A non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target base distance adjustment device

Abstract

This invention provides a non-disassembly-required confocal magnetron sputtering target base distance adjustment device. The device includes a bearing housing, a bearing, a nut, a lead screw, a bellows, and a target tube limiting sleeve. The bearing housing is mounted on the cavity wall, the bearing is installed inside the bearing housing, the nut is fixed inside the bearing, the lead screw has a hollow structure, its upper end extends into the nut and is threadedly connected to the nut, and its lower end is fixed to the target tube. The bellows is sleeved on the target tube outside the cavity, its upper end is fixedly connected to the cavity wall, and its lower end is fixed to the target tube; the bellows is located inside the nut and the lead screw. The target tube limiting sleeve is fixed to the cavity wall inside the cavity and is sleeved on the upper end of the target tube to restrict the rotational movement of the target tube. Manually rotating the nut drives the lead screw, which in turn drives the target tube to complete the target base distance adjustment. This invention eliminates the need for manual disassembly of the target tube, enabling convenient and precise lifting and lowering of the target tube in a vacuum environment; the overall structure is simple and saves space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vacuum magnetron sputtering coating, specifically a target-base distance adjustment device for confocal magnetron sputtering without disassembly. Background Technology

[0002] In the magnetron sputtering coating process, the target-substrate distance (the distance between the target and the substrate) is an important process parameter that affects the uniformity of film thickness and film quality. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately adjust the target-substrate distance.

[0003] Currently, there are two main types of target-base distance adjustment mechanisms commonly found on the market: one involves manually disassembling the target tube for adjustment, and the other uses a lead screw and linear guide mechanism without disassembling the target tube. However, both designs have problems: for the former, manual disassembly of the target tube after adjustment cannot guarantee the precise position and repeatability of the target head relative to the base. For the latter, the lead screw and linear guide mechanism without disassembly requires components such as ball screws and linear guides, resulting in a complex structure and large space occupation. Furthermore, although some existing technologies have attempted to alleviate these problems by optimizing the structure, none have fundamentally solved the issues of accuracy and repeatability in target-base distance adjustment. Therefore, a new structural design is urgently needed to improve the accuracy and repeatability of target-base distance adjustment. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target base distance adjustment device. Through the cooperation of a lead screw and nut, the rotational motion is converted into the lifting motion of the target head, effectively solving the problems of poor target base distance adjustment accuracy and large structural footprint.

[0005] This utility model is implemented as follows:

[0006] A non-disassembly-free confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device includes:

[0007] The bearing housing is fixed to the cavity wall outside the cavity.

[0008] The bearing is housed within the bearing housing.

[0009] The nut is located inside the bearing, and is concentrically positioned and fixedly connected to the bearing.

[0010] The lead screw has a hollow structure. Its upper end extends into the nut and is threaded to the nut. Its lower end is fixed to the target tube by a clamp.

[0011] A bellows, fitted onto the target tube outside the cavity, has its upper end fixedly connected to the cavity wall and its lower end fixed to the target tube by a clamp; the bellows is located inside the nut and the lead screw; and

[0012] The target tube limiting sleeve is fixedly installed on the cavity wall inside the cavity. The target tube limiting sleeve is sleeved on the upper end of the target tube to limit the rotational movement of the target tube.

[0013] Preferably, the upper end of the target tube located inside the cavity has a polygonal structure, and the inner wall of the target tube limiting sleeve is a polygonal structure adapted to the shape of the upper end of the target tube.

[0014] Preferably, the upper end of the target tube has a hexagonal or octagonal structure.

[0015] Preferably, a scale line is provided at the upper end of the target tube.

[0016] Preferably, an observation window is provided on the cavity wall for observing the scale lines at the upper end of the target tube.

[0017] Preferably, the nut has an outer edge at its upper end, which is engaged with the upper end face of the bearing.

[0018] Preferably, a ball bearing is installed on the cavity wall outside the cavity, and the ball bearing presses against the outer edge of the upper end of the nut.

[0019] Preferably, fluororubber rings are provided at the connection between the upper and lower ends of the bellows.

[0020] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] This invention utilizes the cooperation of a lead screw and a nut, combined with the rotational restriction effect of the target tube limiting sleeve, to convert the rotational motion of the nut into the linear motion of the lead screw. This allows the lead screw to drive the target tube up and down, precisely controlling the target height and ensuring accurate control of the distance between the target and the substrate, thus achieving target-substrate distance adjustment. Because a bellows is fitted over the target tube, it expands and contracts during the up-and-down movement of the target tube, ensuring the airtightness of the vacuum chamber.

[0022] This invention eliminates the need for manual disassembly of the target tube, enabling convenient and precise lifting and lowering of the target tube in a vacuum environment, ensuring the accuracy and repeatability of the target-base distance adjustment. Furthermore, the concentric design of the nut, lead screw, bellows, and target tube solves the problem of limited installation space for the electric lifting mechanism, increasing the overall usability and operating space of the device, simplifying its structure, and effectively saving floor space. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged structural diagram of the area indicated by the middle circle.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Target tube limiting sleeve; 2. Bellows; 3. Bearing seat; 4. Bearing; 5. Nut; 6. Lead screw; 7. Bellows clamp; 8. Lead screw clamp; 9. Target tube; 10. Target head; 11. Cavity wall. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention in any way.

[0027] This utility model relates to a non-disassembly-required confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device, which is located outside the magnetron sputtering cavity. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the area above the cavity wall 11 is the vacuum chamber, and the area below the cavity wall 11 is the external atmospheric environment. The magnetron sputtering target includes a target head 10 located inside the vacuum chamber and a target tube 9 connected to the target head 10 and extending from inside the vacuum chamber through the cavity wall 11 to the outside of the chamber. In order to adjust the target-to-base distance without disassembly, the target tube 9 needs to be able to move up and down while ensuring the airtightness of the cavity.

[0028] This invention employs a bellows 2 to achieve the aforementioned functions. The bellows 2 is sleeved on the target tube 9 outside the cavity. The upper end of the bellows 2 is fixedly connected to the cavity wall 11, and the lower end of the bellows 2 is fixed to the target tube 9 by a bellows clamp 7. To ensure the sealing of the connection between the upper and lower ends of the bellows 2, a fluororubber ring is installed at the connection. The fluororubber ring can be fixed, for example, by a pressure pad and a lock nut. Because the bellows 2 is flexible, its presence allows the target tube 9 to move up and down while ensuring the sealing of the vacuum chamber during the movement of the target tube 9. This allows the target tube 9 to be raised and lowered without removing it and without affecting the vacuum level of the chamber.

[0029] This invention uses the cooperation of a lead screw 6 and a nut 5 to drive the target tube 9 to move up and down. Specifically, a bearing seat 3 is installed on the cavity wall 11 outside the cavity, and a bearing 4 is installed inside the bearing seat 3. The bellows 2 and the target tube 9 pass through the inside of the bearing 4. The nut 5 is located inside the bearing 4 and is fixedly connected to the bearing 4. In this embodiment, the outer wall of the nut 5 is close to the inner wall of the bearing 4, and an outer edge is provided at the upper end of the nut 5, which is engaged with the upper end face of the bearing 4, allowing the nut 5 to rotate together with the bearing 4. To prevent the nut 5 from falling off, ball bearings are installed on the cavity wall 11. The ball bearings press against the outer edge of the upper end of the nut 5, but do not obstruct the rotation of the nut 5. The lower end of the nut 5 extends outside the bearing 4. The inner wall of the nut 5 has internal threads, which are adapted to the external threads of the lead screw 6. The lead screw 6 has a hollow structure, with its upper end extending into the nut 5 and threadedly connected to it. The lower end of the lead screw 6 is fixed to the target tube 9 by a lead screw clamp 8. The lower end of the bellows 2 is located inside the hollow structure of the lead screw 6. Rotating the nut 5 allows the lead screw 6 to move up and down, which in turn drives the target tube 9 to move up and down.

[0030] To prevent the target tube 9 from rotating during its vertical movement, this invention includes a target tube limiting sleeve 1 installed inside the cavity. The target tube limiting sleeve 1 is mounted on the cavity wall 11, and the upper end of the target tube 9 passes through the center of the target tube limiting sleeve 1. The upper end of the target tube 9 inside the vacuum cavity is designed to be a polygonal structure (the part of the target tube 9 passing through the vacuum cavity is a cylindrical structure), for example, a hexagonal or octagonal structure. The inner wall of the target tube limiting sleeve 1 is designed to match the shape of the upper end of the target tube 9. In this way, the rotation of the target tube 9 can be restricted by the target tube limiting sleeve 1, but the vertical movement of the target tube 9 is not hindered.

[0031] The upper end of the target tube 9 within the vacuum chamber is marked with graduation lines. For example, when the upper end of the target tube 9 has an octagonal structure, graduation lines are provided on at least one side; preferably, a row of graduation lines is provided every other side. For the side of the target tube 9 with graduation lines, there can be a certain gap between it and the inner wall of the target tube limiting sleeve 1; for the side of the target tube 9 without graduation lines, it can fit relatively tightly with the inner wall of the target tube limiting sleeve 1. By opening an observation window in the chamber, the graduation lines on the target tube 9 can be observed through the observation window, thereby allowing for precise adjustment of the lifting height of the target tube 9.

[0032] The operation method for adjusting the target-base distance of this utility model is as follows: Nut 5 is manually rotated, which drives the lead screw 6 to move up and down. The lead screw 6 further drives the target tube 9 to move up and down. During the up and down movement of the target tube 9, the bellows 2 extends and retracts vertically, ensuring the airtightness of the vacuum chamber during the up and down movement. During the target-base distance adjustment process, the target tube limiting sleeve 1, the target tube 9, the nut 5, and the lead screw 6 work together to convert the rotational movement of the nut 5 into the up and down movement of the lead screw 6, which in turn drives the target tube 9 to move up and down, achieving simple, quick, and precise adjustment of the target-base distance.

Claims

1. A dismountable target standoff adjustment device for a confocal magnetron sputter target, characterized in that include: The bearing housing is fixed to the cavity wall outside the cavity. The bearing is housed within the bearing housing. The nut is located inside the bearing, and is concentrically positioned and fixedly connected to the bearing. The lead screw has a hollow structure. Its upper end extends into the nut and is threaded to the nut. Its lower end is fixed to the target tube by a clamp. A bellows, fitted onto the target tube outside the cavity, has its upper end fixedly connected to the cavity wall and its lower end fixed to the target tube by a clamp; the bellows is located inside the nut and the lead screw; and The target tube limiting sleeve is fixedly installed on the cavity wall inside the cavity. The target tube limiting sleeve is sleeved on the upper end of the target tube to limit the rotational movement of the target tube.

2. The non-disassembly-free confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the target tube located inside the cavity has a polygonal structure, and the inner wall of the target tube limiting sleeve is a polygonal structure that matches the shape of the upper end of the target tube.

3. The non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper end of the target tube has a hexagonal or octagonal structure.

4. The non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, A scale line is provided at the upper end of the target tube.

5. The non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device according to claim 4, characterized in that, An observation window is provided on the cavity wall for observing the scale lines at the top of the target tube.

6. The non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An outer edge is provided at the upper end of the nut, and the outer edge is engaged with the upper end face of the bearing.

7. The non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device according to claim 6, characterized in that, Ball bearings are installed on the outer wall of the cavity, and the ball bearings press against the outer edge of the upper end of the nut.

8. The non-disassembly confocal magnetron sputtering target-base distance adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Fluorine rubber rings are provided at the connection between the upper and lower ends of the bellows.

Images