Patent Application
20170191162
The disclosure relates to a coating apparatus, more particularly to a coating apparatus for continuously forming a film through chemical vapor deposition.
Referring to
Although, through periodic cleaning or replacement of the conveyor unit 11, malfunction of the conveyor unit 11 can be avoided, periodic cleaning or replacement of the conveyor unit 11 is both time- and manpower-consuming, increasing the production cost and adversely affecting the overall production capacity.
According to the disclosure, a coating apparatus for continuously forming a film through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) includes a conveyor unit for conveying a substrate along a moving path, a deposition unit and a film formation-prohibiting unit.
The deposition unit is disposed on the moving path and includes a deposition chamber adapted for receiving the substrate and forming a film on the substrate through CVD.
The film formation-prohibiting unit includes a heating mechanism that is disposed in the deposition chamber for maintaining the conveyor unit at a film formation-prohibiting temperature.
Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Before the disclosure is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to
The deposition unit 3 includes, arranged sequentially along the moving path (X), an inlet chamber 33, an inlet connection chamber 32 that is in spatial communication with the inlet chamber 33, a deposition chamber 31 that is in spatial communication with the inlet connection chamber 32 and adapted for receiving the substrate 200 and forming a film on the substrate 200 through CVD, an outlet connection chamber 34 that is in spatial communication with the deposition chamber 31, and an outlet chamber 35 that is in spatial communication with the outlet connection chamber 34. The deposition unit 3 further includes an inlet connection gate 36 that is disposed between the inlet connection chamber 32 and the inlet chamber 33 for permitting entry of the substrate 200 into the inlet connection chamber 32, an inlet gate 37 that is disposed on the inlet chamber 33 and spaced apart from the inlet connection gate 36 for permitting entry of the substrate 200 into the inlet chamber 33, an outlet connection gate 38 that is disposed between the outlet connection chamber 34 and the outlet chamber 35 for permitting entry of the substrate 200 into the outlet connection chamber 34, and an outlet gate 39 that is disposed at the outlet chamber 35 and spaced apart from the outlet connection gate 38 for permitting exiting of the substrate 200 out of the outlet chamber 35. By way of example, the deposition chamber 31 may be used for forming a poly-para-xylene (poly-p-xylene) film on the substrate 200, and the inlet connection gate 36, the inlet gate 37, the outlet connection gate 38 and the outlet gate 39 may all be gate valves.
The film formation-prohibiting unit 4 includes a heating mechanism 41 that is disposed in the deposition chamber 31 at a position corresponding to the conveyor unit 2 so as to maintain the conveyor unit 2 at a film formation-prohibiting temperature, at which formation of the film through CVD on the conveyor unit 2 hardly occurs, an inlet heating mechanism 42 that is disposed in the inlet connection chamber 32, and an inlet condensation mechanism 43 that is disposed in the inlet connection chamber 32 and spaced apart from the inlet heating mechanism 42, an outlet heating mechanism 44 that is disposed in the outlet connection chamber 34, and an outlet condensation mechanism 45 that is disposed in the outlet connection chamber 34 and spaced apart from the outlet heating mechanism 44. In one configuration, the inlet heating mechanism 42 is disposed between the inlet condensation mechanism 43 and the deposition chamber 31, the outlet heating mechanism 44 is disposed between the outlet condensation mechanism 45 and the deposition chamber 31. The heating mechanism 41 is proximate to the conveyor mechanism 21 so as to cover the conveyor mechanism 21. As an example, the heating mechanism 41 is a two-piece heating seat that is disposed between the substrate 200 and the conveyor mechanism 21 and has a substantially U-shaped longitudinal cross section. However, for conforming to the design of a conveyor table of the conveyor mechanism 21, the heating mechanism 41 may only cover a lower portion of the conveyor mechanism 21, or may circumferentially enclose the conveyor mechanism 21 as long as the operation of the conveyor mechanism 21 is not interfered. Moreover, based on the chemical properties of poly-p-xylene, film formation through CVD hardly occurs at a temperature higher than 60° C. and occurs quickly at a temperature lower than −60° C. For this reason, the film formation-prohibiting temperature and the temperatures of the inlet heating mechanism 42 and the outlet heating mechanism 44 each range from 60° C. to 150° C., and the temperatures of the inlet condensation mechanism 43 and the outlet condensation mechanism 45 each range from −60° C. to −150° C. As an example, the temperature of the outlet heating mechanism 44 is 100° C. and the temperature of the outlet condensation mechanism 45 is −100° C.
By way of example, when the coating apparatus is used to form the poly-p-xylene film on the substrate 200, the inlet connection gate 36, the inlet gate 37, the outlet connection gate 38 and the outlet gate 39 are closed and then, the deposition chamber 31, the inlet chamber 33 and the outlet chamber 35 are evacuated to a pressure of 3 mTorr.
Next, the heating mechanism 41 is heated to the film formation-prohibiting temperature. The inlet heating mechanism 42 and the outlet heating mechanism 44 are heated to 100° C. The inlet condensation mechanism 43 and the outlet condensation mechanism 45 are cooled to −100° C.
Thereafter, the inlet gate 37 is opened and the substrate 200 is conveyed by the conveyor mechanism 21 to the inlet chamber 33, followed by closing the inlet gate 37 and evacuating the inlet chamber 33 to the pressure of 3 mTorr. Subsequently, the inlet connection gate 36 is opened and the substrate 200 is conveyed by the conveyor mechanism 21 to the deposition chamber 31, followed by closing the inlet connection gate 36.
Para-xylene (p-xylene) monomers are introduced into the deposition chamber 31 and the deposition chamber 31 is controlled to be maintained at a pressure of 40 mTorr so as to form the poly-p-xylene film on the substrate 200 through CVD. After the film formation is conducted for a predetermined time period, introduction of the p-xylene monomers into the deposition chamber 31 is terminated. Through radiation heat generated by the heating mechanism 41 that is maintained at the temperature of 100° C., the periphery of the conveyor mechanism 21 is heated so as to prevent the p-xylene monomers from being deposited on the conveyor mechanism 21 to form a poly-p-xylene film thereon.
Thereafter, the outlet connection gate 38 is opened and the substrate 200 coated with the poly-p-xylene film is conveyed to the outlet chamber 35. Next, the outlet connection gate 38 is closed and the outlet gate 39 is opened so as to move the substrate 200 coated with the poly-p-xylene film out of the outlet chamber 35.
By sequentially repeating opening and closing operations of the inlet connection gate 36, the inlet gate 37, the outlet connection gate 38 and the outlet gate 39, the vacuum of the deposition chamber 31 is able to be maintained for continuously forming the poly-p-xylene film on the substrate 200.
Through radiation heat generated by the inlet heating mechanism 42 and the outlet heating mechanism 44 that are maintained at the temperature of 100° C., the pollution of the p-xylene monomers that overflow from the deposition chamber 31 into the inlet connection chamber 32 and the outlet connection chamber 34 can be avoided. Moreover, since the inlet condensation mechanism 43 and the outlet condensation mechanism 45 are maintained at the temperature of −100° C., trace amount of the p-xylene monomers passing through the inlet heating mechanism 42 and the outlet heating mechanism 44 can be captured. Not only pollution of the overflowing p-xylene monomers in the inlet chamber 33 and the outlet chamber 35 but also outflow of the p-xylene monomers through the inlet gate 37 and the outlet gate 39 can be avoided so as to provide a dual protection effect. In addition, detachable connection of the connection mechanism 22 between the conveyor mechanism 21 and the substrate 200 is advantageous to cleaning and replacement of the connection mechanism 22.
Referring to
In view of the similarity between the first and second embodiments, in addition to the effect achievable by the first embodiment, trace amount of the p-xylene monomers passing through the relatively high radiation heat area full of the radiation heat generated by the heating mechanism 41 can be selectively and quickly coated on the adsorption mechanisms 46 due to location of the adsorption mechanisms 46 adjacent to the conveyor mechanism 21 and the adsorption temperature of the adsorption mechanisms 46 much lower than the condensing temperature of the conveyor mechanism 21. The effect of prohibiting formation of the poly-p-xylene film on the conveyor mechanism 21 can be enhanced.
Referring to
Moreover, in this embodiment, the heating mechanism 41 is configured as a heating seat having an inverted U-shaped longitudinal cross section. Alternatively, the heating mechanism 41 maybe configured as a heating board as shown in
Referring to
In sum, by virtue of heating the conveyor unit 2 to the film formation-prohibiting temperature by the heating mechanism 41, film formation on the conveyor unit 2 is prevented from occurring while film formation is carried out on the substrate 200. Therefore, malfunction in the conveyor unit 2 due to a change in the apparent size thereof can be avoided. The cleaning or replacement frequency of the conveyor unit 2 can be reduced. Thereby, the maintenance cost is greatly reduced and production capacity thereof can be enhanced.
While the disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered the practical embodiments, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
This disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
