Sapphire crystal growing furnace

Abstract

A sapphire crystal growing furnace belongs to the technical field of sapphire crystal processing and comprises a furnace body, a cover body, a heating mechanism, a crucible dismounting mechanism and a crucible, the furnace body and the cover body are detachably arranged, the heating mechanism is arranged on the cover body and fixedly connected with the cover body, the lower portion of the heating mechanism extends into the furnace body, and the heating mechanism is configured to be capable of lifting and rotating in the furnace body. The crucible dismounting mechanism is arranged on the furnace body, the crucible dismounting mechanism serves as a clamping tool of the crucible and is used for mounting and dismounting the crucible relative to the furnace body, and an exhaust pipe and an air inlet pipe are arranged on the furnace body. According to the sapphire crystal growing furnace provided by the invention, automatic adjustment of a thermal field is realized through cooperation of the rotating assembly and the height adjusting assembly, the heating uniformity of the crucible is improved, and the requirements of sapphire crystals on the longitudinal position of the thermal field in different growth stages are met; and meanwhile, through the arrangement of the crucible dismounting mechanism, the crucible can be conveniently mounted and dismounted, and sapphire crystals growing in the crucible can be conveniently taken out.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of sapphire crystal processing, in particular to a sapphire crystal growing furnace. Background Art

[0002] The main component of sapphire is aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), with high sound velocity, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, high hardness, high light transmittance, high melting point (2045℃), etc. Due to its unique lattice structure, excellent mechanical and optical properties, sapphire crystal is widely used in many fields such as large-scale integrated circuits, LED substrate materials, infrared devices, high-intensity laser lenses, etc.

[0003] At present, the main sapphire crystal growth technologies include flame method, Czochralski method, guided mold method, heat exchange method, kyropoiesis method, temperature gradient method and descending method. Among them, the kyropoiesis method has the advantages of high growth efficiency and low crystal cost. The weight of a single crystal prepared by the kyropoiesis method is more than 30 kilograms, and the crystal quality can meet the requirements of optical and substrate levels.

[0004] The kybery process sapphire crystal growth furnace is a device for preparing sapphire. The existing sapphire crystal growth furnace has the following technical defects when in use: (1) Existing heating devices are usually fixedly installed in the growth furnace, which easily leads to uneven heating of the raw materials and cannot adjust the heating field coverage according to the different growth stages of the crystal; (2) The existing growth furnace is not convenient for installing, disassembling and replacing the crucible. After the growth is completed, it is not convenient to take out the crystal in the crucible because the temperature inside the growth furnace is too high. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above situation, in order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a sapphire crystal growth furnace to at least partially solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0006] The present invention provides the following technical solutions: A sapphire crystal growth furnace proposed in the present invention comprises a detachable furnace body and cover body, a heating mechanism, a crucible disassembly mechanism, and a crucible, wherein the heating mechanism is fixedly connected to the cover body, the lower part of the heating mechanism extends into the furnace body, and the heating mechanism is configured to be able to be raised and lowered and rotated in the furnace body, the crucible disassembly mechanism is arranged on the furnace body, and the crucible disassembly mechanism serves as a clamping tool for the crucible for installing and disassembling the crucible relative to the furnace body, and the furnace body is provided with an exhaust pipe and an air inlet pipe.

[0007] It is worth noting that in this solution, the furnace body and the cover body can be connected by a locking structure to ensure the installation stability between the cover body and the furnace body. Since the locking structure is a prior art, it is not shown or described in detail in this solution.

[0008] The heating mechanism includes a height adjustment component, a rotating component and an electric heating element. The height adjustment component is arranged on the cover body, the rotating component is arranged on the height adjustment component, the electric heating element is connected to the rotating component, and the electric heating element is driven by the rotating component and the height adjustment component to rotate and rise and fall in the furnace body.

[0009] The crucible disassembly mechanism comprises a driving assembly, a supporting plate and a clamping plate. The driving assembly is arranged on the shell. The supporting plate and the clamping plate are driven by the driving assembly to clamp the crucible and drive the crucible to rise and fall in the furnace body, so as to install and disassemble the crucible.

[0010] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the height adjustment assembly includes a protective shell, a height adjustment motor, a height adjustment screw, a height guide rod and a support plate, the protective shell is fixedly mounted on the cover body, the height adjustment motor is fixedly mounted on the protective shell, the height adjustment screw is rotatably mounted on the cover body, the height adjustment screw is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the height adjustment motor, the height guide rod is fixedly mounted on the cover body, the support plate is connected to the height adjustment screw via a thread, and the support plate is slidably mounted on the height guide rod.

[0011] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the rotating assembly includes a rotating motor and a rotating shaft, the rotating motor is fixedly mounted on a support plate, the rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on the support plate, two sets of pulleys are correspondingly fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the rotating motor and the rotating shaft, driving belts are sleeved on the two sets of pulleys, the rotating shaft is slidably mounted on the cover body, a mounting plate is fixedly mounted on the lower end of the rotating shaft, and the electric heating element is fixedly mounted on the mounting plate.

[0012] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a controller is provided on the protective shell, and the controller is electrically connected to the electric heating element through an electric wire, and the electric wire is arranged through the rotating shaft.

[0013] Furthermore, in this solution, the electric heating element is arranged in a spiral structure.

[0014] Furthermore, in this solution, the driving assembly includes a transverse driving assembly and a longitudinal driving assembly.

[0015] Among them, the transverse drive component includes a drive shell, a transverse drive motor, a drive shaft and a transverse drive assembly, the drive shell is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the furnace body, the transverse drive motor is fixedly arranged on the drive shell, the drive shaft is rotatably arranged between the side wall of the drive shell and the side wall of the furnace body, the drive shaft is provided with multiple groups along the circumferential direction of the furnace body, one group of the drive shafts is connected to the output shaft of the transverse drive motor, the drive shafts are connected by a transmission mechanism, the transmission mechanism is used to synchronously drive multiple groups of drive shafts, and the transverse drive assembly is arranged on the inner wall of the furnace body and connected to the drive shaft.

[0016] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the transverse drive assembly includes a transverse screw, a transverse slide bar and a drive plate. The transverse screw is rotatably disposed on the inner wall of the furnace body and is fixedly connected to the drive shaft. The transverse slide bar is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the furnace body. One end of the drive plate is connected to the transverse screw via a thread, and the other end of the drive plate is slidably disposed on the transverse slide bar.

[0017] Optionally, in this embodiment, the transmission mechanism includes a transmission belt, a transmission shaft and a conical wheel. The transmission shaft is rotatably arranged at a corner position of a drive shell. The transmission shaft is used for transmission between two groups of drive shafts arranged in a vertical orientation. One end of the transmission shaft is connected to a group of corresponding drive shafts through a transmission belt, and the other end of the transmission shaft is meshingly connected to another group of corresponding drive shafts through a conical wheel.

[0018] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a driving cavity is provided in the driving plate, and the longitudinal driving assembly comprises a longitudinal driving motor, a driving gear, a driven gear, a nut tube and a threaded rod, wherein the longitudinal driving motor is fixedly provided on the side wall of the driving cavity, the driving gear is fixedly provided on the output shaft of the driving motor, the nut tube is rotatably provided on the bottom wall of the driving cavity, the driven gear is fixedly provided on the nut tube, the driven gear is meshed with the driving gear, the threaded rod is connected to the nut tube via a thread, the two ends of the threaded rod respectively penetrate the top wall and the bottom wall of the driving cavity and extend to the outside of the driving cavity, a connecting rod is fixedly provided on the lower end of the threaded rod, the supporting plate and the clamping plate are both provided on the connecting rod, and the supporting plate is located below the clamping plate.

[0019] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the clamping plate is provided with an arc groove matching the outer surface of the crucible, the lower outer surface of the crucible is provided with a disassembly support plate, the disassembly support plate is provided with a slide groove, and a positioning anti-detachment column is fixedly provided on the upper surface of one end of the support plate away from the connecting rod, and the positioning anti-detachment column is slidably arranged in the slide groove.

[0020] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a discharge port is provided in the middle of the upper surface of the furnace body, and the discharge port is used for allowing the crucible to pass through. An annular sealing groove is provided on the upper surface of the furnace body, and a sealing protrusion is provided in the middle of the lower surface of the cover body, and the sealing protrusion is embedded in the discharge port. A heat-passing cavity is provided in the cover body, and an annular through groove is provided on the bottom wall of the heat-passing cavity, and the through groove is connected with the heat-passing cavity. A sealing ring is fixedly installed in the through groove, and the sealing ring is made of a material that expands when heated, and the sealing ring is adapted to the sealing groove. A heat-passing groove is provided on the bottom wall of the heat-passing cavity, and the heat-passing cavity is connected with the inside of the furnace body through the heat-passing groove.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a base is provided on the inner bottom wall of the furnace body, a positioning groove is provided on the upper surface of the base, a positioning column is provided on the lower surface of the crucible, and the crucible is positioned and connected to the base by being embedded in the positioning groove through the positioning column.

[0022] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a cooling cavity is provided in the base, a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid outlet pipe are connected to the bottom wall of the cooling cavity, and the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid outlet pipe are externally connected to a coolant circulation pump.

[0023] The beneficial effects achieved by the present invention using the above structure are as follows: A sapphire crystal growth furnace proposed by the present invention has the following advantages: 1. The longitudinal position adjustment of the heating element relative to the crucible is realized by setting the height adjustment component, which meets the requirements of the longitudinal coverage of the thermal field at different growth stages of the sapphire crystal; at the same time, the automatic adjustment of the thermal field coverage is realized under the cooperation of the rotating component and the height adjustment component, and the heating uniformity of the crucible is improved by the rotation of the electric heating element and the spiral structure setting; 2. The crucible disassembly mechanism enables convenient installation and disassembly of the crucible inside the furnace body, and when the crucible is disassembled, the sapphire crystal grown in the crucible can be conveniently taken out. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a furnace body and a cover body according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 For the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram in the side view direction; Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 For the embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram in the rearward direction; Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial enlargement of part A; Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a top cross-sectional structure of a longitudinal position driving assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a furnace body according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a cover body and a heating mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of a lateral position driving assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.11 for Fig.10 A partial enlargement of part B; Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the crucible according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Among them, 1. furnace body, 2. cover body, 3. heating mechanism, 4. crucible disassembly mechanism, 5. crucible, 6. electric heating element, 7. supporting plate, 8. clamping plate, 9. protective shell, 10. height adjustment motor, 11. height adjustment screw, 12. height guide rod, 13. support plate, 14. rotating motor, 15. rotating shaft, 16. driving belt, 17. mounting plate, 18. controller, 19. wire, 20. driving shell, 21. lateral driving motor, 22. driving shaft, 23. transmission mechanism, 24. lateral screw, 25. lateral slide bar, 26. 6. Driving plate, 27. Transmission belt, 28. Transmission shaft, 29. Conical wheel, 30. Longitudinal driving motor, 31. Driving gear, 32. Driven gear, 33. Nut cylinder, 34. Threaded rod, 35. Connecting rod, 36. Arc groove, 37. Disassembly support plate, 38. Slide groove, 39. Positioning anti-slip column, 40. Discharge port, 41. Sealing groove, 42. Sealing protrusion, 43. Heat-passing cavity, 44. Through groove, 45. Sealing ring, 46. Heat-passing groove, 47. Base, 48. Positioning column, 49. Cooling cavity, 50. Liquid inlet pipe, 51. Liquid outlet pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments; based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that the words "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up" and "down" used in the following description refer to directions in the drawings, and the words "inside" and "outside" refer to directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively.

[0028] This embodiment is a technical improvement made to address the technical problems that the heating device of the existing sapphire crystal growth furnace is fixedly set, which easily leads to uneven heating of the raw materials and cannot adjust the heating field coverage according to the different growth stages of the crystal; at the same time, it is not convenient to install and disassemble the crucible and it is not convenient to take out the crystal.

[0029] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, a sapphire crystal growth furnace provided in this embodiment includes a detachable furnace body 1 and a cover body 2, a heating mechanism 3, a crucible disassembly mechanism 4, and a crucible 5. The heating mechanism 3 is fixedly connected to the cover body 2, and the lower part of the heating mechanism 3 extends into the furnace body 1, and the heating mechanism 3 is configured to be able to rise and fall and rotate in the furnace body 1. By rotating the heating mechanism 3 in the inner cavity of the furnace body 1, the uniformity of heating inside the furnace body 1 can be improved, and by adjusting the rising and falling position of the heating mechanism 3 in the furnace body 1, the different crystal growth conditions can be met. In order to meet the long-term demand for the coverage of the heating field, a crucible disassembly mechanism 4 is arranged on the furnace body 1. The crucible disassembly mechanism 4 is used as a clamping tool for the crucible 5 to install and disassemble the crucible 5 relative to the furnace body 1. The setting of the crucible disassembly mechanism 4 realizes the convenient installation and disassembly of the crucible 5, and facilitates the removal of the sapphire crystal after the growth and cultivation of the sapphire crystal is completed. An exhaust pipe and an air inlet pipe are arranged on the furnace body 1. The exhaust pipe can be used to evacuate the furnace body 1, and the air inlet pipe can be used to introduce inert gas into the furnace body 1.

[0030] It is worth noting that in this solution, the furnace body 1 and the cover body 2 can be connected by a locking structure to ensure the installation stability between the cover body 2 and the furnace body 1. Since the locking structure is a prior art, it is not shown or described in detail in this solution.

[0031] See also Figure 3 In this embodiment, the heating mechanism 3 includes a height adjustment component, a rotating component and an electric heating element 6. The height adjustment component is arranged on the cover body 2, and the rotating component is arranged on the height adjustment component. The electric heating element 6 is connected to the rotating component. The electric heating element 6 is driven by the rotating component and the height adjustment component to rotate and rise and fall in the furnace body 1. The height adjustment component is used to adjust the height position of the electric heating element 6 relative to the crucible 5, and the rotating component is used to drive the electric heating element 6 to rotate. The heating field can be adjusted by changing the height position and rotating the electric heating element 6 in the furnace body 1.

[0032] As a further improvement of this embodiment, the electric heating element 6 is arranged in a spiral structure, so as to further improve the heating uniformity of the electric heating element 6.

[0033] See also Figure 2 In this embodiment, the crucible disassembly mechanism 4 includes a driving assembly, a supporting plate 7 and a clamping plate 8. The driving assembly is arranged on the shell. The supporting plate 7 and the clamping plate 8 are driven by the driving assembly to clamp the crucible 5 and drive the crucible 5 to rise and fall in the furnace body 1, so as to install and disassemble the crucible 5.

[0034] See also Figure 3 In this embodiment, the height adjustment component includes a protective shell 9, a height adjustment motor 10, a height adjustment screw 11, a height guide rod 12 and a support plate 13. The protective shell 9 is fixedly arranged on the cover body 2, the height adjustment motor 10 is fixedly arranged on the protective shell 9, the height adjustment screw 11 is rotatably arranged on the cover body 2, the height adjustment screw 11 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the height adjustment motor 10, the height guide rod 12 is fixedly arranged on the cover body 2, the support plate 13 is connected to the height adjustment screw 11 through a thread, and the support plate 13 is slidably arranged on the height guide rod 12. The height adjustment of the support plate 13 can be achieved under the driving of the height adjustment screw 11 and the guiding action of the height guide rod 12. The rotating component and the electric heating element 6 are driven to rise and fall in the furnace body 1 by the support plate 13, so as to achieve the adjustment of the relative position of the electric heating element 6 and the crucible 5, adjust the thermal field range of the electric heating element 6, improve the uniformity of the heating field, and better match the requirements of different growth stages of sapphire crystals.

[0035] See also Figure 3 In this embodiment, the rotating assembly includes a rotating motor 14 and a rotating shaft 15. The rotating motor 14 is fixedly arranged on the support plate 13, and the rotating shaft 15 is rotatably arranged on the support plate 13. Two sets of pulleys are correspondingly fixedly arranged on the output shaft of the rotating motor 14 and the rotating shaft 15. A driving belt 16 is sleeved on the two sets of pulleys. Under the action of the driving belt 16, the rotating motor 14 drives the rotating shaft 15 to rotate synchronously. The rotating shaft 15 is slidably arranged on the cover body 2. A mounting plate 17 is fixedly arranged at the lower end of the rotating shaft 15. The electric heating element 6 is fixedly installed on the mounting plate 17. The electric heating element 6 can be driven to rotate in the furnace body 1 by the driving of the rotating shaft 15, thereby improving the heating uniformity of the crucible 5.

[0036] See also Figure 3 In this embodiment, a controller 18 is provided on the protective shell 9 , and the controller 18 is electrically connected to the electric heating element 6 through an electric wire 19 , and the electric wire 19 is provided through the rotating shaft 15 .

[0037] See also Figure 3 and Figure 5 In this embodiment, the driving component includes a transverse driving component and a longitudinal driving component.

[0038] See also Figure 4 In this embodiment, the transverse drive component includes a drive shell 20, a transverse drive motor 21, a drive shaft 22 and a transverse drive assembly. The drive shell 20 is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the furnace body 1, the transverse drive motor 21 is fixedly arranged on the drive shell 20, and the drive shaft 22 is rotatably arranged between the side wall of the drive shell 20 and the side wall of the furnace body 1. A plurality of drive shafts 22 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the furnace body 1. A group of drive shafts 22 is connected to the output shaft of the transverse drive motor 21, and the drive shafts 22 are connected to each other through a transmission mechanism 23. The transmission mechanism 23 is used to synchronously drive the plurality of drive shafts 22. The transverse drive assembly is arranged on the inner wall of the furnace body 1 and is connected to the drive shaft 22.

[0039] See also Figure 4 In this embodiment, the transverse driving assembly includes a transverse screw 24, a transverse slide bar 25 and a driving plate 26. The transverse screw 24 is rotatably arranged on the inner wall of the furnace body 1 and is fixedly connected to the driving shaft 22. The transverse slide bar 25 is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the furnace body 1. One end of the driving plate 26 is connected to the transverse screw 24 through a thread, and the other end of the driving plate 26 is slidably arranged on the transverse slide bar 25. Under the driving of the transverse screw 24 and the guiding action of the transverse slide bar 25, the transverse position of the driving plate 26 in the furnace body 1 can be adjusted. Under the cooperation of the transverse driving assembly and the longitudinal position driving component, the supporting plate 7 and the clamping plate 8 can be driven to install or disassemble the crucible 5.

[0040] See also Figure 4 In this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 23 includes a transmission belt 27, a transmission shaft 28 and a conical wheel 29. The transmission shaft 28 is rotatably arranged at the corner position of the drive shell 20. The transmission shaft 28 is used for transmission between two groups of drive shafts 22 arranged in a vertical orientation. One end of the transmission shaft 28 is connected to a group of corresponding drive shafts 22 through the transmission belt 27, and the other end of the transmission shaft 28 is meshed and connected to another group of corresponding drive shafts 22 through the conical wheel 29. With the cooperation of the transmission belt 27, the transmission shaft 28 and the conical wheel 29 group, the synchronous rotation drive of multiple groups of drive shafts 22 can be realized.

[0041] As a specific embodiment, the drive shaft 22 is provided with four groups, and the four groups of drive shafts 22 are rotatably arranged on the four side walls of the drive shell 20 respectively. The four groups of drive shafts 22 are named drive shaft 1, drive shaft 2, drive shaft 3 and drive shaft 4 respectively. Drive shaft 1 and drive shaft 4 are rotatably arranged on two mutually parallel side walls of the drive shell 20 respectively, and drive shaft 2 and drive shaft 3 are rotatably arranged on the other two mutually parallel side walls of the drive shell 20 respectively. Drive shaft 1 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the horizontal drive motor 21. The transmission shaft 28 is provided with three groups, and the three groups of transmission shafts 28 are named transmission shaft 1, transmission shaft 2 and transmission shaft 3 respectively. The transmission shaft 1 and the transmission shaft 2 are connected to each other. It is arranged on both sides of the driving shaft one, and the transmission shaft three is rotatably arranged between the driving shaft two and the driving shaft four. The driving shaft one and the transmission shaft one and the transmission shaft two are connected by a transmission belt 27. A group of active conical wheels are fixedly provided on the transmission shaft one and the transmission shaft two, and a group of driven conical wheels are fixedly provided on the driving shaft two and the driving shaft 22 respectively. The active conical wheels and the driven conical wheels are meshed. Under the meshing action of the active conical wheels and the driven conical wheels, the driving of the driving shaft two and the driving shaft three can be realized. A transmission conical wheel is fixedly provided on the transmission shaft three, and the transmission conical wheel is meshed with the driven conical wheel on the driving shaft two. The transmission shaft three and the driving shaft four are connected by a transmission belt 27.

[0042] When used specifically, the synchronous driving of the four drive shafts 22 can be achieved through the transmission of multiple drive belts 16, drive shafts 28 and meshing conical wheels 29.

[0043] It is worth noting that in this embodiment, before the transmission belt 27 is installed, a pulley needs to be fixed on the corresponding shaft in advance, and the thread direction of the transverse screw 24 is set to ensure that several groups of transverse drive assemblies move toward the center of the furnace body 1 or the side wall of the furnace body 1 at the same time.

[0044] See also Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7In this embodiment, a driving cavity is provided in the driving plate 26, and the longitudinal driving assembly includes a longitudinal driving motor 30, a driving gear 31, a driven gear 32, a nut cylinder 33 and a threaded rod 34. The longitudinal driving motor 30 is fixedly arranged on the side wall of the driving cavity, the driving gear 31 is fixedly arranged on the output shaft of the driving motor, the nut cylinder 33 is rotatably arranged on the bottom wall of the driving cavity, the driven gear 32 is fixedly arranged on the nut cylinder 33, the driven gear 32 is meshed with the driving gear 31, the threaded rod 34 is connected to the nut cylinder 33 by threads, and both ends of the threaded rod 34 respectively penetrate the driving The top wall and bottom wall of the moving cavity extend outside the driving cavity. A connecting rod 35 is fixed to the lower end of the threaded rod 34. The supporting plate 7 and the clamping plate 8 are both arranged on the connecting rod 35. The supporting plate 7 is located below the clamping plate 8. The nut tube 33 is driven to rotate by the engagement of the driving gear 31 and the driven gear 32. The rotation of the nut tube 33 drives the threaded rod 34 to rise and fall. The threaded rod 34 drives the supporting plate 7 and the clamping plate 8 to rise and fall. The crucible 5 can be clamped by the lifting and lowering of the supporting plate 7 and the clamping plate 8 in coordination with the lateral position movement drive, and the crucible 5 can be installed and disassembled by driving the crucible 5 to rise and fall.

[0045] See also Fig.10 and Fig.11 In this embodiment, an arc groove 36 matching the outer surface of the crucible 5 is provided on the clamping plate 8, so that the clamping stability of the crucible 5 by the clamping plate 8 can be improved. A disassembly support plate 37 is provided on the lower outer surface of the crucible 5, and a slide groove 38 is provided on the disassembly support plate 37. A positioning anti-detachment column 39 is fixedly provided on the upper surface of the end of the supporting plate 7 away from the connecting rod 35, and the positioning anti-detachment column 39 is slidably arranged in the slide groove 38.

[0046] During specific use, the clamping plate 8 and the supporting plate 7 are driven by the transverse driving component to gradually approach the crucible 5 from the outside. When the positioning anti-slip column 39 moves to the bottom of the slide groove 38, the connecting rod 35 is slightly lifted under the action of the longitudinal driving component, driving the lifting clamping plate 8 and the supporting plate 7 to move upward synchronously, and the supporting plate 7 drives the positioning anti-slip column 39 to embed into the slide groove 38. Under the continued pushing action of the transverse driving component, the clamping plate 8 and the supporting plate 7 are driven to continue to approach the crucible 5. The clamping plate 8 clamps and fixes the crucible 5 from the side. During this process, the positioning anti-slip column 39 slides along the slide groove 38. Finally, under the lifting action of the longitudinal driving component, an upward force is applied to the crucible 5, thereby disassembling the crucible 5 and taking it out of the furnace body 1.

[0047] See also Figure 8 and Fig. 9In this embodiment, a discharge port 40 is provided in the middle of the upper surface of the furnace body 1, and the discharge port 40 is used for the crucible 5 to pass through. An annular sealing groove 41 is provided on the upper surface of the furnace body 1, and a sealing protrusion 42 is provided in the middle of the lower surface of the cover body 2. The sealing protrusion 42 is embedded in the discharge port 40. A heat-passing cavity 43 is provided in the cover body 2, and an annular through groove 44 is provided on the bottom wall of the heat-passing cavity 43. The through groove 44 is connected with the heat-passing cavity 43, and a sealing ring 45 is fixedly installed in the through groove 44. The sealing ring 45 is made of a material that expands when heated. The sealing ring 45 A heat-through groove 46 is provided on the bottom wall of the heat-through cavity 43 to match the sealing groove 41. The heat-through cavity 43 is connected to the interior of the furnace body 1 through the heat-through groove 46. The cover body 2 is placed on the furnace body 1. At this time, the sealing protrusion 42 is embedded in the discharge port 40, and the sealing ring 45 is embedded in the sealing groove 41. When the sapphire crystal grows, the furnace body 1 is in a high-temperature state, and the high-temperature airflow enters the heat-through cavity 43 through the heat-through groove 46. The high-temperature airflow acts on the sealing ring 45, and the sealing ring 45 expands due to the heat to ensure the sealing degree between the sealing ring 45 and the sealing groove 41.

[0048] See also Figure 3 and Fig.12 In this embodiment, a base 47 is provided on the inner bottom wall of the furnace body 1, a positioning groove is provided on the upper surface of the base 47, and a positioning column 48 is provided on the lower surface of the crucible 5. The crucible 5 is positioned and connected to the base 47 by being embedded in the positioning groove through the positioning column 48, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the installation position of the crucible 5.

[0049] See also Figure 3 and Figure 5 In this embodiment, a cooling chamber 49 is opened in the base 47, and a liquid inlet pipe 50 and a liquid outlet pipe 51 are connected to the bottom wall of the cooling chamber 49. The liquid inlet pipe 50 and the liquid outlet pipe 51 are externally connected to a coolant circulation pump. Under the action of the coolant circulation pump, coolant is pumped into the cooling chamber 49 to meet the crystal cooling requirements after the crystal growth is completed.

[0050] The working principle of a sapphire crystal growth furnace provided in this embodiment is as follows: (1) In the initial state, the threaded rod 34 drives the supporting plate 7 and the clamping plate 8 to be at the highest position and close to the inner wall of the furnace body 1, and the crucible 5 with the seed crystal is manually held and aligned with the discharge port 40; (2) Installation of crucible 5: ① Start the transverse driving motor 21 to rotate forward, the transverse driving motor 21 drives a group of driving shafts 22 connected thereto to rotate, and drives multiple groups of driving shafts 22 to rotate synchronously under the transmission action of the transmission mechanism 23, and the driving shafts 22 respectively drive the corresponding transverse screws 24 to rotate, and drive the driving plate 26 to move toward the center direction of the furnace body 1 and close to the crucible 5 under the driving action of the transverse screw 24 and the guiding action of the transverse sliding rod 25; ② When the positioning anti-slip column 39 moves to the bottom of the slide groove 38, the longitudinal position drive motor 30 is started to rotate forward, the longitudinal position drive motor 30 drives the driving gear 31 to rotate, the driving gear 31 and the driven gear 32 are engaged to drive the nut cylinder 33 to rotate, the nut cylinder 33 drives the threaded rod 34 to rise, the threaded rod 34 drives the clamping plate 8 and the supporting plate 7 to move upward through the connecting rod 35, the supporting plate 7 drives the positioning anti-slip column 39 to be embedded in the slide groove 38, and the longitudinal position drive motor 30 stops working at this time; ③ Then, the horizontal driving motor 21 drives the clamping plate 8 and the supporting plate 7 to continue to approach the crucible 5 under the action of the positive rotation, and the clamping plate 8 clamps and fixes the crucible 5 from the side, and in this process, the positioning anti-slip column 39 slides along the slide groove 38 until the supporting plate 7 is completely moved to the bottom of the disassembly support plate 37; ④ Finally, the longitudinal driving motor 30 is started to reverse, and as the threaded rod 34 descends, the crucible 5 is driven from the discharge port 40 into the furnace body 1 through the cooperation of the clamping plate 8 and the supporting plate 7, and the installation of the crucible 5 is completed when the positioning column 48 is inserted into the positioning groove; (2) After the crucible 5 is installed, the cover 2 is manually placed on the furnace body 1 and fixed by a lock. At this time, the sealing protrusion 42 is embedded in the discharge port 40, and the sealing ring 45 is embedded in the sealing groove 41. When the sapphire crystal grows, the furnace body 1 is in a high temperature state, and the high-temperature airflow enters the heat-passing cavity 43 through the heat-passing groove 46. The high-temperature airflow acts on the sealing ring 45, and the sealing ring 45 expands due to the heat to ensure the sealing between the sealing ring 45 and the sealing groove 41. (4) During the growth of the sapphire crystal, the rotating motor 14 is started, and the rotating shaft 15 is driven to rotate under the action of the driving belt 16. The rotating shaft 15 drives the electric heating element 6 to rotate through the mounting plate 17. The spiral structure of the electric heating element 6 is arranged to ensure the uniform heating of the crucible 5. Furthermore, the height adjustment screw 11 can be driven to rotate by starting the height adjustment motor 10, and the support plate 13 can be driven to rise and fall through the guidance of the height guide rod 12, and the support plate 13 can drive the electric heating element 6 to rise and fall, so as to adjust the height position of the electric heating element 6 relative to the crucible 5, thereby meeting the thermal field requirements of the sapphire crystal at different growth stages; (5) When the crucible 5 needs to be cooled, the coolant can be circulated into the cooling chamber 49 by an external coolant circulation pump; (6) After the growth of the sapphire crystal is completed, the cover 2 is first manually removed, and steps ①, ②, and ③ of step (2) are repeated. Finally, the longitudinal drive motor 30 is started to rotate forward. As the threaded rod 34 rises, the crucible 5 is driven out of the discharge port 40 through the cooperation of the clamping plate 8 and the supporting plate 7, thereby realizing the convenient disassembly of the crucible 5 and conveniently removing the grown sapphire crystal.

[0051] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, material or apparatus including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, material or apparatus.

[0052] Although 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 appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A sapphire crystal growth furnace, characterized in that: The invention comprises a detachable furnace body (1) and a cover body (2), a heating mechanism (3), a crucible disassembly mechanism (4) and a crucible (5), wherein the heating mechanism (3) is fixedly connected to the cover body (2), the lower part of the heating mechanism (3) extends into the furnace body (1), and the heating mechanism (3) is configured to be able to be raised and lowered and rotated in the furnace body (1), the crucible disassembly mechanism (4) is arranged on the furnace body (1), and the crucible disassembly mechanism (4) is used as a clamping tool for the crucible (5) to install and disassemble the crucible (5) relative to the furnace body (1), and the furnace body (1) is provided with an exhaust pipe and an air inlet pipe; The heating mechanism (3) comprises a height adjustment component, a rotating component and an electric heating element (6); the height adjustment component is arranged on the cover body (2); the rotating component is arranged on the height adjustment component; the electric heating element (6) is connected to the rotating component; the electric heating element (6) is driven by the rotating component and the height adjustment component to rotate and rise and fall in the furnace body (1); The crucible disassembly mechanism (4) comprises a driving assembly, a supporting plate (7) and a clamping plate (8); the driving assembly is arranged on the housing; the supporting plate (7) and the clamping plate (8) are driven by the driving assembly to clamp the crucible (5) and drive the crucible (5) to rise and fall in the furnace body (1), so as to install and disassemble the crucible (5).

2. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height adjustment assembly comprises a protective shell (9), a height adjustment motor (10), a height adjustment screw (11), a height guide rod (12) and a support plate (13); the protective shell (9) is fixedly mounted on the cover body (2); the height adjustment motor (10) is fixedly mounted on the protective shell (9); the height adjustment screw (11) is rotatably mounted on the cover body (2); the height adjustment screw (11) is fixedly connected to an output shaft of the height adjustment motor (10); the height guide rod (12) is fixedly mounted on the cover body (2); the support plate (13) is connected to the height adjustment screw (11) via a thread, and the support plate (13) is slidably mounted on the height guide rod (12).

3. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotating assembly comprises a rotating motor (14) and a rotating shaft (15); the rotating motor (14) is fixedly mounted on a support plate (13); the rotating shaft (15) is rotatably mounted on the support plate (13); two sets of pulleys are correspondingly fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the rotating motor (14) and the rotating shaft (15); driving belts (16) are sleeved on the two sets of pulleys; the rotating shaft (15) is slidably mounted on the cover body (2); a mounting plate (17) is fixedly mounted on the lower end of the rotating shaft (15); and the electric heating element (6) is fixedly mounted on the mounting plate (17); the electric heating element (6) is arranged in a spiral structure.

4. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes a transverse driving assembly and a longitudinal driving assembly; The transverse drive component comprises a drive housing (20), a transverse drive motor (21), a drive shaft (22) and a transverse drive assembly. The drive housing (20) is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the furnace body (1). The transverse drive motor (21) is fixedly arranged on the drive housing (20). The drive shaft (22) is rotatably arranged between the side wall of the drive housing (20) and the side wall of the furnace body (1). A plurality of drive shafts (22) are arranged along the circumferential direction of the furnace body (1). One group of the drive shafts (22) is connected to the output shaft of the transverse drive motor (21). The drive shafts (22) are connected to each other via a transmission mechanism (23). The transmission mechanism (23) is used for synchronously driving the plurality of drive shafts (22). The transverse drive assembly is arranged on the inner wall of the furnace body (1) and is connected to the drive shafts (22).

5. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transverse drive assembly comprises a transverse screw (24), a transverse slide bar (25) and a drive plate (26); the transverse screw (24) is rotatably disposed on the inner wall of the furnace body (1) and is fixedly connected to the drive shaft (22); the transverse slide bar (25) is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the furnace body (1); one end of the drive plate (26) is connected to the transverse screw (24) via a thread; and the other end of the drive plate (26) is slidably disposed on the transverse slide bar (25).

6. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism (23) comprises a transmission belt (27), a transmission shaft (28) and a conical wheel (29); the transmission shaft (28) is rotatably arranged at a corner position of the drive housing (20); the transmission shaft (28) is used for transmission between two groups of drive shafts (22) arranged in a vertical distribution; one end of the transmission shaft (28) is connected to a group of corresponding drive shafts (22) via the transmission belt (27); and the other end of the transmission shaft (28) is meshedly connected to another group of corresponding drive shafts (22) via the conical wheel (29).

7. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 5, characterized in that: A driving chamber is provided in the driving plate (26), and the longitudinal driving assembly comprises a longitudinal driving motor (30), a driving gear (31), a driven gear (32), a nut tube (33) and a threaded rod (34). The longitudinal driving motor (30) is fixedly provided on the side wall of the driving chamber, the driving gear (31) is fixedly provided on the output shaft of the driving motor, the nut tube (33) is rotatably provided on the bottom wall of the driving chamber, the driven gear (32) is fixedly provided on the nut tube (33), the driven gear (32) is meshed with the driving gear (31), the threaded rod (34) is connected to the nut tube (33) by threads, two ends of the threaded rod (34) respectively penetrate the top wall and the bottom wall of the driving chamber and extend to the outside of the driving chamber, a connecting rod (35) is fixedly provided at the lower end of the threaded rod (34), the supporting plate (7) and the clamping plate (8) are both provided on the connecting rod (35), and the supporting plate (7) is located below the clamping plate (8).

8. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 7, characterized in that: The clamping plate (8) is provided with an arc groove (36) matching the outer surface of the crucible (5); the lower outer surface of the crucible (5) is provided with a disassembly support plate (37); the disassembly support plate (37) is provided with a slide groove (38); a positioning anti-slip column (39) is fixedly provided on the upper surface of one end of the support plate (7) away from the connecting rod (35); the positioning anti-slip column (39) is slidably arranged in the slide groove (38).

9. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: A discharge port (40) is provided in the middle of the upper surface of the furnace body (1), and the discharge port (40) is used for the crucible (5) to pass through. An annular sealing groove (41) is provided on the upper surface of the furnace body (1). A sealing protrusion (42) is provided in the middle of the lower surface of the cover body (2), and the sealing protrusion (42) is embedded in the discharge port (40). A heat-conducting cavity (43) is provided in the cover body (2), and an annular through groove (44) is provided on the bottom wall of the heat-conducting cavity (43), and the through groove (44) is connected to the heat-conducting cavity (43). A sealing ring (45) is fixedly installed in the through groove (44), and the sealing ring (45) is made of a material that expands when heated. The sealing ring (45) is adapted to the sealing groove (41). A heat-conducting groove (46) is provided on the bottom wall of the heat-conducting cavity (43), and the heat-conducting cavity (43) is connected to the interior of the furnace body (1) through the heat-conducting groove (46).

10. The sapphire crystal growth furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: A base (47) is provided on the inner bottom wall of the furnace body (1); a positioning groove is provided on the upper surface of the base (47); a positioning column (48) is provided on the lower surface of the crucible (5); the crucible (5) is positioned and connected to the base (47) by being embedded in the positioning groove through the positioning column (48); A cooling chamber (49) is provided in the base (47), a liquid inlet pipe (50) and a liquid outlet pipe (51) are connected to the bottom wall of the cooling chamber (49), and the liquid inlet pipe (50) and the liquid outlet pipe (51) are externally connected to a cooling liquid circulation pump.

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