Control method of single crystal furnace

Abstract

The invention discloses a control method of a single crystal furnace, the single crystal furnace comprises a crucible and a water cooling screen arranged above the crucible, the single crystal furnace further comprises a splash-proof device, the splash-proof device comprises a protective part and a charging cylinder assembly, and the control method comprises the following steps: connecting the upper end of the charging cylinder assembly with a seed crystal rope of the single crystal furnace; the protection piece is preliminarily matched with the lower end of the feeding cylinder assembly; the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding cylinder assembly to move downwards, so that the protection part is placed in the water cooling screen; controlling the charging barrel assembly to add a silicon material into the crucible; after material melting is finished, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding cylinder assembly to move upwards, and the protection part is taken out. The control method of the single crystal furnace is simple, normal use of the water cooling screen can be ensured, the crystal forming rate and the production quality of single crystals can be improved, the operation steps can be reduced, and the processing efficiency can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of crystal manufacturing, and more specifically, to a control method for a single crystal furnace. Background Art

[0002] In the related technology, the hydrogen content in the silicon material required for single crystal manufacturing is relatively high. During the heat and melting process of the silicon material, hydrogen jumping phenomenon will occur, which can easily cause the silicon liquid to splash out, causing the silicon liquid to be adsorbed on the water cooling screen, reducing the crystallization rate of single crystal production and affecting the production process. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, one object of the present invention is to provide a control method for a single crystal furnace, which is simple, can ensure the normal use of a water cooling screen, improve the crystallization rate and production quality of a single crystal, and can reduce the operation steps and improve the processing efficiency.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a control method for a single crystal furnace includes: the single crystal furnace includes a crucible and a water-cooled screen arranged above the crucible, the single crystal furnace also includes a splash-proof device, the splash-proof device includes a protective member and a feeding barrel assembly, the control method includes: connecting the upper end of the feeding barrel assembly to the seed crystal rope of the single crystal furnace, and preliminarily matching the protective member with the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly; controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move downward to place the protective member in the water-cooled screen; controlling the feeding barrel assembly to add silicon material to the crucible; after the material is chemically processed, controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward to remove the protective member.

[0005] According to the control method of the single crystal furnace of the embodiment of the present invention, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly and the protective part to move downward, so as to place the protective part in the water-cooling screen; the feeding barrel assembly is controlled to add silicon material into the crucible; after the material is oxidized, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly and the protective part to move upward, and the protective part is taken out. Therefore, when hydrogen jump occurs in the silicon material, the protective part can protect the water-cooling screen, avoid the silicon material adhering to the water-cooling screen and affecting the use of the water-cooling screen, ensure the crystallization rate of the single crystal, make the production quality of the single crystal good, and can simultaneously realize the feeding barrel assembly and the protective part being placed in or taken out of the water-cooling screen, reduce the operation steps, help improve the processing efficiency, the control method is simple, and it is easy to control the single crystal furnace.

[0006] In addition, the control method of the single crystal furnace according to the above embodiment of the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the control method of a single crystal furnace comprises a main chamber and a sub-chamber which are interconnected, the sub-chamber being located above the main chamber and the sub-chamber being open to one side of the main chamber to form an open opening, the crucible and the water-cooling screen being arranged in the main chamber, the seed crystal rope being connected to the upper end of the sub-chamber, a control valve for opening or closing the main chamber being arranged between the main chamber and the sub-chamber, and the connecting the upper end of the feeding barrel assembly to the seed crystal rope of the single crystal furnace and the preliminary matching of the protective member with the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly comprising: controlling the control valve to close the main chamber; unscrewing the sub-chamber; controlling the seed crystal rope to move downward, connecting the upper end of the feeding barrel assembly to the seed crystal rope, and preliminary matching of the protective member with the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly; controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward so that the protective member and the feeding barrel assembly are located in the sub-chamber; rotating the sub-chamber; and controlling the control valve to open the main chamber.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after controlling the control valve to close the main chamber and before unscrewing the sub-chamber, the control method further comprises: inflating air into the sub-chamber to control the air pressure in the sub-chamber to be the same as the external air pressure.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after rotating the sub-chamber and before controlling the control valve to open the main chamber, the control method further includes: evacuating the sub-chamber.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the seed rope is manually controlled to be stable when the sub-chamber is rotated.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an observation port is provided on the sub-chamber.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a connecting portion is provided on the inner circumferential wall of the protective member, the feeding barrel assembly comprises a feeding barrel body and a mating segment, the upper end of the feeding barrel body is connected to the seed crystal rope, one end of the mating segment is connected to the feeding barrel body, and the other end of the mating segment extends radially outward from the feeding barrel body, the connecting portion is a plurality of the mating segments arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the protective member, and the mating segments are a plurality of the mating segments arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the feeding barrel body, and when the mating segments and the connecting portion are mated, the plurality of mating segments are located Below the multiple connecting parts, controlling the feeding barrel assembly to add silicon material into the crucible includes: controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move downward to add silicon material into the crucible; after the feeding barrel assembly completes the feeding, controlling the seed crystal rope to rotate so that the connecting part and the matching section are staggered; controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward; adding silicon material into the feeding barrel assembly; controlling the matching section and the connecting part to be staggered in the circumferential direction; controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move downward to add silicon material into the crucible.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after the material to be processed is completed, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward, and the protective piece is taken out, which includes: controlling the seed crystal rope to rotate so that the mating section is located directly below the connecting portion; controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward, and taking out the protective piece.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, before controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move downward so as to place the protective member in the water-cooling shield, the control method further includes: raising the water-cooling shield from an initial position to an upper limit position.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after the material to be processed is completed, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward, and after the protective member is taken out, the control method includes: controlling the water cooling screen to descend from the upper limit position to the initial position.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, during the charging stage of the single crystal furnace, the protective element is directly placed in the water cooling shield.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The middle circle shows the enlarged structural schematic diagram of A;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a protective member of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a charging barrel assembly of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The middle circle shows the enlarged structural schematic diagram of B;

[0024] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a lifting rod of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a chuck of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a joint of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a sleeve of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Fig.10 4 is a flow chart of a control method for a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Reference numerals:

[0030] 200. Single crystal furnace;

[0031] 11. Crucible; 12. Water cooling screen; 13. Main chamber; 121. Inclined section; 122. Straight section;

[0032] 20. Protective member; 21. Straight tube portion; 22. Abutment portion; 23. Connecting portion;

[0033] 30. Feeding barrel assembly;

[0034] 40, lifting rod; 41, joint; 42, chuck; 43, sleeve; 411, limit portion; 421, mounting hole; 422, notch; 423, supporting protrusion; 424, flange;

[0035] 50. Feeding barrel body; 51. Clamp; 52. Fitting section; 511. Fixed body; 512. First locking portion; 513. Second locking portion; 514. Connecting hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, "first feature" and "second feature" may include one or more such features, "plurality" means two or more, a first feature "above" or "below" the second feature may include the first and second features being directly in contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact through another feature between them, and a first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is horizontally higher than the second feature.

[0039] The following describes a method for controlling the single crystal furnace 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the single crystal furnace 200 includes a crucible 11 and a water cooling screen 12. The water cooling screen 12 is arranged above the crucible 11. During the single crystal manufacturing process, the water cooling screen 12 can quickly take away the heat at the root of the single crystal, thereby increasing the growth rate of the single crystal and accelerating the growth rate of the single crystal. For example, the single crystal is a silicon crystal used in the solar photovoltaic industry.

[0041] When a single crystal is manufactured by the Czochralski method, silicon material is placed in the crucible 11. Under vacuum conditions and the protection of inert gas, the heater of the single crystal furnace 200 generates heat to melt the silicon material in the single crystal furnace 200 to form silicon liquid. Then, a seed crystal is introduced into the silicon liquid. At a suitable temperature, the silicon atoms in the silicon liquid will form crystals at the solid-liquid interface according to the silicon atom arrangement structure of the seed crystal to form a single crystal. The seed crystal is rotated and lifted to finally crystallize into a single crystal rod. For example, the silicon material can be manufactured by a modified Siemens method or fluidized bed technology.

[0042] In the related art, when adding silicon material into a crucible or melting silicon material in a crucible, silicon material (such as solid silicon material, liquid silicon material or mixed silicon material) may splash onto the water cooling screen, resulting in silicon splashing. For example, when melting silicon material in a crucible, droplets or small particles containing bubbles in the silicon liquid in the crucible jump out of the liquid surface, causing the silicon liquid to splash onto the water cooling screen; or, when adding silicon material into a crucible, the silicon material falls into the silicon liquid and splashes the silicon liquid due to gravity, causing the silicon liquid to splash onto the water cooling screen.

[0043] For example, the silicon material is granular polysilicon produced by fluidized bed technology, that is, granular silicon. Granular silicon has the advantages of low production cost, high bulk density, and good fluidity. However, due to the high hydrogen content of granular silicon, hydrogen hopping phenomenon will occur in the process of melting when granular silicon is heated, making the silicon liquid easily adsorbed on the water-cooled screen. In the subsequent processes (such as seeding, shouldering, equal diameter and finishing), the silicon material adhering to the water-cooled screen will fall into the silicon liquid in the crucible due to factors such as airflow or gravity, which may easily cause the pulled single crystal to break and stop the pulling production, reduce the crystallization rate of single crystal production, and affect the efficiency of single crystal output of single crystal in single crystal furnace. The "hydrogen hopping phenomenon" is that when granular silicon is produced by silane fluidized bed method, the surface of granular silicon is easy to absorb more hydrogen, which may easily cause silicon liquid to splash out and affect the production process.

[0044] Therefore, in the present invention, if Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the single crystal furnace 200 also includes a splash-proof device, which may include a protective member 20 and a feeding barrel assembly 30. The protective member 20 may be placed in the water-cooling screen 12. The protective member 20 may protect the water-cooling screen 12. When hydrogen jump occurs to the silicon material, the hydrogen-jumped silicon material may adhere to the protective member 20, isolating the splashed silicon material from falling on the water-cooling screen 12, thereby preventing the silicon material from adhering to the water-cooling screen 12 and affecting the use of the water-cooling screen 12.

[0045] In addition, compared with the solution of using small silicon materials as a bottom to reduce silicon splashing, the present invention absorbs splashed silicon materials through the protective part 20, and there is no need to adjust the size and material of the silicon materials. It can use a high proportion of silicon materials that are easy to splash (such as granular silicon), thereby reducing the cost of silicon materials, reducing carbon footprint, meeting production needs, and avoiding the problem of small silicon materials easily absorbing impurities, thereby increasing the minority carrier lifetime of the single crystal, which is beneficial to improving the quality of the single crystal.

[0046] like Fig.10 As shown, the control method of the single crystal furnace 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0047] Connect the upper end of the charging barrel assembly 30 to the seed crystal rope of the single crystal furnace 200, and preliminarily match the protective member 20 with the lower end of the charging barrel assembly 30, so that the seed crystal rope can be connected to the protective member 20 through the charging barrel assembly 30, which is convenient for subsequent operations on the protective member 20, for example, manually connect the charging barrel assembly 30 to the seed crystal rope, and manually match the protective member 20 with the lower end of the charging barrel assembly 30;

[0048] The seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move downward, and the protective member 20 can be placed in the water-cooling shield 12, that is, the protective member 20 is placed by driving the seed crystal rope, so that the protective member 20 can be placed conveniently and reliably, and the feeding barrel assembly 30 and the protective member 20 can be placed in the water-cooling shield 12 at the same time, which reduces the operation steps and is conducive to improving production efficiency;

[0049] The feeding barrel assembly 30 is controlled to add silicon material into the crucible 11 to meet the feeding demand in the crucible 11, so that the feeding barrel assembly 30 can add silicon material into the crucible 11, and the water-cooling screen 12 can be protected by the protective member 20. When hydrogen jump occurs in the silicon material, the hydrogen-jumped silicon material can adhere to the protective member 20, isolating the splashed silicon material from falling on the water-cooling screen 12, and avoiding the silicon material from adhering to the water-cooling screen 12 and affecting the use of the water-cooling screen 12.

[0050] After the material is oxidized, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move upward and the protective piece 20 is taken out, which can ensure that there is no silicon material adhering to the inner wall of the water-cooled screen 12, ensure the normal use of the water-cooled screen 12, avoid the influence of silicon splashing on the subsequent production of single crystals, facilitate subsequent crystal pulling and other operations, ensure the crystallization rate of single crystals, and make the production quality of single crystals good. The feeding barrel assembly 30 and the protective piece 20 can be taken out of the water-cooled screen 12 at the same time, which reduces the operation steps and is conducive to improving processing efficiency.

[0051] In some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the water-cooling shield 12 is formed in a ring shape, and the protective member 20 is formed in a ring shape, so that the protective member 20 can at least cover one end of the water-cooling shield 12 close to the crucible 11 (for example Figure 1 The inner peripheral wall of the lower end (shown in the figure) ensures that the protective member 20 has a good protective effect on the water-cooling shield 12, and avoids the silicon material from adhering to the water-cooling shield 12 and affecting the use of the water-cooling shield 12.

[0052] In some embodiments, the protective member 20 can be cleaned. After the protective member 20 is at room temperature, the silicon material attached to the surface of the protective member 20 can be cleaned, which facilitates the continued use of the protective member 20 and prevents the silicone liquid from adhering to the water-cooled screen 12 when the protective member 20 is used again, which is beneficial to reducing production costs.

[0053] In some embodiments, the protective part 20 can be a molybdenum part, a graphite part, a carbon-carbon part, a silicon carbide part, a fiber-reinforced ceramic-based composite material part, silicon nitride or a quartz part, all of which have good high temperature resistance, can meet the required requirements of the protective part 20, and are beneficial to extending the service life of the protective part 20.

[0054] According to the control method of the single crystal furnace 200 of the embodiment of the present invention, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 and the protective member 20 to move downward, so as to place the protective member 20 in the water-cooling screen 12; the feeding barrel assembly 30 is controlled to add silicon material into the crucible 11; after the material is oxidized, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 and the protective member 20 to move upward, and the protective member 20 is taken out. Therefore, when hydrogen jump occurs in the silicon material, the protective member 20 can protect the water-cooling screen 12, and avoid the silicon material adhering to the water-cooling screen 12 and affecting the use of the water-cooling screen 12, thereby ensuring the crystallization rate of the single crystal, and making the production quality of the single crystal good. In addition, the feeding barrel assembly 30 and the protective member 20 can be placed in or taken out of the water-cooling screen 12 at the same time, which reduces the operation steps and is conducive to improving the processing efficiency. The control method is simple and convenient for controlling the single crystal furnace 200.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present invention, the specific structure of the protective member 20 can be flexibly set according to the specific structure of the water-cooling shield 12 .

[0056] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the inner wall of the water-cooling shield 12 includes an inclined section 121, which is formed in a ring shape. From bottom to top, the inclined section 121 extends obliquely in a direction away from the central axis of the water-cooling shield 12, which is beneficial to improving the heat dissipation effect of the water-cooling shield 12 on the single crystal.

[0057] In addition, if Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the protective member 20 includes an abutment portion 22, which is formed in a ring shape. In the direction from bottom to top, the abutment portion 22 extends obliquely in the radial outward direction of the water-cooling screen 12, which can meet the placement requirements of the protective member 20 in the water-cooling screen 12, and the abutment portion 22 can abut against the inner circumferential wall of the water-cooling screen 12 to prevent the protective member 20 from moving downward, so that the protective member 20 can be firmly placed in the water-cooling screen 12, ensuring that the protective member 20 has a good protective effect on the water-cooling screen 12.

[0058] In some embodiments, Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the inner wall of the water-cooled shield 12 also includes a straight section 122, which is formed in a ring shape. The upper end of the straight section 122 is connected to the lower end of the inclined section 121, and the straight section 122 has the same inner diameter in the up and down directions. The straight section 122 is used to guide the movement of the single crystal and to cool the single crystal.

[0059] In addition, if Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the protective member 20 also includes a straight-cylindrical portion 21, which is formed in a ring shape. The upper end of the straight-cylindrical portion 21 is connected to the lower end of the abutment portion 22. The straight-cylindrical portion 21 has the same outer diameter in the up and down directions. The straight-cylindrical portion 21 is located in the straight-cylindrical section 122, which is convenient for placing the protective member 20 in the water-cooled shield 12 and can meet the placement requirements of the protective member 20 in the water-cooled shield 12. The protective member 20 has a simple structure and is easy to process and manufacture, which is beneficial to reducing production costs.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the single crystal furnace 200 includes a main chamber 13 and a sub-chamber, the main chamber 13 and the sub-chamber are interconnected, the sub-chamber is located above the main chamber 13, and the side of the sub-chamber facing the main chamber 13 is open to form an open mouth, the crucible 11 and the water-cooled shield 12 are arranged in the main chamber 13, and the seed crystal rope is connected to the upper end of the sub-chamber. After the single crystal is pulled, it is convenient to move the single crystal from the main chamber 13 to the sub-chamber for placement through the seed crystal rope, thereby meeting the processing requirements of the single crystal.

[0061] In addition, a control valve is provided between the main chamber 13 and the sub-chamber, and the control valve is used to open or close the main chamber 13. When the sub-chamber needs to be opened, closing the main chamber 13 by the control valve can prevent external air from entering the main chamber 13 and affecting the environment inside the main chamber 13, thereby ensuring the normal use of the single crystal furnace 200.

[0062] like Fig.10 As shown, the upper end of the charging barrel assembly 30 is connected to the seed crystal rope of the single crystal furnace 200, and the protective member 20 is preliminarily matched with the lower end of the charging barrel assembly 30, including:

[0063] Control the control valve to close the main chamber 13;

[0064] Unscrewing the auxiliary chamber, that is, opening the auxiliary chamber when the control valve closes the main chamber 13, can prevent external air from entering the main chamber 13 and affecting the environment in the main chamber 13;

[0065] Control the seed crystal rope to move downward, connect the upper end of the feeding barrel assembly 30 with the seed crystal rope, and preliminarily match the protective member 20 with the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly 30, so as to realize the connection between the seed crystal rope and the feeding barrel assembly 30, and the matching of the protective member 20 with the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly 30, for example, by manually connecting the feeding barrel assembly 30 with the seed crystal rope, and manually matching the protective member 20 with the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly 30;

[0066] Control the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move upward, so that the protective element 20 and the feeding barrel assembly 30 can be located in the auxiliary chamber, which is convenient for subsequent operations;

[0067] Swing back to the auxiliary chamber;

[0068] The control valve is controlled to open the main chamber 13 so that the main chamber 13 can communicate with the sub-chamber, facilitating the operation of the charging cylinder assembly 30 and the protection member 20 moving downward.

[0069] Therefore, it is convenient to connect the seed crystal rope with the feeding barrel assembly 30 and the feeding barrel assembly 30 with the protective member 20, and the opening and closing of the main chamber 13 can be controlled by the control valve, so as to meet different usage requirements.

[0070] In some embodiments, after controlling the control valve to close the main chamber 13 and before opening the auxiliary chamber, the control method further includes:

[0071] By inflating the auxiliary chamber, the air pressure in the auxiliary chamber can be controlled to be the same as the external air pressure, which facilitates the opening of the auxiliary chamber and avoids problems such as resistance caused by low air pressure in the auxiliary chamber. For example, argon gas can be injected into the auxiliary chamber to achieve the same air pressure in the auxiliary chamber as that outside.

[0072] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after the secondary chamber is swung back and before the control valve is controlled to open the main chamber 13, the control method further includes:

[0073] By evacuating the sub-chamber and opening the main chamber 13 with a control valve, it is possible to prevent external air in the sub-chamber from entering the main chamber 13 and affecting the environment in the main chamber 13 , thereby ensuring normal use of the single crystal furnace 200 .

[0074] In some embodiments, the sub-chamber is evacuated multiple times to ensure that the evacuation of the sub-chamber is more reliable, to prevent other gases from accumulating in the sub-chamber and entering the main chamber 13 to affect the environment in the main chamber 13, and to ensure the normal processing of the single crystal. For example, the sub-chamber is evacuated twice, first evacuating the sub-chamber, then flushing argon gas into the sub-chamber, and finally evacuating the sub-chamber again, which can ensure that no other gas accumulates in the sub-chamber, and to ensure the normal processing of the single crystal.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present invention, when rotating the auxiliary chamber, manually controlling the seed rope to be stable can prevent the seed rope from shaking and affecting subsequent operations, thereby ensuring reliable operation of the seed rope.

[0076] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an observation port is provided on the sub-chamber, through which the inside of the sub-chamber can be observed, and the seed crystal rope in the sub-chamber can be observed, so as to facilitate control of the seed crystal rope.

[0077] In some embodiments of manually controlling the stabilization of the seed rope, the seed rope can be manually stabilized by reaching into the observation port to ensure that the seed rope is stable and reliable, thereby facilitating control.

[0078] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2-Figure 5 As shown, a connecting portion 23 is provided on the inner circumferential wall of the protective member 20, and the feeding barrel assembly 30 includes a feeding barrel body 50, and the upper end of the feeding barrel body 50 is connected to the seed crystal rope, which can realize the connection between the feeding barrel assembly 30 and the seed crystal rope, ensure that the feeding barrel assembly 30 and the seed crystal rope are reliably connected, and facilitate the movement of the feeding barrel assembly 30 through the seed crystal rope.

[0079] In addition, if Figure 3-Figure 5 As shown, the feeding barrel assembly 30 also includes a matching segment 52, one end of which is connected to the feeding barrel body 50, and the other end of which extends in the radially outward direction of the feeding barrel body 50. There are multiple connecting parts 23 and matching segments 52, and multiple connecting parts 23 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the protective member 20. Multiple matching segments 52 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the feeding barrel body 50. When the matching segments 52 and the connecting parts 23 are matched, the multiple matching segments 52 are located below the multiple connecting parts 23. Therefore, through the cooperation of multiple matching segments 52 and multiple connecting parts 23, it can be ensured that the feeding barrel assembly 30 lifts the protective member 20 more stably, and the protective member 20 can be prevented from falling off. In addition, the structure of the feeding barrel assembly 30 is simple, which is convenient for processing and manufacturing, and is conducive to reducing production costs.

[0080] like Fig.10 As shown, controlling the feeding cylinder assembly 30 to add silicon material into the crucible 11 includes:

[0081] Controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move downward and add silicon material into the crucible 11 can reduce the distance between the feeding barrel assembly 30 and the crucible 11, making it easier for the silicon material to enter the crucible 11 from the feeding barrel assembly 30, ensuring reliable feeding and reducing the problem of silicon material contacting with silicon liquid and causing silicon liquid to splash out.

[0082] After the feeding barrel assembly 30 has finished feeding, the seed crystal rope is controlled to rotate so that the connecting portion 23 and the matching section 52 can be staggered, which is convenient for the subsequent operation of the feeding barrel assembly 30;

[0083] The seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move upward, so that the feeding barrel assembly 30 can be moved, which is convenient for subsequent operations. The removal control of the feeding barrel assembly 30 is simple, which is convenient for controlling the single crystal furnace 200, and avoids the problem that the feeding barrel assembly 30 takes out the protective part 20, causing the silicon material to adhere to the water cooling screen 12, and avoids the influence of silicon splashing on the subsequent production of single crystals, thereby ensuring the crystallization rate of single crystals;

[0084] Adding silicon material into the feeding barrel assembly 30;

[0085] The matching section 52 and the connecting portion 23 are controlled to be staggered in the circumferential direction, so as to facilitate the movement of the feeding barrel assembly 30 and avoid interference between the matching section 52 and the connecting portion 23;

[0086] The seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move downward to add silicon material into the crucible 11. Thus, by moving the feeding barrel assembly 30 multiple times, the demand for adding silicon material into the crucible 11 can be met, ensuring reliable processing of the single crystal furnace 200.

[0087] In some embodiments where the single crystal furnace 200 includes a main chamber 13 and a sub-chamber that are interconnected, adding silicon material into the feeding cylinder assembly 30 includes:

[0088] Control the control valve to close the main chamber 13;

[0089] Unscrewing the auxiliary chamber, that is, opening the auxiliary chamber when the control valve closes the main chamber 13, can prevent external air from entering the main chamber 13 and affecting the environment in the main chamber 13;

[0090] Control the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move downward, and add silicon material into the feeding barrel assembly 30, so as to meet the demand of adding material into the feeding barrel assembly 30;

[0091] Control the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move upward, so that the feeding barrel assembly 30 can be located in the auxiliary chamber, which is convenient for subsequent operations;

[0092] Swing back to the auxiliary room;

[0093] The control valve is controlled to open the main chamber 13 so that the main chamber 13 can communicate with the auxiliary chamber, which is convenient for the downward movement of the charging barrel assembly 30. Thus, the charging barrel assembly 30 is more convenient to add materials, and the opening and closing of the main chamber 13 can be controlled by the control valve to meet different usage requirements.

[0094] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned control method can realize multiple movements of the feeding barrel assembly 30 in the water-cooled shield 12, meet the quantity requirement of adding silicon material into the crucible 11, and avoid problems such as the silicon material adhering to the water-cooled shield 12 due to the removal of the protective part 20, avoid the influence of silicon splashing on the subsequent production of single crystals, and ensure the crystallization rate of single crystals.

[0095] In some embodiments, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the connecting portion 23 is formed as an arc segment, and the middle portion of the arc segment protrudes upward. When the matching segment 52 is matched with the connecting portion 23, the matching segment 52 is not easy to fall out of the connecting portion 23, ensuring that the feeding barrel assembly 30 lifts the protective member 20 more firmly.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present invention, the number of the connecting parts 23 can be flexibly set according to the actual situation. For example, the connecting parts 23 can be as follows: Figure 3 Four are shown, but there may be two, three, five, six or more, all of which are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0097] In the embodiment of the present invention, the number of the matching segments 52 can be flexibly set according to actual conditions. For example, the matching segments 52 can be as follows: Figure 5 Five are shown, but there may be two, three, four, six or more, all of which are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0098] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the feeding barrel assembly 30 also includes a clamp 51, which is sleeved on the feeding barrel body 50, and one end of the matching section 52 is connected to the clamp 51. The matching section 52 is conveniently connected to the feeding barrel body 50 through the clamp 51, which helps to reduce the processing complexity of the feeding barrel assembly 30 and facilitates the disassembly of the matching section 52, which is convenient for maintenance or replacement, etc., and can meet different usage requirements.

[0099] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the clamp 51 includes a fixed body 511, a first locking portion 512 and a second locking portion 513. The fixed body 511 is an open ring. One end of the mating section 52 is connected to the fixed body 511. The first locking portion 512 and the second locking portion 513 are arranged opposite to each other, and the first locking portion 512 and the second locking portion 513 are respectively connected to the two ends of the fixed body 511 in the circumferential direction. The first locking portion 512 and the second locking portion 513 are both provided with connecting holes 514. The connecting holes 514 are used for fasteners to pass through. The clamp 51 can be locked by the fasteners to ensure that the clamp 51 is reliably fixed on the feeding barrel body 50. The structure of the clamp 51 is simple and convenient for processing and manufacturing.

[0100] In some embodiments, Figure 5As shown, there are multiple connecting holes 514 of the first locking portion 512, and the multiple connecting holes 514 are arranged at intervals in the up and down directions on the first locking portion 512. The connecting holes 514 of the second locking portion 513 are multiple and correspond one to one with the connecting holes 514 of the first locking portion 512. By cooperating with the multiple connecting holes 514 of the second locking portions 513 and the multiple connecting holes 514 of the first locking portions 512, it is possible to ensure that the clamp 51 is reliably locked and that the mating section 52 can reliably support the protective member 20.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present invention, the number of the connecting holes 514 of the first locking portion 512 can be flexibly set according to actual conditions. For example, the connecting holes 514 of the first locking portion 512 can be as follows: Figure 5 Two are shown, but three, four, five, six or more may also be provided, all of which are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0102] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 3 As shown, the one-to-one cooperation of the multiple mating segments 52 and the multiple connecting parts 23 makes the cooperation between the mating segments 52 and the connecting parts 23 more reliable, ensuring that the feeding barrel assembly 30 lifts the protective part 20 more firmly, avoiding the protective part 20 from tilting, facilitating the placement of the protective part 20, and avoiding the protective part 20 from colliding with other positions of the water-cooled screen 12 and causing damage.

[0103] Alternatively, the multiple connecting parts 23 can be divided into multiple groups (greater than or equal to two groups), each group of connecting parts 23 includes multiple connecting parts 23, and the multiple connecting parts 23 in the multiple groups of connecting parts 23 are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction of the protective part 20. The multiple connecting parts 23 in each group of connecting parts 23 are matched with the multiple matching sections 52 in a one-to-one correspondence, so that the matching sections 52 and the connecting parts 23 are more convenient to match, and the matching complexity is reduced, which is beneficial to reducing the production cost of the feeding barrel assembly 30. At the same time, it can prevent the protective part 20 from being skewed, facilitate the placement of the protective part 20, and avoid the protective part 20 from colliding with other positions of the water-cooled screen 12 and causing damage.

[0104] In some embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, there can be four matching sections 52 and four connecting parts 23. The four matching sections 52 and the four connecting parts 23 match one by one, so that the matching sections 52 and the connecting parts 23 match more reliably, ensuring that the feeding barrel assembly 30 lifts the protective part 20 more firmly and avoids the protective part 20 from tilting.

[0105] In some embodiments, there can be two mating segments 52 and four connecting parts 23. The four connecting parts 23 can be divided into two groups, each group of connecting parts 23 includes two connecting parts 23, and the two connecting parts 23 in the two groups of connecting parts 23 are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction of the protective member 20. The two connecting parts 23 of one group of connecting parts 23 in the two groups can be matched with the two mating segments 52 one by one, so that the mating segments 52 and the connecting parts 23 are more convenient to match, reducing the complexity of matching, which is beneficial to reducing the production cost of the feeding barrel assembly 30 and avoiding the protective member 20 from being skewed.

[0106] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 6-Figure 9 As shown, the splash-proof device includes a lifting rod 40, and the lifting rod 40 includes a joint 41 and a chuck 42. The upper end of the chuck 42 is connected to the seed crystal rope, so that the lifting rod 40 and the seed crystal rope can be connected. The lower end of the joint 41 is connected to the upper end of the feeding barrel assembly 30, so that the lifting rod 40 and the feeding barrel assembly 30 can be connected. The lifting rod 40 can be controlled to move up and down by moving the seed crystal rope up and down, so that the feeding barrel assembly 30 connected to the lifting rod 40 moves up and down, which is convenient for placing and removing the protective part 20.

[0107] The chuck 42 has a mounting hole 421, and the mounting hole 421 is arranged along the axial direction (for example Figure 6 ), the peripheral wall of the chuck 42 is provided with a notch 422, the notch 422 is connected with the mounting hole 421, the width of the notch 422 is greater than the maximum diameter of the joint 41, the inner wall of the mounting hole 421 is provided with a support protrusion 423, the support protrusion 423 extends along the circumferential direction of the mounting hole 421, and the upper end of the joint 41 is provided with a limit portion 411, and the limit portion 411 extends along the circumferential direction of the joint 41. Thus, the joint 41 can extend into the mounting hole 421 through the notch 422, and the lower end of the limit portion 411 abuts against the upper end of the support protrusion 423, so that the chuck 42 can limit the joint 41, and the assembly of the joint 41 and the chuck 42 is realized, and the joint 41 and the chuck 42 are easy to install and disassemble, which is conducive to improving the assembly effect, and at the same time, it is convenient for the chuck 42 to be connected with other structures to meet different connection requirements. The structure of the joint 41 and the chuck 42 is simple, which is conducive to reducing the production cost.

[0108] In some embodiments, the chuck 42 may be a stainless steel chuck. The stainless steel has good high temperature resistance, meets the use requirements of the chuck 42 , and is conducive to extending the service life of the chuck 42 .

[0109] In some embodiments, the connector 41 and the charging barrel assembly 30 may be connected by threads to ensure that the connector 41 and the charging barrel assembly 30 are reliably connected and easy to disassemble.

[0110] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 6and Figure 8 As shown, a flange 424 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the chuck 42, and the flange 424 extends along the circumferential direction of the chuck 42, which is beneficial to improve the structural strength of the chuck 42. The lifting rod 40 also includes a sleeve 43, which is sleeved outside the supporting protrusion 423 and the limiting portion 411, and the lower end of the sleeve 43 abuts against the upper end of the flange 424. The sleeve 43 can limit the joint 41 to prevent the joint 41 from falling out of the chuck 42, ensuring that the joint 41 is reliably fixed in the chuck 42, and the flange 424 can limit the sleeve 43 to ensure that the sleeve 43 is reliably fixed on the chuck 42 to prevent it from falling off.

[0111] In some embodiments of the present invention, Fig.10 As shown, after the material to be processed is finished, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move upward, and the protective member 20 is taken out, including:

[0112] By controlling the rotation of the seed crystal rope, the matching section 52 can be located directly below the connecting portion 23, which is convenient for subsequent operations;

[0113] Controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move upward can achieve the cooperation between the protective member 20 and the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly 30, and realize the simultaneous removal of the protective member 20 and the feeding barrel assembly 30, which is convenient for controlling the single crystal furnace 200, reduces the operating steps, and is conducive to improving processing efficiency.

[0114] According to some embodiments of the present invention, before controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move downward to place the protective member 20 in the water cooling shield 12, the control method further includes:

[0115] The water-cooling shield 12 is raised from the initial position to the upper limit position. In other words, the position of the water-cooling shield 12 is raised to facilitate the placement of the protective member 20 , ensure that the protective member 20 is placed reliably, and avoid the protective member 20 from contacting the silicon liquid in the crucible 11 and causing damage.

[0116] It should be noted that the “initial position” refers to the position of the water-cooling shield 12 during the single crystal manufacturing process.

[0117] In some embodiments of the present invention, after the material to be processed is finished, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly 30 to move upward, and after the protective element 20 is taken out, the control method includes:

[0118] The water-cooling shield 12 is controlled to descend from the upper limit position to the initial position, which is convenient for the subsequent manufacture of the single crystal. When the water-cooling shield 12 is at the initial position, it is convenient to cool the single crystal, which is beneficial to improving production efficiency.

[0119] According to some embodiments of the present invention, during the loading stage of the single crystal furnace 200, the protective member 20 is directly placed in the water-cooling shield 12, so that the water-cooling shield 12 can be assembled in advance, reducing cumbersome operating steps, and when silicon material is re-added through the feeding barrel assembly 30, the protective member 20 can be taken out through the feeding barrel assembly 30, reducing the operating steps and helping to improve processing efficiency.

[0120] In some embodiments, after the single crystal furnace 200 completes processing of the single crystal, when it is necessary to add silicon material to the crucible 11, this can be achieved through the above-mentioned control method to meet the demand for adding silicon material to the crucible 11, and when hydrogen jumping occurs in the silicon material, it is avoided that the silicon material adheres to the water-cooling screen 12 and affects the use of the water-cooling screen 12, thereby ensuring the crystallization rate of the single crystal and improving the production quality of the single crystal.

[0121] Other structures and operations of the control method of the single crystal furnace 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0122] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0123] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "embodiment", "specific embodiment", "example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0124] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A control method for a single crystal furnace, It is characterized in that The single crystal furnace comprises a crucible and a water-cooling screen arranged above the crucible, the single crystal furnace further comprises a splash-proof device, the splash-proof device comprises a protective member and a feeding barrel assembly, and the control method comprises: Connect the upper end of the charging barrel assembly to the seed crystal rope of the single crystal furnace, and preliminarily match the protective piece with the lower end of the charging barrel assembly; Controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move downward, so as to place the protective element in the water cooling shield; Controlling the feeding cylinder assembly to add silicon material into the crucible; After the material is processed, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward and the protective piece is taken out.

2. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The single crystal furnace comprises a main chamber and a sub-chamber which are interconnected, the sub-chamber being located above the main chamber and the side of the sub-chamber facing the main chamber being open to form an open opening, the crucible and the water cooling shield being arranged in the main chamber, the seed crystal rope being connected to the upper end of the sub-chamber, a control valve for opening or closing the main chamber being arranged between the main chamber and the sub-chamber, the upper end of the feeding barrel assembly being connected to the seed crystal rope of the single crystal furnace, and the protective member being preliminarily matched with the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly comprising: controlling the control valve to close the main chamber; Unscrewing the auxiliary chamber; Control the seed crystal rope to move downward, connect the upper end of the feeding barrel assembly with the seed crystal rope, and preliminarily match the protective member with the lower end of the feeding barrel assembly; Controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward so as to place the protective element and the feeding barrel assembly in the auxiliary chamber; rotating the secondary chamber; The control valve is controlled to open the main chamber.

3. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 2, It is characterized in that After controlling the control valve to close the main chamber and before opening the secondary chamber, the control method further includes: The auxiliary chamber is filled with air to control the air pressure in the auxiliary chamber to be the same as the external air pressure.

4. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 2, It is characterized in that After rotating the secondary chamber and before controlling the control valve to open the main chamber, the control method further includes: A vacuum is drawn into the secondary chamber.

5. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 2, It is characterized in that When rotating the auxiliary chamber, the seed rope is manually controlled to be stable.

6. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 2, It is characterized in that An observation port is arranged on the secondary chamber.

7. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A connecting portion is provided on the inner peripheral wall of the protective member, the feeding barrel assembly comprises a feeding barrel body and a matching segment, the upper end of the feeding barrel body is connected to the seed crystal rope, one end of the matching segment is connected to the feeding barrel body, and the other end of the matching segment extends radially outward from the feeding barrel body, the connecting portion is a plurality of portions arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the protective member, the matching segment is a plurality of portions arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the feeding barrel body, when the matching segment and the connecting portion are matched, the plurality of matching segments are located below the plurality of connecting portions, and the controlling the feeding barrel assembly to add silicon material into the crucible comprises: Controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move downward, and adding silicon material into the crucible; After the feeding barrel assembly has finished feeding, the seed crystal rope is controlled to rotate so that the connecting portion and the matching section are staggered; Controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward; Adding silicon material into the feeding barrel assembly; Controlling the matching section and the connecting portion to be staggered in the circumferential direction; The seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move downward, and silicon material is added into the crucible.

8. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 7, It is characterized in that After the material to be processed is finished, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward, and the protective element is taken out, which includes: Controlling the seed crystal rope to rotate so that the matching section is located directly below the connecting portion; The seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward, and the protective piece is removed.

9. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Before controlling the seed crystal rope to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move downward to place the protective element in the water cooling shield, the control method further includes: The water cooling screen is raised from the initial position to the upper limit position.

10. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 9, It is characterized in that After the material to be processed is finished, the seed crystal rope is controlled to drive the feeding barrel assembly to move upward, and after the protective element is taken out, the control method includes: The water cooling screen is controlled to descend from the upper limit position to the initial position.

11. The control method of the single crystal furnace according to claim 1, It is characterized in that During the charging stage of the single crystal furnace, the protective element is directly placed in the water cooling shield.

Images