JP5861268B2 - Deposition equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus for forming a film on an outer surface of a substrate by a dry coating method.

  A fuel cell usually includes two separators that sandwich a membrane electrode assembly that is a power generator. The separator is configured by a conductive plate member (substrate) such as a metal plate. Here, the outer surface of the separator faces the power generation region of the membrane electrode assembly, and constitutes a flow path such as a reaction gas or a refrigerant and also functions as a conductive path. Therefore, the outer surface of the substrate constituting the separator may be coated with a metal thin film or the like in order to improve conductivity, corrosion resistance, and hydrophilicity. As a method for forming a metal thin film, for example, a so-called dry coating method such as a plasma CVD method or a sputtering method is known (Patent Document 1 below).

  In general, in the dry coating method, film formation is performed by supplying a source gas to a film formation chamber in a high temperature (for example, 500 to 600 ° C.) environment. When the film is formed, the substrate to be formed is placed in the film formation chamber while being held by the holding tool. Here, in the fuel cell, it is preferable that the substrate constituting the separator is thinned in order to reduce weight and reduce electric resistance. However, in the film forming process described above, if the thickness of the substrate is extremely thin, there is a high possibility that the substrate is deformed or damaged when the substrate is attached to or detached from the holding tool. In addition, if the process of attaching / removing the substrate to / from the holding tool becomes complicated, the processing efficiency of the film forming process decreases. Until now, it has been the case that sufficient ingenuity has not been made for these problems.

JP 2000-050772 A JP 63-206471 A JP 2008-065995 A JP 2002-155372 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for improving the setting property of a substrate which is a film formation target in a film formation process by a dry coating method.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples. One embodiment of the present invention is a film formation apparatus for simultaneously forming a film on both surfaces of a substrate placed in a film formation chamber by a dry coating method, and a holding fixture for holding the substrate and the substrate attached to the substrate A holding part for fixing the holding device so that the substrate is in a standing state, and the holding device is provided in the frame member having a side corresponding to each side of the outer periphery of the substrate, and the frame member The first and second support portions for supporting a part of the first and second sides intersecting each other of the substrate, respectively, and the frame member, and facing the first side of the substrate And a third support part that supports a part of the third side, wherein the holding device has the second support part lower than the first support part in the gravitational direction by the fixing part. And the first support portion is configured so that a part of the first side of the substrate is The second support portion has a slit in the gravitational direction, and the second support portion suppresses the substrate from being separated from the holding device. The third support portion has a slit that receives a part of the third side, and the first, second, and third support portions are respectively (i) the substrate and the third support portion. The holding device is superposed in parallel with each other, and the angle between the sides of the outer periphery of the substrate and the sides of the frame member corresponding to the sides of the outer periphery of the substrate is shifted with respect to the holding device. When the first arrangement state in which the arrangement angle of the substrate is shifted is set to a position where the substrate does not interfere with the substrate, (ii) from the first arrangement state, each side of the outer periphery of the substrate; Of the frame member corresponding to each side of the outer periphery of the substrate The first and third sides of the substrate by rotating the substrate while maintaining a parallel positional relationship with the frame member so that the angle deviation between the side and the side is eliminated. Is provided as a film forming apparatus provided at a position where each of the first and third support portions is received by the slit.

[Application Example 1]
A film forming apparatus that simultaneously forms films on both surfaces of a substrate disposed in a film forming chamber by a dry coating method, wherein the substrate includes: a holding device that holds the substrate; and the holding device to which the substrate is attached. A holding portion that fixes the substrate so as to be in a standing state, and the holding device supports first and second parts of the substrate that respectively support a part of first and second sides having side directions intersecting each other. The holding device is fixed by the fixing portion so that the first supporting portion is on the upper side in the gravitational direction and the second supporting portion is on the lower side in the gravitational direction. The support portion has a slit for receiving a part of the first side of the substrate, and suppresses the substrate from being inclined in the horizontal direction and suppresses the substrate from being separated from the holding device. , The second support portion is such that the substrate is gravity Suppresses the fall off to the direction, the film-forming apparatus.
According to this film forming apparatus, the substrate to be formed is held in the film forming chamber by the simple support mechanism of the holding tool. Therefore, the setting property of the substrate in the film forming apparatus is improved.

[Application Example 2]
The film forming apparatus according to Application Example 1, wherein the holding tool further includes a frame member having a frame corresponding to an outer periphery of the substrate, and a third side facing the first side of the substrate. A third support part for supporting a part of the substrate, the third support part having a slit for receiving a part of the third side of the substrate, the first, second and second Each of the support portions 3 is a film forming apparatus provided on each corresponding side of the frame member.
According to this film forming apparatus, since the three outer peripheral sides of the substrate are supported by the three support portions attached to the frame member of the holding tool, the substrate can be held more reliably, and the setting property of the substrate in the film forming apparatus can be maintained. Will improve. Further, the substrate is prevented from being deformed depending on the processing temperature of the film forming process.

[Application Example 3]
The film forming apparatus according to Application Example 2, wherein the first, second, and third support portions are respectively
(I) The substrate and the holding device are overlapped in parallel with each other, and interfere with the substrate when the first arrangement state in which the arrangement angle in the direction along the surface of the substrate is shifted from each other is set. No position,
(Ii) By rotating the substrate so as to eliminate the displacement of the arrangement angle from the first arrangement state, a part of the first and third sides of the substrate is changed between the first and third sides. The film-forming apparatus provided in the position received in each said slit of a 3rd support part.
According to this film forming apparatus, even in the case where the supporting device is provided on each of the three sides of the frame member in the holding device, the substrate can be turned into the holding device only by rotating in the direction along the surface of the substrate. Can be attached. Therefore, the setting property of the substrate in the film forming apparatus is improved.

[Application Example 4]
The film forming apparatus according to Application Example 3, wherein the holding tool further includes a fourth support portion that supports a part of the fourth side that faces the second side of the substrate. The second and fourth support portions each have a slit for receiving a part of the second and fourth sides of the substrate;
The first, second, third and fourth support portions are respectively
(I) When the substrate and the holding device are in the first arrangement state, the substrate does not interfere with the substrate,
(Ii) By rotating the substrate so as to eliminate the displacement of the arrangement angle from the first arrangement state, a part of all the sides of the substrate is the first, second, and third. And a film forming apparatus provided at a position to be received by each of the slits of the fourth support part.
According to this film forming apparatus, even in the case where the supporting device is provided on each of the four sides of the frame member in the holding device, the substrate can be turned into the holding device only by rotation in the direction along the surface of the substrate. Can be attached. Moreover, since the outer peripheral four sides of the substrate are reliably supported by the holding device, the deformation of the substrate due to the processing temperature of the film forming process is further suppressed.

[Application Example 5]
It is a film-forming apparatus of application examples 1-4, Comprising: Furthermore, the film-forming apparatus provided with the attachment mechanism in which the said board | substrate is conveyed and attached to the said holding fixture.
According to this film forming apparatus, since the substrate is attached to the holding fixture by the attachment mechanism, the setting of the substrate is facilitated, and the processing efficiency of the film forming process is improved.

  Note that the present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of a film forming apparatus and a film forming method, and an apparatus / apparatus used to implement those apparatuses or methods. .

Schematic which shows an example of a fuel cell, and the schematic which shows an example of the board | substrate which is a base material which comprises a separator. Schematic which shows the structure of the film-forming apparatus. Schematic which shows the structure of the film-forming apparatus. Schematic which shows the structure of a holding fixture. The schematic sectional drawing which shows the structure of the 1st and 2nd side part support part. Schematic for demonstrating the process in which a board | substrate is attached to a holding fixture in order of a process. Schematic for demonstrating the process in which a board | substrate is attached to a holding fixture in order of a process. Schematic for demonstrating the process in which a board | substrate is attached to a holding fixture in order of a process. Schematic for demonstrating the process in which a board | substrate is attached to a holding fixture in order of a process. Schematic which shows the structure of the holding fixture as a reference example. Schematic which shows the structure of the holding fixture as a reference example. Schematic which shows the structure of the holding fixture of 2nd Example. Schematic which shows the attachment process of the board | substrate to the holding fixture of 2nd Example to process order. Schematic which shows the structure of the holding fixture of 3rd Example. Schematic which shows the structure of the holding fixture of 4th Example. Schematic which shows the structure of the holding fixture of 5th Example.

A. First embodiment:
FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views for explaining a substrate to be deposited in a deposition apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a fuel cell including a separator formed using a film-formed substrate. The fuel cell 10 is a solid polymer fuel cell that generates electricity by receiving supply of hydrogen (fuel gas) and oxygen (oxidizing gas) as reaction gases. The fuel cell 10 may not be a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, but may be another type of fuel cell provided with a separator.

  The fuel cell 10 has a stack structure in which membrane electrode assemblies 5 and separators 20 are alternately stacked. The membrane electrode assembly 5 is a power generator in which two electrodes 2 and 3 (hereinafter also referred to as “anode 2” and “cathode 3”, respectively) are provided outside the electrolyte membrane 1. The electrolyte membrane 1 is composed of an ion exchange membrane that exhibits good proton conductivity in a wet state.

  Each of the anode 2 and the cathode 3 is an electrode having gas diffusibility formed on the outer surface of the electrolyte membrane 1, and supports a catalyst for promoting an electrochemical reaction. The anode 2 and the cathode 3 can be composed of catalyst-supported carbon. For example, platinum (Pt) can be used as the catalyst.

  A gas diffusion layer 8 is provided on the outer surface of each of the two electrodes 2 and 3. The gas diffusion layer 8 is a layer for diffusing the reaction gas and spreading it over the entire electrodes 2 and 3. The gas diffusion layer 8 can be composed of a porous fiber base material (for example, carbon fiber, graphite fiber, etc.) having conductivity, gas permeability, and gas diffusibility, or a metal processed plate such as so-called expanded metal. . The gas diffusion layer 8 may be omitted.

  A seal portion 7 is formed at the outer peripheral end of the membrane electrode assembly 5. The seal portion 7 is formed by injection molding a resin member so as to cover the outer peripheral end of the electrolyte membrane 1. The seal portion 7 prevents the reaction gas from leaking from the region surrounded by the seal portion 7 and prevents a short circuit between the separators 20 that sandwich the membrane electrode assembly 5. In addition, although the manifold for supplying reaction gas to each membrane electrode assembly 5 is formed in the seal part 7, the illustration and description are abbreviate | omitted.

  The separator 20 includes an anode plate 21 disposed on the anode 2 side and a cathode plate 22 disposed on the cathode 3 side. Between the two plates 21 and 22, a flow path forming layer 23 that constitutes a flow path for the reaction gas and the refrigerant is provided. Each of the plates 21 and 22 can be configured by a gas-impermeable plate member (for example, a metal plate) having conductivity. The flow path forming layer 23 may be configured by combining a resin film and a conductive member, or may be formed by attaching a metal material to the outer surfaces of the plates 21 and 22.

  FIG. 1B is a schematic view showing an example of the substrate 25 that constitutes the two plates 21 and 22 that constitute the separator 20. The substrate 25 has a substantially rectangular shape, and three through-holes 9 forming a manifold for the reaction gas and the refrigerant are formed at the end portions along the two short sides. .

  Here, the separator 20 functions as a fluid flow path in which flow paths for the reaction gas and the refrigerant are formed. That is, each of the plates 21 and 22 constituting the separator 20 is fluids such as hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell 10, moisture generated in the fuel cell 10, and a high temperature environment (for example, about 80 ° C.). Direct contact. Therefore, it is preferable that each plate 21 and 22 of the separator 20 has improved corrosion resistance.

  Further, the plates 21 and 22 of the separator 20 are preferably improved in hydrophilicity in order to smoothly guide moisture generated by the power generation reaction in the membrane electrode assembly 5 from the power generation region. Furthermore, since the separator 20 also functions as a conductive path for electricity generated by the membrane electrode assembly 5, it is preferable that the surface resistance of each of the plates 21 and 22 is reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the outer surface of the substrate 25 for constituting the separator 20 is coated with a carbon thin film.

  2 and 3 are schematic views showing the configuration of the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the film forming apparatus 100. FIG. 3 illustrates a film forming chamber 110 of the film forming apparatus 100 and a part of each component connected to the film forming chamber 110. FIG.

  2 shows an internal configuration of the film forming chamber 110 when the substrate 25 set in the film forming chamber 110 is viewed from the front. FIG. The internal configuration of the film forming chamber 110 when the substrate 25 is viewed from the side is shown. 2 and 3 schematically show the flow of the source gas and the cation during the film forming process.

  The film forming apparatus 100 simultaneously forms carbon thin films on both surfaces of the substrate 25 by plasma CVD (plasma CVD). Here, the structure of the carbon thin film formed on the substrate 25 may be an amorphous structure, a graphite structure, or another type of structure. In addition, the film forming apparatus 100 may deposit other types of thin films other than the carbon thin film on the outer surface of the substrate 25. For example, the film forming apparatus 100 may form a thin film of a metal element such as gold, platinum, or tantalum.

  The film forming apparatus 100 includes a control unit 101, a substrate preparation unit 102, a film forming chamber 110, a source gas supply unit 120, and an exhaust gas discharge unit 130. The control unit 101 is configured by a microcomputer including a central processing unit and a main storage device, and controls the operation of each component of the film forming apparatus 100.

  The substrate preparation unit 102 stores a plurality of substrates 25 to be deposited and a corresponding number of holding devices 50. The substrate preparation unit 102 includes a mechanism for automatically attaching the substrate 25 to the holding device 50. Details of the process of attaching the substrate 25 to the holding device 50 in the substrate preparation unit 102 will be described later. The substrate 25 attached to the holding device 50 is accommodated and arranged in the film forming chamber 110.

  The film forming chamber 110 is surrounded by a partition wall 110W, and a shower tube 111 for injecting a source gas is provided on the ceiling surface, and a substrate 25 attached to the holding device 50 is provided on the floor surface. A mounting base 112 is provided. Further, the film forming chamber 110 is provided with a pressure measuring unit 118 that measures the pressure in the chamber.

  The shower tube 111 is mounted substantially horizontally above the base 112 so as to cross the room of the film forming chamber 110. Shower holes are formed in the side wall surface of the shower tube 111 so that the source gas is injected radially over the entire film forming chamber 110.

  A base surface of the base 112 is supported by a leg portion 112f, and an attachment portion 113 for attaching the holding device 50 is provided on the base surface. By this attachment portion 113, the substrate 25 is fixed in a standing state directly below the shower tube 111. Here, the “standing state” of the substrate 25 means a state in which the substrate 25 is disposed such that the direction along the surface thereof has an angle with respect to a horizontal plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity. In the present embodiment, the direction of the substrate 25 is substantially parallel to the direction along the surface and the extending direction of the shower tube 111 (the horizontal direction in FIG. 2), and the direction along the long side and the direction of gravity are Are fixed to the base 112 so as to be substantially parallel.

  Here, the base 112 is configured to have conductivity, and is connected to the bias power source 115. Accordingly, the film forming apparatus 100 can apply a negative high voltage to the substrate 25 on which the base 112 is set. An exhaust port 116 for exhausting exhaust gas is formed below the base surface of the base 112.

  The source gas supply unit 120 includes a source gas supply source 121, a gas pipe 123, and a control valve 124. The source gas supply source 121 is connected to the shower tube 111 of the film formation chamber 110 via the gas pipe 123 and supplies the source gas to the film formation chamber 110. The control valve 124 is provided in the middle of the gas pipe 123 and opens and closes according to a command from the control unit 101.

  The exhaust gas discharge unit 130 includes an exhaust gas pipe 132 and a pump 135. The exhaust gas pipe 132 is connected to the exhaust port 116 of the film forming chamber 110, and the pump 135 is provided in the exhaust gas pipe 132. The exhaust gas discharge unit 130 drives the pump 135 in accordance with a command from the control unit 101 and sucks and discharges the exhaust gas in the film forming chamber 110.

  Here, at the time of film formation in the film formation apparatus 100, the source gas is supplied to the film formation chamber 110 through the shower tube 111, and the inside of the film formation chamber 110 is in a high temperature state (for example, about 600 ° C.). The temperature is raised. Then, an electric field is generated between the base 112 and the shower tube 111 by the bias power source 115, so that the source gas is in a plasma state and positive ions are generated. The generated cations are attached to the negatively charged substrate 25 through the base 112. A carbon thin film is formed on the outer surface of the substrate 25 by the adhesion of the cations.

  4A and 4B are schematic views showing the configuration of the holding device 50 to which the substrate 25 is attached. 4A is a schematic diagram showing a front side to which the substrate 25 is attached, and FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram showing a side surface when viewed in the direction of the arrow SV shown in FIG. 4A. is there. 4 (A) and 4 (B), the substrate 25 when attached to the holding device 50 is indicated by a one-dot chain line.

  The holding device 50 includes a frame portion 51 that is a main body portion, and three support portions 52, 53, and 54 for supporting the substrate 25. The frame portion 51 is a frame member having a substantially rectangular shape corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the substrate 25 so as to be superposed on the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate 25. That is, the frame portion 51 has a shape and size that can cover the end portion over the entire outer periphery of the substrate 25.

  The three support portions 52, 53, and 54 respectively support the first and second side support portions 52 and 53 that respectively support the two long side end portions of the substrate 25, and the short side end portion of the substrate 25. This is the bottom support 54. Each support part 52, 53, 54 is fixedly attached to a predetermined position of the frame part 51 with a bolt 56.

  The first and second side support portions 52 and 53 are attached to positions offset from each other in the two long side portions of the frame portion 51 facing each other. More specifically, the first side support portion 52 is attached along the long side of the inner periphery at a position close to the inner peripheral corner on the upper side in FIG. The side support portion 53 is attached along the long side of the inner periphery at a position close to the corner portion of the inner periphery on the lower side in FIG. 4A.

  FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views showing the configurations of the first and second side support portions 52 and 53, respectively, and are AA cut and BB cut shown in FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the holding fixture 50 in. Each of the first and second side support portions 52 and 53 has a surface facing the inner peripheral side of the frame portion 51 (the right side in FIG. 5A and the left side in FIG. 5B). , Slits S are formed.

  The first and second side support portions 52 and 53 support the substrate 25 by receiving and receiving a part of each long side end portion of the substrate 25 in these slits S. The first and second side support portions 52 and 53 prevent the substrate 25 from being inclined in the horizontal direction when the holding device 50 that holds the substrate 25 is attached to the base 112 of the film forming chamber 110. The substrate 25 is prevented from being separated from the frame portion 51.

  The base support portion 54 (FIG. 4) is a member having a substantially L shape, and is attached along the inner peripheral corner of the frame portion 51. More specifically, the bottom side support part 54 is on the long side where the first side support part 52 is provided, on the side opposite to the corner part where the first side support part 52 is provided nearby. It is attached along the corner of (the lower side of the paper in FIG. 4A).

  Here, when the holding tool 50 that holds the substrate 25 is attached to the base 112 of the film forming chamber 110, the bottom side support portion 54 is disposed on the lower side in the gravity direction. As a result, the bottom side support portion 54 prevents the side surface along the inner periphery of the frame portion 51 from engaging a part of the end surface of the bottom side of the substrate 25 and the substrate 25 from dropping in the direction of gravity.

As described above, the three support portions 52, 53, and 54 are provided corresponding to the respective outer periphery so as to support the three outer periphery of the substrate 25. Further, the three support portions 52, 53, and 54 are provided at positions close to the three corners on the inner periphery of the frame member 51 so that the substrate 25 can be attached by a method described later. The first side edge support portion 5 2 of this embodiment corresponds to the "first support portion" in the claims, the second side edge support portion 53 in this embodiment is of the claims It corresponds to the “third support portion” in the scope, and the bottom support portion 54 in the present embodiment corresponds to the “second support portion” in the claims .

  6 to 9 are schematic diagrams for explaining the process of attaching the substrate 25 to the holding device 50 in the order of the processes in the substrate preparation unit 102 (FIG. 2). 6 to 9, for the sake of convenience, the afterimage before the change when the position and angle of the substrate 25 are changed is shown by a one-dot chain line.

  6A and 6B are schematic views showing a state in which the substrate 25 is gripped by the chuck portion 62. FIG. 6A is a diagram when the substrate 25 is viewed along the front direction, and FIG. 6B is a diagram when the substrate 25 is viewed along the long side direction. FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the substrate 25 is transported to the holding device 50 that is an attachment target.

  Here, the substrate preparation unit 102 includes two chuck units 62 that grip and transport the substrate 25. In the substrate preparation unit 102, the two chuck units 62 grip the diagonally opposite portions of the two long sides of the substrate 25 (FIGS. 6A and 6B). And the board | substrate 25 hold | gripped by the chuck | zipper part 62 is conveyed to the storing position of the holding | maintenance instrument 50 which is attachment object (FIG.6 (C)).

  FIGS. 7A and 7B, FIGS. 8A to 8C, and FIGS. 9A and 9B are steps of attaching the substrate 25 to the holding device 50 by operating the chuck portion 62. FIGS. It is the schematic for demonstrating. 8B and 8C are schematic cross-sectional views of the holding device 50 to which the substrate 25 is attached, and the cut surfaces in the BB cutting and the CC cutting shown in FIG. Show.

  The chuck portion 62 rotates the grasped substrate 25 in a direction along the surface of the substrate 25 so as to have a predetermined angle with respect to the arrangement angle of the holding device 50 (FIG. 7A). And the chuck | zipper part 62 moves the board | substrate 25 to the position which overlaps with the holding | maintenance instrument 50 (FIG.7 (B)). At this time, the board | substrate 25 and the holding | maintenance instrument 50 will be in the arrangement | positioning state from which the mutual arrangement | positioning angle shifted | deviated in the direction along a surface, while mutually overlapping in parallel.

  Further, the chuck portion 62 moves the substrate 25 along the thickness direction thereof to approach the holding device 50 to a position where the slits S of the two side support portions 52 and 53 are provided. At this time, the substrate 25 and the three support portions 52, 53, and 54 of the holding device 50 are rotated so that the substrate 25 has a predetermined angle with respect to the arrangement angle of the holding device 50. , Do not interfere with each other.

  Next, the chuck portion 62 rotates the substrate 25 in the direction opposite to that in FIG. 7A so that the displacement of the arrangement angle between the substrate 25 and the holding device 50 is eliminated (FIG. 8 ( A)). Thereby, a part of two long sides of the board | substrate 25 are each accommodated in the slit S of the 1st and 2nd side edge support parts 52 and 53 (FIG. 8 (B), (C)).

  The chuck portion 62 is configured so that the end surface of the short side of the substrate 25 and the side wall surface of the bottom support portion 54 are engaged with each other in the direction along the long side of the substrate 25 (the direction toward the lower side of the page). ) (FIG. 9A). After this step, the chuck portion 62 is detached from the substrate 25 (FIG. 9B). As described above, in the substrate preparation unit 102, the substrate 25 is attached to the holding device 50 by a simple operation by the chuck unit 62.

  10 and 11 are schematic views showing a configuration of a holding device 70 as a reference example. FIGS. 10A and 10B show the front and back surfaces of the holding device 70, respectively. 10A and 10B show a state in which the holding device 70 holds the substrate 25, and a part of the substrate 25 hidden by the constituent members of the holding device 70 is indicated by a one-dot chain line. It is shown.

  FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic views showing the side surfaces of the holding device 70 when viewed along the direction of the arrow SV in FIG. FIG. 11A schematically shows how the substrate 25 is attached to the holding device 70, and FIG. 11B shows a state where the substrate 25 is attached to the holding device 70. . In addition, in FIG. 11 (B), the board | substrate 25 attached to the holding fixture 70 is illustrated with the dashed-dotted line.

  The holding device 70 of this reference example, similarly to the holding device 50 of this embodiment, holds the substrate 25 that is the film formation target, is accommodated in the film forming chamber 110 of the film forming apparatus 100, and is a base surface of the base 112. The substrate 25 is fixed so as to stand. The holding device 70 includes three frame members 71, 72, 73, a hinge mechanism 74, a hinge support member 75, and a plurality of bolts 76.

  Each of the three frame members 71, 72, 73 has a shape and a size corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the substrate 25 and is stacked on each other. The first frame member 71 has a shape and a size that can cover the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate 25 when the first frame member 71 is overlapped with the substrate 25. The first frame member 71 is disposed on the front side of the holding device 70.

  The second frame member 72 has a shape and a size that can cover the entire outer periphery of the substrate 25 when superimposed on the substrate 25, and is arranged on the back side of the holding device 70. When the second frame member 72 is aligned with the first frame member 71 and the bottom side (the short side on the lower side of the drawing), the upper side facing the bottom side protrudes from the first frame member 71. It is configured.

  The third frame member 73 can accommodate the substrate 25 in the frame, and the outer periphery thereof has the same shape and size as the first frame member 71. The third frame member 73 is disposed between the first and second frame members 71 and 72. More specifically, the third frame member 73 is held by the first and second frame members 71 and 72 in a state where they are aligned with the bottom and sides.

  Here, in the holding device 70, the upper end portion of the second frame member 72 protrudes from the upper sides of the first and third frame members 71 and 73. A hinge support member 75 is disposed on the outer surface of the protruding upper end portion of the second frame member 72. A hinge mechanism 74 is attached to the hinge support member 75. The hinge mechanism 74 is installed on the first frame member 71 and the hinge support member 75, and holds the first frame member 71 so that it can be opened and closed.

  With the above configuration, the substrate 25 is held by the holding device 70 as follows. The first frame member 71 of the holding device 70 is opened, and the substrate 25 is accommodated in the frame of the third frame member 73 (FIG. 11A). Then, the first frame member 71 is closed, a plurality of bolts 76 are attached to positions along the long side of the first frame member, and the respective frame members 71, 72, 73 are fastened (FIG. 11B). ).

  As described above, even when the holding tool 70 of this reference example is used, it is possible to simultaneously form films on both surfaces of the substrate 25 in the film forming apparatus 100. However, in the following points, the holding device 50 of the present embodiment is more suitable for the film forming process by the dry coating method than the holding device 70 of the reference example.

  In the holding instrument 50 of the present embodiment, the substrate 25 can be attached only by the operation of transporting and rotating, and the attachment of the substrate 25 can be automatically executed by a simple mechanism such as the chuck portion 62 described above. Further, in the case of the holding device 50 according to the present embodiment, the removal of the substrate 25 can be easily performed similarly to the attachment of the substrate 25. That is, it is easy to attach / remove the substrate 25 to / from the holding device 50, and the processing efficiency of the film forming process is improved.

  By the way, in general, during the film forming process by the dry coating method, the substrate to be formed is exposed to a high temperature environment. Therefore, the thinner the substrate, the lower the rigidity caused by the temperature. There is a high possibility that deformation will occur. However, in the case of the holding device 50 of the present embodiment, the substrate 25 is held by fixing the outer periphery by the frame portion 51 formed according to the outer peripheral shape of the substrate 25 and the three support portions 52, 53, and 54. The deformation of the substrate 25 is suppressed.

  Further, in the holding device 50 of the first embodiment, the first and second side support portions 52 and 53 hold the substrate 25 only by accommodating (inserting) the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate 25 into the slit S. Therefore, an external force such as a fastening force for holding the substrate 25 is not applied to the substrate 25. Therefore, in the holder 50 of the first embodiment, the substrate 25 is prevented from being deformed or damaged by such an external force during the film forming process.

  Here, in the holding device 70 of the reference example, the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate 25 is covered over the entire circumference by the first and second frame members 71 and 72, so that the substrate 25 is not bent due to thermal deformation. , More reliably suppressed. However, in the holding device 70 of the reference example, there is a high possibility that the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate 25 is deformed by the fastening force received from the holding device 70. Further, in the holding device 70 of the reference example, the film formation region is narrowed by the amount of the region covered with the first and second frame members 71 and 72 in the substrate 25.

  As described above, with the holding device 50 included in the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the substrate 25 that is a film formation target can be attached with a simple operation, and deformation / damage of the substrate 25 is suppressed, and film formation is performed. The setting property of the substrate 25 in the apparatus 100 is improved. Accordingly, the processing efficiency of the film forming process by the dry coating method is improved.

B. Second embodiment:
FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the structure of a holding tool 50A used in the film forming apparatus as the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is substantially the same as FIG. 4A except that the bottom support 54 is omitted and an upper support 57 and a bottom support 58 are added. The film forming apparatus of the second embodiment is replaced with the holding device 50 described in the first embodiment, except that the substrate 25 is held by the holding device 50A. And almost the same configuration.

  In the holding device 50A of the second embodiment, the upper side support part 57 and the bottom side support part 58 are provided at positions offset from each other on the two short side parts of the frame part 51 facing each other. More specifically, the upper side support part 57 is attached along the short side of the inner periphery at a position close to the corner of the inner periphery on the upper right side in FIG. Further, the bottom support 58 is attached along the short side of the inner periphery at a position close to the corner of the inner periphery on the lower left side in FIG.

  Similar to the first and second side support portions 52 and 53, the upper side support portion 57 and the bottom side support portion 58 are provided with slits S on the inner peripheral side surface of the frame portion 51. When the substrate 25 is attached to the holding device 50 </ b> A, a part of the upper edge of the substrate 25 is received in the slit S of the upper edge support portion 57, and the bottom edge of the substrate 25 is received in the slit S of the bottom edge support portion 58. Part of is accepted.

  That is, in the holding device 50A of the second embodiment, the four support portions 52, 53, 57, 58 having the slits S are provided so as to correspond to each outer periphery so that the four outer periphery of the substrate 25 can be held. Is provided. The four support portions 52, 53, 57, and 58 are provided at positions close to the respective corners on the inner periphery of the frame portion 51. Thereby, in the holding | maintenance instrument 50A of 2nd Example, the attachment of the board | substrate 25 is possible by the method demonstrated below.

  FIGS. 13A and 13B are schematic views showing the steps of attaching the substrate 25 to the holding device 50A in the order of steps. The substrate 25 is attached to the holding tool 50A by the operation of the chuck unit 62 in the substrate preparation unit 102, as in the film forming apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. Specifically, it is as follows.

  As described in the first embodiment, the chuck unit 62 of the substrate preparation unit 102 holds a part of the outer peripheral end of the substrate 25 and transports the substrate 25 to the holding device 50A. Then, the chuck portion 62 rotates the substrate 25 so as to have a predetermined angle with respect to the arrangement angle of the holding device 50A in the direction along the surface, and overlaps the substrate 25 in parallel with the holding device 50A (FIG. 13). (A)).

  Further, the chuck portion 62 moves the substrate 25 along the thickness direction thereof, and brings the holding device 50 close to a position where the slits S of the four support portions 52, 53, 57, and 58 are provided. At this time, the substrate 25 and the four support portions 52, 53, 57, and 58 of the holding device 50A are rotated so that the substrate 25 has a predetermined angle with respect to the arrangement angle of the holding device 50. Therefore, they do not interfere with each other.

  Next, the chuck portion 62 rotates the substrate 25 so that the displacement of the arrangement angle between the substrate 25 and the holding device 50 is eliminated (FIG. 13B). Thereby, a part of the four outer periphery of the substrate 25 is inserted into the slits S of the four support portions 52, 53, 57, and 58, respectively.

  As described above, according to the holding device 50A of the second embodiment, the substrate 25 can be attached by a simple operation, like the holding device 50 of the first embodiment. Further, in the case of the holding tool 50A of the second embodiment, the four outer peripheries of the substrate 25 are supported by the slits S of the support portions 52, 53, 57, and 58, respectively. Deformation such as bending is further suppressed.

C. Third embodiment:
FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a holding tool 50B used in the film forming apparatus as the third embodiment of the present invention. 14 is substantially the same as FIG. 12 except that the second side support portion 53 and the upper side support portion 57 are omitted, and the position of the bottom side support portion 58 is different. The film forming apparatus according to the third embodiment is different from the holding apparatus 50 described in the first embodiment, except that the substrate 25 is held by the holding apparatus 50B. And almost the same configuration.

  In the holding device 50 </ b> B of the third embodiment, the bottom side support portion 58 is provided so as to support the bottom side of the substrate 25. More specifically, the bottom support 58 is located on the opposite side in the horizontal direction across the first side support 52 and the center of gravity of the substrate 25 (shown as a point CP) at the bottom of the holding device 50B. It is provided at the position. Thereby, in the holding device 50B of the third embodiment, the substrate 25 is prevented from being inclined and held in the direction along the surface. As described above, in the holding device 50B of the third embodiment, the substrate 25 is held only by the two support portions 52 and 58, so that the attachment / detachment of the substrate 25 becomes easier.

D. Fourth embodiment:
FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a holding tool 50C used in the film forming apparatus as the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is substantially the same as FIG. 14 except that a bottom support 58 </ b> C that does not have the slit S is provided instead of the bottom support 58. The film forming apparatus of the fourth embodiment is different from the holding apparatus 50 described in the first embodiment, except that the substrate 25 is held by the holding apparatus 50C. And almost the same configuration.

  In the holding device 50C of the fourth embodiment, the bottom support 58C does not have the slit S into which a part of the bottom of the substrate 25 is inserted. However, in the holding tool 50C of the fourth embodiment, when the substrate 25 is held, the end surface of the bottom side portion of the substrate 25 and the side wall surface of the bottom side support portion 58C are engaged with each other. Dropping in the direction is suppressed.

  Further, in the holding device 50C of the fourth embodiment, the first side support portion 52 and the bottom side support portion 58C are mutually in the horizontal direction across the center of gravity position CP of the substrate 25 attached to the holding device 50C. It is provided at the opposite position. Therefore, in the holding device 50C, the substrate 25 is prevented from being tilted and held in the direction along the surface. Thus, if it is the holder 50C of 4th Example, the board | substrate 25 can be hold | maintained with a simpler structure.

E. Example 5:
FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a holding tool 50D used in the film forming apparatus as the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is substantially the same as FIG. 4A except that the position where the second side support portion 53 is provided is different. The film forming apparatus of the fifth embodiment is changed to the holding device 50 described in the first embodiment, except that the substrate 25 is held by this holding device 50D. And almost the same configuration.

  In the holding device 50D of the fifth embodiment, the first and second side support portions 52 and 53 having the slits S for holding the substrate 25 are provided at positions where the respective slits S face each other. Yes. In the holding device 50D of the fifth embodiment, the side edge of the substrate 25 is formed from the upper side of the holding device 50D (above the paper surface in FIG. 16), and the slits S of the first and second side support portions 52 and 53 are provided. The substrate 25 is attached by being accommodated in and slided. Thus, with the holding device 50D of the fifth embodiment, even if the first and second side support portions 52 and 53 are not formed at positions offset from each other, a simple operation can be performed. The substrate 25 can be attached.

F. Variation:
The present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

F1. Modification 1:
In the above embodiment, the film forming apparatus 100 forms a film by the plasma CVD method. However, the film formation apparatus 100 may perform film formation by a dry coating method other than the plasma CVD method. The film forming apparatus 100 may perform film formation by, for example, an ion plating method or a sputtering method.

F2. Modification 2:
In the above embodiment, the film forming apparatus 100 targets the substrate 25 constituting the separator 20 of the fuel cell 10 as a film forming target. However, the film forming apparatus 100 is not limited to the substrate constituting the fuel cell separator, and may be used to form another substrate. In the above embodiment, the film forming process is performed for improving the corrosion resistance and hydrophilicity of the substrate 25 and reducing the surface resistance. However, the film forming process is performed for other purposes. Also good. For example, a film forming process may be performed to improve the water repellency of the substrate 25. The material of the thin film generated by the film forming apparatus 100 may be appropriately selected according to such a purpose.

F3. Modification 3:
In the above embodiment, the substrate 25 is automatically attached to the holding device 50 by the chuck portion 62 of the substrate preparation unit 102. However, the chuck portion 62 of the film forming apparatus 100 may be omitted. For example, the substrate 25 may be attached to the holding device 50 manually. Further, the mechanism for transporting the substrate 25 in the substrate preparation unit 102 does not have to be the chuck unit 62, and may be a mechanism for transporting the substrate 25 by attracting it with magnetic force or negative pressure. The film forming apparatus 100 may include a mechanism that automatically removes the substrate 25 from the holding device 50 in a procedure reverse to the operation of the substrate 25 by the chuck unit 62 of the substrate preparation unit 102.

F4. Modification 4:
In the above embodiment, the holding devices 50 and 50 </ b> A to 50 </ b> D were provided with the frame portion 51. However, the holding devices 50, 50A to 50D may include members that can fix the positions of the support portions 52, 53, 54, 57, 58, and 58C instead of the frame portion 51.

F5. Modification 5:
In the above embodiment, the film forming apparatus 100 is mounted in the film forming chamber 110 to fix the holding devices 50 and 50A to 50D to which the substrate 25 is attached so that the substrate 25 is in a standing state. A base 112 having a portion 113 was provided. However, the film forming apparatus 100 may have another fixing portion for fixing the holding tools 50 and 50A to 50D in place of the base 112 having the mounting portion 113.

F6. Modification 6:
In the above-described embodiment, the first or second side support portions 52 and 53 support the substrate 25 by receiving a part of the outer periphery of the substrate 25 in the slit S configured as a mere cut in the wall surface. It was. However, a mechanism for fastening and holding the substrate 25 may be provided on the inner wall surface of the slit S. However, if the substrate 25 is held only by receiving the outer peripheral end portion into the slit S as in the above embodiment, an extra external force such as a fastening force for holding the substrate 25 is not applied to the substrate 25. The deformation and damage of 25 are further suppressed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electrolyte membrane 2 ... Anode 3 ... Cathode 5 ... Membrane electrode assembly 7 ... Seal part 8 ... Gas diffusion layer 9 ... Through-hole 10 ... Fuel cell 20 ... Separator 21 ... Anode plate 22 ... Cathode plate 23 ... Channel formation layer DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 25 ... Board | substrate 50 ... Holding fixture 50A ... Holding fixture 50B ... Holding fixture 50C ... Holding fixture 50D ... Holding fixture 51 ... Frame part 52 ... 1st side support part 53 ... 2nd side support part 54 ... Bottom support part 56 ... Bolt 57 ... Upper side support part 58 ... Bottom side support part 58C ... Bottom side support part 62 ... Chuck part 70 ... Holding device (reference example)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 71 ... 1st frame member 72 ... 2nd frame member 73 ... 3rd frame member 74 ... Hinge mechanism 75 ... Hinge support member 76 ... Bolt 100 ... Film-forming apparatus 101 ... Control part 102 ... Substrate preparation part 110 ... Formation Membrane chamber 110W ... Bulkhead 111 ... Shower tube 112 ... Base 112f ... Leg portion 113 ... Mounting portion 115 ... Bias power source 116 ... Exhaust port 118 ... Pressure measuring portion 120 ... Raw material gas supply portion 121 ... Raw material gas supply source 123 ... Gas piping 124 ... Control valve 130 ... Exhaust gas discharge part 132 ... Exhaust gas pipe 135 ... Pump CP ... Center of gravity position S ... Slit

Claims (3)

A film forming apparatus for simultaneously forming films on both sides of a substrate disposed in a film forming chamber by a dry coating method,
A holding device for holding the substrate;
A fixing unit for fixing the holding device to which the substrate is attached so that the substrate is in a standing state;
With
The holding device is
A frame member having sides corresponding to each side of the outer periphery of the substrate;
First and second support portions provided on the frame member and supporting a part of the first and second sides of the substrate intersecting each other;
A third support part provided on the frame member and supporting a part of a third side facing the first side of the substrate;
With
The holding device, said by the fixed part, is fixed before SL as the second support portion is gravity direction lower side of the first support portion,
The first support portion includes a slit that receives a part of the first side of the substrate, and suppresses the substrate from being inclined in the horizontal direction, and the substrate is separated from the holding device. Suppress
The second support portion suppresses the substrate from dropping in the direction of gravity,
The third support portion has a slit for receiving a part of the third side,
The first, second and third support portions are respectively
(I) The substrate and the holding device are overlapped in parallel with each other, and an angle between each side of the outer periphery of the substrate and each side of the frame member corresponding to each side of the outer periphery of the substrate is shifted. When the first arrangement state in which the arrangement angle of the substrate with respect to the holding device is shifted to the first arrangement state, the position does not interfere with the substrate,
(Ii) From the first arrangement state, an angular deviation between each side of the outer periphery of the substrate and each side of the frame member corresponding to each side of the outer periphery of the substrate is eliminated. , By rotating the substrate while maintaining a parallel positional relationship with the frame member, a part of the first and third sides of the substrate is allowed to move between the first and third support portions. A position to be received in each said slit ,
Is a film forming apparatus. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The holding device further includes a fourth support portion that supports a part of a fourth side that faces the second side of the substrate.
The second and fourth support portions each have a slit for receiving a part of the second and fourth sides of the substrate;
The first, second, third and fourth support portions are respectively
(I) When the substrate and the holding device are in the first arrangement state, the substrate does not interfere with the substrate,
(Ii) When the substrate is rotated so that the deviation of the angle between each side of the frame member corresponding to the outer periphery of the substrate from the first arrangement state is eliminated, A film forming apparatus, wherein a part of all sides of the substrate is provided at a position that can be received by each of the slits of the first, second, third, and fourth support portions. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:
A film forming apparatus comprising an attachment mechanism for transporting the substrate and attaching the substrate to the holding device.

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