Patent Publication Number: US-2011062023-A1

Title: Sputtering device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure relates to a coating device, and particularly, to a sputtering device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In order to form multilayer films on workpieces, various sputtering devices are employed in coating treatment of workpieces. Commonly, sputtering devices are separated from each other. Accordingly, the workpieces to be processed need to be transported from one sputtering device to another. However, the coating process is prone to deteriorate due to transportation, thereby negatively impacting efficiency. Furthermore, the workpieces are exposed less than ideal environmental conditions leading among other things to contamination and/or spontaneous oxidized film being formed on the workpieces. 
     What is needed is a sputtering device addressing the above-mentioned problems. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a sputtering device according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric exploded view of the sputtering device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  show the work status of the sputtering device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a sputtering device  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The sputtering device  100  includes a housing  110 , a pair of conveyors  120 , two baffles  130 , and a workpiece support  140 . The housing  110  defines a chamber (not labeled) therein. The conveyor  120  and the workpiece support  140  are accommodated in the housing  110 . The conveyor  120  is mounted on the bottom of the housing  110  for transporting the support  140  in the housing  110 . The baffles  130  are slidably installed on the housing  110 , provided for dividing the chamber of the housing  110  into a number of separated rooms. The baffles are slidable relative to the housing between a first position where the rooms are isolated and sealed by the baffles  130  from the others, and a second position where the rooms communicate with each other. The support  140  can be transported from one room to another by the conveyor  120 . 
     The housing  110  has a rectangular box-like construction and includes a bottom  112  and a top  114 , two sidewalls  116  connected between the bottom  112  and the top  114 , and a pair of doors  118  mounted at two opposite ends of the housing  110  to allow workpieces to move in and out of the housing  110 . A pair of first slits  116   a  is perforated in one of the sidewalls  116  for disposing the baffles  130 , and a pair of blind slits  116   b  is defined in the other one of the sidewalls  116  corresponding to the first slits  116   a  for engagingly receiving a distal end of the baffles  130 . A pair of parallel channels  112   a  is defined on the bottom  112 , each for receiving one of the conveyers  120 . 
     Each of the conveyers  120  includes a motor  122 , a roller  124  and a belt  126  looped over the motor  122  and the roller  124 . The motor  122  and the roller  124  of each conveyer  120  are oppositely mounted in one of the channels  112   a . The motor  122  can drive the belt  126  along the channel  112   a . The support  140  is loaded on the belt and transported by the belt from one room to another. 
     The baffles  130  are slidably insertable into the housing  110  through the first slits  116   a  and stopped in the blind slits  116   b  to divide the inner space of the housing  110  into a number of such as three isolated rooms where the workpieces are treated. Each room is provided with a controllable cathode supporting assembly (not shown) for depositing a layer on the surfaces of the workpieces. The baffles  130  can also be drawn out from the housing  110  thereby allowing the workpieces to be transported from one room to another. 
     The support  140  includes a pair of opposite plates  142 , and a number of poles  144  connecting the plates  142 . Each pole supports the workpieces thereon. Exemplarily, the plates  142  are annular. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in use, one of the doors  118  is opened, and the support  140  with a number of workpieces held thereon is loaded into a first room. The door  118  is closed, and the workpieces are treated in the first room. Afterwards, one of the baffles  130  is drawn out through the first slot  116   a  thereby the support  140  is transported by the conveyer  120  to a second room adjacent to the first room, where the workpieces undergo another treatment. The drawn baffle  130  is inserted into the housing  110  again to isolate the second room from the first room. Afterwards, the support  140  is transported to a third room after the second room, where the workpieces undergo further treatment. After the treatment, the other door  118  is opened and the workpieces are downloaded from the support  140 . 
     In the present disclosure, all processing steps for the workpieces can be successively implemented in the rooms isolated by the baffles  130 . In addition, the workpieces are isolated from outside the housing  110  throughout the treatments and transportations thereby improving quality of the films formed on the workpieces. 
     It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.