VACUUM APPARATUS, METHOD FOR COOLING HEAT SOURCE IN VACUUM, AND THIN FILM MANUFACTURING METHOD

1 . A vacuum apparatus comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

a heat source disposed inside the vacuum chamber;

a cooling device configured to cool the heat source by circulation of a cooling gas;

a gas feed line connected to the cooling device and extending outside the vacuum chamber;

a cooling gas feeder configured to feed the cooling gas to the cooling device through the gas feed line when the heat source is to be cooled; and

a vacuum pump configured to evacuate the cooling device when the heat source is to be used.

2 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a switching unit provided in the gas feed line, the switching unit being configured to connect the cooling device and the cooling gas feeder when the heat source is to be cooled and to connect the cooling device and the vacuum pump when the heat source is to be used.

3 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an evacuation line isolated from an atmosphere inside the vacuum chamber, the evacuation line being configured to connect the cooling device and the vacuum pump when the heat source is to be used.

4 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an evacuation line isolated from an atmosphere inside the vacuum chamber, the evacuation line being configured to connect the cooling device and the vacuum pump when the heat source is to be used, wherein

one end of the evacuation line is connected to the switching unit, and

the switching unit is configured to connect one selected from the cooling gas feeder and the vacuum pump to the cooling device.

5 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum chamber so that the vacuum chamber is evacuated by the vacuum pump,

the switching unit is disposed inside the vacuum chamber and is capable of communicating the cooling device with the inside of the vacuum chamber, and

the cooling device is evacuated through the inside of the vacuum chamber when the heat source is to be used.

6 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the switching unit is a switching valve provided in the gas feed line inside the vacuum chamber.

7 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the gas feed line includes a redundant line formed inside the vacuum chamber.

8 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the gas feed line includes a redundant line formed inside the vacuum chamber, and

the redundant line is formed between the switching unit and the cooling device.

9 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a lead-in terminal configured to lead the gas feed line into the vacuum chamber from outside the vacuum chamber, wherein

the gas feed line includes a redundant line formed inside the vacuum chamber, and

the redundant line is formed between the switching unit and the lead-in terminal.

10 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising another cooling device configured to cool the switching unit.

11 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the gas feed line includes a return path configured to direct the cooling gas from the cooling device to the outside of the vacuum chamber, and

the vacuum apparatus further comprises a liquid-cooling type auxiliary cooling device configured to cool the return path inside or outside the vacuum chamber.

12 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a gas pipe which is a part of the return path is bent or wound inside the auxiliary cooling device.

13 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the cooling gas that has passed through the cooling device, wherein

the cooling gas feeder includes a flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the cooling gas to be fed into the cooling device based on a result of the detection by the temperature sensor.

14 . The vacuum apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the vacuum apparatus is a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus,

the heat source is an evaporation source configured to evaporate a material to be deposited on a substrate, and

the evaporation source includes a crucible in which the material is to be placed.

15 . A method for cooling a heat source in a vacuum using a cooling device capable of exerting a cooling function by circulation of a cooling gas, the method comprising steps of:

evacuating the cooling device when the heat source is to be used; and

cooling the heat source by feeding the cooling gas into the cooling device from outside the vacuum and directing the cooling gas that has flowed through the cooling device to the outside of the vacuum, while maintaining the vacuum surrounding the heat source, when the heat source is to be cooled.

16 . A method for producing a thin film, comprising steps of;

depositing particles coming from a film forming source on a substrate in a vacuum so as to form a thin film on the substrate, the film forming source including a cooling device capable of exerting a cooling function by circulation of a cooling gas;

evacuating the cooling device when the depositing step is to be performed; and

after the depositing step, cooling the film forming source by feeding the cooling gas into the cooling device from outside the vacuum and directing the cooling gas that has flowed through the cooling device to the outside of the vacuum, while maintaining the vacuum surrounding the film forming source.