Hot pressing sintering device and operation method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hot press sintering apparatus and a method for operating the same, in which the hot press sintering apparatus has a structure capable of pressurizing a ceramic powder sample to be sintered under accurate pressure conditions without pressure errors, even if a sintered body is manufactured using a plurality of molds in one step.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hot pressing sintering device and an operation method thereof, wherein the hot pressing sintering device is used to manufacture a sintered body by heating and pressing a ceramic powder and other samples to be sintered. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a hot pressing sintering device is composed of a mold for loading samples to be sintered, a heating device, a pressing device, etc. The method of manufacturing a sintered body using the hot pressing sintering device is well-known as a sintering method with excellent sintering characteristics, and thus is widely used in the production of ceramic heaters and the like.

[0003] However, since the traditional hot pressing sintering method manufactures a single sintered body product in one mold, there is a problem that the production yield is relatively low compared to the input time. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the present invention is proposed to solve the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a hot pressing sintering device having the following structure: even if a plurality of molds manufacture sintered bodies through one process, it is possible to press a ceramic powder and other samples to be sintered under precise pressure conditions without pressure error.

[0006] Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] First, the features of the present invention are summarized as follows: A hot pressing sintering device according to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object includes: an oil pressure unit for controlling the generation of oil pressure, a cylinder for moving an upper punch plate according to the oil pressure, a plurality of oil pressure gauges disposed between the oil pressure unit and the cylinder, one or more molds for loading samples, a heating member disposed around the mold; a load sensor for measuring pressure under the mold, and a first carbon block disposed on the sample in the mold; the hot pressing sintering device is used to sinter the sample by pressing the first carbon block with the upper punch plate as the heating member generates heat, and it can control the oil pressure generation of the oil pressure unit based on the measured pressure of the load sensor and the measured pressure of the plurality of oil pressure gauges.

[0008] The one or more molds include a first mold under the first carbon block and a second mold under the first mold, and the hot pressing sintering device may further include a second carbon block disposed between the first mold and the second mold.

[0009] The hot pressing sintering device may further include one or more sets of combinations of carbon blocks and molds disposed under the second mold.

[0010] The plurality of oil pressure gauges may include a first oil pressure gauge and a second oil pressure gauge, and the first oil pressure gauge and the second oil pressure gauge are disposed at a predetermined distance apart on an oil pressure supply pipeline between the oil pressure unit and the cylinder.

[0011] The hot press sintering device may further include: a control device that, when the measured pressure of the load sensor is a target pressure, controls the oil pressure unit to maintain the generation of the oil pressure if the difference between the oil pressures measured by the plurality of oil pressure gauges is within a critical range.

[0012] The sample may include one or more electrode layers embedded in a ceramic powder layer.

[0013] The one or more electrode layers may include an electrostatic chuck electrode, a heater electrode, or a high-frequency electrode.

[0014] Moreover, according to another aspect of the present invention, in a method of operating a hot press sintering device for hot press sintering a sample, the hot press sintering device includes: one or more molds for loading the sample, a heating member disposed around the mold, a cylinder for moving an upper punch plate above the mold, a load sensor for measuring pressure below the mold, and a plurality of oil pressure gauges disposed between the oil pressure unit and the cylinder; and the method of operating the hot press sintering device may include the following steps: controlling in a control device so that as the heating member generates heat, the upper punch plate presses a first carbon block disposed on the sample; in the control device, controlling the generation of the oil pressure of the oil pressure unit based on the measured pressure of the load sensor and the measured pressures of the plurality of oil pressure gauges.

[0015] In the step of controlling the generation of the oil pressure, when the measured pressure of the load sensor is a target pressure, if the difference between the oil pressures measured by the plurality of oil pressure gauges is within a critical range, the oil pressure unit may be controlled to maintain the generation of the oil pressure.

[0016] Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the hot press sintering device of the present invention, the pressure applied by the punch plate to the sample can be multiply supervised by a plurality of juxtaposed oil pressure gauges, and even when manufacturing sintered bodies using a plurality of molds in one process, it is possible to apply pressure to a sample to be sintered, such as ceramic powder, under precise pressure conditions without pressure error. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] To assist in understanding the present invention, the accompanying drawings, which are included as part of the detailed description, provide embodiments of the present invention and illustrate the technical idea of the present invention together with the detailed description.

[0019] Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining a hot press sintering device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is an example of a sample according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a flowchart for explaining the pressurization process of the hot press sintering apparatus of the present invention.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals

[0023] 51: First carbon block

[0024] 52: Second carbon block

[0025] 53: Third carbon block

[0026] 110: Chamber

[0027] 111: Heating member

[0028] 112: Mold

[0029] 121: Load cell

[0030] 131: Cylinder

[0031] 140: Hydraulic unit

[0032] 190: Control device

[0033] P1: First oil pressure gauge

[0034] P2: Second oil pressure gauge Detailed implementation manners

[0035] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. At this time, the same components in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible. In addition, detailed descriptions of known functions and / or configurations will be omitted. The content disclosed below will mainly describe parts required for understanding the operations of various embodiments, and descriptions of elements that may obscure the gist of the description will be omitted. In addition, some components in the drawings may be enlarged, omitted, or shown schematically. The size of each component does not fully reflect the actual size, and thus the content described herein is not limited by the relative size or spacing of the components shown in each drawing.

[0036] When describing embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of known art related to the present invention unnecessarily obscures the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the following terms are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention and may vary according to the intention of the user, operator, or precedent. Therefore, the definitions thereof should be based on the entire content of the specification. The terms used in the detailed description are only used to describe embodiments of the present invention and are not used to limit. Unless otherwise specified, a singular expression should include a plural expression. Expressions such as "including" or "having" in this specification are used to refer to any feature, number, step, action, component, or combination thereof, and should not be construed as excluding the existence or additional possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, or combinations thereof.

[0037] In addition, although terms such as first, second, etc. can be used to describe various components, the components are not limited to the terms, and the terms are only used to distinguish one component from another.

[0038] Figure 1 It is a diagram for explaining a hot press sintering apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 It shows a cross-sectional view of the hot press sintering apparatus 100 composed of a cylinder, a polygonal cylinder, etc.

[0039] Refer to Figure 1 , a hot press sintering apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: an oil pressure unit 140 for controlling the generation of oil pressure, a cylinder 131 for moving and coupling an upper punch plate 133 coupled to an upper punch (ram) 132 to apply pressure to a first carbon block 51, a plurality of oil pressure gauges (a first oil pressure gauge P1, a second oil pressure gauge P2) arranged in parallel in an oil pressure supply pipe 141 among an oil pressure supply pipe 141 and an oil pressure discharge pipe 142 between the oil pressure unit 140 and the cylinder 131, a chamber 110 for accommodating a heating member 111, one or more molds 112, and carbon blocks (a first carbon block 51, a second carbon block 52, a third carbon block 53), and a load cell 121 for measuring the pressure applied by a lower punch plate 123 coupled to a lower punch 122 at the lower part of the mold 112. Preferably, the wall of the chamber 110 is surrounded by an insulating material or a heat shielding material, etc. to block the inflow and outflow of heat.

[0040] In addition, the hot press sintering device 100 may further include an exhaust port 170, a switching valve 171, and a vacuum pump 172 disposed on the wall of the chamber 110 as required, so as to achieve a vacuum inside the chamber 110 during the sintering process. In addition, the hot press sintering device 100 may further include an inlet 180 disposed on the wall of the chamber 110 and a switching valve 181 connected to a gas tank, so as to inject an inert gas into the interior of the chamber 110 during the sintering process.

[0041] The hot press sintering device 100 may include a control device 190, which is responsible for the overall control of the components within the device 100. In order to perform the above-mentioned overall control, the control device 190 may receive the required trigger signals from the components as described above, and may transmit the control signals required for control to the components as described above to perform necessary operations. The control device 190 may be implemented by hardware such as a semiconductor processor, software such as an application program, or a combination thereof. For example, the control device 190 may be implemented by a server or a computing system, and may include a memory for storing data or setting information required for the operation of the hot press sintering device 100, or manage the memory.

[0042] A plurality of oil pressure gauges (a first oil pressure gauge P1, a second oil pressure gauge P2) are shown as two in the figure, but may be set to an appropriate number of two or more. The plurality of oil pressure gauges (the first oil pressure gauge P1, the second oil pressure gauge P2) may be arranged at a prescribed distance apart in the oil pressure supply line 141 or the oil pressure discharge line 142 between the oil pressure unit 140 and the cylinder 131, and preferably, may be arranged side by side at a prescribed distance apart in the oil pressure supply line 141. The oil pressure gauges (the first oil pressure gauge P1, the second oil pressure gauge P2) generate electrical signals in response to the pressure of the oil flowing in the oil pressure supply line 141, and preferably, may be digital oil pressure gauges for outputting corresponding numerical values.

[0043] The oil pressure unit 140 is provided with an oil pump (not shown) to perform appropriate control according to the control of the control device 190. By flowing oil into the oil pressure supply line 141, the cylinder 131 can lower the upper punch rod 132, so that the pressure applied by the upper punch plate 133 reaches a prescribed pressure. In addition, when the sintering is completed or as required, the oil pressure unit 140 can discharge the oil to the oil pressure discharge line 142 according to the control of the control device 190 to raise the upper punch rod 132.

[0044] The heating member 111 is disposed around one or more molds 112 for loading the sample 10 into the chamber 110. The heating member 111 can generate heat according to the control of the control device 190 to heat the periphery of the sample 10 to a prescribed temperature.

[0045] The first carbon block 51 is disposed on the sample 10 of the mold 112. When there are two molds 112, the hot press sintering device 100 may include a first mold below the first carbon block 51 and a second mold below the first mold, and may further include a second carbon block 52 disposed between the first mold and the second mold. In addition, when there are three molds 112 arranged in the vertical direction, the hot press sintering device 100 may further include a third carbon block 53 disposed below the second mold. When there are more than three molds 112 arranged in the vertical direction, at this time, the hot press sintering device 100 may further include more than one set of combinations of carbon blocks and molds disposed below the second mold. The above-mentioned multiple carbon blocks (the first carbon block 51, the second carbon block 52, the third carbon block 53) may be made of hard metal materials such as plate shape or disc shape, etc.

[0046] The hot press sintering device 100 of the present invention as described above is used to sinter the sample 10 by stamping the first carbon block 51 with the upper punch plate 133 along with the heat generation of the heating member 111, and it can control the oil pressure generation of the oil pressure unit 140 based on the measured pressure of the load sensor 121 and the measured pressures of multiple oil pressure gauges (the first oil pressure gauge P1, the second oil pressure gauge P2). That is, the pressures applied by the carbon blocks (the first carbon block 51, the second carbon block 52, the third carbon block 53) to the sample 10 can be multi-supervised by the multiple oil pressure gauges (the first oil pressure gauge P1, the second oil pressure gauge P2) arranged in parallel, so that even when using multiple molds to manufacture a sintered body in one process, the pressurization of the sample 10 to be sintered, such as ceramic powder, can be achieved under precise pressure conditions without pressure error.

[0047] Figure 2 It is an example of the sample 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Refer to Figure 2 , the sample 10 to be sintered may include one or more electrode layers 220, 240 built in the ceramic powder layers 210, 230, 250. The one or more electrode layers 220, 240 may be an electrostatic chuck electrode, a heater electrode, a high-frequency electrode, etc.

[0049] For example, the sintered body of the sample 10 can be used as a ceramic base, and the ceramic base is a semiconductor device for processing various target substrates to be processed such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates, flexible substrates, etc. The one or more electrode layers 220, 240 provided on the ceramic base may include an electrostatic chuck electrode used as an electrostatic chuck for making the target substrate to be processed, may also include a heating element (or heating electrode) for heating the target substrate to a specified temperature, or may further include a high-frequency electrode for performing process treatment (such as plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition or etching process) on the target substrate to be processed.

[0050] In the present invention, each of the ceramic powder layers 210, 230, and 250 of the ceramic powder may be Al 2 O 3 、Y 2 O 3 、Al 2 O 3 / Y 2 O 3 、ZrO 2 、Autoclaved lightweight concrete (AlC), TiN, AlN, TiC, MgO, CaO, CeO 2 、TiO 2 、B x C y 、BN, SiO 2 、SiC, YAG, Mullite, AlF 3 and at least one of the substances in, and may preferably be aluminum nitride (AlN). In addition, each ceramic powder may optionally contain about 0.1% to 10%, preferably about 1% to 5% of yttrium oxide powder.

[0051] As the sintering conditions of the sample 10 containing the ceramic powder as described above, for example, a pressure of about 0.01 ton / cm 2 to 0.3 ton / cm 2 and a temperature of about 1600 to 1950 °C can be used.

[0052] During the sintering process of the sample 10, as Figure 1 shown, the sample 10 loaded into the mold 112 is surrounded by a side sleeve 30, a lower protective partition 21, and an upper protective partition 22 configured to be in close contact with the inner wall of the mold 112, and the carbon block 51 applies pressure to the upper protective partition 22, so that pressure can be applied to the sample 10.

[0053] Figure 3 is a flowchart for explaining the pressurization process of the hot-press sintering apparatus 100 of the present invention.

[0054] Referring to Figure 3 , first, the control device 190 can control the oil pressure unit 140 to control the cylinder 131 to move the upper punch plate 133 to apply pressure to the carbon block 51 (step S200). At this time, the heating member 111 can generate heat according to the control of the control device 190 to heat the periphery of the sample 10 to a specified temperature.

[0055] During the pressing of the sample 10 by the carbon block 51, in response to the pressure applied to the lower punch plate 123 coupled to the lower punch rod 122, the load cell 121 outputs its corresponding measured value as an electrical signal, and based on this, the control device 190 determines whether the corresponding measured pressure (value) of the load cell 121 is equivalent to the target pressure (or pressure range) (step S210). When the corresponding measured pressure (value) of the load cell 121 is not equivalent to the target pressure, the control device 190 can control the hydraulic pressure unit 140 to move the upper punch plate 133 of the control cylinder 131 to further apply pressure to the carbon block 51 (step S211). The load cell 121 generates an electrical signal in response to the pressure applied to the lower punch plate 123 coupled to the lower punch rod 122, and can preferably be a digital pressure measuring instrument for outputting a corresponding digital value.

[0056] When the measured pressure of the load cell 121 reaches the target pressure, if the difference between the hydraulic pressures measured by multiple hydraulic pressure gauges (the first hydraulic pressure gauge P1, the second hydraulic pressure gauge P2) is within the critical range, the control device 190 can control the hydraulic pressure unit 140 to maintain the hydraulic pressure generation in the corresponding state (step S230). If the difference between the hydraulic pressures measured by multiple hydraulic pressure gauges (the first hydraulic pressure gauge P1, the second hydraulic pressure gauge P2) exceeds the critical range, an error alarm is output in the form of sound or displayed on the screen of the display device in the form of a message (step S221).

[0057] Generally, in a conventional hot pressing and sintering device, there is no such situation as the multiple supervision of the pressure applied to the sample 10 by multiple hydraulic pressure gauges (the first hydraulic pressure gauge P1, the second hydraulic pressure gauge P2) as in the present invention. Therefore, in the conventional method, it is not clear whether the pressure value displayed by the hydraulic pressure gauge is the actual pressure applied to the sample 10.

[0058] In the present invention, the load cell 121 not only measures the pressure at the lower part of the mold 112, but also supervises the pressure applied to the sample 10 through multiple hydraulic pressure gauges (the first hydraulic pressure gauge P1, the second hydraulic pressure gauge P2), so that it can be clearly judged whether the pressure applied to the sample 10 during sintering reaches the target pressure value. That is, compared with the case of only using the load cell 121 and one hydraulic pressure gauge, even if the load cell 121 fails, or one of the load cell 121 and the hydraulic pressure gauges (the first hydraulic pressure gauge P1, the second hydraulic pressure gauge P2) fails, any one of the hydraulic pressure gauges (the first hydraulic pressure gauge P1, the second hydraulic pressure gauge P2) can clearly judge the target pressure value during normal operation.

[0059] As described above, according to the hot press sintering device 100 of the present invention, the pressure applied by the carbon blocks (the first carbon block 51, the second carbon block 52, and the third carbon block 53) to the sample 10 can be multi-supervised by a plurality of oil pressure gauges (the first oil pressure gauge P1 and the second oil pressure gauge P2) arranged in parallel, so that even when a plurality of molds 112 are used in one process to manufacture a sintered body, the ceramic powder and other samples 10 to be sintered can be pressurized under precise pressure conditions without pressure error.

[0060] As described above, in the present invention, specific matters such as specific components, limited embodiments, and drawings have been described, but these are only provided to help the overall understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and changes without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be determined by the described embodiments, and all technical ideas equivalent or equivalent to the appended claims should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hot pressing sintering device, characterized in that: include: Oil pressure unit, used to control the generation of oil pressure, The cylinder moves the upper punch plate according to the oil pressure. A plurality of oil pressure gauges are arranged between the oil pressure unit and the cylinder, One or more molds for loading samples, A heating member is disposed around the mold. a load cell for measuring pressure in the lower part of the mold, and A first carbon block is disposed on the sample of the mold; The hot press sintering device is used to press the first carbon block with the upper punch plate to sinter the sample as the heating member generates heat, and the oil pressure of the oil pressure unit is controlled based on the measured pressure of the load sensor and the measured pressure of the plurality of oil pressure gauges.

2. The hot pressing sintering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The one or more molds include: a first mold, located at the lower part of the first carbon block, and A second mold, located below the first mold; The hot pressing sintering device also includes: The second carbon block is disposed between the first mold and the second mold.

3. The hot pressing sintering device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: One or more combinations of carbon blocks and molds are disposed at the lower part of the second mold.

4. The hot pressing sintering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of oil pressure gauges include a first oil pressure gauge and a second oil pressure gauge, The first oil pressure gauge and the second oil pressure gauge are spaced apart from an oil pressure supply line disposed between the oil pressure unit and the cylinder by a predetermined distance.

5. The hot pressing sintering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The control device controls the oil pressure unit to maintain the generation of the oil pressure when the measured pressure of the load sensor is the target pressure and the difference between the oil pressures measured by the plurality of oil pressure gauges is within a critical range.

6. The hot pressing sintering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sample includes one or more electrode layers built into a ceramic powder layer.

7. The hot pressing sintering device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The one or more electrode layers include an electrostatic chuck electrode, a heater electrode or a high-frequency electrode.

8. A method for operating a hot pressing sintering device, characterized in that: The hot pressing sintering device comprises: One or more molds for loading samples, A heating member is disposed around the mold. The cylinder moves the upper punch plate on top of the mold. a load cell for measuring pressure in the lower part of the mold, and A plurality of oil pressure gauges are arranged between the oil pressure unit and the cylinder; The operating method of the hot pressing sintering device comprises the following steps: In the control device, control is performed so that the first carbon block arranged on the sample is punched out by the upper punch as the heating member generates heat; and In the control device, the oil pressure generation of the oil pressure unit is controlled based on the measured pressure of the load sensor and the measured pressures of the plurality of oil pressure gauges.

9. The operating method of the hot pressing sintering device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The one or more molds include: a first mold, located at the lower part of the first carbon block, and A second mold, located below the first mold; The hot pressing sintering device also includes: The second carbon block is disposed between the first mold and the second mold.

10. The operating method of the hot pressing sintering device according to claim 9, characterized in that: Also includes: One or more combinations of carbon blocks and molds are disposed at the lower part of the second mold.

11. The method for operating the hot pressing sintering device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The plurality of oil pressure gauges include a first oil pressure gauge and a second oil pressure gauge, The first oil pressure gauge and the second oil pressure gauge are spaced apart from an oil pressure supply line disposed between the oil pressure unit and the cylinder by a predetermined distance.

12. The operating method of the hot pressing sintering device according to claim 8, characterized in that: In the step of controlling the oil pressure, When the measured pressure of the load sensor is the target pressure and the difference between the oil pressures measured by the plurality of oil pressure gauges is within a critical range, the oil pressure unit is controlled to maintain the generation of the oil pressure.

13. The operating method of the hot pressing sintering device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The sample includes one or more electrode layers built into a ceramic powder layer.

14. The operating method of the hot pressing sintering device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The one or more electrode layers include an electrostatic chuck electrode, a heater electrode or a high-frequency electrode.

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