JP7369014B2 - Sealing equipment, vacuum equipment, film forming equipment, and film manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sealing device, a vacuum device, a film forming device, and a film manufacturing method.

For example, in the production of vapor-deposited films, a process is required in which the web is placed in a space with a pressure different from atmospheric pressure. This processing process is carried out by batch processing, in which a reel wound with a web is transported into a processing chamber, the web is unwound and processed in a specified manner, and the reel wound with the processed web is taken out of the processing chamber. It was done. In order to efficiently perform batch processing by keeping the pressure inside the processing chamber constant during loading and unloading of reels, a front chamber (load lock) is provided adjacent to the processing chamber, and the pressure in this front chamber is transferred to the outside. Devices are known for increasing and decreasing the pressure between the pressure and the pressure of the processing chamber.

However, even if a front chamber is provided, productivity cannot be sufficiently improved in batch processing, so the web is continuously fed into a pressurized or depressurized space, and the processed web is transferred to the pressurized or depressurized space. There is a need for a continuous process that continuously discharges wastewater.

When performing continuous web processing, an opening (slit) for the web to pass through is required in the partition wall that separates two spaces with different pressures, but through this opening the atmospheric gas in the space on the high pressure side enters the space on the low pressure side. flows into. In order to efficiently maintain the pressure in each space at a required pressure, a technique is known in which a sealing device for suppressing the movement of atmospheric gas is provided in an opening through which the web passes.

Depending on the type of web, such as a thin resin film, a sealing device with a sealing member that comes into contact with the web cannot be used, so the flow path through which atmospheric gas in the high-pressure side space flows into the low-pressure side space must be completely closed. difficult to do. In addition, since it is not possible to apply a large tension to thin resin films, it is desirable to place guide rollers near the partition walls to prevent them from vibrating and coming into contact with the inner walls of the openings when passing through the openings in the partition walls. It will be done. However, the guide rollers disposed near the partition wall form a flow path through which the gas flowing into the openings in the partition wall impinges on the web, and the gas collision can cause the web to vibrate.

Patent Document 1 includes an inner cylinder (seal cylinder) that forms a flat inner space (inner clearance) through which a web (strip) passes, and an outer cylinder (outer seal bar) that surrounds this inner cylinder. A sealing device has also been proposed in which the tip of the outer cylinder on the high-pressure space side is shaped to follow a guide roller. The sealing device of Patent Document 1 reduces the amount of air that collides with the web by letting air that is about to flow into the inner cylinder along the guide roller escape into the low-pressure side space through the space between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. The vibration of the web can be suppressed by reducing the vibration of the web.

JP-A-4-147973

In recent years, demands on webs, especially optical films, against scratches have become stricter. Specifically, fine scratches, which were not considered defects in the past, are increasingly not tolerated. Furthermore, in recent years, there has been a demand for conveying webs between spaces with larger pressure differences. When the differential pressure between adjacent spaces increases, the amount of movement of atmospheric gas increases, which tends to increase the vibration of the web. Vibration of the web causes periodic scratches on the web by causing the web to slide against a conveyance roller or the like. Vibration of the web can be suppressed by increasing the tension of the web, but this may cause instability in the thermal shrinkage rate, etc., so it is not possible to apply a large tension to the web in the production of thin optical films and the like.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sealing device, a vacuum device, a film forming device, and a film manufacturing method that can reduce web vibration.

The sealing device according to the present invention is a sealing device that enables continuous conveyance of a web while isolating a first space and a second space whose pressure is lower than that of the first space, wherein the first space and the second space have a lower pressure than the first space. and at least one guide roller that is provided close to the partition wall and guides the web, and connects the first space and the second space, It has a conveyance path through which the web passes, and an exhaust flow path that opens into the first space at least near the conveyance path, is connected to a low pressure source, and discharges gas in the first space to the outside.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, the exhaust flow path may open into the first space at a position opposite to or adjacent to an angular region of the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller where the web does not come into contact.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, the exhaust flow path may include a communication section that connects the first space and the second space, and a connection section that connects the communication section to the low pressure source.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, the exhaust flow path may have a plurality of communication portions connected to different low pressure sources.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, the guide roller is disposed within an opening formed in the partition wall portion, is partially exposed to the first space and the second space, and is arranged between the guide roller and the opening. One of the two spaces formed between the inner edge and the inner edge is the conveyance path, the other is the communication part of the exhaust flow path, and the circumferential length of the guide roller of the exhaust flow path is the conveyance path. The circumferential length of the guide roller may be larger than the circumferential length of the guide roller.

The partition wall portion may have an exhaust groove formed continuously on a surface of an inner wall surface of the opening that faces a circumferential surface of the guide roller and a surface that faces an end surface of the guide roller.

The shutter further includes a shutter portion that seals a gap between the partition wall portion and the circumferential surface of the guide roller, and the shutter portion faces the circumferential surface of the guide roller and closes the gap on the side of the guide roller in accordance with the deflection of the guide roller during steady operation. The sealing member may have a distal end edge that is curved in a convex or concave manner.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, the guide roller may be capable of generating heat to heat the web.

In the sealing device according to the present invention, the average length of the conveyance path in the thickness direction of the web may be 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less.

A vacuum device according to the present invention includes the above-described sealing device and a low pressure chamber that defines the second space.

In the vacuum device according to the present invention, the pressure in the first space may be atmospheric pressure.

The film forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a film forming chamber that is evacuated, a plurality of buffer chambers provided in series in front and rear of the web transport direction in the film forming chamber, and a space between the adjacent film forming chambers. and at least one of the film forming chamber and the buffer chamber, the buffer chamber is a high pressure chamber that defines the first space, and the film forming chamber or the buffer chamber adjacent to the film forming chamber side is the high pressure chamber that defines the first space. The above-described sealing device is provided as a low pressure chamber defining two spaces.

In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the buffer chamber on the upstream side and the buffer chamber on the downstream side of the film forming chamber may be integrated, and the web may be folded and conveyed.

The film manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a step of processing the film into the web using the film forming apparatus described above.

In the film manufacturing method according to the present invention, the average thickness of the web when passing through the transport path may be 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

According to the present invention, web vibration can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing in detail the sealing device of the film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention different from that shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing in detail the sealing device of the film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention different from FIGS. 2 and 4. FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a sealing device according to an embodiment different from those shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a sealing device according to an embodiment different from those shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to 6 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a sealing device according to a different embodiment of the present invention from FIGS. 2 and 4 to 7. FIG. FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention different from those shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to 8. FIG. FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a sealing device according to an embodiment different from those shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to 9 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the guide roller rotation axis of the sealing device of FIG. 10; 10 is a sectional view showing a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention different from FIGS. 2, 4 to 10. FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts in each drawing. Further, for convenience, hatching, member symbols, etc. may be omitted, but in such cases, other drawings will be referred to.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a film forming apparatus F according to an embodiment of the present invention. The film forming device F is a device that laminates a film on the surface of the web W. The film forming apparatus F has a first buffer chamber R1, a second buffer chamber R2, a third buffer chamber R3, a film forming chamber Rf, a fourth buffer chamber R4, a fifth buffer chamber R5, and a sixth buffer chamber R6 in this order. They are arranged in series so that the web W passes through them continuously. That is, in the film forming apparatus F, a plurality of buffer chambers (R1 to R3 and R4 to R5) are provided in series in front and rear of the film forming chamber Rf in the transport direction of the web W, respectively.

The first buffer chamber R1 and the second buffer chamber R2 are separated by a first partition P1. An opening is formed in the first partition wall P1, and a first sealing device S is provided in the opening to enable continuous conveyance of the web W while isolating the space in the first buffer chamber R1 and the space in the second buffer chamber R2. is installed. Similarly, the second buffer chamber R2 and the third buffer chamber R3 are separated by a second partition P2, and a second sealing device S is disposed in the second partition P2. The third buffer chamber R3 and the film forming chamber Rf are separated by a third partition P3, and a third sealing device S is disposed in the third partition P3. The film forming chamber Rf and the fourth buffer chamber R4 are separated by a fourth partition P4, and a fourth sealing device S is disposed in the fourth partition P4. The fourth buffer chamber R4 and the fifth buffer chamber R5 are separated by a fifth partition wall P5, and a fourth sealing device S is disposed on the fifth partition wall P5. The fifth buffer chamber R5 and the sixth buffer chamber R6 are divided by a sixth partition wall P6, and a sixth sealing device S is disposed on the sixth partition wall P6.

Each of the six sealing devices S of the film forming apparatus F is an embodiment of the sealing device according to the present invention. In addition, a portion of the film forming apparatus F that includes one of the sealing apparatuses S and two of the buffer chambers R1 to R6 and the film forming chamber Rf that form a space isolated by one of the sealing apparatuses S is , is understood as one embodiment of the vacuum device according to the present invention. Note that the term "vacuum" is not limited to so-called high vacuum, but also includes low vacuum, and is a concept that broadly encompasses states where the pressure is lower than atmospheric pressure.

Although the web W is not particularly limited, a resin film is typically considered. Specific materials for the resin film include, for example, polycarbonate, polymethacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polymethylmethacrylate, polyacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyimide, polyamide, Examples include polyetherketone, polyolefin, triacetyl cellulose, and the like. Further, the resin film may be any type of film, such as one having a protective film on both sides, one having it on one side, and one without a protective film.

The first buffer chamber R1 and the sixth buffer chamber R6 are open to the atmosphere, and the pressure in the internal space is atmospheric pressure. The second buffer chamber R2, the third buffer chamber R3, the film forming chamber Rf, the fourth buffer chamber R4, and the fifth buffer chamber R5 are provided with low pressure sources V1 to V5 constituted by evacuation devices such as vacuum pumps and ejectors. They are connected to each other, and the internal spaces are maintained at respective set pressures. The internal space of the second buffer chamber R2 has a lower pressure than the internal space of the first buffer chamber R1, the internal space of the third buffer chamber R3 has a lower pressure than the internal space of the second buffer chamber R2, and the deposition chamber Rf The internal space has a lower pressure than the internal space of the third buffer chamber R3. The internal space of the fifth buffer chamber R5 has a lower pressure than the internal space of the sixth buffer chamber R1, the internal space of the fourth buffer chamber R4 has a lower pressure than the internal space of the fifth buffer chamber R5, and the deposition chamber Rf The internal space has a lower pressure than the internal space of the third buffer chamber R3. In other words, the film forming apparatus F lowers the pressure stepwise by a plurality of buffer chambers R1 to R3 arranged upstream of the film forming chamber Rf to be evacuated, and By increasing the pressure stepwise by the plurality of buffer chambers R4 to R6 arranged, the pressure in the internal space of the film forming chamber Rf can be set to such a level that the difference from the atmospheric pressure exceeds the capacity of a single sealing device S. Can be used as a vacuum. Examples of vacuum pumps used as the low pressure source V1 include diaphragm pumps, rotary pumps, dry pumps, cryopumps, mechanical booster pumps, turbomolecular pumps, ion pumps, and getter pumps. May be used.

The film forming apparatus F includes low pressure sources V11 to V16 that are individually connected to the sealing apparatus S and provided independently from the buffer chambers R1 to R6 and the film forming chamber Rf. The low pressure sources V11 to V16 can be configured by exhaust devices similar to the low pressure sources V1 to V5.

A mechanism for forming a film on the surface of the web W is provided inside the film forming chamber Rf. In the illustrated example, inside the film forming chamber Rf, there are a drum D around which the web W is wound, and a sputtering device E that supplies and laminates other materials onto the surface of the web W wound around the drum D. It is arranged.

<Seal device>
Hereinafter, the sealing device S of the film forming device F will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2. In addition, although the sealing device S disposed between the first buffer chamber R1 and the second buffering chamber R2 will be described below as an example, the same applies to other sealing devices. Also, among the spaces on both sides of the sealing device S (the internal space defined by the adjacent buffer chambers R1 to R6 and the film forming chamber Rf), the one with higher pressure is designated as the first space (the buffer chambers R1 to R6 that define it). The one with the lower pressure is called the second space (the film forming chamber Rf that defines it, or the buffer chambers R2 to R5 on the side of the film forming chamber Rf are called the low pressure chambers). Therefore, regarding the sealing device S disposed upstream of the film forming chamber R in the web transport direction, the space on the upstream side is the first space, and the space on the downstream side is the second space. Regarding the sealing device S arranged on the downstream side of the chamber R, the downstream space is the first space, and the upstream space is the second space. Therefore, the sealing device S arranged on the downstream side of the film forming chamber Rf is formed in a mirror image of the sealing device S of FIG. 2 (the conveying direction of the web W may be considered to be the opposite direction). In the seal device S on the most upstream side and the seal device S on the most downstream side, the pressure in the first space is atmospheric pressure.

The sealing device S includes a partition wall 1 that is integrated with a partition wall P1 to separate a first space and a second space, and two guide rollers (a first A first guide roller 2 on the space side and a second guide roller 3 on the second space side are provided. This sealing device S connects the first space and the second space, has a conveyance path 4 formed so that the web W passes through, opens into the first space near the conveyance path 4, and is connected to a low pressure source V11. , and an exhaust flow path 5 formed to exhaust the gas in the first space to the outside.

The guide rollers 2 and 3 form a small gap with the partition wall 1 so as not to come into contact with the partition wall 1, and one tangent line between the two (conveyance path of the web W stretched between the guide rollers 2 and 3). is arranged so that it is located within the conveyance path 4. The web W is bent by contacting within a certain angular range of the circumferential surfaces of the guide rollers 2 and 3, and is guided to be conveyed on a tangent to the pair of guide rollers 2 and 3 and to pass through the conveyance path 4. . Therefore, the web W enters the sealing device S from a direction that is inclined toward the center axis of the first guide roller 2 when viewed from the conveyance path 4, and is inclined toward the center axis of the second guide roller 3 when viewed from the conveyance path 4. Exit the sealing device S in the direction of inclination.

At least one of the guide rollers 2 and 3 may be capable of generating heat in order to heat the web W. Specifically, the guide rollers 2 and 3 may have a heater inside, or may have a resistive heating element pattern formed near the surface, and may have a high frequency applied by an excitation coil disposed adjacent to the guide rollers 2 and 3. It may have a metal layer that generates heat due to a magnetic field. By configuring the web W to be heated by the guide rollers 2 and 3 in this way, the number of devices in the film forming chamber Rf can be reduced. Thereby, the film forming chamber Rf can be made smaller, so the load on the low pressure source V3 can be reduced to improve energy efficiency and the equipment cost of the film forming apparatus F can be reduced.

The conveying path 4 and the exhaust flow path 5 are slit-like holes formed in the partition wall 1 and having a long cross-sectional shape in a direction parallel to the axes of the guide rollers 2 and 3. It is preferable that the conveyance path 4 is formed to vertically penetrate the partition wall 1 and connect the first space and the second space over the shortest distance. The exhaust flow path 5 includes a communication section 6 that penetrates the partition wall 1 and connects the first space and the second space, and a connection section 7 that connects the communication section 6 to a low pressure source. It is preferable that the communication part 6 is formed parallel to the conveyance path 4 and perpendicularly through the partition part 1 . The connecting portion 7 has one end connected to the communication portion 6 and the other end connected to the low pressure source V11.

When the web W is an optical film with a thickness of 50 μm or less, the lower limit of the average length of the conveyance path 4 in the thickness direction of the web W (average distance between inner wall surfaces facing the web W) is preferably 0.1 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average length of the web W in the thickness direction of the conveyance path 4 is preferably 1.0 mm, more preferably 0.5 mm, and even more preferably 0.3 mm. If the average length of the web W in the thickness direction of the conveyance path 4 is less than the above-mentioned lower limit, the design technology is highly difficult, so the cost of forming the conveyance path 4 and the cost of the support structure of the guide rollers 2 and 3 are increased. There is a possibility that the web W may increase unnecessarily, or the web W may come into contact with the inner wall of the conveyance path 4 and be easily damaged. Conversely, when the average length of the web W in the thickness direction of the conveyance path 4 exceeds the above upper limit, there is a possibility that the differential pressure between the first space and the second space that can be held by the sealing device S becomes small.

The communication portion 6 of the exhaust flow path 5 opens into the first space at a position facing the angular region of the outer circumferential surface of the first guide roller 2 where the web W does not come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the second guide roller 3 . It is preferable to open into the second space at a position opposite to the angular region where the web W does not abut. That is, the communication portion 6 is preferably formed such that an extension line of the center of the flow path intersects the guide rollers 2 and 3. By opening the communication portion 6 to face the first guide roller 2, a portion of the atmospheric gas that is about to flow into the conveyance path 4 along the first guide roller 2 is efficiently sucked from the exhaust flow path 5. and can be exhausted to the outside. This reduces the amount of atmospheric gas that flows into the conveyance path 4 after colliding with the web W through the gap between the partition wall portion 1 and the first guide roller 2, and as a result, vibrations of the web W can be suppressed. can.

In order to efficiently suck the atmospheric gas that is about to flow into the conveyance path 4 into the exhaust flow path 5, the opening direction of the communication section 6 is set so that the opening direction of the first guide roller 2 intersects with the extension line of the center of the flow path of the communication section 6. The radial direction at a point on the outer circumference or the direction inclined downstream in the rotation direction of the first guide roller 2, that is, the flow direction of the atmospheric gas about to flow into the conveyance path 4 and the direction in which the atmospheric gas is sucked into the exhaust flow path 5. It is more preferable to minimize the angular change with respect to the direction in which the

The pressure of the first low pressure source V11 connected to the connecting portion 7 of the exhaust flow path 5 may be lower than the pressure in the first space and higher than the pressure in the second space. That is, as the first low pressure source V11, a vacuum pump or the like having a lower capacity than the second low pressure source V2 that maintains the pressure in the second space can be used.

The flow rate of the gas exhausted to the outside from the connection part 7 of the exhaust flow path 5 is 5% or more of the flow rate of the gas flowing into the second space from the first space through the communication part 6 of the conveyance path 4 and the exhaust flow path 5. It can be set to 20% or less, for example about 10%. The sealing device S can significantly suppress vibrations of the web W by simply discharging a relatively small amount of gas from the exhaust flow path 5 to the outside.

Therefore, if the differential pressure between the first space and the second space is the same, the sealing device S can reduce the vibration of the web W compared to the conventional sealing device that does not have the exhaust flow path 5. When suppressing vibrations to the same extent, the differential pressure between the first space and the second space can be made larger than that of the conventional sealing device. Therefore, in the film forming apparatus F, even if the number of buffer chambers R1 to R6 is reduced, the pressure in the internal space of the film forming chamber Rf can be made equal to that of the conventional film forming apparatus. For example, the number of stages of buffer chambers R1 to R6 can be reduced to about half of the conventional number. Further, if the number of stages of the buffer chambers R1 to R6 is the same, the pressure in the internal space of the film forming chamber Rf can be made smaller than in the conventional film forming apparatus.

As described above, the sealing device S of this embodiment includes the exhaust flow path 5 that opens to the first space near the conveyance path 4 and is connected to the low pressure source V11. By sucking a part of the atmospheric gas (assumed to be air in this embodiment) into the exhaust flow path 5 and exhausting it to the outside, the conveyance path is moved from the first space along the first guide roller 2. 4 can be reduced. Thereby, the sealing device S can reduce the energy of the atmospheric gas colliding with the web W, and can suppress vibrations of the web W. In addition, the exhaust flow path 5 is connected to a low pressure source V1 independent from a low pressure source V11 that is independent from the second space (low pressure source V1 connected to the second space), so Vibration of the web W can be efficiently suppressed by optimizing the amount of atmospheric gas to be discharged.

The film forming apparatus F equipped with the sealing device S can suppress the vibration of the web W by the sealing device S, reduce the pressure in the film forming chamber Rf with a small number of buffer chambers R1 to R6, and prevent damage to the web W. Since the film can be formed efficiently while suppressing the amount of heat generated, a high-quality laminated film can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. For example, if the web W is a thin film of 20 μm class or a resin film with low surface hardness, the tension of the web W cannot be increased, but the guide rollers 2 and 3 of the web W and other It is important to suppress slipping on the conveyance roller. In this case, by using the film forming apparatus F, vibration of the web W can be suppressed even if the tension of the web W is reduced, and slipping of the web W against the guide rollers 2 and 3 due to vibration can be suppressed.

<Film manufacturing method>
An embodiment of the film manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a step of laminating different materials on the surface of the web W using the film forming apparatus F shown in FIG. 1 (an embodiment of the vacuum apparatus according to the present invention). Be prepared. The web W can be continuously supplied to the first buffer chamber R1 of the film forming apparatus F from a reel (not shown) on which the web W is wound. Further, the processed web W (manufactured film) continuously discharged from the sixth buffer chamber R6 can be wound onto another reel (not shown) and recovered.

According to this film manufacturing method, since vibration of the web W can be suppressed by the sealing device S, a high quality film can be efficiently manufactured.

Therefore, when using a web W having an average thickness of 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less when passing through the conveyance path 4 and to which a large tension cannot be applied, the effect of suppressing the vibration of the web W becomes remarkable.

In particular, the quality standards for optical films are becoming stricter year by year, and even minute scratches, for example about 10 μm long and 50 μm wide, are no longer acceptable if they occur periodically due to equipment. The film manufacturing method according to the present invention is particularly useful for satisfying such quality standards, and the effect becomes more pronounced when the web before processing does not have a protective film.

In addition, by manufacturing a film using the film forming apparatus F, on the upstream and downstream sides of the film forming apparatus F, that is, under atmospheric pressure, an oven drying process, a coating process, an appearance inspection process, and slitting (film division) are performed. The process can be carried out. In other words, in the film forming apparatus F, only the processes that need to be performed under vacuum can be performed, so there is no need to install large-scale manufacturing equipment that can perform all processes under vacuum. Films can be produced continuously at relatively low cost.

[Second embodiment]
The film forming apparatus Fa shown in FIG. 3 is an apparatus that laminates a film on the surface of the web W, similarly to the film forming apparatus F shown in FIG. The film forming apparatus Fa of this embodiment includes a first buffer chamber R1a, a second buffer chamber R2a, a third buffer chamber R3a, a film forming chamber Rfa, a fourth buffer chamber R4a, a fifth buffer chamber R5a, and a sixth buffer chamber R6a. are arranged in series so that the web W passes through them in this order. In the film forming apparatus Fa, buffer chambers R1a to R3a on the upstream side of the film forming chamber Rfa and buffer chambers R4a to R6a on the downstream side are integrated. More specifically, the first buffer chamber R1a and the sixth buffer chamber R6a, the second buffer chamber R2a and the fifth buffer chamber R5a, and the third buffer chamber R3a and the fourth buffer chamber R4 are each integrally formed. Therefore, in the film forming apparatus F, the web W is folded and conveyed in the film forming chamber Rfa.

The buffer chambers R1 to R6 and the film forming chamber Rf are separated by partition walls P1a to P6a, respectively. The first partition P1a and the sixth partition P6a, the second partition P2a and the fifth partition P5a, and the third partition P3a and the fourth partition P4a are each integral. Each of these partition walls P1a to P6a is provided with a sealing device Sa.

The sealing device Sa is another embodiment of the sealing device according to the present invention, and the portion of the film forming apparatus Fa that includes one of the sealing devices Sa and the buffer chambers R1a to R6a on both sides thereof or the film forming chamber Rfa is not covered by the present invention. This is understood to be another embodiment of such a vacuum device.

The rooms constituting the first buffer chamber R1a and the sixth buffer chamber R6a are open to the atmosphere. An independent low pressure source V3 is connected to the film forming chamber Rfa. A low pressure source V6 is connected to the chambers that constitute the second buffer chamber R2a and the fifth buffer chamber R5a, and a low pressure source V7 is connected to the chambers that constitute the third buffer chamber R3a and the fourth buffer chamber R4a.

In the film forming apparatus Fa, the buffer chambers R1a to R3a on the upstream side of the film forming chamber Rfa and the buffer chambers R6a to R4a on the downstream side are integrated, so that the number of required low pressure sources V3, V6, and V7 is small. That is, the second buffer chamber R2a and the fifth buffer chamber R5, and the third buffer chamber R3a and the fourth buffer chamber R4a each share one low pressure source V6, V7. Further, since the film forming apparatus Fa folds and transports the web W in the film forming chamber Rfa, the area occupied by the entire apparatus is relatively small.

<Seal device>
As shown in detail in FIG. 4, the sealing device Sa of the film forming apparatus Fa includes a partition part 1a that is integrated with the partition wall P1 and isolates the first space and the second space, and two guide rollers (on the first space side). a first guide roller 2 and a second guide roller 3) on the second space side. This sealing device Sa connects the first space and the second space, has a conveyance path 4 formed for the web to pass through, opens into the first space near the conveyance path 4, is connected to a low pressure source V11, It has an exhaust flow path 5a formed to exhaust gas in the first space to the outside.

In the sealing device Sa of FIG. 4, an exhaust flow path 5a formed in the partition wall portion 1a is different from the exhaust flow path 5 formed in the partition wall portion 1 of the sealing device S in FIG. On the other hand, the configurations of the guide rollers 2, 3 and the conveyance path 4 in the sealing device Sa of FIG. 4 are similar to the configurations of the guide rollers 2, 3 and the conveyance path 4 in the sealing device S of FIG.

The exhaust flow path 5a is formed in an L-shape with an end opening toward the first guide roller 2 in a cross section perpendicular to the axes of the guide rollers 2 and 3, and opens into the first space but not into the first space. It does not open into 2 spaces. In other words, the exhaust flow path 5a in the sealing device Sa of FIG. 4 has a shape in which the portion of the exhaust flow path 5 on the second space side than the connecting portion 7 of the communication portion 6 of the sealing device S of FIG. 2 is omitted. .

In the sealing device Sa having such an exhaust flow path 5a, since the exhaust flow path 5a does not communicate with the second space, the amount of atmospheric gas flowing from the first space into the second space is reduced to reduce the amount of atmospheric gas flowing into the web W. It is relatively easy to suppress vibrations. However, in the sealing device Sa, the pressure in the second space cannot be used to suck atmospheric gas that is about to flow into the conveyance path 4 along the first guide roller 2 into the exhaust flow path 5, and only the low pressure source V11 is used. Therefore, it is desirable to use a more stable device as the low pressure source V11.

[Third embodiment]
A sealing device Sb according to another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. A first guide roller 2 on the side and a second guide roller 3 on the second space side. This sealing device Sb connects the first space and the second space, and includes a conveyance path 4 formed so that the web W passes through, and an opening into the first space near the conveyance path 4 to release gas in the first space. It has an exhaust flow path 5a formed to exhaust to the outside.

The configurations of the guide rollers 2, 3, conveyance path 4, and exhaust flow path 5a in the sealing device Sb of FIG. It is. In the sealing device Sb of FIG. 5, the partition 1b has a protrusion 8 that reduces the gap between the partition 1b and the first guide roller 2 at a position adjacent to the opening on the first space side of the exhaust flow path 5a. have

In this way, by having the protrusion 8, the sealing device Sb can suck a larger portion of the atmospheric gas that is about to flow into the conveyance path 4 along the first guide roller 2 into the exhaust flow path 5a. I can do it. Therefore, the sealing device Sb can make the differential pressure between the first space and the second space relatively large.

[Fourth embodiment]
A sealing device Sc according to another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. and a second guide roller 3) on the second space side. This sealing device Sc connects the first space and the second space, has a conveyance path 4 formed through which the web W passes, and opens into the first space in the vicinity of the conveyance path 4, and gas in the first space. It has an exhaust flow path 5c formed to discharge the water to the outside.

In the sealing device Sc of FIG. 6, an exhaust flow path 5c formed in the partition wall portion 1c is different from the exhaust flow path 5 formed in the partition wall portion 1 of the sealing device S of FIG. On the other hand, the configurations of the guide rollers 2, 3 and the conveyance path 4 in the sealing device Sc of FIG. 6 are similar to the configurations of the guide rollers 2, 3 and the conveyance path 4 in the sealing device S of FIG.

The exhaust flow path 5c includes a communication section 6 that vertically penetrates the partition wall 1 and connects the first space and the second space, and two connection sections (first connection section 7c) that connect the communication section 6 to different low pressure sources. ₁ and a second connecting portion 7c ₂ ). The first connecting portion 7c ₁ is connected to the communication portion 6 on the first space side than the second connecting portion 7c ₂ .

In this way, the sealing device Sc provided with the exhaust flow path 5c having the plurality of connection parts 7c ₁ and 7c ₂ effectively suppresses the amount of atmospheric gas flowing from the first space to the second space through the communication part 6. However, the vibration of the web W can be further reduced. Therefore, the sealing device Sc can make the differential pressure between the first space and the second space relatively large.

In particular, when providing a plurality of connection parts 7c ₁ and 7c ₂ , by making the pressures of the low pressure sources connected to each connection part 7c ₁ and 7c ₂ different, the differential pressure between the first space and the second space can be further reduced. Can be made larger. Specifically, it is preferable to lower the pressure of the low pressure source connected to the connection part _7c2 on the second space side. When the second space is made into a high vacuum, it is preferable that the low pressure source connected to the connection part _7c2 closest to the second space has a turbo-molecular pump, and water vapor is condensed by cooling on the upstream side of the turbo-molecular pump. It is more preferable to further include a trap for removal by removing the trap.

[Fifth embodiment]
A sealing device Sd according to yet another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 7 includes a partition wall portion 1d that isolates a first space and a second space, and one guide roller 9. The guide roller 9 is disposed within an opening 10 formed in the partition wall 1d, and is partially exposed to the first space and the second space. In the sealing device Sd, in cross-sectional view, one of the two spaces formed between the inner edge of the opening 10 and the guide roller 9 (lower side in the drawing) is a conveyance path 4d through which the web W passes, and the other (upper side in the drawing) is a communication portion 6d of the exhaust flow path 5d that discharges the gas in the first space to the outside. The inner edge of the opening 10 of the partition wall 1d facing the guide roller 9 has a cylindrical surface that maintains a constant gap with the guide roller 9. Further, a connecting portion 7d is formed in the partition wall portion 1d to connect the communicating portion 6d to a low pressure source. The guide roller 9 may be capable of generating heat in order to heat the web W, and a refrigerant may be inserted therethrough in order to cool the web W.

Since one inner surface of the communication portion 6 of the exhaust flow path 5d is defined by the guide roller 9, the opening of the exhaust flow path 5d on the first space side is adjacent to an angular region of the guide roller 9 that does not come into contact with the web W. It's open. Therefore, the sealing device Sd of this embodiment sucks a part of the atmospheric gas that is about to flow into the conveyance path 4d from the first space along the guide roller 9 into the exhaust flow path 5d and exhausts it to the outside. , vibration of the web W can be suppressed.

In the sealing device Sd, the partition wall portion 1d protrudes toward the first space and the second space so as to extend the communication portion 6d, and extends the inner edge of the opening 10 along the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9. The first extension protrusion 11 and the second extension protrusion 12 may have a surface. In this way, the communication portion 6d is placed along the guide roller 9 on the conveyance path 4d side so that the circumferential length of the guide roller 9 of the exhaust flow path 5d is larger than the circumferential length of the guide roller 9 of the conveyance path 4d. Since the amount of atmospheric gas flowing into the conveyance path 4d can be further reduced by extending toward the conveyance path 4d, vibrations of the web W can be suppressed more effectively.

Further, in order to make it possible to arrange the guide roller 9 inside the opening 10 and to reduce the thickness of the communication portion 6d between the conveyance path 4d and the exhaust flow path 5d, the partition wall portion 1d is arranged so that the guide roller 9 in the opening 10 A portion including one of the inner edges facing 9 may be configured to be separable from the other portion.

[Sixth embodiment]
A sealing device Se according to yet another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. and a second guide roller 3 on the second space side), and two auxiliary rollers arranged on the opposite side of the guide rollers 2 and 3 with the web W in between (the first auxiliary roller 13 on the first space side and the second guide roller 3 on the second space side). a second auxiliary roller 14) on the side. This sealing device Se connects the first space and the second space, and includes a conveyance path 4 formed through which the web passes, and an opening in the first space facing the first guide roller 2 near the conveyance path 4. A first exhaust flow path 5 connected to a low pressure source and formed to exhaust gas in the first space to the outside, and a first space facing the first guide roller 2 near the conveyance path 4. It has a second exhaust flow path 5e that is open to and connected to a low pressure source to exhaust gas in the first space to the outside.

The configuration of the guide rollers 2, 3, conveyance path 4, and first exhaust flow path 5 in the sealing device Se of FIG. 8 is as follows. It is similar to the configuration. In other words, the sealing device Se in FIG. 8 is the same as the sealing device S in FIG. 2 by adding auxiliary rollers 13, 14 and a second exhaust flow path 5e.

The auxiliary rollers 13 and 14 reduce the amount of atmospheric gas flowing into the conveyance path 4 from the opposite side of the first guide roller 2 across the web W in the first space. Further, the auxiliary rollers 13 and 14 guide the web W to pass through the conveyance path 4 by sandwiching the web W between them and the guide rollers 2 and 3. Therefore, the sealing device Se can linearly convey the web W as shown in the figure.

The auxiliary rollers 13 and 14 have approximately the same diameter as the guide rollers 2 and 3, and are arranged symmetrically with the web W in between, so that the shape of the space that can serve as a flow path for atmospheric gas is approximately equal on the front and back sides of the web W. It is preferable.

The auxiliary rollers 13 and 14 may have the same configuration as the guide rollers 2 and 3, but may also have elasticity on at least the surface and be configured to be able to press the web W against the rigid guide rollers 2 and 3. good.

The second exhaust flow path 5e includes a communication portion 6e that penetrates the partition portion 1e and connects the first space and the second space, and a connection portion 7e that connects the communication portion 6e to a low pressure source. This second exhaust flow path 5e sucks in a part of the atmospheric gas that is about to flow into the conveyance path 4 from the first space along the first auxiliary roller 13 and discharges it to the outside. Therefore, the second exhaust flow path 5e suppresses vibrations of the web W by reducing the amount of atmospheric gas that flows toward the conveyance path 4 along the first auxiliary roller 13 and collides with the web W. .

The relationship between the second exhaust flow path 5e and the first auxiliary roller 13 is the same as the relationship between the first exhaust flow path 5 and the first guide roller 2. Therefore, the communication portion 6e of the second exhaust flow path 5e opens into the first space at a position facing the angular region of the outer peripheral surface of the first auxiliary roller 13 where the web W does not come into contact with the second auxiliary roller 13. It is preferable to open into the second space at a position of the outer circumferential surface of which faces an angular region where the web W does not abut. More preferably, the second exhaust flow path 5e is approximately symmetrical to the first exhaust flow path 5 with the web W in between, so that the flow of atmospheric gas flowing into the conveyance path 4 on the front and back sides of the web W is approximately equal. is formed.

[Seventh embodiment]
A sealing device Sf according to another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. and a second guide roller 3) on the second space side. This sealing device Sf connects the first space and the second space, has a conveyance path 4 formed through which the web W passes, and opens into the first space in the vicinity of the conveyance path 4, and has gas in the first space. It has an exhaust flow path 5f formed to discharge gas to the outside, and a supply flow path 15 that supplies gas from the outside to the exhaust flow path 5f.

The configuration of the guide rollers 2, 3 and the conveyance path 4 in the sealing device Sf of FIG. 9 is similar to the configuration of the guide rollers 2, 3 and the conveyance path 4 in the sealing device S of FIG. 2.

The exhaust flow path 5f has a communication section 6 that vertically penetrates the partition wall 1 and connects the first space and the second space, and a connection section 7f that connects the communication section 6 to a low pressure source. The supply channel 15 is connected to the communication portion 6 at a different position from the connection portion 7f, for example, on the upstream side of the connection portion 7f.

For example, clean dry air, nitrogen, etc. are supplied to the supply channel 15. Thereby, the content of undesirable impurities (for example, water vapor, oxygen, etc.) in the gas flowing into the second space from the communication portion 6 can be reduced.

The flow rate of the gas supplied from the supply channel 15 can be, for example, 1/100000 or more and 1/100 or less of the flow rate of the gas exhausted to the outside from the connection portion 7f.

[Eighth embodiment]
A sealing device Sg according to yet another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is disposed within a partition wall 1g separating a first space and a second space, and an opening 10 formed in the partition wall 1g. The web W is provided with a guide roller 9 and a pair of auxiliary rollers 16 that guide the web W before and after the guide roller 9. The guide roller 9 is disposed within an opening 10 formed in the partition wall 1g, and is partially exposed to the first space and the second space. In the sealing device Sg, one of the two spaces formed between the inner edge of the opening 10 and the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9 in cross-sectional view (lower side in the drawing) is the conveyance path 4g through which the web W passes, and the other ( The upper side of the drawing) is a communication portion 6g of the exhaust flow path 5g that discharges the gas in the first space to the outside. The inner edge of the opening 10 of the partition wall 1g facing the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9 is a cylindrical surface that maintains a constant gap with the guide roller 9. The partition wall portion 1g is formed on the inner wall surface of the opening 10, the surface facing the peripheral surface of the side that does not contact the web W of the guide roller 9, the surface facing the end surface of the guide roller 9, and the surface facing the web W of the guide roller 9. It has an exhaust groove 17 that is continuously formed on the surface facing the peripheral surface on the side that does not come into contact with it. Further, a plurality of connecting portions 7g each opening into the exhaust groove 17 are formed in the partition wall portion 1g in order to connect the communicating portion 6g to a low pressure source.

The exhaust groove 17 equalizes the internal pressure of the communication portion 6g in the axial direction of the guide roller 9. Thereby, the gas that is about to collide with the web W can be uniformly exhausted over the entire width direction, and vibrations of the web W can be suppressed more effectively.

Further, the exhaust groove 17 extends from the inner edge of the opening 10, from the surface facing the side of the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9 that does not contact the web W, to the surface facing the end surface of the guide roller 9, and furthermore, from the surface facing the end surface of the guide roller 9, It is continuously formed on the surface opposite to the side that comes into contact with the web W of the surface. For this reason, the exhaust groove 17 allows gas that attempts to enter the second space to pass through the gap between the partition wall 1g and the end surface of the guide roller 9 and the gap between the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9 and the side that abuts the web W. can be discharged to the outside. Thereby, the pressure increase in the second space can be suppressed and the differential pressure between the first space and the second space can be increased.

Furthermore, the sealing device Sg has a plurality of exhaust grooves 17 and a connecting portion 7g. Thereby, the pressure inside the communication portion 6g can be reduced stepwise from the first space to the second space, so the differential pressure between the first space and the second space can be further increased. In this way, in order to reduce the pressure inside the communication portion 6g in stages, it is preferable that different low pressure sources are connected to the plurality of connection portions 7g.

[Ninth embodiment]
A sealing device Sh according to yet another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 12 includes a partition wall portion 1h separating a first space and a second space, and a guide disposed within an opening 10 formed in the partition wall portion 1h. It includes a roller 9, a pair of auxiliary rollers 16 that guide the web W before and after the guide roller 9, and a shutter section 18 that seals between the partition wall section 1h and the guide roller 9. In the sealing device Sh, one of the two spaces formed between the inner edge of the opening 10 and the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9 in cross-sectional view (lower side in the drawing) is the conveyance path 4h through which the web W passes, and the other ( The upper side of the drawing) is a communication portion 6h of the exhaust flow path 5h that discharges the gas in the first space to the outside. The partition wall portion 1h includes a surface of the inner wall surface of the opening 10 that faces the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9 on the side that does not contact the web W, a surface that faces the end surface of the guide roller 9, and a surface that faces the web W of the guide roller 9. It has an exhaust groove 17 that is continuously formed on the surface facing the peripheral surface on the side that does not come into contact with it. Further, a plurality of connecting portions 7h each opening into the exhaust groove 17 are formed in the partition wall portion 1h in order to connect the communicating portion 6h to a low pressure source. The partition wall portion 1h in the sealing device Sh in FIG. 12 is similar to the partitioning wall portion 1g in the sealing device Sh in FIG. In other words, the conveyance path 4h and the exhaust flow path 5h (the communication section 6h and the connection section 7h) of the sealing device Sh in FIG. 7g). Therefore, the sealing device Sh of FIG. 12 is obtained by adding a shutter section 18 to the sealing device Sg of FIG. 10.

The shutter section 18 is arranged on the second space side of the partition wall section 1h so as to face a portion of the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9 that does not guide the web W. That is, the shutter section 18 is arranged so as to seal the end of the communication section 6h on the second space side. The shutter section 18 includes a sealing member 19 that brings a distal end edge close to the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9, and a holding mechanism 20 that holds the sealing member 19 so that the distance between the sealing member 19 and the guide roller 9 can be adjusted.

It is preferable that at least the tip of the sealing member 19 close to the guide roller 9 is formed into a square rod shape or a strip shape. It is preferable that the sealing member 19 is oriented such that its tip end surface is substantially parallel to the opposing portion of the circumferential surface of the guide roller 9 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the guide roller 9 . This increases the flow path resistance of gas passing through the gap between the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9, making it easier to increase the differential pressure between the first space and the second space. Further, the tip edge of the sealing member 19 is curved convexly or concavely toward the guide roller 9 in accordance with the deflection of the guide roller 9 during steady operation of the film forming apparatus.

The guide roller 9 bends due to its own weight and the differential pressure between the first space and the second space. For this reason, it is preferable that the leading edge of the sealing member 19 is curved convexly or concavely toward the guide roller 9 in accordance with the deflection of the guide roller 9 during steady operation of the film forming apparatus b.

Although it varies depending on the structure of the guide roller 9 and the set pressures of the first space and the second space, the force acting on the guide roller 9 is often dominated by a component due to the differential pressure between the first space and the second space. . Therefore, the resultant force that bends the guide roller 9 can be approximately in the direction of penetration of the opening 10. Therefore, the tip edge of the sealing member 19 of the shutter section 18 disposed on the first space side is curved concavely toward the guide roller 9 side.

The amount of radial deflection (maximum displacement observed at the center in the length direction) at the angular position where the shutter portion 18 of the guide roller 9 is disposed during steady operation of the film forming apparatus is, for example, a guide with a length of 1200 mm. At the roller 9, the thickness is about 30 μm. Further, under the same conditions, if there is no differential pressure between the first space and the second space and the guide roller 9 is deflected only by its own weight, the amount of deflection of the guide roller 9 will be about 5 μ.

The distance between the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9 during steady operation of the film forming apparatus needs to be, for example, 100 μm or less, although it depends on the desired differential pressure between the first space and the second space. obtain. When the distance between the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9 increases, the gas in the first space can flow into the second space through the gap between the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9, increasing the internal pressure of the second space. Furthermore, if the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9 come into contact with each other, the seal member 19 or the guide roller 9 may wear out and abrasion powder may adhere to the web W, so the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9 should not come into contact with each other. There must be.

In the shutter section 18, the distal end edge of the seal member 19 is curved, so that the distance between the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9 can be reduced overall. Conversely, if the tip edge of the sealing member 19 is straight, the difference in the distance between the sealing member 19 at the end and the center of the guide roller 9 due to the deflection of the guide roller 9 may cause assembly errors or mechanical damage. If vibrations or the like are applied, the distance between the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9 cannot be kept within the above-mentioned range over the entire length of the guide roller 9. The sealing device Sh including the shutter part 18 having the sealing member 19 having a curved tip edge can reduce the amount of gas flowing from the first space to the second space, so it is possible to reduce the amount of gas flowing from the first space to the second space. Even if the capacity is small, the differential pressure between the first space and the second space can be made relatively large.

The seal member 19 can be made of steel, stainless steel, or the like. In addition, the sealing member 19 may come into contact with the guide roller 9 due to unforeseen circumstances, such as when the vacuum pump suddenly stops due to a power outage and the pressure on the low pressure side suddenly increases, or when large vibrations are received for some reason. It is preferable that the tip end portion be coated with resin or the like so as not to damage the guide roller 9 even if the guide roller 9 is not damaged. As the resin covering the tip of the sealing member 19, it is preferable to use urethane resin, acrylic resin, styrene acrylic resin, epoxy resin, vinyl ester resin, polyurea resin, NBR resin, etc., which have high hardness and excellent wear resistance. The thickness of the resin covering the tip of the sealing member 19 is preferably about several tens of micrometers in order to suppress errors in the shape of the tip edge of the sealing member 19.

The holding mechanism 20 holds the base member 21 and the seal member 19 disposed on the partition wall portion 1h so as to be protrusive and retractable in the radial direction of the guide roller 9, and is movable in the radial direction of the guide roller 9 with respect to the base member 21. a movable support member 22 that can be attached, an adjustment part 23 for positioning the sealing member 19 on the movable support member 22 and an elastic member biasing the movable support member 22 and thus the sealing member 19 to project toward the guide roller 9. 24.

The holding mechanism 20 reduces the gap between the sealing member 19 and the guide roller 9 by causing the movable support member 22 to protrude toward the guide roller 9 using the adjustment section 23 in order to cause the shutter section 18 to exhibit a sealing effect. Further, in the holding mechanism 20, when the deflection of the guide roller 9 decreases due to some unexpected situation and the guide roller 9 comes into contact with the seal member 19, the seal member 19 retreats against the biasing force of the elastic member 24. By making this possible, damage to the guide roller 9 and the seal member 19 can be prevented.

The base member 21 may be formed integrally with the partition wall 1h, or may be airtightly attached to the partition wall 1h. It is preferable that the movable support member 22 is airtightly attached to the base member 21 and holds the seal member 19 airtightly. The adjustment section 23 can be configured by, for example, a micrometer head. The elastic member 24 is normally disposed so as to press the movable support member 22 against the moving end on the sealing roller side, and can be constituted by, for example, a helical spring.

The adjustment unit 23 may be configured to automatically adjust the gap between the seal member 19 and the guide roller 9 according to the operating state of the vacuum device U, or may be configured to be operated under the initiative of an operator. . When the adjustment section 23 is configured to be operated manually, the shutter section 18 is preferably provided outside the first space, that is, the decompression chamber R, so that the operator can easily access it.

The sealing device Sh of this embodiment can reduce the amount of gas flowing into the second space from the first space through the communication part 6h by the shutter part 18, so that the differential pressure between the first space and the second space can be reduced. can be made even larger.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes and modifications can be made.

For example, the number of buffer chambers in the film forming apparatus according to the present invention is arbitrary, and the number of buffer chambers may be different between the upstream side and the downstream side of the film forming chamber. Further, in the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the sealing device according to the present invention may be disposed between at least one set of adjacent buffer chambers or between a buffer chamber and a film forming chamber. In the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the sealing device according to the present invention is provided between the buffer chambers where the pressure is relatively high. Specifically, vibration of the web can be effectively suppressed by providing the sealing device according to the present invention in a portion where the state of motion of air (atmospheric gas) blowing between adjacent buffer chambers becomes a viscous flow. On the other hand, if the state of motion of the air blowing between adjacent buffer chambers is intermediate flow or molecular flow, the possibility that the air will vibrate the web is low, so a sealing device with a simpler configuration may be provided.

The sealing device according to the present invention can also be used to suppress atmospheric gas from flowing out from a first space, which is a space whose pressure is higher than atmospheric pressure. In this case, the gas discharged from the exhaust flow path may be returned to the first space.

In the vacuum apparatus according to the present invention and the film forming apparatus according to the present invention, the entire partition wall that partitions adjacent chambers may be the partition wall portion of the sealing device according to the present invention.

When the pressure in the first space is higher than atmospheric pressure, the low pressure source connected to the exhaust flow path of the sealing device according to the present invention is a pressure regulating valve or the like whose secondary side is opened to the atmosphere and provides a desired back pressure to the exhaust flow path. It may be a pressure adjustment mechanism.

The exhaust flow path of the sealing device according to the present invention may have three or more connecting portions connected to the communication path. Further, a supply flow path for supplying gas from the outside may be connected to the communication path to which the plurality of connection parts are connected. The positional relationship between the connection part and the supply channel is not particularly limited, and the supply channel may be connected closest to the second space.

In the illustrated embodiment, the exhaust flow path of the sealing device according to the present invention is connected to a low pressure source via a flow path formed in the partition wall, but the exhaust flow path is connected to a low pressure source via a flow path formed in the partition wall, but a pipe or tube passing through the first space or the second space is It may also be connected to a low pressure source via.

The exhaust groove of the sealing device according to the present invention may be formed on the inner wall surface of the opening, at least on the surface facing the peripheral surface of the side that does not contact the web of the guide roller.

The film manufacturing method according to the present invention is not limited to the method of laminating other materials on the web, but the web is subjected to plasma treatment, reduced pressure drying, nitriding, etc. in a vacuum space isolated from the atmosphere using the vacuum apparatus according to the present invention. It may be subjected to processing such as treatment, heat treatment, dehydration treatment, vacuum arc surface decontamination treatment, etc. In addition to these processes, various inspections such as X-ray film thickness measurement and composition measurement may be performed outside the vacuum space. Further, the method of laminating other materials on the web is not limited to sputtering, and other methods such as PVD (physical vapor deposition), CVD (chemical vapor deposition), thermal spraying, etc. may be employed. The material to be laminated is not particularly limited, and a DLC coat, a PVD ceramic hard coat, etc. may be formed.

1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f Partition wall portion 2, 3, 9 Guide roller 4, 4d Conveyance path 5, 5a, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f Exhaust flow path 6, 6a, 6d, 6e Communication portion 7, 7c ₁ , 7c ₂ , 7e, 7f Connection part 8 Projection part 9 Guide roller 10 Opening 11 First extension projection part 12 Second extension projection part 13, 14 Auxiliary roller 15 Supply channel 17 Exhaust groove 18 Shutter part D Drum E Sputtering device F Film forming device P1 to P6, P1a to P6a Partition wall R1 to R6, R1a to R6a Buffer chamber Rf, RFa Film forming chamber S, Sa, Sb, Sc, Sd, Se, Sf Sealing device V1 to V5, V6 , V7, V11 to V16 Low pressure source W Web

Claims (10)

A sealing device that enables continuous conveyance of a web while isolating a first space and a second space whose pressure is lower than that of the first space,
a partition that partitions the first space and the second space;
a pair of guide rollers that are provided in the first space and the second space in proximity to the partition wall and guide the web;
Equipped with
a conveyance path that vertically penetrates the partition wall and connects the first space and the second space, through which the web passes;
It opens into the first space at least at a position on the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller in the vicinity of the conveyance path, opposite to or adjacent to an angular region where the web does not come into contact, and is connected to a low pressure source. an exhaust flow path for discharging gas to the outside;
has
The exhaust flow path includes a communication section that connects the first space and the second space, and a connection section that connects the communication section to the low pressure source. The sealing device according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust flow path has a plurality of the connections connected to different low pressure sources. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide roller is capable of generating heat to heat the web. The sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the average length of the conveyance path in the thickness direction of the web is 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. A vacuum device comprising the sealing device according to claim 1 and a low pressure chamber defining the second space. The vacuum apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the pressure in the first space is atmospheric pressure. A deposition chamber that is evacuated,
a plurality of buffer chambers provided in series before and after the web transport direction of the film forming chamber;
The buffer chamber is used as a high-pressure chamber that defines the first space, and the buffer chamber is used as a high-pressure chamber that defines the first space, and the buffer chamber is used as a high-pressure chamber that defines the first space, and the buffer chamber is used as a high-pressure chamber that defines the first space, and the The sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the adjacent buffer chamber is provided as a low pressure chamber that defines the second space.
A film forming apparatus comprising: 8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the buffer chamber on the upstream side and the buffer chamber on the downstream side of the film forming chamber are integrated, and the web is transported folded back. A film manufacturing method comprising the step of processing the web into the web using the vacuum apparatus according to claim 5 or 6 . The film manufacturing method according to claim 9 , wherein the average thickness of the web when passing through the conveyance path is 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

Images