JPH02107770A - Continuous vacuum deposition equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently and partially remove a vapor-deposited thin film by continuously introducing a flexible base plate into a vacuum chamber via a differential pressure chamber and performing a vacuum deposition thereon and thereafter irradiating the vapor-deposited thin film with laser beams in the vacuum chamber or the differential pressure chamber. CONSTITUTION:A flexible running base plate 1 supplied from an uncoiler 19 is continuously introduced into a vacuum vapor deposition chamber 2 from the atmosphere via a sealing device 14 equipping the differential pressure chambers 16a... partitioned into a plurality of steps. Herein a thin film is formed on the base plate 1 by performing vacuum deposition with a vapor deposition device 7. Thereafter the vapor-deposited thin film on the base plate 1 is irradiated with the laser beams 26 emitted from a laser oscillator 24 via an optical system 25 and an introduction window 27 in the vacuum deposition chamber 2 or the differential pressure chambers 16a.... In this case, one part of laser beams 26 is preferably interrupted by arranging a mask 28 in the route of the laser beams 26. Thereby one part of the vapor-deposited thin film is continuously removed and a distinct pattern sharp in the boundary is formed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention involves continuously vacuum-depositing a thin film of metal or the like on a flexible running substrate such as paper or plastic film, and applying one of the deposited thin films. The present invention relates to a device for continuously removing parts.

[Conventional technology]

When manufacturing a continuous substrate such as paper or plastic film with metal etc. deposited on only a portion of the surface,
Conventionally, a device as shown in FIG. 2 has been used. In this figure, 101 is a traveling substrate, 102 is a deposition chamber, and 10
3 is the deflector roll.

104 is a cooling roll, 105 is a take-up reel, 106 is an unwinding reel, 107 is a vapor deposition device, 108 is a vapor deposition material, 1o9
110 is a vapor deposition material storage container, 110 is a vapor deposition material heating device, 111 is an edge mask, 112 is a masking oil), and 123 is an exhaust pump unit.

In such an apparatus, a traveling substrate 101 is connected to a vapor deposition chamber 1.
02 from the unwinding reel 106 to the deflector roll 103
is sent to the cooling roll 104 via the cooling roll 104.
After being deposited by the deposition device 107 above.

It is wound up on a winding wheel 105. The vapor deposition chamber 102 is maintained at a degree of vacuum suitable for vapor deposition by a vacuum pump unit 123.

On the other hand, the plurality of masking belts 112 run endlessly via the deflector rolls 103.
It runs on the cooling roll 104 in close contact with the running substrate 101 at a constant speed. Vapor deposition is performed only on the exposed surface portion of the surface of the traveling substrate 101 that is not in close contact with the masking belt 112.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The conventional continuous vapor deposition apparatus described above has the following secondary problems to be solved.

(1) Masking causes deposition metal etc. to adhere to the surface of the rut, so it was necessary to remove it.

(2) Low vapor pressure oil was applied to the surface of the masking belt to make it easier to remove metals deposited on it, but since the oil evaporated inside the vacuum container, maintenance of the vacuum container was also required. .

(3) To change the number of masking belts, belt thickness, or belt spacing, it was necessary to open the vacuum container and make adjustments.

(4) It was not possible to create a fine pattern or a pattern that was closed in the longitudinal direction (for example, a pattern in which only the shaded area of the 5-shaped circle was not deposited as shown in FIG. 3).

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems.

A flexible substrate is continuously introduced from the atmosphere into a vacuum chamber through a differential pressure chamber partitioned into multiple stages, and after vacuum evaporation is performed on the substrate in the vacuum chamber, In a continuous vacuum evaporation apparatus in which the substrate is transported into the atmosphere through a pressure chamber.

A continuous vacuum evaporation apparatus characterized in that a means for irradiating a laser beam onto the deposited thin film on the substrate in the vacuum chamber or differential pressure chamber is provided, and a part of the laser beam is blocked in the path of the laser beam. This paper proposes a continuous vacuum evaporation apparatus characterized by being provided with a mask.

[Effect]

In the present invention, by irradiating the thin film surface on the substrate with a high energy density laser beam for a short period of time, the depth of heat penetration into the substrate is suppressed to a very small amount, and the thin film is deposited without damaging the substrate. can only be evaporated. Also,
By irradiating laser light through a mask, it is possible to irradiate the surface of a thin laser film with a uniform energy intensity distribution, so that the boundary between the part where metal etc. is deposited and the part where it is removed becomes sharp. (The energy distribution of laser light generally has a shape close to a normal distribution as shown in Figure 4, and the energy density at the edges of the laser light is small, so if no mask is provided, the evaporated (The boundary between the removed portion becomes unclear.) [Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In this figure, 1.1' is a flexible running board;
2 is a deposition chamber (vacuum chamber), 3 is a deflector roll, 4 is a cooling roll, 5.5' is a pair of take-up reels, 6.6'
1 is a pair of unwinding reels, 7 is a vapor deposition device, and 8 is a vapor deposition material.

9 is a vapor deposition material storage container, 10 is a vapor deposition material heating device, 11 is an edge mask, 14 is a sealing device, 15a + 15b
+ 15c is a seal roll, 16a + 16b *
16c is a differential pressure chamber, 17 is a channel, 19 is an uncoiler, 20 is a coil 2, 21 is a pressing roll, 22 is a cutting machine,
23 indicates an exhaust pump unit. Also, 24
2 is a laser oscillator, 25 is an optical system such as a bell that controls the laser beam, and 26 is a laser beam.

n indicates a laser beam introduction window, and 28 indicates a mask provided with slits or holes.

In such a device, the running board 1 is connected to the uncoiler 19.
is attached to one 6 of a pair of unwinding reels, and is sent to the sealing device 14 via the deflector roll 3. This sealing device 14 includes a set of three sealing rolls 15a +
A differential pressure chamber 16a is partitioned by a plurality of sets 15b + 15c, . . . arranged at regular intervals.

16b r 16c, +++, and the differential pressure chamber 1
6a r 16b + 16c *... A pressure gradient is generated from the atmospheric side up to the vapor deposition chamber 2 by the exhaust pump unit (Z3) connected to the vapor deposition chamber 2.

The vapor deposition chamber 2 is maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum. The running board 1 is
Said C/l/o-# 15a, 15b,
15c, - gap between two rolls on one side (right side in the figure) of the three rolls and differential pressure chamber 16a + 16b
+16c, . . . are passed one after another. After being vapor deposited on the cooling roll 4 by the vapor deposition device 7, the seal rolls 15a + 15b r15C1...
It travels in the opposite direction through the gap between the two rolls on opposite sides (left side in the figure) of the main rolls, and is carried out from the sealing device 14 into the atmosphere. The traveling substrate 1 thus carried out into the atmosphere is wound up via a deflector roll 3 onto one of a pair of take-up reels 5 with a coiler attached thereto.

In order to continuously unwind the running board 9 times, a new running board 1' is attached to the other unwinding reel 6' of the uncoiler 19, and is synchronized with the speed of the running board 1 by a drive device (not shown). After that, it is pressed against the running board 1 by the operation of the pressing roll 21.

Both running boards 1.1' are glued together using double-sided tape or the like that has been previously attached to the new running board 1'. Then, at the same time as being bonded, a cutting machine n cuts the old running board 1, and only the new running board 1' is passed through. The same goes for winding. Double-sided tape or the like is pasted on the other take-up reel 5' of the coiler, and after being synchronized with the running board 1, the running board 1 is adhered by the pressing roll 21, and the adhesion is done. At the same time, the cutting machine η cuts the old running board 1, and winding on the new reel 5' begins.

On the other hand, the light U is oscillated from a laser oscillator, and is generated by the optical system 5. The laser beam reaches the traveling substrate 1 through the laser beam introduction window and the mask.

The energy density of the laser source depends on the type and thickness of the metal being deposited or plated, the material and thickness of the running board,
Determined from driving speed. - As an example, aluminum is coated to a thickness of 40μ on the surface of a polypropylene film with a thickness of 5μ.
A case in which a capacitor material is manufactured from a film deposited with 0 angstroms will be explained next.

First, the damage thickness of the polypropylene film that is the substrate is called the overall thickness. . That is, the upper limit of the laser irradiation time is determined in order to suppress it to 0.25 μm or less. The relationship between the laser irradiation time T and the temperature penetration depth d is as follows: d = Fi (where: Thermal conductivity of polypropylene = Z74
10 m/h), so d≦0.25X1
If we set it as 0 (m).

T≦1.90×10(h)=6.84×
10 (sec). Laser irradiation length is 0.5μ
If m is the film running speed V.

V = L/T = 438 ml''.The heat iQ required to evaporate the aluminum vapor deposited film of the above thickness is 0.341 (h/,,').

If the laser irradiation width B is 10 circles, the laser output W is.

W = QBL/T = 89 k country 47”h = 104 watts/slit.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Simultaneously with continuous vapor deposition of metal, etc. onto the surface of a flexible substrate such as paper or plastic film.

By successively removing a portion of the deposited thin film,
The width of the thin film and the width of the area without the thin film can be freely controlled. Furthermore, the maintenance of oil applied to the vacuum container of the vacuum evaporation apparatus and the maintenance of the masking belt, which were necessary in conventional apparatuses, are no longer necessary, and productivity is improved.

(2) By guiding laser light into a sealed container (vacuum container) to remove deposited metal, there is no need to worry about the removed metal powder worsening the surrounding environment. Also, if the degree of vacuum is high, Since the temperature of the deposited thin film required to remove the thin film can be lowered (vapor pressure may also be lowered), the deposited thin film can be removed with less laser output.

(3) By installing a mask, the boundary between the deposited part and the removed part can be made sharp and clear.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a conventional continuous vacuum evaporation apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a complicated pattern, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the energy distribution of laser light. 1, 1', 101... Traveling board; 2.102.
... Deposition chamber (vacuum chamber): 3.103 ... Deflector roll; 4.104 ... Cooling roll; 5.5,10
5... Winding reel; 6, 6', 106... Unwinding reel; 7.107... Vapor deposition device; 8.108...
・Vapor deposition material; 11.111... Edge mask; 112
... Masking held; 14... Seal device;
15a, 15b, 15c... seal roll; 16a,
16b, 16cm...Differential pressure chamber; 17-...Channel; 19...Uncoiler; To...Carp 2; 21
...pressing roll; n...cutting machine; 23,123
... Exhaust pump unit; Sae... Laser oscillator; 5
...optical system; ...laser beam; n...laser light introduction window; ah...mask.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A flexible substrate is continuously introduced from the atmosphere into a vacuum chamber through a differential pressure chamber divided into multiple stages, and after vacuum deposition is performed on the substrate in the vacuum chamber, the flexible substrate is divided into multiple stages. In a continuous vacuum evaporation apparatus in which the substrate is transported into the atmosphere through a differential pressure chamber, the device further comprises means for irradiating the deposited thin film on the substrate with a laser beam in the vacuum chamber or the differential pressure chamber. Continuous vacuum evaporation equipment with special features. (2) The continuous vacuum evaporation apparatus according to claim (1), further comprising a mask provided in the path of the laser beam to block part of the laser beam.