PVD Apparatus Rotating Table Mechanism for Coating Uniformity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing PVD processing apparatuses are unable to form homogeneous composite coatings on cylindrical-shaped substrates due to the lack of a mechanism for rotating the substrate on its own axis, leading to inhomogeneous coating structures and incomplete coverage of the outer peripheral surface.
Innovation Solution
A PVD processing apparatus with a vacuum chamber, a revolving table, rotating tables, and a table rotating mechanism that synchronizes the rotation of the revolving table and rotating tables, allowing substrates to rotate by an angle of 180° or more relative to the revolving table while passing through the region between two tangent lines drawn from the center of the targets, ensuring uniform coating coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a PVD processing apparatus uses a revolving table to support substrates without a rotation mechanism for the substrates themselves, then the apparatus structure is simpler, but the coating uniformity on cylindrical substrates deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by introducing a rotation mechanism that allows cylindrical substrates to rotate on their own axes while being carried by the revolving table. This dynamic rotation of the substrate ensures that all surfaces of the cylindrical substrate are evenly exposed to the vapor deposition source, achieving uniform coating thickness and eliminating the inhomogeneity problem that would otherwise result from the simple revolving table configuration.
2Device complexity
If a PVD processing apparatus lacks a substrate rotation mechanism, then the device complexity is reduced, but the coating coverage on outer peripheral surfaces of cylindrical substrates becomes incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation mechanism enables the cylindrical substrate to dynamically rotate during the coating process, ensuring that the outer peripheral surface and all other surfaces are uniformly exposed to the deposition flux. This dynamic rotation achieves complete coating coverage that would be impossible with a static substrate holder.
3Device complexity
If the rotation ratio between the rotating table and revolving table is not adequately controlled, then the control system is simpler, but the composite coating structure becomes inhomogeneous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the feedback principle by implementing a control system that monitors and adjusts the rotation ratio between the rotating table and the revolving table. This feedback control ensures that the substrate rotates at the appropriate speed relative to its revolution around the deposition source, achieving the desired spiral or concentric ring coating patterns with uniform thickness and preventing inhomogeneous structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables the formation of seamless, continuous, and homogeneous composite coatings with improved coating thickness uniformity on the outer peripheral surface of cylindrical-shaped substrates, addressing the issues of incomplete coverage and inhomogeneity.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum arc vaporization source for depositing a coating on the substrate W
Implementation Method 2
a sputtering vaporization source for depositing a coating on the substrate W
Implementation Method 3
formation of a coating such as TiN, TiAIN or CrN, through a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Provided are a PVD processing apparatus (1) and method capable of forming a composite coating having a coating thickness with excellent circumferential uniformity on an outer peripheral surface of a substrate. The PVD processing apparatus (1) comprises: a vacuum chamber; a revolving table revolving a plurality of substrates (W) around an revolution axis (7) in the vacuum chamber; a plurality of rotating tables (4) rotating the substrates (W) about their rotation axis (8) parallel to the revolution axis (7) on the revolution table; a plurality of types of targets (5) provided radially outside the revolving table at circumferentially spaced positions; and a table rotating mechanism (6) rotating the rotating table (4) by an angle of 180° or more while the substrates (W) passes through a region between two tangent lines (L1, L2) drawn from a center of the target (5) to an arc enveloping the rotating tables (4).