Sputtering Equipment

Abstract

To provide a sputtering device that can deposit a film with a uniform thickness.SOLUTION: A sputtering device 1 includes: a film deposition roll 27; and multiple film deposition chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, 75. In the sputtering device 1, the multiple film deposition chambers respectively include: a target unit 55; and wall parts 52, 62, 66, 72, 76 for partitioning the film deposition chambers. The wall parts are provided with an exhaust port 15. The target unit 55 is disposed on a first virtual line L1 passing through a film deposition roll center C1 and an exhaust port center C2 in a first cross-sectional view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a roll-to-roll sputtering device has been known as a device for continuously manufacturing a thin-film-coated film by forming a uniform thin film on a long film. Also, a sputtering device is known in which a plurality of sputtering targets are provided in the transport direction and multiple sputtering operations are performed in order to form multiple thin films or to thicken the thin films (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the sputtering apparatus of Patent Document 1, one film-forming roll is disposed inside one large film-forming chamber (film-forming chamber), and three targets and cathodes are disposed in the circumferential direction. Each target and cathode is housed in a small film-forming chamber partitioned by a partition. Furthermore, in order to evacuate each small film-forming chamber, one vacuum pump is provided on a wall of the large film-forming chamber other than the small film-forming chamber.

[0004] In the sputtering apparatus of Patent Document 1, the targets can be efficiently arranged in the circumferential direction of the film-forming roll, so that the apparatus can be made compact. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-74820 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the sputtering apparatus of Patent Document 1, the thickness of the thin film formed may vary, and therefore, there is a demand for a further uniform thickness.

[0007] The present inventors have studied this film thickness variation and have obtained the following findings. When sputtering is performed, gas (such as argon) required for sputtering is continuously supplied to and discharged from the small film-forming chamber. Specifically, the gas is sprayed from the cathode of each small film-forming chamber near the film-forming roll, used for sputtering the film, and then exhausted to the outside from the vacuum pump. At this time, in the device of Patent Document 1, the supplied gas flows toward one vacuum pump provided on a wall other than the multiple small film-forming chambers, and is exhausted to the outside from there. Therefore, the gas flows differently in each film-forming chamber. That is, in the small film-forming chamber upstream in the transport direction, the gas flows against the transport direction of the film, and in the small film-forming chamber downstream in the transport direction, the gas flows along the transport direction of the film. In the deposition chamber in the center of the transport direction, the above two gas flows are mixed, and the gas flowing toward the downstream side of the transport direction merges with the gas in the small deposition chamber on the downstream side of the transport direction, and the gas flowing toward the upstream side of the transport direction merges with the gas in the small deposition chamber on the upstream side of the transport direction. As a result, the gas flows turbulently, which affects the sputtering and makes the obtained thin film uneven.

[0008] The present invention provides a sputtering apparatus capable of forming a film with a uniform thickness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention [1] includes a sputtering apparatus comprising a film-forming roll that transports a film in a circumferential direction, and a plurality of film-forming chambers arranged along the circumferential direction of the film-forming roll, wherein each of the plurality of film-forming chambers comprises a target unit arranged opposite the film-forming roll at a distance, and a wall portion that partitions the film-forming chamber, and an exhaust portion is provided in the wall portion, and in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the axial direction of the film-forming roll, the target unit is arranged on a first imaginary line that passes through the center of the film-forming roll and the center of the exhaust portion.

[0010] According to this sputtering apparatus, each of the deposition chambers is provided with a target unit, a wall portion, and an exhaust portion, and the gas supplied to each deposition chamber is exhausted by the exhaust portion disposed in each deposition chamber, thereby making it possible to prevent the gas supplied to one deposition chamber from flowing into the deposition chamber adjacent thereto in the circumferential direction.

[0011] In addition, in each deposition chamber, the target unit is disposed on a first virtual line that passes through the center of the deposition roll and the center of the exhaust section, so that the gas used for deposition is split symmetrically around the first virtual line by the target unit from near the deposition roll and discharged to the exhaust section. In other words, the flow of gas from supply to exhaust is made uniform, and gas turbulence can be suppressed.

[0012] Therefore, the variation in film formation caused by the gas can be suppressed, and a thin film with a uniform thickness can be formed.

[0013] The present invention [2] includes the sputtering apparatus described in [1], wherein the wall portion includes an exhaust wall in which the exhaust portion is provided, and two partition walls extending radially from the exhaust wall toward the film-forming roll and arranged at a distance from each other, and the exhaust wall is symmetrical with respect to the first virtual line.

[0014] According to this sputtering apparatus, the exhaust wall is symmetrical with respect to the first imaginary line passing through the exhaust section, so that the exhausted gas can easily flow evenly into the exhaust section along the exhaust wall. Therefore, turbulence caused by unevenness can be suppressed, and the gas can be exhausted more smoothly. As a result, the variation caused by the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

[0015] The present invention [3] includes the sputtering apparatus according to [2], wherein the two partitions are symmetrical with respect to the first virtual line.

[0016] According to this sputtering apparatus, the two partition walls are symmetrical with respect to the first imaginary line passing through the exhaust section, so that the exhausted gas can easily flow evenly into the exhaust section along the two partition walls. Therefore, it is possible to suppress turbulence caused by unevenness and to exhaust the gas more smoothly. As a result, it is possible to more reliably suppress the variation caused by the gas.

[0017] The present invention [4] includes the sputtering apparatus described in any one of (1) to (3), wherein the wall portion further includes a connecting wall connecting the exhaust wall and the partition wall, and the connecting wall is symmetrical with respect to a second imaginary line passing through the axial center of the film formation chamber.

[0018] According to this sputtering apparatus, the connecting wall is symmetrical with respect to the second imaginary line, so that turbulence in the film formation chamber can be effectively suppressed, and variations can be suppressed more reliably.

[0019] The present invention [5] includes the sputtering apparatus according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein each of the film formation chambers is provided with a pump connected to the exhaust section.

[0020] According to this sputtering apparatus, since a pump is directly connected to each of the film formation chambers, gas within the film formation chambers can be reliably discharged to the outside.

[0021] The present invention [6] includes the sputtering apparatus according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the exhaust section is symmetrical with respect to a second imaginary line passing through the axial center of the film formation chamber.

[0022] According to this sputtering apparatus, the exhaust section is symmetrical with respect to a second imaginary line passing through the axial center of the deposition chamber, so that the gas can be exhausted evenly in the axial direction of the deposition roll, and the gas can be exhausted more smoothly. As a result, the variation caused by the gas can be more reliably suppressed. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the sputtering apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the variation in film formation caused by gas, and to form a thin film with a uniform thickness. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an axial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a sputtering apparatus of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3A-B show gas flows in the first film formation chamber of FIG. 1, with FIG. 3A showing the gas flow during supply and FIG. 3B showing the gas flow during exhaust. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a modified example of the sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 1 (having two exhaust ports). [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a modified example of the sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 1 (having three exhaust ports). [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a modified example of the sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 1 (having two film formation chambers). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a modified example of the sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 1 (having two film formation chambers). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] 1. Sputtering equipment A sputtering device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3B. The axial direction of a film-forming roll 27, which will be described later, is referred to as the "axial direction", the circumferential direction of the film-forming roll 27 as the "circumferential direction", and the radial direction of the film-forming roll 27 as the "radial direction". Fig. 1 is a first cross-sectional view, i.e., a cross-sectional view in the radial direction (a cross-sectional view cut in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction), and more specifically, a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a second cross-sectional view, i.e., a cross-sectional view in the axial direction (a cross-sectional view cut in a plane perpendicular to the radial direction), and more specifically, a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1.

[0026] The sputtering apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 produces a laminated film 4 by providing a thin film 3 on one surface of a long film 2 in the thickness direction while transporting the film 2 .

[0027] The sputtering device 1 includes a payout section 5, a sputtering section 6, and a winding section 7, which are arranged in this order from the upstream side (hereinafter abbreviated as "upstream side") in the transport direction of the film 2 to the downstream side (hereinafter abbreviated as "downstream side") in the transport direction. These will be described in detail below.

[0028] The unwinding unit 5 is disposed on the most upstream side in the sputtering device 1, and unwinds the long film 2. The unwinding unit 5 has a box-like shape. The unwinding unit 5 includes a unwinding roll 11, a first guide roll 12, a unwinding casing 13, and a vacuum pump (an example of a pump) 14.

[0029] A roll of the film 2 is set on the pay-out roll 11. That is, the long film 2 in the transport direction is wound around the circumferential surface of the pay-out roll 11. The pay-out roll 11 is a cylindrical member that has a rotation shaft that rotates in the transport direction and extends in the width direction. Note that in this specification, the various rolls described later (the pay-out roll 11, the first to sixth guide rolls (12, 23, 24, 33, 34, 81), the film forming roll 27, and the take-up roll 82) all have a rotation shaft that rotates in the transport direction and are cylindrical members that extend in the width direction.

[0030] The pay-out roll 11 is configured to be driven by an external power source or the like and can rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. Specifically, a gear (not shown) is provided at the end of the rotating shaft of the pay-out roll 11, and a motor (not shown) for rotating the pay-out roll 11 in the direction of the arrow is connected to the gear. The pay-out roll 11 rotates by the driving force of the motor.

[0031] The pay-out casing 13 accommodates the pay-out roll 11 and the first guide roll 12 therein.

[0032] The inside of the payout casing 13 is configured so that it can be adjusted to a vacuum state. Specifically, an exhaust port 15 is formed in the payout casing 13, and a vacuum pump 14 that exhausts the air inside the casing to the outside is connected to the exhaust port.

[0033] The vacuum pump 14 exhausts gas inside the payout casing 13 to the outside, creating a vacuum inside the payout casing 13. The vacuum pump 14 is disposed on the outside of the payout casing 13 so as to communicate with an exhaust port 15. An example of the vacuum pump 14 is a turbo molecular pump.

[0034] The sputtering unit 6 is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the unwinding unit 5 and the upstream side of the winding unit 7. The sputtering unit 6 includes a passage unit 21 and a film forming unit 22.

[0035] The passage portion 21 transports the film 2 from the unwinding portion 5 to the film-forming portion 22, and also transports the laminated film 4 from the film-forming portion 22 to the winding portion .

[0036] The passage portion 21 has a box shape and includes a second guide roll 23, a third guide roll 24, and a passage casing 25.

[0037] Second guide roll 23 is disposed on the upstream side of passage section 21. Second guide roll 23 guides film 2 transported from unwinding section 5 to fourth guide roll 33 (described below) in guide roll chamber 31.

[0038] The third guide roll 24 is disposed on the downstream side of the passage section 21. The third guide roll 24 guides the laminated film 4 transported from a fifth guide roll 34 (described later) in the guide roll chamber 31 to the winding section 7.

[0039] The passage casing 25 accommodates therein the second guide roll 23 and the third guide roll 24. The passage casing 25 is formed so as to communicate with a guide roll chamber 31 (described later) of the film forming section 22. That is, the passage casing 25 is continuous with the film forming section 22, and at the location where the passage casing 25 and the film forming section 22 are continuous, the passage casing 25 has a communication opening so that the film 2 and the laminated film 4 can be transported.

[0040] The film forming unit 22 has a substantially hexagonal shape in the first cross-sectional view, and a substantially rectangular shape in the second cross-sectional view. The film forming unit 22 includes a center portion 26 and chambers (a guide roll chamber 31 and a plurality (five) film forming chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, 75) arranged in the circumferential direction of the center portion 26. In detail, the guide roll chamber 31 and the plurality (five) film forming chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, 75 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the film forming roll 27, and are also arranged adjacent to the center portion 26 in the radial direction.

[0041] In the first cross-sectional view, the center portion 26 is disposed at the center of the film-forming unit 22. The center portion 26 includes a film-forming roll 27 and a pair of film-forming roll side walls 28 as an example of connecting walls.

[0042] The film-forming roll 27 transports the film 2 in the circumferential direction of the film-forming roll 27. The film-forming roll 27 also serves as an anode. The film-forming roll 27 faces a guide roll chamber 31 and a plurality of film-forming chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, and 75, which will be described later.

[0043] The film-forming roll 27 is configured to be driven by an external power source or the like and can rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

[0044] The pair of film-forming roll side walls 28 are disposed on one and the other axial sides, facing each other with a gap between them and the film-forming roll 27. The pair of film-forming roll side walls 28 have substantially the same shape as each other, and in a first cross-sectional view, have substantially the same shape as the film-forming roll 27. The pair of film-forming roll side walls 28 are symmetrical with respect to a second imaginary line L2 described later.

[0045] The guide roll chamber 31 is arranged so as to communicate with the passage portion 21. Specifically, the guide roll chamber 31 is arranged downstream of the passage portion 21 and upstream of the first film forming chamber 51, and is also arranged downstream of the fifth film forming chamber 75 and upstream of the passage portion 21.

[0046] The guide roll chamber 31 is partitioned by a guide roll wall portion 32 disposed opposite the film deposition roll 27. A fourth guide roll 33 and a fifth guide roll 34 are housed in the guide roll chamber 31. The guide roll wall portion 32 includes a first partition wall 41, a sixth partition wall 46, and a pair of guide roll side walls 35. In other words, the guide roll chamber 31 includes the fourth guide roll 33, the fifth guide roll 34, and the guide roll wall portion 32 (the first partition wall 41, the sixth partition wall 46, and the pair of guide roll side walls 35).

[0047] The fourth guide roll 33 is disposed near the film-forming roll 27 at a distance from the film-forming roll 27. The fourth guide roll 33 guides the film 2 transported from the second guide roll 23 onto the circumferential surface of the film-forming roll 27 so that the transport direction of the film 2 is aligned with the circumferential direction of the film-forming roll 27.

[0048] The fifth guide roll 34 is disposed near the film-forming roll 27 at a distance from the film-forming roll 27, and is disposed downstream of the fourth guide roll 33. The fifth guide roll 34 guides the laminated film 4 transported from the film-forming roll 27 to the third guide roll 24.

[0049] The first partition wall 41 is disposed between the guide roll chamber 31 and the first film forming chamber 51 so as to separate them. The first partition wall 41 has a flat plate shape extending in the radial and axial directions. In the first cross-sectional view, the first partition wall 41 extends in the radial direction from the boundary between a first exhaust wall 53 (described later) and the passage casing 25 toward the film forming roll center C1. A small gap is formed between the radial end of the first partition wall 41 and the film forming roll 27, allowing the film 2 to pass through.

[0050] The pair of guide roll side walls 35 are disposed facing each other and spaced apart in the axial direction, as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the pair of guide roll side walls 35 has a flat plate shape extending in the circumferential direction and the radial direction. The pair of guide roll side walls 35 have substantially the same shape, and have a substantially isosceles trapezoidal shape in a first cross-sectional view.

[0051] 1, the first film forming chamber 51 is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the guide roll chamber 31 and the upstream side of the second film forming chamber 61. That is, the first film forming chamber 51 is disposed on the most upstream side of the multiple film forming chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, and 75.

[0052] The first film formation chamber 51 is partitioned by a first wall portion 52 disposed opposite the film formation roll 27. A target unit 55 is housed inside the first film formation chamber 51, and a vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the first film formation chamber 51. The first wall portion 52 includes a first exhaust wall 53, a first partition wall 41, a second partition wall 42, and a pair of first side walls 54. In other words, the first film formation chamber 51 includes the first exhaust wall 53, the first partition wall 41, the second partition wall 42, the pair of first side walls 54, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

[0053] The first exhaust wall 53 constitutes a radially outer wall of the film forming unit 22. The first exhaust wall 53 has a flat plate shape extending in the axial and circumferential directions. In the first cross-sectional view, the first exhaust wall 53 is formed symmetrically with respect to the imaginary line L1. Specifically, the first exhaust wall 53 extends perpendicularly from the center C2 of the exhaust port 15 of the first exhaust wall 53 toward both outer sides in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 2, in the second cross-sectional view, the first exhaust wall 53 is formed symmetrically with respect to the second imaginary line L2. Specifically, the first exhaust wall 53 is formed to extend perpendicularly with respect to the second imaginary line L2.

[0054] In addition, the first virtual line L1 passes through the center C1 of the film-forming roll and the center C2 of the exhaust port 15 in the first cross-sectional view. Preferably, the first virtual line L1 passes through all of C1, C2, and C3 (the circumferential centers of the two partition walls 41 and 42). The second virtual line L2 passes through the axial center C4 of the film-forming roll 27 in the second cross-sectional view and extends in the radial direction.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an exhaust port (an example of an exhaust portion) 15 is formed in the center of the first exhaust wall 53 in the circumferential and axial directions.

[0056] The first partition 41 is made of the same material as the first partition 41 described above in the guide roll chamber 31 , and the first film deposition chamber 51 and the guide roll chamber 31 share the first partition 41 .

[0057] The second partition wall 42 is disposed between the first film forming chamber 51 and the second film forming chamber 61 so as to separate them. The second partition wall 42 has a shape similar to that of the first partition wall 41, and extends radially from the boundary between the first exhaust wall 53 and the second exhaust wall 63 toward the film forming roll center C1.

[0058] The pair of first side walls 54 constitute the outer walls on the axial outside of the film forming section 22. The pair of first side walls 54 are arranged facing each other with a space between them in the axial direction. The pair of first side walls 54 each have a flat plate shape extending in the circumferential direction and the radial direction. The pair of first side walls 54 have substantially the same shape as each other, and have a substantially isosceles trapezoidal shape in the first cross-sectional view. Each of the pair of first side walls 54 connects both circumferential ends of the first exhaust wall 53, both axial ends of the first partition wall 41, and both axial ends of the second partition wall 42. The pair of first side walls 54 are symmetrical with respect to a second virtual line L2 (described later).

[0059] The target unit 55 is disposed opposite to and spaced apart from the deposition roll 27. The target unit 55 is disposed symmetrically with respect to the imaginary line L1. The target unit 55 includes a target 56, a cathode 57, and a gas supplier 58.

[0060] The target 56 is a raw material for the thin film 3. The target 29 is disposed opposite the film-forming roll 27 so that the target material ejected from the target 56 by the collision of the gas ions is deposited on the film-forming roll 27.

[0061] The material of the target 29 is appropriately determined depending on the thin film 3, and examples thereof include metal oxides containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of In, Sn, Zn, Ga, Sb, Nb, Ti, Si, Zr, Mg, Al, Au, Ag, Cu, Pd, and W. Specific examples thereof include indium-containing oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and antimony-containing oxides such as antimony tin oxide (ATO).

[0062] The cathode 57 is disposed radially outward of the target 56 (on the opposite side to the deposition roll 27) so that gas ions are accelerated toward the target 56.

[0063] The gas supplier 58 is disposed near the gap between the target 56 and the cathode 57. The gas supplier 58 is configured so that the gas can pass through the target 56 and be blown to the film 2 on the film-forming roll 27.

[0064] The vacuum pump 14 exhausts gas inside the first film formation chamber 51 to the outside, creating a vacuum inside the first film formation chamber 51. The vacuum pump 14 is disposed radially outside the first exhaust wall 53 so as to communicate with the exhaust port 15 of the first exhaust wall 53. The vacuum pump 14 is the same as the vacuum pump 14 of the payout unit 5.

[0065] The second film formation chamber 61 is disposed downstream of the first film formation chamber 51 and upstream of the third film formation chamber 65 so as to be adjacent to them.

[0066] The second film forming chamber 61 is partitioned by a second wall portion 62 disposed opposite the film forming roll 27. A target unit 55 is housed inside the second film forming chamber 61, and a vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the second film forming chamber 61. The second wall portion 62 includes a second exhaust wall 63, a second partition wall 42, a third partition wall 43, and a pair of second side walls (not shown). In other words, the second film forming chamber 61 includes the second exhaust wall 63, the second partition wall 42, the third partition wall 43, a pair of second side walls, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

[0067] The second exhaust wall 63 constitutes a radially outer wall of the film forming section 22. The second exhaust wall 63 has a shape obtained by rotating the first exhaust wall 53 in the circumferential direction by a predetermined angle (for example, 45 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less) around the film forming roll center C1, and has a similar configuration to the first exhaust wall 53.

[0068] The second partition 42 is made of the same material as the second partition 42 described above in the first film formation chamber 51 , and the second film formation chamber 61 and the first film formation chamber 51 share the second partition 42 .

[0069] The third partition wall 43 is disposed between the second film forming chamber 61 and the third film forming chamber 65 so as to separate them. The third partition wall 43 has a shape similar to that of the first partition wall 41, and extends radially from the boundary between the second exhaust wall 63 and the third exhaust wall 67 toward the film forming roll center C1.

[0070] The pair of second side walls constitute outer walls on the axially outer sides. The second side walls have a shape rotated by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction from the first side wall 54, and have the same configuration as the first side wall 54.

[0071] The target unit 55 and the vacuum pump in the second film formation chamber 61 have the same configuration as those in the first film formation chamber 51 , and are arranged in the second film formation chamber 61 in the same manner as those in the first film formation chamber 51 .

[0072] The third film forming chamber 65 is partitioned by a third wall portion 66 disposed opposite the film forming roll 27. The target unit 55 is accommodated inside the third film forming chamber 65, and the vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the third film forming chamber 65. The third wall portion 66 includes a third exhaust wall 67, a third partition 43, a fourth partition 44, and a pair of third side walls (not shown). In other words, the third film forming chamber 65 includes the third exhaust wall 67, the third partition 43, the fourth partition 44, a pair of third side walls, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

[0073] The third exhaust wall 67 constitutes an outer wall on the radially outer side. The third exhaust wall 67 has a shape obtained by rotating the second exhaust wall 63 by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roll center C1, and has a similar configuration to the second exhaust wall 63.

[0074] The third partition 43 is made of the same material as the third partition 43 described above in the second film formation chamber 61 , and the third partition 43 is shared by the third film formation chamber 65 and the second film formation chamber 61 .

[0075] The fourth partition wall 44 is disposed between the third film forming chamber 65 and the fourth film forming chamber 71 so as to separate them. The fourth partition wall 44 has a shape similar to that of the first partition wall 41, and extends radially from the boundary between the third exhaust wall 67 and the fourth exhaust wall 73 toward the film forming roll center C1.

[0076] The pair of third side walls constitute outer walls on the axially outer sides of the film forming section 22. The third side walls have a shape obtained by rotating the second side walls in the circumferential direction by a predetermined angle around the film forming roll center C1, and have the same configuration as the second side walls.

[0077] The target unit 55 and the vacuum pump in the third film formation chamber 65 have the same configuration as those in the first film formation chamber 51 , and are disposed in the third film formation chamber 65 in the same manner as those in the first film formation chamber 51 .

[0078] The fourth film forming chamber 71 is partitioned by a fourth wall portion 72 disposed opposite the film forming roll 27. A target unit 55 is housed inside the fourth film forming chamber 71, and a vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the fourth film forming chamber 71. The fourth wall portion 72 includes a fourth exhaust wall 73, a fourth partition wall 44, a fifth partition wall 45, and a pair of fourth side walls (not shown). In other words, the fourth film forming chamber 71 includes the fourth exhaust wall 73, the fourth partition wall 44, the fifth partition wall 45, a pair of fourth side walls, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

[0079] The fourth exhaust wall 73 constitutes a radially outer wall of the film forming unit 22. The fourth exhaust wall 73 has a shape obtained by rotating the third exhaust wall 67 by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roll center C1, and has a similar configuration to the third exhaust wall 67.

[0080] The fourth partition 44 is made of the same material as the fourth partition 44 described above in the third film formation chamber 65 , and the fourth film formation chamber 71 and the third film formation chamber 65 share the fourth partition 44 .

[0081] The fifth partition wall 45 is disposed between the fourth film forming chamber 71 and the fifth film forming chamber 75 so as to separate them. The fourth partition wall 44 has a shape similar to that of the first partition wall 41, and extends radially from the boundary between the fourth exhaust wall 73 and the fifth exhaust wall 77 toward the film forming roll center C1.

[0082] The pair of fourth side walls constitute outer walls on the axially outer sides of the film forming unit 22. The fourth side walls have a shape obtained by rotating the third side walls in the circumferential direction by a predetermined angle around the film forming roll center C1, and have the same configuration as the third side walls.

[0083] The target unit 55 and the vacuum pump in the fourth film formation chamber 71 have the same configuration as those in the first film formation chamber 51 , and are arranged in the fourth film formation chamber 71 in the same manner as those in the first film formation chamber 51 .

[0084] The fifth film forming chamber 75 is partitioned by a fifth wall portion 76 disposed opposite the film forming roll 27. A target unit 55 is housed inside the fifth film forming chamber 75, and a vacuum pump 14 is connected to the outside of the fifth film forming chamber 75. The fifth wall portion 76 includes a fifth exhaust wall 77, a fifth partition wall 45, a sixth partition wall 46, and a pair of fifth side walls (not shown). In other words, the fifth film forming chamber 75 includes the fifth exhaust wall 77, the fifth partition wall 45, the sixth partition wall 46, a pair of fifth side walls, the target unit 55, and the vacuum pump 14.

[0085] The fifth exhaust wall 77 constitutes a radially outer wall of the film forming unit 22. The fifth exhaust wall 77 has a shape obtained by rotating the fourth exhaust wall 73 by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roll center C1, and has a similar configuration to the fourth exhaust wall 73.

[0086] The fifth partition 45 is made of the same material as the fourth partition 44 described above in the fourth film formation chamber 71 , and the fifth partition 45 is shared by the fifth film formation chamber 75 and the fourth film formation chamber 71 .

[0087] The sixth partition wall 46 is disposed between the fifth film-forming chamber 75 and the guide roll chamber 31 so as to separate them. The sixth partition wall 46 has a shape similar to that of the second partition wall 42, and extends radially from the boundary between the fifth exhaust wall 77 and the passage casing 25 toward the film-forming roll center C1.

[0088] The pair of fifth side walls constitute outer walls on the axially outer sides of the film forming unit 22. The fifth side walls have a shape obtained by rotating the fourth side wall by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction around the film forming roll center C1, and have the same configuration as the fourth side wall.

[0089] The target unit 55 and the vacuum pump 14 in the fifth film formation chamber 75 have the same configuration as those in the first film formation chamber 51 , and are disposed in the fifth film formation chamber 75 in the same manner as those in the first film formation chamber 51 .

[0090] In the film formation section 22, the first film formation chamber 51, the second film formation chamber 61, the third film formation chamber 65, the fourth film formation chamber 71 and the fifth film formation chamber 75 have substantially the same structure except that they are rotated by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction.

[0091] In addition, each exhaust wall, the first exhaust wall 53, the second exhaust wall 63, the third exhaust wall 67, the fourth exhaust wall 73 and the fifth exhaust wall 77, is formed continuously in the circumferential direction and has an approximately hexagonal shape when viewed in a first cross-sectional view.

[0092] The first partition wall 41, the second partition wall 42, the third partition wall 43, the fourth partition wall 44, and the fifth partition wall 45 are formed to extend radially inward from each exhaust wall at intervals in the circumferential direction. The radially inner end of each partition wall leaves a small gap with respect to the film forming roll 27 so that the film 2 can pass through. The first partition wall 41, the second partition wall 42, the third partition wall 43, the fourth partition wall 44, and the fifth partition wall 45 are arranged to be equally spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[0093] On one side and the other side of a pair of side walls of the film forming section 22, the film forming roll side wall 28, the guide roll side wall 35, the first side wall 54, the second side wall, the third side wall, the fourth side wall and the fifth side wall are integrally formed and have an approximately hexagonal shape when viewed in a first cross-sectional view.

[0094] The multiple film forming chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, 75 are partitioned by walls 52, 62, 66, 72, 76 facing the film forming roll 27, and include a first film forming chamber 51, a second film forming chamber 61, a third film forming chamber 65, a fourth film forming chamber 71, and a fifth film forming chamber 75. These film forming chambers are arranged adjacent to each other in this order along the film transport direction, i.e., along the circumferential direction of the film forming roll 27. The film forming chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, 75 have approximately the same structure as each other.

[0095] The winding unit 7 is disposed on the most downstream side in the sputtering apparatus 1, and is disposed downstream of the passage portion 21 so as to be adjacent to the passage portion 21. The winding unit 7 winds up the laminate film 4.

[0096] The winding section 7 has a box shape and includes a sixth guide roll 81, a winding roll 82, a winding casing 83, and a vacuum pump 14.

[0097] The sixth guide roll 81 guides the laminated film 4 conveyed from the passage portion 21 to the winding roll 82. The sixth guide roll 81 is disposed upstream of the winding roll 82.

[0098] The winding roll 82 winds up the thin film-coated film transported from the sixth guide roll 81 into a roll. The winding roll 82 is configured to be driven by an external power source or the like and can rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1. Specifically, it is similar to the payout roll 11.

[0099] The winding casing 83 accommodates therein the sixth guide roll 81 and the winding roll 82. The winding casing 83 is configured so that the inside thereof can be adjusted to a vacuum state. Specifically, the winding casing 83 is formed with an exhaust port 15, and the exhaust port 15 has a vacuum pump 14 disposed therein for discharging the air therein to the outside.

[0100] The vacuum pump 14 exhausts gas inside the take-up casing 83 to the outside, creating a vacuum inside the pay-out casing 13. The vacuum pump 14 is disposed on the outside of the take-up casing 83 so as to communicate with the exhaust port 15. An example of the vacuum pump 14 is the vacuum pump of the pay-out section 5.

[0101] 2.Laminated film manufacturing method A method for producing laminated film 4 from film 2 using sputtering apparatus 1 will be described.

[0102] First, the film 2 to be laminated is prepared on the pay-out roll 11. Specifically, the film 2 is prepared and set on the pay-out roll 11.

[0103] Examples of the film 2 include polymer films, glass films (thin film glass), etc. Examples of the polymer films include polyester films (polyethylene terephthalate films, polybutylene terephthalate films, polyethylene naphthalate films, etc.), polycarbonate films, olefin films (polyethylene films, polypropylene films, cycloolefin films, etc.), acrylic films, polyethersulfone films, polyarylate films, melamine films, polyamide films, polyimide films, cellulose films, and polystyrene films.

[0104] Next, the sputtering device 1 is operated. Specifically, various vacuum pumps 14 are operated to adjust all of the unwinding section 5, the sputtering section 6, and the winding section 7 to a vacuum, and the motors attached to each roll are driven to rotate each roll. The target unit 55 is also operated to perform sputtering. As a result, the film 2 is unwound from the unwinding section 5, and the laminated film 4 is formed by sputtering in the sputtering section 6, and is wound up in the winding section 7.

[0105] In particular, in the sputtering section 6, the film 2 is guided from the passage section 21 to the guide roll chamber 31 by the second guide roll 23, and then guided to the first film forming chamber 51 by the fourth guide roll 33. Next, the film 2 passes through the second film forming chamber 61, the third film forming chamber 65, the fourth film forming chamber 71, and the fifth film forming chamber 75 in sequence along the circumferential surface of the film forming roll 27. At this time, sputtering is performed on the film 2 in the first film forming chamber 51, the second film forming chamber 61, the third film forming chamber 65, the fourth film forming chamber 71, and the fifth film forming chamber 75 in sequence. Thereafter, the laminated film 4 is transported again to the guide roll chamber 31 and guided to the passage section 21 by the fifth guide roll 34. Next, the laminated film 4 is guided to the winding section 7 by the fourth guide roll 33.

[0106] Sputtering in each of the film formation chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, and 75 will be described below by taking the first film formation chamber 51 as a representative example. Note that sputtering in the other film formation chambers is similar to that in the first film formation chamber 51.

[0107] In sputtering, gas is supplied from a gas supplier 58 and ionized by applying a voltage from a power supply (not shown). The ionized gas is then collided with a target 56 located near a cathode 57, causing the target material (thin film material) to be ejected from the surface of the target 56, and the target material (thin film material) is deposited on the film 2.

[0108] Specific examples of the sputtering method include a dipole sputtering method, an electron cyclotron resonance sputtering method, a magnetron sputtering method, and an ion beam sputtering method.

[0109] The gas to be supplied may be, for example, an inert gas such as argon (Ar), etc. Preferably, a reactive gas such as oxygen gas may be used in combination with this inert gas.

[0110] The atmospheric pressure during sputtering is vacuum, preferably less than 1.0 Pa, and more preferably 0.5 Pa or less.

[0111] The power source used for sputtering may be, for example, any of a DC power source, an AC power source, an MF power source, and an RF power source, or a combination of these.

[0112] The gas flow during sputtering in first film formation chamber 51 will be described in detail with reference to the arrows in FIGS.

[0113] A gas (eg, argon gas) is sprayed from a gas supplier 58 toward the deposition roll 27 and the film 2 (see the dashed line in FIG. 3A).

[0114] The injected gas was Ar +After being ionized by the cathode 57, the gas accelerates toward the cathode 57, where it collides with the target 56 and knocks out target material from the target 56 (see the solid line in FIG. 3A). The ionized gas that collides with the target 56 is transformed from the ionized state back into a gaseous state by the effect of the cathode 57.

[0115] Then, the gas flows toward the exhaust port 15 of the first exhaust wall 53, i.e., toward the radially outward direction, due to suction by the vacuum pump 14. At this time, the gas flows branched so as to be symmetrical with respect to the first imaginary line L1 along the opposing surface of the cathode 57. The gas toward the first partition wall 41 flows along the first partition wall 41 and the first exhaust wall 53 and is sucked into the exhaust port 15, while the gas toward the second partition wall 42 flows along the second partition wall 42 and the first exhaust wall 53 and is sucked into the exhaust port 15 (see FIG. 3B).

[0116] At this time, since the first film formation chamber 51 is symmetrical with respect to the first virtual line L1, the gas flow is also symmetrical, and a smooth exhaust flow occurs in the first film formation chamber 51. That is, turbulence is unlikely to occur in the region between the cathode 57 and the film formation roll 27 where the film formation is performed, and stable gas supply and exhaust are achieved.

[0117] In the second film formation chamber 61, the third film formation chamber 65, the fourth film formation chamber 71 and the fifth film formation chamber 75, sputtering similar to that in the first film formation chamber 51, and further the supply and exhaust of gases similar to that in the first film formation chamber 51, are each carried out independently.

[0118] In this sputtering apparatus 1, the first film formation chamber 51, the second film formation chamber 61, the third film formation chamber 65, the fourth film formation chamber 71 and the fifth film formation chamber 75 are each provided with a target unit 55, walls 52, 62, 66, 72, 76 and exhaust port 15, so that the gas supplied to each film formation chamber is exhausted by the exhaust port 15 arranged in each film formation chamber. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the gas supplied to one film formation chamber from flowing into the film formation chamber adjacent thereto in the circumferential direction.

[0119] Furthermore, since the target unit 55 is disposed on the first virtual line L1 in each film formation chamber, the gas used for film formation is divided symmetrically around the first virtual line L1 by the target unit 55 from the vicinity of the film formation roll 27, and is discharged to the exhaust port 15. That is, the flow of the gas from the supply to the exhaust can be made uniform, and turbulence of the gas can be suppressed.

[0120] Therefore, the variation in film formation caused by the gas can be suppressed, and the thin film 3 having a uniform thickness can be formed on the film 2.

[0121] In the sputtering apparatus 1, the first wall portion 52 includes a first exhaust wall 53, a first partition wall 41 and a second partition wall 42, and the first exhaust wall 53 is symmetrical with respect to the first imaginary line L1.

[0122] Therefore, the exhaust gas flows more easily and evenly along the first exhaust wall into the exhaust port 15. This suppresses turbulence caused by uneven flow and allows the gas to be exhausted more smoothly. As a result, the variation caused by the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

[0123] In addition, in this sputtering apparatus 1, the first partition 41 and the second partition 42 are symmetrical with respect to the first virtual line L1.

[0124] Therefore, the exhaust gas can easily flow evenly into the exhaust section along the first partition 41 and the second partition 42. This suppresses turbulence caused by uneven flow, and allows the gas to be exhausted more smoothly. As a result, the variation caused by the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

[0125] In addition, in this sputtering apparatus 1, the pair of film formation roll side walls 28 are symmetrical with respect to the second imaginary line L2, so that turbulence can be effectively suppressed and variations in each of the multiple film formation chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, 75 can be suppressed more reliably.

[0126] In addition, in this sputtering apparatus 1, each of the film formation chambers is provided with a vacuum pump 14 connected to an exhaust port.

[0127] Therefore, the gas inside the film formation chamber can be reliably discharged to the outside.

[0128] In addition, in this sputtering apparatus 1, the exhaust port 15 is disposed so as to be centered with respect to the second imaginary line L2 in the film formation chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, and 75.

[0129] Therefore, the exhaust port 15 can exhaust the gas evenly in the axial direction of the film-forming roll 27, and can exhaust the gas more smoothly. As a result, the variation caused by the gas can be more reliably suppressed.

[0130] 4. Variations The following describes modified examples of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. Note that these modified examples also provide the same effects as the above-described embodiment.

[0131] (1) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each of the film formation chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, and 75 is equipped with one vacuum pump, but for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the film formation chambers 51, 61, 65, 71, and 75 can be equipped with multiple (two or more) vacuum pumps 14.

[0132] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, each deposition chamber includes two vacuum pumps 14. The two vacuum pumps 14 are arranged at an interval from each other in the axial direction. The two vacuum pumps 14 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the second imaginary line L2. Note that exhaust ports 15 are formed in each exhaust wall corresponding to the two vacuum pumps 14.

[0133] 5, each deposition chamber includes three vacuum pumps 14. The three vacuum pumps 14 are arranged at equal intervals from one another in the axial direction. The three vacuum pumps 14 are arranged symmetrically about the third imaginary line L2. Note that exhaust ports 15 are formed in each exhaust wall corresponding to the three vacuum pumps 14.

[0134] (2) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the film forming section 22 has five film forming chambers, but the number of film forming chambers is not limited as long as it is multiple (two or more), and for example, it may have two or three film forming chambers as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7.

[0135] 6, the two film formation chambers 51 and 61 have shapes rotated by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction and have the same structure. Each exhaust wall is symmetrical with respect to the first virtual line L1 in the first cross-sectional view and has a substantially arc shape.

[0136] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the three film formation chambers 51, 61, and 65 are circumferentially rotated by a predetermined angle from each other, and have the same structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 1. Sputtering equipment 2. Film 6 Sputtering section 14 Vacuum Pump 15 Exhaust port 27 Coating roll 28 Coating roll side wall 41 1st bulkhead 42 Second bulkhead 43 Third bulkhead 44 4th bulkhead 45 5th bulkhead 46 6th Bulkhead 51 1st deposition chamber 52 1st wall 53 First Exhaust Wall 54 Second side wall 55 Target Unit 61 2nd deposition chamber 62 2nd wall section 63 Second Exhaust Wall 65 3rd deposition chamber 66 Third wall 67 3rd Exhaust Wall 71 4th film formation chamber 72 4th wall 73 4th Exhaust Wall 75 5th deposition chamber 76 5th wall 77 5th Exhaust Wall

Claims

1. a film-forming roll that conveys the film in a circumferential direction; A plurality of film-forming chambers arranged along a circumferential direction of the film-forming roll; A sputtering apparatus comprising: Each of the plurality of film formation chambers includes: a target unit disposed opposite the deposition roll with a gap therebetween; A wall portion that divides the film formation chamber; Equipped with The wall portion is provided with an exhaust portion, In a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an axial direction of the film-forming roll, the target unit is disposed on a first imaginary line passing through a center of the film-forming roll and a center of the exhaust unit, The target unit includes a gas supplier. The gas supplier is disposed on the first imaginary line.

2. The wall portion is an exhaust wall in which the exhaust portion is provided; two partition walls extending in a radial direction from the exhaust wall toward the film-forming roll and spaced apart from each other; Equipped with 2. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust wall is symmetrical with respect to the first imaginary line when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the film-forming roll.

3. 3. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the two partition walls are symmetrical with respect to the first imaginary line when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the film-forming roll.

4. the wall portion further includes a pair of connecting walls connecting the exhaust wall and the partition wall, 3. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pair of connecting walls are symmetrical with respect to a second imaginary line passing through the axial center of the film deposition chamber when viewed in a cross-sectional view including the rotation axis of the film deposition roll.

5. 5. The sputtering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the film formation chambers is provided with a pump connected to the exhaust section.

6. The sputtering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the exhaust section is symmetrical with respect to a second imaginary line passing through the axial center of the film formation chamber when viewed in a cross-sectional view including the rotation axis of the film formation roll.

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