Fluorine etching equipment with automatic feeding and discharging functions

Abstract

The invention discloses automatic feeding and discharging fluorine etching equipment which comprises a fluorine etching main machine table and a carrier plate distributing / recycling bin located at the feeding end or the discharging end of the fluorine etching main machine table, a lifting frame and a carrier plate distributing / recycling platform are arranged in the carrier plate distributing / recycling bin, and the lifting frame drives a carrier plate box to ascend and descend in the carrier plate distributing / recycling bin. In the lifting process of the carrier plate box, the carrier plate distribution and recovery platform distributes the carrier plates on the carrier plate box to the feeding end of the fluorine etching main machine table, distribution of the carrier plates is achieved, or the carrier plates at the discharging end of the fluorine etching main machine table are recovered into the no-load carrier plate box, and recovery of the carrier plates is achieved. A closed carrier plate transferring channel is arranged between the carrier plate distributing / recycling bin and the fluorine etching main machine table, and gas can be introduced into the carrier plate distributing / recycling bin to purge the interior of the bin. The fluorine etching equipment is high in automation degree, a large number of substrates can be automatically fed into and discharged out of the fluorine etching main machine table, and the conveying and etching efficiency of the substrates is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of etching, in particular to a fluorine etching device with automatic material feeding and discharging. Background Art

[0002] In the field of photovoltaic device technology and semiconductor technology, it is often necessary to perform various etchings of precise dimensions on substrates such as silicon substrates. The range of etchants ranges from liquid etchants (such as NaOH, KOH or TMAH) to high-energy plasma etchants based on gases such as Cl2, HBr, CF4, NF3 or SF6. These etching agents can provide great flexibility and controllability in the manufacture of precisely defined microstructures. Fluorides such as F2 and XeF2 are non-plasma silicon etchants that can achieve high etching rates of several μm / min for silicon materials at normal pressure and have high selectivity for photoresists, silicon oxides, silicon nitrides, etc. This etching method can quickly etch the surface of large-scale silicon structures. Since the reaction can be carried out at atmospheric pressure, it does not require a complex vacuum system and has potential application prospects.

[0003] However, due to the toxicity and corrosiveness of fluoride gas, a series of safety measures need to be taken to ensure the safety of operators and equipment when using fluoride as an etchant. For example, a coating that can resist etching by fluorine-containing compounds is applied to the inner surface of the equipment, and etching equipment with automated loading and unloading is used to reduce the exposure of operators to fluoride gas. At present, there are few automated etching equipment that use fluorine compounds as etchants and can load and unload substrates in large quantities. For example, conventional high-energy plasma fluorine etching equipment usually requires manual or robot operation to place or take out the substrate in the reaction chamber, which is inefficient and does not meet the high-capacity application requirements of the photovoltaic industry. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a fluorine etching equipment that can realize automated loading and unloading to improve the production efficiency of fluorine etching of large quantities of substrates. Summary of the invention

[0004] Purpose of the invention: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fluorine etching device with automated material loading and unloading, which can realize the automated feeding and unloading of large quantities of substrates into and out of the fluorine etching main station, thereby improving the etching efficiency of the substrates.

[0005] Technical solution: To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the fluorine etching equipment with automatic feeding and unloading described in the present invention includes a fluorine etching main station, a carrier distribution / recovery bin located at the feeding end or the discharging end of the fluorine etching main station, and the carrier distribution / recovery bin includes a lifting frame for driving the lifting of the carrier box, and a carrier distribution and recovery platform for distributing the carrier on the carrier box to the feeding end of the fluorine etching main station or recovering the carrier at the discharging end of the fluorine etching main station into the carrier box.

[0006] The board carrier box is a frame structure, and multiple layers of steps for placing the boards are evenly arranged vertically inside the board carrier box.

[0007] Wherein, the carrier plate distribution / recovery bin includes multiple groups of vertical support rods and a third driving device, and the lifting frame is lifted and lowered along the support rods under the action of the third driving device.

[0008] The carrier plate dispensing and recycling platform is fixed on the inner wall of the carrier plate dispensing / recycling bin, and is thus suspended inside the lifting frame.

[0009] Among them, the carrier board distribution and recovery platform includes a transmission mechanism, a corner connecting plate used to set up the transmission mechanism in the reserved gap at the bottom of the carrier board box, and a fourth driving device for driving the transmission mechanism.

[0010] Wherein, the transmission mechanism includes a roller rod or a transmission belt.

[0011] Among them, a carrier buffer warehouse is provided between the feeding end of the fluorine etching main station and the carrier distribution / recovery bin or between the discharging end of the fluorine etching main station and the carrier distribution / recovery bin, and the carrier buffer warehouse includes a lifting frame for driving the lifting of the carrier buffer rack, and is used to cache or push the carriers distributed by the carrier distribution / recovery bin to the feeding end of the fluorine etching main station, or to cache or push the carriers at the discharging end of the fluorine etching main station to the carrier distribution / recovery bin.

[0012] Wherein, the carrier plate distribution / recovery bin or the carrier plate buffer bin is provided with a sealed bin door.

[0013] Among them, a closed channel for transferring carrier plates is provided between the carrier plate distribution / recovery warehouse, the carrier plate buffer warehouse, and the fluorine etching main station.

[0014] Wherein, the carrier plate distribution / recovery bin is provided with a purge mechanism for introducing gas to purge the bin.

[0015] Beneficial effects: The present invention has the following advantages: 1. The equipment of the present invention can enable the carrier to enter and leave the fluorine etching main station in an orderly manner, optimize the work flow, improve the overall operation efficiency of the equipment, and realize the unified scheduling of large quantities of substrates; 2. Through the sealed warehouse door and closed passage, the equipment can provide a safe working environment to prevent the leakage of harmful gases generated during the fluorine etching process; 3. The design of the carrier buffer warehouse can temporarily store carriers that are too late to be distributed or recovered, avoid blockage and interruption of the production line, and ensure the continuity and stability of the production process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a front view of the fluorine etching equipment described in Example 1;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a front view of the fluorine etching equipment described in Example 2;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a front view of the fluorine etching equipment described in Example 3;

[0019] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a partial structure of the fluorine etching equipment described in Example 3;

[0020] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the carrier structure;

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a board carrier box fully loaded with boards;

[0022] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lifting mechanism of the carrier box;

[0023] Figure 8 This is the front view of the interior of the carrier distribution / recycling bin;

[0024] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the internal three-dimensional structure of the carrier distribution / recycling bin;

[0025] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting structure in the carrier distribution / recovery bin;

[0026] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the carrier distribution and recycling platform;

[0027] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a closed passage for transferring carriers between a carrier distribution / recovery bin and a carrier buffer bin;

[0028] Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission channel of the preheating platform;

[0029] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission channel of the etcher platform;

[0030] Among them, there are a fluorine etching main station 1, a carrier transport mechanism 2, a carrier buffer warehouse 3 including a first carrier buffer warehouse 3', a second carrier buffer warehouse 3", a carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4 including a first carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4', a second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4", a carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5 including a first carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5', a second carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5", a carrier box 6, and a reserved gap 6.1;

[0031] Lifting frame 4.1, warehouse roof 4.2, third driving device 4.3, docking conveyor belt 4.4, carrier plate dispensing and recovery platform 4.5, roller rod 4.51, corner connecting plate 4.52, horizontal corner end 4.521, vertical corner end 4.522, fourth driving device 4.6;

[0032] The board box pushing mechanism 5.1, the board box lifting mechanism 5.2, the frame 5.21, the moving conveyor belt 5.22, the moving platform 5.221, the moving track 5.222, the first driving device 5.23 and the second driving device 5.24. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments and drawings.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the fluorine etching equipment with automated feeding and unloading described in Example 1 includes a fluorine etching main station 1, and a carrier plate dispensing / recovery bin 4 (a first carrier plate dispensing / recovery bin 4', a second carrier plate dispensing / recovery bin 4") located at the feeding end or the discharging end of the fluorine etching main station. The carrier plate dispensing / recovery bin 4 includes a lifting frame 4.1 for driving the carrier plate box 6 to rise and fall, and a carrier plate dispensing and recovery platform 4.5 for dispensing the carriers on the carrier plate box 6 to the feeding end of the fluorine etching main station 1 or recovering the carriers at the discharging end of the fluorine etching main station 1 into the carrier plate box 6.

[0035] The fluorine-etched substrate is placed on a carrier, and a carrier can hold multiple substrates on the same horizontal plane, and the carriers full of substrates are stacked on the carrier box 6 in sequence. In this process, the robot suction cup hand can be used to absorb each substrate onto the carrier, and the robot gripper can be used to stack the carriers on the carrier box 6.

[0036] Embodiment 2, as Figure 2 As shown, based on the fluorine etching equipment with automated loading and unloading as described in Example 1, a carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5 (a first carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5', a second carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5") can be further arranged on the outside of the carrier distribution / recovery bin 4, so that the first carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5' can be used to push the carrier box 6 into the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4', or the second carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5" can be used to push the carrier box 6 in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" out of the fluorine etching equipment.

[0037] Embodiment three, as Figure 3 , 4 As shown, based on the fluorine etching equipment with automated loading and unloading described in Example 1 or Example 2, a carrier cache bin 3 (a first carrier cache bin 3', a second carrier cache bin 3") can be further provided on the inner side of the carrier distribution / recovery bin 4, so that the carriers distributed from the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' can be cached or pushed to the feeding end of the fluorine etching main station, or the second carrier cache bin 3" can be used to cache or push the carriers transmitted from the discharging end of the fluorine etching main station to the carrier distribution and recovery platform in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4".

[0038] In the above embodiment, the fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading can further include a carrier conveying mechanism 2, the fluorine etching main station 1 is arranged at the middle and rear part of the carrier conveying mechanism 2, and a preheating platform is also provided at the front end of the carrier conveying mechanism 2 to preheat the dispatched carrier.

[0039] Based on the above embodiment, the working process of the fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading is as follows: the carrier box 6 (fully loaded with carriers containing substrates) enters the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' through the first carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5', and in the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4', each layer of carriers will be distributed one by one into the first carrier buffer bin 3'. When the etching rate of the fluorine etching main station 1 is less than the distribution rate, the carrier will be temporarily stored in the first carrier buffer bin 3', so as to avoid blockage and interruption of the production line and ensure the continuity and stability of the production process. When the etching rate of the fluorine etching main station 1 is not less than the distribution rate, the carrier passes through the first carrier buffer bin 3' and directly enters the fluorine etching main station 1 through the carrier transmission mechanism 2, and the fluorine etching main station 1 performs fluorine etching on the substrate on the carrier.

[0040] After the carrier is transferred out from the fluorine etching main station 1 along with the carrier transfer mechanism 2, it enters the second carrier buffer warehouse 3", when the carrier recovery rate of the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4" is lower than the etching rate of the fluorine etching main station 1, the carrier will be temporarily stored in the second carrier buffer warehouse 3", and the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" has a carrier buffer rack for caching the carrier. When the carrier recovery rate of the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4" is not lower than the etching rate of the fluorine etching main station 1, the carrier passes through the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" and is directly recovered by the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4". In the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4", the carriers are recovered one by one into the empty carrier box 6. After the carrier box 6 is full, it is unloaded through the second carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5", and at the same time, a new empty carrier box 6 is replaced into the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4" to continue to recover the carriers.

[0041] In this embodiment, the carrier structure is as follows Figure 5 As shown, a carrier plate is provided with 6 rows and 3 columns of square grooves, and each square groove is used to place a substrate. The structure of the carrier plate box 6 is as follows Figure 6 As shown, the board box 6 is a frame structure welded by metal strips, and the board box 6 is evenly provided with multiple steps on both sides of the short sides of the board in the vertical direction, so as to realize the multi-layer stacking of the board. In order to allow the board to smoothly enter and exit the board box 6, the board box 6 is not blocked on both sides of the long sides of the board in the vertical direction, that is, it is an open structure, and a certain space is left between the step at the lowest level and the bottom of the inner side of the board box 6 as a reserved gap 6.1.

[0042] like Figure 7 , 8As shown, the first board loading and unloading mechanism 5' and the second board loading and unloading mechanism 5" have the same structure, both of which include a board pushing mechanism 5.1 and a board lifting mechanism 5.2. The board pushing mechanism 5.1 includes an upper and lower layer, both of which are provided with a conveyor belt, which can drive the board box 6 (the pushing direction of the board box 6 is specifically: the long side of the board is perpendicular to the pushing direction, and the short side is along the pushing direction) to be pushed forward by a belt or a roller.

[0043] The carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2 is located at one end of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1. The carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2 is a frame structure as a whole, and a movable conveyor belt 5.22 that can move as a whole is provided inside the carrier box. The movable conveyor belt 5.22 is a belt or a roller that drives the carrier box 6 to push forward. The movable conveyor belt 5.22 is driven by a driving device to move up and down and forward and backward within the frame of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2. Specifically, it can be moved to a position in the up and down direction where the transmission surface of the movable conveyor belt 5.22 is flush with the upper layer or the lower layer of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1. In the front and back direction, it can be moved in or out of the carrier distribution / recovery bin 4 to achieve docking with the internal mechanism of the carrier distribution / recovery bin 4.

[0044] The structure of the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 to achieve up and down, front and back movement is as follows: support rods are vertically arranged on both sides of the frame 5.21 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2, and a mobile platform 5.221 is arranged between the support rods on both sides. The mobile platform 5.221 moves up and down along the support rods driven by the first driving device 5.23. A mobile track 5.222 is arranged on the mobile platform 5.221 along the transmission direction. The mobile track 5.222 moves forward and backward (left and right) in the transmission direction under the drive of the second driving device 5.24. A conveyor belt is arranged on the mobile track 5.222, and the conveyor belt is a belt or a roller. The first driving device 5.23 and the second driving device 5.24 are motors or cylinders.

[0045] Based on the above structure, the working process of the first carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5' is as follows: the fully loaded carrier box 6 is transferred forward (towards the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2) through the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1, and the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2 moves up to a position flush with the surface of the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1 under the action of the first driving device 5.23. After the carrier box 6 is transferred from the upper conveyor belt to the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 drives the fully loaded carrier box 6 to be pushed into the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' under the action of the second driving device 5.24. After the pushing is completed, the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 retreats under the action of the second driving device 5.24 (after the fully loaded carrier box 6 enters the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4', the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' needs to close the bin door for sealing). The internal structure of the first carrier board distributing / recovering bin 4 ′ distributes the carrier boards on the carrier board box 6 one by one.

[0046] During the distribution process, the carrier box 6 gradually descends in the first carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4', and the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2 also moves down synchronously. The bottom end of the empty carrier box 6 after the carriers are distributed descends to a position flush with the lower conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1 and the transmission surface of the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2. After the door of the first carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4' is opened, the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 enters the first carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4' under the action of the second driving device 5.24, and docks with the internal transmission mechanism of the carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4. The internal transmission mechanism of the carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4 transmits the empty carrier box 6 to the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, and at this time, the transmission direction of the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 is reversed. Driven by the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, the empty carrier box 6 is transmitted to the lower conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1. The conveying direction of the lower conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1 is opposite to that of the upper conveyor belt, so that the empty carrier box 6 is pushed outward.

[0047] The working process of the second carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5" is as follows: the empty carrier box 6 is transported forward (in the direction of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2) through the lower conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1, and the movable conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2 is moved down to a position flush with the surface of the lower conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1 under the action of the first driving device 5.23. After the carrier box 6 is transferred from the lower conveyor belt to the movable conveyor belt 5.22, the movable conveyor belt 5.22 is then driven by the second driving device 5.24 to push the empty carrier box 6 into the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4". After the pushing is completed, the movable conveyor belt 5.22 is then retreated under the action of the second driving device 5.24. The internal mechanism of the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" recovers the carriers one by one onto the carrier box 6.

[0048] During the recycling process, the carrier box 6 gradually rises in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4", and the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2 also moves up synchronously, and the bottom end of the fully loaded carrier box 6 after the carriers are recovered rises to a position flush with the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1 and the surface of the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2. After the door of the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" is opened, the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 enters the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4 under the action of the second driving device 5.24, and docks with the internal transmission mechanism of the carrier distribution / recovery bin 4. The internal transmission mechanism of the carrier distribution / recovery bin 4 transfers the fully loaded carrier box 6 to the mobile conveyor belt 5.22. At this time, the transmission direction of the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 is reversed. Driven by the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, the fully loaded carrier box 6 is transferred to the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1. The conveying direction of the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1 is opposite to that of the lower conveyor belt, so that the fully loaded carrier box 6 is pushed outward.

[0049] In addition to loading and unloading a fully loaded or empty carrier box, the above-mentioned carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5 can also, in actual applications, realize directly transferring a carrier carrying a substrate to be etched into the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' or first recovering it in an empty carrier box 6 and then sending it to the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' for distribution, and continue to transfer forward or recover the carrier that has not been recovered after passing through the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" to the empty carrier box 6.

[0050] The process of directly transmitting the carrier carrying the substrate to be etched into the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' is as follows: the first driving device 5.23 is used to move the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2 up and down to be flush with the transmission surface of the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1, and the second driving device 5.24 is used to drive the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 to move forward and backward, and dock with the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1 when it moves to the front end. After the carrier pushed by the upper conveyor belt enters the transmission surface of the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 moves to the rear end and docks with the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4', and the direct transmission of the carrier is realized in this cycle. In order to further improve the transmission efficiency, in actual applications, the front and rear transmission length of the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 can be replaced. When it is not moved forward and backward, the two ends are docked with the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1 and the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' respectively.

[0051] The process of first recycling the empty carrier box 6 and then sending it to the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' for distribution is as follows: placing the empty carrier box 6 on the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, adjusting the position of the empty carrier box 6 by the second driving device 5.24, so that the carrier recovery end of the empty carrier box 6 docks with the upper conveyor belt of the carrier box pushing mechanism 5.1, and at the same time using the first driving device 5.23 to drive the empty carrier box 6 to move upward or downward, so that the step where the carrier box 6 docks with the upper conveyor belt each time is an empty position, which facilitates the upper conveyor belt to push the carrier into the step. The principle of continuing to transport forward or recycling the carrier that has not been recycled after passing through the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" to the empty carrier box 6 is the same as that of directly transporting the carrier carrying the substrate to be etched into the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' or recycling it with the empty carrier box 6 and then sending it to the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' for distribution.

[0052] like Fig. 9 , 10 As shown, the first carrier plate dispensing / recovery bin 4' and the second carrier plate dispensing / recovery bin 4" have the same structure, and the front and rear (along the pushing direction) bin doors can be opened or closed separately. When opened, the carrier box 6 and the carriers can be moved in and out. When closed, the environment inside the bin is sealed. When sealed, the entire carrier box 6 can be purged by introducing nitrogen into the carrier plate dispensing / recovery bin 4.

[0053] The carrier plate distribution / recovery bin 4 is provided with a lifting frame 4.1 and four vertically arranged support rods. The four corners of the lifting frame 4.1 pass through the support rods so as to be lifted and lowered along the support rods. The top 4.2 of the lifting frame 4.1 is provided with a third driving device 4.3. The third driving device 4.3 is such as a cylinder. Its telescopic end is fixed to the top 4.2 of the lifting frame 4.1, and its fixed end is fixed to the top of the carrier plate distribution / recovery bin 4. The lifting function of the lifting frame 4.1 is realized under the action of the third driving device 4.3. Fig. 9 shown.

[0054] The two side surfaces of the lifting frame 4.1 along the transmission direction (opposite to the warehouse door) are open windows, and the inner bottom of the lifting frame 4.1 is provided with a docking conveyor belt 4.4, which can dock with the above-mentioned moving conveyor belt 5.22, so as to realize the forward transfer of the carrier box 6.

[0055] A carrier plate dispensing and recycling platform 4.5 is provided above the docking conveyor belt 4.4. Fig.11As shown, the carrier board distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is fixed on the inner wall of the warehouse, so as to be suspended above the docking conveyor belt 4.4. The carrier board distribution and recovery platform 4.5 includes a plurality of parallel roller rods 4.51, and the two sides of the roller rods 4.51 are respectively rotatably arranged on the transverse corner ends 4.521 of the two sets of corner connecting plates 4.52, and the rotating surface of the roller rods 4.51 protrudes from the upper surface of the corner connecting plate 4.52. The vertical corner end 4.522 of the corner connecting plate 4.52 extends downward to the bottom end of one side of the lifting frame 4.1, specifically, the bottom of the open window extending near the side of the carrier board buffer warehouse 3. The transverse corner end 4.521 is a long strip plate-like structure. When the carrier board box 6 is pushed onto the docking conveyor belt 4.4, the outer end of the suspended transverse corner end 4.521 is inserted into the reserved gap 6.1 at the bottom of the carrier board box 6. At this time, the bottom surface of the bottommost board on the board box 6 contacts the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 through the preset height of the step on the board box 6, and the roller rod 4.51 rotates under the action of the fourth driving device 4.6, thereby driving the board in contact with it. The downward extension of the vertical corner end 4.522 can limit the board box 6 and prevent the board box 6 from being continuously pushed forward under the drive of the docking conveyor belt 4.4.

[0056] Based on the above structure, the working process of the first carrier board distribution / recovery bin 4' is as follows: if the first carrier board box loading and unloading mechanism 5' pushes a carrier board, the transmission surface of the carrier board distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is adjusted to be flush with the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, and remains stationary in the vertical direction, and the carrier board is directly pushed forward. If the first carrier board box loading and unloading mechanism 5' pushes a carrier board box 6, after the carrier board box 6 is transferred from the upper conveyor belt of the carrier board box pushing mechanism 5.1 to the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier board box hoisting mechanism 5.2, the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier board box hoisting mechanism 5.2 then drives the fully loaded carrier board box 6 to be pushed into the first carrier board distribution / recovery bin 4' under the action of the second driving device 5.24, that is, the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier board box hoisting mechanism 5.2 is parallelly docked with the docking conveyor belt 4.4 of the lifting frame 4.1 in the first carrier board distribution / recovery bin 4'. That is to say, the lifting frame 4.1 in the first carrier board distribution / recovery bin 4' rises under the action of the third driving device 4.3, so that the transmission surface of the docking conveyor belt 4.4 is flush with the moving conveyor belt 5.22, and the carrier box 6 is pushed onto the docking conveyor belt 4.4 by the moving conveyor belt 5.22, and continues to move forward under the push of the docking conveyor belt 4.4 until it conflicts with the vertical corner end 4.522 of the corner connecting plate 4.52. At this time, since the carrier box 6 is fully loaded and the carrier box 6 is located in the upper space of the carrier bin, the height of the reserved gap 6.1 at the bottom of the carrier box 6 is also slightly greater than the height of the horizontal corner end 4.521, so that there is no contact between them. Therefore, the vertical corner end 4.522 of the corner connecting plate 4.52 intercepts the bottom cross bar of the carrier box 6. After the position of the carrier box 6 is stable, the rotation of the docking conveyor belt 4.4 is canceled, so that the carrier box 6 is stationary on the lifting frame 4.1.

[0057] In this process, the lateral corner end 4.521 of the corner connecting plate 4.52 is inserted into the reserved gap 6.1 at the bottom of the board box 6, and the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 contacts the bottom surface of the board on the bottom layer of the board box 6 (i.e., the board on the last step of the board box 6 under the fully loaded state). Under the action of the fourth driving device 4.6, the roller rod 4.51 drives the board to leave the board box 6 and enter the transmission surface of the board transmission mechanism 2. When the board on the last step of the board box 6 leaves the board box, the lifting frame 4.1 is driven to descend the distance of two adjacent steps in the first board distribution / recovery bin 4' by the action of the third driving device 4.3, so that the board on the second last step descends to the point where it is connected with the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 (the board distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is fixed and does not move with the lifting frame 4.1), and serves as the new bottom layer of the board. This process is repeated to finally achieve the distribution of all carriers. During the distribution process, the lifting frame 4.1 gradually descends, and finally descends to the lower space of the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' after the carrier distribution is completed. At this time, the carrier box 6 is empty.

[0058] At this time, the outer door of the first carrier board distribution / recovery bin 4' is opened, and the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier board box hoisting mechanism 5.2 enters the first carrier board distribution / recovery bin 4' under the action of the second driving device 5.24, and docks with the docking conveyor belt 4.4 in the first carrier board distribution / recovery bin 4'. The rotation direction of the docking conveyor belt 4.4 is reversed, and the empty carrier board box 6 is pushed out of the first carrier board distribution / recovery bin 4' and transferred to the mobile conveyor belt 5.22.

[0059] Based on the above structure, the working process of the second carrier plate distribution / recovery bin 4" is as follows: if the carrier plate pushed from the front end is not to be recovered, the transmission surface of the carrier plate distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is adjusted to be flush with the transmission surface of the front end in the second carrier plate distribution / recovery bin 4", and remains stationary in the vertical direction, and the carrier plate is directly pushed forward to the second carrier plate box loading and unloading mechanism 5". If the carrier plate pushed from the front end is to be recovered, the empty carrier plate box 6 is firstly transmitted to the moving conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier plate box lifting mechanism 5.2 through the lower layer of the carrier plate box pushing mechanism 5.1, and then the second driving device 5.2 of the carrier plate box lifting mechanism 5.2 is used. 4 drives the empty carrier box 6 to be pushed into the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" through the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, that is, the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box hoisting mechanism 5.2 is parallelly docked with the docking conveyor belt 4.4 of the lifting frame 4.1 in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4". In other words, the lifting frame 4.1 in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" descends under the action of the third driving device 4.3, so that the transmission surface of the docking conveyor belt 4.4 is flush with the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, and the carrier box 6 is pushed onto the docking conveyor belt 4.4 by the mobile conveyor belt 5.22, and is pushed forward by the docking conveyor belt 4.4. At this time, since the carrier box 6 is in an empty state and is located in the lower space of the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4", the vertical corner end 4.522 of the corner connecting plate 4.52 does not intercept the bottom cross bar of the carrier box 6, but the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is also fixed on the inner wall of the bin, further preventing the carrier box 6 from continuing to pass forward under the push of the docking conveyor belt 4.4. After the carrier box 6 is intercepted and stabilized, the rotation of the docking conveyor belt 4.4 is canceled, so that the empty carrier box 6 is left stationary on the lifting frame 4.1.

[0060] During this process, the lateral corner end 4.521 of the corner connecting plate 4.52 is inserted into the upper space of the carrier box 6, and at this time, the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 is flush with the surface of the first step in the carrier box 6. The carrier on which the substrate etching is completed passes through the carrier conveying mechanism 2 to the end of the carrier conveying mechanism 2, and is transferred to the roller rod 4.51 of the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4". Under the action of the fourth driving device 4.6 in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4", the roller rod 4.51 drives the carrier to the first step position. At this time, the lifting frame 4.1 is driven by the third driving device 4.3 to rise the distance of two adjacent steps in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4', so that the surface of the second step in the positive number is flush with the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51, and the next carrier is driven by the roller rod 4.51 to enter the second step position. This process is repeated to finally realize the recovery of all carriers. During the recovery process, the lifting frame 4.1 gradually rises. Finally, after all the steps on the carrier box 6 have recovered the carriers, the carrier box 6 rises to the upper space of the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4". At this time, the carrier box 6 is fully loaded.

[0061] At this time, the outer door of the second carrier plate distribution / recovery bin 4" is opened, and the mobile conveyor belt 5.22 of the carrier box lifting mechanism 5.2 in the second carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5" enters the second carrier plate distribution / recovery bin 4" under the action of the second driving device 5.24, and docks with the docking conveyor belt 4.4 in the second carrier plate distribution / recovery bin 4". The rotation direction of the docking conveyor belt 4.4 is reversed to push the fully loaded carrier box 6 out of the second carrier plate distribution / recovery bin 4" and transfer it to the mobile conveyor belt 5.22.

[0062] The above-mentioned first carrier cache bin 3' and second carrier cache bin 3" have the same structure and are respectively located on the inner side of the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' and the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4", and have similar structure and function to the carrier distribution / recovery bin 4. An empty carrier cache rack is pre-installed in the carrier cache bin 3, and the carrier cache rack can have the same structure as the carrier box 6, and can be lifted and lowered by the lifting frame 4.1 in the carrier cache bin 3, and a carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is provided in the lifting frame 4.1.

[0063] Based on the above structure, the working process of the first carrier buffer warehouse 3' is as follows: when the first carrier of the first carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4' is distributed, it does not need to enter the first carrier buffer warehouse 3' for buffering, but directly passes through the first carrier buffer warehouse 3' to enter the carrier transmission mechanism 2, then the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 of the first carrier buffer warehouse 3' is flush with the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 of the first carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4'. In the first carrier buffer warehouse 3', the carrier buffer rack is located in the lower space thereof, the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 of the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is flush with the first step surface of the carrier buffer rack, and the rotating direction of the roller rod 4.51 in the first carrier buffer warehouse 3' is consistent with the roller rod 4.51 in the first carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4', and it rotates continuously, and in this process, the lifting frame 4.1 in the first carrier buffer warehouse 3' remains stationary.

[0064] When the second carrier of the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' is distributed and needs to enter the first carrier cache bin 3' for cache, the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 of the first carrier cache bin 3' is flush with the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 of the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4'. In the first carrier cache bin 3', the carrier cache rack is located in its lower space, and the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 of the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is flush with the surface of the first step of the carrier cache rack, and the rotation direction of the roller rod 4.51 in the first carrier cache bin 3' is consistent with the roller rod 4.51 in the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4'. When the second carrier enters the first step cache driven by the roller rod 4.51 in the first carrier cache bin 3', the lifting frame 4.1 in the first carrier cache bin 3' rises a distance between two adjacent steps. Thereby, the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 of the carrier board dispensing and recycling platform 4.5 in the first carrier board buffering bin 3' is flush with the second empty step surface of the carrier board buffering rack, so that the third dispensed carrier board is buffered or transferred (ie, not buffered).

[0065] The working process of the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" is as follows: when the carrier conveying mechanism 2 transfers the carrier on which the etching of the first substrate is completed, it does not need to enter the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" for cache, but directly passes through the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" to enter the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4", then the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 of the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" is flush with the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 of the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4". In the second carrier buffer warehouse 3", the carrier cache rack is located in its lower space, and the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 of the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is flush with the first step surface of the carrier cache rack, and the rotation direction of the roller rod 4.51 in the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" is consistent with the transmission direction of the roller rod 4.51 in the carrier conveying mechanism 2 and the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4", and it rotates continuously, and in this process, the lifting frame 4.1 in the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" remains stationary.

[0066] When the carrier conveying mechanism 2 transfers the carrier on which the second substrate has been etched, it needs to enter the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" for cache, and then the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 of the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" is flush with the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 of the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4". In the second carrier buffer warehouse 3", the carrier cache rack is located in its lower space, and the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 of the carrier distribution and recovery platform 4.5 is flush with the surface of the first step of the carrier cache rack, and the rotation direction of the roller rod 4.51 in the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" is consistent with the transmission direction of the carrier conveying mechanism 2 and the roller rod 4.51 in the second carrier distribution / recovery warehouse 4". When the second carrier enters the first step cache driven by the roller rod 4.51 in the second carrier buffer warehouse 3", the lifting frame 4.1 in the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" rises the distance between two adjacent steps. Thereby, the rotating surface of the roller rod 4.51 of the carrier board dispensing and recycling platform 4.5 in the second carrier board buffer bin 3" is flush with the second empty step surface of the carrier board buffer rack, so that the third dispensed carrier board is buffered or transferred (i.e., not buffered).

[0067] In the above process, when there are more carriers cached in the second carrier cache bin 3", the recovery rate of the carriers in the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" can be accelerated, so that the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" can realize the alternate recovery of the carriers cached in the second carrier cache bin 3" and the carriers transferred by the carrier transmission mechanism 2, until the carriers in the second carrier cache bin 3" are emptied, and then the recovery rate of the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" is adjusted to be consistent with the transfer rate of the carrier transmission mechanism 2.

[0068] The first carrier cache bin 3' and the second carrier cache bin 3" are also provided with sealed doors, and a closed channel for transferring carriers is provided between the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' and the first carrier cache bin 3' (or between the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4", and the second carrier cache bin 3"). In this embodiment, the channel can also be integrated with the bin doors of the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' and the first carrier cache bin 3' (or the second carrier distribution / recovery bin 4", and the second carrier cache bin 3"), such as Fig.12 shown.

[0069] The above-mentioned carrier plate transmission mechanism 2 is also integrated in a closed transmission channel. The carrier plate transmission mechanism 2 can be divided into two closed channel parts: a preheating platform transmission channel, such as Fig.13 As shown, the etching machine platform transmission channel, such as Fig.14 As shown. The left end of the preheating platform transmission channel is docked with the first carrier buffer warehouse 3' (a window for transferring the carrier is provided on the warehouse door, and the window is sealed and docked with the left end of the preheating platform transmission channel), and the right end of the etcher platform transmission channel is docked with the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" (a window for transferring the carrier is provided on the warehouse door, and the window is sealed and docked with the right end of the etcher platform transmission channel). Thereby, the sealing operation of the carrier is realized in the process of dispatching (in the first carrier dispatching / recovering warehouse 4') - transmission - etching - recovery (in the second carrier dispatching / recovering warehouse 4"), thereby reducing the leakage of fluorine etchant.

[0070] The transmission channel of the preheating platform is provided with a heating mechanism to preheat the substrate on the carrier to room temperature, about 400°C. The transmission channel of the etcher platform is also provided with a heating mechanism to cooperate with the fluorine etching main station 1 to perform fluorine etching on the substrate on the carrier.

[0071] In the above structure, the surfaces susceptible to corrosion, including the carrier, carrier box 6, carrier distribution / recovery bin 4, carrier cache bin 3, carrier cache rack, etc., are coated with a coating resistant to fluorine-containing compounds. The coating includes one or more of the coating materials selected from nickel-based alloys (such as Hastelloy and Monel), carbon and carbon-based coatings (including ceramic coatings such as silicon carbide, titanium carbide, and zirconium carbide), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PFA (tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxy ether copolymer), FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), ETFE (ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene copolymer), ECTFE (ethylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene polymer), plasma sprayed yttrium oxyfluoride (YOF), etc.

[0072] The fluoride-containing etchant can be selected from hydrogen fluoride (HF), tetrafluoromethane (CF4), trifluoromethane (CHF3), carbonyl fluoride (COF2), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), chlorine fluoride (ClF), chlorine trifluoride (ClF3), bromine trifluoride (BrF3), bromine pentafluoride (BrF5), iodine pentafluoride (IF5), xenon difluoride (XeF2) and elemental fluorine (F2). A preferred embodiment is to use elemental fluorine F2 in the etching reaction chamber of the fluorine etching main station 1 by simply heating the cracked or energized gas to generate fluorine-based free radicals to perform the etching on the surface of the substrate.

[0073] The substrate used for etching may be not only silicon wafers for photovoltaic solar cells or film layers deposited on silicon wafers (such as silicon oxide, amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, microcrystalline silicon, etc.), but also other substrates or film layers deposited on substrates, such as glass, AlTiC (aluminum titanium carbon), and ITO (indium tin oxide).

[0074] This equipment can operate under atmospheric pressure, and can use one or more groups of purge gases to form a gas containment curtain. Through the cooperation between the above-mentioned institutions, the extremely high production volume required by the photovoltaic industry can be achieved. At the same time, elemental fluorine or molecular fluorine is used under atmospheric pressure without the help of plasma to dry-etch the silicon wafer or the deposited layer on the surface of the silicon wafer. The whole process has no pause and buffer process, and the continuous production effect of moving and reacting is achieved. The total process time from entering the cavity to exiting the cavity is between tens of seconds and several minutes, which greatly improves the production efficiency; the gas pressure in the cavity is basically normal pressure, and there is no need to use a vacuum pump to evacuate to a vacuum or low-pressure environment. Since plasma or vacuum is not required to assist the use of fluorine-containing compound gas etching, the manufacturing complexity and cost of the equipment are greatly reduced.

[0075] Equipment working process:

[0076] 1. The carrier box 6 (full of carriers containing substrates) enters the first carrier dispensing / recovering bin 4' through the first carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5', or the carrier box 6 is directly pushed into the first carrier dispensing / recovering bin 4';

[0077] 2. Close the doors on both sides of the first carrier dispensing / recovery chamber 4' and purge the carrier box 6 with nitrogen;

[0078] 3. After the purging is completed, the closed carrier transfer passage between the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' and the first carrier buffer bin 3' is opened, and the carriers in the first carrier distribution / recovery bin 4' are distributed layer by layer into the first carrier buffer bin 3' for buffering or directly enter the preheating platform transmission passage of the carrier transmission mechanism 2;

[0079] 4. After passing through the preheating platform transmission channel, it enters the etcher platform transmission channel, and the fluorine etching main station 1 performs fluorine etching on the substrate on the carrier in the channel;

[0080] 5. The carriers after the substrate etching is completed enter the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" for buffering or pass through the second carrier buffer warehouse 3" to enter the second carrier distribution / recycling warehouse 4", and the second carrier distribution / recycling warehouse 4" recycles the transferred carriers one by one to the empty carrier box 6 until it is full;

[0081] 6. After the board carrier box 6 is fully loaded, the outer door of the second board carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" is opened to allow the board carrier box 6 to be unloaded through the second board carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5". At the same time, the second board carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5" is used or a new empty board carrier box 6 is directly replaced into the second board carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" to continue to recycle the boards. In this process, the sealing is ensured. When the outer door of the second board carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" is opened, the closed channel for transferring boards between the second board carrier distribution / recovery bin 4" and the second board carrier buffer bin 3" can be temporarily closed, and the newly transferred boards can be buffered in the second board carrier buffer bin 3". After the board carrier box 6 is fully loaded, the second board carrier box loading and unloading mechanism 5" can be used or the board carrier box 6 can be directly taken out from the second board carrier distribution / recovery bin 4".

Claims

1. A fluorine etching device with automatic feeding and discharging, characterized in that: The invention comprises a fluorine etching main machine (1), a carrier plate distributing / recovering bin (4) located at the feeding end or the discharging end of the fluorine etching main machine (1), wherein the carrier plate distributing / recovering bin (4) comprises a lifting frame (4.1) for driving a carrier plate box (6) to be lifted and lowered, and a carrier plate distributing and recovering platform (4.5) for distributing carrier plates on the carrier plate box (6) to the feeding end of the fluorine etching main machine (1) or recovering carrier plates on the discharging end of the fluorine etching main machine (1) into the carrier plate box (6).

2. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading according to claim 1, characterized in that: The board carrier box (6) is a frame structure, and multiple layers of steps for placing the boards are evenly arranged vertically inside the board carrier box (6).

3. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic feeding and discharging according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier plate distribution / recovery bin (4) comprises a plurality of groups of vertical support rods and a third driving device (4.3); the lifting frame (4.1) is lifted and lowered along the support rods under the action of the third driving device (4.3).

4. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier plate dispensing and recovery platform (4.5) is fixed on the inner wall of the carrier plate dispensing / recovering bin (4), thereby being suspended inside the lifting frame (4.1).

5. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading according to claim 4, characterized in that: The carrier plate dispensing and recycling platform (4.5) comprises a transmission mechanism, a corner connecting plate (4.52) for mounting the transmission mechanism in a reserved gap (6.1) at the bottom of the carrier plate box (6), and a fourth driving device (4.6) for driving the transmission mechanism.

6. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism comprises a roller rod or a transmission belt.

7. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading according to claim 1, characterized in that: A carrier buffer bin (3) is provided between the feed end of the fluorine etching main station (1) and the carrier distribution / recovery bin (4) or between the discharge end of the fluorine etching main station (1) and the carrier distribution / recovery bin (4), wherein the carrier buffer bin (3) comprises a lifting frame for driving the lifting of the carrier buffer frame, and is used for caching or pushing the carriers distributed by the carrier distribution / recovery bin (4) to the feed end of the fluorine etching main station (1), or caching or pushing the carriers at the discharge end of the fluorine etching main station (1) to the carrier distribution / recovery bin (4).

8. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic feeding and discharging according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that: The carrier plate distribution / recovery bin (4) or the carrier plate buffer bin (3) is provided with a sealed bin door.

9. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading according to claim 8, characterized in that: A closed channel for transferring carrier plates is provided between the carrier plate distribution / recovery bin (4), the carrier plate buffer bin (3) and the fluorine etching main station (1).

10. The fluorine etching equipment with automatic loading and unloading according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier plate distribution / recovery bin (4) is provided with a purge mechanism for introducing gas to purge the bin.

Images