Ingot furnace

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ingot furnace. The ingot furnace comprises a furnace body, a flow guide pipe and a corrugated pipe. Wherein a furnace chamber is formed in the furnace body; the flow guide pipe comprises an air inlet end and an air outlet end, the air inlet end is located outside the furnace chamber, and the air outlet end is inserted into the furnace chamber and is a free end; the corrugated pipe is arranged outside the flow guide pipe in a sleeving mode and provided with a first end and a second end in the length direction of the corrugated pipe, the first end is sealed and fixedly connected with the air inlet end, and the second end is sealed and fixedly connected with the furnace body. According to the ingot furnace, the first end of the corrugated pipe is fixedly connected with the air inlet end of the flow guide pipe, the second end of the corrugated pipe is fixedly connected with the furnace body, the air outlet end of the flow guide pipe is the free end, the air inlet end of the flow guide pipe moves up and down along with length extension of the corrugated pipe, then the flow guide pipe is driven to integrally move, moving resistance is reduced, and operation is convenient; meanwhile, the joint of the flow guide pipe and the corrugated pipe is prevented from being repeatedly abraded and loosened due to up-and-down movement of the flow guide pipe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ingot casting furnaces, and more specifically, to an ingot casting furnace. Background Art

[0002] An ingot casting furnace is a smelting equipment that melts silicon material and directionally solidifies it to produce polycrystalline silicon. While the ingot casting furnace heats the silicon material at high temperature, it introduces inert gas into the furnace through a draft tube to form a circulating airflow to reduce impurity pollution. In order to make the lower end of the alumina tube close to the surface of the silicon liquid and ensure that the airflow blows to the surface of the silicon liquid as much as possible, it is necessary to move the draft tube up and down according to the height of the silicon liquid during the melting of the silicon material and the crystal growth process. However, the lower end of the draft tube is generally sealed to the furnace body through a sealing flange, which forms a large resistance to the up and down movement of the alumina tube, making it difficult to move the alumina tube up and down. Utility Model Content

[0003] An embodiment of the present application provides an ingot casting furnace.

[0004] The ingot casting furnace of the embodiment of the present application comprises a furnace body, a guide pipe and a bellows. The furnace body forms a furnace cavity; the guide pipe comprises an air inlet end and an air outlet end, the air inlet end is located outside the furnace cavity, and the air outlet end is inserted into the furnace cavity and is a free end; the bellows is sleeved outside the guide pipe, and the bellows has a first end and a second end along its length direction, the first end is sealed and fixedly connected to the air inlet end, and the second end is sealed and fixedly connected to the furnace body.

[0005] In the ingot casting furnace of the embodiment of the present application, the first end of the bellows is fixedly connected to the air inlet end of the guide pipe, the second end is fixedly connected to the furnace body, and the air outlet end of the guide pipe is a free end. The air inlet end of the guide pipe moves up and down with the length of the bellows, thereby driving the overall movement of the guide pipe, reducing the movement resistance, and facilitating operation. At the same time, it avoids the connection between the guide pipe and the bellows from repeated wear and loosening due to the up and down movement of the guide pipe, improves the sealing and service life of the air intake device, and is conducive to improving the production quality of silicon materials smelted in the ingot casting furnace. In addition, the air outlet end has a high temperature when inserted into the furnace cavity, and the air outlet end does not contact the bellows before and after the guide pipe moves up and down, thereby reducing the risk of the bellows being scalded and damaged by high temperature, and further improving reliability and service life.

[0006] In some embodiments, the ingot casting furnace includes an adjusting component, the guide pipe and the bellows are respectively connected to the adjusting component, and the adjusting component is used to adjust the length of the bellows.

[0007] In this way, the length of the bellows is adjusted by the adjusting assembly, and the adjusting assembly is connected to the flow guide pipe, so that the flow guide pipe is driven to move while the length of the bellows is adjusted.

[0008] In some embodiments, the adjustment assembly includes a first fixing member, a second fixing member, and an adjustment rod connecting the first fixing member and the second fixing member, the first fixing member is fixedly connected to the first end of the bellows and the air inlet end of the guide tube, the second fixing member is fixedly connected to the second end of the bellows, and the adjustment rod is used to adjust the distance between the first fixing member and the second fixing member to adjust the length of the bellows.

[0009] In this way, the second fixing member is fixedly connected to the second end of the bellows through the supporting function, so that the second fixing member is fixedly installed relative to the furnace body, and the first fixing member is fixedly connected to the first end of the bellows and the air inlet end of the guide tube, so that the adjustment component can play a supporting and fixing role for the guide tube and the bellows.

[0010] In some embodiments, the adjustment rod extends along the length direction of the bellows, the first fixing member is detachably connected to the adjustment rod, and the second fixing member is fixedly connected to the adjustment rod, so that the length of the bellows changes with the connection position of the adjustment rod and the first fixing member.

[0011] In this way, the first fixing member is detachably connected to the adjusting rod, and the second fixing member is fixedly connected to the adjusting rod, so that the first fixing member can be removed and reinstalled according to the required height of the outlet end of the guide tube close to the silicon liquid surface, and the connection position of the adjusting rod and the first fixing member can be changed.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ingot casting furnace further includes a driving member connected to the adjusting assembly, and the driving member is used to drive the adjusting assembly to at least partially move so as to adjust the length of the bellows.

[0013] In this way, the driving member drives some components of the adjusting assembly to move, thereby driving one of the ends of the bellows fixedly connected to the adjusting assembly to move, so that the driving member provides driving force to adjust the length of the bellows, driving the guide pipe to move up and down, saving manpower, improving flexibility, and improving the position stability of the guide pipe when it moves up and down.

[0014] In some embodiments, a straight through pipe is formed on the furnace body, the straight through pipe is communicated with the furnace cavity and is located outside the furnace cavity, and the guide pipe passes through the straight through pipe to be inserted into the furnace cavity.

[0015] In this way, the straight-through pipe partially extends out of the furnace cavity, and the guide pipe passes through the straight-through pipe and is inserted into the furnace cavity, so that the straight-through pipe can limit the position of the guide pipe in the lateral direction of the furnace body to a certain extent.

[0016] In some embodiments, the end of the straight-through pipe away from the furnace chamber is a mounting portion, and the second end of the bellows is fixedly and sealingly connected to the mounting portion of the straight-through pipe.

[0017] In this way, the second end of the bellows is fixedly and sealingly connected to the mounting portion, so that the second tube of the bellows is fixedly mounted on the furnace body and the airtightness of the furnace cavity relative to the environment outside the furnace is ensured.

[0018] In some embodiments, the ingot casting furnace includes a crucible and a cover plate located in a furnace chamber, the crucible is formed with an opening, the cover plate covers the opening of the crucible, the cover plate is provided with an air inlet, and the guide pipe introduces gas into the crucible through the air inlet.

[0019] In this way, the flow guide tube is inserted into the inner space of the crucible so that the gas outlet end can blow gas close to the surface of the silicon material filled in the crucible.

[0020] In some embodiments, the air outlet end of the flow guide tube is inserted into the air inlet hole, and the diameter of the air outlet end of the flow guide tube is smaller than the diameter of the air inlet hole.

[0021] In this way, the air outlet end of the guide pipe is inserted into the air inlet hole, and the diameter of the air outlet end of the guide pipe is smaller than the diameter of the air inlet hole, ensuring the freedom of the air outlet end and a reasonable gap between the air outlet end and the air inlet hole, providing a basis for the guide pipe to move up and down in the air inlet hole relative to the cover plate, and reducing the movement resistance of the guide pipe.

[0022] In some embodiments, the ingot casting furnace also includes a heater, which is distributed on at least one side of the crucible. The crucible is used to fill silicon material. The heater is used to heat the silicon material filled in the crucible to melt the silicon material. The guide tube moves up and down with the expansion and contraction of the bellows so that the gas outlet end of the guide tube is always close to the surface of the silicon material.

[0023] In this way, the silicon material is heated by the heater to melt it into silicon liquid. The liquid level of the silicon liquid changes during the melting and silicon crystal growth process. The guide tube moves up and down by expanding and contracting the length of the bellows and keeps the gas outlet close to the surface of the silicon liquid, thereby ensuring that the gas blows as directly as possible onto the surface of the silicon liquid.

[0024] In some embodiments, the flow guide tube is a rigid member that is resistant to high temperatures.

[0025] In this way, the guide tube is a high-temperature resistant rigid part, so that the outlet end of the guide tube can be close to the surface of the high-temperature molten silicon liquid, and the outlet end can move to the same height as the inlet end, which is conducive to precise control of the moving distance.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent from the description below, or will be learned through the practice of the embodiments of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an ingot casting furnace according to certain embodiments of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the ingot casting furnace at the bellows.

[0030] Figure Number:

[0031] Ingot casting furnace 100, furnace body 10, furnace chamber 101, through hole 102, guide tube 20, air inlet end 21, air outlet end 22, bellows 30, first end 31, second end 32, adjustment assembly 40, first fixing member 41, second fixing member 42, adjustment rod 43, straight pipe 50, mounting portion 52, crucible 60, opening 601, cover plate 70, air inlet hole 701, heater 80, guide tube 90. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions from beginning to end. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the embodiments of the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

[0033] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "thickness", "upper", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0034] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. In an example, it can be a fixed connection, or a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection, or they can communicate with each other; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present application, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “above”, and “above” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “below”, “below”, and “below” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0036] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The ingot casting furnace 100 of the embodiment of the present application includes a furnace body 10, a guide pipe 20 and a bellows 30. The furnace body 10 is formed with a furnace cavity 101; the guide pipe 20 includes an air inlet end 21 and an air outlet end 22, the air inlet end 21 is located outside the furnace cavity 101, and the air outlet end 22 is inserted into the furnace cavity 101 and is a free end; the bellows 30 is sleeved outside the guide pipe 20, and the bellows 30 has a first end 31 and a second end 32 along its length direction, the first end 31 is sealed and fixedly connected to the air inlet end 21, and the second end 32 is sealed and fixedly connected to the furnace body 10.

[0037] Specifically, the furnace body 10 can form a closed environment to isolate the furnace chamber 101 from the environment outside the furnace. To facilitate the stable placement of silicon materials, the furnace body 10 can be placed flat on the ground with the help of gravity, the lateral direction of the furnace body 10 is the horizontal direction, and the vertical direction of the furnace body 10 is the gravity direction.

[0038] The guide tube 20 can be a slender straight tube and is made of a high temperature resistant material such as alumina. The guide tube 20 can penetrate a wall of the furnace body 10 along the vertical direction of the furnace body 10, the air inlet end 21 and part of the guide tube 20 on one side of the air inlet end 21 are located outside the furnace chamber 101, and the air outlet end 22 and part of the guide tube 20 on one side of the air outlet end 22 extend into the furnace chamber 101. The air inlet end 21 can be connected to the gas production device or gas storage device outside the furnace body 10 through an air pipe, so that the guide tube 20 introduces external gas into the furnace chamber 101. Among them, the external gas can be an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen. While the guide tube 20 guides the gas into the furnace chamber 101, the gas in the furnace chamber 101 can flow out of the furnace chamber 101 through the exhaust system of the ingot casting furnace 100. By taking in air and exhausting air at the same time during the melting and crystal growth of silicon materials, a positive pressure circulating airflow is formed in the furnace chamber 101 to reduce impurity pollution.

[0039] The gas outlet end 22 is a free end. Compared with the related art in which the end of the guide tube extending into the furnace chamber is sealed and fixedly installed by a sealing flange, the gas outlet end 22 of the embodiment of the present application is not in direct contact with other components such as the furnace body 10, the crucible 60, the bellows 30, and the sealing flange of the gas outlet end 22 is eliminated. The gas outlet end 22 can move unimpeded relative to the furnace body 10 within a certain vertical and lateral range.

[0040] The bellows 30 is a flexible tubular component, a series of wavy folds or annular structures are regularly formed on its surface, so that the bellows 30 can expand and contract in the axial direction (ie, the length direction of the bellows 30) while maintaining a certain strength and stability.

[0041] The bellows 30 is sleeved outside the guide tube 20, and the first end 31 and the second end 32 are respectively two ends in the length direction of the bellows 30, and the length direction of the bellows 30 is consistent with the length direction of the guide tube 20, and both are from top to bottom relative to the furnace body 10. The first end 31 is flush with the air inlet end 21 of the guide tube 20 and is fixedly connected to the air inlet end 21, and the second end 32 is fixedly connected to the furnace body 10. When the bellows 30 is extended and retracted between the first end 31 and the second end 32, the second end 32 can be fixed relative to the furnace body 10, the first end 31 can move up and down relative to the furnace body 10, and the air inlet end 21 of the guide tube 20 can move synchronously with the first end 31. While the air inlet end 21 moves synchronously with the first end 31, since the air outlet end 22 is a free end, the guide tube 20 as a whole can move up and down relative to the furnace body 10 synchronously with the first end 31 of the bellows 30, and the resistance to movement is small.

[0042] In the ingot furnace 100 of the embodiment of the present application, the first end 31 of the bellows 30 is fixedly connected to the air inlet end 21 of the guide tube 20, the second end 32 is fixedly connected to the furnace body 10, and the air outlet end 22 of the guide tube 20 is a free end, and the air inlet end 21 of the guide tube 20 moves up and down with the length of the bellows 30, thereby driving the guide tube 20 to move as a whole, reducing the movement resistance, and facilitating the operation. At the same time, it is avoided that the connection between the guide tube 20 and the bellows 30 is repeatedly worn and loosened due to the up and down movement of the guide tube 20, thereby improving the sealing and service life of the air inlet device, and thereby helping to improve the production quality of the silicon material smelted by the ingot furnace 100. In addition, the air outlet end 22 is inserted into the furnace chamber 101, and the temperature is high. Before and after the guide tube 20 moves up and down, the air outlet end 22 does not come into contact with the bellows 30, thereby reducing the risk of the bellows 30 being scalded and damaged by the high temperature, and further improving the reliability and service life.

[0043] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the ingot casting furnace 100 includes an adjusting component 40 , the guide pipe 20 and the bellows 30 are respectively connected to the adjusting component 40 , and the adjusting component 40 is used to adjust the length of the bellows 30 .

[0044] Specifically, the air inlet end 21 of the air guide pipe 20 and the first end 31 of the bellows 30 are fixedly connected, and some components or parts of the adjustment assembly 40 can be integrally connected with the air inlet end 21 of the air guide pipe 20 and the first end 31 of the bellows 30. Other components or parts of the adjustment assembly 40 can be fixedly installed on the furnace body 10 and connected to the second end 32 of the bellows 30. The adjustment assembly 40 can apply a certain pressure or tension to the first end 31 of the bellows 30, so that the first end 31 moves closer to or away from the second end 32 along the length direction of the bellows 30, thereby achieving the effect of shortening or lengthening the bellows 30, and at the same time, the air guide pipe 20 moves closer to or away from the second end 32 with the first end 31, that is, moves up and down relative to the furnace body 10.

[0045] The adjustment assembly 40 can be connected to the guide pipe 20, the bellows 30 and the furnace body 10 by at least one of threaded connection, riveting, snap connection, fixing piece connection, welding, adhesive connection and the like.

[0046] In this way, the length of the bellows 30 is adjusted by the adjusting assembly 40 , and the adjusting assembly 40 is connected to the flow guide pipe 20 , so that the flow guide pipe 20 is driven to move while the length of the bellows 30 is adjusted.

[0047] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the adjustment assembly 40 includes a first fixing member 41, a second fixing member 42, and an adjustment rod 43 connecting the first fixing member 41 and the second fixing member 42. The first fixing member 41 is fixedly connected to the first end 31 of the bellows 30 and the air inlet end 21 of the guide tube 20, and the second fixing member 42 is fixedly connected to the second end 32 of the bellows 30. The adjustment rod 43 is used to adjust the distance between the first fixing member 41 and the second fixing member 42 to adjust the length of the bellows 30.

[0048] Specifically, the first fixing member 41 and the second fixing member 42 may be a sheet, plate or rod-shaped structure, and may be connected to the first end 31 and the second end 32 of the bellows 30 respectively by at least one of threaded connection, riveting, snap connection, fixing member connection, welding, adhesive connection, etc. Exemplarily, the first fixing member 41 is fixed and sealed to the first end 31 of the bellows 30 and the air inlet end 21 of the air guide tube 20 by a fixing lock nut to form an integral fixed connection, and the second fixing member 42 is fixedly connected to the second end 32 of the bellows 30 by a fixing lock nut. Since the second end 32 is fixedly connected to the furnace body 10, the second fixing member 42 and the adjusting rod 43 can be fixed relative to the furnace body 10, providing a fixed fulcrum for the bellows 30, thereby maintaining stability and position accuracy when the bellows 30 is extended and retracted and the air guide tube 20 moves up and down.

[0049] In this way, the second fixing member 42 is fixedly connected to the second end 32 of the bellows 30 through the supporting function, so that the second fixing member 42 is fixedly installed relative to the furnace body 10, and the first fixing member 41 is fixedly connected to the first end 31 of the bellows 30 and the air inlet end 21 of the guide tube 20, so that the adjustment component 40 can support and fix the guide tube 20 and the bellows 30.

[0050] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the adjusting rod 43 extends along the length direction of the bellows 30, the first fixing member 41 is detachably connected to the adjusting rod 43, and the second fixing member 42 is fixedly connected to the adjusting rod 43, so that the length of the bellows 30 changes with the connection position of the adjusting rod 43 and the first fixing member 41.

[0051] Specifically, the adjusting rod 43 may be a straight rod and vertically arranged relative to the furnace body 10. The adjusting rod 43 may be located on one side of the radial direction of the bellows 30 and parallel to the length direction of the bellows 30. The connection between the adjusting rod 43 and the first fixing member 41 may be flush with the first end 31, and the connection between the adjusting rod 43 and the second fixing member 42 may be flush with the second end 32. The first fixing member 41 and the second fixing member 42 may extend in the radial direction of the bellows 30, and the length of the bellows 30 is equal to the distance between the first fixing member 41 and the second fixing member 42.

[0052] The first fixing member 41 and the adjusting rod 43 may be connected by a movable or retractable fixing member such as a bolt and nut, a buckle slot, a hook and loop fastener, a C-type clamp, etc., so as to quickly adjust the relative position of the first fixing member 41 on the adjusting rod 43. The second fixing member 42 is fixedly connected to the adjusting rod 43, and the second fixing member 42 and the adjusting rod 43 may be formed as an integral structure, or the second fixing member 42 and the adjusting rod 43 may be permanently or non-detachably connected together by welding, screwing, riveting, gluing, etc.

[0053] Since the first end 31 of the bellows 30 is fixedly connected to the first fixing member 41, and the second end 32 is fixedly connected to the second fixing member 42 and fixedly connected to the furnace body 10 to form a fixed end point, the distance between the first fixing member 41 and the second fixing member 42 can be adjusted by adjusting the installation position of the first fixing member 41 relative to the adjusting rod 43, so as to form a certain pressure or tension on the second end 32 to shorten or lengthen the bellows 30.

[0054] In this way, the first fixing member 41 is detachably connected to the adjusting rod 43, and the second fixing member 42 is fixedly connected to the adjusting rod 43, so that the first fixing member 41 can be disassembled and reinstalled according to the required height of the outlet end 22 of the guide tube 20 close to the surface of the silicone liquid, and the connection position of the adjusting rod 43 and the first fixing member 41 can be changed.

[0055] In some embodiments, the ingot casting furnace 100 further includes a driving member (not shown) connected to the adjusting assembly 40 , and the driving member is used to drive the adjusting assembly 40 to at least partially move so as to adjust the length of the bellows 30 .

[0056] Specifically, the driving member may include but is not limited to a screw rod, a gear rack, a motor, a hydraulic driving device, an air pump, etc. Taking a linear motor as an example, the driving member of an embodiment is connected to the first end 31 and the second end 32 of the bellows 30, respectively, and drives the first end 31 to drive the guide tube 20 to move up and down relative to the second end 32, replacing the operation of disassembling or moving the first fixing member 41 in the adjustment assembly 40.

[0057] In this way, the driving member drives some components of the adjusting assembly 40 to move, thereby driving one of the ends of the bellows 30 fixedly connected to the adjusting assembly 40 to move, so that the driving member provides driving force to adjust the length of the bellows 30, driving the guide tube 20 to move up and down, saving manpower, improving flexibility, and improving the position stability of the guide tube 20 when it moves up and down.

[0058] In some extended embodiments, the driving member is combined with the silicon liquid height detection device to realize automatic adjustment, so that the position of the gas outlet end 22 of the flow guide tube 20 and the surface height of the silicon liquid can be more synchronized.

[0059] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the furnace body 10 is formed with a straight pipe 50 , which is communicated with the furnace cavity 101 and is located outside the furnace cavity 101 , and the guide pipe 20 passes through the straight pipe 50 to be inserted into the furnace cavity 101 .

[0060] Specifically, the straight pipe 50 extends in a straight line and can be arranged vertically along the vertical direction of the furnace body 10. The straight pipe 50 can be integrally formed with the furnace body 10, or it can be a split structure and the straight pipe 50 is fixedly installed on the furnace body 10. A through hole 102 is formed on the wall of the furnace body 10, and the through hole 102 is connected to one end of the straight pipe 50. When the straight pipe 50 and the furnace body 10 are split structures, the gap between the through hole 102 and the outer wall of the straight pipe 50 can be filled by a seal to ensure sealing. The inner diameter of the straight pipe 50 is thicker than the outer diameter of the guide pipe 20, and the length of the guide pipe 20 is significantly greater than the length of the straight pipe 50, so that the guide pipe 20 can smoothly pass through the straight pipe 50 and partially extend into the furnace chamber 101.

[0061] In this way, the straight pipe 50 partially extends out of the furnace cavity 101 , and the guide pipe 20 passes through the straight pipe 50 and is inserted into the furnace cavity 101 , so that the straight pipe 50 can limit the horizontal position of the guide pipe 20 in the furnace body 10 to a certain extent.

[0062] In one example, the straight pipe 50 is located at the top of the furnace body 10 and at the center of the furnace body 10 in the horizontal direction, which can ensure that the guide tube 20 is centrally inserted into the furnace body 10, so that the gas introduced by the guide tube 20 is blown out to the center area of ​​the silicon liquid as much as possible.

[0063] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the end of the straight pipe 50 away from the furnace chamber 101 is a mounting portion 52 , and the second end 32 of the bellows 30 is fixedly and sealedly connected to the mounting portion 52 of the straight pipe 50 .

[0064] Specifically, the straight pipe 50 has two ends along its axial direction, one end close to the furnace chamber 101 is fixedly connected to the furnace body 10, and the other end is a mounting portion 52. The second end 32 of the corrugated pipe 30 can be directly connected to the mounting portion 52, or can be connected through other supporting members, and the assembly gap is sealed by a seal. The diameter of the mounting portion 52 can be smaller than the diameter of the end of the straight pipe 50 directly connected to the furnace body 10.

[0065] Thus, the second end 32 of the bellows 30 is fixedly and sealedly connected to the mounting portion 52 , so that the second tube of the bellows 30 is fixedly mounted on the furnace body 10 and the airtightness of the furnace cavity 101 relative to the environment outside the furnace is ensured.

[0066] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ingot casting furnace 100 includes a crucible 60 and a cover plate 70 located in the furnace chamber 101, the crucible 60 is formed with an opening 601, the cover plate 70 covers the opening 601 of the crucible 60, the cover plate 70 is provided with an air inlet 701, and the guide tube 20 introduces gas into the crucible 60 through the air inlet 701.

[0067] Specifically, the crucible 60 is used to hold silicon material and provide a place for melting and crystal growth of silicon material. The crucible 60 is arranged in the furnace body 10 with an opening 601 facing upward, and the opening 601 of the crucible 60 faces the top of the furnace body 10. The cover plate 70 covers the opening 601 of the crucible 60, and the gas inlet 701 penetrates the cover plate 70 along the thickness direction of the cover plate 70 and corresponds to the position of the guide tube 20, so that the guide tube 20 is inserted and introduces gas into the crucible 60.

[0068] In this way, the flow guide tube 20 is inserted into the inner space of the crucible 60 , so that the gas outlet end 22 can blow gas close to the surface of the silicon material filled in the crucible 60 .

[0069] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the air outlet end 22 of the flow guide tube 20 is inserted into the air inlet hole 701 , and the diameter of the air outlet end 22 of the flow guide tube 20 is smaller than the diameter of the air inlet hole 701 .

[0070] Specifically, the diameter of the gas outlet end 22 is smaller than the diameter of the gas inlet hole 701, and the guide tube 20 passes through the gas inlet hole 701 from top to bottom. A larger gap can be formed between the guide tube 20 and the gas inlet hole 701 to ensure that the guide tube 20 is smoothly inserted into the crucible 60, and the gas outlet end 22 can move upward or downward relatively freely.

[0071] In a specific embodiment, the diameter of the guide tube 20 is uniform and is 40 mm, so the diameter of the air outlet end 22 is also 40 mm, and the diameter of the air inlet hole 701 is 120 mm. The guide tube 20 can pass through the center of the air inlet hole 701 without hindrance, and the air outlet end 22 has a larger range of motion in the radial direction of the guide tube 20.

[0072] In some embodiments, the ingot furnace 100 further includes a guide tube 90, which is sleeved outside the guide tube 20. The inner diameter of the guide tube 90 is larger than the diameter of the guide tube 20. The guide tube 90 can be coaxial with the guide tube 20 and made of graphite. The upper end of the guide tube 90 can be fixed and sealed with the straight tube 50. Further, the diameter of the guide tube 90 can be larger than the diameter of the mounting portion 52 and smaller than the diameter of the end of the straight tube 50 connected to the furnace body 10. The upper end of the guide tube 90 is fixed to the lower end of the mounting portion 52 and can be sealed with the straight tube 50 through a sealing rubber ring. At the through hole 102, the guide tube 20, the guide tube 90 and the straight tube 50 are sleeved in sequence from the inside to the outside. The lower end of the guide tube 90 has nuts arranged along the outer circumference of the guide tube 90, and the guide tube 90 is fixedly mounted on the cover plate through the nuts. The diameter of the nut is larger than the aperture of the air inlet hole 701 , so that the nut completely covers the air inlet hole 701 , thereby preventing the siphon phenomenon from causing impurities to enter the crucible and contaminate the silicon material.

[0073] For example, the inner diameter of the guide cylinder 90 is 74 mm, the diameter of the guide tube 20 is 40 mm, and the guide tube 20 can move freely in the guide cylinder 90. The nut diameter at the lower end of the guide cylinder 90 is 160 mm, and the diameter of the air inlet is 120 mm, thereby ensuring that the lower end of the guide cylinder 90 completely covers the air inlet.

[0074] In this way, the air outlet end 22 of the guide tube 20 is inserted into the air inlet hole 701, and the diameter of the air outlet end 22 of the guide tube 20 is smaller than the diameter of the air inlet hole 701, ensuring the freedom of the air outlet end 22 and a reasonable gap between the air outlet end 22 and the air inlet hole 701, providing a basis for the guide tube 20 to move up and down in the air inlet hole 701 relative to the cover plate 70, thereby reducing the movement resistance of the guide tube 20.

[0075] It should be noted that the nut at the lower end of the guide tube 90 can cover the air inlet 701 without completely blocking the gap between the air inlet 701 and the air outlet end 22. The internal space of the crucible 60 can be connected to the furnace chamber 101. Since the cover plate 70 covers the opening 601 of the crucible 60, the air inlet 701 on the cover plate 70 is covered by the nut at the lower end of the guide tube 90. The atmosphere in the crucible 60 and the furnace chamber 101 environment outside the crucible 60 are separated by the guide tube 90 and the cover plate 70, thereby ensuring that most of the gas introduced by the guide tube 20 flows in the crucible 60.

[0076] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ingot casting furnace 100 further includes a heater 80, which is distributed on at least one side of the crucible 60. The crucible 60 is used to fill silicon material. The heater 80 is used to heat the silicon material filled in the crucible 60 to melt the silicon material. The guide tube 20 moves up and down with the expansion and contraction of the bellows 30 so that the gas outlet end 22 of the guide tube 20 is always close to the surface of the silicon material.

[0077] Specifically, the heater 80 can be a resistive heating device made of graphite material as a resistor. The number of heaters 80 can be multiple, and they are distributed on the top and the surrounding side of the crucible 60. The heater 80 heats the crucible 60, and the silicon material filled in the crucible 60 gradually melts from blocks of different shapes into silicon liquid. The heater 80 can further control the heating temperature to promote the directional solidification of the silicon liquid and grow into polycrystalline silicon. In the process of melting the silicon material and growing silicon crystals, the semi-finished silicon in the crucible 60 is in a state of solid-liquid coexistence, and the surface height of the silicon liquid changes. The guide tube 20 can move up and down according to the surface height of the silicon liquid, keeping the gas outlet end 22 always close to the surface of the silicon material. It should be noted that the gas outlet end 22 is close to the surface of the silicon liquid and is separated from the surface of the silicon liquid by a small distance without contacting the silicon liquid.

[0078] In this way, the silicon material is heated by the heater 80 so that the silicon material is melted into silicon liquid. The liquid level of the silicon liquid changes during the melting and silicon crystal growth process. The guide tube 20 moves up and down by expanding and contracting the length of the bellows 30 and keeps the gas outlet end 22 close to the surface of the silicon liquid, thereby ensuring that the gas blows the silicon liquid surface as directly as possible.

[0079] Please refer again Figure 1 In some embodiments, the flow guide tube 20 is a rigid member that is resistant to high temperatures.

[0080] Specifically, the guide tube 20 is made of a high temperature resistant material so that the loss is small when the outlet end 22 is extended into the crucible 60 and close to the surface of the molten silicon liquid. Therefore, the guide tube 20 must withstand a high temperature of at least about 1400°C. The guide tube 20 is a rigid part, which means that the guide tube 20 is not easy to be significantly deformed when subjected to external force. Due to the rigidity of the guide tube 20, the connection between the inlet end 21 and the second end 32 of the bellows 30 can be used as a support point of the guide tube 20 to maintain a relatively stable structure, and when the bellows 30 shortens or lengthens, a certain force is applied to the inlet end 21. The guide tube 20 will move as a whole in the direction of the force, and effectively transmit the force to its outlet end 22, rather than just the displacement of the inlet end 21 that is subjected to the force.

[0081] Thus, the guide tube 20 is a high temperature resistant rigid part, so that the outlet end 22 of the guide tube 20 can be close to the surface of the high temperature molten silicon liquid, and the outlet end 22 can move to the same height as the inlet end 21, which is conducive to accurately controlling the moving distance.

[0082] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "certain embodiments", "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0083] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one feature. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0084] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application. The scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An ingot casting furnace, characterized in that: include: A furnace body, forming a furnace cavity; A flow guide pipe, the flow guide pipe comprising an air inlet end and an air outlet end, the air inlet end is located outside the furnace cavity, and the air outlet end is inserted into the furnace cavity and is a free end; and A bellows, wherein the bellows is sleeved outside the guide pipe, and the bellows has a first end and a second end along its length direction, the first end is sealed and fixedly connected to the air inlet end, and the second end is sealed and fixedly connected to the furnace body.

2. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ingot casting furnace comprises an adjusting component, the guide pipe and the bellows are respectively connected to the adjusting component, and the adjusting component is used to adjust the length of the bellows.

3. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: The adjustment assembly includes a first fixing member, a second fixing member and an adjustment rod connecting the first fixing member and the second fixing member, the first fixing member is fixedly connected to the first end of the bellows and the air inlet end of the guide pipe, the second fixing member is fixedly connected to the second end of the bellows, and the adjustment rod is used to adjust the distance between the first fixing member and the second fixing member to adjust the length of the bellows.

4. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adjusting rod extends along the length direction of the corrugated tube, the first fixing member is detachably connected to the adjusting rod, and the second fixing member is fixedly connected to the adjusting rod, so that the length of the corrugated tube changes with the connection position of the adjusting rod and the first fixing member.

5. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ingot casting furnace also includes a driving member connected to the adjusting assembly, and the driving member is used to drive the adjusting assembly to at least partially move so as to adjust the length of the bellows.

6. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The furnace body is formed with a straight-through pipe, the straight-through pipe is communicated with the furnace cavity and is located outside the furnace cavity, and the flow guide pipe passes through the straight-through pipe to be inserted into the furnace cavity.

7. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that: The end of the straight-through pipe away from the furnace chamber is a mounting portion, and the second end of the corrugated pipe is fixedly and sealedly connected to the mounting portion of the straight-through pipe.

8. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ingot casting furnace comprises a crucible and a cover plate located in the furnace chamber, the crucible is formed with an opening, the cover plate covers the opening of the crucible, the cover plate is provided with an air inlet, and the guide pipe introduces gas into the crucible through the air inlet.

9. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 8, characterized in that: The air outlet end of the guide pipe is inserted into the air inlet hole, and the diameter of the air outlet end of the guide pipe is smaller than the diameter of the air inlet hole.

10. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 9, characterized in that: The ingot casting furnace also includes a heater, which is distributed on at least one side of the crucible. The crucible is used to fill silicon material. The heater is used to heat the silicon material filled in the crucible to melt the silicon material. The guide tube moves up and down with the expansion and contraction of the bellows so that the gas outlet end of the guide tube is always close to the surface of the silicon material.

11. The ingot casting furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow guide pipe is a high temperature resistant rigid part.

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