Single crystal furnace lower shaft protection mechanism and method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of single crystal furnaces, and particularly relates to a single crystal furnace lower shaft protection mechanism and method.The single crystal furnace lower shaft protection mechanism comprises a furnace body assembly and a protection assembly arranged in the furnace body assembly; the furnace body assembly comprises a single crystal furnace body, a supporting shaft arranged at the bottom of the single crystal furnace body and a supporting plate fixed at the top end of the supporting shaft. By arranging the protection assembly, when a driving shaft supports a crucible on a supporting shaft to move downwards, the supporting shaft can drive a transmission roller in contact with the supporting shaft to rotate, then a traction rope is pulled to lift a first push block upwards, the first push block pushes a second push block attached to the first push block to move towards a fastening plate, and then the contact strength of a cleaning brush piece and the supporting shaft is increased; in the process of cleaning the small solid particles on the outer side of the supporting shaft, the supporting shaft is driven to rotate every time the supporting shaft falls by a distance of the length of the cleaning brush sheet, and the supporting shaft is cleaned in a surrounding manner, so that the problem of friction between the small solid silicon particles on the supporting shaft and the protective cylinder is solved, and meanwhile, the liquid level in a crucible is prevented from shaking and the protective cylinder is prevented from being damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of single crystal furnaces, and particularly to a protection mechanism and method for the lower shaft of a single crystal furnace. Background Art

[0002] A single crystal furnace is a device used for producing single crystal materials, which is widely applied in fields such as semiconductors, solar photovoltaics, optics, and electronics. By controlling temperature, pressure, and crystal growth rate, polycrystalline materials are recrystallized under specific conditions to form a single crystal structure. The support shaft of a single crystal furnace is a key component in the single crystal furnace, mainly used for supporting and rotating a seed crystal or a crystal to ensure the stability of the crystal during the growth process.

[0003] Under the existing single crystal furnace structure, the support shaft of the single crystal furnace is generally connected to the lower shaft of the single crystal furnace through screws. The lifting and rotation of the crucible, etc. inside the single crystal furnace are achieved by the lifting of the lower shaft of the single crystal furnace, and then the pulling of the single crystal is realized. The lower shaft of the single crystal furnace has a lifting function, so a protection tube needs to be provided on the lower shaft of the single crystal furnace to maintain the vacuum degree inside the single crystal furnace when the lower shaft of the single crystal furnace is lifted and rotated.

[0004] However, during the operation of the single crystal furnace, a small amount of substances inside the furnace will precipitate on the support shaft to form small solid silicon particles. During the lifting and rotation of the crucible, the small solid silicon particles deposited on the support shaft will rub against the thermal field components inside the single crystal furnace, which is likely to cause the liquid level in the crucible to shake, affecting the quality of crystal pulling. Moreover, the small solid silicon particles falling off after friction will also damage the protection tube, resulting in air leakage in the single crystal furnace and inability to pull crystals normally. Therefore, we propose a protection mechanism and method for the lower shaft of a single crystal furnace. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art or related technologies.

[0006] Therefore, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A lower shaft protection mechanism for a single crystal furnace, comprising: a furnace body assembly and a protection assembly arranged inside the furnace body assembly; the furnace body assembly includes a single crystal furnace body, a support shaft arranged at the bottom of the single crystal furnace body, a support plate fixed to the top end of the support shaft, a crucible placed on the support plate, and a drive shaft fixed to the bottom end of the support shaft; the protection assembly includes a protection cylinder installed at the bottom of the single crystal furnace body and sleeved outside the support shaft, a cleaning mechanism arranged at the top of the protection cylinder, and a sealing mechanism arranged at the lower part of the protection cylinder; the cleaning mechanism includes an inner groove opened at the top of the protection cylinder, a transmission mechanism installed above the inner groove, a first push block connected to the transmission mechanism, a fastening plate clamped at the lower part of the inner groove, a cleaning brush piece fixed to the fastening plate, a jack opened in the middle of the fastening plate, a connecting rod inserted into the jack, a second push block fixed to the end of the connecting rod and fitting with the first push block, and a spring connected between the fastening plate and the second push block; both the first push block and the second push block are right trapezoidal plate structures, and their contact surfaces are inclined surfaces.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it can be further configured that: the transmission mechanism includes a fixing plate installed at the top of the inner groove, guide rods and transmission rollers assembled at both ends of the fixing plate, a traction rope fixed to the end of the transmission roller and connected to the first push block, a limit ring installed at the ends of the guide rods and the transmission rollers, and a limit mechanism arranged on the side of the limit ring.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it can be further configured that: the limit mechanism includes a first limit block installed on the limit ring, a connecting shaft installed on the fixing plate, a second limit block fixed to the connecting shaft and located on one side of the first limit block, and a limit rod installed on the fixing plate and located below the second limit block.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it can be further configured that: a slag storage tank is opened below the inner groove, and a cleaning cover is installed at the bottom of the slag storage tank.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it can be further configured that: the sealing mechanism includes an air chamber opened at the lower part of the protection cylinder, an elastic band fixed to the outside of the air chamber, a sealing piece arranged on the outside of the elastic band, a connecting cylinder connected to the side of the air chamber, a piston plate arranged in the connecting cylinder, and an electric telescopic rod connected to the piston plate and installed on the protection cylinder.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it can be further configured that: a tension sensor connected to the first push block is installed inside the protection cylinder, and the tension sensor is in signal connection with the electric telescopic rod.

[0012] In a preferred example, the present invention can be further configured as: an arc-shaped groove that fits with the support shaft is provided in the middle of the drive roller.

[0013] In a preferred example, the present invention can be further configured as: further including the following protection methods: Performing circumferential cleaning on the support shaft: The drive shaft supports the crucible on the support shaft and moves downward, the support shaft drives the contacting drive roller to rotate, thereby pulling the traction rope to lift the first push block upward, so that the first push block pushes the second push block that is in contact with it towards the fastening plate, increasing the contact force between the cleaning brush piece and the support shaft. During the cleaning of the solid small particles on the outer side of the support shaft, after the support shaft descends a distance equal to the length of the cleaning brush piece each time, the support shaft is then driven to rotate to perform circumferential cleaning on the support shaft; Lifting and sealing the support shaft: When the first push block moves upward, it pulls the tension sensor. At this time, it is judged that the support shaft is in moving operation, and at the same time, the electric telescopic rod pushes the piston plate to move, increasing the air pressure in the air chamber, so that the sealing piece fits more tightly with the support shaft, improving the sealing performance during operation.

[0014] The above technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects: 1. By setting the protection component, when the drive shaft supports the crucible on the support shaft and moves downward, the support shaft will drive the contacting drive roller to rotate, thereby pulling the traction rope to lift the first push block upward, so that the first push block pushes the second push block that is in contact with it towards the fastening plate, thereby increasing the contact force between the cleaning brush piece and the support shaft. During the cleaning of the solid small particles on the outer side of the support shaft, after the support shaft descends a distance equal to the length of the cleaning brush piece each time, the support shaft is then driven to rotate to perform circumferential cleaning on the support shaft, thus solving the friction problem between the solid silicon small particles on the support shaft and the protection cylinder, and at the same time avoiding the liquid surface shaking in the crucible and damage to the protection cylinder, having a good protection effect.

[0015] 2. By setting the protection component, when the first push block moves upward, it pulls the tension sensor, judges that the support shaft is in moving operation, at this time the electric telescopic rod pushes the piston plate to move, increasing the air pressure in the air chamber, and then making the sealing piece fit more tightly with the support shaft, greatly improving the sealing performance during operation. Description of the Drawings

[0016] Figure 1 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower shaft protection mechanism of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 It is an enlarged view of part A of the lower shaft protection mechanism of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is an enlarged view of part B of the lower shaft protection mechanism of a single crystal furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Reference Signs: 100, Furnace body assembly; 110, Single crystal furnace body; 120, Support shaft; 130, Support plate; 140, Crucible; 150, Drive shaft; 200, Protection assembly; 210, Protection cylinder; 220, Inner groove; 221, Slag storage tank; 222, Cleaning cover; 230, Pusher block 1; 240, Fastening plate; 250, Cleaning brush piece; 260, Jack; 270, Connecting rod; 280, Pusher block 2; 290, Spring; 310, Fixed plate; 320, Guide rod; 330, Transmission roller; 340, Traction rope; 350, Limit ring; 360, Limit block 1; 370, Connecting shaft; 380, Limit block 2; 390, Limit rod; 410, Air chamber; 420, Elastic band; 430, Sealing piece; 440, Connecting cylinder; 450, Piston plate; 460, Electric telescopic rod; 470, Tensile sensor. Detailed implementation manners

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below in combination with specific implementation manners and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0019] It should be understood that these descriptions are only exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0020] The following describes a protection mechanism and method for the lower shaft of a single crystal furnace provided by some embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Combined with Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a protection mechanism for the lower shaft of a single crystal furnace provided by the present invention includes: a furnace body assembly 100 and a protection assembly 200 disposed within the furnace body assembly 100. The furnace body assembly 100 includes a single crystal furnace body 110, a support shaft 120 disposed at the bottom of the single crystal furnace body 110, a support plate 130 fixed to the top of the support shaft 120, a crucible 140 placed on the support plate 130, and a drive shaft 150 fixed to the bottom end of the support shaft 120.

[0022] Specifically, the single crystal furnace body 110 is a conventional single crystal furnace monomer whole furnace, which meets the conventional operations of the single crystal furnace. It includes a drive part disposed at the bottom of the single crystal furnace. After connecting the drive shaft 150, it can drive its lifting and rotation, which all belong to the prior art and will not be elaborated in this application.

[0023] Among them, the protection component 200 includes a protection cylinder 210 installed at the bottom of the single crystal furnace body 110 and sleeved outside the support shaft 120, a cleaning mechanism arranged at the top of the protection cylinder 210, and a sealing mechanism arranged at the lower part of the protection cylinder 210; the cleaning mechanism includes an inner groove 220 opened at the top of the protection cylinder 210, a transmission mechanism installed above the inner groove 220, a first push block 230 connected to the transmission mechanism, a fastening plate 240 clamped at the lower part of the inner groove 220, a cleaning brush piece 250 fixed on the fastening plate 240, a jack 260 opened in the middle of the fastening plate 240, a connecting rod 270 inserted into the jack 260, a second push block 280 fixed at the end of the connecting rod 270 and attached to the first push block 230, and a spring 290 connected between the fastening plate 240 and the second push block 280; both the first push block 230 and the second push block 280 are right trapezoidal plate structures, and their contact surfaces are inclined surfaces. By setting the protection component 200, when the driving shaft 150 supports the crucible 140 on the support shaft 120 and moves downward, the support shaft 120 will drive the contacted transmission roller 330 to rotate, thereby pulling the traction rope 340 to lift the first push block 230 upward, so that the first push block 230 pushes the attached second push block 280 to move towards the fastening plate 240, thereby increasing the contact force between the cleaning brush piece 250 and the support shaft 120. During the cleaning process of the solid small particles outside the support shaft 120, after the support shaft 120 descends a distance equal to the length of the cleaning brush piece 250 each time, the support shaft 120 is then driven to rotate to perform circumferential cleaning on the support shaft 120, thus solving the friction problem between the solid silicon small particles on the support shaft 120 and the protection cylinder 210, and at the same time avoiding the liquid level fluctuation in the crucible 140 and the damage of the protection cylinder 210, having a good protection effect.

[0024] Specifically, the transmission mechanism includes a fixing plate 310 installed at the top of the inner groove 220, guide rods 320 and transmission rollers 330 assembled at both ends of the fixing plate 310, a traction rope 340 fixed to the end of the transmission roller 330 and connected to the first push block 230, a limiting ring 350 installed at the ends of the guide rods 320 and the transmission rollers 330, and a limiting mechanism arranged on the side of the limiting ring 350. Whether the support shaft 120 moves up and down can be detected by the transmission roller 330 in the transmission mechanism. When moving downward, solid small particles will be carried by the support shaft 120 into the protection cylinder 210. At this time, the cleaning brush piece 250 is pressed against the support shaft 120, and cleaning is carried out in cooperation with the self-rotation of the support shaft 120. The limiting mechanism includes a first limiting block 360 installed on the limiting ring 350, a connecting shaft 370 installed on the fixing plate 310, a second limiting block 380 fixed to the connecting shaft 370 and located on the side of the first limiting block 360, and a limiting rod 390 installed on the fixing plate 310 and located below the second limiting block 380. When the support shaft 120 moves upward, the transmission roller 330 will be blocked under the action of the limiting mechanism, and the transmission roller 330 will remain stationary.

[0025] Further, a slag storage tank 221 is provided below the inner groove 220, and a cleaning cover 222 is installed at the bottom of the slag storage tank 221. The small particles cleaned and dropped from above can be collected through the slag storage tank 221 to prevent the small particles from continuing to drop downward and causing damage due to continuous friction between the support shaft 120 and the protection cylinder 210, improving the reliability of the protection of the protection cylinder 210.

[0026] On the other hand, the sealing mechanism includes an air chamber 410 opened in the lower part of the protection cylinder 210, an elastic band 420 fixed to the outside of the air chamber 410, a sealing piece 430 arranged on the outside of the elastic band 420, a connecting cylinder 440 connected to the side of the air chamber 410, a piston plate 450 arranged in the connecting cylinder 440, and an electric telescopic rod 460 connected to the piston plate 450 and installed on the protection cylinder 210. When the first push block 230 moves upward, the tension sensor 470 is pulled, and it is judged that the support shaft 120 is in the moving operation. At this time, the electric telescopic rod 460 pushes the piston plate 450 to move, increasing the air pressure in the air chamber 410, and further making the sealing piece 430 fit more closely to the support shaft 120, thus greatly improving the operation sealing performance.

[0027] Further, a tension sensor 470 connected to the first push block 230 is installed in the protection cylinder 210, and the tension sensor 470 is in signal connection with the electric telescopic rod 460. After the tension sensor 470 detects the upward pull of the first push block 230, a signal can be transmitted to the single crystal furnace body 110, and then the electric telescopic rod 460 is controlled to extend to pressurize the air chamber 410, thereby improving the sealing effect between the support shaft 120 and the protection cylinder 210.

[0028] Further, an arc-shaped groove that fits with the support shaft 120 is provided in the middle of the drive roller 330. This structural arrangement can increase the contact area between the drive roller 330 and the support shaft 120, and thus more accurately judge the lifting of the support shaft 120.

[0029] Working principle and usage process of the present invention: The drive part at the bottom of the single crystal furnace body 110 drives the drive shaft 150 to operate. When the drive shaft 150 supports the crucible 140 on the support shaft 120 and moves downward, the support shaft 120 will drive the contacted drive roller 330 to rotate, and then pull the traction rope 340 to lift the first push block 230 upward, so that the first push block 230 pushes the second push block 280 in contact with it towards the fastening plate 240, thereby increasing the contact force between the cleaning brush piece 250 and the support shaft 120. During the cleaning of the solid small particles on the outer side of the support shaft 120, after the support shaft 120 descends a distance equal to the length of the cleaning brush piece 250 each time, the support shaft 120 is then driven to rotate to perform circumferential cleaning on the support shaft 120; When the support shaft 120 moves upward, since the connecting shaft 370 abuts against the first limit block 360 under the action of the limit rod 390, the drive roller 330 cannot rotate, and at this time, no traction will be exerted on the traction rope 340; When the first push block 230 moves upward, it pulls the tension sensor 470, judging that the support shaft 120 is moving. At this time, the electric telescopic rod 460 pushes the piston plate 450 to move, increasing the air pressure in the air chamber 410, and thus making the sealing piece 430 fit more closely to the support shaft 120, improving the sealing performance during operation.

[0030] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A lower shaft protection mechanism for a single crystal furnace, characterized in that, Comprising: A furnace body assembly (100) and a protection assembly (200) disposed within the furnace body assembly (100); The furnace body assembly (100) includes a single crystal furnace body (110), a support shaft (120) disposed at the bottom of the single crystal furnace body (110), a support plate (130) fixed to the top end of the support shaft (120), a crucible (140) placed on the support plate (130), and a drive shaft (150) fixed to the bottom end of the support shaft (120); The protection assembly (200) includes a protection cylinder (210) installed at the bottom of the single crystal furnace body (110) and sleeved outside the support shaft (120), a cleaning mechanism disposed at the top of the protection cylinder (210), and a sealing mechanism disposed at the lower part of the protection cylinder (210); The cleaning mechanism includes an inner groove (220) opened at the top of the protection cylinder (210), a transmission mechanism installed above the inner groove (220), a first push block (230) connected to the transmission mechanism, a fastening plate (240) clamped at the lower part of the inner groove (220), a cleaning brush piece (250) fixed to the fastening plate (240), a jack (260) opened in the middle of the fastening plate (240), a connecting rod (270) inserted into the jack (260), a second push block (280) fixed to the end of the connecting rod (270) and fitting with the first push block (230), and a spring (290) connected between the fastening plate (240) and the second push block (280).

2. The single crystal furnace lower shaft protection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first push block (230) and the second push block (280) are right trapezoidal plate structures, and their contact surfaces are bevel-shaped.

3. The single crystal furnace lower shaft protection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism includes a fixing plate (310) installed at the top of the inner groove (220), guide rods (320) and transmission rollers (330) assembled at both ends of the fixing plate (310), a traction rope (340) fixed to the end of the transmission roller (330) and connected to the first push block (230), limit rings (350) installed at the ends of the guide rods (320) and the transmission rollers (330), and a limit mechanism disposed at the side of the limit rings (350).

4. The single crystal furnace lower shaft protection mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that The limit mechanism includes a first limit block (360) installed on the limit ring (350), a connecting shaft (370) installed on the fixing plate (310), a second limit block (380) fixed to the connecting shaft (370) and located at the side of the first limit block (360), and a limit rod (390) installed on the fixing plate (310) and located below the second limit block (380).

5. The single crystal furnace lower shaft protection mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, A slag storage tank (221) is opened below the inner groove (220), and a cleaning cover (222) is installed at the bottom of the slag storage tank (221).

6. The single crystal furnace lower shaft protection mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, An arc-shaped groove fitting with the support shaft (120) is opened in the middle of the transmission roller (330).

7. The protection mechanism for the lower shaft of a single crystal furnace according to claim 1, wherein The sealing mechanism includes an air chamber (410) opened at the lower part of the protection cylinder (210), an elastic band (420) fixed to the outside of the air chamber (410), a sealing piece (430) arranged on the outside of the elastic band (420), a connecting cylinder (440) connected to the side of the air chamber (410), a piston plate (450) arranged in the connecting cylinder (440), and an electric telescopic rod (460) connected to the piston plate (450) and installed on the protection cylinder (210).

8. A lower shaft protection mechanism for a single crystal furnace according to claim 7, characterized in that, A tension sensor (470) connected to the first push block (230) is installed in the protection cylinder (210), and the tension sensor (470) is in signal connection with the electric telescopic rod (460).

9. A protection method for a protection mechanism of a lower shaft of a single crystal furnace according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The protection method includes: Performing circumferential cleaning on the support shaft (120): The drive shaft (150) supports the crucible (140) on the support shaft (120) and moves downward. The support shaft (120) drives the contacted transmission roller (330) to rotate, thereby pulling the traction rope (340) to lift the first push block (230) upward, so that the first push block (230) pushes the adjacent second push block (280) towards the fastening plate (240), increasing the contact force between the cleaning brush piece (250) and the support shaft (120). During the cleaning of the solid small particles on the outside of the support shaft (120), after the support shaft (120) descends a distance equal to the length of the cleaning brush piece (250), the support shaft (120) is then driven to rotate to perform circumferential cleaning on the support shaft (120); Lifting and sealing the support shaft (120): When the first push block (230) moves upward, it pulls the tension sensor (470). At this time, it is judged that the support shaft (120) is in moving operation. At the same time, the electric telescopic rod (460) pushes the piston plate (450) to move, increasing the air pressure in the air chamber (410), making the sealing piece (430) fit more tightly against the support shaft (120), and improving the sealing performance during operation.

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