High speed apparatus for forming capacitors

• US 5,097,800 A
• Filed: 07/10/1990
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Control Incorporated (API Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Control Incorporated (API Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Yializis, Angelo, Shaw, David G., Strycker, Donald S., Ham, Mooyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Shrive
• Assistant Examiner(s): Owens, Terry J.
• Application Number:
  US07/551,645
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 118/50.1, 118/718, 118/719, 118/720, 118/730, 118/729, 118/724, 118/726, 427/35, 427/36, 427/44, 427/81, 427/251, 427/42, 427/50, 427/255.5, 427/255.6, 427/255.7
• US Class Current: 118/730
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/60 Deposition of organic layers from vapour phase vapour phase deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/068 using ionising radiations (gamma, X, electrons)
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/24 for applying particular liquids or other fluent materials
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/56 Three layers or more
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 13/00 Apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing capacitors; Processes specially adapted for manufacturing capacitors not provided for in groups H01G4/00 - H01G11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/306 made by thin film techniques

Abstract

A high speed apparatus for forming capacitors includes a vacuum chamber in which is located a carrier defining a continuous surface configured to move at a rate of from about 150 feet per minute to about 600 feet per minute during the forming operation, a metal depositing device, a dielectric depositing device, and a radiation source. The metal depositing device is configured to deposit layers of metal onto the moving surface, and the dielectric depositing device includes (a) a device for atomizing a radiation-curable polyfunctional acrylic monomer to form liquid droplets of the monomer, (b) a heated surface on which the atomized monomer droplets impinge and are flash vaporized, and (c) device for thereafter condensing the flash-vaporized monomer on the metal layers to form a monomer coating on successive layers. The radiation source is positioned for curing successive monomer coatings after each such coating has been deposited, to thereby form a polymer dielectric layer. Apparatus are provided for controlling each of the devices so that metal is deposited, a monomer coating is deposited, and the monomer coating is cured to form the polymer dielectric layer before the continuous surface passes the devices again for successive metal layers, monomer coatings, and curings.

Claims

1. A high-speed apparatus for forming capacitors comprising a vacuum chamber, a carrier in the vacuum chamber defining a continuous surface configured to move at a rate of from about 150 feed per minute to about 600 feed per minute during the forming operation, a metal depositing device in the vacuum chamber for depositing layers of metal on the moving surface, a dielectric depositing device in the vacuum chamber, the dielectric depositing device including (a) means for atomizing a radiation-curable polyfunctional acrylic monomer to form liquid droplets of said monomer, (b) a heated surface on which the atomized monomer droplets impinge and are flash vaporized, and (c) means for thereafter condensing the flash-vaporized monomer on the metal layers to thereby form a monomer coating on each successive metal layer, a radiation source in the vacuum chamber positioned for curing successive monomer coatings after each such coating has been deposited to thereby form a polymer dielectric layer, and means for controlling each of the devices so that metal is deposited, a monomer coating is deposited, and the monomer coating is cured to form the polymer dielectric layer before the moving surface passes the devices again for successive metal layers, monomer coatings and curings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the carrier is a drum, the metal depositing device evaporates electrode metal, and the radiation source is a gas discharge electron beam gun.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 additionally comprising means for controlling the temperature of the moving surface.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 additionally comprising means for cooling the drum so that the drum surface is cooled to a temperature sufficient to facilitate condensation of the flash vaporized monomer.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the moving surface is a sheet secured to the drum.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the moving surface is about 1.5 to 5 mils thick.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the sheet is a copper sheet.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said heater surface comprises a heated tube.

9. An apparatus for continuously producing, under vacuum, a monolithic multi-layer capacitor on a substrate surface, the apparatus comprising means for forming a layer of electrode material on a surface within at least one predefined electrode forming zone, means for forming a coating of dielectric material on a surface within at least one predefined dielectric forming zone with the dielectric material being bondable with the with the dielectric material being bondable with the electrode material, the dielectric-forming means comprising (a) a deposition device comprising (1) means for atomizing a radiation-curable polyfunctional acrylic monomer to form liquid droplets of said monomer, (2) a heated surface on which the atomized monomer droplets impinge and are flash vaporized, and (3) means for thereafter condensing the flash-vaporized monomer on the electrode material to form a monomer coating and (b) a radiation source positioned for curing the monomer coating after it has been fully deposited to thereby form the dielectric coating, and means for passing the substrate surface carrying the electrode material layers and the dielectric coatings at a rate of from about 150 feet per minute to about 600 feet per minute repeatedly through the electrode and dielectric forming zones in sequence so that different positions of the moving surface are simultaneously within their respective zones so as to produce alternate layers of electrode material and dielectric coating one on top of the other on the substrate surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 including means for controlling the rates of forming the electrode layers and the dielectric coatings so as to predetermine the thickness of the alternate layers of electrode material and dielectric coatings.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said means for forming a layer of electrode material includes means for evaporating metal electrode material and a mask for confining the evaporated metal electrode material to the electrode forming zone.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 including means for stepping said mask away from said substrate surface after each repeated pass so as to maintain said mask at substantially the same distance from said coatings during each such pass.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9 additionally comprising means for controlling the temperature of the substrate surface.

14. An apparatus for producing a capacitor under vacuum on a substrate comprising means for forming a layer of electrode material of predetermined thickness on a surface within at least one predefined electrode forming zone, means for forming a coating of radiation-curable material comprising a polyfunctional acrylic monomer of predetermined thickness on a surface within at least one predefined dielectric forming zone, said coating means comprising (a) means for atomizing the polyfunctional acrylic monomer to form liquid droplets of said monomer, (b) a heated surface on which the atomized droplets impinge and are flashed vaporized, and (c) means for thereafter condensing the flash-vaporized monomer on the electrode layer, a radiation source for curing the completed dielectric monomer coating within the dielectric forming zone to thereby form a cured polymer dielectric coating, means for moving the substrate surface at a rate of from about 150 feet per minute to about 600 feet per minute alternately into the electrode forming zone and the dielectric forming zone, and means for controlling the electrode layer forming means, the monomer coating forming means, the curing means and the moving means so as to produce alternate layers of electrode material and cured dielectric coating.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the radiation source is a gas discharge electron beam gun.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14 additionally comprising means for controlling the temperature of the substrate surface.

17. An apparatus for forming multi-layered capacitors comprising:

(a) a vacuum chamber containing;

i) a movable surface;

ii) a vaporizer comprising an inlet portion, means for atomizing a radiation curable polyfunctional acrylic monomer to form liquid droplets of said monomer, a heated surface on which the atomized droplets impinge and are flash vaporized, and a vapor outlet, the vapor outlet mounted adjacent an upstream portion of the movable surface;

iii) curing means comprising a radiation source mounted adjacent a downstream portion of the movable surface;

iv) means for maintaining the movable surface at a temperature below that of the vaporizer; and

v) means for depositing conductive metal layer on the movable surface;

(b) means for evacuating gas from the vacuum chamber to a pressure of less than about 1×

10^-4 Torr;

(c) means for metering a quantity of said radiation-curable a polyfunctional acrylic monomer into the inlet portion of the vaporizer;

(d) means for moving the movable surface relative to the vapor outlet and the curing means at a rate of from about 150 feet per minute to about 600 feet per minute;

(e) means for condensing vaporized monomer dispensed form the vapor outlet onto the moving surface to thereby form a liquid monomer coating on the moving surface;

(f) means for activating the radiation source to thereby cure the liquid monomer coating that has formed on the moving surface to thereby form a radiation-cured polymer dielectric layer on the moving surface; and

(g) means for depositing a conductive layer of metal onto the cured polymer dielectric layer.