0008] The second plate is provided with multiple channels, which are interconnected to form an irregular mesh channel. The irregular mesh channel has openings on both the upper and lower surfaces of the second plate, and the upper and lower surfaces are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the gas equalization device, the first plate includes a first frame and a first plate body. The first frame surrounds the outer periphery of the first plate body and is sealed and fixed to the first plate body. The first frame is fixed in the cavity. A plurality of through structures are provided on the first plate body.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the gas equalization device, the first plate is provided with reinforcing ribs.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the gas equalization device, the large-diameter end is a regular hexagon.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the gas equalization device, the small diameter end is circular, and the edge of the small diameter end is rounded.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the air distribution device, the diameter of the spray holes on the spray plate is d1, the larger diameter end is a regular hexagon, and the diameter of the inscribed circle of the regular hexagon is d2, 1.9≤d2 / d1≤2.1.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the gas equalization device, the vertical distance between the first plate and the second plate is L1, where 15cm≤L1≤25cm.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the gas equalization device, the plurality of channels include a plurality of flow channels and a plurality of connecting channels, any two flow channels are connected through at least one connecting channel, the flow area of ​​a single flow channel is S1, the flow area of ​​a single connecting channel is S2, and 0.3≤S2 / S1≤0.5.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the gas equalization device, the second plate is formed by high-temperature sintering or 3D printing.

[0017] A coating device is also provided, including a spray plate and the above-mentioned gas equalization device, wherein the gas equalization device is disposed below the spray plate, and the vertical distance between the first plate and the spray plate is L2, where 15cm≤L2≤25cm.

[0018] The advantages of this utility model compared to the prior art are as follows:

[0019] This invention discloses a gas equalization device and a coating equipment. By placing a gas equalization device inside the chamber of the coating equipment and below the spray plate, the sprayed plasma gas flow is further homogenized to improve the film thickness flatness on the substrate. The gas equalization device includes a first plate and a second plate spaced apart vertically. The first plate has multiple through-structures, each penetrating the first plate along its thickness direction. The flow areas at both ends of the through-structures are different; the larger diameter end of the through-structure faces the spray plate, and the smaller diameter end faces the second plate. The second plate has multiple channels that are interconnected to form an irregular mesh channel. This irregular mesh channel has openings on both the upper and lower surfaces of the second plate, which are vertically opposite each other. The gas equalization device performs primary shaping of the plasma gas flow through the first plate, achieving separation and diffusion of the gas flow while simultaneously reducing its velocity, providing ideal incident conditions for turbulence suppression on the second plate. The second plate further homogenizes and diffuses the airflow laterally, forcing it to circulate through irregular mesh channels to alter its flow direction. This allows the plasma to diffuse evenly onto the substrate for film formation, improving the film thickness flatness. Furthermore, the presence of a uniform air distribution device ensures that even if some spray holes become clogged, the film thickness flatness on the substrate remains unaffected, reducing the frequency of spray plate replacements and increasing production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coating equipment in the prior art;

[0022] Figure 2 A partial front view of a spray plate in the prior art;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the coating equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the first plate in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a partial front view of the first plate from a first perspective in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a partial front view of the first plate from a second perspective in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the through structure of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the second plate in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0029] Figures 1 to 2 middle:

[0030] 10. Chamber; 20. Spray plate; 201. Spray hole; 30. Substrate;

[0031] Figures 3 to 8 middle:

[0032] 1. First plate; 11. First frame; 12. First plate body; 121. Through structure; 1211. Large diameter end; 1212. Small diameter end; 1213. Inclined surface; 122. Reinforcing rib; 1221. Horizontal reinforcing rib; 1222. Vertical reinforcing rib;

[0033] 2. Second board; 21. Irregular mesh channel. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The advantages and features of this invention, as well as methods of implementing them, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, this invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to complete the disclosure of this invention and to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand its scope, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. The same reference numerals denote the same constituent elements throughout the specification.

[0035] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] like Figures 3 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides an air distribution device, which is disposed in the chamber of a coating equipment and located below the spray plate 20. The air distribution device includes a first plate 1 and a second plate 2 arranged vertically at intervals. The first plate 1 is provided with a plurality of through structures 121, each through structure 121 penetrating the first plate 1 along the thickness direction of the first plate 1, and the flow areas at the two ends of the through structure 121 are different. The large-diameter end 1211 of the through structure 121 faces the spray plate 20, and the small-diameter end 1212 of the through structure 121 faces the second plate 2. The second plate 2 is provided with a plurality of channels, which are interconnected to form an irregular mesh channel 21. The irregular mesh channel 21 has openings on both the upper and lower surfaces of the second plate 2, and the upper and lower surfaces are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction.

[0037] When the plasma gas flow is sprayed by the spray plate 20, the first plate 1, located near the spray plate 20, has multiple through structures 121, with the large-diameter ends 1211 of the through structures 121 facing the spray plate 20. This facilitates the guidance of the plasma gas flow into the interior of the through structures 121, and then out through the small-diameter ends 1212. This allows the plasma gas flow to be divided into small units by the multiple through structures 121, while also reducing the flow velocity of the plasma gas flow. The flow velocity of the plasma gas flow ejected from the outlet of the spray hole 201 is usually high, generally between 1 m / s and 3 m / s. After passing through the first plate 1, the flow velocity of the plasma gas flow will generally decrease to between 0.5 m / s and 1 m / s. The second plate 2 has irregular mesh channels 21, which are not symmetrically distributed. This allows the second plate 2 to achieve efficient dissipation of turbulent flow and dynamic balance of the gas flow. The irregular mesh channel 21 eliminates the directional flow preference of the plasma gas flow. When the gas flow enters the irregular mesh channel 21, the large-scale vortices, constrained by the channel size, are transformed into micro-scale vortices through shearing and breaking. The irregular mesh channel 21 forces the gas flow to frequently change direction, enhancing lateral mass exchange and balancing the uneven distribution of the initial plasma gas flow ejected from the spray plate 20. The Darcy-Fochheimer equation reveals that the nonlinear relationship between pressure drop and velocity can be precisely controlled by adjusting the porosity and tortuosity. Therefore, before fabricating the second plate 2, the porosity and tortuosity of the irregular mesh channel 21 can be adjusted to design various types of second plates 2. Multiple simulations or experiments can be conducted to obtain the structure of the second plate 2 adapted to different spray plates 20. The second plate 2 is positioned below the first plate 1. The plasma gas flow velocity decreases after passing through the first plate 1, effectively preventing reflection turbulence caused by high-speed gas flow directly impacting the second plate 2. It also prevents fatigue fracture of the second plate 2's skeleton structure due to excessive local impact force caused by high-speed gas flow directly acting on the second plate 2.

[0038] The gas equalization device is located within the chamber 10 of the coating equipment and below the spray plate 20. The first plate 1 performs initial shaping of the plasma gas flow, achieving separation and diffusion of the gas flow while simultaneously reducing its velocity. This provides ideal incident conditions for the turbulence suppression of the second plate 2. The second plate 2 then performs lateral diffusion to homogenize the gas flow, forcing it to circulate through the irregular mesh channels 21, thereby altering its flow direction and allowing the plasma to diffuse uniformly onto the substrate 30 for film formation, improving the film thickness flatness on the substrate 30. Furthermore, because of the gas equalization device, even if some spray holes 201 become blocked, it will not affect the film thickness flatness on the substrate 30, reducing the frequency of spray plate 20 replacements and improving production efficiency.

[0039] Optionally, the second plate 2 is formed by high-temperature sintering or 3D printing. In this embodiment, the second plate 2 is made of metal to ensure its structural strength under high-temperature conditions.

[0040] In this embodiment, the multiple channels include multiple flow channels and multiple connecting channels. Any two flow channels are connected through at least one connecting channel. The flow area of ​​a single flow channel is S1, and the flow area of ​​a single connecting channel is S2, where 0.3 ≤ S2 / S1 ≤ 0.5. The irregular mesh channel 21 on the second plate 2 is a fully continuous three-dimensional mesh channel, similar to a natural sponge skeleton. When the plasma gas flow enters the irregular mesh channel 21, its velocity and direction change due to the change in flow direction and flow area, so that it can eventually uniformly cover the substrate 30. In addition, by setting the fully continuous irregular mesh channel 21, even if some channels are blocked, the airflow can still bypass through adjacent channels without affecting the uniformity of the airflow. In this embodiment, both the connecting channels and the flow channels are irregular channels, and their flow direction is not vertically downward as in the continuous structure 121, but extends irregularly. If the flow area of ​​the connecting channel is smaller than that of the flow channel, the plasma gas flow mainly passes through the second plate 2 through the flow channel. The main function of the connecting channel is to allow the plasma gas to flow to other flow channels through the connecting channel when a certain flow channel is blocked.

[0041] Optionally, the vertical distance between the first plate 1 and the second plate 2 is L1, where 15cm ≤ L1 ≤ 25cm. In specific implementation, the specific vertical distance between the first plate 1 and the second plate 2 can be adjusted according to the flow rate of the plasma gas and the distance between the substrate 30 and the spray plate 20 inside the chamber 10.

[0042] Optionally, the first plate 1 includes a first frame 11 and a first plate body 12. The first frame 11 surrounds the outer periphery of the first plate body 12 and is sealed and fixed to the first plate body 12. The first frame 11 is fixed inside the chamber 10, and a plurality of through structures 121 are provided on the first plate body 12. In this embodiment, the first plate body 12 is a rectangular plate, the first frame 11 is a rectangular frame, and both the first plate body 12 and the first frame 11 are made of metal. The first frame 11 is welded to the first plate body 12. To ensure the sealing effect at the connection between the first frame 11 and the first plate body 12 and to prevent plasma gas flow from leaking circumferentially from the first plate body 12, sealant can be filled between the first frame 11 and the first plate body 12. High-temperature ceramic sealant can be used as the sealant.

[0043] Optionally, a reinforcing rib 122 is provided on the first plate 12 to enhance the structural strength of the first plate 12. In this embodiment, the reinforcing rib 122 is located on the side of the first plate 12 facing away from the spray plate 20. Since this side is the small-diameter end 1212 of the through structure 121, there is a gap between adjacent through structures 121 on this surface. Figure 6As shown, in this embodiment, multiple through structures 121 form multiple rows in the width direction parallel to the first plate 12. Based on the arrangement of the through structures 121 on the first plate 12, multiple horizontal reinforcing ribs 1221 and multiple vertical reinforcing ribs 1222 that are perpendicular to each other can be provided.

[0044] Optionally, the large-diameter end 1211 of the through structure 121 is a regular hexagon. The regular hexagon has isotropic properties, which can uniformly distribute thermal stress and prevent warping and deformation of the first plate 1 due to uneven thermal expansion in high-temperature environments (such as in the chamber 10 where the temperature is generally between 300°C and 450°C in CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) processes).

[0045] In this embodiment, on the side of the first plate 12 facing the spray plate 20, the distance between adjacent hexagonal deformations is 0.1mm, that is, the minimum wall thickness between adjacent through structures 121 is 0.1mm, and the thickness of the first plate 12 is 5mm, that is, the hole depth of the through structure 121 is 5mm.

[0046] Optionally, the small-diameter end 1212 of the through structure 121 is circular, and the edge of the small-diameter end 1212 is rounded. The circular shape facilitates the uniform flow of plasma gas out of the through structure 121, and the rounded edge of the small-diameter end 1212 can prevent gas stripping and the generation of eddies.

[0047] Optionally, the diameter of the spray hole 201 on the spray plate 20 is d1, the large-diameter end 1211 is set as a regular hexagon, and the diameter of the inscribed circle of the regular hexagon is d2, where 1.9≤d2 / d1≤2.1. In this embodiment, the diameter of the inscribed circle of the regular hexagon is 1mm, and the diameter of the spray hole 201 is 0.5mm. Compared with the small diameter of the spray hole 201, the large diameter of the through structure 121 is more likely to prevent foreign objects from clogging the hole. Furthermore, by forming this "hole-to-hole" mapping relationship between the through structure 121 on the first plate 1 and the spray hole 201 on the spray plate 20, the controllability of the airflow path can also be maintained. In this embodiment, the angle between the inclined plane 1213 formed by connecting the large-diameter end 1211 and the small-diameter end 1212 and the vertical direction is α, where α is 15°.

[0048] like Figure 3As shown, the coating equipment in this embodiment includes a spray plate 20 and the aforementioned gas equalization device. The gas equalization device is disposed below the spray plate 20, and the vertical distance between the first plate 1 and the spray plate 20 is L2, where 15cm ≤ L2 ≤ 25cm. By distributing the gas equalization device below the spray plate 20, the sprayed plasma gas flow can be further homogenized, making the plasma adhering to the substrate 30 more uniform, thereby improving the film thickness flatness on the substrate 30. In addition, because the gas equalization device is provided to further homogenize the plasma, even if some spray holes 201 on the spray plate 20 become blocked during long-term use, the film thickness flatness on the substrate 30 will not be affected, reducing the frequency of spray plate 20 replacements and improving production efficiency.

[0049] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but can be made in various forms, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A gas equalization device, characterized in that, The air distribution device is located in the chamber of the coating equipment and below the spray plate. It includes a first plate and a second plate that are spaced apart in the vertical direction. The first plate is provided with multiple through structures, each of which penetrates the first plate along the thickness direction of the first plate, and the flow areas at both ends of the through structure are different. The large diameter end of the through structure faces the spray plate, and the small diameter end of the through structure faces the second plate. The second plate is provided with multiple channels, which are interconnected to form an irregular mesh channel. The irregular mesh channel has openings on both the upper and lower surfaces of the second plate, and the upper and lower surfaces are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction.

2. The gas equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first plate includes a first frame and a first plate body. The first frame surrounds the outer periphery of the first plate body and is sealed and fixed to the first plate body. The first frame is fixed in the cavity. The first plate body is provided with a plurality of the through structures.

3. The gas equalization device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first plate is provided with reinforcing ribs.

4. The gas equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The larger diameter end is a regular hexagon.

5. The gas equalization device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The smaller diameter end is circular, and the edge of the smaller diameter end is rounded.

6. The gas equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the spray holes on the spray plate is d1, the larger diameter end is a regular hexagon, and the diameter of the inscribed circle of the regular hexagon is d2, 1.9≤d2 / d1≤2.

1.

7. The gas equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical distance between the first plate and the second plate is L1, where 15cm≤L1≤25cm.

8. The gas equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of channels include a plurality of flow channels and a plurality of connecting channels. Any two flow channels are connected through at least one of the connecting channels. The flow area of ​​a single flow channel is S1, and the flow area of ​​a single connecting channel is S2, where 0.3 ≤ S2 / S1 ≤ 0.

5.

9. The gas equalization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second plate is formed by high-temperature sintering or 3D printing.

10. A coating apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes a spray plate and an air equalization device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the air equalization device is disposed below the spray plate, and the vertical distance between the first plate and the spray plate is L2, where 15cm≤L2≤25cm.

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