Coating processes – Coating by vapor – gas – or smoke
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-28
2002-12-03
Meeks, Timothy (Department: 1762)
Coating processes
Coating by vapor, gas, or smoke
C427S255500, C427S255600, C427S235000, C427S487000, C427S532000, C427S557000, C427S558000, C427S559000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06488985
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: a thin film suitable for use as an electronic part; a method and an apparatus for forming the thin film; and an electronic component incorporating the thin film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thin films have a very wide role in today's society and are applied to various kinds of daily products such as wrapping paper, magnetic tape, capacitors or semiconductors. Without these thin films, current high performance or size reducing technology could not be achieved.
Methods for producing thin films that satisfy industrial demands have been undergoing various developments, for example, thin films earmarked for wrapping paper, magnetic tape, capacitors, etc., are produced by combining a vacuum vapor deposition process with a sequential rolling process which is considered to have an advantage in high-speed mass production. In such a method, a material to be deposited (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “deposition material”) and a material as a base substrate where the deposition material is deposited are selected depending on the use of the thin film. When necessary, reaction gas may be introduced into a vacuum chamber or the base substrate may be provided with an electric potential in order to form a thin film with the desired characteristics.
A magnetic recording medium with long length can be obtained by using a deposition material containing magnetic elements (e.g., Co, Ni or Fe) and performing reaction deposition while introducing an oxygen gas into the vacuum chamber. In the case of a semiconductor, a sputtering method is generally used.
A thin film made of resin is formed by a coating method. Reverse coating or die coating is industrially employed as a method for providing a coating of resin on the base substrate. Generally, a material is diluted with a solvent before being coated, dried and cured on the base substrate. By a usual coating method, the thickness of the coating material deposited is generally several microns or more. Therefore, in order to form an extremely sheer resin thin film (herein, a “sheer” resin thin film refers to a “thin” resin thin film), the coating material needs to be diluted with a solvent. The lowest limit of the thickness of the resin thin films formed by the above-described methods is, in most of the cases, around 1 &mgr;m. Even when the coating material is diluted with the solvent, a resin thin film with a thickness of 1 &mgr;m or less is hard to obtain. Additionally, dilution with a solvent tends to cause defects in the dried coating film and is associated with other problems including environmental problems.
Recently, various composite thin films made from laminated thin films of different kinds have become available and have been used in various industrial fields. An application of composite thin films as chip-shaped electronic components has been receiving much attention. The composite thin films allow for the size reduction of, while still maintaining a high performance, for example, capacitors, coils, resistors or combined components thereof and have already been produced and the market for such products is expanding.
As described above, various methods are available for forming resin thin films. However, by the general coating method, the thickness of the coating material would be several microns or more at the thinnest. Therefore, in order to form an extremely sheer resin thin film, the coating material needs to be diluted with a solvent. Even when the coating material is diluted with a solvent, a resin thin film with a thickness of 1 &mgr;m or less is hard to obtain. Additionally, dilution with a solvent tends to cause defects in the dried coating film and is associated with other problems including environmental problems.
In the case of a laminate film, adhesion between the film layers is important as well as the performance of each film layer. Insufficient adhesion between the film layers will cause a minor separation between the film layers during subsequent production steps or during actual usage. Such a minor separation often results in separation of the entire adhesion area between the film layers. Therefore, from a practical standpoint, such a problem needs to be solved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a thin film includes the steps of: supplying a deposition material in the form of a liquid onto a heated surface; heating and vaporizing the deposition material on the heated surface while the deposition material is undergoing movement; and depositing the deposition material onto a deposition surface. The deposition material is supplied onto a position of the heated surface where the vaporized deposition material does not reach the deposition surface.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the deposition material on the heated surface is carried in accordance with a rotational movement of the heated surface.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of supplying the deposition material in the form of a liquid onto the heated surface includes a step of supplying the deposition material in either an atomized state or a vaporized state.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the step of supplying the deposition material includes one of the steps of: ultrasonic atomizing; spraying atomizing; mechanical atomizing; and evaporating.
In yet still another embodiment of the present invention, the step of supplying the deposition material, the step of heating and vaporizing and the step of depositing the deposition material onto the deposition surface are conducted in a vacuum state.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the deposition material is a curable resin material. The method further includes, following the step of depositing the deposition material onto the deposition surface, a step of curing the deposited deposition material.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of forming another layer made of a material different from the deposition material on a resin thin film made from the cured deposition material.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the step of supplying the deposition material is conducted in a vacuum state that is different from a vacuum state for the step of curing the deposited deposition material and the step of forming another layer made of the material different from the deposition material on the resin thin film made from the cured deposition material.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the method includes a step of alternately conducting a step of forming the resin thin film and a step of forming another layer.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the deposition material on the heated surf ace is carried by running the deposition material along the heated surface.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the method includes a step of running the deposition material on a plurality of heated surfaces, said heated surfaces being at different temperatures.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, a region of the heated surface where the deposition material in the form of a liquid is supplied is maintained at a lower temperature than a temperature of other regions of the heated surface.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the deposition material moves in the form of a liquid on the plurality of heated surfaces.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the steps of: supplying the deposition material on the heated surface undergoing rotational movement; and carrying the deposition material by rotating the heated surface.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of collecting part of the deposition material in the form of a liquid that is carried along the heated surface of a container.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method for forming a thin film inc
Echigo Noriyasu
Honda Kazuyoshi
Odagiri Masaru
Sunagare Nobuki
Takahashi Kiyoshi
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
LandOfFree
Thin film, method and apparatus for forming the same, and... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Thin film, method and apparatus for forming the same, and..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Thin film, method and apparatus for forming the same, and... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2961532