Patent Abstract:
An exemplary coating device includes a target material and a support device configured for supporting a workpiece. The support device includes a support frame and a holding member. The support frame includes a support member and a support arm disposed on the support member. One end of the holding member is configured for attaching the workpiece thereon, and an opposite end of the holding member is adjustably engaged with the support arm so that the workpiece is a desired distance from the target material.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to coating devices used in manufacturing, and particularly, to a coating device with a support device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    In a surface treating process, such as sputtering, workpieces are hung up in a treating chamber by various hooks. However, the hooks tend to clutter and are somewhat inconvenient to use. In addition, with many systems that use hooks, it is difficult to adjust the distance between the workpieces and a target material. As a result, different hooks must be provided for hanging different workpieces. This is inconvenient and costly. 
         [0005]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide a support device and a coating device utilizing the support device which can overcome the limitations described above. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a coating device, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged, exploded, isometric view of a support device of the coating device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged, exploded, isometric view of a support device of a coating device according to another exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0010]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a coating device  100 , according to an exemplary embodiment, is provided to coat workpieces  200 . The coating device  100  comprises a vacuum chamber  10 , a sputtering device  20 , a number of support devices  30 , and a number of actuators  40 . The sputtering device  20  and the support devices  30  are received in the vacuum chamber  10 . The actuators  40  rotate the support devices  30  as needed. 
         [0011]    The vacuum chamber  10  is generally cylindrical, and includes a shell  11 , a gas inlet system  12 , and a gas outlet system  13 . The shell  11  includes an upper plate  111 , a lower plate  112 , and a peripheral sidewall  113 . The peripheral sidewall  113  connects the upper plate  111  to the lower plate  112 , whereby a receiving space  114  is formed. The gas inlet system  12  can communicate the receiving space  114  to a gas source (not shown) for filling the receiving space  114  with noble gas. The gas outlet system  13  communicates the receiving space  114  to a waste gas collection device (not shown), so that waste and excess gas is vented from the receiving space  114 . 
         [0012]    The sputtering device  20  includes a first support member  21 , a target material  22 , two shielding plates  23 , and a connecting member  24 . The first support member  21  is a cylinder, and includes a circumferential surface  211 . The target material  22  is attached on the circumferential surface  211 . The two shielding plates  23  are in the shape of circular plates (disks), and are respectively disposed on two ends of the first support member  21 . The connecting member  24  is located between the upper plate  111  of the vacuum chamber  10  and an upper one of the shielding plates  23 . 
         [0013]    Further referring to  FIG. 2 , each support device  30  includes a support frame  31 , two bearings  32 , and at least one holding member  33 . In the illustrated embodiment, there are two holding members  33 . The support frame  31  includes a second support member  311  and two support arms  312 . The second support member  311  is a cylinder having a cylindrical side surface  311   a . Each support arm  312  is cylindrical. The support arms  312  are perpendicularly disposed on the cylindrical side surface  311   a , and are symmetrically opposite each other. That is, the support arms  312  are positioned at a same level. One end of each support arm  312 , far away from the second support member  311 , defines a screw hole  313  therein along a central axis thereof. Each bearing  32  includes an outer ring  321  and an inner ring  322  rotatably received in the outer ring  321 . The outer rings  321  of the bearings  32  are interferentially fixed in corresponding edge portions of two corresponding shielding plates  23 . The two bearings  32  of one support device  30  are coaxial with each other. The inner rings  322  of the bearings  32  are sleeved over opposite ends of the second support member  311 , with the ends of the second support member  311  interferentially fitted in the inner rings  322 . 
         [0014]    Each of the holding members  33  is a cylinder, and includes a magnetic portion  331 , an adjusting portion  332 , a scale portion  333 , and a screw portion  334 . The magnetic portion  331  is made of magnetic material. The adjusting portion  332  connects the magnetic portion  331  to the scale portion  333 . The outer diameter of the adjusting portion  332  is larger than that of the magnetic portion  331 , and larger than that of the scale portion  333 . The adjusting portion  332  includes a first outer surface  332   a . A first scale  332   b  is provided around the first outer surface  332   a . In the illustrated embodiment, the first scale  332   b  comprises a series of notches (hereinafter, “marks”) defined in the first outer surface  332   a . The scale portion  333  includes a second outer surface  333   a . A second scale  333   b  is provided on the second outer surface  333   a , parallel to a central axis of the scale portion  333 . In the illustrated embodiment, the second scale  333   b  comprises a series of notches (hereinafter, “marks”) defined in the second outer surface  333   a . The pitch between two adjacent marks of the first scale  332   b  is equal to the pitch between two adjacent marks of the second scale  333   b . The screw portion  334  is disposed at an end of the scale portion  333  farthest away from the adjusting portion  332 . The scale portion  333  and the screw portion  334  have substantially the same outer diameter. 
         [0015]    Each actuator  40  comprises a stator  41 , and a rotor  42  extending outward from the center of the stator  41 . The stator  41  is mounted on the lower plate  112  of the vacuum chamber  10 . The rotor  42  is connected to the corresponding second support member  311  to rotate the corresponding holding members  33 . 
         [0016]    In assembly, the screw portion  334  of each holding member  33  is partially threadedly engaged in the screw hole  313  of the corresponding support arm  312 . After the support arm  312  has been positioned opposite to the target material  22 , the distance between the magnetic portion  331  and the target material  22  can be adjusted according to the thickness of the film to be coated on the workpieces  200 . Then a workpiece  200  is attached on the magnetic portion  331 , with the coating surface of the workpiece  200  facing away from the magnetic portion  331 . 
         [0017]    It should be noted that a negative voltage is applied to the workpiece  200  and a positive voltage is applied to the target material  22 . Therefore, a great voltage difference (drop) between the target material  22  and the workpiece  200  can be generated. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a support device  30 ′ according to another exemplary embodiment is shown. The support device  30 ′ includes a support frame  31 ′, which includes a second support member  311 ′ and four support arms  312 ′. The four support arms  312 ′ perpendicularly extend from the middle of the second support member  311 ′. The support arms  312 ′ are at a same level, and are equally angularly spaced apart from each other (i.e. radially symmetrical), thereby forming a cruciform structure for holding four workpieces  200  thereat. It should be noted that the number of the support arms  312 ′ may be varied as required. To reduce or increase the number of the support arms  312 ′ for holding fewer or more workpieces  200 , and to modify the shape of the support frame  31 ′ correspondingly, should be considered as falling within the scope and the spirit of the present disclosure. 
         [0019]    In operation of the coating device  100 , the actuators  40  rotate the support devices  30 . The vacuum chamber  10  is evacuated via the gas outlet system  13  until the air pressure in the vacuum chamber  10  is measured at about 1.3×10 −3  Pa (pascals). Then a first noble gas and a second noble gas are filled in the vacuum chamber  10  via the gas inlet system  12 . A glow discharge is generated by the application of the voltage difference through the first noble gas at low pressure in the vacuum chamber  10 , whereby a multiplicity of electrons are generated. The second noble gas is excited by the electrons and generates plasma. The target material  22  is bombarded by the plasma under force of the voltage difference applied, and generates a multiplicity of target material atoms. The target material atoms are coated on the workpieces  200 . 
         [0020]    It will be understood that the particular embodiments and methods are shown and described by way of illustration only. The principles and the features of the present disclosure may be employed in various and numerous embodiments thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure as claimed. The above-described embodiments illustrate the scope of the disclosure but do not restrict the scope of the disclosure.

Technology Classification (CPC): 2