Semiconductor heat treatment apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a semiconductor heat treatment equipment, which comprises a furnace body and a plurality of heat preservation doors; the plurality of heat preservation doors are arranged at a furnace opening of the furnace body; each heat preservation door has a first position and a second position; in the first position, the plurality of heat preservation doors are sealed and spliced and cover the furnace opening to close the furnace opening; in the second position, each heat preservation door is located at a peripheral side of the furnace opening to open the furnace opening. The application utilizes the plurality of heat preservation doors to jointly control the opening and closing of the furnace opening of the furnace body, can shorten the stroke of the heat preservation door from the first position covering the furnace opening to the second position avoiding the furnace opening, shorten the time length of the furnace opening switching between the closed state and the opened state, and improve the overall working efficiency of the semiconductor heat treatment equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor process equipment, and specifically relates to a semiconductor heat treatment device. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor thermal processing equipment is one of the key pieces of equipment in the photovoltaic manufacturing industry, used for processes such as thermal diffusion. Because the entire photovoltaic manufacturing process demands high equipment capacity, semiconductor thermal processing equipment, as a crucial link in the photovoltaic manufacturing process, also needs to have the highest possible process efficiency.

[0003] However, in related technologies, the insulation doors of semiconductor heat treatment equipment are usually one-piece, meaning a single insulation door that completely covers the furnace opening. When opening and closing this one-piece insulation door, it is typically necessary to first drive the door downwards and then laterally towards the vertical furnace to open it. Similarly, closing the one-piece insulation door requires the reverse translational action. This results in a long opening and closing time for the one-piece insulation door, which in turn leads to a prolonged loading and unloading process for the semiconductor heat treatment equipment. Furthermore, the low opening and closing speed of the insulation door also affects the insulation effect on the furnace body. Therefore, there is an urgent need in the field for an insulation door structure that can achieve rapid opening and closing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a semiconductor heat treatment device, which aims to solve the problem of slow opening and closing speed of the heat preservation door in semiconductor heat treatment devices.

[0005] This invention provides a semiconductor heat treatment apparatus, including a furnace body; it further includes:

[0006] Multiple heat-insulating doors are disposed at the furnace opening of the furnace body; each heat-insulating door has a first position and a second position; in the first position, the multiple heat-insulating doors are sealed together and cover the furnace opening to close the furnace opening; in the second position, each heat-insulating door is located on the outer periphery of the furnace opening to open the furnace opening.

[0007] Optionally, there are at least three heat-insulating doors, all of which are distributed around the central axis of the furnace opening. In the first position of the heat-insulating doors, all of the heat-insulating doors are close to the central axis of the furnace opening, and in the second position of the heat-insulating doors, all of the heat-insulating doors are away from the central axis of the furnace opening.

[0008] Optionally, there are two heat-insulating doors, which are symmetrically distributed about the furnace opening diameter; in the first position of the heat-insulating doors, the opposite edges of the two heat-insulating doors coincide with the axis of symmetry, and in the second position of the heat-insulating doors, the two heat-insulating doors are far apart from each other.

[0009] Optionally, all insulated doors are identical in shape and size.

[0010] Optionally, the semiconductor heat treatment apparatus further includes;

[0011] The heat-insulating door drive device is connected to multiple heat-insulating door drives respectively, and is used to drive the heat-insulating door to switch between the first position and the second position.

[0012] Optionally, the insulated door drive device includes:

[0013] Multiple vertical drive components are configured one-to-one with multiple heat-insulating doors. Each vertical drive component is connected to the corresponding heat-insulating door drive and is used to drive the corresponding heat-insulating door to move in the vertical direction.

[0014] Multiple horizontal drive components are configured one-to-one with multiple insulated doors. Each horizontal drive component is connected to the corresponding insulated door drive and is used to drive the corresponding insulated door to move in the horizontal direction.

[0015] After the crystal boat is moved out of the furnace body to below the second position or after the crystal boat is moved into the furnace body, the vertical drive component and the horizontal drive component drive synchronously.

[0016] Optionally, the semiconductor heat treatment equipment also includes:

[0017] Multiple limiting components are provided, all of which are arranged around the axis of the crystal boat, and all of which have a limiting position and a retraction position.

[0018] At the limiting positions of all the limiting components, all the limiting components are close to each other and form a limiting space for limiting the tilt of the crystal boat;

[0019] At the retraction position of the limiting components, all the limiting components are moved away from each other to avoid the crystal boat.

[0020] Optionally, multiple limiting components are correspondingly provided with multiple heat-insulating doors, each limiting component is movably connected to the corresponding heat-insulating door, and each limiting component moves between the limiting position and the retraction position by moving relative to the corresponding heat-insulating door.

[0021] Optionally, all the limiting components are movably connected to the corresponding heat-insulating door along the radial direction of the crystal boat, and all the limiting components move closer to or further away from each other by moving along the radial direction of the crystal boat to move between a limiting position and a retraction position.

[0022] Optionally, the insulated door is provided with an installation groove;

[0023] The limiting component slides into the mounting groove. In the limiting position, the limiting component is at least partially located outside the mounting groove, and in the retracted position, the limiting component is located inside the mounting groove.

[0024] Optionally, the semiconductor thermal processing apparatus further includes:

[0025] Process door, used to support the crystal boat;

[0026] A process gate drive device is used to drive the process gate to move;

[0027] An emergency stop unit is communicatively connected to the insulation door drive device and the process door drive device, respectively; the emergency stop unit has a first state and a second state; in the first state, the emergency stop unit controls the insulation door drive device and the process door drive device to stop operating; in the second state, the emergency stop unit controls the insulation door drive device and the process door drive device to maintain their current operating state.

[0028] The detection unit is used to detect the positions of the process door, the insulation door, and the crystal boat during the maintenance phase, and to control the emergency stop unit to switch between the first state and the second state based on the positions of the process door, the insulation door, and the crystal boat.

[0029] Optionally, the emergency stop unit includes:

[0030] An emergency stop relay is used to switch the emergency stop unit from the second state to the first state when it is triggered, so as to control the insulation door drive device and the process door drive device to stop operating;

[0031] The first switch is connected in series with the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay;

[0032] The detection unit includes;

[0033] The first detection subunit is electrically connected to the first switch and is used to control the state of the first switch to stop operating based on the positions of the process door and the insulation door.

[0034] Optionally, the emergency stop unit further includes:

[0035] A second switch is connected in series with the trigger terminal of the first switch and the emergency stop relay, so that the emergency stop relay is triggered when at least one of the first switch and the second switch changes state;

[0036] The detection unit further includes;

[0037] The second detection subunit is electrically connected to the second switch and is used to control the state of the second switch according to the tilt of the crystal boat.

[0038] Optionally, the first detection subunit includes:

[0039] A first detection circuit is electrically connected to the first switch. The first detection circuit is provided with a first detection switch and a plurality of second detection switches. The first detection switch is connected in series with the plurality of second detection switches, and the plurality of second detection switches are connected in parallel.

[0040] The first detection switch is used to detect whether the process door has descended to a preset lower limit position during the maintenance phase; the second detection switch is used to detect whether the corresponding insulation door has reached the second position.

[0041] The first detection circuit is used to control the first switch to trigger the emergency stop relay when the first detection switch detects that the process door has not reached the preset lower limit position and the second detection switch detects that any one of the insulation doors has not reached the second position.

[0042] Optionally, the second detection subunit includes:

[0043] The second detection circuit is electrically connected to the second switch, and the second detection circuit is provided with a plurality of third detection switches connected in parallel with each other; the plurality of third detection switches are all disposed on the periphery of the crystal boat and are used to detect the tilt of the crystal boat;

[0044] The second detection circuit is used to control the second switch to trigger the emergency stop relay when any of the third detection switches detects that the tilt of the crystal boat exceeds a preset tilt range.

[0045] Optionally, both the heat preservation door drive device and the process door drive device are connected to an external power supply via a contactor;

[0046] The emergency stop unit is electrically connected to the external power supply and the contactor respectively. The emergency stop unit is used to control the contactor to close when disconnected, so as to de-energize and stop the operation of the heat preservation door drive device and the process door drive device.

[0047] Optionally, both the heat preservation door drive device and the process door drive device include: a servo motor and a servo driver that corresponds to the servo motor.

[0048] The servo driver has an emergency stop pin, and the servo driver controls the corresponding servo motor to stop rotating in response to receiving a low-level signal on the emergency stop pin;

[0049] The emergency stop unit is electrically connected to the emergency stop pin of the servo driver; the emergency stop unit is used to send a low-level signal to the emergency stop pin when in the first state, so as to stop the operation of the heat preservation door drive device and the process door drive device.

[0050] Optionally, the emergency stop unit further includes:

[0051] At least one emergency stop switch, and all of the emergency stop switches are connected in series with the first switch, the second switch, and the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay;

[0052] The emergency stop switch has a normal state and a triggered state; the emergency stop switch switches between the normal state and the triggered state under the action of external force; when all the emergency stop switches are in the normal state, the emergency stop relay is not triggered; when any one of the emergency stop switches is in the triggered state, the emergency stop relay is triggered.

[0053] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0054] The semiconductor heat treatment equipment provided by this invention utilizes multiple heat-insulating doors to jointly control the opening and closing of the furnace opening. By reducing the horizontal dimension of each heat-insulating door, the travel distance between the first position covering the furnace opening and the second position avoiding the furnace opening is shortened. Thus, under the condition that the moving speed of the heat-insulating doors is constant, the time for the furnace opening to switch between the closed and open states is reduced, thereby improving the overall working efficiency of the semiconductor heat treatment equipment and enhancing the heat insulation effect of the heat-insulating doors on the furnace body. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor heat treatment equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the heat preservation door is in the first position;

[0056] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor heat treatment device provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the heat preservation door is in the second position;

[0057] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a plurality of heat-insulating doors provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the movement path of the heat-insulating door between the first position and the second position provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the movement path of an insulated door between a first position and a second position in related technologies.

[0060] Figure 6A cross-sectional view of the heat-insulating door and the limiting structure provided in the embodiment of the present invention in the limiting state;

[0061] Figure 7 A side view of the heat-insulating door and limiting structure provided in the embodiment of the present invention in the recycling state;

[0062] Figure 8 A top view of the heat-insulating door and the limiting structure provided in the embodiment of the present invention in the limiting state;

[0063] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor heat treatment equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the limiting structure is in the limiting state;

[0064] Figure 10 A circuit diagram of the emergency stop unit and detection unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 11 A top view of the crystal boat and process gate provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0066] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of a semiconductor thermal processing device and its surrounding components provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0067] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0068] It is understood that the specific embodiments and accompanying drawings described herein are merely for explaining the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0069] It is understood that, without conflict, the various embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other.

[0070] It is understood that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings of this invention only show the parts related to the embodiments of this invention, while the parts unrelated to the embodiments of this invention are not shown in the drawings.

[0071] It is understood that, without conflict, the functions and steps marked in the flowcharts and block diagrams of the embodiments of the present invention may occur in a different order than that marked in the accompanying drawings.

[0072] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0073] This invention provides a semiconductor heat treatment apparatus, such as a vertical diffusion furnace. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the semiconductor heat treatment equipment includes a furnace body 1, a process door 3, and multiple insulation doors 2.

[0074] The furnace body 1 is used for semiconductor processes, such as thermal diffusion and heat treatment. The process gate 3 is used to support the crystal boat. Specifically, the process gate 3 can carry the crystal boat into the furnace body 1 and out of the furnace body 1, and can also support the crystal boat inside the furnace body 1 for processing. Specifically, the semiconductor heat treatment equipment also includes a process gate drive device 5, which is used to drive the process gate 3 to perform lifting and rotating actions, so that the process gate 3 can enter and exit the furnace body 1 by lifting, and the crystal boat can be rotated by rotating the process gate 3 during the process stage to ensure uniform heating.

[0075] Multiple heat-insulating doors 2 are installed at the furnace opening 11 of the furnace body 1, and each heat-insulating door 2 has a first position and a second position; such as Figure 1 As shown, in the first position, multiple insulated doors 2 are sealed and spliced ​​together to cover the furnace opening 11, thereby closing the furnace opening 11 and using their own heat insulation capacity to provide overall heat insulation for the inner cavity of the furnace body 1; as Figure 2 As shown, in the second position, each insulated door 2 is located on the outer periphery of the furnace opening 11 to open the furnace opening 11, thereby fully exposing the furnace opening 11 for the process door 3 and the crystal boat to pass through, and also facilitating maintenance work by operators during the maintenance phase. It is easy to understand that by moving the multiple insulated doors 2 between the first and second positions, the furnace body 1 can be switched between a closed and open state; specifically, during the process inside the furnace body 1, the furnace body 1 should remain in the closed state, and correspondingly, the multiple insulated doors 2 are in the first position; during the crystal boat transfer stage after or before the process, the furnace body 1 should remain in the open state, and correspondingly, the multiple insulated doors 2 are in the second position.

[0076] As mentioned above, the second position of the insulation door 2 only needs to be able to avoid the furnace opening 11. Therefore, if Figure 2As shown, the second position of the heat-insulating door 2 can be: the heat-insulating door 2 is located on the outer periphery of the furnace opening 11, and in the horizontal direction, the heat-insulating door 2 is located on the outer periphery of the furnace opening with its edge close to the outer edge of the furnace opening 11. It can be seen that, in the horizontal direction, the travel distance of the heat-insulating door 2 from the first position to the second position is at least the maximum distance between the edge of the heat-insulating door 2 and the edge of the furnace opening 11. The multiple heat-insulating doors 2 proposed in this invention, by dividing the integrated heat-insulating door into multiple parts, can reduce the size of each heat-insulating door 2 in the horizontal direction, thereby reducing the maximum distance between the edge of the heat-insulating door 2 and the edge of the furnace opening 11. This reduces the travel distance of the heat-insulating door 2 between the first and second positions. Thus, under the condition that the moving speed of the heat-insulating door 2 is constant, the switching time between the closed and open states of the furnace opening 11 is shorter, thereby improving the overall working efficiency of the semiconductor heat treatment equipment. Moreover, by shortening the time required for the furnace opening 11 to switch from the open to the closed state, the heat-insulating effect of the heat-insulating door 2 on the furnace body 1 can also be improved, the process effect can be improved, and energy consumption can be reduced.

[0077] In some embodiments, the number of heat-insulating doors 2 is at least 3; all heat-insulating doors 2 are distributed around the central axis of the furnace opening 11. Accordingly, in the first position of the heat-insulating doors 2, all heat-insulating doors 2 are close to the central axis of the furnace opening 11, and in the second position of the heat-insulating doors 2, all heat-insulating doors 2 are far away from the central axis of the furnace opening 11, so as to be arranged in a radiating manner around the furnace opening 11.

[0078] For example, when there are at least three insulated doors 2, the dimensions of the multiple insulated doors 2 along the circumference of the insulated door 2 may not be equal. In other words, the multiple insulated doors 2 are fan-shaped with inconsistent angles.

[0079] Alternatively, in some preferred embodiments, when there are at least three insulated doors 2, all insulated doors 2 are the same shape and size, that is, multiple insulated doors 2 are evenly distributed around the central axis and circumferentially. Insulated doors 2 of the same size can reduce the manufacturing cost of the equipment.

[0080] Alternatively, in some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, there are two insulation doors 2. The two insulation doors 2 are symmetrically distributed about the diameter of the furnace opening 11. In the first position, the opposite edges of the two insulation doors 2 coincide with the diameter of the furnace opening 11; in the second position, the two insulation doors 2 are far apart. Figure 3Taking the heat-insulating door 2 shown as an example, the heat-insulating door 2 can be semi-circular. The two heat-insulating doors 2 require fewer driving mechanisms and have a simpler structure; therefore, using two heat-insulating doors 2 can reduce the overall cost of the equipment. Furthermore, since semiconductor heat treatment equipment typically has high sealing requirements, and the gap between the two heat-insulating doors 2 is the shortest gap achievable with a split-type heat-insulating door 2, the structure of the two heat-insulating doors 2 proposed in this embodiment can minimize sealing difficulty while shortening the travel distance of the heat-insulating doors 2, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the equipment and reducing the risk of process leakage or contamination.

[0081] Taking two symmetrically arranged insulated doors 2 as an example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the movement path of the two heat-insulating doors 2 between the first and second positions can be divided into two sub-paths. The first sub-path involves a short translation away from the furnace opening 11 to move away from the furnace opening 11 and reach the vicinity of the outer end face of the furnace opening 11. The second sub-path involves translation along a diagonal line pointing from the first position to the second position. Figure 4 As shown, taking the center point of one insulated door 2 as the reference point, the actual moving path length of each insulated door 2 can be calculated as follows:

[0082]

[0083] Wherein, S1 is the actual moving path of each heat-insulating door 2 in this embodiment; L1 is the vertical distance between the second position and the furnace opening 11; L2 is the horizontal distance between the second position and the furnace opening 11; L3 is the translation distance of the first sub-path, such as the edge thickness of the furnace opening 11.

[0084] Accordingly, under the condition that the insulated door 2 has a specified translation speed, the movement time of the insulated door 2 is:

[0085]

[0086] Where T1 is the time required for the heat-insulating door 2 to switch between the first position and the second position in this embodiment; V is the specified translation speed of the heat-insulating door 2.

[0087] Compared to this embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the opening and closing path of the integrated heat-insulating door 02 proposed in the relevant technical solution can also be divided into two sub-paths. The first sub-path is to move horizontally away from the furnace opening 011 to disengage from and move away from the furnace opening 011; the second sub-path is to move horizontally until it reaches the periphery of the furnace opening 011. Figure 5 As shown, taking the center point of the insulated door 02 as the reference point, the actual moving path length of the insulated door 02 in the related technology can be calculated as follows:

[0088] S2 = L4 + L2 + D / 2; (3)

[0089] Wherein, S2 is the actual moving path of the heat-insulating door 02 in the related technology; L4 is the vertical distance between the second position and the furnace opening 011 in the related technical solution, and L4 is equal to the sum of L1 and L3 in the embodiment of this application; L2 is the horizontal distance between the second position and the furnace opening 011; D is the diameter of the furnace opening 011, which is approximately equal to the diameter of the heat-insulating door 02 in the related technology.

[0090] Correspondingly, under the same translational speed V, the movement time of the integrated insulated door 02 in the related technology is:

[0091] T2= (L4+L2+D / 2) / V ; (4)

[0092] Wherein, T2 is the time required for the heat-insulating door 02 in the related technology to switch between the first position and the second position.

[0093] Taking the parameters in equations (1) to (4) above as D = 800mm, L1 = 300mm, L2 = 200mm, and L3 = 40mm as an example, under the same translation speed V, the running time T2 of the integrated heat preservation door 02 in the related technology can be calculated to be 940 / V, while the running time T1 of the split heat preservation door 2 proposed in this embodiment is about 400 / V. Obviously, under this condition, the moving time of the split heat preservation door 2 proposed in this embodiment is reduced by about 3 / 5 compared with the integrated heat preservation door 02 proposed in the related technology. Therefore, under the same conditions of furnace opening size, overall size of heat preservation door and moving speed of heat preservation door, the moving time of the heat preservation door 2 proposed in this embodiment is shortened compared with the related technology. Moreover, it can be deduced from equations (1) to (4) above that the larger the size of the furnace opening, the more obvious the effect of the split heat preservation door provided in this embodiment on improving the opening and closing speed of heat preservation is.

[0094] In some embodiments, the semiconductor heat treatment equipment further includes a heat preservation door drive device 4, which is drivenly connected to a plurality of heat preservation doors 2, and is used to drive the heat preservation doors 2 to move between a first position and a second position. It is easy to understand that during the process of switching the open and closed states of the furnace opening 11, the plurality of heat preservation doors 2 move synchronously, that is, the plurality of heat preservation doors 2 reach the first position or the second position at the same speed at the same time, so that the opening time and closing time of the furnace opening 11 can be as short as possible.

[0095] In some preferred embodiments, the heat-insulating door driving device 4 includes multiple vertical driving components 41 and multiple horizontal driving components 42. Specifically, the multiple vertical driving components 41 are arranged one-to-one with multiple heat-insulating doors 2, and each vertical driving component 41 is driven connected to the corresponding heat-insulating door 2 to drive the corresponding heat-insulating door 2 to move in the vertical direction. The multiple horizontal driving components 42 are arranged one-to-one with multiple heat-insulating doors 2, and each horizontal driving component 42 is driven connected to the corresponding heat-insulating door 2 to drive the corresponding heat-insulating door 2 to move in the horizontal direction. As described above, the movement path of the heat-insulating door 2 between the first and second positions can be divided into two sub-paths. Specifically, when the heat-insulating door 2 moves in the first sub-path, the vertical drive component 41 is driven independently to drive the corresponding heat-insulating door 2 to move a short distance vertically in the furnace opening 11, thereby causing the heat-insulating door to leave the furnace opening 11 or to completely enter the furnace opening from the outer end face of the furnace opening 11. When the heat-insulating door 2 moves in the second sub-path, that is, when the heat-insulating door 2 is completely outside the furnace opening 11, the vertical drive component 41 and the horizontal drive component 42 can be driven synchronously, thereby generating horizontal and vertical driving forces on the heat-insulating door 2 simultaneously, causing the heat-insulating door 2 to move along an oblique direction, thus improving the driving efficiency.

[0096] In some specific implementation methods, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, each of the multiple vertical drive components 41 includes a first vertical lead screw 411 and a first vertical motor 412. The first vertical motor 412 is driven by the first vertical lead screw 411 and is used to drive the first vertical lead screw 411 to rotate. The first vertical lead screw 411 is arranged in the vertical direction and is used to drive the heat preservation door 2 to translate in the vertical direction by rotation. Each of the multiple horizontal drive components 42 includes a first horizontal lead screw 421 and a first horizontal motor 422. The first horizontal motor 422 is driven by the second horizontal lead screw 72 and is used to drive the first horizontal lead screw 421 to rotate. The first horizontal lead screw 421 is used to drive the heat preservation door 2 to translate in the horizontal direction by rotation.

[0097] For example, the first vertical lead screw 411 is rotatably connected to the heat-insulating door 2, and is threadedly connected to the first vertical motor 412. Thus, when the first vertical motor 412 drives the first vertical lead screw 411 to rotate along its own axis, the first vertical lead screw 411 can move vertically. Simultaneously, the first vertical lead screw 411 is fixed in position relative to the heat-insulating door 2, thereby driving the heat-insulating door 2 to translate vertically. Similarly, the first horizontal lead screw 421 is rotatably connected to the heat-insulating door 2, and is threadedly connected to the first horizontal motor 422. Thus, when the first horizontal motor 422 drives the first horizontal lead screw 421 to rotate along its own axis, the first horizontal lead screw 421 can move horizontally. Simultaneously, the first horizontal lead screw 421 is fixed in position relative to the heat-insulating door 2, thereby driving the heat-insulating door 2 to translate horizontally.

[0098] It should be noted that the present invention does not impose too many restrictions on the transmission method between the vertical drive component 41 and the horizontal drive component 42 and the heat preservation door 2. The transmission method is sufficient to drive the heat preservation door 2 to move in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0099] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the semiconductor heat treatment equipment also includes multiple limiting components 7, all of which are arranged around the axis of the crystal boat 6. Each limiting component 7 has a limiting position and a retraction position. Specifically, in the limiting position, all limiting components 7 are close to each other and form a limiting space to restrict the tilting of the crystal boat 6, thus preventing the crystal boat 6 from tipping over and being damaged. In the retraction position, all limiting components 7 are far apart from each other, thus avoiding lateral movement of the crystal boat 6 during loading and unloading.

[0100] In some embodiments, multiple limiting components 7 are correspondingly provided with multiple heat-insulating doors 2, each limiting component 7 is movably connected to the corresponding heat-insulating door 2, and each limiting component 7 moves between a limiting position and a retraction position by moving relative to the corresponding heat-insulating door 2.

[0101] For example, additional mounting structures such as mounting brackets can be used to mount multiple limiting components 7 to the periphery of the crystal boat 6 at preset positions.

[0102] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, all limiting components 7 are movably connected to the corresponding heat preservation door 2 along the radial direction of the crystal boat 6. All limiting components 7 move closer to or further away from each other by moving along the radial direction of the crystal boat 6, so as to move between the limiting position and the recycling position.

[0103] In some embodiments, the heat-insulating door 2 is provided with an installation groove 21; the limiting member 7 is slidably engaged with the installation groove 21. In the limiting position, the limiting member 7 is at least partially located outside the installation groove 21, and in the retracted position, the limiting member 7 is located inside the installation groove 21.

[0104] In some preferred embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the mounting groove 21 is opened on the opposite surfaces of multiple insulated doors 2 so that the limiting component 7 can extend to the side of the crystal boat 6 through the groove opening of the mounting groove 21, and can also be moved back into the mounting groove 21 through the groove opening.

[0105] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the limiting component 7 may include a clamping member 71 and a second horizontal screw 72. The second horizontal screw 72 is installed in the insulation door 2 and is connected to the clamping component for transmission. The second horizontal screw 72 is used to drive the clamping member 71 to translate horizontally by rotation. Specifically, during equipment maintenance, after the furnace opening 11 is opened, the operator can manually rotate the second horizontal screw 72 to extend the clamping member 71 to the limiting position; when it is necessary to move the crystal boat 6 or close the furnace opening 11, the operator can manually rotate the second horizontal screw 72 to move the clamping member 71 to the retraction position.

[0106] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, the clamping member 71 can be an arc shape with a curvature less than or equal to the curvature of the outer periphery of the crystal boat 6, so that the surface of the clamping member 71 facing the crystal boat 6 is smooth. That is, the contact surface between the crystal boat 6 and the clamping member 71 is smooth, so that when the crystal boat 6 tilts, the impact force is dispersed by the smooth contact surface, thereby further reducing the risk of damage to the crystal boat 6.

[0107] For example, the clamping member 71 can also be switched between a retraction position and a limiting position by rotation. Alternatively, the clamping member 71 can also be switched between a retraction position and a limiting position by flipping. However, it should be noted that in order to ensure the cleanliness of the environment inside the furnace body 1 and to avoid damage to the clamping member 71, the clamping member 71 should be located below the insulation door 2.

[0108] Semiconductor heat treatment equipment typically includes multiple drive source devices, such as rotary motors and lifting motors. To control these drive source devices, in related technologies, semiconductor heat treatment equipment usually employs a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to communicate and control these devices. Furthermore, the PLC in semiconductor heat treatment equipment typically stores interlock programs to prevent interference between the moving parts corresponding to the multiple drive source devices. However, in practical applications, there are risks of PLC malfunctions, slow PLC program calculation speeds, and unexpected power outages of the drive source devices. When these malfunctions occur, the PLC cannot continue to control the drive source devices, potentially leading to loss of control and more serious accidents, such as the crystal boat tipping over or colliding with the insulation door.

[0109] To address the aforementioned technical problems, in some embodiments, the semiconductor heat treatment equipment further includes an emergency stop unit 8 and a detection unit 9. The emergency stop unit 8 is communicatively connected to the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5, respectively. Specifically, the emergency stop unit 8 has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the emergency stop unit 8 controls the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop operating, thereby ensuring that the insulation door 2 and the process door 3 stop operating in a timely manner. In the second state, the emergency stop unit 8 controls the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to maintain their current operating state.

[0110] The detection unit 9 is used to detect the positions of the process door 3, the insulation door 2, and the crystal boat 6 in the semiconductor heat treatment equipment during the maintenance phase, and controls the emergency stop unit 8 to switch between the first state and the second state according to the positions of the process door 3, the insulation door 2, and the crystal boat 6, so as to control the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop in time according to the actual positional relationship between the process door 3 and the insulation door 2 and the actual positional state of the crystal boat 6, thereby avoiding accidents.

[0111] It is easy to understand that the emergency stop unit 8 proposed in this embodiment is a control unit independent of the PLC. When the detection unit 9 detects that the position of the insulation door 2, process door 3 and crystal boat 6 deviates from the normal position, it can promptly stop the operation of the insulation door drive device 4 and process door drive device 5, so that the insulation door 2, process door 3 and crystal boat 6 can all stop operating to avoid further collision or tipping.

[0112] It should also be noted that the emergency stop unit 8 proposed in this embodiment is only used to control the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop operating in the event of an emergency. Under normal circumstances, that is, when the crystal boat 6 does not tilt and will not collide with the insulation door 2, the start-up, stop, power output, and power output of the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 are all controlled by the PLC. For example, a motion stop button connected to the PLC can also be installed at the control console of the semiconductor heat treatment equipment. This button can be pressed by the operator to send a normal stop signal to the PLC, which then sends stop signals to the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 respectively.

[0113] For example, the process gate drive device 5 includes a lifting device for driving the process gate 3 to rise and fall and a magnetohydrodynamic rotating device for driving the crystal boat 6 to rotate.

[0114] Furthermore, such as Figure 10 As shown, in some embodiments, the emergency stop unit 8 includes an emergency stop relay 81 and a first switch 82. The emergency stop relay 81, when triggered, switches the emergency stop unit 8 from a second state to a first state to control the operation of the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop. The first switch 82 is connected in series with the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay 81. It is readily understood that the first switch 82 is connected in series between the first external power supply S1 and the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay 81 to control the level at the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay 81 by controlling the on / off state of the control circuit. Accordingly, if the emergency stop relay 81 responds to a high level, the first switch 82 is configured to trigger the emergency stop relay 81 when closed; and if the emergency stop relay 81 responds to a low level, the first switch 82 is configured to trigger the emergency stop relay 81 when open.

[0115] The detection unit 9 includes a first detection subunit 91, which is electrically connected to the first switch 82. The first detection subunit 91 is used to control the state of the first switch 82 according to the position of the process door 3 and the insulation door 2, so as to control the level at the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay 81 by controlling the first switch 82, thereby controlling whether the emergency stop relay 81 is triggered.

[0116] Compared to related technologies that rely solely on PLC control for emergency stops of the insulation door drive and process door drive, this embodiment utilizes an emergency stop relay 81 to control the insulation door drive 4 and process door drive 5 for emergency stops, which is more reliable. This is because the emergency stop relay 81 and its connected switch structure are simple circuit structures, which respond faster than the logic operations of a PLC and are less susceptible to external environmental conditions or signal interference. Furthermore, this embodiment leverages the characteristic that a relay requires external force to reset upon re-triggering, ensuring that the emergency stop relay 81 remains in a stopped state after stopping the insulation door drive 4 and process door drive 5 until the operator manually resets it after completing maintenance. This prevents the insulation door drive 4 and process door drive 5 from unexpectedly restarting, further ensuring equipment safety and operator safety.

[0117] In some specific embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, the first detection subunit 91 includes a first detection circuit 911 electrically connected to the first switch 82. The first detection circuit 911 is provided with a first detection switch 912 and a plurality of second detection switches 913; wherein, the first detection switch 912 is used to detect whether the process door 3 has descended to a preset lower limit position; the second detection switches 913 are used to detect whether the corresponding heat preservation door 2 has reached the second position.

[0118] The first detection switch 912 is connected in series with multiple second detection switches 913, and the multiple second detection switches 913 are connected in parallel. It is easy to understand that the first detection circuit 911 is connected in series between the second external power supply S2 and the trigger terminal of the first switch 82, so as to control the level at the trigger terminal of the first switch 82 by controlling the on / off state of the first detection circuit 911. When the first detection switch 912 detects that the process gate 3 has not reached the preset lower limit position and the second detection switch 913 detects that any of the insulation doors 2 has not reached the second position, the first detection circuit 911 can control the first switch 82 to trigger the emergency stop relay 81. It should be noted that the preset lower limit position of the process gate 3 at least satisfies the requirement that the crystal boat 6 is completely removed from the furnace body 1 without interfering with the insulation door 2, that is, the top of the crystal boat 6 is set below the furnace opening 11 and the second position of the insulation door 2.

[0119] Specifically, the first switch 82 can be a relay, and the first switch 82 disconnects in response to a high level. Thus, when the first detection switch 912 detects that the process gate 3 has descended to the preset lower limit position, the first detection switch 912 disconnects, so the first detection circuit 911 will not be connected, and consequently, the trigger terminal of the first switch 82 has a low level, and the first switch 82 will not disconnect accordingly; in other words, after the process gate 3 descends to the preset lower limit position, the multiple insulation doors 2 will not interfere with the crystal boat 6, so the insulation doors 2 can move freely.

[0120] When the first detection switch 912 detects that the process door 3 has not descended to the preset lower limit position and all the second detection switches 913 detect that the corresponding insulation door 2 has reached the second position, the first detection switch 912 closes and all the second detection switches 913 open. Therefore, the first detection circuit 911 will not be connected, and the trigger terminal of the first switch 82 will have a low level. Accordingly, the first switch 82 will not be disconnected. In other words, during the normal lifting and lowering process of the crystal boat 6, the first detection switch 912 remains normally closed and the second detection switch 913 remains normally open.

[0121] It can be seen that when the process door 3 reaches the preset lower limit position, or when the process door 3 has not reached the preset lower limit position and all the insulation doors 2 are in the second position, the first detection circuit 911 can control the first switch 82 not to trigger the emergency stop relay 81, that is, to keep the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 in the current drive state, so as to ensure that the furnace opening 11 performs normal opening and closing actions and that the process door 3 and the crystal boat 6 perform normal lifting and lowering actions under safe conditions.

[0122] When the wafer boat 6, which is mounted on the process gate 3, fails to reach the preset lower limit position, if the insulation door 2 is not in the second position, it indicates that the furnace opening 11 is not fully open. If either the insulation door drive device 4 or the process gate drive device 5 continues to drive at this time, the insulation door 2 will collide with the wafer boat 6, resulting in damage to the wafer boat 6 and the wafers inside it. In this embodiment, when the first detection switch 912 detects that the process gate 3 has not descended to the preset lower limit position and at least one second detection switch 913 detects that the corresponding insulation door 2 has not reached the second position, the first detection switch 912 closes and at least one of the multiple second detection switches 913 closes. Therefore, the first detection circuit 911 is turned on, and the trigger terminal of the first switch 82 has a high level. Correspondingly, the first switch 82 is turned off, thereby triggering the emergency stop relay 81.

[0123] As can be seen, the first detection circuit 911 proposed in this embodiment can detect in time that the movement paths of the crystal boat 6 and the insulation door 2 may interfere, and can control the first switch 82 to open in time under this situation, and then control the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop operating through the emergency stop relay 81, so that the operation of the insulation door 2 and the process door 3 can be stopped, and the collision between the insulation door 2 and the crystal boat 6 can be prevented in time.

[0124] It should be noted that in some other feasible implementations, the first switch 82 can also be triggered in response to a low level. Accordingly, the multiple second detection switches 913 in the first detection circuit 911 are connected in series with each other and in parallel with the first detection switch 912. Furthermore, the multiple second detection switches 913 and the first detection switch 912 are all kept in a normally closed state so that the first switch 82 is triggered only when any second detection switch 913 is opened and the first detection switch 912 is opened. Thus, it is also possible to trigger the first switch 82 when the crystal boat 6 has not reached the preset lower limit position and the heat preservation door 2 is not in the second position.

[0125] In some specific implementation methods, such as Figure 10 As shown, the first detection switch 912 includes a first micro switch 9121 and a first detection relay 9122. Specifically, the first micro switch 9121 is connected in series between the third external power supply S3 and the trigger terminal of the first detection relay 9122. A pair of normally closed contacts in the first detection relay 9122 serve as contacts of the first detection switch 9122, and the first detection relay 9122 controls the pair of normally closed contacts to open when triggered. The first micro switch 9121 remains in a normally open state, and is positioned at a preset lower limit position on the process gate 3 so that it closes when the process gate 3 descends to the preset lower limit position, thereby triggering the first detection relay 9122 to open the first detection switch 912.

[0126] Similar to the structure of the first detection switch 912 described above, multiple second detection switches 913 each include a second micro switch 9131 and a second detection relay 9132. Specifically, the second micro switch 9131 is connected in series between the third external power supply S3 and the trigger terminal of the second detection relay 9132. A pair of normally closed contacts in the second detection relay 9132 serve as contacts for the second detection switch 913. When the second detection relay 9132 is triggered, it controls the pair of normally closed contacts to open. The second micro switch 9131 remains normally open and is positioned at the second position of the corresponding insulation door 2, so that it closes when the corresponding insulation door 2 reaches the second position, thereby triggering the second detection relay 9132 to open the second detection switch 913.

[0127] like Figure 10As shown, in some embodiments, the emergency stop unit 8 further includes a second switch 83, and the detection unit 9 further includes a second detection subunit 92. Specifically, the second switch 83 can be a relay; the second switch 83 is connected in series with the trigger terminals of the first switch 82 and the emergency stop relay 81, so that the emergency stop relay 81 is triggered when at least one of the first switch 82 and the second switch 83 changes state. It is easy to understand that the emergency stop relay 81 disconnects in response to a low-level signal. The first switch 82 and the second switch 83 are both connected in series between the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay 81 and the first external power supply S1. Thus, the disconnection of at least one of the first switch 82 and the second switch 83 will cause the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay 81 to disconnect from the first external power supply S1, thereby triggering the emergency stop relay 81 to disconnect.

[0128] The second detection subunit 92 is electrically connected to the second switch 83 and is used to control the state of the second switch 83 according to the tilt of the crystal boat 6. When the tilt of the crystal boat 6 changes, the second switch 83 is triggered to open, thereby triggering the emergency stop relay 81. Then, when the crystal boat 6 tilts, the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 are stopped in time to avoid the crystal boat 6 from continuing to tilt or colliding with the insulation door 2, and to facilitate the operator to perform timely maintenance on the equipment.

[0129] Furthermore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, the second detection subunit 92 includes a second detection circuit 921 electrically connected to the second switch 83. Multiple third detection switches 922 are connected in parallel on the second detection circuit 921. These third detection switches 922 are all located around the crystal boat 6 and are used to detect the tilt of the crystal boat 6. When any of the third detection switches 922 detects that the tilt of the crystal boat 6 exceeds a preset tilt range, the second detection circuit 921 controls the second switch 83 to trigger an emergency stop relay 81. This promptly stops the crystal boat 6 and the insulation door 2 near the crystal boat 6 when it tilts, thereby reducing the risk of the crystal boat 6 tipping over further. In a straightforward manner, the second detection circuit 921 is connected in series between the third external power supply S3 and the trigger terminal of the second switch 83, and the second switch 83 disconnects in response to a high-level signal. Thus, when the crystal boat 6 tilts in any direction, the third detection switch 922 in the corresponding direction can detect that the crystal boat 6 has exceeded the preset tilt range. Moreover, since multiple third detection switches 922 are connected in parallel, the closing of any third detection switch 922 will connect the third external power supply S3 and the trigger terminal of the second switch 83, thereby triggering the second switch 83. This ensures that the emergency stop relay 81 is triggered whenever the crystal boat 6 tilts in any direction, thereby achieving an emergency stop for the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5, so that operators can perform timely maintenance.

[0130] For example, the preset tilt range can be set according to the equipment safety requirements, such as 0° to 0.5°.

[0131] It should be noted that in some other feasible implementations, the second switch 83 can also be triggered in response to a low level; correspondingly, multiple third detection switches 922 are connected in series, and all of the multiple third detection switches 922 are kept in a normally closed state so that the second switch 83 can be triggered when any one of the third detection switches 922 is opened, so that the second switch 83 can be triggered when the crystal boat 6 tilts in any direction.

[0132] For example, such as Figure 11 As shown, multiple third detection switches 922 are disposed on the side of the process gate 3 near the crystal boat 6 and distributed around the crystal boat 6 to continuously detect whether the crystal boat 6 is tilted.

[0133] It should be noted that the present invention does not impose too many restrictions on the type, quantity, or specific installation method of the third detection switch 922, as long as it can continuously detect the tilt of the crystal boat 6; for example, the third detection switch 922 includes an infrared sensor switch, which is used to detect the distance from a designated point on the outer periphery of the crystal boat 6 to itself, and changes its own switching state when the detected distance value changes.

[0134] In some embodiments, the emergency stop unit 8 further includes at least one emergency stop switch 84, which has a normal state and a triggered state; when all emergency stop switches 84 are in the normal state, the emergency stop relay 81 is not triggered; when any emergency stop switch 84 is in the triggered state, the emergency stop relay 81 is triggered. The emergency stop switch 84 switches between the normal state and the triggered state under the action of external force, so that the operator can manually turn off the emergency stop switch 84.

[0135] All emergency stop switches 84 are connected in series with the trigger terminals of the first switch 82, the second switch 83, and the emergency stop relay 81. In this way, if any emergency stop switch 84, the first switch 82, or the second switch 83 is disconnected, the emergency stop relay 81 will be triggered. Thus, if any of the following occurs: interference between the crystal boat 6 and the insulation door 2, tilting of the crystal boat 6, or manual emergency stop by the operator, the emergency stop unit 8 can promptly control the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop operating.

[0136] It should be noted that in some other feasible embodiments, the emergency stop relay 81 can also be disconnected in response to a high level. Accordingly, all the above-mentioned emergency stop switches 84, as well as the first switch 82 and the second switch 83, can be connected in parallel between the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay 81 and the first external power supply S1. All the above-mentioned emergency stop switches 84, the first switch 82, and the second switch 83 are kept in a normally open state and are closed when triggered. In this way, the emergency stop relay 81 will be triggered when any one of the following situations occurs: interference between the crystal boat 6 and the insulation door 2, tilting of the crystal boat 6, or manual emergency stop by the operator. This will stop the operation of the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5.

[0137] For example, such as Figure 10 As shown, the emergency stop switch 84 can have multiple pairs of normally closed contacts. Other normally closed contacts can be used to connect to other emergency stop circuits to meet other emergency stop needs of the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5.

[0138] In some specific embodiments, to facilitate operator access to the emergency stop switch 84, multiple emergency stop switches 84 may be distributed near the semiconductor heat treatment equipment. Figure 12 Taking the semiconductor heat treatment equipment shown as an example, a maintenance door 12 is usually arranged around the furnace body 1 to enclose a maintenance area. When the maintenance door 12 is opened, the operator can enter the maintenance area to perform maintenance work on the furnace body 1. Specifically, at least one emergency stop switch 84 can be installed inside the maintenance area. During the maintenance of furnace body 1 components, such as replacing the insulation door 2, replacing the process door 3, or replacing the crystal boat 6, the operator in the maintenance area can easily access the emergency stop switch 84, so that the operator can promptly control the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop, thereby protecting the personal safety of the operator and the safety of the equipment.

[0139] In addition, at least one emergency stop switch 84 can be installed outside the maintenance area so that during the debugging of the motion mechanism, the operator outside the maintenance area can press the emergency stop switch 84 in time in case of an emergency to control the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop in time, thereby protecting the personal safety of the operator and the safety of the equipment.

[0140] Furthermore, since operators are usually at the control panel for controlling the operation of semiconductor heat treatment equipment during normal operation, at least one emergency stop switch 84 can be installed at the control panel so that when an operator near the control panel experiences equipment malfunction, the emergency stop switch 84 can be pressed in time to control the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop in time, thereby protecting the equipment safety in a timely manner.

[0141] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, both the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 are connected to the external power supply S0 via contactor 85. The emergency stop unit 8 is electrically connected to both the external power supply S0 and the contactor 85. The emergency stop unit 8 is used to control the contactor 85 to close when disconnected, so as to de-energize and stop the operation of the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5.

[0142] For example, a pair of normally open pins in the emergency stop relay 81 can be connected to the trigger terminal of the contactor 85 and the fourth external power supply, respectively; when the emergency stop relay 81 is triggered, the pair of normally open pins close, thereby making the trigger terminal of the contactor 85 high level, so that the contactor 85 de-energizes the heat preservation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5.

[0143] In some embodiments, both the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 include: servo motors (44, 52) and servo drivers (43, 51) corresponding to the servo motors (44, 52). The servo drivers (43, 51) have emergency stop pins, and in response to receiving a low-level signal on the emergency stop pins, the servo drivers (43, 51) control the corresponding servo motors (44, 52) to stop rotating. An emergency stop unit 8 is electrically connected to the emergency stop pins of the servo drivers (43, 51); the emergency stop unit 8 is used to send a low-level signal to the emergency stop pins when in a first state, so as to stop the operation of the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5.

[0144] This embodiment utilizes the Safe Torque Off (STO) function of the servo driver (43, 51), which can quickly cut off the motor's torque output. Figure 10 Taking the multiple servo drives (43, 51) shown as an example, each servo drive (43, 51) has emergency stop pins sto1 and sto2, and the emergency stop pins of multiple servo drives (43, 51) are connected in series with emergency stop relay 81; when the two emergency stop pins receive a low level signal at the same time, the STO function of the servo drive (43, 51) is activated to control the corresponding process door 3 lifting motor, magnetohydrodynamic rotary motor, and insulation door 2 lifting motor and insulation door 2 horizontal motor to stop rotating quickly, thereby realizing the emergency stop of insulation door drive device 4 and process door drive device 5.

[0145] For example, a pair of normally closed pins in the emergency stop relay 81 can be connected to the emergency stop pins of multiple servo drives (43, 51) and a fourth external power supply, respectively; when the emergency stop relay 81 is triggered, the pair of normally closed pins are opened, thereby making the emergency stop pins low level, so that the contactor 85 de-energizes the heat preservation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5.

[0146] In some preferred embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, the emergency stop unit 8 can simultaneously control the contactor 85 and the servo driver (43, 51), thereby improving the fault tolerance of the emergency stop unit 8 in controlling the emergency stop, so as to ensure that in an emergency, the emergency stop unit 8 can control the insulation door drive device 4 and the process door drive device 5 to stop outputting power.

[0147] It should be noted that the aforementioned first external power supply S1, second external power supply S2, third external power supply S3, and fourth external power supply are all voltage sources used to provide high-level voltage signals, such as 3.3V or 5V DC voltage sources. Furthermore, in practical applications, the first external power supply S1, second external power supply S2, third external power supply S3, and fourth external power supply can be respectively located at their respective circuit positions, or they can be a single power supply connected to their respective circuits via multiple leads to power those circuits.

[0148] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor heat treatment apparatus, comprising a furnace body; characterized in that, Also includes: Multiple heat-insulating doors are disposed at the furnace opening of the furnace body; each heat-insulating door has a first position and a second position; in the first position, the multiple heat-insulating doors are sealed together and cover the furnace opening to close the furnace opening; in the second position, each heat-insulating door is located on the outer periphery of the furnace opening to open the furnace opening.

2. The semiconductor heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are at least three heat-insulating doors, all of which are distributed around the central axis of the furnace opening. In the first position of the heat-insulating doors, all of the heat-insulating doors are close to the central axis of the furnace opening, and in the second position of the heat-insulating doors, all of the heat-insulating doors are away from the central axis of the furnace opening.

3. The semiconductor heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two heat-insulating doors, which are symmetrically distributed about the diameter of the furnace opening. In the first position of the heat-insulating doors, the opposite edges of the two heat-insulating doors coincide with the axis of symmetry. In the second position of the heat-insulating doors, the two heat-insulating doors are far apart from each other.

4. The semiconductor heat treatment equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, All insulated doors are identical in shape and size.

5. The semiconductor heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The semiconductor heat treatment equipment also includes; The heat-insulating door drive device is connected to multiple heat-insulating door drives respectively, and is used to drive the heat-insulating door to switch between the first position and the second position.

6. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The heat-insulating door drive device includes: Multiple vertical drive components are configured one-to-one with multiple heat-insulating doors. Each vertical drive component is connected to the corresponding heat-insulating door drive and is used to drive the corresponding heat-insulating door to move in the vertical direction. Multiple horizontal drive components are configured one-to-one with multiple insulated doors. Each horizontal drive component is connected to the corresponding insulated door drive and is used to drive the corresponding insulated door to move in the horizontal direction. When the heat preservation door is located outside the furnace opening, the vertical drive component and the horizontal drive component are driven synchronously.

7. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Multiple limiting components are provided, all of which are arranged around the axis of the crystal boat, and all of which have a limiting position and a retraction position. At the limiting positions of all the limiting components, all the limiting components are close to each other and form a limiting space for limiting the tilt of the crystal boat; At the retraction position of the limiting components, all the limiting components are moved away from each other to avoid the crystal boat.

8. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, Multiple limiting components are correspondingly provided with multiple heat-insulating doors. Each limiting component is movably connected to the corresponding heat-insulating door. Each limiting component moves between the limiting position and the retraction position by moving relative to the corresponding heat-insulating door.

9. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, All of the limiting components are movably connected to the corresponding insulation door along the radial direction of the crystal boat, and all of the limiting components move closer to or further away from each other by moving along the radial direction of the crystal boat to move between a limiting position and a retraction position.

10. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The insulated door is provided with an installation groove; The limiting component slides into the mounting groove. In the limiting position, the limiting component is at least partially located outside the mounting groove, and in the retracted position, the limiting component is located inside the mounting groove.

11. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The semiconductor heat treatment equipment also includes: Process door, used to support the crystal boat; A process gate drive device is used to drive the process gate to move; An emergency stop unit is communicatively connected to the insulation door drive device and the process door drive device, respectively; the emergency stop unit has a first state and a second state; in the first state, the emergency stop unit controls the insulation door drive device and the process door drive device to stop operating; in the second state, the emergency stop unit controls the insulation door drive device and the process door drive device to maintain their current operating state. The detection unit is used to detect the positions of the process door, the insulation door, and the crystal boat during the maintenance phase, and to control the emergency stop unit to switch between the first state and the second state based on the positions of the process door, the insulation door, and the crystal boat.

12. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The emergency stop unit includes: An emergency stop relay is used to switch the emergency stop unit from the second state to the first state when it is triggered, so as to control the insulation door drive device and the process door drive device to stop operating; The first switch is connected in series with the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay; The detection unit includes; The first detection subunit is electrically connected to the first switch and is used to control the state of the first switch to stop operating based on the positions of the process door and the insulation door.

13. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, The emergency stop unit also includes: A second switch is connected in series with the trigger terminal of the first switch and the emergency stop relay, so that the emergency stop relay is triggered when at least one of the first switch and the second switch changes state; The detection unit further includes; The second detection subunit is electrically connected to the second switch and is used to control the state of the second switch according to the tilt of the crystal boat.

14. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first detection subunit includes: A first detection circuit is electrically connected to the first switch. The first detection circuit is provided with a first detection switch and a plurality of second detection switches. The first detection switch is connected in series with the plurality of second detection switches, and the plurality of second detection switches are connected in parallel. The first detection switch is used to detect whether the process door has descended to a preset lower limit position during the maintenance phase; the second detection switch is used to detect whether the corresponding insulation door has reached the second position. The first detection circuit is used to control the first switch to trigger the emergency stop relay when the first detection switch detects that the process door has not reached the preset lower limit position and the second detection switch detects that any one of the insulation doors has not reached the second position.

15. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second detection subunit includes: The second detection circuit is electrically connected to the second switch, and the second detection circuit is provided with a plurality of third detection switches connected in parallel with each other; the plurality of third detection switches are all disposed on the periphery of the crystal boat and are used to detect the tilt of the crystal boat; The second detection circuit is used to control the second switch to trigger the emergency stop relay when any of the third detection switches detects that the tilt of the crystal boat exceeds a preset tilt range.

16. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, Both the heat preservation door drive device and the process door drive device are connected to an external power supply via contactors. The emergency stop unit is electrically connected to the external power supply and the contactor respectively. The emergency stop unit is used to control the contactor to close when disconnected, so as to de-energize and stop the operation of the heat preservation door drive device and the process door drive device.

17. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, Both the heat preservation door drive device and the process door drive device include: a servo motor and a servo driver that is configured one-to-one with the servo motor. The servo driver has an emergency stop pin, and the servo driver controls the corresponding servo motor to stop rotating in response to receiving a low-level signal on the emergency stop pin; The emergency stop unit is electrically connected to the emergency stop pin of the servo driver; the emergency stop unit is used to send a low-level signal to the emergency stop pin when in the first state, so as to stop the operation of the heat preservation door drive device and the process door drive device.

18. The semiconductor heat treatment apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, The emergency stop unit also includes: At least one emergency stop switch, and all of the emergency stop switches are connected in series with the first switch, the second switch, and the trigger terminal of the emergency stop relay; The emergency stop switch has a normal state and a triggered state; the emergency stop switch switches between the normal state and the triggered state under the action of external force; when all the emergency stop switches are in the normal state, the emergency stop relay is not triggered; when any one of the emergency stop switches is in the triggered state, the emergency stop relay is triggered.

Images