A continuous sputtering coater

Abstract

This invention provides a continuous sputtering coating machine with a compact structure, enabling continuous operation across multiple functional areas and thus improving production efficiency. It includes a frame, a storage chamber mounted on the frame, and a vacuum chamber. An isolation valve is provided between the storage chamber and the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is composed of a preparation chamber, at least two adjacent coating chambers, and a settling chamber arranged sequentially. A vacuum pumping device and a rack and pinion conveyor are also provided within the frame. The vacuum pumping device is adapted to the vacuum chamber, and the rack and pinion conveyor extends through the vacuum chamber, sequentially transporting the workpiece to be coated from the preparation chamber, the coating chamber, and the settling chamber. A cooling circulation system adapted to the coating chamber and the settling chamber is also provided within the frame. This invention is applicable to the field of sputtering coating technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of sputtering coating technology, and in particular to a continuous sputtering coating machine. Background Technology

[0002] Vacuum electroplating is widely used in the electronics, communications equipment, and instrumentation industries to plate silver onto the outer surface of parts. This process serves to prevent corrosion, increase conductivity, enhance reflectivity, and improve aesthetics. Vacuum electroplating involves injecting argon gas into a vacuum environment. The argon gas impacts a target material, causing the target material to break down into molecules that are adsorbed by conductive materials, forming a uniform and smooth surface layer. In commonly used industrial coating equipment, only one target is usually installed in the coating chamber. The target needs to be changed frequently, and the coating chamber needs to be repeatedly evacuated and purged during the replacement, which affects the coating effect. There are also equipment with multiple coating chambers, including a pre-evacuation chamber, a front transition chamber, a sputtering chamber, a rear transition chamber, and a decompression chamber. The workpieces are sequentially fed into the corresponding vacuum chambers by a conveyor device. After coating, the workpieces are returned to the initial feed port by a return device located outside the equipment. This type of equipment has problems such as too many vacuum chambers, excessive equipment size, and large area occupation. The workpieces to be processed need to enter the corresponding vacuum chambers one by one and complete the processing steps in the corresponding vacuum chamber before entering the next vacuum chamber, resulting in excessive processing time and affecting production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model provides a continuous sputtering coating machine with a compact structure that allows products to operate continuously in multiple functional areas, thereby improving product production efficiency.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: This utility model includes a frame, a storage chamber and a vacuum chamber disposed on the frame, and an isolation valve is provided between the storage chamber and the vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is composed of a preparation chamber, at least two adjacent coating chambers and a settling chamber arranged in sequence. A vacuum pumping device and a rack and pinion conveying device are also provided in the frame. The vacuum pumping device is adapted to the vacuum chamber. The rack and pinion conveying device is disposed through the vacuum chamber and can transport the workpiece to be coated back and forth sequentially from the preparation chamber, the coating chamber and the settling chamber. A cooling circulation system adapted to the coating chamber and the settling chamber is also provided in the frame.

[0005] Furthermore, the rack and pinion conveying device includes a pulse motor, a first gear, a second gear, and a transmission bearing. The first gear is connected to the output of the pulse motor, and the second gear is disposed in the frame through the transmission bearing. The first gear and the second gear are connected by a double-sided toothed synchronous belt, which is horizontally arranged and its outer teeth are located in the vacuum cavity.

[0006] Furthermore, within the coating chamber, target material holders are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rack and pinion conveyor. A cathode electrode is provided on the back of the target material holder, and the cathode electrode is connected to a DC power supply through a cathode converter. Graphite sheets are also attached to the inner wall of the target material holder to separate the target material from the inner wall of the target material holder.

[0007] Furthermore, an electric heating wire is also provided on the outer side wall of the area where the coating chamber is located.

[0008] Furthermore, cooling pipes are also provided in the side walls of the areas where the coating chamber and the settling chamber are located. The cooling pipes are integrally cast with the wall and are connected to the cooling circulation system.

[0009] Furthermore, the material preparation chamber is equipped with a bombardment device and a heating device. The bombardment device is a DC bombarder, which is electrically connected to the DC power supply. The heating device is a halogen lamp heater.

[0010] Finally, the storage chamber is equipped with a workpiece rack transfer device, including a transverse motor, a placement rack, a transfer slide rail, and a transfer motor. The placement rack is slidably connected to the transverse motor via a slider. The transfer slide rail is perpendicular to the direction of the transverse motor and is on the same straight line as the rack conveyor. The transfer motor is arranged in the same direction below the transfer slide rail. A transfer block is slidably connected to the transfer motor. The transfer block passes through the transfer slide rail and pushes the workpiece rack from the transfer slide rail into the rack conveyor.

[0011] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: This invention employs a through-type vacuum chamber design, within which the preparation chamber, coating chamber, and settling chamber are sequentially arranged. Therefore, the coated product, driven by the rack and pinion conveyor, is cleaned and heated in the preparation chamber before moving to the coating chamber for coating. The coating process continues continuously with the movement, eliminating the need for isolation in a designated coating chamber like in traditional equipment, where coating is performed before being moved to another chamber. When the workpiece is moved to the settling chamber, the coating is completed and the workpiece is cooled before returning along the same path, achieving a unified inlet and outlet design and simplifying the equipment structure. Therefore, this invention has a compact structure, and the product can operate continuously in multiple functional areas, thereby improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a top view of the needle of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rack and pinion conveyor. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum cavity; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece rack transfer device. Detailed Implementation

[0013] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, this utility model includes a frame 1, a storage chamber 2 mounted on the frame 1, and a vacuum chamber 3. An isolation valve is provided between the storage chamber 2 and the vacuum chamber 3. The vacuum chamber 3 is composed of a preparation chamber 30, at least two adjacent coating chambers 31, and a settling chamber 32 arranged sequentially and connected together. A vacuum pumping device and a rack and pinion conveying device are also provided in the frame 1. The vacuum pumping device is adapted to the vacuum chamber 3. The rack and pinion conveying device is arranged through the vacuum chamber 3 and can transport the workpiece to be coated back and forth sequentially from the preparation chamber 30, the coating chamber 31, and the settling chamber 32. A cooling circulation system adapted to the coating chamber 31 and the settling chamber 32 is also provided in the frame 1. This invention features two through-type vacuum chambers 3 mirror-arranged on the frame 1. Within each vacuum chamber 3, a preparation chamber 30, a coating chamber 31, and a settling chamber 32 are sequentially arranged. Therefore, the coated product, carried by the workpiece rack and driven by the rack and pinion conveyor, is cleaned and heated in the preparation chamber 30 before moving to the coating chamber 31 for coating. The coating process continues as the workpiece rack moves, eliminating the need for isolation in a designated coating chamber 31 for coating, as is common in traditional equipment, where the workpiece rack is then moved to another chamber after completion. When the workpiece rack is moved to the settling chamber 32, the coating is completed, and the workpiece is cooled within the settling chamber 32 before returning along the same path. This design achieves a single-entry / exit configuration, simplifying the equipment structure.

[0014] In this invention, the rack and pinion conveying device includes a pulse motor 4, a first gear 5, a second gear 6, and a transmission bearing 7. The first gear 5 is directly connected to the output of the pulse motor 4. The second gear 6 is mounted inside the frame 1 via the transmission bearing 7. A double-sided toothed synchronous belt 8 connects the first gear 5 and the second gear 6. The double-sided toothed synchronous belt 8 is horizontally positioned, with its outer teeth located within the vacuum chamber 3. This invention uses a double-sided toothed synchronous belt 8 instead of the original smooth synchronous belt as the conveying component, reducing the possibility of workpiece slippage during conveying.

[0015] In this invention, target material holders 9 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rack and pinion conveying device inside the coating chamber 31. A cathode electrode 10 is arranged on the back of the target material holder 9. The cathode electrode is connected to a DC power supply through a cathode converter. Graphite sheets are also attached to the inner wall of the target material holder 9 to separate the target material from the inner wall of the target material holder 9. Heating wires are also arranged on the outer side wall of the area where the coating chamber 31 is located. Cooling pipes are also arranged in the side wall of the area where the coating chamber 31 and the settling chamber 32 are located. The cooling pipes are integrally cast with the wall and are connected to the cooling circulation system.

[0016] In this utility model, the material preparation chamber 30 is equipped with a bombardment device 11 and a heating device 12. The bombardment device 11 is a DC bombarder, which is electrically connected to the DC power supply. The heating device 12 is a halogen lamp heater.

[0017] In this utility model, a workpiece rack transfer device is provided in the storage chamber 2, including a transverse motor 13, a placement rack 14, a transfer slide rail 15, and a transfer motor 16. The placement rack 14 is slidably connected to the transverse motor 13 via a slider. The transfer slide rail 15 is perpendicular to the direction of the transverse motor 13 and is on the same straight line as the rack conveyor. The transfer motor 16 is arranged in the same direction below the transfer slide rail 15. A transfer block 17 is slidably connected to the transfer motor 16. The transfer block 17 passes through the transfer slide rail 15 and pushes the workpiece rack from the transfer slide rail 15 into the rack conveyor.

[0018] This invention provides observation windows in both the storage chamber 2 and the coating chamber 31. A control system for controlling all electrical components is also installed within the frame 1. After placing the electroplated product on the workpiece rack, the worker places the workpiece rack in the placement rack 14, closes the observation window in the storage chamber 2, and starts the equipment. The workpiece rack moves laterally to the transfer rail 15 under the drive of the transverse motor 13. At this time, the transfer motor 16 starts and drives the transfer block 17 to push the workpiece rack towards the preparation chamber 30. During this process, the isolation valve opens. When the front section of the workpiece rack meshes with the double-sided toothed synchronous belt 8, the pulse motor 4 starts, completely conveying the workpiece rack into the preparation chamber 30, and the isolation valve closes. At this time, the halogen lamp heater and the heating wire start, stimulating the preparation chamber 30 and the coating chamber 31. The internal heating process is simultaneously initiated and stopped at a preset temperature. The vacuum pump is then activated, injecting N2 gas into the vacuum chamber 3 to break the vacuum. Once the atmospheric pressure within the vacuum chamber 3 reaches a preset value, the vacuum pump is deactivated, and the bombardment device is activated to perform DC bombardment on the coated product on the workpiece rack, achieving ion cleaning. After completion, the pulse motor 4 starts according to a preset speed, propelling the workpiece rack into the coating chamber 31 at a uniform speed. This invention features two sets of coating chambers 31, one for chromium plating and the other for silver plating. When the front section of the workpiece rack enters the coating chamber 31, the cathode electrode 10 begins to release current, causing the target material located on both sides of the rack conveyor to sputter onto the coated product. This achieves simultaneous conveying and sputtering coating, eliminating the need to wait for one set of coating chambers to complete before entering the other, thus improving coating efficiency. After coating is completed, the product enters the settling chamber 32 for cooling. At this time, the cooling circulation system is activated, and coolant is poured into the cooling circuit in the inner wall of the coating chamber 31 and the settling chamber 32 to achieve synchronous cooling of the workpiece holder and the vacuum chamber 3, so as to prevent the product from being reheated during the subsequent return process along the original path, which would affect the coating effect.

[0019] Finally, it should be emphasized that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. For those skilled in the art, the present utility model can have various changes and modifications. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A continuous sputtering coating machine, characterized in that: The device includes a frame (1), a storage chamber (2) disposed on the frame (1), and a vacuum chamber (3). An isolation valve is provided between the storage chamber (2) and the vacuum chamber (3). The vacuum chamber (3) is composed of a preparation chamber (30) arranged in sequence, at least two adjacent coating chambers (31) and a settling chamber (32) connected together. A vacuum pumping device and a rack and pinion conveying device are also provided in the frame (1). The vacuum pumping device is adapted to the vacuum chamber (3). The rack and pinion conveying device is disposed through the vacuum chamber (3) and can transport the workpiece to be coated back and forth from the preparation chamber (30), the coating chamber (31) and the settling chamber (32) in sequence. A cooling circulation system adapted to the coating chamber (31) and the settling chamber (32) is also provided in the frame (1).

2. The continuous sputtering coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rack and pinion conveyor includes a pulse motor (4), a first gear (5), a second gear (6), and a transmission bearing (7). The first gear (5) is connected to the output of the pulse motor (4). The second gear (6) is installed in the frame (1) through the transmission bearing (7). The first gear (5) and the second gear (6) are connected by a double-sided toothed synchronous belt (8). The double-sided toothed synchronous belt (8) is horizontally arranged and its outer teeth are located in the vacuum cavity (3).

3. The continuous sputtering coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coating chamber (31) is symmetrically provided with target material holders (9) on both sides of the rack conveying device. A cathode electrode (10) is provided on the back of the target material holder (9). The cathode electrode is connected to a DC power supply through a cathode converter. Graphite sheets are also attached to the inner wall of the target material holder (9) to separate the target material from the inner wall of the target material holder (9).

4. A continuous sputtering coating machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: Heating wires are also provided on the outer side wall of the area where the coating chamber (31) is located.

5. A continuous sputtering coating machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: Cooling pipes are also provided in the side walls of the areas where the coating chamber (31) and the settling chamber (32) are located. The cooling pipes are integrally cast with the wall and are connected to the cooling circulation system.

6. A continuous sputtering coating machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material preparation chamber (30) is equipped with a bombardment device (11) and a heating device (12). The bombardment device (11) is a DC bombarder, which is electrically connected to the DC power supply. The heating device (12) is a halogen lamp heater.

7. A continuous sputtering coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage chamber (2) is equipped with a workpiece rack transfer device, including a transverse motor (13), a placement rack (14), a transfer slide rail (15), and a transfer motor (16). The placement rack (14) is slidably connected to the transverse motor (13) via a slider. The transfer slide rail (15) is perpendicular to the direction of the transverse motor (13) and is on the same straight line as the rack conveyor. The transfer motor (16) is arranged in the same direction below the transfer slide rail (15). A transfer block (17) is slidably connected to the transfer motor (16). The transfer block (17) passes through the transfer slide rail (15) and pushes the workpiece rack from the transfer slide rail (15) into the rack conveyor.

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