JP6715003B2 - Powder coating equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a powder coating apparatus for coating a thin film on the surface of each particle of powder.

The surface of the particles may be coated with a thin film to impart a function to the powder. There is a sputtering method as a technique for coating by a dry method, and a coating device for powder using the sputtering method has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses a device in which a stir plate and a scraper are installed in a powder coating device and reciprocating in the powder coating device allows the charged raw material powder to be equally exposed to sputtering. Here, the fluidized bed is agitated by the agitating plate, and powder particles attached to the inner surface of the rotating barrel and co-rotating with the rotating barrel are scraped off by the scraper and returned to the fluidized bed. It is described that a uniform coating layer is formed on each powder particle and a high-quality coating powder is obtained with a high yield.

JP-A-5-271922

In a sputtering apparatus, it is important that the powder is always placed in the irradiation area of the sputtering apparatus in order to form a uniform coating layer. However, in Patent Document 1, the powder adhering to the rotary barrel and coming out of the irradiation region is scraped off by a scraper afterwards. Since the scraper reciprocates, the powder is always arranged in the irradiation region. It is not possible.

An object of the present invention is to provide a powder coating apparatus that can prevent powder from adhering to the barrel and rising beyond the irradiation area of the sputtering apparatus.

The powder coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a barrel, an evacuation unit for evacuating the inside of the barrel, and a sputtering apparatus installed in the barrel, and the barrel has a main axis oriented in a horizontal direction. And, in the powder coating apparatus which rotates about the main axis, the sputtering apparatus forms a coating film on the surface of the powder contained in the barrel, wherein the powder coating apparatus is the inner wall of the barrel. It has at least one powder rise suppressing component arranged in contact or non-contact with an inner wall of a portion that moves upward by rotation of the barrel, and a supporting portion supporting the powder rise suppressing component, the supporting portion comprising: When the barrel rotates, the position of the powder rise suppressing component with respect to the main axis is fixed, and the powder rise suppressing component makes each target surface of the sputtering device parallel to the normal direction of the target surface of the barrel. Positions off all projection planes projected onto the inner wall, and at positions below all intersections between the virtual plane that is in contact with the target surface and is orthogonal to the normal to the target surface and the inner wall surface of the barrel. It is characterized by being arranged . By arranging the powder rise suppressing component at such a position, the powder can be more surely arranged in the irradiation region of the sputtering device.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the powder coating apparatus further includes one or both of a powder aggregation suppressing component and a powder position adjusting component, and the powder aggregation suppressing component and the powder position adjusting component are the barrels. It is preferable that the powder is arranged in contact with or not in contact with the inner wall of, and is arranged at a position lower than the powder rise suppressing component. The powder agglomeration suppressing component can separate the agglomeration of the powder to suppress the agglomeration, and the powder position adjusting component can collect the powder in the central portion of the irradiation region of the sputtering apparatus.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the powder rising restraining component has a rotation axis parallel to the main axis of the barrel and a rotating mechanism for rotating the powder rising restraining component around the rotation shaft. The rotation direction of is preferably opposite to the rotation direction of the barrel. It is possible to further suppress the rising of the powder.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the powder agglomeration suppressing component has a rotation axis parallel to the main axis of the barrel and a rotating mechanism for rotating the powder agglomeration suppressing component around the rotation axis. The rotation direction of is preferably the same as the rotation direction of the barrel. It is possible to further suppress the aggregation of the powder.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the barrel rotates alternately in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and in the powder rising suppressing component, the barrel rotates in the first direction. And a first powder rise suppressing component arranged in contact or non-contact with the inner wall of the portion that moves upward when moving, and the inner wall of the portion that moves upward when the barrel rotates in the second direction. It is preferable to include a second powder rise suppressing component arranged in contact with or out of contact with. Whether the powder rotates in either the first direction or the second direction, the powder can be prevented from rising.

The powder coating apparatus according to the present invention preferably has a vibrating mechanism that vibrates at least one of the powder rise suppressing component, the powder agglomeration suppressing component, and the powder position adjusting component. By providing a vibration mechanism for the powder rise suppressing component, it is possible to further suppress the powder from rising. Further, it is possible to prevent the powder from adhering to the parts.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the powder rise suppression components Ri rod-der, surface roughness of at least a portion the powder is in contact of the powder rises suppressor is preferably 0.1μm or more 500μm or less .. It is possible to further suppress the rising of the powder.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the powder aggregation inhibiting component Ri rod-der, surface roughness of at least a portion the powder is in contact of the powder aggregation inhibiting component is preferably 0.1μm or more 100μm or less .. The powder agglomerates are more easily crushed, and the agglomeration can be further suppressed.

In the powder coating apparatus according to the present invention, the powder position adjusting component is at least one screw rod having a spiral groove on an outer peripheral surface, and the screw rod has a rotation axis parallel to a main axis of the barrel, It is preferable that the powder is rotated such that the powder in the spiral groove is conveyed toward the center of the irradiation area of the sputtering device. The powder can be collected in the central part of the irradiation area of the sputtering device.

The powder coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a barrel, an evacuation unit for evacuating the inside of the barrel, and a sputtering apparatus installed in the barrel, and the barrel has a main axis oriented in a horizontal direction. And, in the powder coating apparatus which rotates about the main axis, the sputtering apparatus forms a coating film on the surface of the powder contained in the barrel, wherein the powder coating apparatus is the inner wall of the barrel. It has at least one powder rise suppressing component arranged in contact or non-contact with an inner wall of a portion that moves upward by rotation of the barrel, and a supporting portion supporting the powder rise suppressing component, the supporting portion comprising: , when the barrel is rotated, the position of the powder increased suppressor fixed, said powder rises suppression components Ri rod-der, surface roughness of at least a portion the powder is in contact of the powder rises suppressor for said spindle Is 0.1 μm or more and 500 μm or less.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide a powder coating apparatus which can prevent powder from adhering to a barrel and rising beyond the irradiation area of a sputtering apparatus.

It is the whole powder coating device lineblock diagram concerning this embodiment. It is the schematic of the AA cross section about a target unit, a barrel, a powder rise suppression part, a powder aggregation suppression part, and a powder position adjustment part. It is a perspective schematic diagram about a target unit and a barrel. It is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the orientation of the target and the position of the powder. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a powder rise control part and a powder aggregation control part. It is the schematic which shows an example of a powder position adjustment component, and shows the case where a powder position adjustment component is two screw rods. It is the schematic which shows an example of a powder position adjustment component, and shows the case where a powder position adjustment component is one screw rod. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a powder rise control part and a powder position adjustment part, and shows a case where a powder rise control part is a round bar. It is the schematic which shows an example of a powder rising suppression component and a powder position adjustment component, and shows the case where a powder rising suppression component is a rotating brush. It is a schematic diagram for explaining a rotation mechanism of a powder rise suppression part, a powder aggregation suppression part, or a powder position adjustment part. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of arrangement of a powder rise control part, a powder aggregation control part, and a powder position adjustment part when a barrel rotates in the 1st direction and the 2nd direction.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail by showing embodiments, but the present invention is not construed as being limited to these descriptions. The embodiments may be variously modified as long as the effects of the present invention are exhibited.

First, the film forming mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. The powder coating apparatus according to the present embodiment is a rotary barrel type sputtering apparatus capable of applying a coating to the entire surface of powder particles. Here, a multi-source sputtering device will be described as an example. The device described in Patent Document 1 is a unit sputtering device. In this embodiment, a mechanism for leveling the surface of the powder can be attached to either a multi-source or single-source sputtering apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, the powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a barrel 3, an evacuation unit 4 that evacuates the inside of the barrel 3, and a sputtering apparatus 2 installed in the barrel 3. The main axis C of the barrel 3 is oriented in the horizontal direction and rotates about the main axis C, and the sputtering apparatus 2 forms a coating film on the surface of the powder 7 placed in the barrel 3. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, in the sputtering apparatus 2a, 2b, 2c, in order to attach two or more targets 6 (6a, 6b, 6c, three in FIG. 2), the fixing portion 10 ( 10a, 10b, 10c). In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, when the targets 6 (6a, 6b, 6c) are attached to the fixed part 10 (10a, 10b, 10c), the sputtering devices 2a, 2b, 2c, the targets 6a, 6b, 6c are arranged in parallel to each other at the same level position with respect to the direction of the main axis C.

The powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is a rotary barrel type multi-source sputtering apparatus capable of applying a coating to the entire surface of powder particles. This apparatus can sputter two or more targets simultaneously, and each target is individually connected to the power supply 1. For example, if two or more types of targets are mounted, it is possible to simultaneously sputter a plurality of substances. Moreover, since the output of each target can be adjusted individually, it is possible to sputter at an arbitrary ratio.

The barrel 3 is supported by a driving roll 5a and a driven roll 5b. The drive roll 5a receives the power from the drive motor 5 and can rotate with the main axis C of the barrel 3 as a horizontal axis. The barrel 3 is provided with a barrel main body 3d having an open upper end of the cylinder and a lid 3e for closing the barrel main body 3d, which is sealed with an O-ring (not shown). The powder 7 is put into the barrel 3 through the opening of the barrel body 3d. Further, the barrel 3 may have a vertically divided or horizontally divided structure instead of having the barrel body 3d and the lid 3e. In this case, the powder 7 is charged at the time of division.

The barrel 3 also serves as a vacuum container. The exhaust means 4 for evacuating exhausts the gas in the internal space of the barrel 3. The exhaust means 4 is airtightly held by a vacuum seal type bearing 4a.

The sputtering apparatus 2 installed in the barrel 3 is connected to the sputtering power source 1 installed outside the barrel 3. The sputtering power supply 1 may be a DC power supply or a high frequency power supply. The sputtering apparatus 2 is loaded in the barrel 3 by an arm 1b which is airtightly held by a vacuum seal type bearing 1a. A target cooling water passage inlet 1c, a target cooling water passage outlet 1d, and an argon gas inlet 1e are built in the airtightly held arm 1b.

Two or more sputtering devices 2 are installed in the barrel 3 (in FIG. 2, three sputtering devices 2a, 2b, 2c are installed), so that two in the barrel 3 are installed. The above target 6 can be installed (in FIG. 2, three targets 6a, 6b, 6c are installed). The sputtering apparatus 2 has one fixed part 10 (10a, 10b, 10c) per target. That is, in FIG. 2, the three sputtering devices 2a, 2b, and 2c have fixing portions 10a, 10b, and 10c, respectively. Further, the sputtering power supplies 1 are separately connected to the sputtering devices 2a, 2b, and 2c, and the outputs are separately controlled. Thereby, the sputtering device 2 becomes a multi-source sputtering device.

The fixed portion 10 is a backing plate that holds the target 6. The target 6 is attached to the front side of the backing plate by a metal fitting. On the front side of the backing plate, a shield cover that serves as a counter electrode when plasma is generated is attached with a predetermined distance from the backing plate. On the other hand, on the back side of the backing plate, a plurality of recesses for accommodating the magnets are formed. Further, a cooling water passage connected to the target cooling water passage inlet 1c and the target cooling water passage outlet 1d is arranged on the back side of the backing plate.

When the target 6 is attached to the fixed portion 10, the targets 6a, 6b, 6c are arranged in parallel at the same level position with respect to the direction of the main axis C, as shown in FIG. For example, it is preferable that the centers of gravity of the targets 6a, 6b, 6c in the direction of the main axis C be aligned with each other. Further, when the targets 6a, 6b, 6c have the same size in the direction of the main axis C, it is preferable that the positions of both ends of each target in the direction of the main axis C are aligned with each other. Since the barrel 3 rotates about the main axis C, if the targets 6a, 6b, 6c are arranged in parallel at the same level position with respect to the direction of the main axis C, the barrels 3 jump out from the targets 6a, 6b, 6c. Since the sputtered particles hit the powder contained in the rotating barrel 3 evenly, composition unevenness is unlikely to occur. The length of each target 6a, 6b, 6c in the direction of the main axis C is preferably slightly shorter than the axial length of the barrel 3 in order to avoid interference.

When the targets are sequentially arranged along the direction of the principal axis C without the arrangement of the targets shown in FIG. 3, powder is less likely to be mixed in the direction of the principal axis C, so that only sputtered particles ejected from one target hit the film. Uneven composition occurs. That is, since a plurality of types of sputtered particles ejected from a plurality of targets do not reach the surface of the powder particles at the same time, a uniform alloy film, double oxide film, double nitride film, or double carbide film cannot be formed. If the targets are arranged in order along the direction of the main axis C and the orientation of the target surface is adjusted so that the target particles protruding from each target are gathered in a predetermined area, the above problem is solved, but the area is the main axis. It is limited to a part of the barrel side wall in the C direction. Then, the amount of powder that can be processed per volume of the barrel becomes small, resulting in poor productivity. Even if the same type of target is used, the productivity is similarly inferior.

Next, referring to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the orientation of the target and the position of the powder. In the powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, each target 6a, 6b, 6c faces the inner surface 3a of the barrel 3 with the target surface parallel to the normals ha, hb, hc of the target surface. It is preferable that the projection views are oriented so as to overlap each other before reaching the inner wall 3a when projected. Since the elements (sputtered particles) jumping out from each target 6a, 6b, 6c arrive at the powder 7 put in the barrel 3 in a more mixed state, the respective elements are uniformly taken in from each target. A thin film can be deposited on the surface of powder particles. Specifically, the front of reaching the inner wall 3a is preferably the surface of the powder 7. For example, when the radius of the barrel 3 (distance between the main axis C and the inner wall 3a) is r, the inner wall 3a changes to the main axis C. The range is from 0.05r to 0.15r. Further, it is more preferable that each of the targets 6a, 6b, 6c is oriented such that the normal line passing through the center of gravity of the target surface overlaps on the inner wall 3a or on the surface of the particles of the powder 7. In FIG. 3, the normal line (ha, hb, hc) passing through the center of gravity of the target surface is oriented in the overlapping direction on the surface of the powder particles. Even when the sizes of the targets 6a, 6b, 6c are not uniform, the elements jumping out from the targets 6a, 6b, 6c can be more mixed and reach the powder. Further, it is preferable to set the size of the target or the opening of the shield cover and the direction of the target so that the projections are completely overlapped on the inner wall 3a or on the surface of the powder particles. The unevenness is further suppressed.

In the powder coating apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the targets 6a, 6b, 6c preferably have different compositions. Compositional unevenness can be reduced when forming an alloy film, a double oxide film, a double nitride film, a double carbide film, or the like. As an alloy film, there is an example in which a platinum target and a gold target are used to form a Pt-Au alloy film on the surface of glass beads. In addition, if the targets 6a, 6b, and 6c have the same composition, the same effect as increasing the film formation amount within a predetermined time period can be obtained. That is, the film formation rate can be increased. The combination of the compositions of the targets 6a, 6b, 6c can be appropriately selected. However, when an oxide target such as SiO2 or TiO2 is used, the film formation rate is slow. The film forming speed can be increased. For example, when there are three targets, the targets (6a, 6b, 6c) are (SiO2, SiO2, SiO2), (TiO2, TiO2, TiO2), etc. Further, when a composite film is formed using a target with a high film formation rate (for example, metal) and a target with a low film formation rate (for example, an oxide), the speed of the target with a low film formation rate is relatively increased. The number of targets with a slow film formation rate is set more than the number of targets with a high film formation rate. For example, when there are three targets, two targets with a slow film formation rate are set, and one target with a high film formation rate is set. As an example, the targets (6a, 6b, 6c) are (Pt, SiO2, SiO2).

Each of the sputtering devices 2a, 2b, 2c preferably has an angle adjusting mechanism (not shown). The angle adjusting mechanism is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that each sputtering device 2a, 2b, 2c is incorporated in the target unit 2U and the relative orientation of each sputtering device 2a, 2b, 2c is fixed.

Next, each component (powder rise suppressing component 20, powder aggregation suppressing component 30, and powder position adjusting component 40) arranged in the barrel of the powder coating apparatus 100 will be described. In the present embodiment, the combination of the respective parts arranged in the barrel of the powder coating apparatus 100 is only the powder rise suppressing part 20, the combination of the powder rise suppressing part 20 and the powder agglomeration suppressing part 30, and the powder rise suppressing part 20. It is a combination with the powder position adjusting component 40, or a combination of the powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder aggregation suppressing component 30, and the powder position adjusting component 40.

In the powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, of the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3, the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3 that moves upward by rotation of the barrel 3 is in contact with or not in contact with. It has at least one powder rise suppression component 20 arranged and a support 21 supporting the powder rise suppression component 20, the support 21 being the position of the powder rise suppression component 20 relative to the main axis C when the barrel 3 rotates. To fix.

The powder rise suppression component 20 is a component that determines the upper limit position where the powder 7 is approaching. Although the powder rising suppression component 20 has a spatula shape in FIG. 4, it is not limited to this and may have a rod shape, a brush shape, or a rotating brush shape. When the powder rising restraining component 20 is rod-shaped, there is a form in which the cross-sectional shape is circular, semi-circular, elliptical, semi-elliptical, or polygonal such as triangle or quadrangle.

The powder rise suppressing component 20 is arranged in contact with or not in contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3. In the present specification, the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 is an inner side wall of the barrel 3, that is, an inner wall of a surface (side surface) parallel to the main axis C of the barrel 3. When the powder rise suppressing component 20 is arranged in contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3, it is preferable that the powder rise suppressing component 20 is contacted so that the normal force received from the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 becomes substantially zero. When the powder rising suppressing component 20 is of a brush type or a rotating brush type, it is preferable that the brush or the tip of the brush is in contact with the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3. In addition, when the powder rise suppressing component 20 is arranged in a non-contact state with the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3, there is a space such that the powder 7 does not slip between the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3 and the side surface of the powder rise suppressing component 20. It is preferably open. The distance is not particularly limited, but the distance between the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 and the side surface of the powder rise suppressing component 20 is preferably more than 0 μm and 1000 μm or less, and more preferably 10 μm or more and 500 μm or less.

The support portion 21 is, for example, an arm, and fixes the position of the powder rising suppression component 20 with respect to the main axis C of the barrel when the barrel 3 rotates. By doing so, the powder rise suppressing component 20 can prevent the powder 7 from adhering to the barrel 3 and being pushed up by the rotation of the barrel 3. The position where the support portion 21 is fixed may be a portion that does not move together with the rotation of the barrel 3, and for example, in FIG. 1, it is a portion that supports the sputtering apparatus 2.

As shown in FIG. 5, the powder rise suppression component 20 has a rotation axis c1 parallel to the main axis C of the barrel 3 and a rotation mechanism (not shown) for rotating the powder rise suppression component 20 about the rotation axis c1. The rotation direction r1 of the rotating mechanism is preferably opposite to the rotation direction R of the barrel 3. It is possible to further suppress the powder 7 from adhering to the barrel 3 and rising up. The rotation speed of the powder rise suppression component 20 is preferably faster than the rotation speed of the barrel 3. As a result, the rising of the powder 7 can be further suppressed.

The rotation mechanism rotates the powder rising suppression component 20 directly by a motor or by power transmission. When rotating by power transmission, the rotating mechanism includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a stirring motor 9b, a sprocket 61 fixed to the rotating shaft of the stirring motor 9b, and a sprocket 62 fixed to the powder rise suppressing component 20. And a chain 63 hung across between the sprockets 61 and 62, and is a mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the stirring motor 9b to the powder rise suppressing component 20 to rotate on its axis. At this time, the powder rising suppression component 20 has its position fixed with respect to the main axis C of the barrel 3 when the barrel 3 is rotated by the support portion 21, so the powder rising suppression component 20 rotates (rotates) at the fixed position. It is preferable that the sprockets 61 and 62 and the chain 63 are built in the arm of the support portion 21.

It is preferable that the fixed position of the powder rising suppression component 20 be aligned with the boundary position of the irradiation region of the sputtering apparatus 100. Thereby, the sputtered particles can be more efficiently irradiated to the powder 7. That is, since the sputtered particles can be applied in a state in which the rising of the powder 7 is retained by the powder rise suppressing component 20, the irradiation efficiency of the sputtered particles can be improved. In the present specification, the irradiation area of the sputtering apparatus refers to a surface where the sputtered particles reach the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 in the absence of the powder 7. When the sputtering device is a multi-source sputtering device, the irradiation area of the sputtering device is such that the target surfaces 6a, 6b, 6c of the sputtering devices 2a, 2b, 2c are the normals ha, hb, hc of the target surfaces 6a, 6b, 6c. It is more preferable that the projection surface projected onto the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 in parallel with is a surface formed by overlapping on the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3. When the sputtering apparatus is a unitary sputtering apparatus, the irradiation area of the sputtering apparatus is more preferably a projection surface obtained by projecting the target surface of the sputtering apparatus onto the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 in parallel to the normal line direction of the target surface. preferable.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the powder rising suppression component 20, the target surfaces 6a, 6b, 6c of the sputtering devices 2a, 2b, 2c are parallel to the normals ha, hb, hc of the target surfaces 6a, 6b, 6c. An imaginary plane Pa that is located off all projection planes projected onto the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 and that is in contact with the target surfaces 6a, 6b, 6c and that is perpendicular to the normals ha, hb, hc of the target surfaces 6a, 6b, 6c. , Pb, Pc and the inner wall 3a surface of the barrel 3 are preferably arranged at a position S2 below the line of intersection. By arranging in this way, the powder 7 can be more reliably arranged in the irradiation region of the sputtering device.

When the powder rise suppressing component 20 is rod-shaped, the surface roughness of at least the portion of the powder rise suppressing component 20 with which the powder contacts is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and more preferably 10 μm or more and 200 μm or less. preferable. In this way, the surface roughness of the powder rise suppressing component 20 can further suppress the powder 7 from rising. The portion of the powder rise suppression component 20 that contacts the powder is, for example, the side surface of the powder rise suppression component 20.

In particular, when the powder rise suppression component 20 is rotating in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R of the barrel 3, the surface roughness of at least the portion of the powder rise suppression component 20 in contact with the powder is 10 μm or more and 500 μm or less. Thus, the powder 7 can be prevented from moving up while the powder 7 is blown by the rotation of the powder rise suppressing component 20. Further, by setting the surface roughness of at least the portion of the powder rise suppressing component 20 in contact with the powder to be 0.1 μm or more and less than 10 μm, the powder 7 is brought closer to the powder rise suppressing component 20 by the rotation of the powder rise suppressing component 20. It is possible to suppress the powder 7 from rising while dropping.

Two or more powder rising suppressing components 20 may be arranged side by side on the side wall of the portion that moves upward due to the rotation of the barrel 3 (not shown). The form in which two or more pieces are arranged side by side is, for example, a form in which a brush type part as the powder rise suppressing part 20 and a spatula type or round bar type part are arranged side by side above the brush type part. In this embodiment, the spatula type or round bar type component can suppress the rising of the powder 7 that the brush type component has spilled.

The powder aggregation suppressing component 30 is a component that separates the aggregation of the powder 7 and suppresses the aggregation. The powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is preferably, for example, rod-shaped or plate-shaped. When the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is rod-shaped, the cross-sectional shape may be circular, semi-circular, elliptical, semi-elliptical, or polygonal such as triangle or quadrangle. Further, when the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is plate-shaped, there is a form in which the cross-sectional shape is a rectangle having long sides and short sides.

As shown in FIG. 5, the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is preferably arranged at a position lower than the powder rise suppressing component 20. The powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is more preferably arranged at the place where the powder 7 is deposited, and more preferably is arranged inside the pile of the powder 7 formed by depositing the powder 7.

The powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is preferably arranged in contact with or not in contact with the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3. When the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is arranged in contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3, it is preferable that the normal force received from the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 be in contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 so as to be substantially zero. Further, when the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 rotates, the vertical effect that the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 receives from the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3 is such that the particles themselves of the powder 7 do not break (deform) or powder agglomeration. The size may be such that the restraining component 30 or the inner wall of the barrel 3 is not damaged. At this time, the aggregate of the powder 7 enters between the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 and the side surface of the powder aggregation suppressing component 30 and is crushed. The powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is preferably in contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 over the entire area of the side surface in the axial direction. Further, when the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 is arranged in a non-contact state with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3, the distance between the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 and the side surface of the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 is preferably 10 μm or more and 3000 μm or less. It is more preferably 10 μm or more and 1000 μm or less. At this time, the aggregate of the powder 7 enters between the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 and the side surface of the powder aggregation suppressing component 30 and is crushed.

The powder aggregation suppressing component 30 has a rotation axis c2 parallel to the main axis C of the barrel 3 and a rotating mechanism (not shown) for rotating the powder aggregation suppressing component 30 about the rotation axis c2, and a rotation direction r2 of the rotation mechanism. Is preferably in the same direction as the rotation direction R of the barrel 3. Thereby, the aggregation of the powder 7 can be further suppressed. When the powder aggregation suppressing component 30 is arranged in contact with the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3, the rotation speed of the powder aggregation suppressing component 30 is preferably the same as the rotation speed of the barrel 3. The rotation mechanism rotates the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 by rotating the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 directly by a motor or by power transmission, or by transmitting the rotational force of the barrel 3 to the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 by friction. May be. Further, when the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is arranged in a non-contact state with the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3, the rotation speed of the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 is preferably faster than the rotation speed of the barrel 3.

When the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 is rod-shaped, the surface roughness of at least the portion of the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 in contact with the powder is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and 0.1 μm or more and 50 μm or less. Is more preferable. In this way, by making the surface of the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 relatively smooth, the agglomeration of the powder 7 can be more easily separated, and the agglomeration can be further suppressed. The portion of the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 that contacts the powder is, for example, the side surface of the powder agglomeration suppression component 30.

The powder position adjusting component 40 is a component that collects powder in the central portion of the irradiation region of the sputtering apparatus. The powder position adjusting component 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. 6 and 7 are plan views of the powder position adjusting component 40 viewed from the normal direction of the sputtering apparatus 2b (shown in FIG. 2), and the powder 7 deposited on the powder position adjusting component 40 is not shown. Then, the powder position adjusting component 40 is seen through. The irradiation area A is the surface on the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3, but the irradiation area A is seen through in FIGS. 6 and 7. As shown in FIG. 6, the powder position adjusting component 40 is at least one screw rod having a spiral groove on the outer peripheral surface (two screw rods in FIG. 6, one screw rod in FIG. 7 ), and the screw rod is of the barrel 3. It is preferable to have a rotation axis c3 parallel to the main axis C and rotate so that the conveying direction of the powder 7 that has entered the spiral groove is toward the center O side of the irradiation area A of the sputtering apparatus. "The powder 7 is conveyed in the direction toward the center O of the irradiation area A" means that the relative position of the arbitrary powder 7 seen from the center O of the irradiation area A is compared before and after the conveyance. It means that the powder 7 is transported so that the relative position thereof is closer to the center O of the irradiation region A than the relative position before the transportation. When the sputtering apparatus is a multi-source sputtering apparatus, the center O of the irradiation area A is arranged such that the target surfaces 6a, 6b, 6c of the sputtering apparatuses 2a, 2b, 2c are the normals ha, hb, hc of the target surfaces 6a, 6b, 6c. It is more preferable that the projection surface projected onto the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 parallel to the direction is the center of gravity of the surfaces formed by overlapping on the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3. When the sputtering apparatus is a unitary sputtering apparatus, the center O of the irradiation area A is the center of gravity of the projection surface obtained by projecting the target surface of the sputtering apparatus onto the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 in parallel to the normal line direction of the target surface. Is more preferable.

The rotation direction of the screw rod for adjusting the conveying direction of the powder 7 entering the spiral groove to the center O side of the irradiation area A of the sputtering apparatus is similar to the spiral groove as a screw groove. This is the direction in which the screw is loosened when the center O side of the irradiation area A of the device is assumed to be the tip of the screw (the end opposite to the screw head). The spiral groove turns so as to approach the center O of the irradiation area A of the sputtering device in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the screw rod when viewed in the transport direction (when viewed from the screw head side). .. That is, when the spiral groove of the threaded rod has a right-hand thread, the rotation direction of the threaded rod is counterclockwise (counterclockwise) when viewed in the transport direction, and when the threaded rod has a left-hand thread, The rotation direction is clockwise (clockwise) when viewed in the transport direction. By rotating in this way, the rotary motion of the screw rod is converted into a linear motion, whereby the powder 7 is conveyed, and the powder 7 can be collected in the central part of the irradiation region A of the sputtering apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 6, when two screw rods are used as the powder position adjusting component 40, the two screw rods are respectively arranged on the same axis parallel to the main axis C of the barrel 3 (shown in FIG. 1). c3, the tips are arranged to face each other, and the conveying direction of the powder 7 in the spiral groove when the rotation axis c3 is rotated is arranged to face the tip side of the screw rod. Is preferred. The combination of the two threaded rods is a combination of a right-hand thread and a left-hand thread (shown in FIG. 6), a combination of two right-hand threads (not shown), or a combination of two left-hand threads. (Not shown). In any of the combinations, the powder 7 contained in the spiral groove when the rotation shaft c3 is rotated is arranged so that the conveying direction of the powder 7 is toward the tip side of the screw rod. It can be conveyed in the direction of the tip.

When the number of screw rods is two, it is not limited to one set and two or more sets may be provided. For example, by providing two sets, the powder 7 can be conveyed in the tip direction of the screw rod while being collected between the parallel screw rods.

As shown in FIG. 7, when one screw rod is used as the powder position adjusting component 40, the spiral grooves incline in opposite directions from each other with the central portion of the screw rod in the direction of the rotation axis c3 as a boundary, and the spiral grooves are inclined in the respective spiral grooves. It is preferable that the powder 7 that has entered is rotated such that the conveying direction is toward the center of the screw rod in the direction of the rotation axis c3. As a result, the powder 7 can be conveyed to the central portion of the screw rod in the direction of the rotation axis c3.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the powder position adjusting component 40 is preferably arranged at a position lower than the powder rise suppressing component 20. It is preferable that the powder position adjusting component 40 is arranged at a position where the powder 7 is dropped downward and deposited on the powder rise suppressing component 20. For example, when the powder rise suppressing component 20 has a round bar shape as shown in FIG. 8, when the powder 7 hits the powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder 7 is dropped near the powder rise suppressing component 20 and deposited. On the other hand, when the powder rise suppressing component 20 has a rotating brush shape as shown in FIG. 9, when the powder 7 hits the powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder 7 is blown by the rotation of the brush, and the powder rise suppressing component 20. Is dropped farther than the case where it has a round bar shape and is deposited. As described above, it is preferable that the position of the powder position adjusting component 40 is appropriately adjusted according to the form of the powder rise suppressing component 20. Further, it is more preferable that the powder position adjusting component 40 is arranged inside the pile of the powder 7 formed by the powder 7 being deposited.

The powder position adjusting component 40 is preferably arranged in contact or non-contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3. When the powder position adjusting component 40 is placed in contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3, it is preferable that the powder position adjusting component 40 is in contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 so that the vertical force received from the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 becomes substantially zero. Further, when the powder position adjusting component 40 is arranged in a non-contact state with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3, the distance between the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3 and the side surface of the powder position adjusting component 40 is preferably 10 μm or more and 5000 μm or less. It is more preferably 10 μm or more and 2000 μm or less.

The powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 is fixed to the rotary shaft of the stirring motor 9b which is airtightly held by the vacuum seal type bearing 9a shown in FIG. 1, and within a range of an arbitrary angle about this rotary shaft. The position of the powder aggregation suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 relative to the main axis C may be fixed when the barrel 3 is swung or the barrel 3 is rotated similarly to the powder rising suppressing component 20.

When the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 swings, the rotation axis thereof is coaxial with the main axis C which is the rotation axis of the barrel 3. Further, in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the range of the arbitrary angle includes the existing range of the powder 7 when the barrel rotates. The rocking angle and rocking speed can be appropriately adjusted according to the agglomeration state of the powder 7, but it is necessary to set the rocking speed and the rocking speed so that the powder does not fly. For example, the rocking speed is set to 2 reciprocations/minute, but may be 1 to 10 reciprocations/minute. The powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 may be rocked intermittently.

On the other hand, when the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 is fixed in position with respect to the main axis C of the barrel 3 during rotation of the barrel 3, the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 is It suffices if it is fixed to a portion that does not move together with rotation, for example, it may be fixed to a portion that supports the sputtering apparatus 2. When the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 or the powder position adjustment component 40 rotates, a rotation mechanism (not shown) rotates the powder agglomeration suppression component 30 or the powder position adjustment component 40 directly by a motor or by power transmission, Alternatively, the rotational force of the barrel 3 may be transmitted to the powder aggregation suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 by friction, so that the powder aggregation suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 may be rotated. When rotating by power transmission, the rotating mechanism includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a stirring motor 9b, a sprocket 61 fixed to a rotating shaft of the stirring motor 9b, a powder aggregation suppressing component 30 or a powder position adjusting component 40. Has a sprocket 62 fixed to and a chain 63 hung between the sprockets 61, 62, and transmits the rotation of the agitating motor 9b to the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 or the powder position adjusting component 40 to rotate it. Good.

The powder coating apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment preferably has a vibration mechanism (not shown) that vibrates at least one of the powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder aggregation suppressing component 30, and the powder position adjusting component 40. It is possible to prevent the powder from adhering to or depositing on the powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30, and the powder position adjusting component 40. Among these, it is more preferable to have a vibrating mechanism that vibrates the powder rising suppression component 20. By vibrating the powder rise suppression component 20, it is possible to further suppress the powder from rising. Moreover, the powder deposited on the powder rise suppressing component 20 can be dropped by vibration. The vibration mechanism is not particularly limited, but is, for example, a piezoelectric element, a piezoelectric vibrator, or a motor.

The powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30, or the powder position adjusting component 40 is rod-shaped, and the powder rising suppressing component 20, the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30, and the powder position adjusting component 40 are arranged in contact with the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3. At this time, it is preferable that the powder rising suppressing component 20, the powder aggregation suppressing component 30, or the powder position adjusting component 40 be made of the same material as the inner wall 3 a of the barrel 3. Even if the powder drag suppression component 20, the powder agglomeration suppression component 30, and the powder position adjustment component 40 have a large vertical drag force from the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3, the powder elevation suppression component 20, the powder agglomeration suppression component 30, the powder position adjustment component 40. It is possible to reduce scratches on the surface of or the surface of the inner wall 3a of the barrel 3.

The heat resistant temperature of the powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30, and the powder position adjusting component 40 is preferably 100° C. or higher, and more preferably 200° C. or higher. Even when the film is formed at room temperature, the temperature in the barrel 3 rises, but deformation of the powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30, and the powder position adjusting component 40 can be suppressed. When forming a film in a heated state, the powder rise suppressing component 20, the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30, and the powder position adjusting component 40 having a heat resistant temperature that can withstand the heating temperature are used.

Up to this point, the mode in which the barrel 3 rotates only in one direction R has been described, but the barrel 3 is in the first direction R1 and the second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1, as shown in FIG. You may rotate by turns. When the barrel 3 rotates alternately in the first direction R1 and the second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1, the powder rising suppressing component 20 moves upward when the barrel 3 rotates in the first direction R1. The first powder rise suppression component 20a arranged in contact or non-contact with the inner wall of the moving part and the inner wall of the part moving upward when the barrel 3 rotates in the second direction R2. It is preferable to include the second powder rise suppressing component 20b arranged in contact with each other. Whether the powder 7 rotates in the first direction R1 or the second direction R2, the powder 7 can be prevented from rising. At this time, one or both of the powder agglomeration suppressing component 30 (30a, 30b) and the powder position adjusting component 40 (40a, 40b) are further provided at positions below the powder rising suppressing component 20 (20a, 20b). You may have.

1 Sputtering power supply 1a Vacuum seal type bearing 1b Arm 1c Target cooling water passage inlet 1d Target cooling water passage outlet 1e Argon gas inlet 2 (2a, 2b, 2c) Sputtering device 3 Barrel 3a Inner wall 3d Barrel body 3e Fixed part lid 4 Exhaust Means 4a Vacuum seal type bearing 5 Drive motor 5a Drive roll 5b Driven roll 6 (6a, 6b, 6c) Target 7 Powder 9b Stirring motor 10 (10a, 10b, 10c) Fixing part 20 (20a, 20b) Powder rise suppression component 21 Support portion 30 (30a, 30b) Powder agglomeration suppressing component 40 (40a, 40b) Powder position adjusting component 61, 62 Sprocket 63 Chain 100 Powder coating device C Main shaft c1 of the barrel c1 rotation shaft c2 rotation shaft c3 rotation shafts ha, hb, hc Normal lines Pa, Pb, Pc Virtual plane A Irradiation area O 1 Center of irradiation area

Claims (10)

A barrel, an evacuation unit for evacuating the inside of the barrel, and a sputtering device installed in the barrel. The barrel has a main axis oriented in a horizontal direction and rotates about the main axis. The sputtering apparatus is a powder coating apparatus for forming a coating film on the surface of the powder contained in the barrel,
The powder coating apparatus includes at least one powder rising suppressing component arranged in contact or non-contact with the inner wall of a portion of the inner wall of the barrel that moves upward by rotation of the barrel, and the powder rising suppressing component. And a supporting portion for supporting
The supporting portion fixes the position of the powder rising suppressing component with respect to the main shaft when the barrel rotates,
The powder rising suppression component is a position deviating from all projection surfaces of the target surface of the sputtering device projected onto the inner wall of the barrel in parallel to the normal direction of the target surface, and in contact with the target surface. A powder coating apparatus, which is arranged at a position lower than all intersecting lines of an imaginary plane orthogonal to a normal to a target surface and an inner wall surface of the barrel. The powder rise suppression components Ri rod-der, surface roughness of at least a portion the powder is in contact of the powder elevation suppressing component, powder of claim 1, wherein the at 0.1μm or more 500μm or less Coating equipment. A barrel, an evacuation unit for evacuating the inside of the barrel, and a sputtering device installed in the barrel. The barrel has a main axis oriented in a horizontal direction and rotates about the main axis. The sputtering apparatus is a powder coating apparatus for forming a coating film on the surface of the powder contained in the barrel,
The powder coating apparatus includes at least one powder rising suppressing component arranged in contact or non-contact with the inner wall of a portion of the inner wall of the barrel that moves upward by rotation of the barrel, and the powder rising suppressing component. And a supporting portion for supporting
The supporting portion fixes the position of the powder rising suppressing component with respect to the main shaft when the barrel rotates,
The powder rise suppression components Ri rod-der, surface roughness of at least a portion the powder is in contact of the powder rise suppression components, powder coating device, characterized in that at 0.1μm or 500μm or less. The powder rise suppression component has a rotation axis parallel to the main axis of the barrel and a rotating mechanism for rotating the powder rise suppression component about the rotation axis.
The powder coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotation direction of the rotation mechanism is a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the barrel. The barrel rotates alternately in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction,
The powder rise suppressing component is a first powder rise suppressing component arranged in a contact state or a non-contact state on an inner wall of a portion that moves upward when the barrel rotates in the first direction, and the barrel is A second powder rise suppressing component arranged in a contact state or a non-contact state on the inner wall of a portion that moves upward when rotating in the second direction, according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Powder coating apparatus according to item 1. The powder coating apparatus further includes one or both of a powder aggregation suppressing component and a powder position adjusting component,
The powder agglomeration suppressing component and the powder position adjusting component are arranged in contact or non-contact with the inner wall of the barrel, and are arranged at a position lower than the powder rising suppressing component. Item 6. The powder coating device according to any one of items 1 to 5 . The powder aggregation suppressing component has a rotation axis parallel to the main axis of the barrel and a rotation mechanism for rotating the powder aggregation suppressing component around the rotation axis.
The powder coating apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the rotating mechanism rotates in the same direction as the barrel rotating direction. The powder elevation suppressing component, the powder coating apparatus of claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it has a vibration mechanism for vibrating at least one of the powder aggregation inhibiting component and the powder position adjustment component. The powder aggregation inhibiting component Ri rod-der, surface roughness of at least a portion the powder is in contact of the powder aggregation inhibiting component, any claim 6-8, characterized in that at 0.1μm or more 100μm or less The powder coating apparatus according to any one of the above. The powder position adjusting component is at least one screw rod having a spiral groove on the outer peripheral surface,
The threaded rod has an axis of rotation parallel to the main axis of the barrel, and rotates so that the conveying direction of the powder in the spiral groove is toward the center of the irradiation area of the sputtering device. The powder coating device according to claim 6 , wherein the powder coating device is a powder coating device.

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