Film coating cavity with flow divider
By installing a flow divider below the air inlet of the coating chamber and adopting a combination structure of diffuser and flow equalization section, the problem of uneven gas distribution in the coating chamber is solved, thereby improving coating quality and cleaning efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GOLD STONE (FUJIAN) ENERGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-12
AI Technical Summary
The uneven gas distribution within the coating chamber of existing PECVD equipment leads to problems such as decreased coating quality and incomplete chamber cleaning.
A flow divider is installed below the air inlet of the coating chamber. The flow divider includes a diffuser section and a flow equalization section. The diffuser section distributes the gas to the surrounding area through four diffuser blades, and the flow equalization section equalizes the gas downward through the ventilation zone and ventilation groove. Combined with the gap design, the gas uniformity is improved.
It improved the quality of the coating layer in coated products, shortened the chamber cleaning time, and increased cleaning efficiency.
Smart Images

Figure CN224227210U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of coating equipment, and in particular to a coating chamber equipped with a flow divider. Background Technology
[0002] PECVD equipment is a device that uses plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technology to prepare thin films. In a low-pressure environment, low-temperature plasma generates glow discharge on the cathode of the process chamber, while a heating element heats the sample to a predetermined temperature. Then, a suitable amount of process gas is introduced. Under the influence of the electric field excited by the radio frequency source, these gases decompose into electrons, ions, and active groups, which undergo a series of chemical and plasma reactions to ultimately form a solid thin film on the sample surface. Therefore, the uniformity of the introduced process gas distribution within the deposition chamber directly affects the uniformity of the deposition layer. Furthermore, after a period of use, deposits will accumulate on the inner walls of the deposition chamber, requiring plasma cleaning. During the cleaning process, the uniform distribution of plasma throughout the chamber directly affects the cleaning time and the degree of cleanliness.
[0003] Most PECVD inlet systems currently lack a flow divider assembly. Gas typically enters the chamber directly from the inlet pipe into the distribution box. While convenient, this method suffers from uneven gas distribution. Due to gas density distribution characteristics, gas descending from the top of the pipe struggles to diffuse outwards after reaching the bottom. This results in the highest gas concentration at the outlet, decreasing with distance, leading to uneven gas distribution. Uneven plasma gas entry into the chamber reduces the quality of subsequent coatings. A small number of PECVD inlet systems incorporate flow dividers, but existing designs widely employ a large central circle with radial strips. This structure causes most gas to flow out from the two strips, preventing concentration in the center but still resulting in uneven distribution. Furthermore, during chamber cleaning, this uneven gas distribution leads to sparse plasma in areas far from the inlet, creating cleaning dead zones and affecting chamber cleanliness.
[0004] Therefore, the market urgently needs a flow divider that can improve the uniformity of gas in the cavity and play a role in stabilizing the flow, so as to improve the film quality of coated products and speed up the cleaning efficiency of the cavity. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a coating chamber equipped with a flow divider. The flow divider is set below the air inlet of the coating chamber to solve the problems of uneven air distribution and incomplete cleaning of the chamber in existing coating equipment.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0007] This utility model discloses a coating cavity equipped with a flow divider, including a cavity body and a cavity cover. An air distribution plate is disposed within the cavity body, and a flow divider is disposed above the air distribution plate, fixed to the cavity cover and located below the air inlet. The flow divider includes a diffuser section for diverting air to all directions and a flow equalization section for diverting air downwards. The diffuser section is X-shaped, with four diffuser blades. The edges of the four diffuser blades, excluding the circumference, extend upwards with several raised edges, forming four diffusion channels. The center lines of the four diffusion channels correspond to four positions: the front and rear corners and the center of the cavity body. A 0.8-1.5mm gap exists between the upper surface of the raised edges and the bottom of the cavity cover. A diffusion zone is disposed in the middle of the diffuser section, with a conical guide cone at the center of the diffusion zone. Several venting holes are disposed between the guide cone and the edge of the diffusion zone. The flow equalization section consists of four venting zones, each venting zone having baffles and venting grooves spaced apart. The venting zones are located at the angle between two adjacent diffuser blades.
[0008] Furthermore, the area of the ventilation slots in the ventilation zone accounts for 60%-70% of the area of a single ventilation slot.
[0009] Furthermore, the four diffuser blades are of the same size, and the four diffuser blades form four included angles between each other. The included angles of the two diffuser blades closer to the middle of the cavity are the largest, the included angles of the two diffuser blades closer to the corners of the cavity are the smallest, and the remaining two included angles are of the same size. The size of the four ventilation zones is proportional to the size of the included angle area of the corresponding diffuser blade.
[0010] Furthermore, the outer circumference of the four ventilation zones is smaller than the outer circumference of the diffuser blades.
[0011] Furthermore, a fixing area is provided on the ventilation area, and a fixing hole for fixing the distributor is provided on the fixing area.
[0012] Furthermore, the height of the raised edge is 0.8mm-1.2mm.
[0013] Furthermore, the angle of the top apex of the guide cone is 165°-175°.
[0014] Furthermore, the outer surface of the diverter is provided with an anti-corrosion film layer.
[0015] Furthermore, the shunt is an aluminum alloy shunt.
[0016] Furthermore, two diverters are provided, located on either side of the left and right center lines of the cavity.
[0017] The advantages of this utility model are:
[0018] The working principle of this invention is to increase the uniformity of gas distribution by distributing the gas from the central area to the surrounding areas. It employs a combination of a diffuser and a flow equalizer. Gas entering from the pipe is divided into two parts by the flow divider. One part diffuses outwards from the diffuser channel of the diffuser towards the far corners of the cavity, while the other part enters the ventilation area of the flow equalizer through the gap between the raised edge and the cavity cover, flowing downwards evenly. The two parts of gas work together to achieve a stable flow distribution, thus improving the uniformity of the gas within the cavity. By designing the gap size, the width of the diffuser channel, and the proportion of the ventilation slots in the ventilation area, the optimal range was selected through experiments, significantly improving gas uniformity, thereby improving the film quality of coated products and accelerating the cleaning efficiency of the cavity. Attached Figure Description
[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0020] Figure 1 This describes the positional relationship between the cavity cover and the distributor in this utility model.
[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the splitter structure.
[0022] Figure 3 This is a plan view of the splitter.
[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Cross-sectional view along the middle AA.
[0024] Explanation of key component symbols:
[0025] 100. Cavity cover; 200. Diverter;
[0026] 1. Diffusion section; 11. Diffusion blade; 12. Raised edge; 13. Diffusion channel;
[0027] 2. Uniform flow section; 21. Ventilation zone; 22. Baffle; 23. Ventilation slot;
[0028] 3. Diffusion zone; 31. Guide cone; 32. Vent hole;
[0029] 4. Fixed area, 41. Fixed hole. Detailed Implementation
[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.
[0031] In this utility model, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" are generally understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the directions shown in actual applications.
[0032] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0033] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0034] The endpoints and any values of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and should be understood to include values close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values of the various ranges, the endpoint values of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein. The terms "optional" and "discretionary" mean that they may or may not be included (or may or may not be present).
[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, this utility model discloses a coating cavity equipped with a flow divider 200, including a cavity body and a cavity cover 100. An air distribution plate is disposed inside the cavity body, and the flow divider 200 is disposed above the air distribution plate. The flow divider 200 is fixed on the cavity cover 100 and located below the air inlet. In this embodiment, two flow dividers 200 are provided, respectively located on both sides of the left and right center lines of the cavity body, and are symmetrically distributed.
[0036] like Figure 2 , 3 As shown, specifically, the flow divider 200 includes a diffuser section 1 for distributing the flow in all directions and a flow equalization section 2 for distributing the flow downwards. The diffuser section 1 is X-shaped and has four identical diffuser blades 11. The edges of the four diffuser blades 11, excluding the circumference, extend upwards with several raised edges 12, forming four diffusion channels 13. The centerlines of the four diffusion channels 13 correspond to four positions at the front and rear corners and the center of the cavity, respectively. The gas in the central region is distributed to the surrounding areas through the four diffusion channels 13, especially to the region far from the inlet, thereby solving the problem of sparse plasma at the corners of the cavity.
[0037] The raised edge 12 has a height of 0.8mm-1.2mm, and there is a gap of 0.8-1.5mm between the upper surface of the raised edge 12 and the bottom of the cavity cover 100. This gap allows a portion of the gas in the middle region to enter the flow equalization section 2 and flow downwards. The gas in the diffusion channel 13 and the flow equalization section 2 work together to achieve a stable flow distribution and improve the uniformity of the gas within the cavity.
[0038] The flow equalization section 2 comprises four ventilation zones 21, each with a baffle 22 and ventilation slots 23 spaced apart. Each ventilation zone 21 is located at the angle between two adjacent diffuser blades 11. The outer circumference of each ventilation zone 21 is smaller than the outer circumference of each diffuser blade 11. The area of each ventilation slot 23 on the ventilation zone 21 occupies 60%-70% of the area of a single slot. In this embodiment, the four diffuser blades 11 form four angles between each other. The two diffuser blades 11 closest to the center of the cavity have the largest angles, the two diffuser blades 11 closest to the corners of the cavity have the smallest angles, and the remaining two angles are of equal size. The size of each ventilation zone 21 is proportional to the size of the angle between its corresponding diffuser blade 11. The largest ventilation zone 21 has five ventilation slots 23, while the remaining ventilation zones 21 have three ventilation slots 23. A reasonable arrangement of the number and size of the ventilation slots 23 is more conducive to the uniform distribution of the downward-flowing gas.
[0039] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, a diffusion zone 3 is provided in the middle of the diffuser section 1, and a conical guide cone 31 is provided at the center of the diffusion zone 3. The guide cone 31 is designed to facilitate the downward flow of the incoming gas along the side of the cone, thereby distributing it to the surrounding area more quickly. Several vent holes 32 are provided between the guide cone 31 and the edge of the diffusion zone 3, and a small amount of gas enters the area directly below the distributor through the vent holes 32. The angle α of the upper apex of the guide cone 31 is 165°-175°.
[0040] By designing the gap size and the proportion of the ventilation groove 23 in the ventilation zone 21, the optimal range was selected through experiments, which greatly improved the gas uniformity and thus improved the film quality of the coated product.
[0041] When cleaning the coating chamber, cleaning plasma is injected into the vent. The distributor 200 distributes the cleaning gas evenly to various areas of the chamber, which not only improves the cleaning quality but also reduces the cleaning time and speeds up the cleaning efficiency of the chamber.
[0042] The ventilation zone 21 is provided with a fixing zone 4, and the fixing zone 4 is provided with fixing holes 41 for fixing the distributor 200.
[0043] The shunt 200 is an aluminum alloy shunt. Aluminum alloy is lightweight and strong, thus reducing the overall weight of the shunt 200. The outer surface of the shunt 200 is coated with an anti-corrosion film, improving its service life. It is also inexpensive to manufacture and easy to process.
[0044] In summary, this invention divides the gas entering from the pipe into two parts. One part of the gas diffuses out from the diffusion channel of the diffuser to the far corner of the cavity, while the other part of the gas enters the ventilation area of the flow equalization section from the gap between the protruding edge and the cavity cover and flows downwards evenly. The two parts of the gas cooperate with each other to achieve a stable flow distribution effect and improve the uniformity of the gas in the cavity.
[0045] The preferred embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above; however, this utility model is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the technical concept of this utility model, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of this utility model, including combining the various technical features in any other suitable manner. These simple modifications and combinations should also be considered as the content disclosed by this utility model and are all within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A coating chamber equipped with a flow divider, comprising a chamber body and a chamber cover, wherein an air distribution plate is disposed within the chamber body, a flow divider is disposed above the air distribution plate, and the flow divider is fixed to the chamber cover and located below the air inlet, characterized in that: The flow divider includes a diffuser section for diverting flow in all directions and a flow equalization section for diverting flow downwards; the diffuser section is "X" shaped and has four diffuser blades. The edges of the four diffuser leaves, excluding the circumference, extend upwards with several raised edges, forming four diffusion channels; The center lines of the four diffusion channels correspond to the four positions at the front and rear corners and the center of the cavity, respectively; there is a gap of 0.8-1.5mm between the upper surface of the protruding edge and the bottom of the cavity cover; The diffuser section has a diffuser zone in the middle, and a conical guide cone is provided at the center of the diffuser zone. Several vent holes are provided between the guide cone and the edge of the diffuser zone. The flow equalization section consists of four ventilation zones, each with a baffle and a ventilation slot spaced apart. The ventilation zones are located at the angle between two adjacent diffuser blades.
2. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The area of the ventilation slots in the ventilation zone accounts for 60%-70% of that of a single ventilation slot.
3. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four diffuser blades are of the same size, and the four diffuser blades form four angles between each other. The two diffuser blades closer to the middle of the cavity have the largest angles, the two diffuser blades closer to the corners of the cavity have the smallest angles, and the remaining two angles are of the same size. The size of the four ventilation zones is proportional to the size of the corresponding diffuser blade angle region.
4. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer circumference of the four ventilation zones is smaller than the outer circumference of the diffuser blades.
5. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ventilation area is provided with a fixing area, and the fixing area is provided with fixing holes for fixing the distributor.
6. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height of the raised edge is 0.8mm-1.2mm.
7. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle of the top apex of the guide cone is 165°-175°.
8. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the distributor is provided with an anti-corrosion film layer.
9. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: The current splitter is an aluminum alloy current splitter.
10. The coating cavity equipped with a flow divider according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two flow dividers are provided, located on either side of the left and right center lines of the cavity.