Device for cleaning quartz crucible

Abstract

The invention provides a device for cleaning a quartz crucible, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor process auxiliary devices, the device comprises a support base, a fixed support plate hinged on the support base, a fixed crucible clamp arranged on the fixed support plate, and a traction device; the traction device comprises a traction motor and a traction wire, and the traction wire is connected with the fixed supporting plate and the traction motor to pull the fixed supporting plate to be lifted to achieve liquid pouring. The device has the beneficial effects that through mechanical lifting and dumping, the risk that an operator is in direct contact with strong acid is avoided, the possibility that acid liquid is splashed out or a crucible falls off is reduced, the personnel safety is guaranteed, meanwhile, the cleaning process is standardized, and the cleaning efficiency and the quality consistency are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor process auxiliary equipment technology, and in particular to an apparatus for cleaning quartz crucibles. Background Technology

[0002] Quartz crucibles require a rigorous acid cleaning process before use to ensure their surface cleanliness meets the requirements for high-performance material preparation. Currently, conventional cleaning processes mainly rely on highly corrosive chemical reagents such as chromic acid, aqua regia, and hydrofluoric acid. These acids have extremely strong oxidizing and corrosive properties, effectively removing metal ions, organic residues, and some silicate impurities adhering to the crucible surface, but they also bring significant safety risks to the cleaning operation.

[0003] In practice, the acid solution after cleaning needs to be removed from the crucible. Currently, this is generally done manually: workers must manually move the quartz crucible containing the strong acid solution inside a fume hood and tilt it to pour out the acid. This operation poses several risks: First, the strong acid solution is prone to splashing and dripping during pouring, which may directly contact the operator's skin, eyes, or protective equipment, causing chemical burns; second, the quartz crucible itself is relatively brittle, and its surface may become even smoother after acid etching, making it easy to slip and fall when handled by hand, leading to crucible breakage and large-scale acid spillage, causing a safety accident; in addition, acid mist may be generated during pouring, which may still escape locally even inside a fume hood, posing a potential threat to the operator's respiratory system.

[0004] In summary, the existing post-acid washing treatment methods for quartz crucibles mainly rely on manual handling and dumping. Under the influence of multiple factors such as highly corrosive reagents, brittle quartz materials, and limited operating space, there are significant safety hazards such as acid splashing and crucible falling. There is an urgent need to improve the safety and reliability of the operation through process and equipment improvements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides an apparatus for cleaning quartz crucibles, comprising: Support base; The fixed plate is hinged to the support base through the mounting slot fixing point; A crucible clamp is mounted on the fixed support plate and is used to lock the crucible to be cleaned. The traction device includes a traction motor and a traction line, one end of which is connected to the pulling mechanism of the fixed support plate, and the other end is connected to the traction motor. When the traction motor starts, it pulls the fixed support plate around the fixed point of the support groove via the traction line, causing the liquid in the crucible to be cleaned to be poured out.

[0006] Preferably, the crucible to be cleaned in the fixed crucible fixture is a variable diameter crucible; The fixed crucible clamp is provided with an opening baffle, a fixing plate and a diameter-changing baffle, which are respectively set at the opening, middle section and diameter-changing part of the diameter-changing crucible.

[0007] Preferably, the crucible to be cleaned in the fixed crucible fixture is a crucible of equal diameter; The fixed crucible clamp is provided with an opening baffle at the opening of the variable diameter crucible, and a fixing plate is provided in the middle section and / or end of the variable diameter crucible.

[0008] Preferably, the traction device further includes a movable bracket, and the traction line passes around the top of the movable bracket and is connected to the traction motor.

[0009] Preferably, the traction device is placed outside the support base, and the bottom of the movable bracket is provided with a sliding component for changing the distance between the movable bracket and the support base.

[0010] Preferably, it also includes a waste liquid recovery tank disposed below the mounting point of the bracket.

[0011] Preferably, the fixed support plate, the fixed crucible clamp, and the traction line are all made of materials resistant to strong acid corrosion.

[0012] Preferably, the support base includes an equipment base and a support structure mold. The equipment base is placed horizontally on the ground, the support structure mold is vertically fixed to the equipment base, and the bracket fixing point is hinged to the support structure mold.

[0013] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects: 1. The mechanized lifting and tilting mechanism effectively avoids the risk of operators coming into direct contact with strong acid solutions such as chromic acid and aqua regia during handling and tilting. It fundamentally reduces the possibility of acid splashing or slippery crucibles falling, and avoids the potential threat of acid mist to the respiratory system of operators, thus ensuring personnel safety.

[0014] 2. This device transforms the traditional manual cleaning method into a stable, standardized process. The standardized process allows for setting the start and stop times for steps such as liquid injection, soaking, and pouring, eliminating human error and enabling precise control of the crucible's soaking time, thereby significantly improving cleaning efficiency and the consistency of cleaning quality. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a device for cleaning quartz crucibles is shown in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2A schematic diagram of the cleaning liquid pouring process of an apparatus for cleaning quartz crucibles, as described in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a diagram showing the positional correspondence between the baffle and the crucible during cleaning of a variable-diameter quartz crucible is provided. Figure 4 In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a diagram showing the positional correspondence between the baffle and the crucible during the cleaning of an equal-diameter quartz crucible is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment; other embodiments that conform to the spirit of the present invention may also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, based on the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, several embodiments are provided to illustrate an apparatus for cleaning quartz crucibles.

[0018] Example 1: This embodiment provides a quartz crucible cleaning device with a basic structure. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the device mainly consists of a traction device (including a traction motor 7 and a traction line 11), a support base (including an equipment base 8 and a support structure mold 4), and a crucible clamp tilting part (including a fixed support plate 2, a fixed crucible clamp 3, and a crucible to be cleaned 1).

[0019] Specifically, the fixed tray 2 is hinged to the support structure mold 4, which is installed perpendicularly to the equipment base 8, via the tray fixing point 9 (such as a hinge shaft), providing sufficient stability for equipment operation. The crucible 1 to be cleaned is securely locked in the fixed tray 2 by the fixed crucible clamp 3.

[0020] like Figure 2 As shown, during the operation, after the crucible 1 to be cleaned is fixed, highly corrosive chemical reagents such as lysine, aqua regia, and hydrofluoric acid are injected. After the preset soaking time is reached, the traction motor 7 is started, and the fixed support plate 2 is pulled up along direction A through the pulling mechanism 6 connected to one end of the traction line 11. One end of the fixed support plate 2 is rotated and raised to a horizontal position along direction B around the support groove fixing point 9, so that the strong acid solution in the crucible is automatically poured out.

[0021] This design transforms the process from manual acid pouring to automated mechanical pouring, effectively eliminating the high-risk steps of operators moving heavy objects and pouring strong acids inside the fume hood, thus ensuring personnel safety.

[0022] Example 2: Regarding the cleaning of variable-diameter quartz crucibles, this embodiment provides a detailed description of the crucible clamping fixture from Embodiment 1. For example... Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the fixed crucible clamp 3 is provided with an opening baffle 31, a fixing plate 32, and a diameter change baffle 33.

[0023] like Figure 3 As shown, the baffle 31 at the opening, the fixing plate 32, and the baffle 33 at the diameter change all include a concave outer plate 330, which is used to fix the plate 2. The inner wall of the concave outer plate 330 of the fixing plate 32 is adapted to the shape of the outer wall of the quartz crucible.

[0024] Furthermore, for the baffle 31 at the opening, an inner baffle 331 is provided inside the concave outer plate 330, and a guide groove 332 is provided on the inner baffle 331.

[0025] Furthermore, for the diameter-changing baffle 33, the concave outer plate 330 is also provided with an inner baffle 331. However, the inner baffle 331 in the diameter-changing baffle 33 fills the concave outer plate 330 and has a limiting groove 333 that is equal to the outer diameter of the diameter-changing quartz crucible, so as to effectively adapt to the diameter-changing irregular crucible.

[0026] The diameter-changing baffle 33 is specifically placed in the diameter-changing area of ​​the crucible to reinforce support and improve stability. The opening baffle 31 is set at the front end of the fixed support plate 2 to prevent the crucible from sliding out during lifting, and the baffle has an opening in the center to guide the flow when pouring the solution.

[0027] By configuring a fixing fixture assembly including an opening baffle 31, a fixing plate 32, and a diameter-changing baffle 33, this device can not only firmly clamp ordinary equal-diameter crucibles, but also effectively adapt to irregular-shaped crucibles such as those with changing diameters, solving the problems of difficult cleaning and positioning of irregular-shaped crucibles in a limited operating space.

[0028] Example 3: For cleaning equal-diameter quartz crucibles, such as Figure 4 As shown, the fixed crucible clamp 3 in this embodiment consists of an opening baffle 31 and a fixing plate 32, which are the same as the opening baffle 31 and fixing plate 32 in Embodiment 2. The fixing plate 32 is correspondingly arranged in the middle or end of the equal-diameter crucible to achieve radial fixation. Similarly, the opening baffle 31 is used for axial limiting and guiding flow during tilting.

[0029] The structure in this embodiment is simple and can quickly and stably load and unload ordinary equal-diameter crucibles, improving the efficiency of standardized operations.

[0030] Example 4: In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, considering the damage of a strong acid environment to the motor, the traction motor 7 adopts a single-unit design and is independently installed outside the equipment base 8.

[0031] It effectively prevents corrosion damage to the motor caused by acid splashes or strong acid mists, extends the service life of the equipment, and reduces electrical safety risks.

[0032] Furthermore, a movable bracket 5 is added to the traction device in Embodiment 1. The traction line 11 passes around the top of the movable bracket 5 and connects to the traction motor 7. The bottom of the movable bracket 5 is provided with a sliding component for changing the distance between the traction device and the support base. The sliding component can adopt common mechanical structures such as pulleys and slide rails, which are not shown in the figure.

[0033] Changing the distance between the traction device and the support base can adjust the lifting angle of the traction mechanism 6. Specifically, the smaller the distance between the movable bracket 5 and the support base 2, the steeper the traction line 11 between the movable bracket 5 and the support base 2, and the higher the lifting efficiency in the vertical direction; the larger the distance between the movable bracket 5 and the support base 2, the gentler the traction line 11 between the movable bracket 5 and the support base 2, and the lower the lifting efficiency in the vertical direction.

[0034] Therefore, the guiding effect of the movable bracket 5 can achieve vertical or specific angle lifting of the traction mechanism 6.

[0035] Specifically, in this embodiment, the movable bracket 5 optimizes the direction of the traction force, making the lifting process of the fixed support plate 2 more stable and smooth, and further reducing the possibility of acid splashing out due to violent shaking.

[0036] Example 5: Based on Example 1, such as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, a waste liquid recovery tank 10 is provided below the tray fixing point 9. When the traction motor 7 pulls the fixing tray 2 to slowly rise above the horizontal position, the cleaning liquid in the crucible is poured into the waste liquid recovery tank 10 below through the guide channel 332 of the opening baffle 31. This achieves centralized recovery of cleaning waste liquid, avoids strong acid overflow onto the fume hood surface, and meets laboratory safety and environmental protection requirements.

[0037] Example 6: In this embodiment, the components in the device that are in direct contact with or close to the acid liquid, including the fixed support plate 2, the fixed crucible clamp 3, and the traction line 11, are all made of special materials that are resistant to strong acid corrosion.

[0038] This ensures the equipment can operate stably for a long time in extreme acid environments such as chromic acid and aqua regia, transforming the traditional, high-risk, and low-efficiency cleaning methods into a safe, efficient, and stable standardized process.

[0039] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the implementation methods and protection scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should recognize that any equivalent substitutions and obvious changes made using the content of this specification and illustrations should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning quartz crucibles, characterized in that, include: Support base; The fixed plate is hinged to the support base through the mounting slot fixing point; A crucible clamp is mounted on the fixed support plate and is used to lock the crucible to be cleaned. The traction device includes a traction motor and a traction line, one end of which is connected to the pulling mechanism of the fixed support plate, and the other end is connected to the traction motor. When the traction motor starts, it pulls the fixed support plate around the fixed point of the support groove via the traction line, causing the liquid in the crucible to be cleaned to be poured out.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crucible to be cleaned in the fixed crucible fixture is a variable diameter crucible. The fixed crucible clamp is provided with an opening baffle, a fixing plate and a diameter-changing baffle, which are respectively set at the opening, middle section and diameter-changing part of the diameter-changing crucible.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crucible to be cleaned in the fixed crucible fixture is a crucible of equal diameter. The fixed crucible clamp is provided with an opening baffle at the opening of the variable diameter crucible, and the fixed plate is provided in the middle section and / or end of the variable diameter crucible.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The traction device also includes a movable bracket, and the traction line passes around the top of the movable bracket and is connected to the traction motor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The traction device is placed outside the support base, and the bottom of the movable bracket is provided with a sliding component for changing the distance between the movable bracket and the support base.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a waste liquid recovery tank located below the mounting point of the bracket.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed support plate, the fixed crucible clamp, and the traction line are all made of materials resistant to strong acid corrosion.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support base includes an equipment base and a support structure mold; The equipment base is placed horizontally on the ground, the support structure mold is fixed vertically to the equipment base, and the bracket fixing point is hinged to the support structure mold.

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