Roll-to-Roll ALD Coating for Porous Materials Without Vacuum Purge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roll to roll atomic layer deposition apparatuses require a large-scale vacuum chamber, increasing costs and time, and necessitate a purge process between source substance supply stages, which prolongs the deposition process.
Innovation Solution
A roll to roll atomic layer deposition method that performs deposition on a porous material under normal-pressure conditions without a vacuum chamber, using a continuous supply of source substances and direct suction by pumps, eliminating the need for a purge process and reducing the time required for the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large-scale vacuum chamber is used for atomic layer deposition, then the deposition process can be performed under vacuum conditions, but the space requirement and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the pressure parameter from vacuum to atmospheric pressure, enabling atomic layer deposition without a vacuum chamber. This fundamental parameter change eliminates the need for complex vacuum systems while maintaining deposition capability through modified process conditions including continuous precursor flow and controlled reaction environment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the vacuum chamber component from the atomic layer deposition system. By taking out this major complex component and replacing it with atmospheric pressure processing, the system achieves simplified structure, reduced space requirements, and lower manufacturing costs while preserving the core deposition function
2Manufacturing precision
If a pulsed supply method is used for source substances, then the deposition process can be controlled, but the total process time increases due to required purge steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements continuous supply of source substances without interruption or pulsing. The continuous flow method maintains constant precursor delivery to the substrate surface, eliminating the need for purge steps between deposition cycles. This continuous action approach preserves deposition precision through controlled reactant availability while significantly reducing total process time by removing idle purge intervals
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
The method reduces costs and time by eliminating the need for a vacuum chamber and purge process, enabling efficient and uniform coating on porous materials, including those with fine holes, under normal-pressure conditions.
Implementation Method 1
supplying, by one or more source substance suppliers, a source substance to the porous material
Implementation Method 2
sucking, by one or more pumps, the source substance supplied from the one or more source substance suppliers
Implementation Method 3
sucking, by one or more pumps, the source substance supplied from the one or more source substance suppliers
Implementation Method 4
a roll to roll atomic layer deposition method, which deposits an atomic layer on a porous material
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is a roll to roll atomic layer deposition method, which deposits an atomic layer on a porous material, the roll to roll atomic layer deposition method including: moving, by a pair of winding rollers, reciprocatingly the porous material in a longitudinal direction; supplying, by one or more source substance suppliers, a source substance to the porous material while the porous material is moving reciprocatingly in the longitudinal direction; and sucking, by one or more pumps, the source substance supplied from the one or more source substance suppliers.