Workpiece rotating device, pvd treatment device, and method for manufacturing coated tool
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025507968
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing work rotation devices and PVD processing systems face challenges in achieving uniform film formation on coated tools due to limitations in the design of the rotation mechanisms, leading to potential sticking and burn-in issues during the film deposition process.
The work rotation device incorporates a revolution table and a rotation table that rotate the workpiece around parallel axes, with a support column that is rotatable around the rotation axis, allowing for a simple and smooth rotation mechanism that reduces sticking and burn-in, and is integrated into a PVD processing apparatus for uniform film formation.
This configuration enables uniform film formation on coated tools, reducing variations in quality and improving the efficiency of the PVD processing by minimizing sticking and burn-in, thus enhancing the performance of the coated tools.
Abstract
Description
Workpiece rotation device, PVD processing device, and method for manufacturing coated tool
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a workpiece rotating device, a PVD processing device, and a method for manufacturing a coated tool.
[0002] A workpiece rotating device is known that includes a revolution table that revolves a workpiece (substrate) and a rotation table that rotates the workpiece on the revolution table. Also known is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing device that forms a film on the surface of a substrate by using a PVD method.
[0003] For example, International Publication No. 2014 / 147979 (Patent Document 1) describes a PVD processing apparatus that includes a vacuum chamber that accommodates a plurality of substrates, a revolution table that is provided within the vacuum chamber and that supports the plurality of substrates while causing these substrates to revolve around an axis of revolution, a plurality of rotation tables that support each of the plurality of substrates and rotate the substrate on the revolution table around an axis of rotation that is parallel to the axis of revolution, a plurality of targets formed from different types of film formation materials, and a table rotation mechanism that rotates each rotation table around its axis of rotation as the revolution table rotates.
[0004] A non-limiting aspect of the present disclosure is a workpiece rotation device comprising: a revolution table that revolves a workpiece around a revolution axis; and a rotation table that rotates the workpiece on the revolution table around a rotation axis parallel to the revolution axis. The rotation table is rotatable around a central axis of the rotation table. The rotation axis is located closer to the outer periphery of the rotation table than the central axis. The rotation table has a support pillar that can hold the workpiece. The support pillar extends along the rotation axis and is rotatable around the rotation axis.
[0005] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a non-limiting one-sided workpiece rotating device (PVD processing device) of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a side view of the workpiece rotating device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of a pedestal in the workpiece rotating device shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of a pedestal in a non-limiting one-sided workpiece rotating device of the present disclosure, which corresponds to Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of a pedestal in a non-limiting one-sided workpiece rotating device of the present disclosure, which corresponds to Fig. 3.
[0006] <Workpiece Rotation Device> A non-limiting aspect of the workpiece rotation device 1 of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, for the sake of convenience, the figures referenced below show only the main components necessary for explaining the embodiment in a simplified form. Therefore, the workpiece rotation device 1 may include optional components not shown in the figures referenced. Furthermore, the dimensions of the components in the figures do not faithfully represent the actual dimensions of the components or the dimensional ratios of each component. Note that, to facilitate visual understanding, the rotation table and other components that overlap with the revolution axis when viewed from the side are omitted from FIG. 2.
[0007] 1 and 2, the workpiece rotating device 1 may be a device that rotates the workpiece 201 about a rotation axis O2 parallel to the revolution axis O1 while revolving the workpiece 201 about the revolution axis O1. Alternatively, the workpiece rotating device 1 may be a device that rotates a plurality of workpieces 201.
[0008] The workpiece 201 may also be referred to as a substrate. The workpiece 201 may be plate-shaped. For example, the workpiece 201 may have a rectangular plate shape. Note that the shape of the workpiece 201 is not limited to a rectangular plate shape. For example, the top surface of the workpiece 201 may have a triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, or circular shape.
[0009] The workpiece 201 may be for a coated tool used as a cutting tool or the like. The workpiece 201 may also have a through-hole. When the workpiece 201 is for a coated tool, the through-hole can function as a portion to which a fixing screw, a clamp member, or the like is attached when the coated tool is held in a holder.
[0010] The workpiece 201 is not limited to a specific size. For example, the length of one side of the upper surface may be set to about 3 to 20 mm. The height from the upper surface to the lower surface may be set to about 5 to 20 mm. The workpiece 201 is not limited to being plate-shaped. The workpiece 201 may be rod-shaped or the like.
[0011] Examples of the material of the workpiece 201 include cemented carbide and cermet. Examples of the composition of cemented carbide include WC-Co, WC-TiC-Co, and WC-TiC-TaC-Co. WC, TiC, and TaC may be hard particles, and Co may be a binder phase. Cermet may be a sintered composite material in which a ceramic component is combined with a metal. An example of a cermet is a titanium compound whose main component is TiC or TiN.
[0012] The number of workpieces 201 to be rotated may be, for example, about 5 to 80. The number of workpieces 201 shown as an example may be the number per support pillar, which will be described later.
[0013] The workpiece rotating device 1 can be used, for example, in a PVD processing device that uses a PVD method to form a film on the surface of the workpiece 201. Below, each component of the workpiece rotating device 1 will be described in order, taking as an example a case where the workpiece rotating device 1 is used for a PVD processing device.
[0014] The workpiece rotating device 1 may include a revolution table 3 and a rotation table 5, as shown in a non-limiting example in FIGS.
[0015] The revolution table 3 may be a member that revolves the workpiece 201 around the revolution axis O1. Furthermore, the central axis of the revolution table 3 may coincide with the revolution axis O1. The revolution table 3 is rotatable around the revolution axis O1. The arrow Y1 in FIG. 1 etc. may indicate the rotation direction of the revolution table 3. Note that the revolution table 3 may rotate in the opposite direction to the arrow Y1.
[0016] A motor and gears may be used to rotate the revolution table 3. That is, the driving force of the motor may be transmitted to the revolution table 3 via gears to rotate the revolution table 3. This also applies to other rotatable members such as the rotation table 5 described below.
[0017] The revolution table 3 may be disk-shaped, and the outer diameter of the revolution table 3 may be set to, for example, about 300 to 600 mm.
[0018] The turning table 5 may be a member that rotates the workpiece 201 on the revolution table 3 about a rotation axis O2 that is parallel to the revolution axis O1. The turning table 5 is also rotatable about a central axis O3 of the turning table 5. The central axis O3 of the turning table 5 may be parallel to the revolution axis O1. The arrow Y2 in FIG. 1 and other figures may indicate the rotation direction of the turning table 5. The turning table 5 may also rotate in the direction opposite to the arrow Y2.
[0019] 2, the rotation table 5 may have a plate-shaped main body 7 and a top plate 9 facing the main body 7 with a gap in the direction along the central axis O3. The main body 7 and the top plate 9 may be disk-shaped with an outer diameter smaller than that of the revolution table 3. The outer diameters of the main body 7 and the top plate 9 may be set to, for example, about 100 to 150 mm.
[0020] There may be multiple rotation tables 5. The multiple rotation tables 5 may be located on the outer periphery of the revolution axis O1 on the upper surface 11 of the revolution table 3, as in the non-limiting example shown in Figure 1. The multiple rotation tables 5 may be located at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the revolution axis O1. When there are multiple rotation tables 5, the number of rotation tables 5 may be, for example, about 2 to 10.
[0021] Here, the rotating table 5 may have support columns 13, as in a non-limiting example shown in Fig. 2. The support columns 13 are capable of holding the workpiece 201. If the workpiece 201 has the above-mentioned through-holes, the support columns 13 may be inserted into the through-holes to hold the workpiece 201 on the support columns 13. Furthermore, if the workpiece 201 is rod-shaped, the workpiece 201 may be held on the support columns 13 using a jig or the like.
[0022] The support pillar 13 may be located between the main body 7 and the top plate 9. The support pillar 13 may also be cylindrical. For example, the diameter of the support pillar 13 may be set to about 1 to 10 mm. The length of the support pillar 13 may be set to about 200 to 700 mm.
[0023] There may be multiple support columns 13. The multiple support columns 13 may be positioned at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the central axis O3. When there are multiple support columns 13, the number of support columns 13 on one turning table 5 may be, for example, about 2 to 20.
[0024] As a non-limiting example shown in Figure 2, the rotation axis O2 may be located closer to the outer periphery of the rotation table 5 than the central axis O3. Furthermore, the support column 13 may extend along the rotation axis O2. The support column 13 is rotatable around the rotation axis O2. The arrow Y3 in Figure 2 and other figures may indicate the rotation direction of the support column 13. Note that the support column 13 may rotate in the direction opposite to the arrow Y3.
[0025] When the above-described workpiece rotating device 1 is used in a PVD processing device, uniform film formation becomes possible.
[0026] The turning table 5 may further include a pedestal 15, as shown in a non-limiting example in Fig. 3. The pedestal 15 may be a columnar member extending from the upper surface 17 of the turning table 5 along the rotation axis O2. The support column 13 may also include a recess 19. The recess 19 may open at the lower end 21 of the support column 13. The recess 19 may also be a portion into which the pedestal 15 is inserted.
[0027] When the base 15 is inserted into the recess 19, the support 13 can rotate around the rotation axis O2. Therefore, when the rotation table 5 has the base 15 and the support 13 has the recess 19, it becomes possible to rotate the support 13 around the rotation axis O2 with a simple mechanism, and the work rotation device 1 can be easily simplified.
[0028] If the rotating table 5 has a main body 7, the upper surface 17 of the rotating table 5 may be the upper surface of the main body 7. If the rotating table 5 has a top plate 9, the top plate 9 may have a through-hole through which the tip of the support 13 can be inserted, or a recess into which the tip of the support 13 can be inserted. The driving force of the motor may be transmitted to the support 13 via a gear, causing the support 13 to rotate.
[0029] The upper portion 23 of the base 15 may have a dome-like shape (convex curved surface shape) that is convex upward, as shown in a non-limiting example in Fig. 3. In this case, the contact area between the base 15 and the recess 19 tends to be small. Therefore, the movable part is less likely to stick inside the recess 19. Also, seizure is less likely to occur.
[0030] The side surface portion 25 of the base 15 may have a wavy shape, as shown in a non-limiting example in FIG. 3 . More specifically, in a cross section parallel to the rotation axis O2, the side surface portion 25 of the base 15 may have a wavy shape. In this case, the contact area between the base 15 and the recess 19 tends to be small. Therefore, the movable part is less likely to stick inside the recess 19. Furthermore, seizure is less likely to occur.
[0031] The base 15 may have a groove that extends spirally toward the upper portion 23. In this case, the side surface 25 of the base 15 is likely to have a wavy shape. The base 15 may also have a plurality of grooves that extend along the circumferential direction of the rotation axis O2. In this case, the side surface 25 of the base 15 is also likely to have a wavy shape.
[0032] The bottom 27 of the recess 19 can come into contact with the upper portion 23 of the base 15, as in the non-limiting example shown in Figure 3. The bottom 27 of the recess 19 may also be flat. In these cases, a simple mechanism for rotating the support 13 and smooth rotation of the support 13 can be achieved. Furthermore, movable parts are less likely to stick inside the recess 19.
[0033] Next, a workpiece rotating apparatus 1A according to another non-limiting aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Below, differences between the workpiece rotating apparatus 1A and the workpiece rotating apparatus 1 will be mainly described, and detailed descriptions of the same configuration as the workpiece rotating apparatus 1 may be omitted. Therefore, the description of the workpiece rotating apparatus 1 may be used to understand the configuration of the workpiece rotating apparatus 1A. This also applies to the workpiece rotating apparatus 1B described below.
[0034] The bottom 27 of the recess 19 in the workpiece rotating device 1A can come into contact with the upper portion 23 of the pedestal 15, as shown in a non-limiting example in FIG. 4 . The bottom 27 of the recess 19 may also have a dome-like shape that is convex downward (a convex curved surface shape). In these cases, a simple mechanism for rotating the support 13 and smooth rotation of the support 13 can be achieved. Furthermore, movable parts are less likely to stick inside the recess 19.
[0035] The upper portion 23 of the base 15 may have a dome-like shape that is convex upward, and the bottom portion 27 of the recessed portion 19 may have a dome-like shape that is convex downward. In this case, the bottom portion 27 of the recessed portion 19 is likely to come into point contact with the upper portion 23 of the base 15. This tends to reduce resistance when the support 13 rotates, making it easier for the support 13 to rotate smoothly.
[0036] Next, another non-limiting aspect of the workpiece rotating device 1B of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.
[0037] In the workpiece rotating device 1B, as shown in a non-limiting example in FIG. 5 , the bottom 27 of the recess 19 can come into contact with the upper portion 23 of the pedestal 15. The bottom 27 of the recess 19 may also have a dome-like shape (concave curved surface shape) that is concave upward. In these cases, a simple mechanism for rotating the support 13 and smooth rotation of the support 13 can be achieved. Furthermore, movable parts are less likely to stick inside the recess 19.
[0038] The upper portion 23 of the base 15 may have a dome-like shape that is convex upward, and the bottom portion 27 of the recessed portion 19 may have a dome-like shape that is concave upward. In this case, the bottom portion 27 of the recessed portion 19 is likely to come into point contact with the upper portion 23 of the base 15. This tends to reduce resistance when the support 13 rotates, making it easier for the support 13 to rotate smoothly. Note that when the bottom portion 27 of the recessed portion 19 is concave upward, the bottom portion 27 may have a concave shape that is a larger arc than the dome-like shape of the upper portion 23 of the base 15. More specifically, in a cross section parallel to the rotation axis O2, the bottom portion 27 and the upper portion 23 may have an arc shape, and the radius of curvature of the bottom portion 27 may be larger than the radius of curvature of the upper portion 23.
[0039] <PVD Processing Apparatus> Next, a non-limiting example of the PVD processing apparatus 101 of the present disclosure will be described, taking as an example a case where the above-described workpiece rotating apparatus 1 is provided.
[0040] 1, the PVD processing apparatus 101 may include a workpiece rotation device 1, a target 103, and a vacuum chamber 105. When the PVD processing apparatus 101 includes the workpiece rotation device 1, uniform film formation becomes possible.
[0041] The PVD processing apparatus 101 may be an apparatus that uses a PVD method to form a coating layer on the surface of the workpiece 201 accommodated inside the vacuum chamber 105. Examples of the PVD method include an ion plating method and a sputtering method.
[0042] The target 103 may be located outside the revolution table 3. The target 103 may also be located outside in the radial direction of the revolution table 3. The target 103 may also be located on the inner wall surface of the vacuum chamber 105.
[0043] The target 103 may be formed from a film-forming material that is a raw material for the coating layer. The target 103 may also be called an evaporation source or a vapor deposition source. The target 103 may be in the form of a plate.
[0044] There may be multiple targets 103. The multiple targets 103 may be formed from different types of film formation materials or may be formed from the same type of film formation material. The multiple targets 103 may be positioned at intervals in the direction along the revolution axis O1.
[0045] Furthermore, the multiple targets 103 may be positioned at intervals along the circumferential direction of the revolution table 3. For example, when there are two targets 103, the two targets 103 may be positioned so as to face each other with the revolution table 3 in between. When there are multiple targets 103, the number of targets 103 may be, for example, about 2 to 16.
[0046] The vacuum chamber 105 may house the workpiece rotating device 1 and the target 103 therein. The vacuum chamber 105 is capable of depressurizing its interior. For example, an exhaust pipe may be connected to the vacuum chamber 105, and a vacuum pump or the like may be connected to the exhaust pipe to evacuate the interior to a vacuum or extremely low pressure. A gas supply pipe may be connected to the vacuum chamber 105 to supply an inert gas, a reactive gas, or the like into the vacuum chamber 105.
[0047] <Method for Manufacturing a Coated Tool> Next, a non-limiting method for manufacturing a coated tool on one side according to the present disclosure will be described using the above-described PVD processing apparatus 101 as an example.
[0048] The method for manufacturing a coated tool may be a method for obtaining a coated tool by forming a coating layer on the surface of a workpiece 201 using the PVD processing apparatus 101. When the PVD processing apparatus 101 is used in the method for manufacturing a coated tool, uniform film formation is possible, and therefore the quality of the obtained coated tool is less likely to vary.
[0049] The coating layer formed on the surface of the workpiece 201 may have a composition such as titanium carbide (TiC), titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), and alumina (Al2O3).
[0050] The coating layer is not limited to a specific thickness. For example, the average thickness of the coating layer may be set to about 0.1 to 10 μm. The thickness of the coating layer may be measured by cross-sectional observation using an electron microscope. For example, the thickness may be measured at 10 or more measurement points at any position on the coating layer, and the average value may be calculated. Examples of electron microscopes include a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM).
[0051] The obtained coated tool can be used as a cutting tool, etc. The coated tool can also be used for purposes other than cutting tools, such as wear-resistant parts such as sliding parts or dies, tools such as drilling tools and blades, and impact-resistant parts.
[0052] The above provides examples of the workpiece rotation devices 1, 1A, 1B, the PVD processing device 101, and the method for manufacturing a coated tool, all of which are not limited to the present disclosure. However, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and any other embodiments may be used as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.
[0053] For example, the PVD processing apparatus 101 described above includes the workpiece rotation device 1, but is not limited to this. For example, the PVD processing apparatus 101 may include a workpiece rotation device 1A or a workpiece rotation device 1B instead of the workpiece rotation device 1.
[0054] 1: Workpiece rotation device 3: Revolution table 5: Rotation table 7: Main body 9: Top plate 11: Upper surface 13: Support 15: Base 17: Upper surface 19: Recess 21: Lower end 23: Upper part 25: Side part 27: Bottom part 101: PVD processing device 103: Target 105: Vacuum chamber 201: Workpiece (substrate) O1: Revolution axis O2: Rotation axis O3: Central axis
Claims
1. a revolution table that revolves the workpiece around the revolution axis; a rotation table that rotates the workpiece on the revolution table about a rotation axis parallel to the revolution axis, the rotating table is rotatable around a central axis of the rotating table, the rotation axis is located closer to the outer periphery of the rotation table than the central axis, the rotating table has a support that can hold the workpiece, The support column extends along the rotation axis and is rotatable around the rotation axis.
2. the rotation table further includes a columnar base extending from an upper surface of the rotation table along the rotation axis; The workpiece rotating device according to claim 1 , wherein the support has a recess that opens at a lower end and into which the pedestal is inserted.
3. The workpiece rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein an upper portion of the pedestal has an upwardly convex dome shape.
4. The workpiece rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein the side surface of the base has a wavy shape.
5. The workpiece rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein the bottom of the recess is flat and can come into contact with the top of the pedestal.
6. The workpiece rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein the bottom of the recess has a dome-like shape that is convex downward and can come into contact with the upper part of the pedestal.
7. The workpiece rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein the bottom of the recess has a dome-like shape that is concave upward and can come into contact with the upper part of the pedestal.
8. A workpiece rotating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a target located outside the revolution table; a vacuum chamber that accommodates the workpiece rotating device and the target therein.
9. A method for producing a coated tool, comprising forming a coating layer on the surface of the workpiece using the PVD processing apparatus according to claim 8 to obtain a coated tool.