U.S. patent application number 10/712509 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-20 for method for vacuum treatment of workpieces and vacuum treatment installation.
This patent application is currently assigned to Unaxis Balzers Aktiengesellschaft of Balzers, Liechtenstein.. Invention is credited to Schaefer, Franz Josef, Weinzerl, Helfried.
Application Number | 20040096583 10/712509 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 4193163 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040096583 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schaefer, Franz Josef ; et
al. |
May 20, 2004 |
Method for vacuum treatment of workpieces and vacuum treatment
installation
Abstract
A method for manufacturing workpieces treated in a vacuum
includes providing first and second vacuum chambers having first
and second vacuum pumps, respectively. A vacuum is generated in the
first and second vacuum chambers using the second vacuum pump. The
second vacuum pump is connected by valves between the first vacuum
chamber through the first vacuum pump and the second vacuum
chamber. The valves are operated to evacuate the second vacuum
chamber, followed by processing the workpieces in the first vacuum
chamber.
Inventors: |
Schaefer, Franz Josef;
(Rankweil, AT) ; Weinzerl, Helfried; (Feldkirch,
AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NOTARO & MICHALOS P.C.
Suite 110
100 Dutch Hill Road
Orangeburg
NY
10962-2100
US
|
Assignee: |
Unaxis Balzers Aktiengesellschaft
of Balzers, Liechtenstein.
|
Family ID: |
4193163 |
Appl. No.: |
10/712509 |
Filed: |
November 13, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10712509 |
Nov 13, 2003 |
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09958404 |
Jan 22, 2002 |
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6669987 |
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09958404 |
Jan 22, 2002 |
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PCT/CH00/00181 |
Mar 29, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
427/294 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C23C 16/4412 20130101;
C23C 14/566 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
427/294 |
International
Class: |
B05D 003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 16, 1999 |
CH |
701/99 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for manufacturing workpieces treated in vacuum
comprising: providing a first vacuum chamber connected with a first
vacuum pump; providing a second vacuum chamber; providing a second
vacuum pump dischargeable into atmosphere for producing a vacuum in
both the first and second vacuum chambers; providing a first valve
for connecting said second vacuum pump with the first vacuum
chamber via the first vacuum pump; providing a second valve for
connecting the second vacuum pump with the second vacuum chamber;
closing the first valve and opening the second valve for evacuating
the second vacuum chamber; and processing a workpiece in the first
vacuum chamber.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of closing
the second valve after evacuation of the second vacuum chamber and
opening the first valve for evacuation of the said first vacuum
chamber.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first pump is a turbo-vacuum
pump.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second pump is a single or
multistage rotary valve or membrane pump.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said vacuum treated workpiece is
a disc-shaped workpiece.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said vacuum treated workpiece is
an optical storage disc, said treatment comprising coating.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of
introducing at least one of said workpiece in one of said first and
second vacuum chambers and removing said workpiece from one of said
first and second vacuum chambers after said treating, the time-span
between said introducing and said removing being no more than 2
seconds.
8. A method for manufacturing a workpiece treated in vacuum
comprising: providing a first vacuum chamber connected with a first
vacuum pump; providing a second vacuum chamber; transporting a
workpiece to the first chamber; providing a second vacuum pump
dischargeable into atmosphere for producing a vacuum in both the
first and second vacuum chambers; providing a first valve for
connecting said second vacuum pump with the first vacuum chamber
via the first vacuum pump; providing a second valve for connecting
the second vacuum pump with the second vacuum chamber; closing the
first valve and opening the second valve for evacuating the second
vacuum chamber; and treating the workpiece in the first vacuum
chamber.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the workpiece is a disc-shaped
workpiece, the method including providing the second chamber to be
an interlock chamber and providing a lock valve between the first
and second chambers for connecting the chambers to each other and
for passage of the workpiece between the chambers, the workpiece
being transported from the second chamber to the first chamber
before the treating step.
10. The method of claim 9, including closing the second valve and
opening the first value for evacuating the first chamber, a total
time for transporting and treating the workpiece being at least 50%
of a total cycle time for evacuating the first and second chambers
plus the time for transporting and treating the workpiece.
11. The method of claim 8, including closing the second valve and
opening the first value for evacuating the first chamber, a total
time for transporting and treating the workpiece being at least 50%
of a total cycle time for evacuating the first and second chambers
plus the time for transporting and treating the workpiece.
12. A method for manufacturing a workpiece treated in vacuum
comprising: providing a first vacuum chamber connected with a first
vacuum pump; providing a second vacuum chamber; providing a second
vacuum pump dischargeable into atmosphere for producing a vacuum in
both the first and second vacuum chambers; providing a switch-over
unit having a first position for connecting said second vacuum pump
with the first vacuum chamber via the first vacuum pump, and a
second position for connecting the second vacuum pump with the
second vacuum chamber; moving the switch-over unit to the first
position for evacuating the first vacuum chamber; moving the
switch-over unit to the second position for evacuating the second
vacuum chamber; and processing a workpiece in the first vacuum
chamber.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the workpiece is a disc-shaped
workpiece, the method including providing the second chamber to be
an interlock chamber and providing a lock valve between the first
and second chambers for connecting the chambers to each other and
for passage of the workpiece between the chambers, the method
including transported the workpiece from the second chamber to the
first chamber before the treating step.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein a total time for transporting
and treating the workpiece is at least 50% of a total cycle time
for evacuating the first and second chambers plus a time for
transporting and treating the workpiece.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein a total time for transporting
and treating the workpiece is at least 50% of a total cycle time
for evacuating the first and second chambers plus a time for
transporting and treating the workpiece.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/958,404, filed Jan. 22, 2002, the entirety
of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Method for vacuum treatment of workpieces and vacuum
treatment installation. The present invention relates to a method
for the vacuum treatment of workpieces, in which a workpiece is
introduced into an interlock chamber open to the ambient
atmosphere, the interlock chamber is pumped out after it had been
closed off from said ambient atmosphere, the interlock chamber is
opened into an at least partially pumped-off vacuum chamber
configuration, the workpiece subsequently is transported from the
interlock chamber into the configuration and treated in the
configuration, the workpiece subsequently is transported back from
the configuration into the interlock chamber, the interlock chamber
is closed against the configuration, is subsequently flooded and,
lastly, the treated workpiece is carried from the flooded interlock
chamber into the ambient atmosphere, wherein at least a portion of
the configuration is pumped out by means of a turbo vacuum pump
with a forevacuum pump operationally connected therewith at the
high-pressure side and the interlock chamber is pumped out by means
of an interlock pump.
[0003] The present invention relates further to a vacuum treatment
installation comprising an interlock chamber, an interlock pump
connected therewith, further communicating with the interlock
chamber a vacuum chamber configuration operationally connected with
at least one turbo vacuum pump, with which latter is associated at
the high-pressure side a forevacuum pump.
[0004] In FIG. 1 is depicted in the form of a function block
diagram one such prior known configuration, in which said prior
known workpiece treatment method is readily evident to a person
skilled in the art.
[0005] According to FIG. 1, an interlock chamber 1 with lock valve
3 against ambient atmosphere U is provided with a lock valve 5
against a vacuum chamber configuration 7. The vacuum chamber
configuration 7 can therein comprise as a minimum configuration a
single treatment chamber B or one or several transport chamber(s)
operationally connected with the latter, again, one or several
treatment chamber(s) B as well as, if appropriate further interlock
chambers depending on how complex the treatment to be carried out
on the workpieces is and how many steps it comprises. As is readily
familiar to a person skilled in the art, the workpieces are
introduced into the interlock chamber 1 with the lock valve 5
closed and lock valve 3 is opened, whereupon the lock valve 3 is
closed and the interlock chamber 1 is evacuated by means of an
interlock pump 9, such as for example a single- or multistage
rotary vane pump and via a valve 11.
[0006] In principle, on the vacuum chamber configuration 7 at least
one turbo vacuum pump 13 is provided, which pumps out at least the
one treatment chamber, if appropriate jointly in combination with a
transport chamber associated with this treatment chamber. If
several treatment chambers are provided which are to be pumped
independently of one another, it is entirely possible to provide
several turbo vacuum pumps 13.
[0007] The at least one turbo vacuum pump 13, operationally
connected with the vacuum chamber configuration 7, is succeeded at
the high-pressure side by a forevacuum pump 15, in order to
generate the required forepressure at the turbo vacuum pump 13.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is the task of the present invention to further develop
the method of the above described type such that it becomes
cost-effective and that it becomes less susceptible to fault,
further to simplify the installation of said type accordingly, and
to realize it such that it requires less maintenance and has
greater compactness. This is achieved with the method of said type
thereby that as the forevacuum pump the interlock pump is
operationally connected with the turbo vacuum pump.
[0009] To solve said task the vacuum treatment installation of the
above described type is distinguished thereby that the forevacuum
pump, associated with the turbo vacuum pump, is the interlock pump.
The method according to the invention as well as also the
configuration according to the invention are in particular well
suitable for the treatment, in particular coating, of disk-shaped
workpieces, in particular of storage disks, therein especially of
optical data storage disks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The invention will subsequently be explained in conjunction
with the drawing figures, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a function block diagram of a prior art
method;
[0012] FIG. 2 building on a representation according to FIG. 1, the
fundamental further development according to the invention of the
vacuum installation for realizing the production method according
to the invention; and
[0013] FIG. 3 schematically the realization of a highly compact
vacuum treatment installation according to the invention in a
preferred embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Using the same reference symbols, in FIG. 2 the same vacuum
treatment installation as depicted in FIG. 1, however, as will be
described in the following, is further developed according to the
invention.
[0015] According to FIG. 2 the forevacuum pump succeeding the turbo
vacuum pump 13 at the high-pressure side is omitted. In its place
the interlock pump 9 is also employed as the forepump of the turbo
vacuum pump 13. Therefore, in FIG. 2 the interlock-/forevacuum pump
used in combination is denoted by the combined reference symbol
9/15. In terms of signal technology thus the low-pressure side of
the interlock-/forevacuum pump 9/15 is operationally connected via
a controlled switch-over device 17 with the interlock chamber as
well as also with the high-pressure side of the turbo vacuum pump
13. When loading a workpiece into the interlock chamber 1, for
pumping out the interlock chamber 1 the low-pressure input of the
interlock-/forevacuum pump 9/15 is isolated via the switch-over
unit 17 from the high-pressure port of the turbo vacuum pump 13 and
operationally connected with the interlock. After pumping out the
interlock chamber 1 to transfer pressure to the vacuum chamber
configuration 7, the low-pressure input of the
interlock-/forevacuum pump 9/15 is operationally connected via said
switch-over device 17 with the high-pressure side of the turbo
vacuum pump 13.
[0016] It is entirely possible to realize the switch-over
configuration 17, as indicated in dashed lines at 17a and 17b, by
means of valves controllable independently of one another, or by
means of a two-way valve such as the device 17 is also
depicted.
[0017] The control of said operational connections can therein take
place under pressure control, for example by measuring the pressure
in the interlock chamber 1 and switching-over to forepump operation
of the interlock-/forevacuum pump 9/15 upon reaching a
predetermined pressure value or it can take place at a
predetermined periodicity according to pre-ascertained cycles.
[0018] Preferably a turbo vacuum pump 13 is employed which at the
high-pressure side can work against a maximally high pressure,
preferably of at least 1 mbar, in particular preferred of at least
10 mbar.
[0019] For this purpose are especially suitable turbo drag pumps or
turbo pumps combined with Holweck stages at the pump output. As the
interlock- 1 forevacuum pump, furthermore, a single- or multistage
rotary vane pump is preferably used.
[0020] When applying said preferably used turbo vacuum pump 13 this
even permits using a very "clean" membrane pump as the
interlock-/forevacuum pump.
[0021] Furthermore, the interlock chamber 1 should be pumped out as
rapidly as possible such that at the high-pressure side the turbo
vacuum pump 13 does not need to operate too long in the operational
connection, which in this case is closed, to the switch-over
configuration 17 or to a closed valve 17a. Accordingly is
dimensioned, on the one hand, the capacity of the provided
interlock-/forevacuum pump 9/15, but in particular the volume of
the interlock chamber 1. The latter should be selected to be of
minimum size, the ratio of the interlock chamber volume to the
volume pumped out by the provided turbo vacuum pump 13 should be
selected to be maximally 1:40, preferably even maximally 1:100.
[0022] In FIG. 3 is depicted schematically a preferred, highly
compact vacuum treatment installation according to the invention
for the vacuum treatment according to the invention of workpieces,
in particular circular disk-shaped workpieces, such as for example,
and preferably, of data storage disks.
[0023] In a housing 7a of the vacuum chamber configuration 7 a
transport device 21 is provided driven rotationally movable about
an axis A by means of a drive 20, with transport arms 23 bent off
at an angle with respect to the axis of rotation A. By means of
associated linear drives, such as shown at 25, the transport arms
23 are encapsulated, extendable and retractable, as shown by F. At
their ends they support workpiece carrier plates 27 for (not shown)
workpiece disks. The vacuum chamber configuration 7 comprises a
working station 29, for example flanged onto the housing 7a, a
working station 29, such as for example a sputter station.
[0024] The volume of a provided interlock chamber 1a is minimized
thereby that it is virtually integrated into the section thickness
of the wall of the housing 7a. This minimization, previously
already discussed in conjunction with FIG. 2, of the interlock
chamber volume is possible in the extent depicted in FIG. 3, in
particular in combination with the treatment, for example in
particular of the coating, of disk-shaped workpieces, in particular
of storage disks, therein especially of optical data storage
disks.
[0025] With the depicted installation according to the invention in
particular according to FIG. 3, cycle times, for example, of less
than 2 seconds were attained in the CD production or the production
of optical storage disks, concretely of 1.8 seconds at a lock
passing time of 0.4 seconds.
[0026] Fundamentally it is preferably proposed that the
sub-interval range of the cycle time "transportation and treatment"
is at least 50% of the total cycle time, preferably at least 60%,
or expressed with respect to the "lock passage time", at least
300%.
[0027] The outer lock valve is denoted by 3a, the inner one is
formed by the workpiece carrier plate 27 on the particular
transport arm 23. By rotation of the transport device 21 about axis
A, the provided transport arms or the retracted carrier plates 27
are first placed into position onto interlock chamber 1a and
working station 29. By extending the arms the corresponding
stations 1a, 29 are sealed off, either by setting up a pressure
stage, such as by means of labyrinth sealing, or vacuum-tight, for
example form-fittingly. On the one hand, in this case at the
interlock chamber 1a by opening the lock valve 3a a workpiece is
input or output, while simultaneously at the working station 29,
either closed or sealed according to the requirements, the
workpiece working takes place.
[0028] A configuration of this type is fully described in EP A 0
518 109 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,736 by the applicant
as well as in the present application. As is evident, the
switch-over device 17, described in conjunction with FIG. 2, is
preferably realized by means of valves 17b' or 17a' inserted into
the connection line. In the embodiment depicted, the turbo vacuum
pump 13 pumps out the interior volume of the transport chamber as
well as also the process chamber. A ratio of the volumes of
interlock chamber 1a to the volume pumped out by the turbo vacuum
pump 13 of 1:110 was realized.
[0029] In FIG. 3, 31 denotes a flooding valve for the interlock
chamber 1a, 33 the flooding valve, already depicted in FIGS. 1 and
2, for the turbo vacuum pump 13.
* * * * *