Sealing roller system for surface treatment gas reactors

摘要

A surface treatment gas reactor features a reactor housing and a roller assembly for transporting a bi-dimensional material into and out of a gas reaction chamber. The reactor housing has a reactive gas inlet port and gas outlet or vacuum ports formed therein. Electrodes are mounted within the reactor housing between the gas inlet port and the gas outlet port such that a reactive gas admitted into the reaction chamber through the gas inlet port must pass through a plasma curtain generated by the electrodes before passing out of the outlet ports. The roller assembly includes a central roller having a grounded surface for transporting a bi-dimensional substrate through the reaction chamber on the surface thereof. The central roller is sized so as to reduce the active volume of the reaction chamber. Inside sealing rollers mounted adjacent to the central roller surface have compliant surfaces which form material transport contact points between the central roller and the inside sealing rollers. Outside sealing rollers having non-compliant surfaces are mounted adjacent to the inside sealing roller surfaces. Sealing blades mounted in the reactor housing create a low friction seal between the reactor housing and the outside sealing rollers in the roller assembly.